The Nightmare Known Only as Computer Lab

I don't know about you all, but my first couple of years of teaching I dreaded taking my kids to computer lab.  It was a total love/hate relationship.  On one hand I could use that time to get so much accomplished: grade spelling tests, get new lists together, finish reading assessments, work one-on-one with some of my kiddos.  On the other hand, getting my kids to log in within the 45 minute computer lab time was a challenge to say the least.  Forget getting into a membership website that requires them entering a username and password.  Pshhh! Come on!

Well, a couple of years ago I got the bright idea to just give my kids individual cards for each website or program that we used frequently.  That, my friends, was a game changer.  Each year I tried to make it a little better.  Until finally, for the last 2-3 years I've created a login loop for my firsties.  Let me just say that I'll never go back and I don't know how I did it all before. Maybe that's why I'm almost completely gray under all of the hair color and highlights.

If you go to a computer lab, or even if you don't and just have classroom computers that your kids use, where they have to login to their profile, account, etc. then this is definitely a handy tool for you to use. Yes, they are a little time consuming to make at the most stressful time of the year for us teachers. But I promise they will save you SO much time (and gray hairs).  They are editable so that all you have to do is type in the info for each student.  I like to take it a step farther and color code the individual login cards so that there is no room for confusion even if my firsties can't READ what the card says yet.

Here's the simple tool that can take the nightmare out of computer lab and logging your kiddos in.

There are 3 different cover options.

This one comes in aqua, pink, gray, lime green, and purple.

The one comes in aqua, pink, red, lime green, orange, and yellow.

There is also a blackline for those of you who are saving on ink.

There are cards for STAR, Xtramath, Track My Progress, MobyMax, Nat Geo, LearnZillion, Tenmarks, IXL, Edmodo, Hearbuilder, and Prodigy.

And of course a blank template.

Here's an example of a color coded loop (minus the front cover).

I know many of you are just entering the back to school beginning of the year madness and some of us are a couple of weeks in. Either way, this would definitely be a useful tool for you. I've marked it half off until Saturday.

Until next time friends.