Lessons Emphasized with 1:1 Laptops in Schools
The State of Illinois has begun a Technology Immersion Pilot Project (TIPP). As background, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has, for a number of years, had a vision of getting laptop technology into the hands of every student in the State of Illinois. Before attempting something of this magnitude state wide, the TIPP pilot project was passed by the legislature in 2004 but only funded in fiscal year ’07 (July ’06 – June ’07). According to the Illinois State Board of Education press release, “The pilot program is designed to promote the integration of technology into teaching and learning through the provision of wireless laptop computers, related software, hardware, staff development, technical support, and other instructional materials to students, teachers and relevant administrators in participating districts.”
Over the course of the fiscal year, individual schools wrote grant applications, hardware was purchased and distributed, and professional development resources were procured. To those familiar with large scale pilots and grants, you already know a lot more processes went into this, with many quality institutions and people working many long hours to make it possible. You also know that, due to the sheer amount of work, red tape, etc. things do not move forward as quickly and clearly as one wishes.
This first year laptops were placed with 6th grade classrooms in fifteen schools scattered throughout the state. It’s hoped that, 7th grade and 8th grade students will get laptops over the next two years, if the grant is further funded.
I am a grant facilitator (professional development resource) at one of the schools. My role is to assist teachers to help their students learn. It’s quite a challenging and exhilarating experience working in such an environment. One of the points I immediately recognized is that it’s not enough just to place technology into school without support, both professional development and technical.
One of the first things I did, after getting the necessary background information, was to meet with the teachers involved in the grant. I felt that establishing a professional relationship with the teachers was essential. This was done by having the Principal and I making it clear that my job was to support the teachers in their learning endeavors, and then by listening to them as to what they wanted to accomplish. Together we planned activities which suited their needs and the needs of their students. When the activities began, I was present and available for any support the teachers needed. This tended to make them feel more secure in whatever learning approach they attempted. The teachers were willing to try new things if they saw ways for their kids to learn in a deeper, richer, more meaningful ways and if there was proper support.
Since the teachers’ time to converse during the school day is very limited, this has led to meeting with them as we walk the hall ways and climb stairs, before school, during lunch, during their precious prep time, during class observations, through email, etc. Many of the conversations were with not only the teachers the grant directly applies to, but other middle school teachers and other personnel. Some of the discussions lasted just a few minutes, while some were much longer; sometimes it was just to reaffirm my availability; at other times I was asked to relay a concern or a message another faculty member who could have assisted somehow in our learning activity; still other times it involved changes of plans. Some of the conversations dealt with other people than the teachers the grant is immediately supposed to serve. As examples, the librarian has been impressive in her attempts to help students learn literacy skill needed in a digital age, as well as in her willingness to share ideas on learning activities. The Principal and Assistant Principal have been very supportive in helping me negotiate through the school district’s policy maze, as well as emphasizing their support of my presence and role in the school community. The principle grant writer, the school’s tech teacher, has been immensely helpful as well with just in time training for the teachers and with providing other needed technical support. She and the teachers involved in the grant are attempting to work out solutions to a myriad of logistical concerns such as security, access, upkeep, schedule conflicts, etc. The gist of all this is that this is a learning process for everyone involved.
When I was asked to fill out a contact-time log as part of the reports submitted for the grant records, it was obvious that there was no real trend as far as the meetings and discussions mentioned above. One of my supervisors told me that she understood my strange teacher contact-time log because she had gone through the same process in the past when working on professional development in her school.
At the end of this fiscal year, I will have worked with the teachers for about three months; not a long time as such things go. And yet already I note a growing sense of realization and excitement regarding what these tools can do to help them enhance and even change learning.
The State of Illinois has begun a Technology Immersion Pilot Project (TIPP). As background, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has, for a number of years, had a vision of getting laptop technology into the hands of every student in the State of Illinois. Before attempting something of this magnitude state wide, the TIPP pilot project was passed by the legislature in 2004 but only funded in fiscal year ’07 (July ’06 – June ’07). According to the Illinois State Board of Education press release, “The pilot program is designed to promote the integration of technology into teaching and learning through the provision of wireless laptop computers, related software, hardware, staff development, technical support, and other instructional materials to students, teachers and relevant administrators in participating districts.”
Over the course of the fiscal year, individual schools wrote grant applications, hardware was purchased and distributed, and professional development resources were procured. To those familiar with large scale pilots and grants, you already know a lot more processes went into this, with many quality institutions and people working many long hours to make it possible. You also know that, due to the sheer amount of work, red tape, etc. things do not move forward as quickly and clearly as one wishes.
This first year laptops were placed with 6th grade classrooms in fifteen schools scattered throughout the state. It’s hoped that, 7th grade and 8th grade students will get laptops over the next two years, if the grant is further funded.
I am a grant facilitator (professional development resource) at one of the schools. My role is to assist teachers to help their students learn. It’s quite a challenging and exhilarating experience working in such an environment. One of the points I immediately recognized is that it’s not enough just to place technology into school without support, both professional development and technical.
One of the first things I did, after getting the necessary background information, was to meet with the teachers involved in the grant. I felt that establishing a professional relationship with the teachers was essential. This was done by having the Principal and I making it clear that my job was to support the teachers in their learning endeavors, and then by listening to them as to what they wanted to accomplish. Together we planned activities which suited their needs and the needs of their students. When the activities began, I was present and available for any support the teachers needed. This tended to make them feel more secure in whatever learning approach they attempted. The teachers were willing to try new things if they saw ways for their kids to learn in a deeper, richer, more meaningful ways and if there was proper support.
Since the teachers’ time to converse during the school day is very limited, this has led to meeting with them as we walk the hall ways and climb stairs, before school, during lunch, during their precious prep time, during class observations, through email, etc. Many of the conversations were with not only the teachers the grant directly applies to, but other middle school teachers and other personnel. Some of the discussions lasted just a few minutes, while some were much longer; sometimes it was just to reaffirm my availability; at other times I was asked to relay a concern or a message another faculty member who could have assisted somehow in our learning activity; still other times it involved changes of plans. Some of the conversations dealt with other people than the teachers the grant is immediately supposed to serve. As examples, the librarian has been impressive in her attempts to help students learn literacy skill needed in a digital age, as well as in her willingness to share ideas on learning activities. The Principal and Assistant Principal have been very supportive in helping me negotiate through the school district’s policy maze, as well as emphasizing their support of my presence and role in the school community. The principle grant writer, the school’s tech teacher, has been immensely helpful as well with just in time training for the teachers and with providing other needed technical support. She and the teachers involved in the grant are attempting to work out solutions to a myriad of logistical concerns such as security, access, upkeep, schedule conflicts, etc. The gist of all this is that this is a learning process for everyone involved.
When I was asked to fill out a contact-time log as part of the reports submitted for the grant records, it was obvious that there was no real trend as far as the meetings and discussions mentioned above. One of my supervisors told me that she understood my strange teacher contact-time log because she had gone through the same process in the past when working on professional development in her school.
At the end of this fiscal year, I will have worked with the teachers for about three months; not a long time as such things go. And yet already I note a growing sense of realization and excitement regarding what these tools can do to help them enhance and even change learning.
posted by Rich Levine | 8:47 PM
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