One-to-One Initiative Langdon School

Transcription

1 One-to-One Initiative Langdon School Preparation for : Grade 7 Parents and Students

2 Langdon School The Joy Is In the Journey David Smith Principal Phone: (403) Brander Avenue Langdon, Alberta T0J 1X2 Chris Sidorenko Assistant Principal Fax: (403) One to One Initiative for Langdon School Grade 8 & 9 Dear Parents, Langdon School moved to the use of digital device technology in our Grade 8 and 9 classrooms in Our implementation in has proven to be very successful with students st developing advanced 21 Century skills in a ubiquitous environment. The digital device technology is use in this environment as a tool for learning in which students access their course material through a online learning environment called Moodle and have 24 hour access to their learning materials. Teachers and students work in this blended learning environment to provide engaging inquiry based learning experiences that enable students to experience real world opportunities. Through hard work, honest discussions, and most importantly a belief One-to-One is the best way to help our students for the future. For a more in depth explanation of the program we would encourage you to read through the One-to-One Initiative on the School Website: Society is especially dependent on public education to close the digital divide to prepare students for a world that expects individuals to have basic computing skills. We know that 50% of the jobs our students will encounter will be innovation and technology based. The goal of this program (which was piloted at Langdon School) has been to provide an opportunity for students to make a deeper connection with the curriculum. They can prepare students for the demands of citizenship and employment as we approach a future of ubiquitous computing. Having ongoing access to technology when it is necessary and appropriate will help with the above goal. To accomplish this we ask that the device be capable of working at a suitable speed for the on-line materials that students will access throughout their day. In Langdon School s online guide, there is a recommended list of suggestions for software. Students who will not be able to obtain a laptop for financial or philosophical reasons will have the ability to sign out a loaner laptop and applications for the loaner program are online. As always, if you have comments of concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the our computer tech, your homeroom teacher or the administration at the school. Sincerely, David Smith and Chris Sidorenko Administration Langdon School

3 Table of Contents: 1. Introduction p.4 2. System Requirements....p.4 3. Recommended Software List....p.4 4. What is the primary goal of this initiative?...p.4 5. Why move in this direction?...p.5 6. Blending Learning Environments.....p.6 7. How does this initiative align with the school s mission and learning?...p.6 8. How will this project get laptops into the hands of all students?...p.6 9. Will students that already have laptops be able to use them?...p How will the students be able to power/charge their units for usage?...p How will computer theft be addressed?...p Does each school have the infrastructure to support 250+ laptops?...p What other technologies will be used through this initiative?...p Will parents be charged extra fees?...p What will the technology budget be spent on?...p Will this initiative be evaluated?...p What is the plan to communicate with the stakeholders?...p Who can I contact for more information?...p.8 Appendix 1. Recommended Software...,p.9-10

4 Introduction Specifically, in the first week of September, and every day thereafter, every grade 8 and 9 Langdon School student are asked to bring a laptop type device to school to support his/her learning. If families are not able to provide a Laptop we do have limited ones available for rental, please see the website for more information. System Requirements Laptops (Mac or PC) are strongly recommended as devices of choice for this initiative. Netbooks and Tablets may be considered if they meet the following criteria: 1. Have a full QWERTY keyboard for typing; 2. Be capable of playing Flash (You Tube) videos; 3. Have installed Office Productivity software (Word Processing, Spreadsheet, and Presentation) such as MS Office, Open Office, Polaris Office 3, or iwork; 4. Have wireless N networking card. See the Recommended Software List in the Appendix for required and recommended software. It is not mandatory for a laptop, however it will be easier for your child to manage. What is the primary goal of this initiative? The key goal of this initiative is to improve and enhance student learning through the implementation of ubiquitous computing. Ubiquitous computing makes use of a variety of digital devices and resources to engage students in critically analyzing information, creating new knowledge, communicating what they have learned, and choosing tools that are appropriate for a particular task.

5 Why move in this direction? There has been a surge of research related to the role of technology in the daily lives of students. Dr. Sharon Friesen, a leading researcher in the area, believes five core principles must be followed to engage today s millennial s, a term used to describe the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s: Effective teaching practice begins with the thoughtful and intentional design of learning that engages students intellectually and academically. The work that students are asked to undertake is worthy of their time and attention is personally relevant, and deeply connected to the world in which they live. Assessment practices are clearly focused on improving student learning and guiding teaching decisions and actions. Teachers foster a variety of interdependent relationships in classrooms that promote learning and create a strong culture around learning. Teachers improve their practice in the company of peers. Surrounding and infused into each of these five core principles is the effective use of the technologies. It is undeniable that the face of education and the role of technology are changing rapidly.

6 Blended Learning Environments: Moodle is an application that houses all course material so students can access the lesson activities, assignments, power points, blogs and forum for topic discussions, and tests. How does this initiative align with the school s mission and learning principles? Our new mission and vision statement speaks to preparing students for the future and using as many different tools as needed to give them the skills they will require in the 21st Century. How will this project get laptops into the hands of all students? Every student from grades 8 to 9 will be encouraged to purchase a laptop for school. The minimum standard for the immediate future will be either a Mac or PC laptop with Word processor, browser capability and usb port, but as computing devices evolve, that minimum standard will change. For students who can t afford a laptop, the school will have loan system for rental cost of $

7 Will students that already have laptops be able to use them for the initiative? At this point in time, standards set for student laptops include existing student equipment. However if specialized functions are required for a specific course, such as video editing and storage, a current student owned computer might not be adequate. In such cases, the school will have available computers for these specific purposes. How will the students be able to power/charge their units for a full day's usage? Langdon School students will need to be proactive in charging their machines daily at home. We will be supplying power-charging sources should students need them. How will computer theft be addressed? Langdon School strongly recommends parents insure their student s computer through home insurance. As with all possessions brought to school, it is important for students to keep their valuables secure by keeping them in their locker. Additionally, there are options that help track to whom the machine belongs. Permanent identification of the machine via engraving is recommended. Does each school have the infrastructure to support 250+ laptops? RVS experts will assist the school to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is in place to support the increase in technology. This endeavor has been has been achieved at other schools in RVS. What other technologies will be used through this initiative? Many classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards and/or projectors. These tools will be used regularly as a teaching tool. The schools also use Plone technologies, which serves as a powerful tool to post important information for both students and parents. Moodle, Google Docs, research, online testing tools, text to speech, premiere tools, and more are used to create universal learning environments. Will parents be charged extra fees? Outside of the purchase of a laptop for their student, no additional fees will be charged for this initiative. What will the technology budget be spent on? The plan for building infrastructure is twofold; the school will invest in expanding the opportunities for students and teachers to be able to operate in an environment that will be inviting to ubiquitous computing. This will require additional hardware and software support. The second infrastructure, and perhaps the most important, is to continually invest in professional learning for teachers. Essentially the transformation of learning and engagement will be continuous. Recently we have update teachers laptops to be able to run multiple programs for their students.

8 Will this initiative be evaluated? Theoretically, the implementation of one-to-one ubiquitous computing technology should lead to improvements in academic performance, increased student motivation, increased competency, and effective utilization of technology. In Langdon's past the one-to-one program created much of the research we use today in our schools. We know this works by experience. Furthermore, we have created research resources in the one-toone folder. What is the plan to communicate with the stakeholders? Through use of our parent teacher interviews, website, letters home, , and school council we will be in constant contact with you concerning your student s progress. Parents and students will be asked to monitor student performance on Power School. Assignments and tests will be posted on teachers Moodle pages to ensure open communication. It is also recommended students share their Moodle Logins with their parents to enable them to be aware of important academic dates. Who can I contact for more information? Langdon School office and talk with our secretary and she will direct your questions and concerns to the appropriate people.

9 Appendix Recommended Software List The following list contains links to various software, sites and tools related to our One to One Project. Many are free and have been tested at the school in advance of posting. Word Processing Software (Required - Choose One): Microsoft Office - Purchase through local computer stores or download: o Office 2010 Student (Windows) through Microsoft (downloadable) - $ o Office 2011 Student (Mac) through Microsoft (downloadable) - $ o Office 2010 Pro Academic (Windows) through Studica.ca (Boxed) - $ o Office 2011 Pro Academic (Mac) through Studica.ca (Boxed) - $ Open Office - (Downloadable software) o Open Office (Windows) - FREE o Open Office (Mac - Intel) FREE Google Documents (online and free through rvschools.ab.ca student ) Anti-Virus Software (Required): Macintosh - It is a common misconception that Macs cannot get viruses. This is untrue. However, Apple has built into the operating system anti-virus and antimalware code. It is important to periodically run system updates to make sure your protection is up to date. Windows - IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE ANTIVIRUS PROTECTION ON YOUR WINDOWS COMPUTER, BUT IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE ONLY ONE TYPE OF THIS SOFTWARE. INSTALLING MULTIPLE ANTI- VIRUS AND ANTI-MALWARE SCANNERS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT YOUR COMPUTER'S PERFORMANCE AND CAN EVEN DAMAGE YOUR FILES. BEFORE INSTALLING ANY NEW ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE, BE SURE TO UNINSTALL ANY EXISTING SCANNERS (INCLUDING TRIAL VERSIONS). We recommend Microsoft Security Essentials (FREE) which can be downloaded at: PDF Creation/Reader Software (Required): Macintosh - Built into OS. No additional software required. Windows o If you have Microsoft Office download this "Save As PDF..." (FREE) plugin: o For non-microsoft products you can use PrimoPDF (FREE) which can be downloaded from: o For reading PDFs download Adobe Reader (FREE) from:

10 Java/Flash/Shockwave (Required): Macintosh & Windows o Java built into OS. No additional software required. o Download Adobe Flash Player (FREE) from: o Downlad Adobe Shockwave Player (FREE) from: Windows o Download Java (Free) from: Optional Software (Items that may assist with productivity Mac and Windows): Dropbox (FREE) - Online storage, file sharing and syncing software. Download at: Firefox (FREE) - Browser that allows add-ons for video downloads, etc. Download at: VLC Player (FREE) - Plays virtually any kind of video/audio file. Download at: Itunes (FREE) - Music/Video management software. Download at: Quicktime (FREE) - Player for Apple MOV files. Download at: Cooltoolsforschools - Website with other tools and utilities - Not Vetted by RVS staff. Google Apps - All rocky view students have Google Apps accounts which provide for a number of productivity features including: o - o document creation/management/sharing - o personal websites - o language translation - o plus many more