DR> 1)  The class I will be teaching is "Computer 
 DR> Technology".  There is no formal curriculum or, as 
 DR> far as I know, books !  However, we DO have a nice 
 DR> lab of about 50 LC III's, 475's and 580's.  Five 
 DR> are even connected to the Internet (though I've 
 DR> been struggling for months to get the district to 
 DR> send us the cabling to connect another forty or so 
 DR> machines).  The class is to be a semester long... 
 DR> plus I can expect at least one class of 6th 
 DR> graders, one of 7th, and one of 8th each year.
 DR> I'd like to hear some comments on what I should 
 DR> focus my teaching on. Perhaps you can tell me what 
 DR> other people in similar situations are doing ?
I think that the numbers that you have are far too many for one instructor, I 
suggest that instead of the 25 you suggested that you keep 30, one for you 
and 29 for the students with 4 spare ones.  This will give you room if the 
admin isn't able to schedule 25 or less in each class.  It will also allow 
you to have reserve for machines that go down.
 
Your next issue is security, hardware security first.  Using a soldering 
iron, you can melt the mouse ball doors closed, that will keep them from 
running away.  To clean the mouse balls, you will have to use a screwdriver 
to take the mouse apart.  Tie up keyboard, mouse, power, and network cables 
so they can't be tripped over, pulled out by feet, etc..  Make sure 
everything that can walk away is tied down or put away.  Arrange the room, if 
you can, so that you can see the majority of the students from your desk.
 
Software issues next message.
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