First Lesson

9/30/10:

Thursday Lesson: I wrote how each part went in italics.

(The whole staff received an email in the morning warning us that the computer lab was experiencing extreme difficulties. It was slow, students were not able to simultaneously log on, and many computers were freezing in the midst of work. I emailed the librarian and asked if it would be a waste to bring my class down-she suggested I ask the T.I.. Her response was to try it and see what happens. I figured at the very least, I could model what our project would be and we’d come back to the room.)

• I modeled the whole lesson using the DLP projecting my computer screen. When practicing this by myself the previous day on several student accounts to make sure it worked, it looked easy. Doing it in front of the class made me realize just how many steps are involved to even be able to type! Students were sent back to their computer station with their user name and password written on a notecard.

Log onto Linnux using username and password

• All students were successful doing this except one new student. His username and/or password didn’t work. I asked him to look on with another student.

Go to Home Box

• One student didn’t have a home box. I’ll need to get some help from the T.I. to get it set up. I had this student move to my demonstration computer.
• The rest of the class was successful here, but several couldn’t double click quick enough to make it open.
• Some students began going on to next steps even after I asked them to put their hands in their laps if they had their home box open.
• I had to stop 3 times to remind them to stay with me as many were saying, “What do we go now?” because they had gone ahead of my directions. I was a bit grumpy at his point!

Link to Ms. O. Handout

• Again, most could open it, several had a difficult time double clicking on the icon.

Timeline-double click

• They double clicked on the icon for timeline and the Impress timeline I created opened up on their computer! At this point, the librarian came in and asked me if I had any issues. She was shocked when I told her we had no problems yet.

File-Save as

o Go to Name

Everyone was with me here.

o Click in front of timeline and type name

Several students had accidentally erased the name I had created rather than clicking in front of it. I went around and fixed those computers.

o Save in student folder

Here’s where several students went ahead again and clicked on the box in the left corner before saving. So, none of their work was saved. Lab time was over and it was time to go home, so I was not able to fix these during this time.

o Click Save

This is as far as we got today.

This portion of the lesson didn’t happen today: I thought they would have time to type on the template and then next week come back to it and revise.

When done save, and then exit

Look in homebox

Put paper you just wrote into dropbox

• Next week’s a new week and I will be thinking of a plan to keep kids with me, rather than rushing ahead. I also need to have them work on double clicking.
  
• I know each week will get easier as they become more efficient logging in and going to the templates. Today, I felt frustrated that I was one amongst 17 that needed help!