#1 Estimating Number of Students

Administrators: Consider meeting with the instructor to discuss this section.  First you must decide which grades will use OCL.  

Kindergarten/Non-readers: Non-readers cannot use the normal individualized structure and must use our lock-stepped kindergarten guide for selected lessons. Non-reading students do not see or hear the term "kindergarten" in the curriculum. These lessons cover hardware and computer literacy that kindergartners or non-readers can learn.  The instructor uses the kindergarten guide to read instructions and review information to the students along with viewing the videos.  These students do not use the drills and quizzes, but are asked questions orally.  Non-readers will build a mastery of using the mouse, build a familiarity with the lab, and learn an amazing amount of computer literacy.  We have seen tremendous benefits for 1st graders when students have completed a kindergartner technology class.  Kindergartners love technology class!    

High school: Even if you are already using Microsoft training curriculum for high school, you may want current high school students to participate once per week with our program. Many national standards, concepts, and skills are not covered in Microsoft Office.  High school students also need valuable training such as technology ethics, financial safety, computer security, data recovery, emerging technologies, graphics, and other areas not covered in office suite training. 

Administrators: Consider having a person familiar with your computer lab/room complete this page. The primary goal of your annual computer lab review is to determine what is needed and how much it will cost.  This is a simple task for most schools, but some schools may have more work due to enlarging the lab or a move to a different room. The cost of expanding or rebuilding your computer lab is normally a small factor. This may be a good time to evaluate whether you should renovate your computer lab.  Request our New Computer Lab Guide for great information if you will be moving your lab or need to enlarge it!  The budget information below should be filled in as you read this section.  After you have finalized this information, transfer the information to the Budget Evaluation on page one.

Budget Estimate and Shopping List

Use the information following this list for assistance in filling in figures.

(Enter the above totals in section 2 of the Budget Evaluation box on page 1.) 

1. Computers

General Computer Information: Computers: It often best to have the same brand/model of computer and the same operating system in a lab due to maintenance/class instructions. If you cannot get the same model, at least try to get the same brand/style.  The instructor can master the maintenance and repair for one brand/style much faster. The very small "bookcase" computers are great for space, but often have power supplies burn out faster and are harder to repair. Since students are not going to be playing video games, computers can have very minimal requirements (in today's standards) to work with OCL. Pentium III computers with an operating system can be found for less than $100 and will work for 2-3 years. You should always have one or more extra computer stations than your largest class in your lab plus 3-4 computers that are not hooked up for backup. You may want to call your local school district or county government office to inquire about when they sell excess computers. Remember, it is important to acquire computers that are the same brand and have the same type of case, so ask them about quantities available. 

How to Tell What the Computer Is: You can see if the computer has a cd-rom, sound card, and network card from the outside of the computer without turning it on. The sound card will have speaker/mic ports on the back. The network card will have the single port that looks like a phone port on the back. You can tell the ram, free hard drive space, and usually the megahertz of the processor from one place under Start/Programs/Accessories/System Tools/System Information. If the processor is listed as x86 but does not tell the megahertz speed, you may be able to see it when the computer is booting up or by entering setup/cmos/bios. Anything newer than a Pentium I is above a 166. A Pentium III can be purchased for as low as $59. 

Monitors: Schools can usually advertise they are looking for computer monitors and get more CRT's donated than needed. The trick is to specify exactly what you are looking for so they look somewhat matched. Some areas charge to dispose of monitors, so you need to be picky in your advertising! Donated older 17"-19" CRTs can work until LCDs are more common to be donated or you can afford to buy new ones. (i.e Our school is looking for donations of computer monitors. We need white 19" monitors that have a clear picture.) Refurbished 15" flat screen LCDs can be purchased for around $80. Nicer 17"-19" LCDs are around $170 new. As mentioned above, possibly the school district or county government might have surplus monitors. Your lab will look junky if you have a variety of monitor types and sizes. Students will also feel neglected if they are not seated at a better monitor. You should work toward LCD monitors as fast as possible because of power consumption.

Is the number of computers currently setup large enough to handle your largest class, learning center, or group of blended grades and still have one or two extra seats available? _________ Schools that send only a portion of the class to technology class increase the distractions within a working classroom when students are coming and going all the time. Micro groups are usually not supervised on their way to the computer lab because the teacher must stay behind to supervise the remainder. It also makes the schedule for your teacher much more complicated. Teachers that are freed up during technology class can participate in technology training to make them a better employee or work on the many tasks that would have to be done after school.  

If your current lab is not big enough to handle your largest class size, do you have room to add sufficient computers?________ If not, see the New Computer Lab page to see configuration suggestions that may increase the number of computers or consider finding another room.  You should always have one or more empty seats in the lab than your largest class. The main barrier that most schools have for a computer lab is space. 

How many computers that meet minimum qualifications do you currently have setup in your computer lab? ___________ Computer requirements for OCL are very minimal. Computers should be at least a Pentium III with cd-rom, sound card, 128 mb ram, network jack (NIC), and 500 mb free on the hard drive.

Do you have 3-4 extra computers not hooked up that meet minimum computer requirements?___________ It is recommended for efficiency, higher quality learning, and a stress free program to have 3-4 extra computers that are not hooked up, but available to the instructor. OCL recommends to have these 3-4 extra computer cases preloaded with the necessary software before school starts. If there is ever a computer breakdown during a class, the case can be swapped in seconds, and the instructor can look at the problem computer later. This $300 or less investment is invaluable!

How many computers do you need? ___________ To determine the number of computers needed, determine the largest class or group size the lab will have, add two for empty seats in the lab, add 3-4 extra computers to store in the lab, then subtract from what you currently have. Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "1. Computers" above. Normally, you should expect to find computers that are far above the minimum requirements for $120 or less and include an operating system. (See "School Tech Savings" at www.onlinecomputerlab.com) At the time of this writing, computers without a monitor but with an operating system were available for as low as $59 plus Tax/UPS.)

2. Headphones

How many headphones will you need for the upcoming year? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "2. Headphones" above. Normally, you should expect to find them from $6-$12 each. (See "School Tech Savings" at www.onlinecomputerlab.com) Leatherette (non-foam ear pads) headphones with volume control should be mandatory when provided by the school. The leatherette covers can be disinfected, the volume control is essential for student hearing safety, and the leatherette style blocks out noise for better student concentration. Headphones average a lifespan of 2-3 years if taken care of. The ear pad covers eventually tear or the wires break. New leatherette pad covers can be purchased for under $2. Normally, schools should not have students supply their own headphones unless they have volume control. If you are in a lice infected area, then you may have to have students supply their own. Headphone extension cables can be purchased for around $2 to lower the risk of damaging the sound card jack from the intensive use of student owned headphones. You will also need to formulate a procedure for when students forget their headphones or for safely storing them.

3. Tables

If adding more computers to your lab, how many more tables will you need? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "3. Tables" above. Normally, you should expect to pay approximately $50 each including rain gutter. (see labtechhelp.com for where to purchase) You should have already determined if you have room to expand your lab ( see the New Computer Lab Estimator link to see configuration suggestions that may increase the number of computers).  You may have originally used a more expensive method and will need to adjust this figure if you are going to match your previous tables. The most economical and efficient method is to use regular folding tables and attach plastic rain gutter on the backside of the tables for cables. You can normally put 2 and 1/2 computers on an 8 foot folding table. You can normally put 2 computers on a 6 foot table. The older wooden-look folding tables usually have the legs spaced better for students than the newer plastic tables. Tables that have legs mounted at the ends of tables will bow after a while. The plastic tables are harder to hide the rain gutter. Wooden-looking folding tables usually have a metal brace underneath that works nicely to attach the rain gutter to. Larger monitors and computer cases can bow folding tables after 2-3 years. You can normally put 2 and 1/2 computers on an 8 foot table. You can normally put 2 computers on a 6 foot table.

Cable Troughs: Plastic rain gutter can usually be purchased in 10' or longer lengths at your local hardware/lumber yard. This keeps your cables from dangling down from the back of the tables. It also makes it easier to swap out equipment because cables can be laid in trough instead of tied together. The rain gutter is large enough to hold the many cables and plug-in strips. The rain gutter is cut to necessary lengths and screwed to the back edge of the table. Wood-styled folding tables have a metal support brace to attach to which will hide about two inches of the trough.

4. Chairs

How many more chairs will you need? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "4. Chairs" above. Normally, you should expect to find them from $11-$40 each depending on which kind you will use. Folding Chairs: Metal folding chairs can be found for around $11 at Costco or Sam's Club. Be sure to check the height, because many companies sell a lower height folding chair. If considering padded chairs, compare office-styled chairs for price. Folding chairs can be nice because they can be folded up to vacuum or mop. Office-styled Chairs: Always use 5 legged office chairs (often called a "Task" chair). Beware of a very inexpensive model that is shorter, smaller seat size, and has poorer quality of fabric. Leather-type adjustable task chairs can usually be found for around $39. Office chairs are better on floors and only cost a little bit more than quality padded folding chairs.

5. Hub/Switches
Is your current computer lab networked together? ________ Your computers will need to be tied together by using a simple network of cables and switches. The main purpose of a network switch is to connect computers to make a network and to keep from having to use longer cables. Each computer needs a network interface card or NIC (looks like a large phone jack). 

• Network interface cards normally come installed with all computers or are even built into the motherboard. Otherwise NICs can be purchased for as little as $10.

• Each computer needs a network cable that runs from the NIC to a small box that is called a switch.

• Each switch needs a network cable that runs from the switch to a central switch to tie all the computers together.

• The central switch needs a network cable to run to the broadband internet router or access point.

How many more switches will you need? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "5. Hub/Switches" above. 5- port switches are approximately $25 and 8-port switches are approximately $40. You may already have enough available jacks on your existing hubs or switches. If not, you should figure one 5-port switch will be needed for every four new computers and one 8-port switches for every seven new computers. Smaller 5-port switches can reduce the required lengths of cables drastically because each switch can be placed near clusters or rows of computers and then only need one longer cable to reach your central switch where your internet comes in. See the Network Cabling section on the New Computer Lab Estimator link for a diagram of how switches work.

6. Cabling - Network Cables and Power Strips

How many network cables will you need? (Usually count the number of new or non-networked computers you are adding plus the number of switches you are also adding.) ________ Increase this number 1-2 to cover the cost of some extra power strips. Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "6. Cables" above. Normally, you should be able to average $5 or less. Most retail stores make their profit on this item, so shop! Eventually, your students can make them for you for $1! Power strips are usually around $3-$5. See the Network Cabling section on the New Computer Lab Estimator link for a diagram of how cables are run.

7. Internet

How much will your broadband internet service to your lab cost per month? _________ Multiply the monthly cost by 12 and enter in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "7. Internet for Year" above. Prices range across the nation from $13-$70 per month. It is highly recommended to have a separate internet broadband account for the computer lab (student use) to make it easier to secure for students and to reduce the load on office and teacher computers. Broadband is DSL, Cable, or T1. It is not "high speed" dialup! Broadband is always on and does not need to dial in. Broadband speeds are as slow as 768kbps in rural areas to over 3000kbps (3mbps) in populated areas. Accounts in some areas offer different speeds to choose from. You should always try to get the fastest (largest number) download speed. Shop! Schools are normally lumped into a business category with a higher rate. Many broadband providers require a computer with XP to first configure the service. (See labtechhelp.com for information about structure and security.)

DSL requires a telephone line. To save paying for the line cost, a DSL account can share a line that is already active for your telephone without ever making your phone busy, BUT NOT IF IT IS A PHONE SYSTEM. Some schools are already paying for a separate fax line that may be available to share with the DSL service (some technicians may say it will not work, but it does). You may have to activate/pay for an extra phone line ($10-$20) if you cannot share an already activated phone line. A common scenario: Schools often have two phone lines activated- voice and fax. The voice line would be shared with the office/teacher DSL. The fax line would be shared with the computer lab DSL. 

Cable requires the cable internet company to run cable to your building. Usually they will do this without an installation cost. Cable is usually a faster broadband. If your school has never had cable, you may be able to have them install it so it goes right to your computer lab for simplicity. If your school already has DSL for the office, you might still want to check the availability of cable in your area to separate student use. 

Satellite Internet allows rural schools to have a much faster internet service than dialup. Satellite services use a shared system that limits the amount of bandwidth downloaded over a period of time. It is usually designed for home use and not a computer lab of 25 computers, so it would be important that students only use our program with the internet during class time. It would also be important that you notify us that you are using satellite so we can structure the lesson videos links for your school to work from the hard drive rather than the internet to save bandwidth. Most satellite internet companies require you to purchase upfront a one meter dish for around $300 and pay a monthly fee from $39 up. (See labtechhelp.com for more information.) 

If you have a very small school, you may be able to share your existing internet access account, but there will be more work or a little less student security. 

Normal broadband service will usually include a dsl or cable modem. Usually broadband companies offer a combination
modem/router. If the broadband service does not offer a combination modem/router, then you will need to buy one for about $40.

8. Keyboarding Software

How many more keyboarding licenses or student counts will you need? (If you do not have keyboarding software, enter the total number of projected computer seats in lab.) ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "8. Keyboarding" above. Normally, you can get Mavis Beacon 16 for $16. OCL has 3rd and 4th grade students use keyboarding software as their Enhancement Assignment. We recommend using your existing keyboarding software from your school's main curriculum publisher since they may have drills with content that matches other subjects' content. Our curriculum includes instructions for Typemaster or Typing Instructor Deluxe or Mavis Beacon v. 16. Our instructions will work reasonably well for Mavis Beacon v.11-17. If you do not have keyboarding software, Mavis Beacon v. 16 can be purchased for approximately $16 and will work on older computers (p166). OCL does not recommend using keyboard training until fingers have sufficiently developed (3rd grade) to prevent bad habits. Older grades should use it as filler. OCL's keyboarding lessons include reinforcements and have the student use your software for their Enhancement Assignment. The student will record progress in the OCL program for grading. Monitoring progress is essential for keyboarding improvement. Schools using all other keyboarding programs will have to interject their own orientation instructions to students.

9. Printers

How many printers do you need? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "9. Printers" above. Normally, you can buy a printer from $10-$50. Technically, you only need one printer in the lab with OCL for instructor use and students working in selected lessons. Normally you will want to have more than one for backup purposes. If you have room in your lab, it is nice to have one on each row. The older HP 720 or 722 is a dependable workhorse and can use $4 refurbished black 19ml cartridges. The HP 720/722 can be found for around $10 at 2nd hand stores or Ebay. Any HP printer that takes a HP45 or HP15 black cartridge is usually a good choice. Brand new $45 printer/copier/scanners are nice but often have to have the printer cd installed on every computer, only use new expensive 5ml cartridges, and cannot hold as much paper in the tray. Once again, it is beneficial to have the same model of printer for maintenance/ink cartridge stock. The printer(s) is installed on a computer in the lab, then is
setup as shared on your network. The computer connected to the printer must be on for other computers to print.

10. Ink, Paper, Misc.

What will be your paper, ink, and misc. needs? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "10. Ink,Paper,Misc." above. Normally, the students do not have to print much and $100 will cover paper, ink, and a set of whiteboard markers for a lab. (box of 10 reams of paper $30, one color cartridge $30, five black refurbished cartridges $30, whiteboard markers $10) This is based on setting up the computers so the default print quality is draft. Using black refurbished cartridges will also keep the cost under $100 for the year. You will need to adjust the $100 expense for the following needs.

Is the room lockable? __________ Adjust your Ink, Paper, Misc. budget to include a new lock. It used to be that computer labs were made secure because of theft. Today, the main reason is unsupervised people (including adults) creating hours of repair and leaving non-dependable equipment for class time. Maintenance requirements can almost be eliminated if the room is secured. Unless you have a volunteer with plenty of time and likes surprises, you cannot afford to have an unsecured computer lab. Historically, unsupervised staff children and after school activities are normally blamed for computer problems. Staff kids and activity leaders need protection from this blame. You may want to consider using a lock that does not use a master key. If the instructor knows the lab has not been accessed by anyone else, it can greatly reduce troubleshooting time.

Will any other activities be in this room? ___________ It only takes a bumped cable to cause the instructor hours of work and to increase confusion when expecting working computers for class. If you use this room for any other activity, you must implement rules and make sure the leader orients all new people to the rules. The greatest strength to eliminating computer breakdowns is to only have one person (the instructor) be responsible for 100% of the activities that go on in this room. Consider using the room for other activities, but make it a requirement that the instructor must be in the room. Never use the lab for Sunday school unless the Christian school technology instructor is the teacher.

Do you have sufficient electrical circuits supply your room? __________ Adjust your Ink, Paper, Misc. budget to include some electrical work if needed. If you are adding a substantial number of computers over last year or have changed to larger CRT monitors, you may need another circuit. Even if you find a volunteer electrician, there will still be some costs. Many older buildings only have one circuit for each room. They are often only 15-20 amp circuits. Computers with older 14"-15" CRT monitors or newer LCD monitors can take up to 2 amps. Computers with older 17"-19" CRT monitors can take up to 5 amps. Computers often require more amps when first starting, so some cushion should be planned. Items such as coffee pots and microwaves should not be plugged into the same circuit as your lab computers. Make sure to use the Electricity Evaluator at LabAdministrator.com to save your school more money than our curriculum costs.

11. Anti-virus Subscriptions

How many more anti-virus licenses will you need? ________ Enter this quantity in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List next to "11. Anti-virus Subscriptions" above. Normally, this costs $15 per year for each seat in your lab. Although there are free trial versions available, they are often more expensive when you have to register them. The reminder windows also confuse students. There are also free home versions that are great, but will not work ethically for your school. OCL has found a good anti-virus program that offers a 50% discount to Christian schools. There are cost-free spyware and adware protection programs that are covered in the lab preparation instructions at the beginning of the year. 

Transfer information from items 1-11 above in the Budget Estimate and Shopping List Section to the Budget Evaluation on the first page. Adjust your "Price Each" for your situation.

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Administrators: Consider meeting with the instructor to discuss this section.  This section will help develop the foundation for class planning/scheduling.  The number of classes normally has a direct impact on the instructor cost.   Four main factors must be kept in mind to determine the number of classes. Size of lab, combination of grades if a smaller school, number of times students attend technology class per week, and the availability of the instructor. 

Lab Size: The size of your lab (number of computers) will have a great bearing of what you do.  If you do not have a lab or feel you have room to expand, you will need to review the lab sections further below before entering the number here.  

Number of computers in lab: ___________

Combining Grades: The simplest method is to have student groups stay in the same structure as you have in other classes in your school. Generally, you want to be careful when combining grades to fill the lab so you do not have to restructure your scheduling each year due to grade level fluctuation. You also should attempt to free the home room teacher for other duties while the students are in technology class.  Normally it is better to have a smaller technology class than to complicate your class schedule and have to reinvent your schedule each year.  Smaller classes will allow your technology instructor to perform some duties that would have to be done outside of class time.           

Kindergarten and/or non-readers need to have a separate class from other grades. This class should only be a once per week class that is 25-35 minutes.  

Small schools can combine grades, but the following combinations make it much easier for the instructor:  1st and 2nd can be in the same class.  3rd and 4th can be in the same class.  5th and up combinations can be in the same class.  You should always leave one or more computers unused in a class to accommodate mid-class computer problems and mid-year enrollment.  Smaller class sizes of 15-20 will help students accelerate.  The instructor may need an aid if you have 20-35.  

Number of Classes Students Have per Week: In order for averaged sized schools to share one lab for all students,  the best approach is to have K-2nd only have once per week classes and 3rd and up have twice per week classes.  Your instructor budget or availability may also be a determining factor.  Your teachers may only want to give up one class period per week so they don't lose valuable class time in other subjects. 

Recommended options with best at top:

1. Once per week for K-2nd, twice per week for 3rd and up.
2. Once per week for K-2nd, twice per week for 3rd-4th (3rd and 4th keyboarding benefit), once per week for 5th and up. 
3. Once per week for K up
4. Once per week for 1st up (no K)
5. Schools smaller than 150 students or two labs or large lab: Once per week for K-2nd, twice per week for 3rd-5th, three times or more per week for 6th and up.

The following tool is not required to estimate the instructor cost, but is highly beneficial to have determined when discussing plans for the upcoming year with the technology instructor. It is helpful to have your last year's weekly class schedule on hand. You should try to block all the classes to as few of days possible so your instructor may not have to be there everyday AND so you have the option of twice or more per week classes in future years without having to completely restructure your school schedule.   Remember that K-2nd are beneficial to be around 25-35 minutes and 3rd and up around 40-60 minutes. Grades that are involved with sports should be scheduled so they are not in technology class the last period of typical game days (especially if you only have once per week technology classes).  It is normally best to fill in later times in the day first and then work earlier. Write in the grades (and optionally the exact times) in each box below.  Put a check mark next to each class in the Number of Classes section directly above that has a 1 or 2 as you enter them below.  

OCL would like to clarify its position about technology instructors. A lockable computer lab will greatly reduce the hours
needed by an instructor. Our experience has shown that using multiple instructors or homeroom teachers will quadruple
computer breakdowns! One designated instructor will benefit your school more in the long run and reduce administrative
work. A gift of teaching and encouragement along with class control is more important than the instructor's computer
experience.  The instructor cost should be your largest expense of a technology program.

If you are implementing this program after your budget has been finalized for the coming school year, you may have to pursue
a parent volunteer the first year.  A school parent is often go to consider since he/she will be there in the morning and afternoon anyway to pick up a child.   Through more budgeting time and consideration of our fundraising program, the position could turn into a paid position as soon as funds are available.

Remember: It is of the utmost importance to only use one instructor for all classes to strengthen student procedures and prevent computer breakdowns. You may need to use the once per week class approach to keep instructor hours down to attract a volunteer instructor (until the following year).  

Instructor Job Description:

• The instructor should know that some hours will be required in the summer to become oriented with our program and prepare the computer lab.
• The instructor should be aware if you are requiring the position to also include being the OCL fundraiser
  facilitator.
• The prospective instructor should know if it is a volunteer position or the wage/salary offered. (determined below).
• The instructor is more of a supervisory position. The instructor is responsible for control, monitoring progress, making
  sure computers are ready, entering quiz/test passwords, and verifying assignments. There is no lesson planning,
  scoring, grade recording, or required lecture time, but extra work is needed to make sure the lab is maintained. The
  instructor must be physically able to be on his/her feet to enter quiz/test passwords and to verify completed projects.
  The Instructor Guide is lesson number coordinated with screenshots to easily and quickly verify assignments are
  completed satisfactorily. The instructor does need to read class instructions to the non-reader/kindergarten class.
• It is beneficial for the instructor to have general computer experience such as printing and understanding file structure,
  but he/she does not need to be an expert. A gift of teaching and encouragement along with class control is more
  important than computer experience. A parent or part-time support staff can also be a greater advantage than
  computer experience because of the familiarity with your school structure and overall procedures. It is often attractive to
  a mother who will have matching hours with her children and does not have to drive anywhere else.
• The instructor should complete the online OCL orientation as early in the summer as possible (4 hours). The computer lab preparation for the year should be started a minimum of two weeks before technology classes begin to allow time to locate necessary supplies. The amount of lab preparation time is usually minimal in successive years because the lab can be prepared at the end of the school year. Your school may require additional hours for the technology instructor to participate in general teacher training before school starts and regular staff meetings. Oftentimes, schools may not have technology classes some weeks (1st week of school, last week of school, standardized testing, student conventions) which balances out some of the summer hours required for preparation.
• If the instructor is new to your school, he/she can use our OCL New Instructor Checklist at the beginning of the year to prompt the learning of normal school procedures and policies such as fire drills, bathroom issues, etc.
• The instructor will use the step-by-step instructions in the Instructor Kit the first year to prepare the lab with software
  and to system test before the school year starts. Although we provide troubleshooting information, OCL's structure covers all the surprises without putting stress on the instructor!

Instructor Cost:

Your first year of technology classes may require up to 50 more instructor hours than future years because of preparing a new lab.  Even if you have an existing lab, there could still be 20 hours of prep time. You may want to use this wage formula first, then establish a salary amount to simplify accounting. This cost estimate does not include a fee for a background check. The first-time instructor should complete the online instructor orientation as early in the summer as possible. The Computer Lab Setup should be started a minimum of two weeks before technology classes begin (better if earlier in the summer) and may take 24-40 hours your first year, depending on having an existing or new lab. The amount of lab preparation time is usually minimal in successive years because the lab can be prepared with our end of year procedures. Your school may require additional hours for the technology instructor to participate in general teacher training before school starts and regular staff meetings.

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#4 Funding Options 

The total cost of curriculum, lab, and instructor must be determined first before determining the funding method.  (Budget Evaluation box sections 1,2,3 on page 1)  It is very helpful to know the per student technology cost (add 1,2,3 on the Budget Evaluation and divide by the number of students). 

Money distribution: Curriculum and lab costs are needed in the summer, and instructor costs are spread out over the school year.  Schools will have more expense with their technology program their first year due to the cost of a new lab. It is highly recommended not to lower your annual budget in future years so you have some cushion to update your computer lab periodically or apply to other technology needs in the building. (i.e. This year, use older donated or less-expensive CRT monitors, but next year purchase LCD monitors. The following year, purchase task chairs. The following year purchase some newer computers.) 

Parent Support: Funding options will vary depending on the school size. Parents will support a nominal per student fee or fundraiser to implement or improve your school's technology training!  Since OCL allows homework, parents are likely to see you made a wise school decision in choosing OCL!  

Technology Fee: The simplest method to fund your technology program is to access a technology fee based on per student cost estimates.  This should be collected mid-summer when you collect other enrollment fees so you can purchase discounted curriculum and prepare the lab.  It could be split as a semester fee, but would require more accounting and labor.  Fee implementation will require promotion to sell parents and should be included in the first-time publishing of annual enrollment forms.  

If you have already published your financial information without a fee, you may only be able to ask for the voluntary payment of the technology fee. 

Even though our curriculum cost is a smaller portion of your total technology training budget, you can introduce a technology fee that will cover your total budget (including your instructor, equipment, and room cost).  Implementing this at the same time as introducing our program will help with the acceptance of a technology fee or fee increase.  

Fundraiser: During your first year with OCL, you should consider our fundraising program.  Each sale of our $50 adult program will give your school $30.  Once you know your per student computer lab cost, you can encourage each student to sell enough accounts to cover his/her cost.  Only 2-4 sales per student will cover most schools' computer lab budgets.  The fundraiser does not infringe on existing fundraisers.  Once you feel confident the fundraising program will cover your annual lab budget, you can drop your technology fee or use the extra money to improve technology training (lab instructor aid, teacher laptops, projectors, online grading cost, I.T.).  See our Fundraising page. 

Here are common methods of covering the computer lab budget: 

• absorb the costs into the general budget 

• absorb the costs into the general budget and participate in a fundraiser (consider ours) 

• access a technology fee (get parents approval if the finance schedule has already been published) 

• access a technology fee plus participate in a fundraiser 

• offer participation in a fundraiser in lieu of a technology fee (good option if finance schedule has already been published)

• increase the book fee 

• increase the book fee for the $20-$25 curriculum cost and participate in a fundraiser for other costs 

• new program only: pursue a parent volunteer instructor until your fundraising or fee implementation allows for the paid position

Sample Annual Rough Estimates: The following is not to replace your actual figures using the Budget Evaluation on page one.

Normally, you should use the Budget Evaluation box and cost per student formula on page one since each school will vary on lab and instructor costs!  The samples below assume it will take $1000 to spruce up an existing lab OR $3000 for a new lab AND around $9 per hour for paying an instructor. (Note: new lab costs can range from $2500-$5000 depending on how many computers you have to purchase.) These examples are using once per week situations.  If using classes that meet more than once per week, you will find the per student cost does not go up much (usually $20-$25 per student) since the only added expense is the instructor hours.   

Login Link: You will want to put a login link on your school website that directs homework students to your school's training login page at LabAcademy.com. Putting links to all of your school's online tools (i.e. Tuition Management, Sports league site, Online Grades, Lab Academy, etc.) on your school's home page centralizes features and increases traffic to your main school website where they might find other news and information. Your specific Lab Academy login page address will be given to you in your Instructor Kit. It will usually be labacademy followed by a number (such as www.labacademy77.com). 

Always remember to check out OnlineChristianSchools.com for economical web products such as hosting, podcasting service, fax through email, newsletter systems! Many of these products can be added to your existing site. Our prices are competitive globally! Compare!

Technology Web Page: Most schools will include technology program information in several different places such as marketing tools and enrollment forms (covered below). It can be beneficial to have a separate web page on your school website designated for technology program information in detail so parents can see this great feature of your school. You would usually create a link to this page on your home page or other appropriate location. This link would be different than your Lab Academy login link. Many schools will post our impressive course list page information which has brief course descriptions. You may want to add a line about your local instructor, any technology fee/fundraiser requirements, and a link to your student technology use policy document.  We provide a Technology Web Page template in the Instructor Kit (sent when you start).  We are currently developing a separate course called "Lab Parent" at www.labparent.com using our same student format to train current parenting skills in technology.  This course will be free to parents of participating schools.  You could link to this course from your technology web page.   

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#6 School Marketing Ideas

A short overview of your technology benefits should be included in marketing information. Here are some ideas:

• "Our school offers an advanced technology training program for every grade to prepare students for ministry/career. Students will also learn technology ethics, morals, and how to avoid pitfalls. Training is provided for keyboarding, graphics, office suites, computer security, web development, networking, file management, plus much more. Please see our website at ________________ for more information."

• "Advanced technology training program for kindergarten up!"

• "Our school offers an advanced technology training program for every grade. Training is provided for keyboarding, graphics, office suites, computer security, web development, networking, file management, plus much more. Please see our website at ________________ for more information."

• "Our school offers an advanced technology training program for every grade to prepare students for ministry/career. Students are trained about technology from a Biblical perspective including ethics, morals, and how to avoid pitfalls. Training is provided for keyboarding, graphics, office suites, computer security, web development, networking, file management, plus much more. Please see our website at ________________ for more information."
  

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#7 Student Enrollment Paperwork

This will depend on your funding method.  Any fee increases, implementation of a new fee, or fundraiser participation requirements should include extra promotion of the program via a web page AND printed material to sell the parents (i.e. include a printed copy of our program description and our course list from our web page template in your enrollment packet.)    

• You may want to justify a tuition increase, book fee increase, technology fee increase, or fundraising participation requirement by including:  "We are excited to offer a great technology program this year.  Due to the necessary costs, we need to .... Please see our website at _______________ for more information about our technology program." 

• After your first year of OCL, you may want to define the technology fee and/or fundraising participation for new families on your financial schedule. Example: "Technology Fee - $75 (Participation in the technology fundraiser waives this fee with a minimum of 3 sales/renewals.)"

• Some schools will include computer lab rules and procedures in the school handbook (available in the Instructor Kit to customize).  Other schools will include the computer lab rules and procedures in a student technology policy. Some schools will include a student technology policy that must be signed by the student in the enrollment pack. 

• You should include in your enrollment paperwork that a computer with internet access will be occasionally necessary if your instructor requires homework.  Computers with internet are normally available at the public library.  

• OCL offers template forms and sample documents to participating schools. 

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#8 Administrator Involvement

Steps for the administrator to implement this program. KEEP THIS SECTION AS A CHECKLIST!

_____ 1. Review the information at www.onlinecomputerlab.com so you have a basic understanding of how it works. The PDF Overview (available on our main menu) covers most areas, so you can print it to review as you have time.

_____ 2. Use the OCL Starter Guide (this document) to determine budget estimates, funding method, scheduling structure, instructor information, computer lab needs, and marketing ideas. It is crucial to implement the suggestions for computers in the section #2 Existing Computer Lab Estimator as soon as possible if hoping to use free computers!

_____ 3. Print copies of the PDF Overview to present to your board, curriculum/budget decision-makers, and/or current computer teacher to get their approval of this program AND which methods you will use to fund your technology budget. (Use this Starter Guide first so you have defined your budget needs before making your presentation.)

_____ 4. The administrator will normally want to finalize the instructor commitment for the upcoming year as soon as possible to have this person help with lab preparation.

_____ 5. Order the student registrations from us early in the summer to save substantial finance (by June 15th or July 15th). Encourage your instructor to complete the Instructor Orientation as soon as possible after receiving the Instructor Kit. The Instructor Orientation will help a new instructor become familiar with our program and prepare the lab. 

_____ 6. Make sure you have enough keyboarding software if you plan to use your main curriculum publisher's keyboarding program (need one program for each lab computer or enough student accounts to at least cover 3rd and 4th grade).  There are benefits in some publisher's keyboarding software such as matching spelling words and curriculum themes.  Although OCL recommends the benefit of your publisher's keyboarding software, a free, basic alternative is available.

_____ 7. Choose a volunteer, staff, or parent volunteer to be the fundraising facilitator if you decide to use the OCL fundraising program. Oftentimes, the technology instructor makes the best person to run the fundraiser because he/she sees every student in your school every week.  Our fundraiser could cover all of your technology expense!

_____ 8. The administrator will normally be involved with areas involving financial transactions such as ordering logins during the summer, purchasing computer equipment, and setting up payroll for the instructor.

_____9. The administrator will normally implement the technology snippet in school marketing materials, technology policy statements in enrollment documents, and technology web page on the school website.  

OCL offers many helpful documents, guides, and tools to participating schools:  
Fundraising Facilitator Guide, Fundraising Setup, Summer Checkup, Security and Licensing Audit System, Tech Plan Template, How to Manage Your School Website, How to Evaluate Online Grading Options, Office Tips and Tools, Student Technology Use Agreement Template, Staff Technology Policy Template, Tech Inventory Form, Special School Pricing for Supplies and Equipment, Enrollment Forms Templates, Electricity Evaluator, much more.

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