Responses: Prepping teachers new to laptop schools
Yesterday I posted questions to my PLN via this blog, Twitter, Facebook, and the ISENet Listserv. Here are the questions I asked and the responses. There are many models that work for many schools. Thanks to all who shared their ideas and experiences. If you have more to share, please comment on this post.
When do new faculty receive computers, email accounts, website accounts, etc.
- As soon as they are hired.
- At the end of the summer and before we have our professional development days (1 week before school starts). email is activated once they have signed their contract.
- As soon as they sign contracts and give us passwords.
- Any more, it is when they arrive on campus sometime in the spring or summer. We get them up and going with email accounts, Moodle accounts (when necessary), and our curriculum mapping accounts.
- As soon as they sign contracts and give us passwords.
- By default at the new employee orientation at the end of August, or earlier by request in a one-on-one training.
- My school: Administrators complete a form with HR stating needs for each new hire. HR sends it to the tech team. In the past, new hires received hardware/info 1-2 days before back to school workshops started, when we had new faculty orientation. This year, we’re trying to do it earlier, but the hardware may not be available in time. We’re hoping to have a smoother plan for next fall.
Are any of you sending new faculty to technology conferences, such as the Lausanne Laptop Institute in Memphis to prep for 1:1?
- Our teachers usually choose to attend the national subject area conferences. Funds are always an issue. We host a Summer Tech Conference each year and many of our teachers share best practices and teach sessions during this 2-day event.
- No.
- Not yet, but we are looking at it.
- No. Even tech staff need to attend conferences such as this on their own dime. (Paraphrased)
- No, mainly for cost reasons.
- No, we prefer to encourage teachers to design their own professional development plans holistically, rather than zeroing in on 1:1 for specific attention.
- My school: Not yet, but trainings like those at Lausanne and Lakeview sound promising. We have some funds available, but time/availability is another question.
How much time is spent training teachers on how to access school resources (network and cloud) via computer?
- Most of this has been moved to our “Orientation Wiki” which includes instructional videos. We previously spent a few days doing “New Faculty Orientation”. We have found that it is much more effective to focus on showing teachers where to go to find the answers as the need occurs. Most don’t remember how to add a test to the test calendar until they need to do so. Standard expectations for teachers now include proficiency with Moodle, DyKnow, Google Apps, etc and it is a challenge to get new teachers up to speed. We try to offer a multi-faceted experience depending on the learning style/preference of the teacher. Teachers help each other, we schedule individual training, etc. It doesn’t happen overnight.
- The technology coordinators meet with the new teachers during their orientation for a couple hours and follow up with 1-1 training.
- A couple of hours before school starts and then repeated as needed.
- This fall, we have been given one full day to meet with new faculty in advance of the the whole school faculty meetings. They will be reinforcement during the opening meetings, when we have 3 hours with each division.
- We take a full day for new teacher training. Half that time is spent on technology. I follow up almost weekly throughout the first few months.
- My school: tech coordinators meet w/new teachers during orientation. Any training after is up to the teacher and may not happen unless the administrator requires it as part of evaluation process for new hires.
How much prep time is given to new faculty to work on integration – work with integrationist, teaching team, etc.?
- Yes. This is covered again in a variety of ways. We hold mandatory student/parent meetings before laptops are issued to make sure we are on the same page with the expectations piece. We have put together tips for classroom management and teachers often share during monthly tech meetings or dept meetings.
- They can set up meetings with the technology coordinators on an individual basis to work on integration.
- Several hours with teaching team and many of them come in during the summer to work.
- We make it manditory for Middle and Upper School teachers to meet at least once a trimester. Most it is more. In the Lower School, we have it scheduled once every six school days. Our Lower School program is much more integrated.
- Depending on grade level, teachers meet throughout the summer.
- All new employees attend a one-hour training on the basics. After that, we rely on just-in-time help from colleagues and the IT department.
- As above, we do not designate prep time for this specific purpose, but many teachers choose to work on integration in the context of lesson planning for the year.
- My school: As above, tech coordinators meet w/new teachers during orientation. Any training after is up to the teacher and may not happen unless the administrator requires it as part of evaluation process for new hires.
Are things such as classroom management with laptops, student expectations, etc., part of the discussion?
- Yes. This is covered again in a variety of ways. We hold mandatory student/parent meetings before laptops are issued to make sure we are on the same page with the expectations piece. We have put together tips for classroom management and teachers often share during monthly tech meetings or dept meetings.
- Somewhat.
- No.
- Yes, classroom management on both sides (teaching styles and student expectations) are discussed.
- No because I cover that as part of my student intro to tech each year.
- We cover this briefly during orientation, but informal conversations take place among colleagues all the time.
- My school: I share a document with new hires before school and we discuss it briefly each year during one or more faculty meetings. It’s also part of student and parent training.
Is technology proficiency a job requirement? If so, how is it assessed during the interview process?
- No. We need to work on this. An assessment may help but we can usually get strong teachers up to speed technologically if they have a lifelong learning perspective. Our directors communicate that fairly well. We have had a 1:1 program for over 10 years so I think we attract teachers who are excited about using technology as a tool to enhance instruction.
- No, but it should be. if anyone has questions that they ask during the interview process, then i would be happy to see them. we would like to start integrating these types of questions into the interview process.
- No.
- It has not been at this point in time. We do assess where are faculty are on a regular basis, however.
- I was involved in the interview process and had specific questions I asked to determine tech level of teachers, especially Web 2.0.
- Yes, but definitely secondary to other teaching skills. It is only assessed through Q&A and examples of teacher-provided work.
- My School: No, but administrators notice quality of resume, electronic communication skills, etc.
Is ability to effectively integrate technology a job requirement? If so, how is it assessed during the interview process?
- Yes. It has taken years but we finally have integration and incorporation of 21st Century Skills as part of the yearly teacher evaluation instrument. It makes a huge difference because it then becomes part of each teachers PDP (Professional Development Plan) if there is a deficiency.
- No, but it definitely should be! again if anyone has information to offer, we would gladly look it over and attempt to integrate into our job description(s)/interview(s).
- No.
- At this point in time, it is not a formal part of the process, but it is becoming increasingly more important.
- Somewhat again, mainly through Dir of Tech questions.
- Yes, but definitely secondary to other teaching skills. It is only assessed through Q&A and examples of teacher-provided work.
- My School: It’s on the radar, but it’s not a requirement. I google new hires and give feedback if I’m not part of the committee. Depending on the position, I may be asked to meet with potential hires before an offer is made.
Via Twitter:
- During new teacher training, include pieces abt lesson planning & classroom mgmt issues, support them through yr w/addtl training
- 2 full days on tech at beginning and then ongoing on integration throughout the year – modeling, tchr examples, student work
Other suggestions:
- Consider the TPACK Model for professional development.
- A couple of points to tack on:
- Our “new” teachers often come with years of experience, including tech integration. If they don’t, there’s often a good reason why.
- We make every attempt to avoid pushing technology outside of the context of teaching and learning.
It’s clear that teachers in laptop schools need a little more support; can you imagine what it’s like as a teacher starting at a new school where every kid brings a laptop to class and he/she (and parents/administrators/etc) expect it to be use effectively as a tool for teaching and learning? If you haven’t been part of a school with a laptop program, this may be new to you, but for many of us, it’s part of daily life.
If money were no object and time was not an issue, I would:
- Provide hardware and associated accounts shortly after hiring was official.
- Do a short orientation with expectations and basic info about hardware/network/account use early in the summer.
- Send each new teacher to Lausanne or Lakeview (or have our own laptop institute for new and returning faculty).
- Have new faculty work with continuing faculty on curriculum over the summer.
- Have a mini-bootcamp for new folks with a tech mentorship program during workshop.
- Start the year with at least one faculty meeting to discuss/review expectations and classroom management, with a focus on technology.
- Have integration workshops throughout the year based on curriculum and teaching skills on a need-to-know basis. Each teacher would be required to have at least one tech strand in a personal professional development plan. Use of technology would be part of the evaluation process with two strands – integration and communication/personal productivity. Teachers with significant deficiencies would be expected to participate in extra training or seek out instruction as a condition of continued employment.
- All institutional professional development would be expected to integrate technology at a level we expect from seasoned, effective teachers. It would just be part of how we do business. We would use the best tools available and when they make sense. We wouldn’t teach skills in isolation – integrated professional development.
What would your plan look like?
Preparing new faculty for teaching in a laptop school
As we start the new school year, I was hoping to do a quick survey (will blog results, hopefully later this week) about how schools with laptop programs prep new faculty. I realize it’s too late to help most of us for this school year, but as many of us have a handful of new faculty starting in the next few weeks, it seemed a good idea to discuss while it’s fresh so we can plan accordingly for next summer.
Questions:
- When do new faculty receive computers, email accounts, website accounts, etc.?
- Are any of you sending new faculty to technology conferences, such as the Lausanne Laptop Institute in Memphis to prep for 1:1?
- How much time is spent training teachers on how to access school resources (network and cloud) via computer?
- How much prep time is given to new faculty to work on integration – work with integrationist, teaching team, etc.?
- Are things such as classroom management with laptops, student expectations, etc., part of the discussion?
- Is technology proficiency a job requirement? If so, how is it assessed during the interview process?
- Is ability to effectively integrate technology a job requirement? If so, how is it assessed during the interview process?
Thanks in advance for your feedback! I tweeted an abbreviated version of this question a few minutes ago. If you’d rather not post your reply in comment, just email me.
Laptop Institute 2010 – Putting names to faces
I’ve never been very good at names, and I know I’m not the only one. My mom, a bartender for about 50 years now, said she rarely remembers names, but she always remembers what people drink. At least I know where I get it from – I “know” so many other educators (via Twitter and other online networks), but it takes me a minute to recognize them face to face. Many of them are like rock stars to me – people who do really unique, meaningful things in their jobs and provide tons of guidance to so many fellow educators asking little if anything in return.
The Lausanne Laptop Institute is giving me an opportunity to which I’ve really looked forward – I’m finally putting faces to names and avatars. Last night I was fortunate to be invited to hang out with Vinnie Vrotny, Jeff Whipple, and two teachers from Jeff’s school. This was after they’d introduced me to Shabbi Luthra, Connie White, and Elizabeth Helfant. I started this morning in an iPad in education with Julene Reed. She’s been involved with 1:1 programs since the early days and leads the iSummit from Lighthouse Schools, a 1:1 conference specifically for Apple schools. In her session, I had the pleasure of sitting with three educators from the American School of Bombay, Mumbai, including Shabbi, their tech director. ASB hosts ASB Unplugged and is known for its outstanding tablet program. This evening, hanging out again with Vinnie and Jeff, I met David Warlick (talk about meeting a rock star – he’s the keynote speaker) and Lorrie Jackson. Later, I had dinner with two teachers from Blake, here to prepare for the start of their new laptop program this fall.
The conference didn’t officially start until the dinner tonight, and it already feels like a whirlwind. I hope I can keep up with the inspiring educators I’m meeting. Tomorrow and Tuesday should be interesting days! I know I’ll be learning a ton (as long as I can put off playing with that darn iPad!)
Lausanne Laptop Institute 2010 – ready to collaborate!
Tomorrow I leave for the Lausanne Laptop Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. If you haven’t heard of it and you’re involved in (or hoping to start) a laptop program, it’s a must go.
From the website:
The Lausanne Laptop Institute (July 18-20, 2010) is an international think tank for schools using or considering laptops or tablets as tools for learning. Created and hosted by Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee, the Lausanne Laptop Institute offers over 90 breakout sessions – from hands-on events to lectures, discussions and networking. Conference sessions meet the needs of educators, technology integrationists, technology support personnel and administration. In 2009, over 450 attendees from 32 states and 14 countries attended, representing more than 100 schools and school districts. Over half those attending are K-12 teachers who collaborate with peers and learn tips for using laptops and tablets in their own classrooms.
I last went three years ago and have been itching to return each year since. Why?
- It’s a singular opportunity to learn from and collaborate with educators of every experience level in laptop programs.
- I’ve built a fabulous PLN via Twitter, Facebook, and various nings and listservs. A number of folks in my PLN will be there. I’m excited to put faces to the avatars with whom I’ve been collaborating for so long.
- It’s a very balanced conference. It’s not a giant sales-pitch like some, nor is it overly heavy on theory and research. It’s a solid edtech conference with a balance for all constituencies.
- The folks at Lausanne know how to set up a conference. The main conference hotel is the Peabody, an historic Memphis landmark with a great reputation. The first day is at the Peabody (preconference sessions, receptio & dinner). The following days are at Lausanne Collegiate School - sessions, vendors, and meals (yes, it includes breakfast and lunch both days!). The final night is a celebration at a restaurant on Beale Street.
- David Warlick is the keynote speaker. If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably heard of him. He rocks. Need I say more?
- This year they’ve added the Adaptive Learning Symposium. It’s a thread of sessions throughout the conference to help teachers meet the needs of ALL learners more effectively using technology. The symposium facilitators are power leaders in 1:1 schools, including Pamela Livingston, Director of Information Technology at TEAM Charter Schools (NJ); Dr. Shabbi Luthra, Director of Technology at the American School of Bombay.
- I’ve registered for the iPad in Education preconference session (yes, iPad – I love my ClassmatePCs, but I’ve loved Apple a lot longer and feel an obligation to keep an open mind) to better understand their potential for classroom use. I’ll try to blog about the experience Sunday.
So, what do I bring to an edtech conference? It’s really tempting to to overpack, but I’m cheap and don’t want to risk putting tech stuff in a suitcase. My must-haves:
- My Droid. It will help me keep in touch w/my family, go online wherever I am, and has a great camera/video camera.
- My ClassmatePC Convertible. I can’t go without a laptop, and I’d prefer not to travel with my school machine.
I could bring a lot more and am undecided about an external drive, but I don’t think it’s necessary. I think I’ll be too busy to play, and if I’m not, I’ll be exploring Memphis, hopefully with folks in my PLN.
Nings and 1:1 – PLN evolution
I realize I’ve been neglecting Nings lately. I’ve joined many over the years and kind of strayed a bit recently, especially when they were expected to go commercial. As a result, I shifted much of my PLN time to Twitter.
I’ve taken some time recently to revisit them and noticed I’m not the only one who hasn’t been as active lately. Now that Nings for education have a new sugardaddy, maybe it’s time to come back?
Here are a few I’ve found useful, either in the past or recently:
- 1 to 1 Netbook Trial – “In their hands” – State of Victoria, DEECD
- 1:1 Laptop Schools – A place where 1:1 laptop schools can collaborate, inspire, and motivate
- 1:1 Learning Environments – Learning about 1:1 laptops in our schools
- Classroom 2.0
- Independent School Educators Network
- iPads in Education
- ISTE Community
- Laptop Learning Community – Preparing Students with 21st Century Skills
- Netbook Schools – A network of schools using netbooks
- netTrekker Village
- School 2.0 – The Transformation of Education
- The Educators PLN – The personal learning network for educators
- The Global Education Collaborative – Helping Teachers and Students Reach the World
- The Interactive Whiteboard Revolution – A place for conversations that promote effective teaching with IWBs
- SMART Board Revolution – A Revolution in Education
Which would you add?