Classroom mgt. tips for one-to-one laptop programs

Here are 10 classroom management tips for schools with one-to-one laptop programs. What other tips do you have? Add your comments!

1. Have a plant to use your laptops instructionally on a regular basis.If you use the laptops as a part of your regular instruction, students are much less likely to engage in off-task behavior with them.
2. Set up a classroom site (wiki, Moodle, etc.)  that students know to go to every day.Use this as your “home base” and link all other resources there. Include things like sponge or bell ringer activities.
3. Keep laptops on students’ desks during class (but remember that you can ask to have laptops closed when you don’t want students to use them).
4. Use the laptops for differentiating instruction and individual or small group activities.This is one of the most appropriate uses for laptops. It will also make your life easier if you don’t try to have the whole class doing an activity simultaneously on the laptops.
5. Give students a set of classroom rules to follow and include appropriate consequences for not following the rules.Remember to reinforce acceptable and responsible use issues. Make sure to include a rule about bringing the laptop charged and ready to use every day.
6. Use folders to organize students’ work.
7. Set up rules for file naming.Here is a suggestion:
   This will let you easily identify the assignment and student without opening the document and sort accordingly to put in folders. I like to make this a part of the grade for each assignment.
8. Have students keep a grid of their user names and passwords for Web 2.0 sites.Keeping track of these is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced. Anyone have any great strategies for this?
9. Make students responsible for charging their laptops when they need it.
10. Empower your students to help solve each other’s tech problems.This is good for them and will also make your life easier. Designate selected students to be “tech squad” helpers. These students can be given special training and incentives for their participation.