1 to 1 @ ISL - latest news (Nov 2014)

Most days, colleagues ask me about aspects of the 1 to 1 classrooms we will have next year. Sometimes I have answers which I think the whole upper school should hear at the same time, as well as having a single place to find answers to their questions. So here is an update of where we are with 1 to 1 at ISL.

PARENTS' MEETINGS

On November 5th 2014, Nancy and Jason spoke to many of the parents of Grades 6 and 7 about the 1 to 1 programme. Below you will see the slides and a link to the handout which describe the rationale, the implementation plan, some myths about 1 to 1 and the specification for the laptops the students may bring. We are holding the same meeting with Grade 5 parents on Wednesday 19 November.

Here are the slides from the meetings:
 

And here is the handout received by parents:
1 to 1 at ISL Parents' Information Sheet, November 2014

ISL COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION WEBSITE

The parents and students are understandably keen to know about the 1 to 1 programme, so Jason has created a website to answer those questions. Much of the material will be of interest to teachers too. Our plan is that this blog, Icy Tea News, will be the repository for information which is of more interest to staff.

The website is called Tech @ ISL (tech.islux.lu), and will grow into a comprehensive resource for community members.

TEACHERS' LAPTOP

The Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad

We were keen to have these in teachers' hands by November, but there are many things to get right, including the basic software available to all staff, as well as optional programs only needed by some teachers. The laptops have been ordered and the company expects to deliver in early December. We will be offering PD in the use of the new machines.

The model chosen is the Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad.

LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (LMS)

PSD

As they think about the requirements of the new learning environment and the variety of online resources we are developing, many teachers mention to me that they wish there were a system whereby students could find all of their learning resources in one place. There will be!

We are planning the introduction of a LMS which will offer students and teachers personalised access to their classes; calendars with only their relevant events and deadlines; one portal to all of their learning materials and a means to manage assignments, deadlines and submissions. Our research into the most suitable platform is in its final stages.

Any work that colleagues have done on wikis or blogs and in Drive will not be wasted; they can be incorporated in the LMS. Office 365 will be the channel for official school documents, but it will not be compulsory for teaching materials which will continue to be in many suitable formats.

PD PROGRAMME

We all recognise that 1 to 1 entails a steep learning curve for the ISL community. Naturally, it is important that this be well-managed and takes account of the great diversity of needs among teachers, staff, students and parents. PD will consist of staff meetings; smaller groups; individual tutorials; and a system of self-study units. The first staff meeting will be on Wednesday 26 November.

USEFUL DOCUMENTS

Over the last year, documents have been developed which envisage 1 to 1 at ISL. Below are some links. These documents and others will be collected together on a page on this blog so that you can have one place to refer to them.

ISL Digital Citizenship Agreement 2014-
Rationale for 1 to 1 @ ISL
Procedure for ISL laptops 2014-15
First phase of laptops issue - list of ISL MS staff
ISL teachers' online resources (wiki, blog, website and OneNote champions)