Category Archives: Teacher

Impact on learning, Learner, Sharing devices, Strategic vision, Teacher, Trusting learners, West Lothian

Balbardie PS: Learning with any device

May 13, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Balbardie PS in West Lothian has been working closely with their Local Authority development team in order to develop a learning strategy to ensure that their Anytime Anywhere Learning channel can have real impact on the life of learning in the school. Greg Welsh (headteacher) took time to explain that after consultation with staff and pupils it was decided that a focus on numeracy and literacy would be a main target for their learning strategy. This curricular focus was complemented by the determination to establish a learning culture in the school that would enable learners to be comfortable with any connected device that they could access and use to support their learning.

…a huge focus on not teaching around a device. The device is there to support the learning that is taking place.

Mr Welsh pointed out that he and his staff did not feel that there was any real need for the children at the school to be trained in the use of any of the devices that were available.

Balbardie PS: Impact and vision Mr Welsh discusses the vision for the AAL channel and the impact that he is seeing

The school has a range of devices for use to support learning and teaching including netbooks, laptops, iPads and Nintendo DS. These devices can be seen to be in the same class at the same time in a mixed economy style. Mr Welsh took us to visit to a P7 class to see this policy in action and during this time he again explained the rationale for encouraging the use of a range of devices to be used across the fabric of learning in his school.

Balbardie PS: Mixed economy of devices Mr Welsh discusses the rationale for having a mixed economy of devices

We visited a number of other classes at Balbardie PS to see the school’s policy on using a range of devices being put into practice. In one of the classrooms we visited we saw the children in groups where there were netbooks and iPads available for use. This discussion with them shows how at ease they are in using any device to assist them with their learning and it helps to show how the school’s aims are becoming realised by the way learners are confidently using any device to help support their learning.

Balbardie PS: Learners and a mixed economy of devices Learners discuss their experience of a mixed economy of devices at their school

Similarly, this short interview with a P7 learner who is using the Pictochat facility on a Nintendo DS gives us an insight into this confident attitude and ‘at ease’ nature of learners with devices that appeared to permeate the classrooms that we saw during out visit to this school.

Balbardie PS: Learner with DS in a mixed economy device classroom Discussion with P.7 learner using Nintendo DS in a spelling lesson

Some food for thought on how such an approach to using a variety of learning devices in your school and helping to develop the associated learning culture can be planned for and nurtured.

BYOD/BYOT, Impact on learning, infrastructure, Pilot overview, Sharing devices, Strategic vision, Teacher, West Lothian

Balbardie PS: Engaging with the local authority strategic approach

May 9, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Strategic plan to help enable devices to impact on learning

Balbardie PS is in Bathgate in West Lothian. The school has recently engaged with the central team at West Lothian Council to get their anywhere, anytime learning (AAL) channel switched on for learners.

Greg Welsh (headteacher) gives an overview of the supported network for school-provided devices and the AAL channel that pupil-owned devices can access in West Lothian schools. He talks about how he is managing a range of devices in school and how they are preparing the ground that will allow learners to bring their own devices in to school.

Balbardie PS: Greg Welsh HT – overview Mr Welsh (HT) gives an overview of pilot as Balbardie PS

Mr Welsh shared his experience of engaging with the central West Lothian team to prepare for his school’s AAL channel to be activated. This involved preparing a plan that indicated key timescales, key stakeholders, staff capability and support, parental engagement and, most importantly, how the introduction of the technology would impact on learning across the school. He described this process as a rigorous one but one that was fundamental to the school’s strategic approach to planning for better outcomes for learners.

Balbardie PS: Engaging with the Local Authority strategy Mr Welsh (HT) discusses the process for engaging with the Local Authority strategy at West Lothian

As a result of working with the central West Lothian team to prepare their learning strategy for their AAL channel Balbardie PS decided that there would be a focus on literacy and numeracy as well as encouraging a culture of independent learning with devices. Mr Welsh wanted to ensure that the learners at his school would be capable of making informed choices about what to use and when to use it to support their learning.

Balbardie PS: Vision for the AAL channel Mr Welsh (HT) discusses his vision for the AAL Channel at Balbardie PS

1:1 deployment, Android, App purchase and management, Device management, Edinburgh, Impact on learning, Teacher

Forrester HS: Managing the Android devices and Google Marketplace

April 23, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Forrester HS: Managing Android and Google Marketplace — Forrester HS is using free Android apps

The management of the Android devices and the apps that could be installed on them are fundamental to the success of any device pilot. The team at Forrester HS gave this great consideration in view of how it could be done as effectively as possible but in such a way that it would enhance the learning culture of the school. Mark Cunningham (class teacher) explained that, rather than put in place a controlled environment that the school managed, they left it much more open so that learners were able to download apps that they were requested to by their teachers as well as ones that the learners themselves felt were useful for their learning. The school has found this approach to be reasonably successful up to now and the fact that they have good bandwidth means that if 20 pupils are asked to download an app for a lesson at the same time then they can.

Mr Cunningham explained that all apps that they were using were free from the Google and that there had been no need for them to access any of the paid-for apps. He did however point out that at this stage of the pilot there was as yet still no volume purchasing option for Android.

Forrester HS: Apps management Mr Cunnigham (Class Teacher) discusses managing Android apps

In relation to the management of the devices, Mr Cunningham explained that the school had insurance in place as well as a two-year warranty. There had been a small number of instances where devices had been damaged and also where issues with devices had led to them being returned under warranty to be repaired. It was stressed that any necessary repairs were carried out satisfactorily by the manufacturer but when a device was away being repaired it led to challenges for the learning and teaching in a classroom that required access to a personal device. Mr Cunningham suggested that, if budget allowed, a small bank of school-owned machines could be used to temporarily replace any device that was out of commission due to damage or warranty repair.

Forrester HS: Managing the devices Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses how the school has managed the Android devices

1:1 deployment, Android, Edinburgh, Professional Learning, Teacher

Forrester HS: Impact on teaching and staff CPD

April 19, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Forrester HS: Staff CPD — Generic learning apps used more than subject specific ones

Marc Cunningham (class teacher) discussed the ways in which his teaching colleagues were beginning to integrate the device into their teaching. Initially there had been a focus on digitising existing content, but with a shared understanding and aspiration that the device would gradually shape the nature of learning interactions within classrooms and at home. It was evident that in the early stages of the pilot colleagues had chosen not to go down the subject-specific app route, but had preferred to use more generic learning tools such as the Evernote and Edmodo apps. Mr Cunningham had noted that there was evidence of a more collaborative culture growing, with staff taking opportunities in both formal and informal settings to share what they had discovered and new ideas they were trying out.

Forrester HS: Impact on teaching Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) discusses how the staff are supporting each other with the pilot

In relation to school-delivered staff CPD opportunities it was noted that there had been little appetite for such an input from the teachers at Forrester HS. Instead they showed determination to move forward together as a staff rather than being led by management. After-school events were led by staff and a staff working party – with one member from each department – would regularly meet to discuss a number of technical and teaching related matters.

Forrester HS: Staff CPD to support the pilot Mr Cunningham (Class Teacher) explains how the staff at Forrester HS have led their own professional development in the use of the Android device

Apple, Impact on learning, North Lanarkshire, Sharing devices, Teacher

Bellshill Academy: Impact on learning

April 19, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Bellshill Academy: Condodent individuals and successful learners — Device pilot inspiring confidence in learners

Anne Munro (headteacher) discussed with us the impact that she believes the iPad pilot has been having on learning in the school. She commented on the iPad itself and felt that the enhanced flexibility that it offered with the immediate access to ongoing work, the internet and a range of supportive apps/resources was a significant factor in the developing confidence and enhanced attitudes to learning she was seeing in her pupils. The school had worked with parents and through focus groups and written evaluations they had found out that there was evidence of greater parental engagement with learning at home over the course of the pilot. Mrs Munro was also pleased that a visit from HMIE had led to a series of positive comments on what was being observed in terms of impact on learning. She believed that the iPad pilot was contributing to the school’s aim to transform the learning culture of the school so that it led to high aspirations at all times, leading to improvement in standard, attainment and outcomes for learners.

Bellshill Academy: Impact on Learning1 Interview 1 with Mrs Munro (HT) about impact on learning

Mrs Munro shared with us a story about the positive impression that was created by pupils involved with the pilot who were asked to plan, prepare, present and host a workshop for senior mnagers at a local authority event. What she saw at this event made her think something positive was happening for learners involved with the pilot. It was not only the young people’s ability to use the technology that caught the eye but the confidence with which they delivered the workshop and how they responded to questions. She saw these S2 learners becoming the teachers and the facilitators for the adults in the room.

Bellshill Academy: Impact on learning 2 Interview 2 with Mrs Munro (HT) about impact on learning

Willie Davidson shared with us his initial cynicism about what he though was the ‘gimmick’ of the always-connected tablet device in the classroom and how his chance observation of learners working independently in class with them made him re-evaluate his opinion and begin to think that perhaps there is something in this after all.

Bellshill Academy: Impact on learning 3 Interview with Mr Davidson (The Learning Centre) about impact on learning

1:1 deployment, Apple, North Lanarkshire, Professional Learning, Teacher

Bellshill Academy: Supporting staff and early staff feedback

April 18, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

Bellshill Academy: Staff at ease with the device — Staff at ease with the device

Anne Munro (headteacher) and Willie Davidson (The Learning Centre) discussed the importance of ensuring that CPD opportunities to help support the iPad pilot were planned and offered. School management had given a commitment to not let the staff be left on their own with the device; however, the response they received to this offer was not quite what they were expecting. Mrs Munro commented that previous ICT initiatives had always required support and CPD opportunities to help them along, but on this occasion she was taken aback at the lack of support sought or required by staff, as they felt it was not necessary because they were at ease with the device. This reaction to an ICT initiative was one that both Mrs Munro and Mr Davidson were not expecting and was indicative, they feel, of the user-friendly nature of the tablet technology they were trialling.

Bellshill Academy: Staff development The staff at Bellshill Academy have not relied on being trained over the course of this pilot

Mrs Munro explained to us the mechanisms that were put in place to help create a supportive learning community for the staff involved in the pilot. The main aspect of this was the formation of an iPad committee that included members of staff from across all curricular areas. Through this committee good practice, new ideas and resources began to be shared via the formal processes that were being established and informally through the networks and relationships that were already in place in the school.

Bellshill Academy: Staff Support Management discuss the informal staff learning/support networks that have grown with the Apple pilot

Willie Davidson (The Learning Centre) also shared with us points of interest from a staff survey that the school carried out to gauge attitudes to the pilot and early perceptions of the impact it may be having on the learning and teaching in their classrooms. Some of the statistics from this survey included:

75% of staff felt that they were more confident in the use of ICT in the classroom
78% of staff felt that the device made delivering lessons easier, no-one felt it made delivering lessons harder and 21% felt that there was no change in this area
87% of staff felt that their pupils were more interested in learning now that they were part of the device pilot, 9% felt there was no change, whereas 4% believed their pupils were less interested because the device distracted them in class
95% of staff felt that there was now a more positive ethos in the classes involved with the device pilot

1:1 deployment, Apple, North Lanarkshire, Pilot overview, Teacher

Bellshill Academy: Pilot overview

April 17, 2013 User deactivated Leave a comment

The device pilot at Bellshill Academy in North Lanarkshire involved every pupil in the S1 cohort and every teacher who volunteered to be part of the pilot being given an iPad. In this interview Anne Munro (headteacher) and Willie Davidson (The Learning Centre) discuss their school’s involvement in North Lanarkshire’s device pilots and explain their thinking behind allocating an iPad to every first-year pupil and the importance of ensuring that they had buy-in from the staff.

bellshill_overview Mrs Munro (HT) and Mr Davidson (The Learning Centre) give an overview of the iPad pilot at Bellshill Academy

Anne Munro also discussed the thoroughness of the preparation required in the build up to running their pilot and what was involved in planning for parent information evenings to support their plans.

Bellshill Academy: Preparation Mrs Munro (HT) discusses the planning that took place prior to the pilot starting

1:1 deployment, Apple, Impact on learning, Independent Schools, Inverclyde, Strategic vision, Teacher

Cedars School of Excellence: 1:1 iPad overview

April 10, 2013 User deactivated 3 Comments

Cedars School of Excellence in Greenock is an independent school catering for children ages from 5 to 17 years. In 2009 they were inspired by the announcement of Apple’s new iPad that would lead them to become the first school to offer 1:1 iPad provision for learners and staff. Since that time they have been working to integrate the use of this technology in to the fabric of learning in their school. We visited them in October 2012 to find out what their experience with their 1:1 approach had been.

We met with Mrs Speirs (headteacher) who explained the context for the decision to go with the 1:1 iPad provision. She told us that a few years back the school was looking to move the technological experience of their pupils on a bit further from where they were. The school’s vision at the time was to increase learner access to tools that would allow them to have more access to the internet and to word processing.

The school had looked at a range of devices, but just as they were in the process of evaluating which device to go with the iPad came out, and so they made the decision that this would be the one for them. The school’s website tells this story in greater detail.

cedars_aspeirsimpact Interview with Mrs Speirs (headteacher)

Mrs Speirs thinks that that the decision has been a very good one for her learners and that the 1:1 approach fits very well with the school’s educational ethos, which is all about individualised learning. She thinks that she has seen the greatest impact on the engagement with learning by the boys in her school and that the functionality and flexibility that the tool offers has led to greater depth and detail in the feedback that her teachers now offer.