K12 Tech Summit Laptops for Learning 102009

Laptops for Learning
Melissa Dodd
Deputy Chief Information Officer
Office of Instructional & Information Technology
Boston Public Schools

Agenda
Access to Technology in the Boston Public Schools
Establishing a Technology Life Cycle Model
Laptops for Learning (L4L)
Matching Technology to Teaching & Learning Objectives

District Profile
Birthplace of U.S. public education
135 schools
56,000 diverse student population
72% of students are eligible for free & reduced price meals
20% Special Education
20% English Language Learners

21st Century Experience
“Students will spend their adult lives in a multitasking, multifaceted, technology-driven, diverse, and vibrant world.”
Partnership for 21st Century Skills
Impact on Education
Turn the lights on in classrooms
New practices to engage students
New strategies to individualize learning
New tools to connect & make learning relevant

Technology in the BPS
Our mission is to provide the technology foundation, vision, leadership, and support for the Boston Public Schools community in the use of technology as a tool to achieve its academic and operational goal to increase student performance and close the achievement gap.
OIIT’s work is guided by the LINC IV Technology Plan.
Office of Instructional & Information Technology
Access
Information
Communication & Collaboration
Innovation
College-Ready & Success Bound
Students

Technology Use by Teachers in the Classroom
47% of High School teachers disagreed
56% of Middle School teachers disagreed
58% of Elementary School teachers disagreed
“I am currently using technology during instruction as much as I would like to.”
Boston College 2008 Baseline L4L Data

Access to Technology for Students
Mean frequency of students performing individual and group work with and without computers during class time across school type
Boston College (n=2200 teachers)

Access to Technology
In 2006, aging hardware crisis: 55% are Windows 95s, 98s, or old Macs
Current supply of hardware resources does not meet the demand for technology in schools based on district initiatives and skills/learning needed for the 21st century
No clear understanding of central office responsibility vs. schools for technology purchasing
Addressing the Problem

Access to Technology
Create a pervasive environment that empowers teachers and fosters high student engagement & achievement
Maintain and support the Mayor’s 4:1 student-to-computer initiative with up-to-date technology
Equalize access to technology for teachers and students
Establish clear expectations and standards for technology, in partnership with schools
Create a sustainable computer life cycle model
Establishing the Foundation

Technology Life Cycle Model
Phase I: Project Refresh
Update all 95s and 98s in computer labs and libraries
Ongoing deployment through Phase II & III of the remaining ~1/3 of computer fleet in classrooms
Phase II: Laptops for Learning
Deploy ~1/3 of computer fleet as classroom laptops for instructional use
Phase III: Labs & Libraries
Build in ~1/3 of computer fleet incrementally over 5 years
Conceptual Model: 2008-2012

Technology Life Cycle Model
Lease Technology:
Laptops on a 4-year lifecycle, Desktops on a 5-year cycle
Partner with City for low interest rates
Competitive RFP with bundled services
Lower up-front cost
Maintenance agreements & warranty with vendors
Leverage one-time funds: Microsoft Reimbursement
Establish ongoing commitment in technology operating budget
Connect technology to district academic agenda:
Funding Strategies

Purpose: Provide a state-of-the-art, dual platform MacBook for use in the classroom to meet the 21st century needs of teaching & learning
Requirements: Orientation training and laptop use agreement
Capacity Building:
Professional Development
“Just-in-Time” Support
21st Century Leadership Cadres
Student Engagement
Best of Both Worlds

Voluntary program governed by Laptop Use Agreement
Developed with Boston Teachers Union
Laptop is for instructional use in the classroom
$200 fee for lost, stolen, damaged laptop
District has ability to collect laptops at any time
BPS/BTU Appeals Committee
Security
Lockdown devices & “secure locations” in schools
Computrace with Recovery Guarantee
Anti-virus on Mac and Windows operating systems
Published security guidelines
Program Components

Laptop Management
District: image, patches/updates, support, embedding in academic initiatives
School: inventory, setting expectations on use
Teacher: basic care & maintenance, annual registration, data back-up
Service Level Agreements
24 hour turn around for hardware repairs through loaner pool
Remote/just-in-time software support
4-Year Vendor Partnerships (Apple & Parallels)
Project management & professional services
Professional development
Capacity-building for BPS technology staff
Program Components

Support the multiple learning styles of adult learners
Required training
Centrally-offered & school-based workshops & courses
Summer institutes
Drop-in sessions
Online tutorials
Train-the-trainer
Professional development impact
4000+ seats
1700+ individual teachers
90% repeat courses

Exemplars in the Classroom
Podcasting Math Concepts
Creating Digital Stories with Students
Classroom Blogs/Wikis

Exemplars Across the District
School Leadership Collaboration
School-Level Planning Meetings

21st Century Leadership Cadres
Engage district/school leadership with classroom teachers
Foster “a-ha” moments
Keep it practical
Focus on sustainability & on-going professional development/support

Lessons Learned
Manage expectations – culture change takes time
Make professional development a requirement
Build out management capacity
Drive action – swap out outdated technology
Plan, plan, plan

Critical Success Factors
Engaging Stakeholders
Offer myriad opportunities for engagement
Have community prioritize needs
Engage the teachers’ union
Seek a partner in implementation
Build capacity in the district to support and champion the effort
Communicate regularly & consistently to all stakeholders

Technology in the Hands of Students

Fostering Innovation
Matching theTool to the Learning Objective
Project Management
Total Cost of Ownership
Hardware Standards
Technology Procurement
Support & Maintenance
Evaluation
School’s Instructional Model
Academic Objectives
Learning Needs of Students
Readiness of Leadership/Teachers
School Culture
Academic Environment
Targeted Technology

Technology in the BPS
iPod touches to teach English to recent immigrants
Computer labs for credit recovery programs for “at-risk” students
Mobile labs for in-classroom projects & individualizing instruction
Netbooks for technology training programs for BPS families
1:1 environments for pervasive technology-infused teaching & learning
Media labs for graphic design, media, production classes
PDAs for formative assessments
Technology Targeted to Academic Environment

Contact OIIT
Melissa Dodd
Deputy Chief Information Officer
617-635-1687
mdodd@bostopublicschools.org
http://www.bostonpublicschools.org
http://connect.mybps.org

K12 Tech Summit Laptops for Learning 102009

by Boston Pubic Schools

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K12 Tech Summit Laptops for Learning 102009 Presentation Transcript