Filed under: Change Agent, Leadership | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, 21st Century Schools, Educational Leadership, Leadership, Planning, Technology, Technology Plans
I just recently started posting on the 1 to 1 Schools Net which is a blog that was established by CASTLE and Nick Sauers is the principal blogger.
Check out my latest post entitled Leadership and the 1-to-1 Bus.
Flickr by Edge of Space
Filed under: Change Agent, Leadership | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, 21st Century Schools, Action Plans, Leadership Team, Survey
I love the simple survey that Pamela Livingston shows in her latest post and would encourage all schools that are planning or implementing a 1-to-1 Laptop program to design their own to use periodically. The results will provide you with valuable information on how the program is going. Use them with teachers, students and parents.
Keep it simple and make it easy to compile the results. Even if the results verify what you know, it will be worth your time. While the data below did not come from a formal survey, just think about what your leadership team could do with this type of information from students. The following quotes from students were posted in a school’s student newspaper while the school was in the first semester of implementing their laptop program.
“Have Laptops Benefited [School's Name]?”
“No, because we don’t use them, but we still have to carry them to every class along with our folders, which we were told we wouldn’t need anymore.”
- Anonymous Student
“Yeah, it’s a faster way to look up information, even though I only use mine for Skype and Facebook.”
- Another Anonymous Student
Cross posted on 1 to 1 School.net
Filed under: Change Agent, Leadership | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, change, Educational Leadership, Leadership, Technology Plans, Vision
Cross posted on 1 to 1 Schools
As someone who is passionate about providing students and teachers with ubiquitous access to technological tools for teaching and learning I am shocked when 1:1 initiatives fail or when critics block progress. Yes, there are actually schools that have dropped the program. I can’t even imagine what it feels like to be a student who turns in his/her laptop when the pilot fails.
When planning for a 1:1 laptop initiative I suggest that the leadership team be prepared for the critics, cynics, killjoys and prophets of doom. Seymour Papert in Pamela Livingston’s book 1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs that Work states, ”expect opposition and know that it can be beaten”.
What can we learn from the failures?
- Lack of a shared vision throughout the community
- Laptops frequently breaking down (either through accident or student misuse)
- Students not using the technology appropriately
- Disconnect between the curriculum and 21st century learning
- Network speed did not meet the needs of the users
- Laptops were viewed as a distraction
- No evidence of improved student achievement
Don’t get caught saying, “That was 2007. Things are different now.” Take a look at the November 9, 2009 article from the Asheville Citizens-Times, entitled “A laptop for every student: Asheville High makes technology push” . While the article highlights the excellent work that the leaders of the Asheville City Schools are doing to raise funds and plan for a 1-to-1 initiative, the best information comes from the reader comments that follow the article.
These three unedited quotes will give you an idea of the tone of the dialogue.
KeithOberman wrote:
“It would be a total waste of money to give every student atAHS a computer and allow them to take them home. AHShas some outstanding teachers and students but they alsohave some students and I use that term liberally that are not at AHS to learn. Take for instance the studentthat had a gun in his locker last week. I heard he is stilla freshman academically but much older than a typicalfreshman. What do you think would happen to a computerif he was allowed to take it home. I can tell you this muchit would never make it back to the school. Come on AshevilleAdministrators this idea you have is admirable butnot practical. This policy should be scraped or alteredbefore it is put in place.”
manx911 wrote:
“It is NOT the responsibility of the school system to provide the tools that are needed to satisfy the curosity of learning. It is the PARENTS!! Be it homeschool, private school or whatever it is the responsiblity of the parents.”
MrsGerber wrote:
“Looks to me like this generous offer using my tax $,will end up causing more harm than goodFirst off if you give a kid a $2000,00 computer what will prevent him/her from selling it for drugs?It will be a magnet for bullies to steal from other kids, taking someones lunch money will be a thing of the past, now just stael their computerCan parents be held accountable ?Next after this, why not give each student a car, that way they can get to school easier?”
The good news is that this is excellent data for leaders to use when planning and implementing a successful laptop initiative. Those who are successful address these issues and tackle them head on. I recently spoke to a technology director who is involved with a very successful 1:1 laptop program and he shared with me that his first experience in a public school district in Canada failed. No one ever said that it was going to be easy, but we do “know that it can be beaten.”
Filed under: Leadership, Visionary | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, 21st Century Schools, Action Plans, Educational Leadership, Leadership, Vision
I had the opportunity to give this presentation with David Sinclair from Taipei American School at the recent EARCOS Administrator’s Conference in Manila. David and I make a good team because he brings the perspective of a tech director, while I bring the perspective of a principal. I have to admit that my thinking on planning and implementing a one to one laptop program changed during the course of our preparation. I now believe that the leadership component in building and promoting a shared vision and building coalitions is priority #1. This may not seem like a huge revelation, but I finally was able to develop a model that works for me. I’ll share it later.
EARCOS Administrator's Conference 2009 http://prezi.com/akkqx3so9ntl/
Filed under: Instructional Leader, Leadership, Visionary | Tags: 21st Century Schools, Collaboration, Curriculum, Leadership, project based learning, Web 2.0
Over the past few weeks I have been working with David Sinclair from Taipei American School on a presentation that we will be giving at the EARCOS Administrator’s Conference in Manila. The presentation it titled, Leadership for 1:1 Laptop Initiatives. 
During this time we have been using Google Docs to share information, ideas, links to sites and blogs, and photos. On several occasions we have 
skyped to talk through ideas and we are using 
Prezi as our presentation tool. All of these provide us with access to real time changes 24/7.
OK, so none of this sounds that earth shattering these days, but there was a moment the other night when I realized that this is so COOL. I was out sitting on my deck working on the presentation with my mini laptop, listening to the sounds of crickets chirping and the waves rolling onto the sand. In the middle of my work David skypes me to discuss the presentation. We are both reviewing our notes and the presentation online and making changes as we go. Meanwhile, my wife, who is helping us with the presentation design, is in another room on another mini editing the presentation. All three of us were collaborating and we weren’t even in the same room. David was even thousands of miles away. When we were talking he said, “what’s that noise?” so I told him about the crickets and the waves. Not a bad location to get some work done.
In today’s world there is no reason why our students should not have these experiences frequently. Our job as educators is to create the opportunities for them to collaborate with students and/or experts from around the world. Aside from the cost for the machines and access to the internet, the rest of the tools are free.
Filed under: Change Agent, Instructional Leader, Leadership, Visionary | Tags: 1:1 Laptop Programs, 21st Century Schools, change, Creative Tension, Educational Leadership, Gary Stager, Leadership, Vision
I’m currently reading Pamela Livingston’s 1-to-1 Learning: Laptop Programs that Work, which I think is excellent. I have to admit that I was skeptical because it seems almost impossible to write a book on such a complex and ever changing initiative. In the section of leadership Gary Stager wrote a piece on his experiences working with Australia’s Methodist Ladies College (MLC) in Melbourne during the 90s. He mentions that the Principal, David Loader, purposefully disrupted the status quo when promoting a move to a 1-to-1 laptop initiative by sending the message to parents that, “We love your children and the tuition that you send us, but frankly our school isn’t good enough.”
You have to hand it to him for his conviction and straightforward approach. I’m definitely going to use this quote in the future. You may want to keep it on file to use just at the right moment.
Filed under: Instructional Leader, Leadership, Modeler | Tags: Educational Leadership, LeaderTalk, Learning, Personal Learning Networks
Initially posted on LeaderTalk.
If so, keep this feeling in mind while you read this post.
I love the idea of LeaderTalk and think that the group has some very talented and knowledgeable individuals posting daily. I also know that I have been focusing hard on developing my posts each month and spending very little time commenting on my peers’ posts. It seems very possible that I am not the only one doing this each month. I recently went through the last 20 posts and found that there were a total of 44 comments. When doing the math consider that one of the 20 posts received 9 and another 8. I also noticed that post are not happening daily, as planned. We all know that the small number of comments is not due to the quality of the ideas that are being shared.
I’d like to suggest that the assignment for this month (and future ones) be that, in addition to our monthlhy post, we comment on at least 2 of our peers posts. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach in her 21st Century Learning blog highlights the importance of members of the PLP receiving responses to their posts.
“As the community leader you should make sure in the practice posts and introductions that 100% of member posts get a response from you or someone else. The thrill of getting a response encourages more participation.”
My guess is that all of us can relate to the ‘thrill’ that she mentions and we can probably agree that more comments lead to more learning, excitement and a stronger learning community.
Feel free to comment!
Filed under: Modeler | Tags: Educational Leadership, Geek, Leadership, Modeler, Scott Klososky
As you know, I’m a strong believer that school leaders today need to model the use of technology daily. The modeling should be in ways that help him/her do their job more effectively. They don’t necessarily need to be using technology the same way that teachers do. The modeling also sends a message to teachers that he/she is willing to change his/her behavior and to learn new things.
Well, for quite some time I’ve struggled with how to refer to a school leader (like myself) who strives to model appropriate use. I’ve never really thought of myself, or liked the term “geek” because I don’t really care about what is happening behind the technology and I don’t like troubleshooting. I just want to be the end user. Well, Scott Klososky in the video The Great Speaker Search of 2015 provides us with the new label, “Wannabe Pseudo Geek Management Types”. I kind of like it. I like the “not actually” part of this definition.
| 1. | not actually but having the appearance of; pretended; false or spurious; sham. |
| 2. | almost, approaching, or trying to be. |
So, the next time that someone tries to label you as a “Geek” you can tell them, “Actually, I’m a “Wannabe Pseudo Geek Management Type”. I think that it will lead to a chuckle and maybe even a discussion on what it means.
Filed under: Change Agent, Leadership, Manager, Visionary | Tags: 21st Century Schools, Action Plans, Educational Leadership, Essential Conditions, ISTE, Leadership, Planning, Technology, Technology Plans
ISTE’s - National Educational Technology Standards for Administrators packet includes Essential Conditions: Necessary conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning. This type of document can serve as a guide for school leaders who want to move their school(s) forward.
- Shared Vision
- Empowered Leaders
- Implementation Planning
- Consistent and Adequate Funding
- Equitable Access
- Skilled Personnel
- Ongoing Professional Learning
- Technical Support
- Curriculum Framework
- Student-Centered Learning
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Engaged Communities
- Support Policies
- Supportive External Context
Have your team break down each item and define what it means. Then look at where your school currently stands, where you need to go and how you’re going to get there.
Why not use this to develop your school’s action plan and/or technology plan. We’re always looking for simplifying the complex.
