Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Collected Support Materials for 1:1 iPad Implementation


Collected Support Materials for 1:1 iPad Implementation

Below contains my list-to-date of links I have collected to help promote, and hopefully one day implement, a 1:1 environment at my school.

Thank you to the countless people who share their research, work and journeys so that we can learn from their experiences and perspectives.

Obviously this is not a complete or fully comprehensive list (especially regarding workflow), so I would be grateful for further recommendation of resources.


Research

  1. New South Wales, Australia- 1 to1 Computers in Schools: 2010 Literature Review http://www.dec.nsw.gov.au/detresources/lit_review10_TrMbcLRPRT.pdf Summary of Above: Clearly, as one-to-one laptop programs mature, improvement in student results in standardised testing is becoming evident despite the concern that these tests do not measure the 21st century skills the laptop learners are acquiring.  However, as can be clearly seen in the study of the Maine on-to-one laptop program (Silvernail & Gritter, 2007), the variation evident in these results indicates that  it is the way the laptops are used in learning that brings about the improvements in achievement.   Holcomb (2009) suggests that “it is therefore critical for schools to understand that simply providing each student with a laptop is not enough.  How teachers choose to use the laptops is very important.”  How teachers choose to use the laptops, in turn,  depends on teacher professional learning and support (Holcomb, 2009).
  2. Cisco 2009 Research Summary (1:1 page 30)- http://www.cisco.com/web/strategy/docs/education/tech_in_schools_what_research_says.pdf
  3. The Journal of Technology, Teaching and Assessment- Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing Settings- http://escholarship.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/jtla/article/view/1606/1463
  4. Learning with Laptops: Implementation and Outcomes in an Urban, Under-Privile...Chrystalla Mouza Journal of Research on Technology in Education; Summer 2008; 40, 4; Research Library pg. 447 Can be found at- http://www.mrgibbs.com/tu/research/articles/mouza_laptops.pdf
  5. Project RED (Redefining Education)-In 2010, Project RED conducted the first large-scale national study to identify and prioritize the factors that make some U.S. K-12 technology implementations perform dramatically better than others. Link to Research Overview- http://www.projectred.org/about/research-overview.html
  6. Blog with link to the Hull University Study of 1:1 program, demonstrating that “ownership” of the device provided the greatest impact (PDF of Study in Google Docs)- http://learninginhand.com/blog/the-single-most-important-factor-for-ipad-success-in-schools.html
  7. ASCD Analysis of 1:1 initiatives- Key finding: results reflect the strength of the school- http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/One-to-One_Laptop_Programs_Are_No_Silver_Bullet.aspx
  8. Map of Schools with large scale iPad Implementations in SY 12-13.- http://www.zdnet.com/map-back-to-school-drives-100-huge-ipad-and-tablet-deployments-7000003458/
  9. US Department of Education’s Tech Plan- http://www.ed.gov/technology/netp-2010/executive-summary
  10. SRI International’s Report for the Department of Education- http://www.sri.com/sites/default/files/publications/implications-online-learning.pdf
  11. Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (ODEC) & Center of International Research and Innovation (CERI) 21st Century Learning: Research, Innovation and Policy Directions from recent OECD analyses- http://www.oecd.org/site/educeri21st/40554299.pdf

Case Studies-
  1. Systemic: Victoria, Australia- http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/

Help Desk Resources-
  1. T.H.E. Article, has links to two organizations that provide curriculum materials and certifications for student help desks- http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/11/06/student-run-tech-support.aspx?admgarea=Features1&Page=1
  2. Generation YES- Student Supported Technology Intergrationfull- http://www.genyes.org/programs/genyes
  3. Central Falls Student Support- http://thinkedtech.blogspot.com/2013/01/students-to-rescue.html

Other-

IMPLEMENTATION

Deployment Best Practices- http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/best-practices-for-deploying-ipads-in-schools/


Questions to Answer Ahead of Time-
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/07/14-smart-tips-for-using-ipads-in-class/

Collaborative Post Regarding Implementation- http://edtechdigest.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/11-computing-more-than-devices/

Burlington MA Materials- Main Page-http://www.patrickmlarkin.com/p/ipad-initiative-information.html



WORKFLOW-

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Is Twitter Chat Lurking a 21st Century Skill?

There is power in being a good listener...

There is power in being a keen observer...

There is tremendous benefit to actively engaging in Twitter chats...  

But is there power in being a "lurker"??? 

For those who do not know, a "lurker" in the Internet community (Wikipedia Definition) is very different from a lurker in a traditionally defined sense (www.merriam-webster.com definition). Many people encourage "lurking" in a Twitter chat before participating directly.

I have found that as I have expanded my PLN, I have also participated in many more educational chats than I have ever expected.

Recently I have wondered: 

  • As a participant do we observe/listen less to what is going on in the chat than someone who is lurking?  
  • Is there particular, and valuable, learning that is occurring when one lurks rather than directly participates or engages?

As I participate more and now find it difficult to just lurk, I wonder if I am loosing out on a type of learning that is valuable?  Is being able to "just lurk" a 21st Century Skill?


Monday, January 21, 2013

Reform by Giving Up; What Should You Stop Doing?

We keep on adding.

When do we take away? When can we eliminate an outdated practice?

In my experience these questions elicit very strong, personal reactions from educators. Even in a time of unprecedented demands, minimal time and constant change, educators do not give up things easily. Is it because it takes us so long to change practice/systems in the first place? Or is it because if we did something in the past we think it must still be valuable or will be valuable again? (Are we educational pack rats?)

With the increasing expectation that educators and students must implement everything under the sun to "reform" education & after reading a post regarding educators' reaction to giving up provincial exams (http://www.readability.com/m?url=http://po.st/xSO8As), I am curious what we would be comfortable NOT doing?

What have you stopped doing that has transformed you and your classroom/school?

Sunday, January 13, 2013

Why Do Successful Changes Not Create Enduring Memories?

image from http://www.ideachampions.com/weblogs/change-architect-sign1.jpg
All too often we get caught-up in dealing with the negative.  We spend precious time trying to convince people that a change, an idea, or innovation will be a good thing.  We spend time assuring people that if something does not work, we have the power to change it back or redesign it to make it work.  

Seth Godin in a recent post "Believing what we want to believe" says "Human beings, thanks to culture and genetics, are inclined to be pessimistic, fearful, skeptical and believers in conspiracy theories. We also don't like change." (http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2012/12/believe-what-we-want-to-believe.html).  While I agree with Mr. Godin's post, I often wonder why/when does learning take over?

Why, when a change or series of changes have been implemented successfully & become part of the culture, do we forget about all of the soothsaying necessary to make the change possible?  Why does the memory of the "naysayer" not carry over?
Image from http://www.gfcweb.net/VanDyke/inside-gfc/2011-04-01/Im-Afraid-Of.jpg

Over the past 5 years how much time did you spend dealing with fear of a change, that now implemented, people would not want to be without? 

What took more work: the change itself or dealing with the opposition to it? 

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Why Reform? Because You Can't Un-See...

  1. That schools can (but don't have to) kill creativity... http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
  2. That we are not alone... http://www.livebinders.com/play/present?id=34291 (Special thanks to @patrickmlarkin, @gcouros, @web20classroom, @JudyArzt, @NMHS_Principal, @MrChaceEGHS, #edchat, #edchatri, #cpchat & #1to1techat for the tools and support)  
  3. That intrinsic motivation trumps extrinsic... https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/drive/id421965894?mt=11
  4. That A-F grades are not meaningful feedback and that alternatives exist... http://smartblogs.com/education/2012/12/18/de-grade-your-classroom-narrative-feedback-mark-barnes/  & http://www.onlineuniversities.com/blog/2012/12/what-badges-replaced-grades/
  5. That a history lesson and a simple, deep, essential question can expose & help to change the outdated industrial model of education... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc
  6. That it is not the leader who decides if something is successful... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ 
  7. That technology CAN & WILL change everything... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quYDkuD4dMU&feature=youtu.be
  8. That failure is essential for building life long learning... http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/its-all-about-how-you-fail.html & http://eghsprincipalri.blogspot.com/2012/12/re-define-failure-fail-something.html
  9. That being different is essential to being great... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOkFfvTGuGk
  10. That there is more to the CCSS than meets the eye... http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2012/12/07/americas-next-education-crisis-and-who-benefits/

Not that you would want to, but what can you not "un-see"?