Shorth

Teachers and Computer Science

If you have been attending computer classes at your high school, you know how distracting it is to sit in front of a computer. That is because computers contain many interesting programs, and they often have Internet access. I wonder if there are many students that sympathize with their teacher who is trying to draw their full attention, while he knows that he has to make sure they are not distracted by anything else. I would like to give some tips to computer science teachers. Even if you are not a teacher, this may come in handy if you want to teach your kids about computers. Teaching computers in a classroom can be very challenging, and this is how you can make your experience easier:

• Learn how to use lab management software. Such software makes it possible to monitor all of the computers from one PC.
• Be well prepared before a class. If something fails to work during your presentation, you risk the chance that your students will get distracted, and will start doing things that they are not supposed to do.
• Before giving any instructions to your students, ask them to turn off their monitors.
• Learn what are the policies of your school or college concerning computer use. Do you know, for example, if inappropriate sites are blocked? Are students allowed to send instant messages to each other? Such knowledge can help you gain more control over the students in your class.
• While wandering around the class, check the taskbar of each of your students. Even if some pages are already minimized, you will still be able to notice it, and thus know what a student has been doing previously before you came near his computer.

Teaching computer science is not always an easy task, and that is why it is important to have control in your classroom.