Two days later… CCDS questions answered thus far
These are the questions I’ve had answered thus far in my visit (half a day remaining for the rest):
What’s the access model? Tech fee? Included in tuition? Family purchase?
Technology integration starts as soon as kids enter CCDS. There are kids as young as 18 months that attend as part of the Montessori preschool. Here, students begin using teacher tablets and and have their daily progress recorded with digital photos. All teachers have cameras to do this and email them to parents. The photos also go into the student portfolios for conferences.
In the lower school, kids access carts of tablets checked out by teachers. Classrooms also have several assigned to rooms, along with desktops. By 5th grade, students are 1-1.
Families purchase at least two tablets in the course of a student’s experience at CCDS. The first is in 5th grade and the second is 9th. The current cost is approximately $2500 for the tablet, software, and four years of support. I believe families are welcome to purchase a new model, through the school, at any time.
Which grades/contents are most effectively integrated?
This was really cool! ALL GRADES, PRE-K THROUGH 12 INTEGRATE TECHNOLOGY! There’s something hard to describe about the atmosphere for integration. In 1996, when CCDS first began their laptop program, it was a mandate, and not a very successful one. When the tablet became part of the picture, things changed. The power of this tool was part of this change, but I think there was something more… The atmosphere for professional development was much like the atmosphere we try to provide for our students. Choice. Support. Guide on the side rather than sage on the stage. I’ll likely blog on this later. Still mulling it around.
What was the initial integration process like? I know their program started in 1996, but tablet use has been more recent. What kind of professional development was necessary initially? What ongoing opportunities do they offer faculty?
Answered above to some extent. Again, more coming on this. Technology is integrated integrated into the curriculum of professional development, but most of the professional development is focused on something other than technology. Skills training is separate.
What tools are in use? OneNote, Dyknow, etc.
I’m working on a list. I’ve seen OneNote, Journal Notewriter, DyKnow, SmartMusic, the MS Office Suite all heavily in use. OneNote is used for longterm notes for kids and faculty. It’s a major organization tool for everyone using tablets regularly. Journal Notewriter is used much like paper in most traditional schools for short “worksheet” or studyguide situations as well as mapping, measuring, math homework, etc. DyKnow is rarely used to monitor students; the collaborative features are heavily used by teachers to share screens, collect assignments, and provide immediate feedback. It’s pricey, but it has some strong points to justify the price. Smartmusic was demonstrated yesterday. A band director at my old school used it and considered it the core of her program. It’s easy to see why. I also saw some surprisingly innovative use of the Office suite. I’ll have to blog on that as well – too much to list right now.
More to come soon 
I just wish I could come back again and shadow some students or bring another group of faculty. This has been a transformative experience for many attending!
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Hi Tammy!
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences at CCDS via your blog and twitter. I went to their “Launching A Laptop” workshop back in 99 or 00 (wow–I am old). I was really impressed then and it sounds like CCDS continues to be on that bleeding edge.
We are moving from laptops to tablets and I think your posts have convinced me that we should send some attendees to CCDS again, which is not something I’d thought about. Is Kelly Hammond still there? I was so impressed by her.
I wonder if the transition to tablets will involve the same angst as laptops? I’ve been thinking it won’t, but perhaps I’m naive.
Sarah