BYOD... Where to Next...

Thanks to my wonderful PLN on Twitter, I was able to attend a webinair this evening about Rolling Out Chromebooks.
I still enjoy being able to tap into others' experiences and piecing together what is right for us by reflecting on others' journeys and am always grateful for the free sharing that takes place.
These were my main take-aways from Blake's (@BlakeSeufert) session...
Firstly, (it's a given) that implementation does not lead to effective classroom practice. This becomes another prong to the leadership role. The three pillars to adoption include change management of the following:base level of access including wifi, devices, etc. No point moving ahead until the system is robust.professional development: external experts creating confidence: teachers have steps in place, realistic timelines etc. to get things fixed. (prevent people being jaded and burnt by the potential transformation)The web is an integral component to education now. It is a key tool to acquiring knowledge. The device is the tool; a paintbrush or a magnifying glass. Chromebooks are unique as a device=boot time <5 seconds (2-3 with new CBs from power on to onto the web) Really Fast7.5 hours per battery security of the device: hands off… self updates including security and apps, protection against malware, no third partyapps: a shortcut to a website or a link - look for pixlr, audio, WeVideo  and WeVideo Next which you can work off line with USB with, edit, etc and then upload.You can pin apps to the task bar.Need to explore a white glove service for student’s chromebooks My next steps:

• Privacy agreement is vital… 

• Attend the Communicating change and school branding webinar.

• Ensure that single sign in providers can navigate to chrome

• Allow kids access to apps - freedom to innovate

• Introduce emails but make sure they are locked internally

• survey staff - gage their interest/ support b4 introducing

I was affirmed by Blake's reference to the fact that "holistic students need a range of devices and platforms."

What Does Learning Look Like?

 

This chart is created by Like to Write 

In the pursuit of designing learning and what it could possibly look like, I am forced to re-visit the multitude of readings about learning in the 21st Century. I have previously articulated my reticence of these texts as we are too far into this century to pull the 'time to change' card. It should have changed in my books by now.

We know and have now known for a longtime that the world is changing rapidly and that we cannot begin to predict what the world will look like in 8 years let alone 50. Collectively, it sounds as though everyone involved in education acknowledges that we are preparing all children to be active participants in a globally, connected world. But it seems that some view the 3Rs as the old band aid that needs to be ripped off quickly and cleanly while others see them as the enablers that must be central to early learning. 

The key competencies refer to real skills such as growing as critical thinkers, goal setting  and knowing what to do when the going gets tough. Managing themselves to get through those hard places so that they can achieve well by picking themselves back up and carrying on. Surely, these competencies are not 'extra' things to cover in the learning environments? Each of the key competencies is evident in the process of learning and it is this that needs to be the focus in our habitats not the content. 

The devices are a perfect vehicle for facilitating the learning process. This suggestion is not to be confused with creating another stand alone curriculum that involves learning how to use the technology. Nor is it about teaching with technology tools. Instead, it is about the children creating and constructing with the technology. 

Knowledge is accessible and totally ubiquitous and this alone has placed a greater emphasis on the need to shift our practices. Children don't need to think of things, but need to think about them. This takes us to a whole new level of thinking including analysis, synthesis and evaluation. 

We need to develop the children's communication skills so that they are able to communicate in our media rich world.  They need to be able to use their learning to solve problems and to record this digitally including texts such as news broadcasts, gaming, blog reflections. The engagement that these tools provide give licence to the children to create texts that reflect their individuality. 

The use of platforms such as google docs allows for collaboration. It is important to note that collaboration is not just about helping each other or giving each other feedback. Truly collaborative tasks will enhance student learning by closely modelling how they are likely to work as adults. 

We need to be aware of our role in helping children to understand the process of learning and the grit needed to achieve longterm goals/ projects. We need to ensure that learning is authentic and meaningful for the children. 

We Have Opened

I really don't know if I will get my daily blog posts published this week. I keep starting a draft and then not completing it. (Is it cheating if I post them later in the week?) It turns out that opening a school is a magic but slightly manic experience! 

We have made it! We have opened to learning!

ODT Article

We've Moved Our Own Cheese!

I shared this with the team during our induction. 

The Key Messages:

• Change happens, they keep moving the "cheese".
• Anticipate Change: Smell the "cheese" often so you know when it is getting old.
• Adapt to change quickly. The quicker you let go of old cheese the sooner you can enjoy the new cheese.
• Enjoy and savour the adventure and enjoy the new cheese.

Over morning tea, I asked some of the team what they would do if they were not afraid? They reminded me that they weren't afraid and that we have all put our hands up for this. We decided that when you change what you believe, you change what you do.


There is a sense of pure adrenalin running when you are working with a team of people who have all put their hands up to change the way they work as educators. The climate of possibility in our place is endless and exciting!

It's Happened! We Are Here!

What a magical milestone today was. We had all of our Day 1 learners and their families come to school for a bit of a transition session followed by a barbecue and a social gathering. We have opened with approximately 91 children in Years 0-4 and 7 mentors working in 2 learning habitats! We are here!

To help the children settle into the learning environment we relied on their parents taking their own child(ren) around the school on a sort of self-directed tour. Hopefully, this has helped the children familiarise themselves with the spaces in readiness for Monday. It was wonderful to stand back and watch the learning spaces get 'activated' and to see the vision begin to unfold.

I was in awe of the excitement, enthusiasm and support shown by the parents. They showed a real appreciation for the work done so far and the newness of Shotover School. They were keen to meet not only their children's "Go-To Mentor" but also the other Mentors that their children would be working with each day. They were buzzing just as much as the mentors themselves and the children. 

Weaving the Vision into the Learning Environment via the Resources...

Today was a little bit like Xmas all over again. It was all about the unpacking and unwrapping of the resources and getting them into their places. The resources that were being catalogued were the result of mine and Helen's own learning/ inquiry from over the past 6-7 months.  It was such a rewarding experience to watch the mentors (teachers) squeal with delight as they opened boxes and peel of the plastic.

The mechanics of opening a MLE has included discussion, research, visioning as to how to resource a space such as ours. Traditionally, we would give each teacher in their single cell classroom their own numeracy kit... Strand equipment might be stored on a shelf in a shared resource room.

My question - what if we could group children to stages of learning and reduce that core equipment so as to allow for equipment that supports and promotes the ability for 'just in time' teaching?

Day One: We have lift off!

As I begin the #28daysofwriting challenge, I need to put a few things into perspective! I am living a dream I have had for a while... I am a part of the leadership team of a new school opening this week!

For the past six months, since my appointment, I have been researching, debating, learning and forward planning. In amongst getting to know the people I am working with, building trust and developing open communication, we have had to think about everything from defining the beginning of our learning values and our vision to which toilet paper dispensers we should install! We've had to make decisions about furniture, resources and our digital infrastructure. The thing that has amazed me most is that there is no hand book for opening a new school. We have had to path our own way.

And, it's just been amazing!

On Friday, we got the key to our building. We are in. This has  been the most incredible finale to a magical 2 and a 1/2 week induction period with our teaching team.

Today we were able to open our learning habitats and admin block up for the wider community to come in and have a look. We all felt rather overwhelmed and humbled by the support and excitement that came in, not only from our incoming children and their families but also, the wider community including retired educators and local teachers. Our FOS (friends of the school) group are already well established and formed the welcoming committee today with their sausage sizzle and cake stall. Today, the community came together for the first time!

The next four days are all about 'nesting' and orientating ourselves in our spaces. We need to unpack resources from a shipping container and set up our learning spaces. Thursday is our open day which will include a family barbecue. Our children have not had the luxury of transition visits so the family barbecue will hopefully allow time for orientation in the form of a family 'scavenger hunt'. 

For the next week or so, I am going to use the #28daysofwriting challenge to help me get back into the pattern of reflecting. I will use our transition into our building as my platform to begin with. I would really appreciate feedback, suggestions, perspectives and challenges! 

I am looking forward to building my blogging/ reflecting skills and reconnecting with others but I probably need to state that I am in this for the purpose... not the audience.