Email Issues

Cinderella sang "You don't know what you've got till it's gone" - you don't really realize how much you use something until you can't use it! Last week our Exchange server started to do some funny stuff - so I had to call in the "Experts". After several days of work we have finally gotten to a spot where the computer is stable and email is for the most part functional. The plan was to switch to a new email system over the summer, but we may be pressed to do that on a different timeline with this development.

Currently we can access our email through Microsoft Outlook. This allows us to send and receive email messages - while here at school. When at home we were able to access our server through Outlook Web Access, but that is no longer working. I'm not sure what is wrong, but it sounds like it is a combination of hardware and software failure. So for remote access we may be transitioning to Google Apps mail a little sooner than later. Stay tuned for more info!

What were they thinking!?!

As I read about technology and how schools are using/misusing it some things stand out more than others. Take for example the Lower Merion School District. This past week they made headlines, but suspending a student for inappropriate behavior away from school grounds. How were they able to do this you say? By activating the internal web cam on his school provided 24/7 laptop! I had heard that there were security features like this available, thought they were a bit sci-fi, seems though that the technology is out there that makes this possible. Read more about this case at http://tiny.cc/grCa3

Anyone watched "Eagle Eye"? We watched it on Sunday night - it is an entertaining show about the "big brother" idea. In the the Merion case we can see the idea of "big brother" being around the corner isn't too far fetched. We use security measures here at school that allow us to remote in and see a student's desktop when they are in the computer lab, but we cannot see the actual student, just what they are doing on their desktop.

Well, suffice it to say I've filed this away (thanks Ron T. for the heads up) for future reference and clear expectations about when, if, and how this might affect us here in Earlham.

Thoughts on Technology

Apples on Site!

Through special education funding we have purchased 12 MacBook computers for student use in Elementary, Middle and High School classrooms. Some of the students are carrying them with them to class, others use them in the special ed classrooms to assist them in completing projects and allowing them access that might not be there otherwise without leaving the classroom.

From a technology standpoint it is interesting to work with a different "platform", and I must say setting the Macs up to work on our system was pretty simple, and there are some subtle differences between the way they work on our system, but from what I can see so far it is a pretty seamless integration. Hope to have more info about this to come...

12-16 Technology

Tech Committee

A recent decision by the school board provides us with some hope for assistance towards the technology budget. The board decided to put to a vote the Revenue Purpose Statement of our Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds. The current statement was established before the laws governing the uses of these funds were changed to be less stringent. A successful change to the revenue purpose statement could free up some dollars for a technology budget that desperately needs assistance.

The Earlham Schools will be using Google Apps as a way to cut some software costs. Most folks have heard about Google Docs in some form or another. Google also has a suite of applications that are available to Educational institutions free of charge. While the applications are a bit more limited than the Microsoft Office Suite, students will have access to them any time they can access the internet. A few of the teachers have been using these applications over the past few months, and having all students set up with accounts will allow teachers to set workgroups for sharing documents and share working calendars, schedules and other items.

Special Ed Students working with MacBooks

With an eye toward increasing student work production and accessibility for some students, Special Education funds have been used to purchase 12 MacBook laptops for use by Special Education students in grades 3 - 12. The computers have arrived and I am currently configuring them to communicate with our Windows network. Surprisingly enough, this has been very easy on the Mac side, and our windows servers seem to be communicating relatively well. Heavy usage will occur after the first of the year and that will be our first real test.

11/13 - Tech Happenings

Did you know?

• Becky Goerend hosts a Tech Tuesday for any teachers in the district that would like to learn more about Blogging and other subjects?
• Cass Zorn and Angela Ridgely have been changing their instruction to work with new Promethean Whiteboards (interactive technology) in their classrooms.
• The High School Staff has been focusing on technology implementation in their classrooms this fall? Staff from the AEA has worked with them during professional development days with instruction about Blogs, Wikis, using Google Docs, and Web 2.0 tools.
• LCD projectors have been installed in 1/3rd of the classrooms at the Middle School and High School (with 4 more available via cart) , and that 1/10th of the classrooms in the Elementary (one more available via cart) have them.
• Earlham has 50 laptops used in classrooms at the Middle School and High School levels - none for Elementary use.
• The Earlham Technology department is working on implementing Google Apps across the district for teachers, and for students grades 6 - 12.
• Students are enrolled in online courses at the high school level, receiving dual enrollment credit (High School and College Credit).

Did you know that this is all being done on a shoe string budget? Much of our technology budget has disappeared due to district enrollment growth from 04 - 07 and the loss of Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) dollars.

Tech Committee Catch Up

As I visited my blog this morning I figured out that it was woefully out of date and I needed to get it caught up. Since my last post on 8/10/09, the Technology Committee has met twice. Both meetings were well attended. This Monday, 10/26, the Committee had a lengthy discussion about making a proposal to the school board for a technology initiative. There are 4 main parts to this initiative.

1. 1 to 1 Laptops for students grades 9-12 (24/7)
2. 1 to 1 Laptops for staff grades 7 - 12
3. Interactive technologies for classrooms K-12
4. Professional development for implementation of this plan

The 1 to 1 laptop program is something the Earlham School District has been researching for some time now. The committee believes that there are 4 reasons to implement such a program.

1. Options for learning - student engagement. Laptop classes tend to be more active learning environments, with students computing skills showing in their finished assignments/tests/projects. Laptop students tend to be more attentive and interested in learning.
2. Employability of students - Economic flexibility when looking for jobs. The idea of the computer being embedded into everyday life activities - preparing students for life after high school. Laptop students demonstrate superior writing skills and have two seemingly important advantages over Laptop students. One is that their teachers placed greater emphasis on research and problem-solving tasks. Second, Laptop students have greater accessibility to and better skills at using application software geared to solving open-ended learning problems. (Lowther and Ross, 2003)
3. Equity - students 9-12 would have equal access to the technology.In the Year 1 evaluation of the program results indicated greater uses in the Laptop classes of student-centered teaching strategies, such as project-based learning independent inquiry/research, teacher as coach/facilitator, and cooperative learning. Overall, the Laptop classes Were "busier" and more active learning environments. Research suggests that most students already own and use digital tools on a daily basis for their educational, social and personal needs
4. Options for assessment - teachers would be able to explore assessment options beyond the traditional.

While 1 to 1 makes up a majority of the budget, there are other things to consider as well. The committee feels that it is important for the whole school - classrooms PK-12 should benefit from the initiative. Some of this will be through a trickle down effect from new computers, the installation of interactive white boards, LCD projection equipment, and sound amplification systems would be other areas of spending, and perhaps the most important aspect of this - professional development.

The Technology Committee will be presenting to the board this evening, 10/29 at the regular board meeting. Attend if you can!

David put together a great presentation for the School board. I have posted it on my school site and you can download it there.

Minutes 8/10/2009

Iowa core and 21st Century Skills

1. Denise Krefting from the AEA shared with the group the impact that 21st century skills is having on the Iowa Core and school districts

Plan of action discussion

1 to 1 laptop for 9-12 students (24/7) program

• Why? What are our Driving ideas
• Options for learning - student engagement

• Options for assessment – teachers would be able to explore

  assessment options beyond the traditional
• Employability of students - economic flexibility when looking for jobs
• Equity – students 9‐12 would have equal access to the technology

Other technology enhancements for classrooms across the district

• What is our purpose? – all students should benefit
• How can we accomplish this purpose?
• Interactive visual types of things

• Need LCD Projectors
• Interactive Whiteboards
• Sound amplification systems

Other items that were discussed:

• Instructional support $$ ‐ Maximum amount would be about $260,000
• Classroom visits – committee would like to organize and visit other schools who have undertaken initiatives of this nature. Norwalk was mentioned as a potential site to visit
• What is the coverage of our area for internet access – high speed
• What options for rural folks are out there
• What is the cost to the parent in a 1 to 1? Will insurance cover them, or in cases of negligence is something else needed
• Review the Horizon Report

Next meeting September 21, 6:00 p.m. in the Library