What our staff thinks of 1:1

During the month of April, we released a short survey to parents, students, and staff inquiring about their interest in 1:1 (providing a mobile technology device to students for educational purposes).

We asked only three questions related to 1:1…

Q1. Are you interested in the district pursuing 1:1 for students? (Yes, No, or Not Sure)

Q2. What do you see as the advantages or benefits for why we should investigate 1:1? (a mobile device for students)

Q3. What do you see as the concerns or problems related to 1:1? (providing a mobile device for students)

Download/View the full survey responses from staff 

Below is a summary of the most frequent staff comments along with sample quotes….

Benefits…

“I teach special education, and I can see this benefiting all of my students with no disadvantages.”

“Student struggle with writing and this would help them”

“I could provide better feedback to my students”

“I think it would allow us to raise expectations for students”

“It would help students become better organized, encourage teachers to bring more technology use into the classroom and it would reduce the time wait for students to get logged in”

“We can move away from purchasing textbooks.  We will be able to create assessments that be graded more quickly and efficiently.”

“It would be far easier to differentiate for each student”

Concerns…

“Really, I see it as a convenience factor. It’s a way to get standardized testing done and to go paperless.  It’s also a way to appease parents.  While that’s noble, is that really what we should invest in at the moment?”

“The only advantage…. prestige for the district”

“I think we would have issues with adequate tech support”

“Another screen that will increase their already distracted behavior”

“Our school has so many laptop computers and computer labs for our students – I just do not see the need at this time”

“The districts that are using 1:1 don’t have nearly the number of computers we do, so they needed them for a different reason…. we don’t have a reason.”

“How much worse will classroom management be?”

“More iPads in the classroom? Yes.  One for every student?  Waste of student time and taxpayer dollars.”

Other quotes…

“Our kids are digital natives… I think 1:1 is more of a WHEN than IF”

“I would not be adverse to 1:1 laptop situation… BUT I think WDMCS needs to think carefully through all scenarios BEFORE implementation.”

Digi-Tools class presents online through Flat Classroom Project

The Digi-Tools class is taught by Sarah Bird.

Valley High School Digi-Tools students have been participating in The Flat Classroom Project. The Flat Classroom Project is a global collaboration project based on Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, that joined students together from around the globe. Students used a variety of Web 2.0 tools to communicate, research, evaluate, and create. Other schools that participated in our project were from Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Ohio, California, Colorado, Canada, Mexico, India, and Australia.

The purpose of the project is for students to experience the flattening of walls within the classroom. U.S. businesses no longer work in isolation, but rely on global partners just as our students experienced during this project. Students researched ideas discussed within Friedman’s book, collaboratively wrote a summary on a wiki page, and created a video that included an outsourced segment from a student in another classroom.

In true Digi-Tools fashion, the culmination of this project will take place online. Please join us on Monday, May 13 from 10:00 am -10:45 am for our online Student Summit. You will be able to watch students present online by clicking on the link below. Each student will share in one minute or less their experience of working through this project. Simply click on the link below, enter your name & log in.

http://tinyurl.com/studentsummit2012-2013

The Digi-Tools class is taught by Sarah Bird, business education teacher at Valley High School.  Her class has participated in the Flat Classroom Project in previous years. To see their information/products from prior years, please visit:   Digi-Tools/Flat Classroom Video from 2011  and  Valley High School Student Summit from 2011.