One-to-One Laptop Programs

There was a real buzz at the EARCOS Admin Conference about One-to-One Laptop Programs, many schools are either going that way or thinking of going that way. Also heard mentioned in many discussions was "Tablets". Quite a change from last year, Tablets now seem to have become accepted as having many advantages for schools.

One of the highlights of the conference was the informal panel discussion/forum "What's Happening Now in Educational Technology?" This is were administrators got to quiz Tech experts about where technology in education was going. The common response was: One-to-One

This is a video of my tablet presentation:



One of the videos I used in my presentation was a Toshiba video, which showed how one school had piloted a one-to-one tablet program.


Technorati Tags: [Tablet PC], [One-to-One Laptop],

Laptop Bags

There is some debate about the best kind of bag for a student laptop. If you give students a big bag, they will stuff it with other things that could damage the laptop



such as
The other issue is one of fashion. Whatever bag you buy them, they won't want to use it. A laptop carried without a bag will be dropped and they don't bounce well.

Damage done by dropping is cosmetic, but the plastic assemblies are expensive.

We have decided to give the students a slip case, that they can slip inside the bag of choice (this week).

Tablet PC Selection

We are currently in the process of choosing a Tablet PC for next year - we will be buying 200 more for students use in our 1:1 program and more carts for elementary, as well as additional staff machines. A number of International Schools in Thailand and the Asia Pacific region are looking at starting a 1:1 Tablet PC program.

This is the spec we went for:
I feel that 2Gb of Ram is the minimum spec for VISTA - 2 batteries for whole day use.

This is the email we sent to vendors:

The purpose of this email is to formally invite you, to be a tablet vendor candidate.
For your information, NIST is expecting to buy 200-250 new tablet computers for next academic year.

We would like to the request specifications of your recommended tablet computers and a test machine for testing such as battery life, Windows XP and Vista drivers, checking performance and actual specification.

We will shortlist the tablet companies that we want to invite to a meeting to discuss in detail our new tablet computer requirements at NIST.

In closing, please see our additional requirements to help on your preparation as below;
- Model and Price
- Must be able to deliver in June 2007
- XP and Vista drivers
- Roadmap for the product offered – e.g. When will it be replaces?
- Delivery time for initial order and any additional orders – e.g. replacements
- Warranty - how long - what covered - onsite or not
- What offers – standby machines – free accessories etc
- Cost of replacement/spare parts – chargers – batteries - pens – most usually broken parts – e.g. plastic casing
- What support offered - technical - problem solving –Marketing etc

Technorati Tags:[Education], [Tablet PCs], [Technology], [Teaching], [International Schools],

IBAP Teachers' Convention 2007 continued

The final dinner at the presenters' table. Left to Right: Ed Lawless, Professional Development Manager ; Ian Jukes; Peter Woodhead; , ICT Advisor, English Schools Foundation; Judith Guy, Regional Director IBAP; and myself.

Missing from the table was Stephen Heppell who showed us how he is getting students and teachers to learn collaboratively using technology.

Why Every School Needs a Technology Director

This is a presentation that I gave at EARCOS Administrators Conference 2006 I have had to cut many of the slides out and all of the video, but I think the main ideas are still there.












The premise of the presentation was that schools did not become technology schools by natural evolution.
Pre-technology schools are in denial -
"we have projectors in every classroom"
- Overhead projectors don't count!












Pre-Technology schools have token technology access - not enough to influence teaching and learning.

Technology schools have

1:1 computing for teachers and students

Campus wide WiFi

Online curriculum

No intermediate technology like:

TVs

VCRs

Interactive whiteboards

Pre-Technology schools have a lack of investment in Network infrastructure
























Tech support should mean no downtime












Technology schools can make good use of the marketing opportunities of rebranding as a "Technology School"












What are the skill sets needed to make this happen?

Who can be a Tech Director? Many schools either promote their curriculum coordinator or Systems Manager.

Many bigger schools now have Tech Directors with skills from both camps

Technorati Tags:[Education], [IBAP], [Technology], [Teaching], [Technology Director],

EARCOS Administrators Conference 2006

“Shared Vision Through Collaboration, Technology and Global Awareness”


Ian Jukes : Understanding Digital Kids: Teaching and Learning in the New Digital Landscape. This presentation examined the new digital landscape and the profound implications this holds for the future
of education. It looked at what does the latest neuroscientific and psychological research tell us about the role of intense and frequent experiences on the brain, particularly the young and impressionable brain?

- I always enjoy listening to Ian Jukes as he is such a motivational speaker. I think as educators, we know that kids learn differently. They are used to multi-sensory stimulation and many do not respond well to "Talk and Chalk". I once had a class of 12 year old students listening to a Podcast on their computers. The boys especially, would not settle until they had a suitable visualisation on Windows Media Player to watch while they listened.

I teach in a 1:1 computing school and teachers complain that students get distracted. These are the same teachers who tune out of boring meetings when they have wireless access on their laptops. Students do the same, just more so. Teachers need to radically modify their practices to increase engagement.

My workshops:
Tablet Technology; its Application in Schools - Practical applications of tablet technology in the classroom. A comparison will be made between Tablets and Laptops and Tablets and Interactive Whiteboards. and why NIST has chosen to implement a one to one tablet program. A number of Tablets will be provided by a vendor for a “hands on” experience.


Why Every School Needs a Technology Director - covered in detail in a later blog

Technorati Tags:[1:1 Computing], [IBAP], [Technology], [Teaching], [International Schools],