March 2003 — Educator's Evaluation
Print this article | Email this articleClick here to receive your FREE subscription to T.H.E. Journal
CrossTec Corp.'s NetOp School
Final Thoughts
As the IT coordinator at Forest Park, staff development is a big issue for me. We are a pilot school for Blackboard e-learning software, and all of our instructors must be trained to use the program. NetOp School greatly increases my time-on-task and decreases the length of the training sessions, much to the delight of the staff.
Chuck Drake, Director of IT
Forest Park High School
Contact Information
CrossTec Corp.Boca Raton, FL
(800) 675-0729
www.crossteccorp.com
More Examples of how Forest Park educators use NetOp School:
Carolyn Beever - IT Computer Graphics Instructor. When NetOp School was first introduced in my lab, I felt that the software's main purpose would be security - allowing me to watch what students were doing on the computers, especially those students who do not face the center of the lab. But I was very wrong, and the program has become an indispensable part of my instruction. Now, I can demonstrate a technique to a class while they sit at their own computers. This gives students a much more personal interaction, and they pay far more attention to the instruction then when I'm using an LCD projector. Also, with NetOp School I can transfer graphics files between computers. And rather than copying worksheets for students, I can simply send the worksheet to their computers for them to access, complete and print on their own computers. They can also have me correct or grade the worksheet from my computer - saving the department the cost of paper and ink cartridges.
When students need help on a project I can demonstrate for one student how to accomplish the technique or I can remote control their computer from my PC. This ability to work from my computer is far more productive timewise, and is actually less intrusive to the student than having them come to my computer or having me take over their mouse. Using the message ability of NetOp, I can signal to a student when he or she is wasting time without announcing it to the whole class. I simply flash them a message and a student realizes that I know they are off task. These are just a few of the many ways NetOp School has increased my classroom's productivity and student learning. The software is not just a security and supervisory tool; it is a tool for teaching and learning.
Barbara McLaulin - Library Media Specialist. With the layout of the computers in the library and in the English/social studies lab, it is difficult to teach a lesson and have the students fully involved in the instruction. Problems also arise when students are working either collaboratively or individually. Giving demonstrations without being able to monitor students gives them opportunities to become disengaged. I teach a unit on Microsoft PowerPoint in collaboration with the social studies teachers. Without NetOp School I felt I was in a static demonstration mode tethered to an LCD projector. The students were either focused on their computers instead of on the lesson or in need of immediate hands-on reinforcement. The result was very unproductive and frustrating, both for the students and for me.
With NetOp School, I'm able to fully integrate instruction and maximize lab time. If I notice lots of students struggling with a particularly difficult concept, I can break in and demonstrate it again to the entire class. I can share particularly relevant student work as well. If a student is off task, I can lock the computer screen and refocus his or her attention with a "chat." In addition, computer downtime has been minimized since I am able to individually monitor where the students are and what they are doing. And at the end of the session or at the end of the day, I can check all computers from my monitor and power down all the PCs with just a few clicks.
Cite this Site
copy text (above) for proper citation
