Futures Scenario- iPad Implementation Plan

This Blog will outline a future scenario for an implementation issue at my school site.  I currently work in a middle school where we have SMART Boards in every classroom, and teachers are encouraged to use technology to highlight and enhance their instruction.  There are two major issues with SMART Boards.  The first is the amount of training needed by staff to become efficient in its use so that it becomes a tool that is embedded with the learning, and not just a big screen TV.  The second is that it does not promote student-centered learning as well as other technology tools.  As I investigate other educational models, the use of iPads to help with the delivery of instruction has become a major undertaking in many districts and schools, and appears to be a model we can incorporate that will make the learning more student-centered while still empowering the teacher to conduct an interactive lesson.

For me to lead this disruption, I would need to become more proficient in the use of the iPad, and attend a training designed to specifically implement this tool into classrooms at the middle school level.  While some of the excitement would be for teachers to learn along with students, I still believe that a certain level of support (aka, expertise) is needed if for no other reason than to be able to identify where we would need to go depending on what support is needed once these devices are in the classroom.

Skills that will be needed from my teaching staff include flexibility, a wiliness to learn and take risks, and a level of efficiency with the implementation of the iPad into the classroom learning environment.  Everybody (students, teachers, and parents) will need to understand that these devices are to enhance learning, and not for 'play'.  They will be used to produce, not consume (taken from High Tech High).  With deep implementation, hopefully the difference between 'work' and 'play' will mean the same thing.

I truly believe that we are as prepared for this shift as any school who has taken on these types of educational endeavors.  Our school is going to be upgraded this year with wireless capabilities, and separate clouds are being installed for students and teachers.  We have a support PTO and district and hopefully successes from other schools will help sell this iPad implementation plan to the stakeholders at our school.

If I could get feedback from teachers regarding their thoughts on the limitations of the SMART Boards, and then I was able to help those concerns with the iPad, I could prime them into thinking that using iPads would be a valuable resource to help student learning.

Taking lessons learned in the past two years, implementing a new technology plan at my school will take time, resources, data to support the plan, and a group of teachers willing to be the positive spokespeople needed to reach the entire staff.

Time
Similar to what happens in our EDLD 720 class when we are presented with new tools and websites, teachers will need time to 'play' with the iPad, experiment with different apps, and get comfortable with the navigation so they feel more efficacious when they are working with the students.

Resources
The initial phase will be iPads for those interested in being Early Adopters.  Allowing them to use iPads with certain apps for their classes will help spread the word to other teachers that this technology is a tool to enhance and promote learning in any subject.  The second phase will consist of iPads for the entire staff after a training they must attend to in order to receive their iPad.  The third phase will be iPads for certain grades and /or subjects.

Data to Support the Plan
Articles collected from other districts will be helpful.  Also, if I were to be a pilot program for the district (with middle schools, since elementary schools are already moving forward with this), I may not need as much hard data to get this implementation off the ground.

Early Adopters
I can identify a group of ten teachers in different grades and subject areas who would be willing to incorporate these devices into their instruction.  They would be willing to go to the training before receiving their iPad, and this is probably their second iPad.  The best way to support these teachers is to provide guidelines and resources (have the iPads already installed with the apps needed to immediately improve instruction in their content area) and then get out of their way.

Step 1:  Identify Implications
While a weakness of implementing any technology would include the possibility of that technology becoming obsolete, iPads offer a stable and user-friendly way to incorporate technology, and the possibility of technology moving completely away from tablets is not anticipated by any research I have read.

Step 2:  Develop Options
To prepare for this implementation, I outlines above steps needed to complete.  These included time fro early adopters to 'play' with the iPads, training for the early adopters (and all other teachers once the roll out has begun), accountability in the forms of writing journals by the teachers and other data-rich assessments of student learning, and feedback from both teachers and students.

Step 3:  Monitor Trends
I would monitor trends in use by feedback given by both teachers and students.  Along with their feedback, having a system of app development would be beneficial.  I spoke with a parent who is attempting to put together some apps for his children to work on by subject (an issue I discuss in the next paragraph).  This parent pays his son $10.00 per app that the parent deems exceptional and will use.  Out of the 25 apps his student has shown him, he has used one.  This parent has a doctorate in education and has been an assistant principal and principal at different levels.  Now retired, he has time to research the application of iPads with classes, and I would use him as an additional resource in the development of the curriculum.

As I work through these steps in the process, I see an avenue for profit.  If there were a package of apps sold by grade and subject area, a more targeted approach could be used both with teacher training and with students in the classroom.  While apps change on a daily basis, having a foundational set of apps for all teachers in grade and subject area would help them with their efficacy, and could also provide a guide for parents to help students at home with projects and questions that students may have.

Step 4:  Take Action
Presenting this to my principal and district officials will be a unique experience based on my specific situation.  The principal is retiring soon and takes great pride in the installation and use of SMART Boards in the school.  It will not be an easy proposition to sell him on changing the type of technology used because of all of the resources that went into the SMART Technologies of the school.  There is also a teacher at the school who has been a tremendous help with our technology needs and issues, and he is also a trained SMART Instructor.  He has poured a lot of his time and efforts into helping teachers become proficient with the SMART Boards, and I would not want this iPad implementation to affect his attitude on how instrumental he has been to get the school to their current level of technological proficiency.

The district officials present another completely different set of issues.  Since most of the research with iPads has been at the elementary level, a pilot program at the middle school level would usually mean that our site would be responsible for the purchasing of the iPads.  While we have the PTO support to begin this, I would seek an agreement to match our purchase from the district.  With or without this agreement, I would disperse the iPads by grades and departments.  Hoping that the English-Language Arts and Math Departments would volunteer, I would want the department with the most early adopters to have the first batch of iPads.  A roll-out plan consisting of a timetables, costs, and training would be created to help with logistics, and would start with sixth grade, so the students would have three years with the devises.  This amount of time would help with data collection regarding improved test scores and quality of projects as they go through sixth, seventh, and eighth grade.  There is also the possibility of students having prior experiences with iPads in the feeder elementary schools, which would add to the positive impact of these devises on our campus.

This Blog is the first step in an implementation process that would bring iPads into a middle school.  This technology would help create a more student-centered environment, which will benefit them with skills they will need in the world outside of their K-12 educational experience.  While there are many hurdles in any implementation, one of this magnitude takes monitoring and adjusting at every micro-step behind the screens, so that teachers and students can reep the rewards in the classroom.  Training, money, curriculum guides, and feedback are vital for the long term success of a program like the one described above.