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Comment by Evelyn K. on July 25, 2010 at 6:45pm

What are in the folders next to your computers? What is in the cups?

Comment by Evelyn K. on July 25, 2010 at 8:57pm

ok I just read all the other comments on this from everyone else. But what I don't know is What is Plastic Canvas and where do you buy it? What is plastic cording and where do yu buy it? Thanks I have a bout 10 days to make 30 books now and about 900 kids names. I can do this just need some details. I hope you get this in time. Thanks

Comment by Marilyn Western on July 27, 2010 at 10:07am

This is what plastic canvas looks like: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_canvas
You can find it at any fabric/hobby shop, like JoAnn Fabrics. Try KMart or WalMart.

The plastic cording (usually used to by kid groups to create whistle lanyards) can be found at the same stores.

Hope that helps!

Comment by Marilyn Western on July 27, 2010 at 10:25am

Re: the folders...
Each student has a folder that contains their printouts. At Parent-Teacher Conferences, I give these to the teachers, who give the contents to parents and give me the folders back to be filled again during the next trimester.

At the beginning of the school year, I run a set of labels for the folders. Each label contains the homeroom teacher's last name, the # of the computer that student is assigned to, and the student's first & last name. I have all this info on an Excel spreadsheet, and it takes just minutes to merge and create labels in MS Word.
These are ready for 5th grade kids by the 2nd week of class (that takes the pressure off having it all done before kids start in the lab - AND allows me to change seat assignments when needed during the 1st week of class), but I make sure the 6th grade folders are at the computers on their 1st lab day.

Since I only see 2 grade levels, all 5th graders have blue folders and 6th graders have green folders. The following year, kids keep their same folders (I run a new set of labels with the new teacher name + their new seat assignment), so the 'old 5th graders' (aka 6th graders) keep their blue folders, and the 'new 5th graders' (aka 5th graders) get recycled folders from last year's 6th graders which are green. I've used the same folders for the last 6 years with no problem (altho the labels are piling up pretty high!). Hope you followed all that!

Also, inside the folders, kids have strips of paper taped in that contain their login and password for various sites that we use throughout the year (such as pbwiki, xtranormal, glogster, kidblogs, etc). They can be easy taken out at the end of their 6th grade year when folders are recycled.

Another thing I have the 5th graders do at the end of the year is to write their name and network username & password on sticky notes that they put inside their folders. Kids keep their same network username & password for the 2 years they are with us, and they often forget it after a summer off. So they leave this 'reminder' note in the folder. I make sure the 6th grade folders are re-labeled and waiting for them at their computer their 1st day in the lab. It really helps smooth out the 1st day!!!

I've scabbed 30 metal book holders from the librarian (she was going to dump them!!!!) and placed them on the right side of the computers (there are no air vents on that side). The folders go between the computer and the book holder, keeping them from getting scattered all over the workstation. Works like a charm!

Comment by Marilyn Western on July 27, 2010 at 10:51am

I use the cups for a variety of purposes.
If you need help, put your red cup up on your monitor. I'm constantly scoping the room for red cup kids that need help.
I don't allow students to print unless I give individual permission (saves on a LOT of paper that way!!!). So, when I tell a student to print and collect their printout, I put their red cup up. This allows me to keep track of who has printed and who hasn't. When all red cups are up, everyone has printed. I make a game of putting them down: when I count to 5, put your red cup down. 1,2.......3........4.....................FIVE! and if they weren't paying attention, we do it again. They actually look on this as a game (go figure!).
Sometimes, when doing a project, I'll announce "If you have having trouble with this, put your red cup up. If you are FINISHED, go help someone with a red-cup-up". Amazing how much they love to 'help' each other!

Inside the red cups, I have a 10"x10" square of flannel. Kids use these to wipe down the monitor, keyboard, and workstation before they leave (custodians don't do ANY computer dusting). Just a little clean up. I usually collect the flannels and take 'em home to thru in the laundry at Winter & Spring breaks, then at the end of the school year so they're ready to go in the Fall.

Comment by Evelyn K. on July 27, 2010 at 12:12pm

thanks so much. I went yesterday to hobby lobby and found the canvas and the cording and have made eight of those so far. They are time consuming, but a wonderful idea that is going to help me so much this year. I got the rings and colored paper so I can color code the grades as they come in. I love this idea. This is my first year and all the wonderful ideas are going to make it so much easier on me. I will have K-5, so in a week I will see 900 different kids. Any other advice you have would be great.

Comment by Marilyn Western on July 27, 2010 at 12:28pm

Yeah - they are pretty time consuming, but once you make 'em, they last forever!!!

The 2nd day of class, I have kids open a Word doc and they design their own nametags.
They type the last name of their teacher, Enter.
The number of the computer they are sitting at. Enter.
Open WordArt and choose any one they want (except the up and down ones - they don't fit on the page)
They type in their 1st name (spell it right - start with a capital letter) Enter.
Then type their last name.
When they are finished, I have them go to the opposite side of the room to see if they can read their name (sometimes the font is too difficult to read, or the WordArt is too small).
If I approve, they can print (leave in printer so I can cut the page to the proper size and slide into their nametag).

In the past couple of years, I took a headshot of each student on the 1st day of lab and uploaded to the Shared drive in a folder with their teacher's name. The 2nd day of school, I had them locate their picture and rename with their last name, first name. When we did the computer nametags, I had them insert their picture also which is a great help for the 1st report card markings. I can go to a computer, locate the student's name tag and see their image.
This might not work with your younger kids, but you might be able to have your 5th graders create nametags for the K-1-2 kids after they create their own.

Comment by Evelyn K. on July 27, 2010 at 12:58pm

do you know what the website is to create an avatar of yourself.....?

Comment by Marilyn Western on July 27, 2010 at 1:11pm

I use these with kids:
Become and m&m
Lego Minimizer
Sonic avatar

I use these for myself:
Doppelme
Bless This Chick
Simpsons Avatar

Comment by Melissa on December 9, 2011 at 5:15pm

Hello! I like your computer stations, do you find the children like them too? Would you happen to know where you got them/what the brand or item number is? We are supposed to get a new building and I want to get new computer desks :)

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