At the beginning of the year, I was tasked with writing a "framework" on how our school supports student technology use in a 1:1 iPad environment in grades 7-10 and Choice of Device (BYOD) in grades 11-12. This is no easy feat and it isn't even close to being done yet. What seemed like something as easy as putting into words what we do in the beginning, middle, and end of the year to develop our students as digitally fluent learners in the beginning, has now opened a can of worms that there is no undoing.
Of course what we do in device setup and management and the consequent orientations that occur before the school year even begins is where I started, but then it led to realizations that we don't spend much time checking in with students after that initial contact, unless a student makes an appointment and actually shows up. So, we lobbied for more time- in off-advisory weeks with middle school, hands on iPad orientation for new 9th graders, discussions with the 10th graders on choosing a device that best fits their learning needs, time throughout the year, etc. And for the most part, these requests have been well received.
Not only did we lobby for more time, we are putting together recommendations for Digital Fluency & Literacy Skills we feel every graduate should have. Using the ISTE student standards and peer schools' Technology Skills maps as guides, we have put together a succinct list we feel gets to the heart of what our school values and feels will prepare our students to be ready for the world.
All of this is included in the framework, or will be at least, but so will the rationale behind our programs. As well as details about other support structures I have created- GENIUS TIME (dedicated community time where I hold open iPad & technology time), well designed classroom lessons and activities to learn the skills and program required for a project with follow up visits, individual appointments through youcanbookme.com which syncs with my calendar, an extensive online tech resources page hosted by our LMS with screencasts and step by step directions, and more. I'll be working on developing a detailed chart for If you want to do this.... then use this.... (and identify which skills are learned in the process, but the kids don't necessarily need to know this). I'll also develop one of those for our juniors and seniors; they need web based tools since there isn't a standard device for those grades. So, there is a lot of opportunity there, it's just knowing what to do with it.
One of the best things that has come out of brainstorming, researching, and compiling data and information for this framework is identifying where the holes of support are. For instance, note taking. Have you ever stopped to ask your middle or high school students if they ever learned how to take notes? There are a lot of arguments against note taking on a device.. that the user transcribes what the speaker is saying, but haven't you seen or worse, done, that yourself with paper? I know I have! Of course there is the Mueller and Oppenheim study, The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, but it leaves out the use of tablets which offer fantastic note taking capabilities with apps like Notability or Evernote and the emergence of sketch noting. I honestly believe that whatever platform leaves the learner with LEARNING, is what works for that individual. So, yeah, note taking was a dragon that reared its ugly head, but we now know this is a problem and can address it in a thoughtful and purposeful manner.
It is February, and we still have a few more months of school left. I'm excited to find other areas of opportunity to help our students become better learners with their devices.
Does your school have something like this document that explains a program and all the intricacies that hold it up?
Of course what we do in device setup and management and the consequent orientations that occur before the school year even begins is where I started, but then it led to realizations that we don't spend much time checking in with students after that initial contact, unless a student makes an appointment and actually shows up. So, we lobbied for more time- in off-advisory weeks with middle school, hands on iPad orientation for new 9th graders, discussions with the 10th graders on choosing a device that best fits their learning needs, time throughout the year, etc. And for the most part, these requests have been well received.
Not only did we lobby for more time, we are putting together recommendations for Digital Fluency & Literacy Skills we feel every graduate should have. Using the ISTE student standards and peer schools' Technology Skills maps as guides, we have put together a succinct list we feel gets to the heart of what our school values and feels will prepare our students to be ready for the world.
All of this is included in the framework, or will be at least, but so will the rationale behind our programs. As well as details about other support structures I have created- GENIUS TIME (dedicated community time where I hold open iPad & technology time), well designed classroom lessons and activities to learn the skills and program required for a project with follow up visits, individual appointments through youcanbookme.com which syncs with my calendar, an extensive online tech resources page hosted by our LMS with screencasts and step by step directions, and more. I'll be working on developing a detailed chart for If you want to do this.... then use this.... (and identify which skills are learned in the process, but the kids don't necessarily need to know this). I'll also develop one of those for our juniors and seniors; they need web based tools since there isn't a standard device for those grades. So, there is a lot of opportunity there, it's just knowing what to do with it.
One of the best things that has come out of brainstorming, researching, and compiling data and information for this framework is identifying where the holes of support are. For instance, note taking. Have you ever stopped to ask your middle or high school students if they ever learned how to take notes? There are a lot of arguments against note taking on a device.. that the user transcribes what the speaker is saying, but haven't you seen or worse, done, that yourself with paper? I know I have! Of course there is the Mueller and Oppenheim study, The Pen Is Mightier Than the Keyboard: Advantages of Longhand Over Laptop Note Taking, but it leaves out the use of tablets which offer fantastic note taking capabilities with apps like Notability or Evernote and the emergence of sketch noting. I honestly believe that whatever platform leaves the learner with LEARNING, is what works for that individual. So, yeah, note taking was a dragon that reared its ugly head, but we now know this is a problem and can address it in a thoughtful and purposeful manner.
It is February, and we still have a few more months of school left. I'm excited to find other areas of opportunity to help our students become better learners with their devices.
Does your school have something like this document that explains a program and all the intricacies that hold it up?