14.Tch.Fac.SchCanDO

 Posted on Darcy Moores Blog. For a link to Darcy's Blog [|darcymoore] 

**10 things a ‘DET teacher’ can do in preparation for 1:1 (laptops) in classrooms**
May 16, 2009 by [|darcymoore] This will be the first in a series of posts designed to help our whole school community gain the full benefit of the rollout of laptops. This year there will be hundreds of laptops flooding into our school and wireless connectivity. We have been [|preparing] for quite a while now and will continue to do so. The pace quickens though and we, each individual, needs to focus on their own particular challenge(s). 1. **Develop a ** **PLN ** – Ongoing collaboration is the best way to stay up to date and developing a [|//Personal Learning Network//]is essential. You really need to start now and I have found [|Twitter] to be invaluable. Quite simply, the concept of a [|virtuous circle] is in in operation here when you establish a PLN (and you will lose ground, so to speak, in the classroom, if you do not have a network to support professional learning).*** 2.** Understand the concept of a PLE **– Students will need to develop their//[|Personal Learning Environment]// and become independent of the teacher rather than being [|aliterate]. Read more about 21st century learning environments in detail [|here]. Another ‘way of seeing’ is to read about the [|toolbelt] students will have to assist learning. 3.** MOODLE **– familiarise yourself with how other staff are using this [|LMS] and build courses through preparing lessons and units of work. 4.  **Dialogue **– talk with staff who are enthusiatic and making good progress with digital learning personally. Ask for advice and assistance. Check out one of their lessons. Ask what [|Professional Associations] are doing to support their members. 5.** Dialogue - **talk with students, individually and in groups about how having a laptop will change learning and lessons. Seek their ideas. Spread the word of how[|they] will be more [|independent and self-directed]. 6.** Delicious **– You should create [|an account] and add others to your network. Support [|our collective endeavours]at the school to build a great collection of websites for staff to use. Seek help if you need to know more or watch this [|video]. Do you know the school Delicious account password? Make sure you tag effectively. 7.** 10 minutes **– Learn how to use [|RSS feeds] and make 10 minutes a day to check your [|Google Reader] account for posts from Edubloggers and pertinent websites you have feeds from. Here’s a [|video] to help. [|Kelli’s blog] has a good post about laptops and is an example of how DET colleagues share their experiences and knowledge. [|Tim Hand], [|Elaine Talbert], [|Tony Searl]and [|Melissa Giddens] are DET bloggers too. Organise RSS feeds from these blogs to get started. You’ll soon find blogs specific to your subject area to have feeds from. Check my blogroll to the right for some good blogs. 8.** Find free web apps **– So many excellent tools and [|apps] are available for free online. [|Richard Byrne]and [|Larry Ferlazzo]are two of the best bloggers for staying informed about these apps. Organise RSS feeds from these blogs. 9.  **DET portal  & TALE **– This [|link](if you are logged on to the portal) will take you to the L4L (Laptops for Learning) page with all the bulletins, links and info available to DET teachers. There is a [|FAQ]. You must read this. The[|TALE site] should be one that all staff are familiar with and increasingly need. 10.** Reflect **- How can students learn best in my classroom? How can we create life-long learners? Am I a life-long learner? Why am I a teacher? How can I help students to be independent? How can my classroom evolve with new tools and pedagogical ideas? How can I keep up to date happily? What risks do I need to take? What do I most need to be careful about? Who can help me? Who can I help?** My PLN ** I asked colleagues face-to-face, via Twitter and email what they thought we needed to do pre-laptops.
 * Here’s __10 things__ ‘a teacher’ can do <span style="padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">__prior__ to the arrival of the students’ laptops** (apologies that some of the videos are hosted at YouTube and consequently filtered by DET):

10 things a faculty can do in preparation for 1:1 (laptops) in classrooms
May 19, 2009 by [|darcymoore] <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**1. Support the school’s agenda** – help to make good ideas work but also shape them with positive input followed by action. HTs have a special role here in leading their faculty positively and realistically. Be collaborative and then complete honest reflection using the [|SWOT] tool. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**5. Conferences** – ensure that each faculty member leaves the pond each year and sees what is best practice as presented at conferences. Encourage staff to present at conferences and promote the good work of the faculty and school. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**9. Tech Tip of the Week** – publish ideas that will help colleagues, encourage everyone in the faculty to participate in developing sound pedagogy using digital technologies. Formally share successful and failed lessons/ideas/strategies in faculty meetings.
 * 10 things a faculty** can do in preparation for 1:1 (laptops) in classrooms:
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">2. Share locally with colleagues ** – who work in the same faculty at a different school. Do this in a range of ways, including creating an online presence and identity for the faculty. Is there a member of the faculty who could help set up a blog or wiki or work on the school website? Support, and if necessary re-invigorate, local networks and share ideas and resources.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">3. Champion student needs ** – and focus on what will enhance student enjoyment, engagement, learning and outcomes.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">4. Develop collaborative units ** – using [|MOODLE] and thinking about engaging students with sound pedagogy, not just technology. These [|2 Minute Moodles] will help.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">6. Agitate ** – for professional development, resources and time. Have a plan and sell it to the Boss. Make it align (and shape) the school plan. Engage with your professional association.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">7. Know your team can make a difference ** - and be positive. Pace yourself to do a little towards the collective faculty goals each week. Who can help you and who can you help in your faculty? Who can help your team from another faculty?
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">8. Revisit ** – ICT outcomes and cross-curriculum content strategically in faculty meeting and then set plans for action. [|Backward mapping] is an effective strategy to employ.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">10. Reflect ** – as a faculty and individual on what must change and what stays in your programs. Talk pedagogy and digital technologies, not just about new tools. Permit failure and encourage openess. Be learners. Be collaborative.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">Here are the suggestions ** from colleagues about **<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">what a faculty can do ** in preparation for the L4L rollout later in the year:

**10 things ‘a school’ can do in preparation for 1:1 (laptops) in classrooms**
May 31, 2009 by [|darcymoore] This is the third post in a series. You may wish to read the first and second posts concerned with what a [|teacher] and[|faculty] can do in preparation for 1:1 too. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">1. **Funding** - expectations of a champagne experience from a beer budget tend to fizzle when the reality sets in. The state is providing machines and some training/support but it will not be enough. What resources can be deployed by the school? How much can the photocopying/textbook budget be scaled back? What needs to be done to the infrastructure of the school and classrooms? We are storing ’spare’ machines, placing our TSO in the library and cutting a hole in the wall to create a servery. Most of the budget allocation should go to training staff and ongoing teacher professional learning rather than ‘nuts and bolts’ stuff. [|PLNs] are very inexpensive options. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**2. Support for staff to develop professionally** – needs to be innovative, especially in the creation of time and space to learn. Using Year 10 -12 examination time (by hiring invigilators) allows staff to have extra hours throughout the year. See earlier posts in this series ([|faculty]/[|teacher] posts). [|Models]of continuous learning rather than outdated one-off training programs are needed. Mostly, it is about a changed [|mindset.] <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**4. High expectations of, and from, the school leadership** – is absolutely essential. If leaders can’t turn on the laptop, engage in meaningful conversation about the impact of digital technologies on pedagogy and most importantly, show a willingness to learn, fail and smile (most of the time) through the challenge, it is unlikely their troops will buy into the rhetoric. Talking the talk and walking the cliche is important. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**5. Procedures and protocols and making it work -** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">the devil is in the detail and it is essential that the practical realities of ubiquitous laptops usage is given a high priority. However, the temptation will be to focus on this rather than pedagogy. What happens when it rains and not all students have shelter at our school? What do I do if my laptop is broken or stolen? What are the rules? Mum says…but the school wont…what do I do? Where can I find the policies, procedures and protocols? In the students’ school diary, website, MOODLE? Some brainstorming sessions with students, staff and parents will raise a host of unanswered questions. Find the answers! <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**8.** [|**LMS**]**-** [|**MOODLE**] has been in place for 12 months is important at our school, especially as we are waiting for the DET Learning Tools to be released. The DET blogging platform is in beta and eBackpack is on the horizon but our needs will not be met by these in the immediate future. The school must ensure students and staff have access and can use our systems. <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**10. Reflection** <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">**-** the continuous cycle that incorporates and acts on this reflection permits failure and allows for renewal. Innovation and risk-taking are encouraged and stagnancy resisted at all costs. Everyone must be free to be critical, positive criticism with suggestions for the future, are what we all need. //**There’s obviously so much more…**// __[|Replies3]__ View more __[|OpenOffice presentations]__ from __[|Darcy Moore]__.<span style="font-family: tahoma, arial; font-size: 11px; line-height: 16px;">
 * 10 things ‘a school’** can do in preparation for 1:1 (laptops) in classrooms:
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">3. Create a small motivated team to do some ‘thinking’ and ‘proposing’ ** – to the executive and whole staff. The team could include the librarian, a classroom teacher and member of the senior executive as well as the ‘tech brains’ at the school. This is for the committed and able, not a meeting kind of thing, more an ongoing what does our school need and where the hell is the information we need.
 * 6. Keeping students in the loop** - and explaining the expectations, challenges and opportunities the L4L rollout will provide. Have the Student Representative Council (SRC) provide leadership and be part of the formal and informal dialogue. Have staff formally and informally discuss L4L and their lessons. Distribute ideas, queries, enthusiasms and fears. Teach them about the importance of posture and raise awareness about ergonomics and best practice. All students must be able to and often access their email and MOODLE accounts. Make it worth their while to access these accounts!
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">7. Advocate appropriate models of pedagogy **- and encourage staff to think differently about what an effective lesson format might be. Provide examples and dynamic presentations that model effective learning experiences, especially focus on the practicalities of the the beginning and end of lessons. The school must insist that an appropriate range of pedagogies are employed. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">[|PLE] - the concept of a ‘Personal Learning Environment’ is fundamental to having the entire school community understand the paradigm shift that ubiquitous laptop usage (with good wireless) can facilitate. This[|video] makes it understandable.
 * <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 153); padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;">9. Keep the parents & the community informed ** – of the school’s vision. Help them understand [|Web 2.0], [|cybersafety],[|L4L] and digital technologies using sites like[|Click]. Communicate using these technologies. Ask what can parents do to support? Keep the P&C updated and in the loop. Talk about practical and theoretical issues. How can my son or daughter ensure their posture is good when using their machine? What happens if…?