first.arrangement

Classroom arrangement

 * I will be adding to this page and the management page as I answer questions from __YOU__ and others.**

One comment a lot of teachers make is that they forget about using the computers as part of their regular teaching. Often that's because the computer/s are tucked away out of sight - perhaps along the wall or at the back of the classroom or even out in a shared area between several classes. Moving them into a more prominent position can be the changing point.

@http://inspiredclassrooms.wikispaces.com/ When I first began looking at how to manage my classroom better I stumbled onto the inspired classroom wiki - I used this as inspiration to change my classroom last year. When I first rearranged my classroom I controlled who sat in which group quite rigorously - that gave them a 'home' group to get to at the beginning of the day. I also made sure that I rotated them - so that whoever started the day closest to the computer didn't finish the day there as well.

For curriculum work I always start on the mat with the whole class and then have different activities for them to go off and do while I do small group work.

This year I'm in a different classroom and have computers in several areas - I've been fortunate to have been given some extras. I have 3 clusters of computers:
 * 4 in a corner
 * 2 alongside some desks
 * 5 (laptops) on a group of 6 desks

Students in my class don't have an allocated desk and in fact there are less free desks than there are students (11 desks have computers on them); students choose where they want to work - at a desk with a buddy; by themselves; in a group on the mat; sitting on the couch or bean bags and, as the weather becomes warmer and drier, even outside.

In my school we have a number of teachers who've grouped their pods of 4 on a table - round or rectangular - and positioned them along side their table groups - they then become part of the natural flow in the classroom.