t is critical that you, the teacher, learn enough HTML to stay one step ahead of your students - at least at first. Some of your students will take to this new medium quickly and be able to teach you a few things before long. Kids love teaching their teachers. I often assign a new skill (like centering an image on the page) to a particular student, and then encourage him or her to enlighten others. Each child has an opportunity to be the expert.

Everyone has a different relationship with the computer. Some kids are like bulls in the proverbial china shop: They compulsively click the mouse on everything in sight. They're fearless. Other kids are shy and tentative, even intimidated by the keyboard and mouse. Some kids are methodical and determined. For teachers, the most challenging kids are those who are easily frustrated or distracted. Allowing students to work at their own pace, being flexible enough to adjust your approach to match each child's relationship to the computer, is essential to student success at the keyboard.

Keeping kids interested and focused is often just a matter of setting up a comfortable workspace. Let's take a closer look at how that's done.