1:1, Gradual Release of Control, and Calming Fears.

I am blessed to work in a district in Iowa that is joining the practices of many others in adopting 1:1 computing as a learning resource.  With this shift in operating norms comes excitement, wonderment, and a dose of apprehension.  After all, the unknowns are always a bit daunting.  How do we know it will work?  How am I going to incorporate these computers in my classroom? Why do we need to do this? Will this help kids learn?

In adapting the instructional model, it cannot be ignored that for many, this is a second order change. As Marzano (2005) identified, "Second order change is anything but incremental.  It involves dramatic departure from the expected, both in defining a given problem and finding solution...Deep change alters the system in fundamental ways..." (66).  With the adoption of the 1:1 instructional model, it may seem apparent that the way one teaches must change.  However, that is a dramatic departure from the expected if what we teach is the same set of lessons from year to year.

The computer is not a solution for poor instruction. Whether your school is adopting iPad, MacBooks, netbooks, Chrome Books, or some other portable computing device, it is merely a tool that helps students access the world more easily and engage with the material in a new way.  Putting computer-handed students in a room with a poor teacher will likely not result in a better learning experience for the students.  Effective technology integration is something that comes with practice, even for the best teachers.  This takes extra effort on the part of teachers to find what is out there that can be used in the classroom.

One expectation that we have made clear in our district is that the computers should not be used to do the same old things.  Perhaps you give out worksheet after worksheet in your class. Not necessarily higher order thinking stuff. What we don't want is for teachers to simply digitize their worksheets.  We want the students to gain a powerful experience and use the technology to accomplish those higher order thinking skills: analyzing, applying, evaluating, and creating.  What is more powerful than having students create a filmed adaptation of Hamlet using animation? What better evaluation of student learning than using GarageBand to create a podcast about photosynthesis? Is there a departure from the expected? Yes. Will it feel different? Absolutely. Yet the questions we have to keep at the forefront of our minds in moving to a technology enriched classroom are, "What benefit does this have for the student?" "How is the student thinking differently?" "Are they learning in a better, more useful way than before?"

What is critical to making a 1:1 initiative successful? According to Stanhope (2010)

              adequate management and technical infrastructure (including connectivity, a wireless network, hardware and software resources, and school procedures/policies), professional development (PD), technology support personnel, and the use of the laptop by teachers and students leading to changes in instructional practices and student learning outcomes.

Infrastructure cannot be ignored.  We are discovering the wrinkles in our infrastructure in terms of connectivity and continually ironing them out. It is a learning process that requires patience from all involved.  Of equal importance is professional development. Effective PD that addresses the concerns of educators will do a great deal to preserve a positive culture and alleviate some of the fears that may be associated with a change in procedures.  We are spending a healthy amount of time in block meetings with our technology consultant from the AEA to guide us in the tools and uses for the MacBooks our teaching staff have been issued. Having these moments with technology personnel is extremely helpful in seeing potential uses for the technology in the classroom. This is just the beginning of the journey though, and the road is likely long and winding.

At the cost of discomfort for some teachers, we have new learning tools and are unlocking potential for our students. So how do we overcome the fears that accompany releasing more and more of the instruction to the students? More on that later.

Works Cited

Marzano, Robert J., Timothy Waters, Brian A. McNulty. School Leadership That Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 2005.

Daniel Stanhope, et al. "How Laptops Digitize And Transform Learning." Online Submission (2010):ERIC. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.