Innovative Uses for a Computer Classroom?

flard asks: "I will be teaching a Freshman English class at a medium sized public university, in a computer classroom for next semester. Every student has their own machine with an internet connection. I am thinking about using a weblog for them to post their work and critique each other. Do you guys have any other cool ideas on what to do and what NOT to do?" How can the computers best be applied to assist in teaching a non-technical class? Use of a weblog is a start, but are there other pieces of software that can be deployed in such a setting?

Comments

why not use slashcode ?

[Sad Loser]

also introduces them to concept of open source, open peer review.
As they can get at the source, they can build new functions onto it. This could be an assignment.

if you have good LCD display

[stonebeat.org]

you can use the classroom as a theater to watch terminator 3. atleast that is what we did, when i was in school :)

Freshman english.. no problem

[arcanumas]

Freshman English you said? no problem!
Just install some FreeBSD's with the Lynx browser, make them write their work in SGML using vi.
Then, if you see someone whose eyes don't roll like a Slot machine when you announce this , let him browse Slashdot while the others concentrate on your teachings.