Six of the nearly nine years I spent teaching computer science were spent in a computer lab. My feelings about computer labs rules has changed over the years. Although it may seem absurd for me to oppose my job, there are times when teaching in a lab can prove frustrating and isolating. However, I have found that there is no other place where my students can learn how to program, edit video, create music, or format text documents in computer labs rules.
None of the schools where I was the technology teacher had a library or a librarian. My role as the “Computer teacher” has been a multi-faceted one. This made the computer lab an integral part of these schools. It is difficult to connect what is being taught in the lab to what students are learning in class, but that is my opinion of the best way to structure technology education.
The room layout is another challenge when teaching in a computer lab. The majority of labs rules have desktops arranged against a wall in rows or pods. Because of wiring and cables, these layouts are not adaptable or mobile. My younger students cannot see beyond their computers in my lab to follow the activities at the board. Students must move their bodies in order to see the board in other labs that I have seen.
Computer Labs Rules: Basic pros and cons
Pros
Each student has their own machine. Computer labs rules are more efficient than classroom pods and clusters in libraries because they have enough machines to accommodate all students.
Computer literacy instruction that is focused medien computer. Computer labs rules with a teacher, and not just a room full of computers, provide students with specialized computer literacy education.
Access is possible in schools that do not have a library or funds for large-scale tech projects. A computer lab can be a viable option for students who don’t have access to a library or cannot afford large-scale tech initiatives.
Cons
As a shared resource, limited access. Labs rules are separated from the classroom so they are not always available. However, many classes share them.
Technology is being removed from the classroom. Technology isn’t integrated into the curriculum when students must travel to the computer lab. Technology in a separate area sends the message that technology is not integrated into the curriculum.
Layout of the room. This is one of the most difficult aspects of teaching in a computer laboratory. Computer lab layouts can be very rigid and difficult to adapt to dynamic lessons and projects. There is little space for actual work because keyboards and mice occupy most of the desk space.
