What are the commonalities among current 1:1 initiatives? Differences? How is NETS•T being addressed? What does this mean for your class room?
Please describe what stage you, your school, etc. are in regard to implementation of your 1;1 initiative.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
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The School of Science and Mathematics implemented a required laptop program several years ago. Until this year students were offered one option of a computer to purchase. There was a fund established to support families unable to purchase a computer. Then this year, the students were allowed to bring any type of computer as long as it met certain specifications. The result has been a much higher level of frustration, because as a teacher it is impossible to know how to solve student problems with various computers in each class. It also makes the setup of assignments more difficult, because you are not always sure how something will appear in different computers. Some students use open source software, some use OS software, and some use Windows software, so the logic of helping a student immediately in class is usually left up to other students using similar software. It would seem to me that a system needs to establish a program and then stick to that program and provide ongoing instruction to the instructors.
So with that in mind, let’s assume that the overarching theme of ISTE standards is “modeling.” We all know as teachers that we are supposed to model behaviors, but with technology, that requires extensive training. In the optional reading comparison of the Maine teachers the one statement that stayed with me was the need for “school-wide common understanding of goals and purposes of computing.” This means that not only does there have to preparation for the implementation of a 1 to 1 Initiative, but there has to on-going training. The one Maine teacher with the Master’s Degree in Technology seemed to have a better sense about the implementation potential of the program. This training cannot be a one -day training. It must be ongoing and sustained over several years. So, what does that mean for the teachers? It means much more of a time commitment to the use of technology. One of teachers in the videos stated that it meant much more time spent reviewing websites and working with students on how to evaluate sites and materials. Where does the time come from?
Since Jim Litle has given you a pretty comprehensive look at the 1:1 program at NCSSM, I won't go on about it. However, I do agree that our school has probably made some wrong turns in its program. Having students who are Mac, PC/Windows, and (we even have some) Linux/Unix users makes it very difficult to ask students to uniformly use technology. Even something as simple as ensuring MLA format in a paper is difficult. Also, it seems that the school does not provide the level of professional development it needs to ensure that faculty are up to speed on all of the technology available to them.
That being said, I see several similarities between the 1:1 computing programs. These programs all seem to have to the goal of moving from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning. This is certainly one of the NETS goals. Many of the schools are handling this goal differently, however. The Texas Immersion Project seems to be moving toward removing a great majority of the teacher's role with its "package" of educational technology. The North Carolina projects shown in the videos seem to be more geared toward teachers instructing students in academic uses of technology.
In thinking about using our laptop program at NCSSM to make learning more student-centered I am daunted by the challenge mentioned above: each student has a different kind of laptop! How can I ask a student to do something on a computer running Unix!?!
Currently I am at a school that is not a 1:1 school. While teaching in Florida I was at a school with 3wireless laptop labs that I used daily so lets just say, I know what I am missing. I utilized the laptops in all curriculum areas and found them to be an effective tool especially in regards to children taking ownership of their learning. However, it was not without its challenges. Technology is not always reliable and can cause a high level of frustration among students and teachers. It can cripple a classroom that is completely technology dependent for instruction. There were many times our wireless server went down, equipment failed or just basic operator error caused a malfunction. These challenges can be a quick excuse for teachers that are not committed to technology integration. In fact, at my current school it is. Many teachers are not willing to invest their time in technology integration due to limited resources and the pressures of standardized testing. Sadly, the mantra I hear often is, "it's not being tested so I don't have time to teach it." I also think technology takes time, thought and risk. All the technology training I have done has been sought out by me and done in addition to my other classroom duties. An example would be this class, out of 100 staff members I was the only one who signed up for this class.
I think the NETS-T standards are a great road map for technology integration in the classroom however how do you get every school on a level playing field when technology funding is not equitable? How do you get/require teachers to model/facilitate current digital tools when they feel like, "its one more thing?" I believe, as teachers, we owe it to our students to be innovative and step beyond expectations. If we don't progress how to we expect our students to?
The biggest similarities I see with the 1:1 initiatives is the shift in how instruction is being delivered and the role of the teachers in this environment. I still wonder about the time aspect of it all. Although I guess as we move to a more technology based classroom our old ways of lesson planning will be replaced. The challenge I still have at my school is that the administration still wants a traditional lesson plan book on your desk, spends thousands of dollars on textbooks that are only replaced every five years and hasn’t truly embraced the role technology plays in an elementary school classroom. Everyday I feel I battle for the positive effects of technology in the room and have to justify the expenses of technology. Will the innovation we are starting to see at the middle and high school level ever trickle down to elementary schools?
I see a common theme in all of the postings--the question of time and access to resources. It seems that teachers want to use these 1:1 ideas and are excited about incorporating them into their classes, but don't have the time (which is considerably short these days) or the resources (mainly due to a reluctance of administration to fund or SES of the students). I think we also need to acknowledge the role of testing in this picture. Not here at NCSSM, thank goodness, but in my old school there was so much pressure put on testing and scores that teachers were reluctant to change to 1:1 if what they were doing works. Common goals--student-focused learning, which is great if you have the freedom to create curriculum that has space for student discovery and a department that supports veering from traditional teaching. At any rate, the goal of the 1:1 initiatives seems noble; simply difficult to implement in many ways.
As I read these articles, the one thing that I keep thinking was that the 1:1 Initiatives empowers the students and they are more responsible for learning. This program is putting laptops in the hands of the students and the teachers and they are all being saturated of technology. The one thing that I keep wanted to know was how they were able to get all the teachers to implement this program? One of the responsibilities of my job is to train the teachers in my school and let's face it, not all of our teachers are eager to implement now programs. There are several of the Title 1 schools in our district have implemented 1:1 Initiatives. And some of the concerns that I have heard are with getting teachers to be able to empower the students.
The ISTE standards that I kept thinking of was number one that stated "Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity". Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
There are teachers that I work with that it would very difficult following this standard. What is exciting about a program like this is that our students are already using these tools. And let's face it, most of them are better teachers of technology than we are. My school has 1 laptop cart that has 20 computers on it and the students thrive on the activities when they get to use these laptops. I could see this as a great asset for any student and the teachers.
I think that as our students are exposed more and more learning styles like this, will they begin to master most skills and testing will come easier for all students.
1a) What are the commonalities for 1:1 initiatives?
The commonalities for 1:1 initiatives is that school systems in various states across the nation - Illinois, Maine, and Michigan to name a few implemented various programs with technology in an effort to increase student learning. Some of the common initiatives include the provision of laptops, tablet PCs, or wireless access for students use in the classroom and or in their homes.
1b) What are the Differences of 1:1 initiatives?
The major difference of 1:1 initiatives is that some states not only provided hardware equipment in the form of laptops and PCs but also included wireless connection for schools and professional development for teachers.
1c) How is NETS•T being addressed?
Several states are addressing the NETS-T in that they have included professional development for teachers. Pennsylvania and Texas are the leaders in the provision of professional development for teachers making them knowledgeable and prepared to teach and integrated technology in the classrooms.
1d) What does this mean for your classroom practice?
Personally, I feel that my classroom is very low in terms of using technology resources because of situations beyond my control. Yes we have computers and Internet access. However, having taken several technology related courses in the past two years and getting excited about wanting to implement many of them in my classroom, I am afraid to say that the access to the online resources is a great stumbling block. I see the need for and impact offering a variety of technology use and resources can do or have done to increase student participation in class and on their learning. Therefore, the lack of access has frustrated me tremendously. Nevertheless, I continue to learn and that is why I am in this class. Hopefully, I will eventually get my school system on board and have them provide me the access needed to use resources such as blogs in my classroom.
Marion
One of my strongest beliefs is concisely stated by Marilyn VonSavant, the “smartest woman in the world.” She says that with freedom comes great responsibility, the responsibility not to harm others with our freedom. I believe that the irresponsible use of technology in our schools has caused us to be too extreme in our attempts to protect others from how some choose to use their freedom to access information. I had to get our technology department to UNLOCK many of the restrictions on our system just to participate in this class.
Obviously all of the school systems involved in the 1:1 classroom initiatives have found a way to balance freedom and restriction. They all have open access to many tools; the differences are in how they use the tools. It is evident in the videos we viewed for this class that the NETS.T standards are implemented consistently. The teachers are inspirational and are active participants in the collaboration with their students.
Currently, I am working with our director of technology to find a balance for our system. We need to open up some of these wonderful tools of technology to our students and teachers. While technology is not the answer to everything, it does allow us to involve and engage students who are not traditionally involved.
We have a 1:1 initiative in our county. Our middle school and high students have laptops. The elementary school I work in has laptops that our students work on daily. We have seen a growth in both our test scores and in the interest level of our students. Students are excited about learning so therefore are learning more. I feel we are doing an outstanding job in preparing our students for the real world and for college. We have a high percentage of our students going to college and it is a continuous effort in our county to see this pattern continue. Laptops and our 1:1 initiative have played a big role in this.
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