My school is going to a 1:1 environment with netbooks next year. I'm one of the people that teachers will be coming to for help when the netbooks are distributed next. Therefore, I've been trying to compile a small list of essential resources that can be used across the curriculum. The product of that work is this guide titled Twelve Essentials for Techology Integration. This guide will serve as a getting start for teachers and the basis for some informal trainings that I'll be offering to staff. I gave a hint about this yesterday on Twitter when I asked "if you could choose just three web-based resources to use in your classroom, what would they be?"
The guide is embedded below.
RSS readers may need to click through to view the guide.
It is by no means comprehensive, but it is a good starting place for those teachers who need advice on taking their first steps toward integrating technology into their classrooms. I welcome any and all feedback. If you like it and know a teacher or teachers who would benefit from it, please feel free to print it and distribute it.
27 comments:
Nice job on this!
I'll look forward to hearing how it goes with the teachers!
This is a great way to give your teachers a starting place for integrating technology into their classrooms in your forthcoming 1 to 1 environment. Hopefully, they will use many of your suggestions in their classroom next year.
You did a great job it looks so clean and organized.
Great work Richard - a very readable and useful document for teachers new to technology. I found bookmarking (Delicious) a really useful place to start because it enabled me to organise my links with tags, and find resources twelve months later, when I needed that topic the following year. If any of your new-to-technology science teachers would like a science teacher buddy to share and recommend resources, I am a secondary school maths/science/biology/environmental science teacher who could assist.
This is a great resource. Thanks for making it available to us. I have been working with the teachers in my building to help them get up to speed with technology and this guide will help.
I also have resources to share at my blog:
http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com
Do you have the PDF available?
Mr. RCollins,
If you click the "enlarge in a new window" link you should find an option to download as PDF in the upper,left corner of the screen.
Richard
The offline version is some sort of flash app, not the PDF.
Mr. RCollins,
Contact me at richardbyrne (at) freetech4teachers.com and I'll a pdf copy to you.
Richard
Great idea, Richard! I like it! Needs to be more of this type of thing for the Netbook 1-1 programs in the State.
Thanks.
Jim
Thank you for generously sharing this document with us, Richard. I plan to give out copies of it at my presentation at the beginning of next school year. It is a way to get other teachers involved with using technology without overwhelming them. Well done.
Hopefully I'll get to meet you F2F at NECC.
I would love to learn more about how your school reached the 1:1 netbook stage of evolution. I'm dreaming of simply having some day a class set of 20 netbooks for my HS Spanish classroom. I'm ready to integrate; I just need computers for the students.
RDetwiler,
Getting to the 1:1 netbook stage in out school was a long process that was started four years ago, but was hastened by state politics this year. The state DOE wanted us to go 1:1 with MacBooks, but it was twice the cost of using netbooks.
Richard
@RDetwiler, one solution would be to use old machines as thin-clients to a Linux server. Look at k12ltsp.org for more information. We're using it with 7 and 8 year old iMacs, and now they run Firefox 3 and OpenOffice.org.
Finding 5 year old machines shouldn't be too difficult, and refurbished Dell servers can be had for under $400. So for the price of one new machine in your classroom you could setup an entire lab.
Nice job - can I borrow your format?
This is so exciting - hope we can get some teachers from your district working with teachers from mine. It should really give them motivation to make the best use of these Netbooks.
Thanks Sharon.
Go ahead and use the format or the whole thing if you'd like.
Richard
I just stumbled across this blog. My district is entering its 6th year of a 1:1 laptop program. I can't wait to use some of the info. here to reinvigorate interest in our program! Thank you for sharing!
I am interested in what a "1:1 laptop program" is. From what I understand from reading these posts, it means a laptop for each student. Heaven!
For those of you who have such a program, how was it funded?
I would love to use netbooks in my classroom.
This is a great list. It is very well organized and aesthetic. Thank you for sharing it with everyone. I would also like to add www.teachertube.com as an alternative to youtube. I also wonder if a section on video or photo editing or image creation could be beneficial.
Leslie,
Thank you for your comment. TeacherTube wasn't featured in the guide partly because I wanted to keep it short, and partly because I've had problems with TeacherTube videos loading very slowly. I did mention TeacherTube in the additional resources section.
I'm working on a much expanding version of this guide. In it there will be a section on image and video editing and hosting.
Richard
Great - it is simple and easy to use. I have actually started a quick PD session each week highlighting these and other such tools - showing how that can be used on the classroom. Thanks again for a great resource for teachers.
Karen Wright
I would love to hear if anyone posting to this blog works at a PUBLIC school in the state of Wisconsin that has one laptop for each student (1:1). I'm fighting to keep three ancient monitors which use one CPU tower in my classroom.
I'd also love to hear if any teachers in WI work in a district that has been discussing 1:1. I know that Milwaukee Public Schools have discussed (don't know how this turned out) students being able to purchase a laptop, which they would use in school, and then own. That seems like a viable alternative for districts that cannot fund 1:1 for students.
I did read that Mr RCollins suggested using old monitors and a linux server...does anyone else have any suggestions for how I could inspire my district to make 1:1 a reality?
Thanks!
Learn about our 1-1 initiative using Netbooks and OpenSource resources and support. You can also contact me - sharonbetts (twitter)
http://maineschoolwikis.wikispaces.com
Sharon-
thanks for your link. I read a bit on your wiki....could you provide a little more history? How did you district arrive at this stage? How many years have you been working on the 1:1 plan?
I really found your information helpful, and I'd love to (potentially) share your district's plan with my district.
I don't twitter, but I'd enjoy trading e-mail if possible:
juligeis@hssd.k12.wi.us
Thanks!
Richard
Being a Library Media Specialist. The resource "Twelve Essentials for Technology Integration," is something I feel myself along with our teachers can use. I am just now learning to use a blog. I am working on setting one up on Edublog.I know that with the 21st century the more diverse media we can interact our students with the more motivated they will be to become life-long learners. The essentials you have listed will expand the boundaries for our students to interact and communicate throughout our society.
Our district is considering moving from MS Office to OpenOffice. Do you have any insight into the pros and cons of such a move?
Hi Donna,
Moving away from MS will save your district a substantial amount of money in licensing. I don't have anything bad to say about Open Office, in fact, at the price (free) it's great.
Richard
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