Making Help Signals

Computer SOS

Regardless of the age or politeness of your students, they will yell your name when they need help at the computer. Since the computer can’t move, they “can’t” either. So the normally quiet hand-raiser or the help-seeker who approaches your desk will sit at the computer and yell. This is especially true if the lab is arranged in a u-shape and their backs are to you.

What you need is a silent help signal. With computers it’s especially important to be able to prioritize the “can’t move on without help” over the “am I doing it right?” requests.  Otherwise you spend time validating the anxious and not enough time supporting the students who really need your help.  Since most students will just sit at the computer, waiting for you to help, you need a way to determine how to prioritize.

Create a triangular prism out of card stock (like a Toblerone box).  Color one side red (I’m completely stuck), one side yellow (bit o help) and green (I’m on a roll all on my own).  This can rest on top of the computer monitor and give students a visual way to signal how things are going.  You can easily see who needs your help and how much help they need at a glance.  Of course, you have to train them to turn the sign back to green if they solve their problem independently or if another student helps or you can “waste” time checking on students who no longer need your help.  On the other hand, that offers you an an opportunity for you to praise their independent problem-solving skills and there can never be enough praise in the classroom.

If you create a simpler version, just card stock folded in half with only red and yellow sides, you can stack them up like name tents for easy portability to the computer lab.  Students can just lay them flat on the monitor when it’s green for go.

With a  flat-screen monitor it gets a little harder, but maybe you can get monitor clips and use colored cards.  Clips cost money of course, but maybe you can get a computer supply store or an office to donate the clips.  Unlike the prism or name tent variation, the clips can be multipurpose.  They are really helpful when the students are typing something they have previously handwritten or to keep directions easily within view.

One year I tried plastic cups (red, green & yellow).  Students were supposed to just stack them, open side down,  so the appropriate color was on the top.  But I don’t recommend it — there are all kinds of fun things to do with plastic cups that were pretty distracting.  Well, live and learn!