2 month review

10-31-11

The iPads have now been in use at the school for 2 months. The students have lost a few styluses, several have found ones that they like more than those handed out, and the teachers have begun to request apps that they would like downloaded onto their iPads. We have just improved our wireless system and as far as connectivity goes we are good. We have 47 8^th graders using these devices and about 15 of their teachers. The teachers are really doing a wonderful job of integrating them into the classroom and the students are showing that they are capable of properly using this new device.

            I was surprised to find that in the Algebra class that I teach 4 out of the 8 students still complete their homework on paper, of those 4, one felt that there was little benefit in the use of the iPad. This is obviously a surprise but is not the case with the balance of the 47 students. It does warrant some further investigation which I will be completing this month.

            We also recently gave iPads to the k-4 teachers here at school. We spent an afternoon reviewing the features of them and discussion their use in the classroom. What we specifically said was that we will be collecting them again just after Christmas break and that if they were used as a paper weight or as a useful tool either was acceptable. The intent of course was not to burden them with additional work but rather to support them. Additionally I would be visiting the classrooms to share Apps and use that I was able to discover. This seems to be working well and we do have a couple of early adopters who are really helping the other teachers.  What I am also finding is that in order to really be able to help the teachers I have to know and understand their curriculum. So over the course of the year I am going to really make an effort to learn how they teach. I will have to do this across the board with all our grade K-8 in order to really be effective – looks like a several year target.

           

I just attended a leadership workshop and as we happened to begin a discussion on the iPads a few of those at our table began to talk about how their “leaders” had initiated the iPad use. What she said was that the iPads were just given to them with an expectation that they incorporate their use into the classroom. There was really no formal direction given and many felt overwhelmed by this new expectation. As a result she and a few others have begun to meet to discuss and share the opportunity for using them in the classroom. This is something that I had really hoped to avoid here at Harbor Day School and while we might have been able to mitigate it a little, as I look forward I must focus my effort on this. As a note we also introduced a whole new website this year which has pushed the staff as well.