iPad+Notes+EDCO

November 13, 2013 - iPads in the Classroom

Stephanie Hoban, Acton

District bought ipads for Kdg teachers instead of Smartboards. Did not initially buy projectors – realized that was a mistake. Got big grips cases – really like, made teachers much more comfortable giving the iPad to students. Stephanie is doing a lot of teacher training – how to use as a learning center, how to manage, etc.. Next year plan on making an iPad cart available by grant - teacher will apply and explain how planning on using. Wellesley did a similar process. Committee that selected recipient had parents on committee - took teacher names off the application so no question of favoritism. Why cart and not 5 per classroom? Stephanie said wanted to see how 1:1 would work. Stephanie is only ITS in district with an iPad - oher ITS will be getting iPad minis. She created edtechab.abschools.org – a website for using iPad with Smartboards Also created a document for teachers to evaluate apps on Google app Acton has the district standards on their website - Stephanie has noticed that teachers are lagging behind, has had to adjust her expectations. District of Auburn, Maine, has an extensive list of kdg apps by skill. When a teacher likes a particular app and it seems appropriate, Stephanie will buy for the district and push out with Kasper. One app teachers like is Toontastic, used for creating stories. Class creates together. Reading specialists are liking Evernote for fluency – dictate using Dragon Speaking, cutting and pasting to Evernote, checking for fluency. Creating notebooks for students. Stephanie creates an abschools Apple Id with teachers. If teachers go to the app store first – option to create account with no credit card. Teachers can choose to put credit card – don’t lose apps if purchased because with their email address. iCloud not worth it - many problems.

Donna Criswell, Sudbury

Tech director is using Meraki to create one district apple id for Sudbury. This allows him to push out apps – teachers don’t need to download. Donna – got one of the first iPads for the district. Did some work with preK – trained teachers how to use the iPad, created wiki with resources. Beginning to be all about apps – feeling overwhelmed with questions about appropriate apps. She was asked to help out at Tom Daccord’s iPad Summit. The emphasis throughout is that the use of iPads is not about the apps - its’ all about work flow, and having students demonstrate what they know with Evernote, screen shots, polls, recording, etc. Links to Summit material: http://ipadsummitusa.org/pre-conference/pre-conference-workshop-materials/ http://ipadsummitusa.org/full-schedule/presentation-materials/

Her asst. supt. wants to go 1:1, so they are looking closely at how it would be used. One presentation at the summit made mention of Leonardo’s Laptop – that students should be required to collect, relate, create, and donate. Content creation has really built out. The space between the assignment and getting on the app is important. Need to build in time for students to think before they touch the device.

Peter Kidwell, Weston

Weston has a 1:1 initiative, currently for 7th and 8th graders. Peter seeks professional development as being a 2 step process - show some apps, give some ideas on how to use. Peter has seen excitement with iPads not seen from other tools. For kids, don’t have to come to teacher to do some things. Reflection app – on laptop. Allows iPad to be projected on to screen - can choose any student to show work. Doesn’t work everywhere. Splashtop – can control what’s on students’ screens. Professional development: Quicktime player – record screencasts for how to do things on the iPad. To see resources, go to http://www.westonschools.org/ – middle school, academics, ipad support. Goal is to flip PD – rather than bring teachers in to show them something, will create a video, teachers watch over 2 weeks before session, come to ask questions, learn from others how to use. Hoping that next year every Wed. a.m. a possibility for P.D. as students come in late. Right now he offers after school and only a few show up. Students are a great resource for helping each other and teachers. 2nd year teachers much more comfortable with using iPad. What’s going to happen to students when hit high school, as staff are not as far along. Going to go to BYOD at high school. One iTunes account for all teachers. If teacher finds app – sends link they want, contact dept. head for $. Have middle school account for student apps. Every 2 months Peter needs to touch iPads. Use Kasper for managing profiles, not sure going to keep using. (June note: If send out profiles through configurator can prevent them from changing. Expectations for dept. head – if app is only for dept, they pay. If it’s an app that everyone can use, tech dept. pays. Noyo, language app - created by Weston teacher. Educreations – Peter not as crazy about as can’t save project.

June Patton, Concord-Carlisle High School.

Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1evJMEr3iw6iQxUBTI82bhDbdbaKXR7x79AMvXuY0tWs/edit At CCHS, iPad carts: one cart for general ed, one cart for Pathways (profoundly disabled), one cart for science electives – good for taking out in field, one for math?

Some real problems still exist with Configurator. Use to mass update iOs – manage apps profiles and backups. If send out code and lost can’t recover. Does not handle music or books. Prepare devices before using Configurator. June realized can configure one iPad, make back-up and can restore on other devices. Profiles not useful. Can enroll in Kasper through configurator. Can restore devices to default. Once a month to run updates for. Cannot put out paid apps unless “supervise” device. Staff devices not supervised. Assign – used to check out supervised devices to specific user. Restrictions meant couldn’t update apps. Good for importing spreadsheets. Backing up is huge. If you lose fields, codes, you’re in trouble!

Addendum: Peggy Harvey, Boxborough

I had the opportunity to visit Sherwood Middle School in Shrewsbury last week, where 17 teachers have launched 1:1 iPad classrooms. All students in grades 5 & 6 were offered iPads (1,000 total). It was clear to me that the program has been successful, but has also posed some challenges, particularly with parent misconceptions. Some parents have expressed frustrations and concerns with managing their children's use of the iPad, with some feeling that grade 5 students are too young for the responsibility. Some parents are not comfortable with the technology, and some worry that the iPad is distracting, and game-playing too difficult to control. Shrewsbury administrators feel that many of these issues stem from the novelty of the 1:1 mode, and believe that with time, experience, and a concerted effort to communicate with parents, the initiative will eventually be less controversial.

Other elements of the Shrewsbury initiative that may be interesting to districts exploring iPad programs:

Parents were required to come to school to create the Apple ID for their children Families can chose, either BYOD or pay $165 tech fee that includes student iPad, case, and $40 of apps Tech fee is not charged if students don't take the iPad home (a few families opted for this) Slide scale for Tech fee based on free and reduced lunch All iPads in Ballistic case http://www.goballisticcase.com/collections/ipad Shrewbury not paying for Apple Care (not worth the price) 6 iPads have broken (dropped when not in case) All students using My Hopework, Notability, iMovie, Garage Band Teachers using Socrative or Poll Everywhere for formative assessments Plan to phase in Keynote and screencast apps Some teachers using Evernote, some using Box, some Dropbox The district funded 1,000 iPads through a new school construction project. The new school will open in January, but the iPads were purchased and deployed at the beginning of the school year.

Overall, it is a very impressive start. It was clear that students were motivated by and completely at ease with their new devices!