RoomHelper 3000 is a free tool for teachers managing a classroom of students at computers. It’s open source, which means that anyone can see and contribute to the source code (what it’s made from).

My Students Contribute

Several of my private students have been working on RoomHelper during their private lessons with me. Last Saturday I had a group of five ninth-graders over for a two and a half hour session where we all worked on the product. One student improved the quality of a triangle ring sound file. Another found a problem where a tricky student could break the system with an invalid web address, and a third student fixed that problem. Others began work on some different parts of the product. I heard from most of the parents later that their kids really enjoyed the afternoon.

Building a Portfolio and a Track Record

When my students contribute to publicly-visible projects like RoomHelper 3000, they are establishing a record of accomplishments that they can show to future employers or clients.