Vision for 1:1 Initiative By Dan Gibson
Vision for One-To-One Computing One-To-One Implementation The Tri-Creek School Corporation’s Technology Department is in the process of offering a one-to-one (one computer: one student) learning environment. In order to integrate digital learning tools and authentic learning within the classroom, teachers must: • Value technology immersion, • Explore essential 21st century skills, • Deviate from traditional practices, • Promote digital literacy, and • Participate in effective training. Over the next two years, teachers will learn how to develop a relevant and applied curriculum that incorporates tenets from The Partnership for 21st Century Learning Skills (2009) framework, while effectively integrating digital tools for learning.
lifestyle. More specifically, the table below lists positive outcomes associated with one-to-one laptop initiatives. This ubiquitous access to technology will lead to a highly skilled workforce—competent with the use of technology and ready to compete with the global economy. Nonetheless, regardless of these positive outcomes, teachers determine how to utilize this technology, and they can determine the success or failure of this program. As a result, teachers must recognize the potential of one-to-one computing. 21st Century Skills Professional development opportunities must cause teachers to become 21st century learners themselves. Teachers must explore a variety of instructional strategies that utilize the 21st century skills presented below.
Advantages of One-to-One Computing The Internet and technology, in general, is woven within students’ lives (Rand Corporation, 2004; Hilin & Raine, 2005; Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., & Purcell, K., 2010; Rideout, V., Foehr, U., & Roberts, D., 2010). A 1:1 learning environment will motivate and encourage learning, while recreating students’ digital
Positive Outcomes Associated with 1:1 Initiatives (Bebell & Kay, 2010; Lee, 2010; Shapley et al., 2008; Suhr et al., 2010)
Decreased television time
Increased attention to homework
Increased student engagement
Increased use of computers for writing
Decreased disciplinary problems
Increased use of computers for analysis
Increased preparation for college
Increased English/ Language Arts score
Vision for One-To-One Computing Transforming Instruction This initiative is not just about providing each student with a laptop. It is also about changing instructional practices to meet today’s and tomorrow’s needs. Transforming the quality of teaching is essential for a one-to-one initiative (Shapley et al., 2010). Rosen (2011) claims that teachers should not be expected to teach with technology; instead, they should use technology to convey content more powerfully and efficiently. Although it is not an exhaustive list, the Teaching and Learning Practices table below displays instructional practices to convey content more powerfully.
New Literacies Through seamless technology integration, students will be able to develop digital literacy skills to adapt to future technologies. Three digital literacy skills that a 1:1 initiative can develop, include: • Information Literacy, • Media Literacy, and • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy (Trilling and Fadel, 2009).
Students need practice with accessing, evaluating, and using massive amounts of information on the web. With these three digital literacy skills, students need to be efficient learners with multimedia and ICTs. Lifelong learning has become essential to most careers, and multimedia and ICTs can assist lifelong learning. Ultimately, these tools should be used to enhance learning; however, students will also develop a fluency with digital tools. Recommendation The Tri-Creek School Corporation’s Technology Department recommends that professional development opportunities continuously develop teachers’ awareness of digital tools for learning, 21st century skills, and engaging pedagogical practices. Shapley et al. (2010) found the level of technology integration was significantly related to the quality of professional development and teacher buy-in. Without strategic planning by administrators and learner-centered training opportunities, computers will remain unused. To evaluate this transformation, the Levels of Teaching Innovation (LoTi) Framework will be used. After two years of training and integration assistance, teachers should begin to climb the LoTi levels to integrate digital tools for learning, while exploring 21st century skills and optimal learning strategies.
Annotated Bibliography ACOT² (2008). Apple classrooms for tomorrow-today: Learning in the 21st century. Retrieved from http:// ali.apple.com/acot2/global/files/ACOT2_Background.pdf Apple Classrooms for Tomorrow-Today focuses on six principles promoting student success in school. The guiding principles are: Understanding of 21st Century Skills and Outcomes, Relevant and Applied Curriculum, Informative Assessment, Culture of Innovation and Creativity, Social and Emotional Connections with Students, and Ubiquitous Access to Technology. These principles are intended to guide students toward success in life and work, while competing globally. Bebell, D., & Kay, R. (2010). One to one computing: A summary of the quantitative results from the Berkshire wireless learning initiative. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(2). Retrieved from http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/jtla/article/view/1607/1462 This study was developed to the assess the impact of one-to-one technology access. The study was conducted over three years and was focused on five middle schools. Teaching and learning practices changed with the laptops and measurable changes occurred to student achievement, student engagement, and students’ research skills. Lee, P. (2010). Alumni perspectives: Exploring the impact of new tech high schools on college and work readiness. Retrieved from The New Tech Network at http://www.newtechnetwork.org/sites/default/files/ news/ntn_alumni_reportv4_0.pdf With this survey-type study, Lee was able to determine former students’ perspective on their college readiness. Participating students all graduated from New Tech high schools from varying locations within the United States. Additionally, all of the students did not graduate during the same school year. This study was important because New Tech high school students take part in project/problem-based learning programs, while integrating various forms of technology through one-to-one initiatives. Many of the students expressed satisfaction in their educational experience with the New Tech school framework. Several students were pleased with knowing how to use certain pieces of software required for their coursework. Some even stated they adapted easier to the college learning environment because of similarities with the New Tech framework. Lenhart, A., Ling, R., Campbell, S., & Purcell, K. (2010). Teens and mobile phones. Retrieved from Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project at http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/ Reports/2010/PIP-Teens-and-Mobile-2010-with-topline.pdf The Pew Research Center conducted a study on teens and their mobile phones. This quantitative study surveyed teens through a telephone survey and through nine focus groups in 2009. The report is broken into six sections. The first section focuses on basic measurements around the mobile phone. The second looks into texting and voice calling. The third reviews the teens’ and parents’ attitudes toward cell phones. The fourth section examines how parents and schools regulate and monitor teens’ phone usage. The fifth section looks in the adverse behaviors associated with mobile phones. The last section details how the research was conducted. Overall, this study is an in-depth look into teens and their relation with mobile phones. Moersch, C. (1994). Levels of teaching innovation framework. Retrieved from http://loticonnection.com/ index.php/more/frameworks/20-loti-framework The LoTi Framework was developed to assess effective and innovative classroom use of technology. The LoTi Framework has seen many versions since first developed in 1994. Today’s LoTi framework utilizes the major tenets from the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). It focuses on instruction, assessment, and the effective integration of digital tools to engage learners in higher-order thinking and authentic projects.
Annotated Bibliography Rand Corporation. (2004). The 21st century at work: Forces shaping the future workforce and workplace in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2004/RAND_MG164.pdf The Rand Corporation attempts to analyze and predict the labor trends in the United States. Demographic trends, technological advances, and economic globalization trends all affect the future of the United States’ workforce. The pace of technological change was one of the major focuses in this document. From this, the Rand Corporation displayed importance of a highly skilled workforce ready to adapt to rapid technological change. Rosen, L. D. (2011). Teaching the igeneration. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 10-15, Retrieved from http:// www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/vol68/num05/Teaching-the-iGeneration.aspx Rosen’s, Teaching the iGeneration, is a look into how the previous generations differ from the latest generation. The iGeneration, which is named after iPhones, iPads, iTunes, and Wii, is the generation born from 1990 and beyond. He discusses how inclined the iGeneration is to engage with media. From this, he makes the argument that schools must respond to their need to interact with multimedia. Rideout, V., Foehr, U., & Roberts, D. (2010) Generation M²: Media in the lives of 8- to 18-year-olds. Retrieved from the Kaiser Family Foundation at http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf This study provides a detailed look at current patterns in media usage. The results, from 2,000 young people across the nation, explored a various forms of media. Some of the media quantified dealt with television, computers, video games, music, print, cell phones, and movies. The study mostly focused the array of behaviors associated with these various forms of media. Data was compiled from surveys and diaries recording media usage in half-hour increments. All in all, this study provides a plethora of information regarding 8- to 18-year-olds average usage of media. Shapley, K.S., Sheehan, D., Maloney, C., & Caranikas-Walker, F. (2010). Evaluating the implementation fidelity of technology immersion and its relationship with student achievement. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(4). Retrieved from http://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/jtla/article/view/ 1609/1460 This study focused on researching effectiveness of 1:1 computing within 21 high need middle schools. Each school was provided providing a laptop for each student and teacher, wireless Internet access, curricular and assessment resources, professional development, and technical and pedagogical support. The results, from three years of 1:1 computing, varied from school to school. Immersion support and classroom immersion were two factors that caused varying rates of success. Suhr, K.A., Hernandez, D.A., Grimes, D., & Warschauer, M. (2010). Laptops and Fourth-Grade Literacy: Assisting the Jump over the Fourth-Grade Slump. Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(5). Suhr, Hernandez, Grimes, and Warschauer (2010) examine the impacts of 1:1 instruction on upper elementary English Language Arts test scores. The “fourth-grade slump”, which caused student test scores to drop from third to fourth, was the focus of this study. The instructional strategies were controlled slightly to focus on writing strategies and literary response and analysis. Trilling, F. & Fadel, C. (2009). 21st century skills: Learning for life in our times. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Trilling and Fadel’s book was written to express the need for change in American school systems. Part one of the book begins why schools need to change their educational practices. Then, to serve as the guide, the
Annotated Bibliography Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) framework is promoted and discussed in depth in part two of the book. Basically, it provides why and how the 21st century is reshaping learning. Wagner, T. (2008). The global achievement gap: Why even our best schools don’t teach the new survival skills our children need- and what we can do about it. New York, NY: Basic Books This book is a response to the global achievement gap occurring within the American schools. Wagner lists seven survival schools to guide school reform and prepare students for the changing world. In addition, he travels describes successful schools implementing a 21st century-friendly curriculum. From these schools, he compares his seven survival skills to their framework.
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