Re: Writing Center Design (Again)

[cleveren@english.fsu.edu (Carrie Leverenz)]

Deanna:  What will the computers in your writing center be used for?  Will
people be using them to teach classes or will they serve as lab machines
only?  I recently installed computers in the Reading/Writing Center here at
Florida State.  Since we do for-credit individualized instruction in writing
and reading, I saw the computers as supporting instruction, so I set up a
dozen of them in a small group teaching area (we often put our enrolled
students together in groups for part of their teaching time) and the rest
are set up outside the small group area room divider.  All of the computers
are across the room from the small tables and room dividers that mark the
area where most of the tutors do their individualized instruction.  An
important consideration is the noise that the computers can generate--I got
funding to buy laser printers by making the case that the old dot matrix
printers (cast-offs) were just too noisy to be used in a room that might
have 10 tutoring sessions going on at the same time.  

Rumor has it that the building I'm in is scheduled to be gutted so I may
have the luxury of redesigning my space.  Although I'd be happy to have more
(and better) computers (more cast-offs from computer classrooms), I don't
have the personnel to support a computer lab per se.  My tutors are paid to
teach writing/reading, and at the moment, no one is being paid to babysit
the machines.  Anyway, I'd like to hear how the 50 computers in your center
are related to the teaching that your center does.  Carrie Leverenz

>I'm back--and asking for more.  I recently posted a request for drawings/plans
>of the physical layout of writing centers.  Some subscribers, though, have
>offered general information about what works and what doesn't work when putting
>together a writing center.  All of this info is necessary and valuable.
>
>If you have any suggestions about what to do or what not to do, please let me
>know.  We will have approximately 50 computers in our new writing center, and
>we are trying to determine how to arrange them, whether or not to establish a
>permanent wall to divide up the computers or to create some sort of partition
>that would allow us flexibility, etc.  If you have any advice, I would greatly
>appreciate it.
>
>Thanks again,
>
>Deanna Lenox
>Scottsdale Community College
>9000 East Chaparral Road
>Scottsdale, AZ 85250
>lenox@sc.maricopa.edu
>
>