--- Forwarded Message from Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]> ---

>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
>References: <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 10:19:26 -0500
>To: "Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum"    <[log in to unmask]>
>From: Margo Burns <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #6577 Keyboard trays a good thing??

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On 3/13/02, "David Westerhof-Shultz" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>I am in the final stages of purchasing a new 65-70 position language 
>lab. In getting down to making all the nitty-gritty decisions, I'm 
>stumped--please don't laugh : ) at whether or not including keyboard 
>trays at each student position is a good thing! Any thoughts??? Our 
>existing lab has never utilized them, previously...

We use them in our 28-station lab -- you'd be surprised how much 
space this frees up.  Many of our teachers have written parts to 
their exams to accompany the audio, and they simply need the space 
for the students to write.  And for standardized exams, it was 
important that there was sufficient space to open a test booklet and 
have the two pages lie flat on the desktop.

The one difficulty is for the long-legged students: keyboard trays 
hang below the desktop and don't give them a lot of room under there. 
Having adjustable-height chairs is important. Check for wheelchair 
accessibility when coming up with your design so that a drawer would 
not get in their way. (I don't know what your accessibility 
regulations are.)  Don't go chintzy when purchasing trays: anything 
that gets pushed and pulled as part of normal wear and tear needs to 
be sturdy.  I also recommend getting a drawer that is wide enough to 
accommodate both the keyboard and the mouse: you're not likely to 
need a mouse without the keyboard, so why leave it on the desktop?

One last thing (feel free to laugh):  because we use keyboard 
drawers, some new visitors checking out the lab ask, "Don't your 
computers have keyboards?"

We also freed up even more space this year with new flatscreen 
monitors, if deskspace is at a premium for you.

In the original design of our stations by Tandberg, we asked to have 
a small shelf installed on the side above the tape deck, just wide 
enough to put a VCR.  Those have worked very nicely.

If you'd like to have a picture of one of our stations, let me know, 
and when I get back from vacation, I'll shoot one for you and send it 
along.

Cheers,
Margo
-- 

Margo Burns       603-229-4666     [log in to unmask]      http://www.sps.edu
      Director of The Language Center, St. Paul's School, Concord, NH