Tech Tips

A great way for students to have easy access to websites with teacher-selected activities is to create a start page. I use PROTOPAGE. It is free and very easy to use. First, create an account. Then, I always delete all the pre-loaded boxes on the page by clicking on the small X in the corner - all of them. I then click in the tool bar to add a widget and then select bookmarks. This box will allow you to name and enter a URL for a website. So, lets say you want your kids to practice their ABC's at the classroom computers. You would then find websites, copy the address, and paste the URL here. You could list as many as you want, I usually give my kids a choice of 4 - 5. They know they can only go to these sites; and then they click the back button to go back to the start page and select something else. I set this as my homepage in IE, so when they start IE, this is where they start. It makes things so easy!  Here is a link to one of my start pages for a K class at the beginning of the year STARTPAGE. One important tip:  make sure to uncheck the box for "open in a new window"in your settings. It often takes several seconds for a new page to load, and kids are impatient and will keep clicking, which can lead to the webpage loading multiple times. Do a google search for "computer lab start page" and you will see some great examples. This is a great management strategy for using computers in your classroom, especially with younger students.