SMART Board Goodies A Resource Blog by Amber Coggin 

In my last post I explained that I have decided to go with a theme in the computer lab this year. After many Google searches for classroom themes, computer lab themes, etc. I have chosen a construction theme.  The “motto” will be Futures Under Construction. I’m really excited about this theme.  So much that I have transformed my classroom blog into a new website/blog for the upcoming year to match the theme. On current website,  I can change the header and background colors (and of course design the pages), but I have to email my site admin to do these things. I am a perfectionist, so I believe I would only drive them crazy with my requests to try this and try that. The blog gives me the freedom to upload my header once or thirty times until it is just right for me. I will also change it each year to match whatever theme I choose. I also like that the blog will now be included in the website, whereas before it was another place for the students to visit. They really weren’t comfortable with the blog because of how seldom they were able to go there.

The week before school starts I will point my domain name towards the new site.

Exciting!

After seeing Vicky S’s cool computer lab wiki on the Elementary Tech Teachers Ning, I noticed her lab will have a theme this year: It’s a Small World.  I really love the idea of having a yearly theme, and it would be an excuse to spruce up the room a bit.  I think it would grab the students’ interest as well and get them excited about what they will learn in the lab.

I googled “computer lab themes” and ran across a fabulous computer lab website by Mrs. Steen.  She has a jungle theme in her lab, complete with decorations and “Top Banana” awards! She has so many resources for other computer lab teachers as well, including a wealth of thematic links that will definitely come in handy during the year. This is definitely a site to check out if you are a computer lab teacher.

I guess you can adapt any classroom theme to the computer lab, so that is my mission. I will report back my findings and decision!

Update: I just found a treasure trove of computer lab pictures decorated in the “Study Island” theme from the contest they had back in 2007. Click on the school entries by state at the bottom to see all of the entries. It will take forever to look through them all!