The Equipment Needed

for a Computer Lab

ANDREA HELAINE

A computer lab is a classroom

designed for teaching or studying.
The computer lab should be designed
with ease of use, security and
reliability in mind. There is no perfect
lab, and each school will need to find
the best way to create a lab that fits
the needs of its students and its
budget.The goal of a lab is to teach
efficiently, and an underpowered
computer can hinder the learning
process.

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 The student stations are the
computers that the students will use
on a regular basis. The processing
power of each computer is
dependent on the lab's purpose. Even
the lowest-end computer currently
on the market is sufficient to work on
office software or for basic
programming lessons. If the lab is to
be used for video or photography
production, video game programming
or virtualization lessons, higher-end
computers with more processing
power and larger amounts of memory
will be required. The operating system
of the client workstation is up to the
teacher and/or information
technology team that will maintain
the system, but it should be locked
down to prevent students from
installing unauthorized software,
1 Student stations
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 1 Student stations
communicating on the Internet or CLASS
doing other prohibited activity.

COLLEGE

TESTS

VOCAB

LIFE

2 Management Station TECH

The management station is the

computer that the teacher will use. It ×

will usually be identical to the client

station. The management station,
however, will have direct access to
the server and the management
system of the switch, be able to
monitor the client stations and have a
better access to external resource
such as Internet or communication
software. The management station
also has better security because it
makes a more interesting target for
students wanting to play hacker and
because of its access to external
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 resources.

3 Server

The server in a computer lab can be

used to fulfill several needs. It should
store a copy of each workstation's
operating system. The workstations
can be made to connect to that
server to reinstall the operating
system in its clean but configured
state in case of a virus or simply as
maintenance. The server can also be
used to filter the external information
the clients can access, for example,
blocking Facebook but leaving the
Library of Congress accessible. The
server can also store the profile of
each student and back up their work
from session to session.

4 Switch

Networking is one of the most

important parts of computer labs,
and in many school computer labs, a
hub or a switch is one of the ways
this can be accomplished. The switch
is the network equipment to which all
the computers are connected. A
switch can be configured so the
clients cannot connect to each other,
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 to limit communication to groups
created for a specific project and to
grant or refuse access to external
resources.

5 Other equipment

Optional equipment can include

printers, scanners, cameras,
projectors and headsets. Each piece
of equipment should be carefully
considered, as the investment needed
(for the printers, scanners, cameras
and projector) or the high breakage
ratio (for the headsets) can adversely
affect the budget of the lab and its
ability to run smoothly.
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 REFERENCES +

ABOUT THE AUTHOR +

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:
 ...

The task of managing a classroom is

compounded when adding computer
equipment and software into the mix.
Students, while eager to learn, have
creative ways of popping keys off
keyboards and turning computer
monitors upside down when the
teacher is not looking. The computer-
based classroom is an environment of
constant multitasking requiring
strong classroom management skills.
Strong management begins with
setting solid rules, wise configuration
and well-planned instruction.

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 1 Computer Lab Rules

Establishing strong computer lab

rules sets the stage for a successful
computer-based class. The school
district's acceptable computer-use
policy sets the ground rules for
computer and Internet use as well as
disciplinary procedures. Rules and
procedures for entering and leaving
the lab, reporting hardware and
software issues, printing, gaming and
software manipulation are also
necessary for a smooth and
productive lab. Post rules in the front
of the classroom and remind students
of them frequently.
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 2 Classroom Con!guration

Supporting computer lab rules begins

with a manageable computer lab
configuration. The teacher's ability to
easily monitor student productivity
and progress will create a well
managed classroom. Computer
laboratories configured with all
student screens facing the front or
center of the room allows
simultaneous monitoring of all
student workstations. For example, a
u-shaped configuration allows
monitoring of all workstations and
creates a central work area for non-
computer-based activities. If it is not
possible to have all monitors visible,
the teacher must circulate the room
regularly to ensure student
engagement and productivity.

3 Classroom Management
Software

When classroom configuration

prohibits a teacher from observing
many student screens at a time,
classroom management software can
bridge the gap. Classroom
management software allows
teachers to view student screens
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 from one central workstation. In
addition to observing student
productivity and progress, teachers
use the software to send files and
presentations to multiple student
workstations at once. While the
software helps manage the computer
classroom, it does not eliminate the
need for a teacher to circulate
through the room.

4 Instruction Techniques

Thorough instructional planning will

enhance productivity while working in
the computer classroom. Lessons in
the computer-based classroom
involve demonstrating software
elements to teach students how to
complete specific computer tasks.
For example, the teacher may
demonstrate a single step in a series
to format a letter in a word-
processing program. After each
demonstration, the teacher gives
time for students to complete the
illustrated step. In contrast to a
traditional non-computer classroom,
this type of instruction is dependent
on all hardware and software pieces
functioning. Teachers should run
through instructional portions of a
lesson ahead of time to ensure
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 hardware and software work as
planned for both the teacher and
student workstations. In case of
hardware or software failure, have
backup plans such as written
instructions for students or
alternative activities.

5 Managing Student
Participation

Students will often miss instruction

because they cannot resist using the
computer while the teacher is
demonstrating. Develop a phrase or
signal to draw students' attention to
the demonstration. For example, use
a clapping signal to communicate
with students. Clap once to gain
attention, twice to have students look
toward the teacher and three times
as a final alert. Develop consequences
for those who do not comply. To keep
students engaged during the
demonstration, keep instruction brief
to allow ample time for student
practice. Increase student on-task
time by allowing students to explore
the program to find out how to
complete certain tasks. Free up time
to work with struggling students by
pairing strong students with novices.
This allows students to support each
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 other when simple questions arise.

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