Initial Steps: The Student Help Desk

It has been coming increasingly important to get students involved in the planning and carrying out of the technology plan. One of the aspects of that plan is how to anticipate and problem solve situations that don’t exist. One person and even one department will have a difficult time keeping up with the task.

Our solution: recruit and train students to help as a first line of defense. We saw this in action at the Hong Kong International School. Myron Buck, the high school technology facilitator shared his ideas with us. Rarely is there a unique problem that a student will incur. For the most part it is a repeat performance.

Time to call in the first line of defense. Starting next week we will begin the training of 6^th and 7^th grade students in the care and trouble shooting of Mac problems. Our plan it to introduce them to our computer system at school, how the Mac will integrate with the system, and what we would anticipate as common problems. These may include creating shortcuts, printing, losing work, etc.

We’ll start with giving them an identity. We will ask them to give themselves a name. It’s their club so we’ll let them decide … within reason J . Once they have a name it’s time to design t-shirts. This will help them be identified in the fall so others will know whom to look for to help them.

Once school starts in the fall, we will roll out the 300 laptops in the middle school. Their task is two-fold. First, they will need to help teachers and students in classes. The second commitment we ask of them is to man the student help desk located outside the technology repair center. They will be the first stop for students with problems. Hopefully we will have trained them in the basics of Mac and they will be able to thwart a lot of minor problems. What they can’t handle is passed on to the tech department.

Initial Steps: Professional Development

Initial Steps: Professional Development

Ever see someone use a screwdriver like a hammer? Or how about using a pair of pliers to get a screw out of a piece of metal? Do you have a smart phone and use it only as a phone? Too often we put computers in the hands of teachers who know how to use it in a very limited manner. Professional development (PD) is all about helping teachers see the potential of the tool and beginning to move in a direction that takes advantage of this valuable tool.

Recent university graduates that have gone into teaching are really good at using the computer for personal enhancement. However, I have observed that so many of them have not received training as to how to use this tool to enhance and bring the curriculum to life. PD will help bridge the gap that exists from personal to professional use. Each school culture and professional demand a program tailored to his or her ability.

When planning PD, it is important to look at the long-term development of the overall program. We started early planning our PD. We made contact with SUNY of Buffalo N.Y. They allowed us to prepare and tailor a program for our school culture and provided university credit for the participants. We focused on our use of Web 2.0 tools and Moodle. More than 32% of our staff participated in the class; we were quite surprised at their eagerness to learn. The sessions were taught by three of our technology facilitators.

The class was very successful for spurring on the use of technology. An example of this was one of our teachers, David Giles, who has used Etherpad in his IB classes.

We have also looked to other venues for professional development. We sent out grade 5 teachers and technology facilitator to Shanghai to participate in the Learning 2.010 conference. Most recently we sent the middle school core teachers and technology facilitators on schools tours in Hong Kong. They visited Hong Kong International School, Canadian International School, and King George V School. Attending the 21st Century Learning Conference followed the visits. Next year we are planning to send more teachers to these conferences as well as the Un-Plugged conference at the American School of Bombay (India).

Never will the learning stop. Technology continually changes. Keeping current is always important so that the main thing, learning, remains the main thing.

Initial Steps: Who’s on First?, the Software and the Platform, and Adjustments

AISG has historically been a PC school. Previously As we began the process of going 1:1, we needed the approval of the school board. This was an easy sell, we had done our homework. We organized a technology committee with representatives from each of the schools; elementary, middle school and high school. The task of the committee was to decide what the needs of the school would be. This included the grades that would begin 1:1, the type of technology software that would best be used, and then to evaluate which platform and vendor to chose.

Who’s on First?
It was determined we would go 1:1 grades 5 – 12. Our research showed that most schools started with either grade 5 or 6 as the place to begin. Much to the chagrin of the MS and HS, the administration chose to start our 1:1 program with the Grade 5 classes. We have four classes of 22 students in each. Their choice was a good one. The school would purchase and own the laptops used in grade 5. It was determined that we wanted to create a controlled experiment when we started. By starting in grade 5, we are able to test our implementation with our already established infrastructure, keep the laptops at school at all times, and have total control over their use with a smaller group.

Initially we determined to add two grade levels per year, one middle school and one high school. This decision changed however, due to other factors mentioned below.

The Software:
The technology committee was asked how teachers would use the computers. The administration wanted to avoid the $1000 pencil at all costs. How would the technology, laptops in particular, be integrated into the curriculum? We didn’t want to have the computers drive the curriculum, rather, how would they enhance the curriculum. The committee, through research, identified best practices for the integration of computers. They didn’t identify the names of software, rather, the type of software that would be needed. Among those identified were multimedia, presentation, and word processing abilities.

The Platform:
The technology committee put out bids to vendors, both PC and Mac. It should be noted the committee had varied backgrounds; about 35% were Mac users. The Director of Technology as well as the elementary and high school technology facilitators were all PC users. The school presently uses Dell and HP laptop and desktop computers.

Among the different types of software identified they also determined they wanted an on-site repair technician as well as on-going professional development for staff. We invited bids from Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Apple. HP decided to drop out of the bidding. They did not want to provide an on-site technician. Dell and Lenovo gave very good presentations but it was also noted that they had no experience with on-site technicians and on-going professional development. They did put this into their bid.

The committee after listening to all four presentations decided unanimously to go with Apple computer. Their presentation showed us a plethora of integrated software that was created by Apple, for Apple. The integration of the software would be seamless. They are working with more than 24 international schools in China and Hong Kong. They would provide four free sessions of professional development for staff, more if we are willing to pay for it. They would also provide an on-site technician once we had 300+ computers on site.

Adjustments to the Plan:
Once it was decided to go with Apple, we wanted to be sure to have the technician on site. It was then decided to change our roll out timeline. Grade 5 is presently 1:1 using HP computers. Second semester we would purchase 90 Macbook computers for grade 5 students and 20 MacBook Pro computers for grade 5 teachers, middle school core teachers, and our tech staff. This change was made so we could have a technician on staff as well as getting the Mac’s into the hands of our middle school staff for six months before the students get theirs. Hopefully the grade 5 teachers will be able to grow with their students.

Choosing the Right School

I couldn't say it better. Jeff Plaman has just just responded to a posting by Kim Cofino regarding how to know where to go for your next tech job. What is the right fit?

I LOVE where I am, I hope you do as well. Best of luck in your move Jeff. We are about to take our first steps into the 1:1 arena. Next week is our first out of the box training with teachers. I better get busy and get caught up on some of the steps we've taken so far.

I am re-posting this in it's entirety ... these are great thoughts.
Until next time ...
Dave

-------------------------------------

Oh, the places you’ll go

Posted on January 13, 2011 by jplaman

Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

Seuss

This is the time of year when many international teachers are abuzz with the emotions surrounding recruitment.

Travel in Style

Excitement about a new job for yourself or a friend, sadness over missed opportunities or colleagues who are moving, and lots of uncertainty about whether to leave perhaps or about the new places you’ll go.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.

Seuss

I’ve been confronted with all these emotions and then some again this year as I wrestled with the difficult decision to uproot my family and leave my current school and pursue a unique opportunity at United World College of South East Asia in Singapore.

Kim Cofino helped clarify for me just how important finding the right fit is.

One thing I didn’t truly understand until this year is just how important it is to find the right fit – for you and the school.

Kim’s post couldn’t have been more timely. She goes on to list size, location, curriculum, student body, and of course technology which is what really resonated with me and ended up being a major factor in my decision to pursue the new job.

One is how the technology department views the use of technology in the classroom – are teachers given admin rights over their own computer, how many and what type of websites are blocked at school, what kind of access do students have to technology (can they bring their own devices and get on the school network), and what is the department (and the school’s) vision for technology? There are still many international schools that have a philosophy of control rather than support and collaboration.

I can’t really come up with a better list of questions about the school’s view of technology. Most of all, it’s really important to drill down with as many questions as possible to identify whether the model is control versus collaboration. As Kim identifies, a question which gives you a very good clue where they stand is whether staff (and students) have admin rights on their machines.

Though there are certainly exceptions, how a school answers this one question, and how they defend it, can tell you a great deal about their technology philosophy reflected in current practice.

No: could be a warning flag that the school views technology from a “command and control” standpoint. We give you the hardware, software, and settings you will use and tell you what we want you to do with it.

Yes: likely means that the school’s IT department is functioning with an emphasis on service. These are options that we can offer you, but we’d like you to tell us what you need to be a successful teacher and we’ll do our best to respond to those needs. You have the ability to customize the OS and software to meet your needs.

Taking a hard, honest look at this one question helped clarify the right decision for me. UWCSEA has put a lot of time and effort into developing their iLearn initiative which spells out their philosophy and direction clearly including not just adoption of a 1-1 Mac platform but how they expect the technology to be used, staff support and development, and recruitment implications. I’m happy to report that I’ll be moving to UWCSEA in August 2011 and I wish you all luck with your important decisions.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.)

Seuss

Seuss. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! New York: Random House, 1990. Print.

1:1 ... The Laptop Journey

A year ago I was hired by the American International School of Guangzhou to help develop a 1:1 laptop program at the school. This blog is about that journey.

Get the Needed Support … Create Ownership
As group of technology integrationist, we know it will be a journey we cannot do on our own. We will need the support of the board, the parents, and the teachers. Bringing these groups together is key to the development and success of the program.

We started with the support of our administration, after all they hired several of us with integration in mind. What that would look like they were not sure and continues to evolve.

Our game plan so far has been to get the school board to join in with us. In order to do so, they were asked to give us the directive to pursue and plan for a 1:1 program. The Administration took our request to the board. They agreed for us to create a time line and pursue a 1:1 program.

No Lone Rangers … Create a Team
We formulated a technology team from the teachers in all divisions of the school. This team is the baseline for many of the decisions and advice given to the direction of the 1:1 program, after all, they are the real users. The teachers were enthusiastic to move in the 1:1 direction. They have helped spurred us on to pursue the 1:1 plan and gave input as to a time line for integration among the schools.

Start Small and Then Grow the Program
The team decided to start with a grade 5 as our integration point. There were several reasons for this: The classroom is contained … there would be control over the use of the computers. Second, the computers would be school owned and therefore would not be going home, the school has full control. Third, we would be able to offer professional development for fewer teachers. Fourth, we have a core of four teachers who continue to talk and share ideas with each other.

Professional Development … This is the Place To Start
We jumped quickly into the 1:1 program. Perhaps a bit too quick but because we have started small, we have been able to handle the change. We have placed an emphasis on professional development before getting the computers into the hands of the kids. Well, we didn't. However, the grade 5 teachers have been a resilient bunch and group of individuals who have been willing blaze the trail. They walked into classrooms equipped with HP 2230 laptop computers. Their introduction to the classes was gradual. Fortunately, we sent them to the Learning 20.10 conference in Shanghai early in the year. They came back energized and willing to try out many of the new skills they learned. They meet weekly to discuss what has been going on in their classes which has continued the growth of the program.

This past fall the technology department offered classes through the State University of New York, Buffalo. Twenty-three teaching staff spent four hours on a Saturday in professional development. We had sessions in Moodle, VoiceThread, and EtherPad. After the class, another 11 hours of planning, meeting, and practicing the integration of technology into the classroom took place. The day was a total success.

Next Step … The Platform
If I could go back and make a change over the past year, there would be one change I would do … decide on a platform before starting with the 1:1 program. The tech committee was asked for their input on choosing a platform to use. We invited presentations from Dell, Lenovo, HP, and Apple. Each was given the specifics of the speed and size of the laptop we required, the software needed, teacher professional development and the support of an on-site repair service. Presentations were given to the tech committee and the technology assistants who would work with the hardware. Eventually the technology committee voted unanimously to go with the Apple platform. Last week the board voted to support the Apple Mac platform. They have also agreed that the school will supply grade 5 students with MacBooks but Middle School and High School parents will purchase the students computers.

Next Steps ...
Apple computer has invited the school administrators to Hong Kong for professional development. I'm not sure what it is about. They are there today (29 Nov 2010). Future decsions will need to be made regarding what computers we will offer through our vendor, what to do about those who already have a Mac, creating a set of Q&A for parents and students, and a host of other decisions.

Until next time …

Dave