What do schools do with their computer cluster teacher when they close their labs?

[Jim McDermott]

Hey all -- hope you're having a great summer... I was asked the question -- what do schools do with their computer cluster teacher when they close down their labs? What's the answer? Many of you are in schools that no longer have computer labs -- what do you do? Are you push-in with a teacher? Do you travel with the laptop cart? Are you in the library?

[Matthew Valia]

Principals: Keep your computer labs! I have locked down GX260s that have been working like a charm for seven years. I have serviced over 1000 students in this time with great web and graphic design units. My students enter my classroom, login and get to work. No broken keys, no dead batteries. No downtime. The computer lab with a school-wide server makes a great computer instruction environment and it simulates a corporate computer setting with login names and shared drives. Students can access their work from laptops from the content area, teachers can bring their classes into the lab to work on projects.

Until 1-to-1 becomes a K12 reality, the computer lab should be a vital part of everyone's technology plan. We have two PC labs and one Mac lab at IS 49 and they are a great service to the school.