To Arcon Lab Home

GENERAL INFORMATION

IEL (Institute of Extended Learning) provides a wide array of educational opportunities to the people that reside in our 12,000-mile, six-county district that consists of Ferry, Lincoln, Spokane, Stevens, Pend Oreille, and Whitman Counties.

The IEL computer labs are located at sites throughout the six-county region. In Spokane the main computer labs are the AEC (Adult Education Center) on 2310 North Monroe Street and in Hillyard on 4410 North Market Street, as well as several in smaller campuses scattered throughout the area. The two larger labs are equipped with a total of about 96 stations that can handle many more students than there are computer stations. Due to the configuration of the rooms the labs can handle hundreds per day, as each lab is configured for multipurpose use. The upper lab at the AEC has a large seating area in the center of the room, accomodating entire classes independantly of the computer area. The classes are multifunctional, including visual aids using ELMO, video presentations and overhead projection. The lab times are scheduled in time blocks of 2 1 hours so there is plenty of opportunity for each class to have access to the facilities during the week.

Knowledgeable computer lab instructors are scheduled to be on duty during all lab hours so that all teachers and students have PC support, taking the burden of any computer instruction off of the class instructors. This helps instructors not to feel pressured or intimidated because of limited PC knowledge, as the Computer Lab instructors can take over the PC instructional component of the class for them as needed.

BENEFITS

The chief advantage in utilizing the computer lab lies in the inherent problems of classroom learning; students are at different levels even in the best of conditions. The computer lab enables instructors to plug students in at their own pace, doing the same curriculum independently, so the “slower” students can repeat as oft as needed, and the faster ones can forge ahead. Once the stigma of “computer intimidation” is overcome, there are no bounds to the progress that students and instructors can make. The benefits of the computer lab far outweigh any disadvantages of learning new terminology, PC navigation techniques or PC knowledge sets. That is what the Computer Instructors are for. As an instructor, you do not have to know anything about computers. The students will soon pick up what they need to know. The confidence that students have at the end of their experience empowers their entire future.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US

Knowledgeable Computer Lab Instructors that know the installed computer programs are on hand in each lab and can render immediate assistance to class instructors. Students should be shielded from login problems, program errors and general confusing dialogs. Questions should be answered promptly with a final solution or referred to those who can. Computer lab instructors are always on hand as the students are being introduced into the lab and while being initially set up on their programs. Materials like folders and disks are made available as needed. General office supplies, like tape and hole punches are always available, as is colored paper and labels. If we don’t have it, we can usually get it.

WHAT WE EXPECT FROM YOU

Leave the lab as you found it, clean, chairs returned to their places, trash thrown away and papers or equipment stored in the proper location. Students should obey the few rules regarding the internet use and downloading, as listed in the end of this article.

CLIENTELE

Once a student is registered into any of the classes or programs they are immediately eligible to utilize all of the services the computer lab has to offer! That means that if they are not scheduled at a particular time they can also come in “on their own time” to work. 

RESOURCES AND EQUIPMENT

Each lab is on a ground floor location so is accessible by ramp or easy access pathways. Restrooms are also accessible on the ground floors. Assistive Technology Software Suites are also added to enhance the capability and ease of use, as well other features of Universal Design for accessibility and convenience.

The computers were recently upgraded in all of the labs, with good amounts of memory and storage space. Headphones are provided with microphones, and wrist pads are available for each station.

Each computer is upgraded with the latest Operating Systems and Office Suites on a regular basis. The next scheduled upgrade will be during the 2008 school year.

Each computer is programmed with a variety of current-version software that includes:

• GED and Pre-GED
• ESL
• New Century Reading
• Keyboarding and 10 Key
• Office programs (Word processing, Spreadsheets, Presentation, Databases)
• Internet
• WOIS for job searches
• Assistive Technology Suite

Other supportive software includes Media players, PACE and Disability specific scanning software, Assistive Technology software, DVD playback and High Speed internet connections.

The printers are black and white LaserJet printers which produce very nice quality print and grayscale pictures. Color printing is limited to instructor specific projects and is located with the scanner at the instructor tables.

Visual aids are available for the lab use, including ELMO, overhead projection, video stands, projectors and one large screen (21”) monitor.

In the Hillyard Lab the programs include the PACE and seniors PC classes over and above the regular GED, ESL, Reading Lab and Families that Work classes listed as follows:

LAYOUT

Each lab is laid out differently:

Hillyard lab utilizes the overhead projection station, so computer tables are laid out horizontally to the room with the computers facing forward. New Century Reading stations are against the wall and PACE Service programs are located in the back of the room.

AEC has two labs, upper and lower. The upper lab is laid out so all of the computer stations are facing the wall, with large tables in the entire center area. This gives the upper computer lab multi-functionality, serving as a classroom for several different classes throughout each day.

The lower lab has two islands of computers and is used only for computer classes. This arrangement will probably be changed to the multi-function classroom layout in the future to provide more class room space.

CURRICULUM

The computer lab curriculum is open to all that are registered into any of the class offerings. Since the classes are deemed “open enrollment” self-paced classes, students are encouraged to come into the lab whenever there is extra time, from 10 minutes to as long as they are able on their schedule. Students have their own folders and disks, so continue where they left off in any of the courses listed below.

CERTIFICATED COURSES and COLLEGE PREP OFFERINGS

• Basic Keyboarding (Certificate for 30+ at 95% accuracy)
• Advanced Keyboarding (Certificate for 50+ at 95% accuracy)
• Basic 10 Key  (Certificate for 150 + at 95% accuracy)
• Windows and Computer Basics (Certificate in Office Computing Basics)
• Word Processing Basics (Certificate in Word Processing Basics)
• Spreadsheet Basics  (Certificate in Spreadsheet Basics)
• Presentation Basics  (Certificate in Presentation Basics)
• Database Basics(Certificate in Database Basics)
• Internet Basics (Certificate in Internet Basics)

Other activities include setting up/checking email, job searches and resume building, WOIS, Financial Aid and research / printing / scanning.

Job search resources include job specialists located at AEC. One is scheduled in the computer lab on Tues or Thurs each week to assist in job search and resume building activities, and there are several other counselors available to students that perform Financial Aid and other services.

OTHER COURSE OFFERINGS

• Online courses (GED, ESL)
• Pre-GED
• GED using interactive software, tests, and progress reports
• ESL (English as a Second Language) Websites
• Easy ESL which uses interactive simulations, video and speech tools.
• New Century Reading
• WOIS Career Information System
• IBest training

GED instructors use the lab for GED and PRE-GED software, research, job search, resume building resources, as well as our computer lab website for GED schedules, Financial Aid links, job resources and research projects.

Reading Lab instructors use the New Century Reading programs, internet sites and printing facilities.

All classes can utilize any of the programs including the PC basics, Office Computing, Keyboarding and 10 Key courses for their students.

All students are eligible for Job Search resources Tuesday and Thursday each week. A job counselor is located in the lower lab and the hours are posted on the whiteboard.

SCHEDULES

These schedules change every quarter, so please check the class schedules for each area.

RULES

The Community Colleges of Spokane has set guidelines and rules governing student behavior and expectations. More specific guidelines called “Acceptable Use for CCS Computers” were published by the IT department covering logons, rights, privacy and monitoring, and general activities.

These rules have been printed and laminated copies are available at the sign-in station.

Because bandwidth is shared amongst all the users, internet or bandwidth limitations have been set in place. More specific activity guidelines are posted on each computer station and each student folder has three signature items regarding “Use of the Internet”, Lab Rules and Guidelines”, and “Acceptable Use of Computers’.

Music has been allowed under certain guidelines, meaning no internet music and cd music must be pre-approved.

Excluded activities are specifically: No blogging, surfing auction sites, buying or selling, filling forms with personal information (except approved sites), downloading of helpers, toolbars or smilies, weather or time aids, or screensaver software, chat rooms or “mysite” areas.

No internet exploration of contraband including weapons, sex sites, marriage/dating service sites, hacking sites or other “non school related” sites.

Games are limited to ESL Word type games. On-line gaming is not allowed.

FTP uploads, File sharing or Executable downloads are not allowed.