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BYOD in Foothills

BYOD in Foothills

Your Thoughts

What does your school look like 10 years from now?

What about the one your child will be in?

What value does technology play in those classrooms?

Background

Alberta Education findings from 1:1 Pilots and BYOD in Alberta Schools

http://education.alberta.ca/media/6749210/byod%20guide%20revised%202012-09-05.pdf

Main Topics

Section 1: Why Bring Your Own Device?
Section 2: Bring Your Own Device Models
Section 3: School Authority Policy Considerations
Section 4: Establishing a Culture of Digital Citizenship
Section 5: Teaching, Learning and Assessment Using a Bring Your Own Device Model
Section 6: Digital Content
Section 7: Access and Infrastructure Considerations for a Bring Your Own Device Model
Section 8: A Framework for School Authority Readiness
Section 9: Community Interaction

A couple of arguments:

Why BYOD is a disaster waiting to happen…

1. http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/07/5-reasons-why-byod-is-a-bad-idea/  
2. http://www.itworld.com/article/2720891/consumerization/byod-in-school-not-as-easy-as-abc.html  

Why BYOD is going to improve student learning

1. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/byod-makes-sense-beyond-1-to-1-andrew-marcinek
2. http://www.proconlists.com/list/education/byod-in-schools/863 
3. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2012/05/08/tablets-and-education-why-innovative-hardware-is-not-enough/ 

Survey

Just Ask…

The Holiday Domino…

Consumer Electronics were high on the holiday wish list of the average Canadian school aged child. With the cost of devices decreasing every year the opportunity to place wireless devices in the hands of children has never been better. According to Media Smarts a large number of these young consumers are involved in Social Media starting at an early age and many of these kids are using sites unsupervised.

A common question I get from parents within my social circles is "how do we keep up with it?" New online services show up every day and the risks associated with these services is real.

My answer is usually related to supervision. I have four kids in my personal life – 11, 13, 26 and 28. We're a blended family, so I've been through this once with the older two. What I found is that the location of the technology in the home is relevant. For my first set of kids the family computer was in an open space where the screen was visible. Mobile devices were put away at the supper table and the phones the kids had were password protected but it was a known password. That meant I had access to view the content on my child's device when I asked for it. As I go through this a 2^nd time, the rules are mostly the same.

As parents, my significant other and I talk a lot about online identity, the digital footprint and being safe. That doesn't mean it's been perfect. Kids are curious. The youngest created accounts without supervision or advice and the "friends" list had to be modified and their personal profiles reviewed. We also checked content. We had a lengthy discussion about Twitter, Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram and other popular applications. We frequently check the apps on our children's phones and discuss what their phones are being used for. We also "take a look" at what's on their phone and spend time discussing cyber-bullying.

As parents it's important to be familiar with what kids are using and then to ask them why. Sometimes kids can make bad decisions on their way to the right place. Two powerful words… "show me".

As we requested a look at "their" devices, our kids challenged us on that process. They suggested trust issues. The answer is simple – it's not about trust… it's about good parenting. My kids have lost the privilege of their own devices for more than a week at a time. It's an effective strategy as I know the kids feel like I've removed a limb. They survived, and despite the groans and comments related to injustice, so did I.

As a family we talk about digital footprints frequently. We want our kids to be safe and wise in a connected world. We also want them to have access to technologies because we know that wired access can improve learning and provide an advantage.

If you're sitting on the fence about a digital device for your child and the implications of that device on their safety, their learning or their balanced life style the links I've shared in this article are a good place to start. Our society has shifted and, in my opinion, the greatest shift has been in the critical need to be a lifelong learner. As parents I believe we invest in our kids when we remain informed about changing technology. When technology is placed in your children's hands either at school or by you, are you ready to have the questions you need to "just ask"?

 

 

Living Connected

I have an amazing family which includes 5 siblings. We come from parents who missed the opportunity to complete high school and in spite of that, or maybe because of that, we've done all right. Things were different in my parents' day. My father is an entrepreneur – he's made his way by being a life-long learner and as a result has changed careers a few times – welder, construction manager and consultant. Now he's enjoying retirement and exploring the globe. And my Mom… she's a woman sought world-wide for her knowledge in the area of genealogy and is part of the reason the two of them wander the planet. As they trek along you may find them searching libraries for records, or in a technology store taking yet another course. Each of us is successful in our own right and each of us has our own story. We are the way we are partly because of our parents, partly because of how we supported each other growing up as a family and partly because of our teachers. We have all chosen different career paths, - Engineers, Managers, Financial Advisement and me, Director of Learning Technologies.

One of the things we share is a common love of technology and to a degree, it is because it keeps us connected. What I find compelling is that it keeps us learning.
I have some very strong beliefs about how technology has played a role in our successes. I also know that balance is a part of that choice. In Foothills classrooms students access interactive whiteboards, tablets, and smart phones daily. As students embrace wearable connected technology like the new Samsung, Pebble, and Apple Watches there's concern about distraction and damage (the top two topics in casual conversations with Foothills students) AND there's a million ways kids see these devices supporting their learning.

http://www.crunchwear.com/wearable-tech-festival-fashion-of-the-future/

Learning in today's world has changed dramatically. The emphasis is not on facts that are easily garnered from a phone in a back pocket. The emphasis is on critical thinking and shifting the balance between consumption and creation of knowledge. We're beginning to move into the realm of disposable tech – how many of you have iPods that are sitting unused in your house? And the next best thing is coming out at Christmas… will it be a part of improving your child's learning?
There's some crazy innovations being created. Some of the craziness is being embedded into clothing – how about an outfit that updates your Facebook status for you? Or a contact lens that provides instant feedback to your smart phone regarding your blood sugar levels? And then there's the Melon… it's a Kickstarter project that provides ongoing feedback regarding focus. As it is worn it reinforces behaviours that help you stay focused.

To support students learning digitally, Foothills School Division has gone Google. Students have an unpublished domain controlled user account in Google (controlled, monitored and managed by our IT staff). We've also ensured our Wifi connectivity is robust and falls well within safety guidelines developed by Health Canada. Additionally, we've partnered with Shaw GoWifi to offer additional services to our Foothills Family. Our students are using iPads, Chromebooks, iPhones, and Android devices in support of their learning. Our teachers are embracing the technology so that your children can leverage them for learning. Students are collaborating, co-creating and communicating their critical thinking through the use of personal technologies. While they learn, students are taking pictures and video, creating group review notes, peer-commenting on their writing and sharing their work with parents and other family members. We've seen students extending their learning to school busses and their homes. The Google Edu platform allows a secure reliable means for students to access their work anywhere, anytime, and anyplace there's Internet connectivity.

I'm proud to be a part of the Foothills Family – we have high hopes and expectations for our learners and we've been admired as one of the top performing school divisions in Alberta. We are like family – supporting each other so that we can Explore, Develop and Celebrate the unique gifts of our students. We're working with teachers to help students understand their digital footprint and manage concerns around citizenship, distraction and caring for devices.

At the heart of our work of Improving Learning for All Students is Ensuring Intellectual Engagement and Developing Healthy Relationships. Communication is a big part of our vision and our ability to achieve those goals. As our students grow through our system and head out in pursuit of their own careers, the daily use of technology will shape them. Being connected as a part of the Foothills Family gives them an advantage.

Dick Tracy Revisited

I'm sitting at a coffee shop in Sidney. The ocean air is sweeping up off the water and it's easy to see why so many have stopped to relax in the sun. The story of the Malaysian passenger flight being shot down sits on the sidelines of my thoughts and I'm reflecting upon how quickly the technology has allowed the stream of fragmented pieces to string together a story of the atrocity it represents.  We live in a world where the plight of its peoples is at our finger tips and I wonder how, in this day and age, we just can't figure out how to get along.  The laid back calmness that surrounds me is a sharp contrast to the hornet's nest that has been stirred up near the Ukraine.

I stopped in to visit my sister on my way here. She's the kind of person that everyone likes to be around. She exudes positivism and her energy is a wave that lifts spirits. She was wearing a device on her wrist that connects to her phone via blue tooth - Dick Tracy's sister. Her calendar, email, text messages and phone calls all attached. This may seem trivial but my sister suffers from a disease that sometimes limits her physical abilities. She's fallen a few times and been hurt bad enough that those who love her are concerned when she's alone. Now, that goes away as she's got the connections she needs always within reach.  And that's pretty cool.

What happens to our classrooms as BYOD comes into play and every kid has the world's news on their wrist and every text message and tweet is a blinking light beside it. Kids are telling us in BYOD pilots that damage and distraction are the two greatest concerns. What happens when the news of the Malaysian airline crash blinks on and that child's grandparents are in Amsterdam flying to other parts of Europe? What does that do for teachable moments and classroom control.

In our classrooms there's work to do to prepare for the inevitability of wearable technology. BYOD will be a buzz word of the past as it will just be the way things are - personal tech embedded in clothing and jewelry and eye glasses.

The best tool for success is engagement and as educators our investment into learning is best placed in that realm.

(recently updated to repair errors from blogging on a phone...)

Building a Successful BYOD Program in K-12 Environments

Image from Air Watch

Recently Foothills School Division hosted a BYOD strategy meeting in the Town of High River. We're still recovering from the craziness of the flooding that took place just over a year ago. Despite the efforts still taking place to get everything running optimally, life goes on... and so our School Division is developing a strategic implementation plan to employ personal devices in the classrooms of our students. Others in Alberta are ahead of us as we were delayed by the flooding. 

As a part of the planning we sought out advice from other Alberta School Divisions, the hardware communities and experts from software companies. (Kudos to Allan Manzano from Shaw Go Wifi and Greg Milligan from Microsoft for their keynotes.)  We were provided with some great insights. Following the keynotes, a panel discussion ensued providing insight related to reviewing the research. A special thanks to Daryl Hoey for his notes during the event. 

Guests on the panel included:

• Todd Kennedy - Director of Technology, Golden Hills School Division
• Lyle Roberts - Director of Technology, Prairie Rose Regional Division
• Kevin Wttewaall - Director of Technology for Learning, Rockyview School Division
• John Schutte - Senior Manager, Infrastructure and Operations at Calgary Catholic School Division

Here's what we learned. There's 7 Focus areas.

1. Engage Community
2. Distribute Leadership
3. Build Infrastructure
4. Create Cloud Based Access to Resources
5. Create a Portal to make Access to Resources Simple
6. Provide a means to Build Digital Citizenship
7. Focus on supporting Curriculum.

The dialog between the participants elicited a number of salient points. I'll list these in point form and expand on them later.

Engage Community

• Teachers must be engaged and prepared in order for any technology initiative to be successful
• It's important to get the story out (around how the technology improves learning) by getting the story out - possibly from pilots
• Including adults as participants in the digital citizenship process is a great way of moving the initiative forward
• Drive the initiative by learner needs
• The real work begins once the early adopters embrace the initiative. 
• Expect push back once things move past pilots and to the second level.
• Mentor teachers to mitigate the risk of failure.

Distribute Leadership

• Students become leaders within schools helping with support and talking to teachers about technology issues. 
• Students that volunteer love it. 
• Districts that push the leadership to engage in BYOD processes moved further faster - this included board members.
• Developing strategies that include the learning commons is also important.

Build Infrastructure

• It's important to ensure the installation of access points is verified onsite. It's far to difficult to determine placement using theory.
• Some sites have chosen to eliminate access to network drives and printing in order to reduce traffic.
• Savings from device purchasing was redistributed toward bandwidth and access.
• Device management can improve tech support but has an impact on bandwidth
• Some divisions have already put a plan in place to increase access - 10 Gb at the head end, 1 Gb at each site. 
• There are metrics being used to ensure great connectivity 
• Tools like Aruba Analytics, Cybera Analytics, Cacti and Exinda are supporting the measurements

Cloud Access

• Google Apps for Education (GAFE) is a common tool in Alberta
• Microsoft 365 gaining some popularity
• Many divisions moving to or considering leveraging cloud solutions and eliminating local data centres
• Alberta Core program provides an online delivery of learning objects that is collaboratively built between partner divisions.
• SharePoint is becoming less important in divisions that already utilize this software

Portal

• Students and staff need a "one stop shop" to get to their cloud based services.
• Edmonton Public School Division and Red Deer Public both have icon based access to their cloud services. (Great examples).
• Others have gone away from the use of the word portal since it's left a bad taste in the past. Digital Learning Commons is one example of an alternative.

Responsible Use and Digital Citizenship

• Policy and Administrative Procedures should be revisited.
• Consider Search and Seizure due to the use of cell phones and text messaging - there's legal implications
• All schools that are going to BYOD must have a embedded digital citizenship plan. 
• Provision must be made in all classes to work with the students for life in the cloud.
• Filtering practise is stopping only the darkest places. 
• Try to help students around resiliency at the classroom level

Curriculum Design

• Consider understanding by design UDL and assistive technology to create a process for working with curriculum division wide 
• Shift from grading to competency outcomes. 
• Work on assessment with parents

(note: all divisions that participated in the conversation are working on curriculum redesign, inclusive education, and the changes aligned with Inspiring Education)

Merry Christmas to all...

It's Christmas! And what a year...there's has been so much that has happened to be thankful for. I want to share a few of those moments... as best can be shared in a digital environment.

January to June would be a blur... as it always seems to be in the work we complete to support the school division. We enjoyed some cross country skiing out our back door as well as slipping out to Canmore to enjoy more than a few moments in the mountains. When you live in Alberta you have two choices, complain or embrace... like anything really. Make the most of where you are, when you can, as you are.

My partner is a vice-principal at the second largest school in our division. The kids range from K-9 and there's a whack of them... nearly 800. She's completing her masters as she works to manage the intricacies of creating culture with her Principal partner while trying to develop assessment capable learners.  It's been busy as she has two active boys involved in hockey and anything else athletic that they can manage.  Keeps me young.

As we wound our way through spring and entered the month of June, we saw that we were in for a few surprises and even now have not recovered from the flooding that took place in Southern Alberta.

My own office is not yet restored and I'm working out of a school - Oh Canada still playing loud and proud over the school sound system every morning. It may be two years before I am in a space that is "normal" in a relative sense.

A number of my staff were directly impacted - a loss of access to their homes due to water filling their basements.  On a personal note, I had a rental property that was flooded and the tenant lost a garage full of belongings - I helped move the materials out through sludge and sewage and tears. It wasn't pretty.  What struck me the most was the resiliency and determination and camaraderie by those that call High River their home.  Feisty bunch.

While this was going on, I helped repair the High River condo, repaired a damaged property I had in Lethbridge and finished my landscaping. I should be 155 lbs... but I'm not. :)  It's been 6 months and people are still reeling.  It may be gone from the news, but it's not gone from our hearts or minds.

In addition, I connected with some families that spend their lives focused on saving their children. My good friend Christine Killam has inspired me to be more than I am... this amazing Mom created the Okotoks Wishmaker Walk as a part of the Children's Wish Foundation in the middle of dealing with the disease that threatens her own son.  You really need to see what a few people can do to make the biggest difference. Families like the Jarmans (shown) jumped in with us to give back and make other children's wishes come true.


We spent a fall organizing and getting the fractured pieces of our lives back together. Experiencing the turmoil makes celebrating the moments easy.

My own two kids are adults and are in the midst of creating their own lives. One is thriving as she completes her CMA certification and the other is seeking a path as his wife becomes a chiropractor and he determines what he wants to be.

I sat in the hot tub after a cross country ski out my backyard. The sun was setting and reminded me of how good things are. It's Christmas... a time to be thankful... a time to be happy.

Joy to all.

J, S her kids and mine.

Keepers Of The Flame

Olympian Cheryl Bernard

Canadian Olympian and Silver Medalist Cheryl Bernard is presenting at a session hosted by PCcorp and HP. She's a sharp business woman with great skills demonstrated by her success. She shared her Silver Medal with us as she spoke about winning and losing and how the Canadian Anthem brings tears to her eyes.

Impossible to inevitable...

During the game against Russia Cheryl was proposed to by a Crazy Canadian Fan, painted in red and white wearing a speedo. If anything is going to test your mettle, it would be that! She went on to blow a kiss, shake her head no and point to her ring finger and beat the Russians.

The Olympics is a big deal, with big pressures and distractions and joy and life lessons. The two biggest were relationships and pursuing dreams.

The measure of a person is how they behave in defeat... not in victory. Watch your thoughts, they become words...

The greatest benefit of playing sports is that they provide an opportunity to demonstrate excellence.

Dreams are not attained in the waiting... they are gained in pursuit.

dream, plan, believe and act