My Site for Holton Teachers

Paperless Classroom

holtonteachers — Mon, 04 May 2009 13:46:59 +0000

http://gcmouli.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/paperless_it.jpg

With all the budget talk, as well as talk about a paperless classroom. I thought I would take a moment and describe how I removed handling papers in my class this year. (BEFORE you stop reading please read the next couple of sentences.) From this list I’m going to develop a summer workshop for teachers who would like to learn how to convert their classrooms to either paperless or almost paperless. With budget cuts and the student laptop this is very doable.

1. Starting with the easy solution … Assessment (test/quizzes). I used http://www.quia.com for all my tests and quizzes. Quia allowed me to create multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank, short answer, and essay questions. I could import charts, maps, graphics and even sound clips as part of my assessment. By setting up a class in Quia, students logged in and took the tests, but more importantly, it archived the tests for the student. This way rather than hand back the test they could log in again to see the results of the test. Yes, if they needed a hard copy it would use more paper than a normal test, but they really shouldn’t need a hard copy. Most of you already have Quia accounts.

2. Study Guides/Worksheets .. there are several ways this can be done.

One is with Quia.com where students submit the answers, but there are drawbacks to this (cover during the training). A better way for me was to create the study guide/worksheet in a Word document format and place that document so students could download it onto their laptops. This is easy to do. Simply place the file in your web folder and provide the student with the URL (through iCal, iWeb, Moodle or other means). By downing a “Document File” students simply typed on it, saved it and return it to me through e-mail or dropbox (more on dropbox below). When I graded the paper I simply typed in a different color as I graded the paper, saved it and sent it back. (There are better ways!)

Using Moodle makes it easier to manage. The student would download the word document and then upload it back to Moodle with done. There Moodle organizes it’s placement (not so hard to track). While you still have to open the document to grade, Moodle has a box where you can type your comments and submit a grade.

3. Blogs (WordPress) .. for the first time I used blogs in my classroom. http://wildcat.wordpress.holton.k12.ks.us/ Blogs allowed me to do several things:

I asked my students to develop a film project. Directions, list of movies, etc. were all provided through the blog. Students could even submit their final project within the blog if they so chose. (More on projects later).

Critical Thinking .. each month I asked students to post their thoughts on a subject I selected. Sometimes it was historically related, sometimes it was just something I thought the students could relate to.

Discussions … students were asked to comment on other students’ posts to create some dialog between the students.

I even used the library book review blog for my students’ book reviews. I provided my grade through an e-mail. Note … I really believe if you want to go paperless you will find that student work submitted via a blog is easier to grade than a bunch of Word documents (clicking and opening and closing). If you wanted to, however, you could copy and paste the blog to a Word document, add your comments, and then return the document to the student (either in Word format or as a pdf). I haven’t yet figured out how to grade items just posted on a blog (w/out the Word transfer.)

4. Blogs (Moodle) .. provides the ability for you to setup a discussion thread. The extra power of Moodle over WordPress is the “threads”. The ability of students able to easily comment on other select students comments.

5. Collecting of Material from students … how students turned stuff in.

E-mail was used most of the time for smaller or document style assignments.
For video and audio collection I used the “Homework Hand In” (dropbox-more later).
I offered to accept CDs of material as well but no student chose to hand an assignment in that way.

6. Delivery of Material … This is the means by which I provide material to my students.

Used my website http://www.holton.k12.ks.us/abeam/collegeamhist I designed my website with DreamWeaver but would highlightly recommend you consider using iWeb. The material available on my website included by not limited to PowerPoints, study guides, study resources, outcomes, reading assignments, notes, classroom activities, maps, terms, links to documents, links to video clips, links to other sites related to the topic, current event links, links to other blogs, links to other podcast and general links.
When I wanted to students to watch a video clip I tried several things but the only way it seemed to work the fastest was to give students the videos on a cd. If I place the video on the web and all the students tried to access it at the same time I had problems.
I did do one assignment using Moodle

7. Grading … this is one of the challenges of trying to do paperless. We are so use to having the paper in front of use to write on. A few items follow:

Word documents … you may or may not be aware but Word allows you to add tags. These tags can serve as a way to highlight text and add comments.
Pages allows you to add tags as well.
Moodle … has a system built in where teachers can add comments and assign points based on how the teacher set up the point value per-assignment.

8. Projects … … I used the “Homework Hand In” (dropbox) for powerpoints, podcasts, video productions, book reviews, etc.

9. Wiki … this is an area I haven’t spent much time with, but I know it offers a good solution as well. My plan is work with this and have more to offer this summer.

10. Tools:

Teacher Delivery Method .. Moodle (free), Web design (free sites, iWeb -Holton teachers have, DreamWeaver (costs), e-mail, place work in the dropbox, Wikis …
Assessments .. Quia.com (cost), Moodle (free), textbook service (costs and is only available to a those that bought this resource when textbooks were purchased)
Documents Submissions … Word (e-mail, dropbox, upload on Moodle), PDF …..
Written Word … Word (e-mail, dropbox, upload on Moodle), Blogs such as WordPress (free, supported by district), Blogger.com (free but not supported by district)
Student Projects … PowerPoint or KeyNote (dropbox), podcast or other audio clips (dropbox), video productions (dropbox); Other software programs in the building may require a short study to determine if projects can be placed in the dropbox, but most likely any file should be able to be dropped and pick up by an instructor.
Student Projects #2 … there are number of websites that allow you to set up student accounts that can be viewed by the instructor. a) U-Stream does video, …
Misc. Tools. zamzar.com

Summer Training (NOT SURE ABOUT THE FOLLOWING)

I will offer a couple of summer training sessions on how you can convert your classroom to paperless or almost paperless. I encourage everyone to consider attending. If you have questions on whether it will work for you, please ask – don’t assume it won’t or will.

Choose a Delivery Tool: How will you provide material to your students?
How will you collect student work ?
What is this Blogging world you speak of?
How do you convert a hard copy worksheet into a digital one?
What about projects - how can I handle them?
Bonus stuff

The goal is to cut our copy cost by HALF! Yes, I said by half. This would be a savings of 10,000.00 dollars for the district. To help motivate everyone to work toward this goal I’ve been thinking (yes, that’s scary). If we reach the goal I would like to throw a …..

Principal Questions

holtonteachers — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:00:30 +0000

Please post the questions you like to see asked during the interview.

Moodle Meet

holtonteachers — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 13:24:46 +0000

We have a very powerful tool right here in our district, its called Moodle. Several of you use it and some of you have tried in the past then tabled it. I used it for my College American History class several years ago. But being a person who loves to design with DreamWeaver I tabled Moodle this school year for my College History class. Then Highland Community College switch their online courses over to Moodle in January which required me to again use Moodle. Over the last few months I’ve realized how much Moodle has to offer and again … IT’S a free resource!

No Paper Theme!

I strongly suggest everyone take a look at Moodle again. You can create homework assignments and then grade them right online (no paper). You can upload handouts of all kinds to be housed for the student to download when needed (no paper). Students can upload assignments (no paper). You can create discussion threads which allow students to discuss whatever topic you wish in cyber world (no paper). If you don’t use Quia you can create your own test which Moodle will grade for you (no paper). You can create a virtual chat with your students in class or in the evenings similar to ichat but with your students (no paper). You can create own surveys for students (no paper). You can create your own wiki and much, much more! All of this without using paper - think of the cost savings!

My favorite

Things that I’ve really like about using Moodle for my online Sociology course has been:

1) Latest Activity section. This section shows me when I log on what my students have been doing most recent. It helps me track the work. I can organize this several ways my favorite is “since the last time I logged into Moodle.” This way I don’t have to go through all the assignments I’ve already graded – just the assignments that are new (no matter where they are located in the course). By the way you can also organize 1 day, 7 days, 14 days ago as well.

2) Grading submitted work. This section allows me to organize the graded work in a way so I can find which assignments I haven’t graded.

3) You can leave comments right there so only the student can see the comments for that one assignment.

Moodle Meet (Social network site)

This summer the district will be hosting some training on “The Paperless Classroom”. One of those training’s will focus just on Moodle. I highly recommend you consider attending. But for now check out Moodle Meet.

“Moodle Meet” is a social network of educators who use Moodle. Like Facebook and MySpace this site brings together others who have an interest in using Moodle in the classroom. You can see how others use Moodle in their classroom. Tips that are both basic for the beginner and advance for those of you who’ve been doing Moodle for awhile. The site includes discussions on Moodle, videos providing demonstrations and more.

The site uses Ning as it’s host. You maybe familiar with Ning if you joined Classroom 2.0.

I would recommend you join this group if you’re interested in expanding the use of Moodle in the months ahead. When you apply for membership it will take a little bit before your approved. Make sure to complete all the information. After filling out the form and submitting it I had to wait 24 hours before getting an e-mail with my approval. Once I was approved I could get into the site and search around. You will find discussions/questions about Moodle. There are tips you can read or you can choose to watch videos on the how – to.

Simplybox (Social Networking)

holtonteachers — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 17:31:03 +0000

The other day I was listening to a college professor who stated that high schools really AREN’T training students in technology. He stated we do a great job teaching word processing, powerpoint, google searching and some excel. But there are so many tools out there that high school teachers are simply missing.

One of those areas is “Social Bookmarking”. Similar to social networking (places like facebook and myspace) but a place to organize your bookmarks (websites) in such a way that you have access to them no matter whose computer you’re on and can share bookmarks with others with similar interest. For example the Language Arts department could have a set of bookmarks that all English teachers had access to. They could add or delete as a team.

Few weeks ago I introduced Diigolet. I really like it because it allows you not only to bookmark your sites but highlight/place stickies on that site as well. This week I want to introduce you to http://simplybox.

NOTE: You must use FireFox with simplybox at this time. They are currently working on it for Safari.

On the intro page of simplybox you will find the following descriptions. 1) Visual Research … it allows you to bookmark a site by choosing a section of the site (photo for example.) and placing it into a “box” that you create (create as many boxes as you want). 2) You can share your box with others with same interest. This way they can place links in that same box for you to see. 3) You can create a box for photos, videos, etc that you may want to use in class. Whether it be on a powerpoint or simply a click and it appears in your browser. 4) You can setup a whole class where you share bookmarks, photos, videos, etc.

The best way to get a feel for this is watch a very short video click at http://simplybox.com Before you write this off please watch the video.

I RECOMMEND YOU WATCH THIS CLIP OFF YOUTUBE … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKbmETeuN68 How to use simplybox in the classroom (8 minutes long)

If you decide you want to give this a try the first step will be to create a “FREE” account. Locate where it says “Simplybox for Educators” and click. Then click on “Sign Up Now”. I would suggest you place the username and password somewhere you won’t forget (again, I recommend “Pastor“). Once you create this account you will need to visit your e-mail and locate the e-mail from simplybox (check your junk box if its not in your normal e-mail box). Click “Verify and Confirm” in your e-mail.

Now you have an account … log into http://simplybox.com. Remember you need to use FireFox for this. The first thing you will be asked is to install an update for the browser. Do as instructed. Once the download and update is complete. You will need to quick FireFox and reopen it before the changes will take place.

Once you reopen FireFox notice the NEW buttons near the top of your browser. 1) Simplybox (when you click this it will take you to your simplybox website). 2) Box and Save (this is how you choose a part of the site, photo, video, etc. to place in the box. 3) Box and Send (this is how you choose part of a site and then e-mail to a friend.

To get started I would recommend you try it first. Locate a website you like a photo from.

Step 1 .. Click Box and Save (Notice the screen is darken and you now have control of clicking with the mouse and highlighting what you want within a box. Click highlight.

Step 2 .. Once the object is highlighted drag it to the box(s) that appear at the bottom of the screen. If you like to create new boxes simply visit your site and create the boxes. Or click “New box” to create a new one.

Ok .. thats enough to get you started good luck.

MACE Websites Part 1 of ?

holtonteachers — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 20:38:17 +0000

This week I thought I would share just a couple of websites I learned about during the MACE conference. In the weeks ahead I will provide even more from this conference with details on how to use them. But to get started I’m trying to provide a few easy one’s you can explore.

#1. Twitter your Congressmen … Many of you are familiar with Plurk. The social network site Kevin Honeycutt showed us back in January. Twitter is a much larger social networking site. http://www.twitter.com. But my post is not for Twitter but instead a way you can follow the Congressmen of your choice as they use twitter. Please note not all Congressmen have moved into the 21st century yet but the number is growing daily. Simply visit http://tweetcongress.org/ Then enter the zip code of your area (this gives you our two senators and Lynn Jenkins) or enter the Congressmen by name. At the time of my posting only Lynn Jenkins is twittering. But you can expect our Senators will be doing so soon. Oh yes, you can find a couple of links to polls and/or survey’s which Congressmen collect the opinion of the voters.

#2 Classtools.net allows you to create free educational games, activities and diagrams in a Flash! Host them on your own blog, website or intranet! No signup, no passwords, no charge! http://www.classtools.net. This includes templates which you can use. The following list are the most popular templates on the site as I write this blog post.

#3 iEARN.com … It was difficult for me to figure out what the third post should be here. I wanted to keep this post simple but so many good sites were shared at MACE. For this one I decided to introduce you to a site that allows teachers and students to partner up with teachers and students from around the world. Before you run away think of the different perspectives your students could have talking with others around the world. Whether it is a historical event, science project, piece of literature or application of math. Whether it was singing together, or sharing different cultural foods. The list here can go on and on! Once you visit this site you do have to create a free account. Doing this will place your name out there for teachers to find you as well as you being able to search the world for others. You go on to create a class account and setup students with their own log – ins. It’s difficult for me to show you more because it depends on what you decide to do that will lead to the next step. You can find samples of projects on the site, news related to the site, and professional development you can do online. Take a peak what do you have to loose short of opening the world to your students.

“Thought” … ask your students how many people they talk to now outside Holton, Ks. With online gaming I bet there are number of students who now communicate with friends in different parts of the country. How do they communicate? Text, phone, online systems, Skye, virtual chat, etc. etc. etc.

MACE … Topic Pros & Cons of 1 to 1 Environment

holtonteachers — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:40:51 +0000

http://www.mace-ks.org/

Students taking a test (Quia) in American History

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoGYx35ypus

I was asked awhile back to present at MACE but wasn’t sure what the topic should be. I asked around and there seemed to be an interest in our current 1:1 program. I posted a question on Plurk, “If you had an opportunity to hear someone present on a 1:1 in a high school, what information would you like to hear? What questions would you have for the presenter? What would you like to see demonstrated, etc.?”

http://www.plurk.com

http://www.plurk.com/abeam (feel free to add me as a friend or fan)

Here are a few of the comments I received as well as a very short answer to the questions.

Security is the big one. How do you make certain the kids aren’t accessing inappropriate info at home? Answer…Blacklist and now a Whitelist (more later)
What process will you use to train teachers to utilize the laptops? Answer … Summer, after school and a lot of inservice (more later)
How do you change lessons in order to utilize student laptops? Answer … We told our staff they didn’t have to change lessons that were working. We only challenged them to look at lessons that weren’t working or not working as well as they would like and then see how technology could help those areas. (more later)
My students don’t think 1:1 will work b/c of theft & damage to equipment. How would you address this concern? Answer … Insurance paid for by students at enrollment. (more later)
How has instruction changed as a result? Please tell me instruction has changed? Answer … Depends on the teacher. In some cases, a great deal has changed; in others there has been little change. (more later)

Welcome to HOLTON HIGH SCHOOL (Built during the Great Depression)

http://www.holton.k12.ks.us

From the list of questions above and my own thoughts, I posted a set of questions to my staff. “If you were asked the following, how would your respond?” I’ve copied and pasted the actual answers given by teachers toward the very bottom of this blog entry.

1. What were some of the challenges you have faced with students having laptops in your classroom?

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen with students having laptops?

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1?

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1?

5. What would you change now if you could?

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are now doing?

From all of these questions I started to develop the presentation. I have to say it wasn’t easy. I struggled with it for weeks. I tried to get my head around it and to be honest, I’m not sure I have yet. While I was organizing my thoughts I used my blog site (the one I use for staff communication) and as I did it I decided to try something different. Instead of a Keynote or PowerPoint I would use this blog site. I would highlight what you see here, and then those interested could come back and explore more. I hope this works. (smile) I divided this presentation into 13 parts (bakers dozen), so let’s see where it takes us.

Introduction

http://charliecr.net/twiki/pub/Main/WebHome/question-mark-button-thumb304974.jpg

Let’s start with one of the biggest questions I get asked … Why?

I always answer that with a simple … “Why Not?”
Are we not in the business of preparing today’s kids for “their” future? Too often I think we get hung up with preparing them for “our ” future.
Their future is a “Tech Rich World”

Part 1 … “WHO WE ARE” (2005 Highlight Video)

Student working alone (catching up) in tutor room

Holton High School is a small 4A school just north of Topeka. We have roughly 340 students, grades 9 – 12, and 35 teachers in our building, each with their own MacBook. Teachers received their laptops about 5 years ago (they started with iBooks) over the summer. Our whole district is wireless. Within the community we now have a number of businesses that provide wireless connection. We are still a provider of dial-up Internet, but subscriptions are dropping fast. The community now has high speed wireless, cable, phone or satellite. We have a Technology Director and an Assistant Technology Director. In addition, the tech department employs three additional folks full time, and several staff members work with them as needed.
Middle School … while the high school has a 1:1, the middle school has enough computers for a 1:1 but chose instead to create portable labs by curriculum areas. This is a plus because students are exposed to a lot of technology before coming to the high school. But it’s also a challenge because we have to continue to adjust what we do, as students become more knowledgeable in lower grades.

TOOLS Available … Teachers: Not only do they have their laptops, but also 1) Interwrite boards (Smart boards) for those who wanted them, 2)Portable Interwrite boards, 3) Projectors and sound system in all classrooms, 4) CPS system, 5) Digital cameras & video cameras, 6) Tons of software including, but not limited to a) iCal (organizational tool), b) PowerSchool (management software), c) Mac software – iWorks (Keynote, Pages, Numbers), Appleworks, iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb, Garageband), d) Microsoft (Word, PowerPoint, Excel), e) Moodle, f) DreamWeaver , g) Quia (web based assessment tool $), h)black & white laser printers, i) color laser printers, j) large poster printer and k) iChat. High end users possibly have a) Photoshop, b) Snapz Pro or Screen Flow (screen capturing), and c) WordPress (blog site). Based on curriculum, various software programs are available as well as textbook resources material (CD and web based). Teachers may subscribe to the dial-up with us for $5.00 a month, but many have preferred to invest in high speed access.

TOOLS available for students include an ibook which has the same software available to teachers. We place all software on their computer but due to copyright issues we limit who has access at set times. If enrolled in a course requiring certain software, they get access. If not enrolled, they can request temporary access through the library (similar to checking out a library book.) This is accomplished through “Groups” and placing the student IP number into specific groups. They also have access to items like cameras, projectors, etc. as needed.

Other Items … Observatory (including a telescope that I’m told is the largest in any secondary school in the world); sports editing software

http://www.elkcreekobservatory.org/

Part 2 … HOW DID WE GET THERE? Money $$$

Students working in Ag Science

It started ... with some pressure from students. A couple of teachers (yours truly was one of them) started encouraging students to say something to parents about needing more technology. We used the SCANS Report on 21st century skills (back in 1993). We told kids to have their parents talk with board members. This led to the district setting aside LOB money about 15 years ago,which started to fund teacher access. Also at that time the Assistant Superintendent came to a couple of us and told us to “shut up” and write a grant.
First grant … Working with an English teacher, we wrote a grant that set up our first network and created our first major computer lab (large enough for a whole class to use). We did this based on the SCANS Report.
Second grant … After a year we realized the need for students to have access at home to do the work correctly. (We opened the library a number of times in the evening, but it wasn’t enough.) This grant allowed the district to establish Internet service for the community. At the time we had no Internet provider in our community. Even after talking to the local cable company, there was no interest in this because of fear it couldn’t make any money. The grant allowed us to purchase some laptops for students to check out as needed. These computers would dial into the school-sponsored Internet system. The dial-up exploded and we peaked at around 4,000 users, each paying a monthly fee with the understanding they were assisting the school. The money created was used to upgrade the dial-up system, but most of it went back to the district to purchase additional technology over the years.
Third grant .. The third year of grant writing we determined that regular classroom teachers were spending a lot of time teaching students how to use basic software. Also, some students were getting the same training several times. This grant focused on an entry course for all our students. We created a new business position and teamed the position with the freshman English teacher. The entry level course involved a semester on the Macintosh platform and a semester on Windows machines.
Fourth grant .. Looking for a way to expand our art program, we wrote this grant to create a graphic design program. This created a high end lab where students were exposed to programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. We also used this same lab to expand our journalism program. With this 4th grant, the LOB, technology budget, and money from the Internet, we began to expand across the district.
Fifth grant .. Ag Science wrote a grant that purchased a laptop portable lab.
General Purchases … With Internet funds, VE-2 and local tech budget, we continued to buy desktops and some laptops, along with equipment to meet other technology needs. On a few occasions I used pop money (from the vending machines) to buy additional items.
Negatives … As technology expanded, various issues came up 1) Who should pay for printer ink? 2) Who pays for projector bulbs? 3) Who pays for various website subscriptions? 4) Who should purchase needed software (class vs. building needs)? 5) Tech repairs – who pays? 6) Aligning additional curriculum issues like software programs – who teaches what, and what should be available in which classes?
Buying the laptops … By the time we bought our student laptops we already had almost a 1:1 in desktops with the computer labs, both large and small (many classrooms had 4 to 5 computers). Then two years ago Apple offered a good deal on laptops. The older version (Apple was changing models) caused some concern, but the cost was good enough that we could make it work. The district agreed to purchase the computers through a lease program. Using the current tech budget we were able to do this without having to request additional funds from the Board. We knew it might limit some of our future purchases, but felt we had reached a point that this would be a great impact on where we were going.

Part 3 … HOW DID YOU HANDLE THE STAFF?

Teacher using Interwrite (Smartboard) in Graphic Design

The Beginning ... Early on teachers were given desktop computers. A long discussion took place within the district on whether all teachers needed laptops. The decision was made to place the technology in the hands of all teachers with the hope it would motivative them to use it. For the first couple of years we had a few staff members that left the laptop in their room when they went home. That rarely happens today. Teachers now bring their laptop to trainings so they can work right on their computer (makes training a positive). The original iBooks have now been replaced with the MacBook. A few high end users have MacBook Pros. Should note here .. initially, teachers were heard to complain that they had no use for computers; they didn’t need e-mail. I dare someone to take the computer away now.
First laptop … Teachers were required to go through a summer training before they could pick up their first laptop. This training focused on two components. a) How to use the laptop (learning the operating system and general software). We did this training with online video clips created by our own staff. This was before Atomic Learning. We used Snapz Pro to capture the screen. We also used this model to work with Atchison School District and Washburn University. b) We knew we had to change the mind set of our staff. We had done a few trainings and had brought in a speaker or two. That summer we brought Milt Dougherty (one of the keynotes at MACE this year). We followed up the summer training with additional inservice and after school offerings. Each training included information on a website or program along with a discussion on how to incorporate the technology in the classroom.
Training continued … As I said we continued to offer training on various websites and software programs. As building principal I currently provide a weekly newsletter with upcoming events. I also include in this newsletter websites arranged by curricular area for teachers to peruse and use as desired. I write articles featuring various sites or programs. I include technology articles in newsletters to parents. In the last month I’ve added this blog site as a place to house my information.
New staff members are paid one additional day on their first year contract. We spend this day introducing them to the available technology. At the high school I then partner the new staff member with two other staff members I believe can help them not only understand the operation of the high school, but can also provide some technology training. I provide training to new staff one on one to help them understand ways they can use technology in their classroom.
Negative #1 … As for teachers, I learned that no matter how much training you provide it will not be enough for some. You can provide work time and be told too much time was spent on that. You can just introduce something and hear you didn’t give enough time. You can provide actual work time only and hear how they could be using the time differently. For some it only works when they are ready, similar to students in the classroom. Example … I provided information about a website. I provided training on the site. I provide samples of how it could be used in the classroom. Then months later a teacher approached me to say she had just discovered a new site (this same site) and was excited about what it offered and how it could be used in her classroom.. Sometimes a staff member tells me about something I’ve been talking about for months as if I’ve never said anything about it or done any training on it. To the teacher, it’s the best thing since sliced bread. So my suggestion is to find ways to help the staff get ready, but don’t wait. Move those forward that are ready and then use them to help others along the way.
Negative #2 … Speaking of using staff as trainers…. Using staff to do training whenever you can will save you money and start out strong. But the longer you use that person as a trainer, the less affective he/she becomes. Staff begin to see that person as someone ‘out there’ where they can’t go. It happened to me and I’ve seen it happen to several of our staff over the years.
Negative #3 … Now that we have had staff “buy-in” and moved forward, if budget limitations should cause us to step backward, it will be very tough on some teachers, Using student laptops in the classroom is a powerful tool that some now depend on.

Part 4 … WHAT ARE A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE THIS WORK?

Students checking out some research on the Web while sitting in the library

ACCESS to Software … As mentioned above, besides students having laptops we image all computers to include ALL of the software available in class. However, due to license agreements we can’t allow them all to use software at the same time. Therefore, we have enough copies for students enrolled in certain classes and give them access. We ordered a few extra licenses so a student can come to the library and check out the use of a software program as they would a book. They then can access that software on their computer for a couple of days. This is mostly with programs like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Textbooks … We started a new rotation of textbooks about five years ago. We decided to purchase resources as if students had a laptop (even though that hadn’t yet happened). In the early years we looked at available CD textbooks. The CDs ranged from textbook readings to additional resources. The positive with CDs is ownership (once purchased, you own them.) The negative is that the content and operating systems are not updated. In the last few years we looked at web based resources. This mainly included additional resources that teachers could use. The positive here is that the material is current and easily accessed (no worry about operating systems). The negative here is the cost. Subscriptions to textbook sites are for a given number of years. At some point the license agreement must be renewed. We are beginning to explore free online textbooks.
Security … At enrollment students pay $34.00 for insurance with an agreement they will pay $100.00 deductible if needed. This covers broken or stolen computers. In almost three years we’ve only had two computers stolen. One of those was returned. Our biggest problem is damage. I think we made a mistake in year one with the warranty. Apple was so good to us when we started that almost everything was covered (except for the one where the kid left the computer on his car roof and drove home). Students became accustomed to the repairs being “free.” When that warranty expired it was a shock to them to suddenly have to pay the deductible on repairs. Students who don’t pay for insurance are not allowed to take their computer home with them. They check the computer in and out at the library. We’ve had a couple of students who struggled with the $100.00 after damage . So far I’ve been able to provide opportunities to work to make up the $100.00. Other issues have included: who is at fault for the damage and how to manage the high cost of repair? Who’s at fault just takes some time to resolve. As for repair costs, we have made some changes on repair contractors.
Loaners ..When a student pays the $100.00 deductible for damage and we send the computer in for repair we provide the student with a loaner. At the beginning this wasn’t a problem since we had purchased about 50 extra computers. The insurance company, however, would pay us to replace the computer instead of repairing it. Since we wanted to keep the same type of computer and system (for the sake of consistency), we didn’t want to purchase new computers. We finally discussed this with the insurance company and they allowed us to send the computer somewhere else for repairs. Now, however, we don’t have as many loaners. At times we might have a student who should have a loaner but doesn’t.
Safety … teachers do not allow students to plug in their computers unless they sit in a location where they are against a wall. We provided a few charging stations in the commons area where students could plug in their computers. In the P.E. classes we provided some of the old laptop carts so students could place their computers there. Note .. this doesn’t work all the time. We’ve had a few computers stepped on because a student laid it on the floor. To my amazement we don’t have a problem with theft even though I have some students who lay their computer on the floor and walk off.
Classroom Policies … At first some teachers thought there should be different policies for the technology. In a short time, though, teachers realized that they already had policies in place. How do you handle cheaters? How do you handle notes being passed? How do you handle a student who doesn’t bring the textbook? How do you handle a student who doesn’t come to class prepared (battery charged)? Etc… The policies should be the same.
Required Lesson Changes … When I first took the principalship at HHS I required all teachers to have a website. I still believe all teachers should have a website but I learned that some teachers just weren’t ready. I dealt with comments like, “Why do I have this website when no one uses it? When I asked students why they didn’t use certain teachers’ websites, I would hear “Why use it? They never update it.” So after a few years, I dropped the requirement of a website and only encourage teachers to have one (whether it be with HTML, Moodle or now Blog sites). With the advent of the laptops, I felt requiring teachers to change would not work and might create a negative feeling toward the laptops. I suggested teachers NOT change what they were doing. Instead, as they assessed their lessons and discovered lessons that weren’t working, then, and only then, they should consider what technology might do to help. Teachers who weren’t ready weren’t threatened by the laptop. I believe every one of my 30 teachers currently uses technology in some fashion. In a few cases they still may not use it a lot, but they use it. On the flip side, I have more and more teachers using technology as a tool. It’s a tool to enhance the classroom, not replace the teacher!
Music .. many of the teachers allow students to listen to music when it fits the lesson. This works because students learn if they don’t do the work or maintain the grade, they are not allowed to listen. This becomes a tool that encourages students to do well. Students may copy THEIR CDs on their computer. (We encourage the right kind of music). They must wear ear pieces and the sound must be quiet enough to not be heard by the person beside them.

Part 5a … WHAT ARE THE PROs AS THE TEACHERS SEE THEM?

Students checking their username and password information when they first receive their laptops

Better communication with students
Research
Improved organization
Instant access .. On the positive side, the ability of the technology when needed was powerful. There are numerous examples of teachers using the laptop to quickly surf because it was there. For example, after a guest speaker on JFK, the history teacher was speaking with his students. When questions popped up the students simply opened their laptop and did research, which expanded the discussion. More teachers started looking for ways technology could improve their lessons.
Paperless classroom
Teachers listed numerous programs they used in class
Expanding student projects
Multimedia as a tool
Equality for all students
More resources to use with students
Students can be more creative
Allows us to prepare kids for their future
Excitement for learning … in some cases the creativity it allows gets students excited about something they normally wouldn’t care about

Part 5b… WHAT ARE THE PROs AS THE STUDENTS SEE THEM?

(Flip Camera @ Work in History Class)

Students discussing the use of the laptop

Can do my work at home and over the weekend
My textbooks all can be taken home with the one laptop
Getting on the Internet from the parking lot
Online test .. get my score quickly
I can work on school work when it best suits my schedule. (This came up a lot)
Able to research
Have music
Chance to work on projects at home
Using iCal as an organizational tool
Taking notes
Creating art project (creating art)

Part 6 … WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

Students using laptops in math class. (Teacher blogs; Teacher provides instruction through computer)

Legal issues … Need to do a better job with new students so they understand not only how to use the laptop, but also the legal issues.
Right vs. privilege … We discovered very quickly that our students did not see the laptop as a privilege, but more of a right. This meant we had some issues right off, including students using the computer to surf during class times and e-mailing 24/7. The biggest challenge of this was when we had subs in the room.
Public relations is important. In the first year when students were using it more for e-mail and surfing the Web, many community members questioned it as a tool. It is crucial to keep a positive spin for the community.

Part 7 … WHAT HAVE WE ADJUSTED?

Students working on their computer.

Blocking software … The biggest adjustment in our 1 to 1 so far has been a change in how we control student computers. Initially we adopted the “blacklist” method most schools use. We launched a “whitelist” this past fall. The only places students can go are those we identify in advance. We have it set so that the computers are controlled by the whitelist from 8 to 3. We run the normal blacklist outside the school day. (A few parents have opted to have their student on the whitelist 24/7.)
E-mail Control … The whitelist allows us to control when students can check their e-mail. At the beginning of the year we turned off e-mail at 8:05 (start of the school day) and then turned it on during break period and for the first 5 minutes of Seminar Period. It would then be on again at 3:05 p.m (school dismissed). The biggest complaints were from teachers. “How do I communicate with my students?” “My students can’t e-mail me their assignments at the end of class.” Now .. e-mail is open during every passing period. This way students can check their e-mail five times a day. We also have drop boxes for students to submit student work.
The positive to this … from an administrator position, we don’t have the e-mail problems we had before. We don’t have the misuse of the computer in the classroom like we did before. Subs don’t have the challenges they once had. The public relations have improved. When I walk into a classroom students are using the laptops more productively. Teachers can add to the whitelist in a matter of two minutes.
The negative to this … students are limited on research (no Googling). While teachers can add to the whitelist, they complain they don’t have time to search and locate the websites. YouTube videos can be added to the list but they only stay for a day, which means teachers have to re-enter the sites every day they need them. Students feel their computers are worthless since they can’t do what they want when they want. To get around the Googling issue we have some Google stations in the library but now you’re back to dealing with scheduling issues. See “Where are we going?” to see how we plan on handling this next year.

Part 8 … WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY?

Students researching

Warranty work ... During that first year Apple was nice to cover almost everything wrong with a computer no matter who was at fault. I believe this gave our students a false sense of security. Once the warranty ended we seemed to have a number of claims. That has continued over the years.
Classroom Discipline .. When we started we spoke about security and possible disciplinary action. We allowed teachers to determine what was OK and not OK in their classrooms. In some cases teachers didn’t want to play the “bad guy” so they allowed students to do whatever they wanted. Then at some point they would try to “reel” them back in and couldn’t. I strongly suggest the building have some clear cut policies of what students can and cannot do in the classroom. Include clear consequences of what happens to students (and for that matter to teachers) who don’t follow the policy. Doing this right off and staying focused on it might have derailed some of our problems down the road.
Whitelist .. I wish we had started with the whitelist. Had it been the only way students got to the Internet from the start, I think the current complaints about the whitelist wouldn’t exist. Also, teachers would have gotten used to posting sites to the whitelist right from the beginning.
Parent support .. While I provide a monthly newsletter, which includes at least one technology tip for parents, I would suggest offering evening workshops for parents. This would cover how the laptop works and is used, along with safety tips for parents. Be a partner with your parents.

Part 9 … RECOMMENDED FREE TOOLS (Not already identified)

General Sites for All Teachers

Teacher using Interwrite board. In this room students use desktops as well as their laptops

Tooble (allows teachers the opportunity to download YouTube clips to be used in presentations)
Teacher Tube http://www.teachertube.com/
Blinkx http://www.blinkx.com/
Sketchup (Draft, Art, Math tool)
Lips (Computer reads text/OSX already does this as well)
iSquint (Reduces size of video for the Web)
Spyme (We used this so teachers could see what their students were doing on their computers. But we did have some issues)
Pastor (Tool to house your passwords)
Google Docs
Everywhere Polling
YouTube
Video Journalism Site
Scripting Tool
http://www.gcast.com (create your own free podcast) We use this to leave messages to students when there are subs.
www.ustream.tv/
Digital Photography Course: http://www.ictpd.net/moodle/course/view.php?id=13
Booksgoogle.com: http://www.googlebooks.com/
Apple Learning Exchange
learn360.com: ..http://www.learn360.com/
Bankrate .. http://www.bankrate.com
Trackstar: http://trackstar.4teachers.org/trackstar/
Spanish Only .. http://www.colby.edu/~bknelson/SLC/index.php
Spanish Only .. http://teachers.net/mentors/spanish/
Izzit (Current Events) .. http://www.izzit.org/events/index.php
www.shmoop.com (great literature site)
http://www.readwritethink.org
Kevin Honeycutt http://www.kevinhoneycutt.org/
PBS for Teachers http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/
iQuiz Maker http://www.iquizmaker.com/
Always on … Podcast of teachers working in a 1 to 1 environment. http://web.me.com/alwayson/AlwaysOn/Podcast/Podcast.html
Physical Science sites … http://mvhs.shodor.org/, http://www.scienceteacherprogram.org/genscience/gensci.html , http://www.griswold.k12.ct.us/index.cfm?Menu=40901&Id=10745 , http://jersey.uoregon.edu/vlab/, http://physics.unl.edu/outreach/football.html , http://www.engr.colostate.edu/~dga/video_demos/, http://shs.westport.k12.ct.us/mjvl/science/bioweb.htm

Part 10 .. RECOMMENDED TOOLS $$$ (Not already identified)

General Sites for All Teachers

Student working alone, listening to music.

Quia (Assessment tool, activities and more)
Screen Flow (Captures the whole screen and captures video/audio at the same time) MAC ONLY
Snapz Pro (Captures selected parts of your screen)
Visual Hub (Reduces the size of videos for the Internet)
Class Scene (Houses photos and video clips)
United Streaming (Video clips)

Part 11 … WHERE ARE WE GOING? …

Students in Biology using textbook software

Whitelist Change ..The whitelist has reduced wasted classroom time and problems with e-mails. While that has been a positive, the drawback has been the challenge for teachers to get URLs on the whitelist. As stated earlier, not allowing students open access to Google has not been well received either. We have tried to redirect students to the various databases available through Kan-Ed. These have seen more use, which is good. However, for political reasons we are looking at a way where teachers would have the power to turn off the whitelist for the students in their classroom during a certain block of time. Once that block of time ended the students would return to the whitelist. This would assist with substitute supervision.
Budget cuts .. We know there is a great deal of discussion on budget cuts this year. One item on the table for next year is to not check out the laptops the students. The reason for this thought is two-fold .. 1) Cut down on repair bills. Currently, even with insurance there is a large amount of money being spent on repairs. This money could be better spent elsewhere. 2) The laptops are scheduled to be replaced at the end of next year. With budget cuts that will most likely not occur. If we put the laptops into carts and created stations throughout the building, we might be able to stretch out the laptop life another year or two.
Staff Development .. While budget cuts will most likely hit our staff development budget hard, we expect to continue to offer some after school sessions. Even though we may not be able to afford someone from the outside, we will tap into the expertise of our own staff to provide training on using technology in the classroom.

Part 12 … TEACHER FEEDBACK

The following are teacher responses to my questions as I prepared this presentation.

If you were asked the following how would your respond?

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom?

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops?

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1?

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1?

5. What would you change now if you could?

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are now doing?

Randall Bond // January 27, 2009 at 9:23 pm (edit)

1)CHALLENGES: Students having laptops out at inappropriate times. Wanting to be on their laptops to check e-mail, surf, etc.

2) POSITIVES: Allowed better communication of upcoming events, assignments and meetings. Also allowed students to research in class items I wanted them to find, specifically the history of a composer, song, genre.

3) DONE DIFFERENTLY: More responsibility placed on the student. More consequences set up (and followed through on) for students who abused their internet access or e-mail access. Limited the ability of student computers to have “hot corners” or the ability to hide what was/is on their screen.

4)WHAT DID WE DO WELL: The excitement over the computers was great. The instruction the students received was tremendous as well. Explaining care and being responsible was very well done (IMO) at the beginning. Many of the students feel ownership of their computer and that is key.

5) WHAT WOULD I CHANGE: Again, I think much stiffer “punishment” for students who were caught using their computer for something other than its intended use in the classroom. If a student knew that if they were caught using e-mail without permission, or were on YouTube (or other sites) without permission that they would lose their computer for a week it would make a difference. IF they were caught a second time they’d lose if for a month. A third time, they’d get no computer and forfeit any deposit they had made for it. We talk about teaching kids responsibility, and how to use technology and then pretty much castrate that technology while they are here at school.

6) WOULDN’T CHANGE: I think the teachers in Holton do a remarkable job instilling a sense of curiosity in our students. We have students who want to see what’s out there, to experience it. We prepare them very well for what happens after High School. For the most part we graduate students who care about more than just themselves. Not only do we do a great job instilling “the three R’s” but our students (I believe) graduate knowing they CAN have purpose and meaning, and that they can constitute change around them.
Karen Ford // January 28, 2009 at 3:14 am (edit)

1)CHALLENGES: Students having laptops out at inappropriate times. Most students take care of their laptops but some are pretty careless with them.

2) POSITIVES: Allowed better communication of upcoming events, assignments and meetings. Allowed immediate access to word processing and online sites and assignments on Moodle as well as iCal, dictionaries and thesauruses. Probably could cut down on books purchased eventually. I could easily get ahold of a student and that student could contact me.

3) DONE DIFFERENTLY: Added even more training and TIME FOR TEACHERS to prepare lessons, research possibilities and develop interactive lesson plans to best utilize technology.

4)WHAT DID WE DO WELL: Allowed access to computer technology to all students. Prepared them for 21st century skills. Many will be communicating and learning online throughout their lives. They are well prepared for college.

5) WHAT WOULD I CHANGE: Be sure to have even more computer support. Gloria is always very busy fixing computers, taking care of warranties etc.

6) WOULDN’T CHANGE: I would not change allowing students to have the technology. They will need to demonstrate competency with technology (no matter how it changes) all their lives. They will need to learn what is and is not appropriate and when and when not to access certain information. They will need to be fluent in this technology.
Bob Phillips // January 28, 2009 at 1:39 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Students want to listen to music with head sets. In AEP they think they need to have them open when we have reading time.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? They can do google sketch in drafting.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? More drafting programs. Maybe some software for budgets in the construction dept.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Putting a computer in the hands of every student. Make them show a little responsibility

5. What would you change now if you could? Bring back Spyware.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I agree with Karen Ford. I could not say it any better.” I would not change allowing students to have the technology. They will need to demonstrate competency with technology (no matter how it changes) all their lives. They will need to learn what is and is not appropriate and when and when not to access certain information. They will need to be fluent in this technology.”
Brooks // January 28, 2009 at 2:29 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? None really, restricted access of students has made it harder. You can no longer have them look up help sites or videos. I think we need to be teaching our kids how to use the internet for learning.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? In geometry we use sketchpad on a regular basis, are experimenting with google sketch up, create blueprints for 3-d figures and can also use it as a form of communication. We used to research resources to assist in developing definitions and concepts.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? Not much. It just takes time and experience for the teacher more than the student. Finding resources and software for the classroom is important. Schools should also seek textbooks from the beginning that are easily accessible online. Teachers need to share more how they are using the computer as a resource.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Give teachers freedom to use or not use the computer. Let them work at comfort level.

5. What would you change now if you could? Get rid of the whitelist. Takes away any flow of a class, limits resources, limits open ended learning. Teachers cannot begin to have the time to research all the sites capable of helping a class or individual.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would not get rid of the computers. Their comfort and guidance puts them way ahead of other kids in college and in the work force.
Brenda // January 28, 2009 at 3:06 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom?— Having the laptops causes me to have another classroom rule to enforce. However, generally it is not a huge problem.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops?—As a world language teacher, having the Internet accessible allows my students to “visit” Spanish-speaking countries. The tools such as iCal and Quia are very helpful. In general, students become knowledgeable and comfortable with technology. It is especially helpful for students who would otherwise not have access to a computer.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1?–Sorry, not here at launch time.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1?–N/A

5. What would you change now if you could?–The Whitelist does feel restrictive at times though it has its merits. Would there be a way we could turn it off and on? How about having computers in the library that use a blacklist or having one or two in each classroom to be used for research? (Is my green showing?) The students seem to appreciate them less than when they were first introduced and perhaps mistreat them more.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now?–Speaking as a mom as well as a teacher, I believe that the computers/technology we have at Holton is a big plus for them when they graduate no matter what they end up doing.
Joni // January 28, 2009 at 3:56 pm (edit)

1. CHALLENGES: Initially, the challenge was with email and random surfing when students should have been researching. This year, the challenge has been accommodating research while being hindered by the white list. I’m very annoyed by the white list — the point of researching becomes moot if I have preselected all the sites where they can find the information and placed them on the white list. Students don’t have total access to email this year, and that has worked much better. They do still have access to some games, and some students abuse that.

2. POSITIVES: I think teachers are integrating technology into the curriculum much more through the laptops — powerpoint, keynote, pages – these are all programs students and teachers can use for projects and instruction. The possibilities are really endless (except for the confines of the white list).

3. CHANGES: I think students should be better trained at the beginning of the year as to what is one their computer as far as programs and uses. They should also have small group training about rights, privileges, etc. of computer use. When this is done in a large group setting, I think it diminishes its importance. Bring back spyware.

4. THINGS DONE RIGHT: I think just the fact that we have a 1 to 1 initiative is wonderful. It equals the field for many students who may not be able to afford to have a computer at home.

5. CHANGE NOW: Take out the white list and use a black list like we did before. Continue to explore new uses and resources with teachers so we can make them available to our students. Spyware…

6. DON’T CHANGE: I definitely think that we need the laptops. It is a teaching tool that is endless. Don’t ever take them back!
jswisher // January 29, 2009 at 3:25 am (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? The biggest challenge I have in art class is the student who hasn’t remembered to charge his computer and wants to use a plug in. If they listen to music the computer can only be open two inches. Student computers are not set up to print to the printer in the art room downstairs.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? It has made it easier to do the artist reports. It gives students the chance to look beyond an assignment to gain greater knowledge in the area of art. I see students on their computers after and before school so they are gathering some new information.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? Looking back on the amount of money spent on the computers and the amount of money we are short, maybe we should have been more selective as to who was to have them when.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? We provided excellent training on how to use.

5. What would you change now if you could? I don’t believe that I would change anything, except a stiffer punishment for misuse.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I think they are an instructional tool that goes beyond anything we have ever had before.
Carol // January 29, 2009 at 12:15 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? I think my challenges have included keeping kids focused on the task at hand, and not distracted with other sites, emails, games, etc. There have been concerns with the way some students treat their computers and also the problem of not charging them at night. I also have been concerned with the level of research – obtaining information JUST by googling or using wikipedia is not teaching good research skills. Students need to understand other ways to obtain information, and how to critically think about what they are reading and the accuracy or bias of the information. I have also been concerned with insufficient tech assistance when problems arise.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? The wealth of information at their fingertips is amazing!! It is wonderful to be able to access information in an instant, to type right in the classroom and to create multimedia projects. Laptops have enhanced communication tremendously.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I would like to have seen more consistency in handling issues with misuse in the classrooms. We, as teachers, have not all been responsible to keep students on task. I would like to have seen the tech staff increased to handle the increase in technology within the school.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Had good initial training. Have had good sharing among teachers to develop ideas.

5. What would you change now if you could? I think we need to keep encouraging students to be responsible in the treatment of the laptops – many seem to be taking the laptops for granted and don’t always appreciate the importance of caring for them properly. I would like to see teachers and students check with me for research help and suggestions so that students are learning better skills that will help them in college – this is even more important if we go back to the black list rather than the white list. I would like to see additional assistance for tech problems that come up – ongoing challenges with printing, etc.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would not ever go back to “no laptops.” It is so nice to see everyone on an equal level, no matter what the home situation is, and also no matter which classroom. I would not change the ongoing training and sharing of ideas among staff (exploring and sharing ways to incorporate technology into the instruction and assessment in the classroom.)
Joni // January 29, 2009 at 3:32 pm (edit)

I forgot to mention that it is frustrating to be using a site that has been added to the white list, then without notice it is taken away. I placed quizlet on the whitelist, had students enter information that is state assessed so they could play games and test themselves over the information in preparation for the final, and then it was removed without notice to me or the students because some students were using the chat feature. I felt it was unfair to the students who were using it correctly, and it was unfair to remove it without notice to the teacher who placed it on the whitelist in the first place (me). There needs to be some kind of system for entering sites and removing them.
Stacey Kramer // January 29, 2009 at 3:42 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Not being able to access enough resources because of the whitelist, students not understanding the delicacy of the machines and the lack of headphones.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? I agree that students who wouldn’t normally be able to afford them is a huge positive. For special ed, simply having easy to use word processors helps tremendously. I also think it brings a little normalcy for special education students. They can interact with their peers more easily with technology.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? N/A

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? N/A

5. What would you change now if you could? Eliminate the white list and develop a monitoring system that could help hold students accountable when they violate the technology policy.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? Losing the laptops!
Carolyn McKee // January 29, 2009 at 4:09 pm (edit)

If you were asked the following how would you respond?

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? When a program is not working properly the time spent waiting for the program to work instead of moving on and doing something else. Kids with F’s to my notion are not being helped by the use of all day access or helped by listening to music. (In tutor we do not allow music unless you have A’s and B’s). Kids say they have only been told once or twice on how to get to something such as moodle sites,etc…and later can’t remember how to find it. Kids can’t remember passwords and spend time getting out of class to go find out. Some students use the computer as a zone out. It is harder for me to tell if they are actually doing the assignment or surfing around. Some kids get way too overwhelmed with the wealth of information on the net and have trouble focusing in on the task at hand. Kids stare at powerschool grades longer than looking at a planner. I have kids ask for planners. Although I like having a book online when a child says, “I don’t have a book here at school,” I find kids as well as myself struggling to read online. Some prefer reading sitting back holding the book. Heres a thought: When a child is young and learns to use the technology of scissors you start out slowly and only have them use them with supervision and when necessary. If the scissors are abused they are taken away. Gradually the child learns to use sharper scissors with more complex activities. You would never give a child who wasn’t prepared a pair of sharp scissors to carry around all day. Some can handle it and some can not. Not all kids are mature enough to handle the responsibility of 24/7 computer usage.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? Typing programs, surfing for research purposes, communication between students and teachers. Better prepared for college and giving presentations and the creativity it allows. I like that a typing program lets a kid know when the spelling is wrong and lets them see the right spelling. Of course, Hernandez and Hummel classes are great tools for adult life application whether you go to college or not. Able to send assignments to teachers’ boxes. I like Quia, United Streaming, Powerpoint, Moodle, Pages, calculator on desktops, announcements, printer usage, I-Cal

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? More extensive teaching of different programs. Once is not enough. I think how it was launched was great. Maybe more training on all the different programs? You will always find out problems after the fact. Thats normal. I do think the tech people could have used more help.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? There were computers in all kids hands in a very timely manner. I like that kids signed an agreement.

5. What would you change now if you could? I would like the kids to know that just because the school gives you a laptop does not mean it is yours to do as you wish. It is a privilege. I don’t know if this is even possible but maybe having a lock and unlock to the net and email on each computer. The teacher would put in the unlock password for their individual class. I also strongly believed if a student is getting an F in a class, that student does not need to be on a computer period in that class. Obviously it hasn’t helped them thus far. I feel the same with iPods.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? We need each kid to have the opportunity to use a computer to its fullest to better their education. I love that Holton is advanced in computer usage, sending our kids off to college and into the world.
Amy Oldehoeft // January 29, 2009 at 5:51 pm (edit)

If you were asked the following how would your respond?

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? One challenge I have had is the student who doesn’t charge his or her computer. That drives me crazy! Obviously, bringing the charger to school would help, but who thinks of that? Another challenge has been students not being able to print in my classroom. They have to go upstairs to pick up assignments and frankly, I don’t think 20 kids should be running around grabbing assignments. (They tend to stray.) I try to have 1 or 2 grab as many as they can, but sometimes documents don’t print or they send it to the wrong place, etc. (And I know we are on a budget, so I’m trying to limit the amount of printing at this point, but it has been a big concern for us down here.)

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? Each student can work at their own pace. Huge positive! I have a lot of students who might need extra time due to IEP issues and having their own laptop helps them feel like they are still doing the same work without being singled out. Also, I think it has allowed students to be more creative. We are getting ready to start interior design and I would love for the kids to use google sketch-up when we get into that unit.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I wasn’t here at that point.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Again, I wasn’t here.

5. What would you change now if you could? Sorry, but I hate the whitelist! I have heard many students say they can’t research anything because they can’t get on Google. I realize this isn’t the case, but I don’t feel I have the time or energy to hunt through all the websites that could be used on assignments. Would like to give a little of that responsibility to the students. That’s part of what we should be teaching…Internet safety and responsibility, right?

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? Preparing students for this ever-changing world of technology. They have the opportunity to learn skills and techniques that a lot of students don’t get until the are in college. This is a great opportunity…we just need to remind them once in a while, to take advantage of it!
Jackie McAsey // January 29, 2009 at 6:50 pm (edit)

I see computers as another tool for educators to reach kids. I don’t feel that every student does well with computer assignments but some do and in that case, it is a good thing. Teachers have different teaching styles and some teachers do well using the computer as a tool and others… not so much. I like the opportunities we have as teachers to learn about new websites and programs we can use to enhance our teaching approach but I also feel that sometimes there is added pressure to use things that work well for some and it is expected for it to work well for all. Sometimes, what’s best for some is not always best for all.

Computers in the hands of kids is a good thing. Mandating use in the classroom is not so good.

We all have our individual preferences and I think that is important to remember.
Dena // February 2, 2009 at 3:54 pm (edit)

1. CHALLENGES Some of the challenges I faced in my classroom were making sure students stayed on task and did not spend their time on email and surfing the web. They would also occasionally come to class without the laptops charged or without their chargers.

2. POSITIVES This is their language and their future. This generation understands technology and it is going to be a part of their daily lives and almost any type of employment they have after high school. It helped to engage some in learning that might not otherwise be as interested.

3. DONE DIFFERENTLY I think maybe more training with faculty on different ways to incorporate the technology into their classrooms and ways to keep the students on task with it would have helped.

4. DONE RIGHT Providing all students with the lap tops and not just the seniors or juniors. This allowed all students to see the importance of technology.

5. CHANGE Since the laptops are beginning to show normal wear and tear I would have liked us to offer them for sale to the graduating seniors. This would provide some income to replace the computers and provide the students with their own technology.
Jason Larison // February 9, 2009 at 4:52 pm (edit)

1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Computers not working properly. Students having to restart constantly, get into applications, go to the tech people for help very often. Also, now that we are out of loaners it is tough for a student to be without a computer even if it was not their fault or they pay the $100.

2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? iCal has been a HUGE positive in keeping kids on task and up to date also when communicating when a sub is there. Use of Quia and moodle is a big benefit. Lots of positives too numerous to list. I cannot imagine my classroom without them anymore.

3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I think the first summer back caused more problems than we realize. I thought the spring release when we first did them went really smooth and was productive, but that first summer/fall start caused a lot of problems. When kids had so many problems with them from the start of that school year I think many kids lost “respect” for them and saw them more as a piece of junk. I think that has been really hard to overcome.

4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Got them to every student and did not start by class… seniors only, or no freshman got them, etc. Also, having the resources available iCal, Moodle, Quia, interwrite boards, etc.

5. What would you change now if you could?

I would have more loaner computers and stiffer penalties for students who abuse their computers.

6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would keep 1:1 no matter what. The benefits for students is amazing. We need to be more assertive in smoothing out wrinkles and problems for students/teachers.
Randall Bond // February 9, 2009 at 4:56 pm (edit) I really think most of us see the same thing…that we needed (need?) stiffer penalties for those who abused the computer. I know where my wife teaches (no 1 to 1 there, just computer labs) if a student is caught on an unapproved website they lose ALL computer privileges for a month. I know that sounds harsh, but because of this they rarely have problems because students know they will have to make arrangements on their own (if they do not have a computer at home)

Part 13 … Student Comments

Students taking notes & following discussion

Students were asked how they see the use of the laptop. The following are some of their comments.

I can work on homework here and at home and it makes doing these pages much easier. Working over the weekends and at night is a real benefit from having these laptops. Several of the textbooks are on the laptop so i can take my textbooks home by only carrying the laptop; on the road study resources; it is really easy to keep my work organized and i don’t have to take a lot of stuff to work on work when i have this
Having a laptop with me 24/7 allows me to do my homework at home or type a paper that may be needed for next class. We can get on online sources such as our biology site at home to study and take online tests that help us to prepare for our actual test. There are online sources that i use quite a bit when it comes to biology and telecom. I also use it in journalism to type up stories, interview questions, and lots more depending on what Mrs. Ford allows time for. The white list doesn’t really bother me personally because i was an emailer last year and i don’t even use my computer unless i need to for an assignment.
I do homework in the middle of the night. I can’t help it, I’m a procrastinator, and there have been many, many times having a laptop at 12:30 at night has saved my butt. If you’ll pardon the expression. Lol..
I’ve had so many projects and assignments I’d never have been able to finish without my own personal laptop, with all my stuff in one place, available at any time. That’s one of the biggest benefits to having your own personal laptops; all your assignments, all your information, everything you need in one spot to access at anytime. It has made a TREMENDOUS difference in school assignments and projects. It’s made schoolwork exponentially easier to do.
I know there would have been many assignments I probably wouldn’t have gotten finished had it not been for having access to a personal laptop 24/7. It’s handy, convenient, and makes bigger and/or difficult homework easier.
I won’t be here next year, but I do believe it’s a valuable asset to students. I has been to me, for sure.
I love having my laptop with me 24/7 because I’m always writing notes down on it and I don’t have to worry about losing them. Its also easier to keep track of HW assignments
I think there are benefits even outside of the schoolroom and our curriculum.
I think it is better having a laptop 24/7 because, if I think of something later, at home, I can just get it out and work on that project. I think it is also nice because I believe we can work on a lot more things than other students at other schools. I have friends that go to different schools who don’t have laptops, and from the way they talk, it sounds like we have a really big advantage, I believe we can learn a lot more than they do because of the resources. Of course if we only had the laptops at school, it would be okay, but it makes a lot more of the assignments easier if I can work on them on my own, in the comfort of my own home, and can think more clearly without being bothered by other classmates. I am able to type papers for any of my classes outside of class. I can create powerpoints and keynotes to help me study for classes. I am able to check my grades often to see how well I am doing or if I happen to be missing an assignment. Sent from my iPod
I don’t really use my laptop very much because I have only one class which is English. But last year I found myself getting very distracted because of everything being open and available to everyone at all times. I was never paying attention to the work I was supposed to be doing. I found that this year because of the changes
You can get projects done easier and if you have a paper to type it’s much easier to just do it on here instead of your home computer. It’s just more convenient.
I think that it is to a student’s advantage to have their laptops with them 24/7 because of the opportunities that the computer offers. I especially see the advantages when it comes from a senior’s point of view because they are always busy applying for scholarships, applying for financial aid, and visiting college websites. Nearly all teachers have taken advantage of the technology offered, and assign homework to students via email or by the blue server. Without my computer with me in the evenings, I wouldn’t be able to complete my homework. There are many other advantages, but to wrap things up, computers are going to be in our lives in the future and we are going to need to be able to operate them efficiently in order to keep our jobs.
The benefits I see with my laptop is having my files at the tip of my fingers at any time. That is amazingly beneficial to me. I can work on projects at home, and I’m in FFA, so I’m always doing something for my record book, or a project, or online worksheets set up by my teachers. I feel like i have my own privacy with my computer, but at the same time, I would feel confident handing it over to an administrator and feel comfortable that what they are looking at, they will be okay with. I love that we have ICAL, I’m really starting to use it more and I’m finding it very useful in knowing what I need before that class gets there. I can be a more organized with my laptop, because I know where my files are at, and I know that they will not get deleted by accident or on purpose by other students. It happens. But I can always look back at what I’ve done and it helps with future projects.
The benefits that I see having a laptop with me 24/7 include not having to stress over homework that needs to get done on the computer, I can take home the notes that I take in Biology, and ical helps me to know when things are due ahead of time so if I forget I know that I can look on ical to see my assignments.
School work is so much easier being able to research at home, play at home and work at home. I have all of my assignments in one place, all my homework to do on stickies and ical. It’s a portable workplace that’s very compatible. I can take it on the road when I’m traveling like I did for vacation and still keep up with work. When you’re sick it’s so nice to be able to keep caught up print stuff at home. I would feel lost now without my computer all the time.
Personally, I enjoy the laptops. I especially love iCal and being able to stay organized. I’ve had it for so long that I don’t really think about not being able to use it. I use it in at least 4 of my classes on a daily basis. I can’t imagine those teachers having to get carts or whatever the alternative may be for computers. I have no idea how Mr. Lang’s class would work. Not that students can’t function w/out computers I think they are a nice learning tool if utilized in the right way.
I think that it is great having a laptop to use during class, but teachers are really anal about when and how we use them. Yes, i know that there are certain times that people do need to put them up, but i guess the way i see it is that if they want to spend there time on the computer and not pay attention then hey its their grade, good luck in college if you make it. I know a lot of college kids that don’t pay attention at all in their classes and they did just fine. Email may be the worst thing about these computers since we don’t get to use it, but i can see how some people violate the policy and this and that.
I use it for word processing and listening to music at school and i use my powerbook at home.
I can see the benefits of having a laptop with me every where; i can get much more done and i don’t lose papers as much now that they are all in one place where i won’t set them down all walk off and lose them; i love having a laptop; i am going to get one when i go to college because if i don’t, I don’t think i could function without one now that i have one .
You can get homework done at home you could not get done at school. a lot of our homework is basically done mostly on the computer so it helps to take it home. we aren’t completely rushed to get our work done during our school classes or don’t have to come in after school to get it done. i like having a computer 24/7 because it allows me to get things done, especially since i can’t stay after school to get work done.

Students working on project with the use of laptop

Students working on various tasks

More students at work on laptops in the library

English work on the computer

Individual work

My Brochure Maker

holtonteachers — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 22:50:05 +0000

I know you can use word to make brochures but thought I share another free tool. Maybe you need to make a brochure for your class, upcoming project or maybe you want your students to make a brochure as part of a project. If you want a brochure try this free website out.

Note…before starting. The first time I used this site I had to update my “Flash”. I simply click and followed the directions.

To start simply visit http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/ and click on “Get Started”. You choose from three types of Brochures. 1st Mailing Panel, 2nd Brochure without a mailing Panel or a flyer.

Once you select your next step is to choose what type of theme. This includes medical, contractor, fitness, salon/spa, real estate, nature, travel, business, technology or child care.

Then click “next”. You now need to edit the outside and inside. Do that by clicking on the correct button. Now you only need to fill in the text boxes.

Click “next” and now you can print the outside and then the inside. . You have a brochure!!!

Diigo.com

holtonteachers — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:07:52 +0000

Diigo.com is a social network site and more. You must create a Free account to start this. Once you create the account Diigo will send you an verification e-mail. Mine was delivered to my junk mail. Being a social network site you can then create your own dashboard (website) with information related to you.

Let me highlight a few things it can do.

1. It’s a bookmark site. By that I mean you add and organize your book marks similar to your browser. As you create the bookmark you add tags (terms that describe the site making it easier to sort).

2. You can share your book marks with others with similar interest. For example right here at HHS all the science teachers could share the bookmarks of sites they use or find related to the field of science. Think of the power. Instead of searching alone on the Internet you become a department system. Better yet, you can find others on diigo that have similar interest and join their book marks. This opens you up to thousands, thousands and thousands of possible sites.

3. You also download a tool that becomes part of your bowser. (This is easy to do and only needs to be done once.) When you find a site of interest you click this tool. Now you can highlight parts of that website. Then when you visit the site again it remembers what you highlighted!
*Tool Photo by http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3043/2622997333_034e0fb9f3.jpg
Sticky Notes
Photo https://peteandcentral.wikispaces.com/file/view/Picture_3.png

4. Another use of the tool allows you to create sticky notes (notes that float on top of the site). You can add comments that are private or shared with any groups that you belong to. Like the highlight it remembers your sticky notes as well when you return to the site.
Photo by http://www.online-tech-tips.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/highlight-and-add-comments-on-diigo.jpg

(Note: to see anything you highlighted or a sticky note you must click on the Diigo button that was installed. This is what helps it remember all that neat stuff.)

5. Another use of the tool allows you to make comments but to me this is similar to sticky notes.

6. As #4 stated. You can join groups. These groups are others on diigo that have similar interest. So not only can you share your sites but you can share your comments with them as well.

7. Find out who else is looking at a web page.

Photo by http://www.online-tech-tips.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/diigo-users-reading-the-same-content-1.jpg

There’s so much more. You can learn more about Diigo.com by visiting YouTube. This is a 9 minute video that highlights how this all works. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcecBgRd3ig

Other Feb. 9th Professional Day Information

holtonteachers — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:23:33 +0000

Several other sessions were offered as well.

Quia provided training through the Internet. If you wish to watch the video simply go back for review check out this video. (The video was created by capturing the screen with ScreenFlow). Video is 1 hr long (50 MB)

Week of Feb. 2nd Blog Post

holtonteachers — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 02:13:21 +0000

In an attempt to organize the many blogs I’m discovering. I thought I use this blog site as a collection point. Each week I will try to post the links with a brief overview of the newest blog post. My goal is to make it easier for my staff to find blogs either by other educators or blogs related to educational issues. In just the first week I collected at least 30 different forms of blogs. But to not overload staff I will try to limit my post to just 5 a week.

Week #1 (Feb. 2nd – 8th)

Mrs. Smoke .. Tech teacher from Andover, Ks. http://mrssmoke.onsugar.com/ This week “Educational Blogs You Should Be Investigating”. She has created a blog of other blogs broken down by grade level, curriculum and subject matter. Wow .. great stuff.

Richard Byrne high school teacher from Maine. Free Tech stuff for teachers … http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ The newest blog deals with Geography tools. But you will find stuff for all curriculum areas on his blog site.

Steve Hargadon is the Director of the K12 Open Technologies Initiative http://www.stevehargadon.com/2009/01/some-things-ive-learned-about-building.html has a blog on “Some Things I’ve Learned About Building Effective Social Networks”

The Journal (this is a collection of writers) .. http://www.thejournal.com/the/21stcenturyskills/home/ The current blog entry is on 21st Century Skills.

Read Write Web by Ravit Lichtenberg .. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/10_ways_social_media_will_change_in_2009.php the current blog “10 Ways Social Media Will Change in 2009″.