SD57 - from December 3 school board meeting - Tech presentation

1. Technology in SD57
Moving from computers as an event
to integrated support for
personalized learning

2. BC Education Plan: Technology
• Encourages smart use of technology in schools
, better preparing students to thrive in an
increasingly digital world.
• Students will have more opportunity to develop
the competencies needed to use current and
emerging technologies effectively, both in school
and in life.
• Educators will be given the supports needed to
use technology to empower the learning process.
• Schools will have increased Internet connectivity
to support learners and educators.

4. DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY PLAN 2011
PLANNING PROCESS:
 Sessions for all SD57 staff were held in the Spring of
2011
 Outlined concepts for how technology can play a role to
enhance student learning.
 Feedback was invited from all employees, for the
purpose of setting technology-related
goals, priorities, and timelines.
 Feedback from staff was reviewed
 A document was developed summarizing some of the
main themes and identified next steps & goals

6. DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY GOALS 2011
1. Wireless Infrastructure at all schools
 As of early 2012, all schools in SD57 now have wireless
capability for both district-owned and privately-owned
staff and student devices.
 Prior to 2012, only 5 SD57 schools had this capability
(which was limited to small areas within the schools)
2. Web-based Applications
 Development of District Learning Commons
E- Resources Portal
3. Update of Practices and Policies
 Policy 6179: ACCEPTABLE USE OF NETWORKS have been
updated to accommodate the use/inclusion of privatelyowned wireless devices, as well as Policy 5131, Student Code
of Conduct.

7. 4. Upgrading of Internet Connections
 43/44 schools/sites in SD57 have been
upgraded and by Christmas ALL 44 will be
upgraded.
 During the 2012/13 school year, 21 of 22 sites were
upgraded.
 Previous to 2012, the first 22 sites took
approximately 8 years to be upgraded
5. Technology Learning Team Grants
Inquiry Examples:
 How do we assess the success of a Blended Learning
Environment model?
 Will the integration of technology and an inquiry approach
to learning enhance students’ digital literacy skills?

8. Learning
#1

9. Preparing Students to Thrive in a
Digital World
• Use phones for
organizers, planning, calculating, mapping, commun
icating, taking pictures of homework assignments or
experiments
• Creative tools for presentations (i.e PPT, Prezi)
• Use Moodle for collaborative work
• Effective tools for project-based learning
• Efficiently find information as needed
• Use voice recognition tools
• Develop a sense of independence and confidence

10. Smart Use of Technology
• We’re moving from lab structure to mobile
technology: i.e. tablets, laptops, e-readers,
Smart phones,
• Bring Your Own Device

11. • Encourage and support use of interactive white boards
(i.e. SMARTBoards)
• Providing teacher release time to assist teachers
• Professional development using existing
technology

12. Develop the Competencies Needed to
use Current and Emerging Technologies
• Classroom blogs
• Website use
• Documenting learning in a variety of forms:
– Video talking to novel element and video shared with
classmates and teachers
– Audio recording of students reading that can be used to
assess their reading and be utilized in reporting
(i.e. Evernote).
– Print: working group collaboration (Moodle) and Google
docs (with pseudo names and schools)
– Teaching students how to be responsible with personal
information on the internet.
– Draft of Digital Literacy Standards (from Ministry)

13. Challenges and Priority Areas

14. Document Sharing/Collaboration
FOIPOP/FIPPA
• Most web based applications are US Based Applications
(i.e. Google docs, Dropbox, Skydrive)
• Patriot Act means personal information is accessible for
US government purposes
• School Act requires Boards of Education to protect
personal information
• FOIPOP Act stipulates no US based cloud saving of
personal information
• FOIPOP has strict expectations - re: permissions

15. • Locally developed vs. externally hosted cloud services
• Flashy educator resources are Application Dependent – i.e.
made for Apple, Android, or Windows products
• Personal preference creates frustration for students and staff
• Influences the platform issue: single, dual, multiple
• Highly used e-resources are not Canadian. This means
workarounds re: access. We have to create “pseudo names,
pseudo schools” even though we have purchased licences.
i.e. Mathletics, Raz Kids, Accelerated Reader

16. • Haves and Have Nots
• People dependent
• Pockets of excellence
• Different levels of teacher competency/comfort level
re: email, word processing, spread sheets, white boards
• Some teachers have huge collaboration groups –
personalized learning can be accessed in classes by
students: i.e. communication, document sharing,
calendar sharing, virtual tours of ancient civilizations,
world wide student collaboration, Moodle sites,
flipped classrooms.
• Recognize that students will often know more about
the use of tech tools than most adults

17. Information Technology Infrastructure
• Ensuring the security and Data Integrity of District
Systems
– Protecting our data and systems from unauthorized access
and other common threats such as viruses/denial of service
attacks etc.
– Developing and Maintaining a Comprehensive Disaster
Recovery Program
– Work with PLNet to ensure the Provincial Network (upstream
from SD57) does not bottleneck

18. Next Steps

19. Empowering the Learning Process
Through Technology
 Use of E-Resources (District Learning Commons)
• Virtual space
• Web casts /webinars (Face to face sessions)
 Curriculum and Instruction: each technology
learning team grant has a connected staff person
• ensures teacher has support with learning
• Informs Curriculum and Instruction of Pro.D needs
 Projects: i.e. Clic project
• Video and audio uploads of individual students learning, put into a format
which facilitates conversations with parents about student learning
 E-reader Inquiries – Kindle, Kobo
• Will e-readers increase student engagement?
(survey = yes)
• Cost saving – purchase (buy 1 and put on 6 devices)
• Many free downloads (Kobo)

20. Supporting Use of Collaboration Tools
• Enable more self directed learning where
students can construct their own understanding
•
•
•
•
Flip classroom opportunities
Learning via technology
Project based learning (teacher coach)
Inquiry questions developed by students
• Develop the processes of integrating technology
into the learning environment
• FOIPOP compliance and legal cloud storage
• Finding an effective way that will work!!!

21. Coaches and Facilitators
• Teachers as coaches rather than purveyors of
all knowledge:
• Help kids to learn how to learn
• Help kids to make meaning of the information acquired
• Teachers do not need to be experts on devices as many
students are
• Teacher role is keeping kids safe, extracting
information, developing digital citizenship

22. Professional Development
• Multiple webinars and workshops
• Opportunities to develop digital literacy skills and a
virtual presence
• Technology is embedded in Pro.D.
(i.e. Assessment Academy Network)
• Support from experts for projects, schools and
families of schools (i.e. .56 tech support teachers )

24. COLLABORATION
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/pubs/tt-plan/2012_bced_tt_plan.pdf

25. We Know the Why
and We’re at the HOW
• How to transition to using primarily web-based device
independent tech tools
• Meeting requirements as specified by Legal Authorities
• Increasing knowledge around cyber-safety,
ethical/responsible use
• Exploring Online/Hybrid Learning to maximize Learning
opportunities for students in small or rural schools
• Increasing staff capacity and comfort levels
• Allowing students to be the experts on tech-based tools
• Developing a collective District Vision and continuous
Learning Plans (Infrastructure is ready and so are we!!!)
• ….. Stay tuned