The beginning of the 2012 - 2013 school year Adams Elementary entered into a 1:1 iPad initiative where each and every fourth and fifth grade student and teacher received their own iPad. Most classrooms are equipped with a LCD projector and Apple TV. Students are allowed to take the iPads home as long as they do not misuse the iPads.
The iPad initiative gained traction after a cadre of fourth and fifth teachers attended the Midwest Google Conference in the Wisconsin Dells. The teachers made a proposal to the building principal, the district technology coordinator, and myself. We all were supportive of the idea with one cavat - because of other building and district initiatives, neither the technology director, principal, nor myself would take the lead on implementation of the iPad initiative. These teacher leaders would need to get buy-in from other teachers in the building with this project. After meeting with their peers, the staff agreed to to move forward with the initiative. I asked the cadre of teacher leaders to make a presentation to the Carroll Board of Education. Click here to view the presentation. After listening to the presentation and hearing the passion from the teachers, the board didn't hesitate to approve the 1:1 iPad initiative.
The summer months were busy with ordering the iPads, apps, and professional development. Within the first two weeks of school starting, parents and students were required to attend an orientation meeting to review expectations. After reading chapter one of Teaching With the Tools Kids Really Use by Susan Brooks-Young (2010), I been wondering if the $100,000 plus the district spent on this initiative was a wise expenditure.
After an interesting event that happened to me last week in the fourth grade hallway of Adams Elementary, I no longer have any doubt the expenditure was well worth the investment. As students were entering the building I was out and about greeting them. One of the fourth grade teachers asked a student to show me an iMovie she had made of her class. What is interesting about the this was the student had absolutely NO instruction on how to use iMovie. I was impressed that she was able to add text and music to her movie. This was a nine year old student taking an electronic device and experimenting while she created a movie with an application she never used or seen before. Aren't these the students we are striving for in the 21st century? Why are nine year olds so eager to try these new technologies and some adults act like they may get the plague or some other type of disease? Are the adults using these digital natives (students) effectively in order to learn some of the new literacies that are required?
I am attempting to get the iMovie made by the student. If/when I do I will add it to my post!
The iPad initiative gained traction after a cadre of fourth and fifth teachers attended the Midwest Google Conference in the Wisconsin Dells. The teachers made a proposal to the building principal, the district technology coordinator, and myself. We all were supportive of the idea with one cavat - because of other building and district initiatives, neither the technology director, principal, nor myself would take the lead on implementation of the iPad initiative. These teacher leaders would need to get buy-in from other teachers in the building with this project. After meeting with their peers, the staff agreed to to move forward with the initiative. I asked the cadre of teacher leaders to make a presentation to the Carroll Board of Education. Click here to view the presentation. After listening to the presentation and hearing the passion from the teachers, the board didn't hesitate to approve the 1:1 iPad initiative.
The summer months were busy with ordering the iPads, apps, and professional development. Within the first two weeks of school starting, parents and students were required to attend an orientation meeting to review expectations. After reading chapter one of Teaching With the Tools Kids Really Use by Susan Brooks-Young (2010), I been wondering if the $100,000 plus the district spent on this initiative was a wise expenditure.
After an interesting event that happened to me last week in the fourth grade hallway of Adams Elementary, I no longer have any doubt the expenditure was well worth the investment. As students were entering the building I was out and about greeting them. One of the fourth grade teachers asked a student to show me an iMovie she had made of her class. What is interesting about the this was the student had absolutely NO instruction on how to use iMovie. I was impressed that she was able to add text and music to her movie. This was a nine year old student taking an electronic device and experimenting while she created a movie with an application she never used or seen before. Aren't these the students we are striving for in the 21st century? Why are nine year olds so eager to try these new technologies and some adults act like they may get the plague or some other type of disease? Are the adults using these digital natives (students) effectively in order to learn some of the new literacies that are required?
I am attempting to get the iMovie made by the student. If/when I do I will add it to my post!
Rob,
ReplyDeleteBlogging will give you a god outlet to reflect on the rapid changes and decisions you deal with in your work... You may really enjoy (and learn from) the work of Sugata Mitra http://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_the_child_driven_education.html he talks a lot about mimimally invasive education... the students are always learning, the quesiton is what.
Keep blogging!
Gail