Reflections and Moving Forward with iPads

This year we had 9 iPads and 9 iPod Touches scattered throughout our district because of an Autism Grant (Read the past posts here). I think it was a very successful program and I'm excited to see it move forward next fall. I learned a whole lot about management of the devices that will be applied as we bring more of these devices into the district. We are currently gathering survey information from the staff involved. Many of the teachers have decided to go ahead and purchase devices so they can just have them to use them with a variety of students (all teachers have to re-apply in the fall and use must be tied to an autistic student, per grant rules). We are also going to be using them with Jump Start, a new summer program geared toward qualifying students starting kindergarten next fall. I'll try and get a blog post about that out later this fall.

We are also at a very exciting time in our elementary buildings. They are all getting brand new computers next year, thanks to our lease purchase cycle. They've put up with a lot the last few years with dying machines and no one wanting to pay much (understandably) to keep them up and running. One of the options for student computers at the elementary buildings was iPads. We have a building tech at each elementary, so our wonderful tech department paid for one iPad for each of them. Because of the timing of when they came in and our state conference, we asked them all to come down for a "mandatory meeting." None of them had any idea. Very fun :) What that means for the kids is all schools will at least have one iPad. Some of the iPads are going to be available for check out while others will be used as classroom computers. This was a building decision. We are going to have a summer workshop so that the devices can be used the first day kids come back. That summer workshop is voluntary and open to all of our K-6 staff. You can see a draft of the agenda here.The goal of the workshop is similar to training you do with any technology - give them training to use it effectively within their curriculum.
Another recent development is an iPad 1:1 pilot we are doing with our newly-created Leadership Academy. We have a 1:1 Hospital Academy, but with netbooks and off site (which creates whole new issues). The Leadership Academy students are going to also be participating in an online class using Moodle, so it's going to be interesting to gather feedback on their experiences. We will also have four iPads in two different AP classes at both high schools. At least at one high school will be giving them to a student full time for a quarter and gather before and after data. Those teachers will be putting their documents online as ePubs or PDFs for students to access.
A great resource for implementing and managing iOS devices is Lisa Pospishil at Norfolk Public Schools. Her iOS School website has tons of great ideas. We aren't deploying nearly as many as she has, but it's still a great place to start for tips and tricks.
I'm excited to see how this works. I agree with Dean Shareski - the iPad is different. And honestly, right now, I don't see a competitor for education. 

Why EdCamp Is Important To Me

EdCamp Omaha has been on my mind a lot lately. It's little things. Like making sure we have some coin for some sort of breakfast/snack. I wanted to do it in our district because I have the cell phone numbers of people when I'd need them (like IT). But we aren't. And that's perfectly fine. I trust the people we are working with. The hands on (read: control freak) in me struggles with it some days.
So last weekend I got together with Jason Schmidt, Michelle Baldwin, Kristina Peters, and Barb Gilman at Goodnights to chat about EdCamp Omaha and life in general. Jason had never met any of us in person. Kristina and I, while we hung out a bit at EdCamp KC, really didn't know each other. So we just sat and chatted about a variety of things and got to know everyone better.
You wouldn't have known it was our first time hanging out. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. And all because of the interactions on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook. I think it's really hard to compare online vs face to face relationships. I think in this age there is a place for both. There are things that Paul, Andy, and Ryan - guys I've known since high school and college - know about me and experiences we've shared that won't ever happen with people online. They are a business owner, banker, and optometrist. Highly intelligent, but not embedded in education like Jason, Michelle, Kristina, and Barb.  Because of the latter's shared interest in education and Twitter, we've been able to develop a friendship online that easily transitioned to face to face.
Which brings me to EdCamp. EdCamp is not a technology conference. It is not a Twitter conference. EdCamp is face to face social learning. Think interactive professional development. You are not talked at, you're talked with. Don't be surprised if you see at EdCamp Omaha, like you've seen at other EdCamps and conferences, people who have started relationships online will carry them in to the face to face environment. EdCamps are designed for sharing from all attendees and the relationships developed prior to the event make that come quickly and naturally. Does that mean you need to be on Twitter prior to EdCamp? Absolutely not. We don't know everything. We need good ideas. We need YOUR experiences. We need them because we want to do what's best for kids.
As we wrapped up our gathering last week, the stress of how many granola bars we are going to be able to provide lifted off my shoulders. I was stoked to get back together with them and have similar experiences with the rest of the EdCamp Omaha attendees. A wise man emailed me a couple weeks ago and said "if 80 people show up, we'll have a great event with 80 educators" (for the record, we're dang close to 100). He's right. We want everyone to be there, but family takes priority and life gets in the way. And I'd never argue against that. Whoever is there, in person or online, will contribute to what is going to be a great event. And you can bet, when we get home, we'll share what we learned from you. We can't wait to meet you in person.

The Sunnyside of PLN

As the father of 2 kids, you can imagine my excitement for Winter Break. Any chance I get to experience new things inside and outside of the house with them is a refreshing break from "real life." One new thing for this break was letting our oldest (almost 3) watch his first full length movie, Toy Story 3. And, miraculously, he sat through the majority of it.

If you haven't seen Toy Story 3, here's a quick summary: The toys, led by Woody and Buzz Lightyear, end up going to Sunnyside Daycare after their owner, Andy, cleans his room before moving to college. Woody, who has long been Andy's favorite toy (see the original Toy Story), would rather the toys stay at the house they've come to know as home and move up to the attic. He tries to convince the others of how horrible a place daycares are for toys. But when the toys get to the daycare, the toys who are already there, and have experienced what daycare life is like, welcome them with open arms and give them a tour of the place.

Lotso (pic to the right, courtesy of Alan/Falcon), the leader of the daycare toys, describes himself as a "hugger" and introduces Andy's toys to other toys who have their specific jobs in the daycare. He introduces them to Ken (yes, that Ken) who gives them a tour and shows them where the essentials are located. Another toy, Big Baby, helps you with other needs you might have. Andy's toys become very excited about their new surroundings, but Woody leaves them there to go back to the familiarity of Andy's house.

Now, I could tell you the ending of the movie, but A) I'm not that kind of guy and B) It doesn't fit with the analogy.

Who are the daycare toys? Those of us who work and grow from our Personal Learning Network (PLN).

Who are Andy's toys? Educators just stepping into the online PLN arena. They've been told to stay away. They've been told they aren't going to like it.

But we know that's not true.

I read fellow metro-area educator Kristina Peters' blog post the other night, "When Two Worlds Collide," about how difficult it can be to articulate how important a PLN and events like EdCamps are to those who haven't seen the value of the hours spent communicating online. I'm not a very articulate in person. With this blog, I can type, rethink, retype, rethink, etc. Even after I submitted my comment to her blog, I was kept awake, nervous about whether or not I said what I wanted to, and then in the "right way" - who did I offend? Did I properly state my passion? Did I misspell words? You get the idea.

But in the global PLN that I participate in, my own Sunnyside, I don't want or need to take on the role of first greeter. I'm highly supportive of what you all do and will be your biggest cheerleader (sans skirt, of course). We all have our roles. We have to have our roles to make what we do successful. I'm watching college basketball right now - you have to know your role to make the team successful. It certainly doesn't mean those roles will always be the same - some may change day to day, project to project. But we have to have all the roles filled to make our PLN complete. (Click here for great blog post from Cathy Davidson on roles in a PLN...H/T to Stephen Ransom for tweeting it)

So as you think about your PLN, and bringing others into that PLN, be a "hugger" like Latos. Or the tour guide, like Ken. Or the worker, like Big Baby. Find others in your PLN so that when you do bring new people to our Sunnyside, you know where to send them so they can be successful in their new "home."

And if you're interested in the movie, check out this great synopsis of the Toy Story 3 characters by their voices.

Furthering Education With Skype #WeAct

George Couros, principal extraordinaire, sent out a tweet today challenging us to write about something we DID to further education. I think it's a great way to word it...too often we talk but don't act. One comment that struck me in his blog post was that "it's not about technology." Being the instructional technology facilitator in my district...it's kind of hard for it not to be about the technology, but he shared a great example of what he meant. What I like about this challenge is it allows me to reflect more so than normal...I'm all too often thinking about the next project, the next week, the next year.

One phrase that I've been repeating often is don't do the newest thing, do the best thing. Too often we don't evaluate the newest tool, we just buy it and shove the round object into the square hole. Then we scream, "LOOK HOW COOL THIS IS!!!!" I'm rarely first to jump on the bandwagon for anything: cell phones, iPod Touches, "educational software" (OK, some things I may never come around to). But I get tired of being burned when something doesn't live up to the hype. Technology has been ridiculed in the past for jumping ship too early to the next shiny object.

One tool that I really like and started to help our district leverage earlier than some others is Skype. The power of Skype is knocking down the four walls of the classroom and giving students rich experiences they might not have gotten on their own. But we don't use it as an "extra" (see my Twitter bio for why not): We've used Skype to perform the same tasks we've always done. Who's got time to add something new into the classroom? Some examples of how we've used Skype in our district include:

• Reviewing building tech surveys;
• Bringing in outside guests, including high school academy students and experts from the Henry Doorly Zoo;
• Connecting "singleton" teachers and specialists with colleagues in the district so that they can participate in team planning;
• Connecting our classrooms with "real life experts" around the state and students from around the world: 4th grade students Skype with other 4th grade classrooms for study of Nebraska; celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday with a variety of grade levels all across the US and Canada;
• Saving trips out to buildings for short, face-to-face conversations between administrative staff and principals or teachers;
• Interview potential staff candidates who are out of state;
• Conduct parent-teacher conferences with parents stationed oversees in the military.

We continue to stress: Skype doesn't make your lesson better, the conversations you have during the Skype do. Technology allows you the opportunity to engage more students with lessons that are relevant to them while still instructing students on what your school board and administration deem necessary. Technology for the sake of technology, in my opinion, is a large part of why it's sometimes scoffed at by those who aren't "tech savvy." Technology should be a tool to improve your instruction and working environment. Don't use the newest technology to leverage it's power to further education. Use the best for your district.

Teaching Tomorrow's Students

I was lucky enough to again see Sir Ken Robinson speak in person this past week. He was invited back to Omaha by state's Educational Service Units (ESUs) to speak on the need for creativity in education, something he knows quite a big about. As you recall, this is the second time I've gotten to see him in person, both here in Omaha. This time I was lucky enough to ride the elevator and chat with him on the way to the lecture hall, although I regret being less than articulate when asked about the history of the Durham Western Heritage Museum (reading through the history for the 2nd time, I was way off).

The previous talk he gave was to the general public. This week was strictly education types. Whether it was the different focus or hearing the message again, I seemed to take more away from this talk.

One thing that I had heard in his previous speech but really caught on with me is his statement "You can't be creative without being intelligent." He went on to say that his definition of creativity is the "process of having original ideas that have value." Similar to the Steve Jobs quote about who Apple builds computers for, a creative person can "step outside their current situation" and create a completely new idea from scratch.

By the end of the speech, a new thought kept coming into my mind: We are preparing students from a different society than what we grew up in for a society that will be different from what they grew up in. That's a huge task. One that can't be done well if instruction doesn't change. It is imperative for students to be able to think critically and creatively. As a curriculum department, we need to make sure that we are encouraging and providing examples of how teachers can transform their instruction and put the learning back on the students. A lot easier to say then to do.

Hooked On Classroom Blogging - March/April 2009 L&L

Below is embedded an article from ISTE's March/April 2009 Learning & Leading with Technology, Hooked on Classroom Blogging by Rachel Peters. The article is a great resource if you are looking to convince classroom teachers, even in elementary, why their students should be blogging. Plus, it gave me the opportunity to try out their embedding. Hopefully everything works well.

Look Inside >> March/April 2009

Dear Friends of the Fridge

This is a warning post that, over the next few days, you will be seeing multiple posts here discussing current events in tech ed. My grad class students will be (hopefully :) ) making comments as part of our last class. Please feel free to join in. We talked last week in class that blogging should not just be writing, it should be a conversation between intellectuals (yes, even here). So join in!

Wireless Broadband Education Competition

Build the Vision

How often do you, as an educator, have the chance to provide a vision for a new technology before it is even available?

How often do industry innovators put learning first in their vision for a new technology?

Here is your chance.


The Source for Learning Teams with NEBSA on Wireless Broadband Education Competition

Two nonprofit organizations—both leaders in educational technology—have teamed to sponsor a contest that will explore exciting educational uses for the next revolutionary technology: wireless broadband. The Source for Learning, Inc. (www.sourceforlearning.org) and the National Educational Broadband Service Association (www.nebsa.org) have for years been instrumental in helping educators enhance teaching and learning through technology.

The Wireless Broadband Education Competition will create a showcase for innovative educational uses of one of the newest dimensions of the learning experience: mobility. High-quality wireless connectivity is coming soon, and it will have a major impact on education—“anytime/anywhere” learning. But how will it actually be used?

Exciting possibilities are starting to emerge—imagine, for instance:
A class goes to a field behind the school to research native animals and habitats. While there, with no wires needed, they use the web to learn more about what they find, and share the experience via live video feed with other classrooms—from the same school or from many schools, anywhere in the world.
A few students visit a location—for instance a “wind farm” where clean energy is generated. Other classrooms watch the visit live; they ask questions in real time as the students meet an expert and see the workings of the site. The students upload the GPS coordinates of the site; that data is merged with Google Earth layers showing wind patterns and electric power needs, for a comprehensive understanding of the experience.
Older, non-wired school buildings add fast internet access from any room, with no wires and virtually no capital expense.
Students use digital equipment to measure on-site water quality in real time from multiple locations without leaving their classrooms.

To stimulate creative thinking about learning supported by this new technology, SFL and NEBSA announce a competition for U.S. educators (Pre-K - 16), asking them to use their imaginations about ways in which wireless broadband could support and enhance teaching and learning. Three Grand Prize winners will receive scholarships to present their proposals at the National EBS Association Annual Convention, which will be held in Boca Raton, Florida from February 23-25, 2009. Each of the winners’ schools will also receive a $200 reimbursement to cover related school substitute costs.

Visit the competition site for full details: http://wirelessbroadbandeducation.com/. Phase One submissions are due November 1, 2008, via a simple online entry form.