Left to their own devices (which they are not) my students would come bounding joyously into the computer lab, laughing and chatting. I would like to think that this is enthusiasm for learning computers, and it partly is, but it’s also a function of the fact that they come to my class directly after recess, extremely revved up. So my first job is to calm them down. They have assigned seats, so they know exactly what they are supposed to do as they walk in. Go to their seat, log into the network and wait for further instruction. Sometimes we are continuing a project already started, so that they can open the program and go right in while the rest of the class dribbles in. The problem comes when we are starting something new and I need to wait for most of the class before starting the lesson. That’s when the early arrivals get restless if they don’t have anything to do. They like to change their desktop backgrounds, looking on Google Images for something fun. I allow them to do it, as long as I approve of the background (no gore, no guns, no sexual content). They can make a background picture with Photoshop Elements. I teach them to make a gradient fill, add a little color with the paintbrush, and swirl it up with the Liquify filter. It gives them a chance to do something unique and colorful and creative, all things of which I approve. My students love Google Earth and frequently start it up for a minute or two while they are waiting for the lesson to start. They never seem to get tired of looking at the roofs of their houses. Fortunately Google Earth has good resolution for our area, so they can spot their houses pretty easily. What I like is that my students can sit down at the computer and find something constructive or creative to do, even for just those first few minutes of spare time.