Establishing a Digital School Environment – Stanly County Schools

Matthew Barfield, Tech Facilitator and Laura Kerr, Principal (in the finals for NC Principal of the Year!)

WOW!  These folks are from North Albemarle School and presented on their Horizon Project in which they have accomplished a 1:1 laptop program in their 4th and 5th grade classrooms.  Each of the 100 students has a laptop assigned to them (although they do not take them home).  The workshop began with a live video conversation via Skype with two of their teachers back at the school who spoke glowingly of teaching in a digitally-immersed environment.  Cool!  They reported several positive outcomes from the year and 1/2 they have been piloting the project.  These included less teacher prep time to create meaningful lessons (not sure how that is accomplished, because I would think for the first while it would be the other way around), greater student engagement in content, enthusiasm, responsibility for their own learning, increased maturity level, and that they are more apt to do what you are requesting because they see a purpose in it.  They also report greater time on task, and less discipline problems when the kids are using the laptops – makes sense!!

The 4th and 5th grade classrooms have undergone an entire makeover.  The desks were removed to bring in tables so the kids could collaborate while working on their laptops, projectors are mounted in the ceilings, ACTIVboards (equivalent to our SMARTboards) have been mounted on the walls, laser printers have been installed, and a color printer is shared by the two grade levels.  Online textbooks are being utilized, as well as online extension activities, virtual field trips, and webquests.

The very passionate principal, Laura Kerr, sees the laptops as “an accelerant to active learning”.  She has designated every penny of her Title One budget (being a school of over 85% free and reduced lunch) to this initiative, stating that it is the way for the school to be moving!  They are looking at implementing the project in the 3rd grade as well, next year, seeking funding from private foundations and area businesses (like banks).  She invites local commissioners and area business people into the school to see the fantastic things they are doing, and how this movement will positively effect the future of the community; believing that if they can see what wonderful things the kids and teachers are doing, funding will follow.

Training on a daily basis is conducted by Matthew Barfield, the school’s ITF, and early training by Apple was conducted so the teachers would be able to teach the curriculum effectively through the Apple applications.  The presenters estimated the cost of the project, including the staff development, at around $700 per student.

Further information can be found at North Albemarle School’s website under the Best Practices link!

We need to take a visit!

Photo: M with Laptop

Tracy Gregory and Joan White – Perquimans County Schools

These teachers have put together (3 years in the making) great resource materials organized by SCOS units.  All units have been saved to discs which the teacher can use as she works through the unit.  Lessons are built to be kid-friendly including voice over narration to accompany text and emmergent-reader friendly web links.  The ones they shared were science related, and included many strategies to help develop literacy skills as well as science content skills.  There are activities for the early finishers which are related to the unit, engaging and interactive, as opposed to busy work in the form of another worksheet!  Written text throughout the activities includes hyperlinks for vocabulary words so students can view definitions as they go. 

They were selling their CD’s for $15 (a bargain given the amount of great content and activities on it).

Also cool, Brain Pop now has Brain Pop Jr. which is currently FREE!  Did you catch that?  FREE!!  Can’t wait to show my teachers!

On to the next…..

Teaching students how to gather, organize, and present information using graphical, audio recording, multimedia, and digital photography.

Tammy Gruer – Union Hill Elementary 

• Students (2nd grade) were studying sound.  Grant provided DC-1 six Digital Camera Explorer Kit ($215), Califone AX12 microphones, CPS (Classroom Performance System) remotes, LCD projectors (Hitachi), Mobile Multimedia Presentation Cart (Highsmith) – everything is contained in the cart ($348.00), Targus Remote presenter controller, tripod with micro fluid head (Highsmith)
• What makes this sound? Project – Discussed and listened to various pitches (on ppt slide).  Also went over vibration the same way.
• On Riddle slides, the kids used clip art for pictures, text for their riddles, sound links for voice over when they read the slide and sounds to accompany the riddle.
• United Streaming has audio clips as well as several free audio sound sites.
• Kids used the digital cameras to take pictures, clip art, or animated clip art for their riddle multiple choice items.
• Rubric used so students know all the elements to include on their slides.
• Teacher Evaluation sheet was filled out to gauge success of collaboration.
• Also used digital pictures taken by students, and then drew on them to identify shapes the kids are studying.

Outstanding session with great technology integration strategies!  Everything tied to SCOS with terrific evaluation tools to use at the end of the project.  Really need to look into the Digital Camera Kits – small, rugged, easy to use!

Audio BookTalks – presented by Pitt County (Carol Johnson) cjohnson@pitt.k12.nc.us

www.media.pitt.k12.nc.us

• Scores increase 21% when techs, teachers, and media collaborate together.
• Uses Audacity, called companies to receive tools, mp3 with recorder (Sansa), Logitech mics (desktop and headsets), 300 Gb external drive for storage (kept in media center) ALL OF IT WAS FREE!
• Starts out with filling in a worksheet with information about the book – Lesson
• Designing web site in BETA stage, where students will eventually be able to upload to a state repository of BookTalks.  Director needs to call her to gain access for our kids.  Site will be organized by grade level (elem, middle, high), author, AR level, genre, title, etc…
• Disc she is giving out contains all program downloads and directions.
• ccmixter.org - sound/music mashing site

This appears very similar to our book podcasts that we have posted on Podomatic.

Session 1 – Digital Storytelling (Pitt County Schools)

Great deal of the way the brain is wired is visual in nature.

• Parents and kids did storyboard at home, came to school to type text.
• Storybook Weaver Deluxe, Movie Maker, Photo Story was used as well.
• Sharing NC stories putting in Movie Maker format.
• Teacher Academy session (apps due the 30th) to learn digital storytelling.
• Handouts provide sites for free clip art, music, and copyright issues.
• Use the feature to get rid of the black boxes that surround the photos.
• Used it to narrate poem, demonstrate social issues.
• Provided prompts, and then had to construct a project demonstrating his/her opinion.
• After sharing the digital story with another class, have the viewing audience use it as a writing prompt.
• One True Media – site where you can post your digital stories; free version allows you to import your own photos, but you must use their music.
• freemind.com – free graphic organizer software?
• One third grade teacher had her class create “I Have a Dream” presentations.  They each had a template, brainstormed, and collaborated in groups of 4-5 to create their show.  They researched MLK’s dream to help them create theirs.

Did she just say the Spec Ed kids didn’t come to the library because there was no reason for them to come??

Doesn’t grade them other than if they do at least 1 minute they get a 100. ??  No rubric is used or other means of assessing by the kids themselves.  WHY????

Doesn’t post anywhere other than the common folder.  WHY???

Illustrated how to use Movie Maker by having audience members come up and add components.

If I had not had to sit in the very front row of a packed house, I would’ve left.  Disappointing in that the presentation was not organized, and they seemed to be at such a beginning stage in using it, the audience knew more about how to apply it in the classroom.  Not much was mentioned about the steps taken with students to reach a final product.  More of Movie Maker tutorial at the end.

Oh well….