Designing parent interaction into the 1:1 learning environment

We would like to design parent interaction, connection, communication into the 1:1 learning environment.  There are a couple of thoughts as to how parent involvement can be designed into the virtual aspects of the 1:1 classroom.  One thought is a discussion area where parents and the teacher could discuss classroom items relating to everyday happenings in the classroom.  A second is a request from the teacher which would provide a space where communication could be around specific issues involving the parent's child.  It has been presented to me that this discussion space could also be used for student led conferences when parent schedules do not allow them to attend during the necessary time.

The first discussion area should be quite easy to design.  This may be a simple discussion area on the home page of the teacher's classroom website.  The design of this discussion area will depend on the privacy required in this discussion space.

The second discussion area is not so easy to design.  The reason is the privacy required for each parent to discuss items about their child with the teacher.  This cannot be a discussion area open to the public or groups of people.  It must be private to only the parent of the student and the teacher.  I will look into how permission settings will allow for this to happen.  It may be that each parent will require a discussion forum to be individually setup.  The important issue here is the privacy necessary and taking the steps to make sure privacy is designed into this discussion space.

OT: Sitting Posture

Couple weeks ago, I was invited to observe and present to the class about proper posture while sitting at their tables and using netbooks.

It is important to raise the awareness of using proper posture and taking regular “microbreaks” when using netbooks because the design of netbooks create great challenge to modify and construct good ergonomic work environment.
The design of netbooks violates basic ergonomic design requirements as the screen and keyboard are connected as one unit and cannot be positioned independently for appropriate viewing and typing. With this fixed design, if the keyboard is in an optimal position for the user, the screen is not; and if the screen is optimal, the keyboard is not going to be placed properly for typing. Paying attention to posture and taking regular breaks can reduce strain on muscles and joints, and prevent injuries related to computer use.

Observations
During my initial observation in the classroom, the students were working on an activity that required them to use the netbook to find answers for questions listed on the worksheet. I noticed some common problems related to how they position their textbook/worksheet and the netbook.

1. Worksheet in front and netbook further away:

With the netbook and screen positioned further away, student (e.g. the boy in this picture) did not need to bend his neck down to look at the screen, which helped reduce the strain on the neck. However, the keyboard was also further away from him and he had to reach for the keyboard when typing. Reaching with arms fully extended for a long period of time puts lots of work on the arm and shoulder muscles. Also, students who are smaller in size tended to sit on the edge of the chair when reaching for the keyboard, and this position created lots of pressure on the student’s lower back.


2. Netbook in front, and worksheet on the side

In this picture, the 2 girls had their worksheet on the side next to their netbooks. This position creates lots of problems: they were bending and turning their necks at the same time when they read the worksheet. When typing, their arms are tight against their bodies with wrists and shoulders rotated toward the centre of their bodies, which created a tight and closed upper body position.


3. Chair without back support



The students in these 2 pictures started with pretty nice sitting posture. Those chairs, however, were too high for them and without the proper back support, they could only keep the nice posture for a few minutes before they started slouching. Typing in this position put lots of pressure on the wrists and shoulders.


Recommendations:

1. It was suggested to the students that they can set the worksheet / textbook upright to avoid bending of their necks. Depending on the situations, students were reminded that they should position the one (netbook or worksheet) that they spend more time looking at directly in front of them.


2. Handouts were given to students:
Tips for using Netbook

The NetBook

• If you mainly work on the Netbook, position it Directly In Front of you
• Set the Netbook’s height that you can read off the screen easily without bending your neck

Chair

• Comfortable and/or adjustable chair with back support
• The back of your chair should support the curve in your lower back
• Your feet should be supported on the floor or on a footstep
• Chair should support thighs to approx. 2’ before your knees
• knees at about the same level as the hips
• Hips, knees, and ankles at 90°

Body Position

• Shoulders should be in a relaxed position
• Arms at your side but not crowed against your body
• Elbows at a 90° position when typing

Visual

• Try to avoid glare – glare make your eyes work harder
• Make sure the surface of the viewing screen is clean
• Give your eyes frequent breaks
• Remember to blink regularly to reduce dry eyes
  

*** Take Mirco-breaks ***
Why
• Allow your muscle to relax and recover from repetitive movements and static rigid postures

When
• Take one every 30-45mins
• The break doesn’t have to be a long break – a couple minutes will help

How
• Stand up and stretch
• Adjust your chair and posture
• If possible try to alternate your computer work with other tasks

Stretching Exercise:
Eye Exercises and Stretches

Eye Comfort Exercises
A. Blinking (produces tears to help moisten and lubricate the eyes)
B. Blink your eyes – do this for 30-40 seconds

Eye Movements
A. close eyes --> slowly and gently move eyes up to the ceiling, then slowly down to the floor; repeat 3 times

B. close eyes --> slowly and gently move eyes to the left, then slowly to the right; repeat 3 times

Exercise for Neck
Relaxing
1. Rotate your head in clockwise direction, hold at ends.
2. Repeat this in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions, for around 10-15 times.

Sidebend: Neck Stretch
A. Tilt head to one side (ear towards shoulder)
B. Hold for 15 seconds
C. Relax!!
D. Repeat 3 times on each side

Diagonal Neck Stretch
A. Turn head slightly and then look down as if looking in your pocket
B. Hold for 15 seconds
C. Relax!!
D. Repeat 3 times on each side

Exercise for Shoulders
Shoulder Shrug
A. Slowly bring shoulders up to the ears and hold for approx 3-5 seconds
B. Rotate shoulders back and hold for approx 3-5 seconds
C. Relax!! – Drop them down!
D. Repeat 5-10 times

Relaxing - First Set :
1. Raise your shoulders up to your ears and hold their for 5 seconds
2. Release to normal position
3. Repeat this for 4-5 times

Relaxing - Second Set:
1. Rotate your shoulders in forward direction slowly for five times.
2. Do the above for 4-5 times.
3. Follow the same for backward direction as well.

Executive Stretch
A. While sitting, lock hands behind head
B. Bring elbows back as far as possible
C. Inhale deeply while leaning back and stretching
D. Hold for 10-20 seconds
E. Exhale and relax

Exercise for Wrist
1. Rotating the wrist in clockwise direction 10-15 times
2. Repeat the same in counterclockwise direction

Wrist Stretch
A. Hold arm straight out in front of you
B. Pull the hand backwards with the other hand, then pull downward
C. Hold for 10-20 seconds
D. Relax!!!
E. Repeat 3-5 times each

Exercise for Arms
1. Stretch your arms in front of you, with fingers interlaced and palm facing away from you.
2. Hold this for few seconds
3. Relax
4. Repeat 3-5 times.

Exercise for Hands
Hand Shake
A. While sitting, drop arms to the side
B. Shake hands downward gently
C. Repeat frequently

Finger Massage (Note: Perform very gently!)
A. Massage fingers of each hand individually, slowly, and gently
B. Move toward nail gently
C. Massage space between fingers
D. Perform daily


Exercise for relaxing your back
1. On your chair / standing, bend down, with head relaxed
2. Hold for 3-5 seconds
3. Relax!!
4. Repeat 3-5 times.


Exercise for foot
Foot Rotation
A. While sitting, slowly rotate each foot from the ankle
B. Rotate 3 times in one direction, then 3 times in the opposite direction
C. Relax

Baseline Data Surveys

The "determinate" baseline data collected for the project will focus on goals and objectives and provide a starting point for comparing middle and end data sets (SIL International, 1999).  Surveys, through a 5 point Likert scale,  will be used to capture this baseline data.  A separate survey will need to be constructed for:

• Classroom Teacher
• DI Facilitator
• Classroom Students
• Student Parents

Classroom Teacher Baseline Data:
To view the Teacher baseline data survey click here.
Classroom teacher baseline data is collected through an online survey (5 pt Likert scale) focusing on the following questions.

Project questions connected to collection of teacher baseline data:

Pedagogical Approaches:

• How is new media literacy incorporated into teaching?
• How does digital teaching influence curriculum, instruction and assessment?

 Authentic Learning:

•  How does authentic assessment look in a 1:1 computing environment?
•  How does the learning environment change as a result of 1:1 computing? Unconditional Internet access?
•  How does collaboration change through a 1:1 learning environment (student-student, student-teacher, parent-teacher, parent-student)?

  Learning Space: 

• How does the design and setup of a 1:1 classroom's physical space affect teaching/facilitating?
• How does access to technology tools and resources (netbooks, digital camera, scanners, smartboard, flip videos, etc.) alter the learning environment?
• How does the flexible 1:1 learning environment evolve throughout the project?
• How does the learning environment change based on student needs and input?
• How can a 1:1 learning environment be designed to expand outside the classroom walls to include parents/guardians, collaborative group work and other resources?

Teacher Survey Questions:

 Pedagogical Approaches:

1. I have a good understanding of new media literacy. (NML incorporated into teaching)
2. I understand how to incorporate new media into a learning environment. (NML incorporated into teaching)
3. I have designed lessons where outcomes are met through the use of new media.(NML incorporated into teaching)
4. I believe that I authentically use new media within my instruction to teach curriculum.(digital teaching influence)
5. I believe that my current assessment methods will change as a result of the1:1 learning environment.(digital teaching influence)
6. I have changed ways in which I assess students as a result of the 1:1 learning environment.
7. I have changed ways in which I assess students as a result of being able to incorporate new media.
8. Assessment in my classroom has changed as a result of having access to netbooks all the time.
9. I am more organized as a result of teaching in a 1:1 learning environment.
10. Planning lessons for a 1:1 learning environment is more time consuming.
11. I see my role as a teacher to transmit knowledge.
12. I see my role as a teacher to facilitate learning.
13. During my class most of my time is spent in front of my class teaching.
14. During my class most of my time is spent assisting students.
15. I believe instructional design is an important part of lesson planning.
16. I spend a great deal more time designing my instruction for a 1:1 learning environment.
17. Differentiated instruction in a 1:1 learning environment can be incorporated more often than in a traditional classroom.
18. Differentiated instruction in a 1:1 learning environment can meet the needs of more students more often.
19. The multi-modal aspect of new media allows for differentiated instruction to occur in a classroom authentically.
20. Before teaching in this environment, I designed auditory instruction into my lessons.
21. I currently design auditory instruction into my lessons.
22. Before teaching in this environment, I designed video instruction into my lessons.
23. I currently design video instruction into my lessons.
24. Guest speakers have connected with the class through tools like Skype.
25. Students in the 1:1 learning environment have collaborated with students from other locations through tools like Skype.

Authentic Learning:

1. Before teaching in this environment, I used a classroom Wiki. (incorporated into teaching)
2. I currently use a classroom Wiki.
3. Before teaching in this environment, I used online discussion forums.
4. I currently use online discussion forums with my students.
5. Before teaching in this environment, I used Moodle.
6. I currently use Moodle for designing and organizing instruction.
7. Before teaching in this environment, I used blogs with students.
8. I currently use blogs with students in my classroom.
9. Before teaching in this environment, I personally blogged.
10. I blog for professional purposes.
11. I blog for personal purposes.
12. Students in the 1:1 learning environment use Google Apps regularly.
13. A 1:1 learning environment allow students greater opportunity to interact with and manipulate information compared to a traditional classroom environment.
14. I believe that a traditional classroom authentically allows for all student learning styles to be met.
15. I believe that a 1:1 learning environment authentically allows for all student learning styles to be met.
16. Most of the assessment in the 1:1 learning environment is summative.
17. Most of the assessment in the 1:1 learning environment is formative.
18. Assessment in the 1:1 learning environment is equally summative and formative.

Learning Space 

1. The physical space of a 1:1 learning environment looks similar to a traditional classroom.
2. Tables setup as pods are conducive to a 1:1 learning environment.
3. Traditional desks are conducive to a 1:1 learning environment.
4. Flexibility is an important characteristic of a 1:1 learning environment.
5. Students in a 1:1 learning environment are able to more freely move around the classroom.
6. A teacher beginning to teach in a 1:1 learning environment must be open to making changes to their teaching environment.
7. I am comfortable teaching in a 1:1 learning environment.
8. Dedicated digital access in my classroom has increased my ability to provide authentic learning for my students.
9. Students are allowed to regularly use equipment like digital cameras, Flips, and scanners in this 1:1 learning environment.
10. Changes have been made to the physical setup of the 1:1 learning environment as a result of student requests.
11. I continue to alter the physical space of the 1:1 learning environment as I gain experience in this environment.
12. I have made changes to the physical setup of the 1:1 learning environment as a result of student needs.
13. The 1:1 learning environment includes online methods for parents to connect/collaborate with the classroom.
14. The 1:1 learning environment provides the ability for online guests to connect/collaborate with the classroom.
15. The 1:1 learning environment allows for class participants to collaborate with other students from a distance.

Differentiated Instruction Facilitator Baseline Data:
To view the DIF baseline data survey click here. 

DIF. baseline data is collected through an online survey (5 pt Likert scale) focusing on many of the the same project related goals and questions as the classroom teacher.  An area of data collection we want to capture with the D.I.F is their increase skill and knowledge and if this helped to build capacity within their school.

Classroom Student Baseline Data:
To view the Classroom Student baseline data survey click here.
Student baseline data is collected through the Grade 5 Technology Rating Scale and through an online survey (5 pt. Likert scale) relating to the following project questions.  

Project questions connected to collection of student baseline data:

 Pedagogical Approaches:

•  How is student independence, engagement, excitement about learning, quality of work and perception of school affected through new media literacy?

 Authentic Learning:

• What effect(s) does new media literacy have on student learning (average, gifted and high needs students)?
• How does the learning environment change as a result of 1:1 computing? Unconditional Internet access?
• How does collaboration change through a 1:1 learning environment (student-student, student-teacher, parent-teacher, parent-student)?

 Learning Space: 

• How does the design and setup of physical learning space affect student learning?
• How does access to technology tools and resources (netbooks, digital camera, scanners, smartboard, flip videos, etc.) alter the learning environment?
• How does the flexible 1:1 learning environment evolve throughout the project?
• How does the learning environment change based on student needs and input?

Student Survey Questions:

 Pedagogical Approaches:

1. I believe that I am able to work more independently (without assistance) when using a netbook in my classroom compared to a classroom without a netbook. (independence)
2. My teacher has more time to help students in our 1:1 computer classroom compared to other classes I have been in. (engagement, perception)
3. I feel more engaged in a classroom using tools and resources like netbooks, Wikis, Moodle, online discussions and online calendars.(engagement)
4. I am excited to participate in the 1:1 computer classroom. (excitement)
5. I believe I will be able to learn in a 1:1 computer classroom. (perception)
6. I believe I will be able to create projects of the same or even better quality in a 1:1 computer classroom compared to a traditional classroom.(quality of work)

 Authentic Learning:

1. Video and audio instructions make it easier for me to understand what to do for class activities.(effect of NML)
2. If given a choice I prefer to use video and audio instructions, for class activities, opposed to text based instructions. (effect of NML)
3. The 1:1 computer classroom allows me to learn using my multiple intelligence learning strengths. (learning environment change)
4. I believe I would be able to meet the same or better levels of learning in a traditional classroom as the 1:1 computer classroom.(learning environment change)
5. Discussion forums are a good way for me to share my thoughts and ideas with my teacher and classmates.(Collaboration - student to teacher)
6. I work more with other students in a 1:1 computer classroom than in traditional classrooms.(Collaboration - student to student)
7. I have seen my parent(s) or guardian(s) interest in my school increase since I entered the 1:1 computer classroom.(Collaboration - parent)
8. My parent(s) or guardian(s) has gone onto my classroom Wiki or Moodle to better understand what I am doing in my 1:1 computer class.(parent)

Learning Space

1. I am comfortable with the design and setup (tables, lights) of the 1:1 computer classroom compared to traditional classrooms.(physical space)
2. I make use of tools like digital cameras, scanners, voice recorders or Flip video cameras whenever I can because they help my learning style.(tools alter the learning environment)
3. I believe unlimited access to the Internet in my classroom allows me to experience and see resources not normally provided in a traditional classroom.(access to technology)
4. Since the start of school, I have seen the 1:1 classroom physically change in appearance.(evolve)
5. I have seen changes to this classroom based on student input.(change -student input)
6. I have been able to collaborate with people from outside my classroom walls in which I would not have been able to without the use of technology.(expand outside classroom walls)
7. I use the class Wiki and Moodle from home to complete class activities. (expand outside classroom walls)
8. Sharon - The 1:1 computer classroom environment makes me feel like I have more choices in the way I learn.
9. Sharon - I believe that I am on task more often in the 1:1 classroom environment than in traditional classrooms.
10. Sharon - I believe that others are on task more often in the 1:1 classroom environment than in traditional classrooms.

Parent Baseline Data:
Project questions connected to collection of parent baseline data:
Pedagogical Approaches:

• How is student independence, engagement, excitement about learning, quality of work and perception of school affected through new media literacy?

•  How is parental classroom/school involvement and perception of school affected through the use of new media literacy?

Authentic Learning:

• How does collaboration change through a 1:1 learning environment (student-student, student-teacher, parent-teacher, parent-student)?

Learning Space:

• How can a 1:1 learning environment be designed to expand outside the classroom walls to include parents/guardians, collaborative group work and other resources?

Parent Survey Questions:
Baseline data questions areas have organized around the following high level groupings.

• Influence on Personal Computer Access & Skill Level:

1. My child and I have access to a computer connected to the Internet at home.
   
2. I understand computer related terms such as multimedia, Moodle, Wiki and Blog.
3. My personal computer skills/knowledge increased as a result of my child participating in the Maude Burke 1:1 Digital Literacy Project.

• Personal Perception:

1. I believe my child will benefit from the experience of a 1:1 computer environment.
2. I believe my child will be able to function effectively in a 1:1 computer environment.
3. My child will be able to learn new skills and be better prepared for the future in a 1:1 computing environment.
4. Personally, I am in favor of my child participating in a 1:1 computing classroom environment.

• Understanding of Curriculum and Classroom Activities:

1. I have accessed Mrs. Kezema's grade 5 classroom wiki to view homework, discussions or course work going on in the classroom.
2. As a result of access to a web-based classroom wiki, I believe that I have a better understanding as to what is going on in my child's classroom.
3. As a result of access to my child's online courses and activities, I believe that I have a better understanding as to what is going on in the classroom.

• Involvement and Connectedness:

1. Access to Mrs. Kezema's classroom wiki and courses has increased my ability to help my child with his/her. homework.
2. Through online resources such as email and discussion areas, I have been able to better communicate with my child's teacher.
3. The various online tools, provided in this classroom environment, has increased my feeling of being connected to my child's classroom. 

• Attaining Curriculum through Technology:

1. I believe a 1:1 computer environment will provide as much, and possibly more opportunities for my child to learn.
2. I believe curriculum outcomes can be attained through a 1:1 computer environment.
3. A 1:1 computing environment will provide a more rich context to learn necessary skills for 21st century learners.

• School Culture/Environment:

1.  I believe the physical layout of the 1:1 classroom environment benefits/supports my child's learning styles.

References:

• Jaya (2010).  how to interpret likert scale data for correlation analysis.  Methodspace - discussion forum.  Accesses September 25, 2010 from: http://www.methodspace.com/forum/topics/how-to-interpret-likert-scale
• Parnaby, P. (2007).  Evaluation through Surveys.  Journal of Interaction Recipes, 1:1 2007.  Accessed September 25, 2010 from: http://www.idea.org/page102.html
• San Diego State University College of Education, (ND).  How to design and report Likert Scale.  Accessed September 25, 2010 from: edweb.sdsu.edu/.../ClassUse_ReportExample_LikertScale.doc
• Smith, M. (ND).  Efficacy of Web-Enhancement on Student Technology Skills.  Accessed September 25, 2010 from: http://ojni.org/1002/smith.htm

Why a One-to-One Environment

A question posted on the discussion board of the 1:1 classroom wiki asked the students what information was important to share with their parents at a parent meeting we will be having on Wednesday, September 29th.  Some of the comments from the students suggested we tell the parents about the classroom Wiki, or that we tell them how the net-books are used in the classroom.  However the comment that caught my attention the most was how students wanted us to tell their parents that they are still using paper and pencil because their parents are afraid that student writing skills will be lost.  This is a fathomable concern so I believe it is important for us to find research to help us answer "why a one-to-one computer environment".

 In an article titled, Going One-to-One (Warschauer, 2006), five reasons are provided for starting a one-to-one laptop program.

1.  21st century learning skills.  It is explained that this is one of the most important reasons for a 1:1 environment and that it facilitates the kinds of learning, thinking and analysis required for the 21st century.
2. Greater engagement through mulitmedia.  Multi-media is everywhere and a huge part of our students' everyday lives.  Multi-media authentically incorporated into a classroom environment allows for higher levels of student engagement.  Students envolved in 1:1 computing environments are identified as producing and interpreting multimodal content.
3. More and better writing.  Students in 1:1 computing environments write much more than traditional environments.  Revisions to their writing is easier and therefore done more often.  Documents are more accessible to teachers to provide feedback to students.  
4. Deeper Learning.  Students are provided multiple ways to access material and complete activities leading to further and deeper learning.  Many 1:1 schools report increased emphasis on in-depth student research.
5. Easier integration of technology into instruction.  Teachers are excited for the way 1:1 environments helped them authentically integrate technology into instruction.  Students in 1:1 environments gain a higher degree of technology skills allowing teachers to focus on content and less on technical aspects.

 Another 1:1 computing research study looked at is titled, Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump by Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, & Warschauer (2010).  It identified that the "purpose of this research study is to investigate the effects of a technology-intensive intervention- based upon individual student use of laptop computers - on students' academic achievement in language arts over a two year period" (Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, & Warschauer, 2010).  As a result of a slump in reading at the fourth grade a concurrent slump in writing occurs.  This slump is a result of the transition from 'learning to read to reading to learn' (Chall et al., 1990).  It is described that in this transition children enter the "world of knowledge" in printed form and can only gain access to "knowledge" if they are able to read texts which contain the knowledge (Chall et al., 1990). 

The research paper identifies, it is believed that technology can be used to:

• expose students to a wide range of academic language
• provide scaffolding so that students can comprehend challenging and interesting texts
• engage students in text-based simulations that spark their interests and motivate their learning
• provide a wide range of tools for analyzing texts
• brain-storming their ideas
• orgainzing their thoughts
• writing
• peer editing
• publishing their work

The study concludes that a broad consensus in published research identifies one-to-one computer environments as being highly favorable for students' literacy development.

One-to-one computing programs only as effective as their teachers

Found this article on eSchool News.  You will have to create an account to read the entire article but it is free to sign up.

One-to-one computing programs only as effective as their teachers

From the desk of the Principal :)

I have had the chance to pop in and out of this classroom and I am very excited about what I am seeing and hearing...not only from the members involved, but the students as well.

I am in a very unique position in that not only am I the administrator at the school, but also a parent of a student in this classroom. As a result, I get the perspective from that of a parent, and an educator. This is very exciting and insightful in many ways.

As an administrator, I am excited to share some of my observations.....first off, it is clearly evident and re-affirming that the key to any classroom is in the instruction. Bev is so thoroughly planned, prepared, has set the ground rules of a safe, caring and respectful classroom, and is now merely using a tool - the technology - to meet the needs of the curriculum and the students. The old saying of building it and they will come is not the case in the classroom.....the students will be there, but whether or not their learning is authentic or not is another story. Bev has ensured that her students are getting a top notch education through her dedicated work ethic and has not just taken the role that we have netbooks so the kids will learn technology!

During one of my visits, many things popped out at me...first off, I had to count again to make sure that my numbers were correct. Yes, all 27 of the students where there....but there was no fooling around, no off task behavior, no going to sites that were not allowed, etc. Rather, there were 27 engaged students, and two in particular stood out to me as this was not common for them. I soon caught on that the teacher had incorporated DI strategies such as anchoring activities right off of her wiki . What a great way to ensure maximum use of instructional time!

Bev has organized her daily planner, has students blogging on real life questions that have them thinking at a deeper level and much, much more. It is funny when my blackberry starts buzzing at 8pm and I see there are new posts from students blogging about items such as grammar, how to prepare for sub teachers and so on! These kids are hooked!

As a parent, my child came home at the start of the year and was very excited about this opportunity. She was also very excited about her new teacher and told her grandma in early July that she was ready to go back to school because Mrs. Kezema was her teacher. So to say the least, the child enjoys school, but this opportunity increased her desire even more. She has her own netbook at home and has shown that she is fairly literate for her age, but I have seen her level grow, but interestingly in a more creative way. I see her moving from games in the evening to communicating via the blogs, adding to a homework assignment, using the apps such as collage makers that they are using in class so that she is more prepared on how to use it, etc. This is really neat and in my mind a great way to occupy her mind as the thinking part is much deeper than it is on facebook, petroptica and so on!

I can see that my daughter and the other students have moved from the excitement of hey we have laptops yahoo!!! to a level in which they do not even realize that they are in a different learning environment than other classrooms. They now see the netbooks as a way of learning, a mere tool to help them in their work. The netbook is no longer a toy/fad/etc, but rather a tool that allows them to do their job as a student. A tool that has engaged students that previously were not engaged. A tool that is available to us, but has not been utilized authentically as it was intended to be!

It has also been amazing to see the collegial work that has been taking place between Bev and Sharon, in addition to Bev, Kirk, Sharon and Rob. The network is strong as is the planning and roll out of all pieces. I can see that we are building capacity in Bev with DI and technology. With Sharon in regards to technology. Both of these areas will greatly benefit our teachers as they will ehance their strong instructional leadership skills within the school! I can see that Kirk and Rob are also building capacity in what they see and believe in terms of digital learning and they have the ability to network this as leaders throughout the division. I truly believe that this project will provide us with a future of capacity to grow our division's teachers with the true benefit going to our students!

In closing, I must also admit how amazed I am with our infrastructure. I cannot believe that things are running so well from an IT perspective! We are basically glitch free!

Until next time.
Randy

Observations

I have been lucky enough to spend more time in Bev's classroom this week and have noticed a change in student comfortableness with what is going on. The netbooks now appear to be nothing more than a learning tool similar to that of the pencil, notebook or textbook. Sure there are still a few students who like to spend time changing their screen saver and sharing that with their neighbour, but are there not similar distractions in every classroom? The students are asking fewer questions regarding how to use an application than they were even a week ago. Many have found new ways of applying the applications when completing assignments. For example, there is one student who really needs to listen to a lesson's instructions a few times versus reading them. (Good example of DI btw) He also needs to verbalize his answers before writing them down. He had previously used Sound Recorder for an assignment and chose to use it on his own to record his ideas before trying to write them down.

I thought that was interesting.