District Administration - February 2009 - (Page 21)

use of laptops in the classroom, students will not bring them to class. The principal has to plan for ongoing training that mixes direct instruction, mentoring and coaching, and the sharing of best practices. This can only be achieved if the school has built staff development into the weekly schedule at the school. One-time or sporadic in-services will not work; the push has to be constant, with clearly stated expectations for the use of technology as a learning tool. Fortunately, new textbook adoptions have strong online components with support provided by the publishers, and this will encourage teachers to tread further into the waters of technology and learning. Parents. It is important to educate parents on the goals of the laptop program and to describe for them how students and teachers will use laptops, how learning will take place, and how the school will evaluate the success of the program. It is also important to identify potential pitfalls, like inappropriate student use of the Internet, for example, and to explain how the school will address them. This was critically important in my case, as I had the added pressure of having to justify the program for parents who purchased laptops for their children to bring to school. There will be rocky moments as parents have to put their own money on the line to buy laptops, purchase low-cost leases, or upgrade or repair computers. Many laptop schools have parent education nights to show how children will use the computers. Further education should include teaching parents how to use some of the software used in the program and how to solve problems and address basic computer glitches related to Internet access and printing documents. Community. It is vital to establish business partnerships to build support for the laptop program. This can bring additional resources and good word of mouth about your program. At my school, we entered into a partnership with the local Apple Store. Our program grew over time to be mutually beneficial: Parents bought computers at the store, and Apple employees loaded the standard software needed for the school program as part of the purchase. www.DistrictAdministration.com Technical needs Those planning a laptop program tend to focus on this area first. While it is important to iron out technical bugs, it is less important long term than integrating technology into the curriculum and school culture. Still, to keep the laptop program running efficiently, observe these ten key steps: 1. Standardize a computer operating system/platform—Apple, Microsoft, or open source. This is critical, as it is easier to keep one platform running than two. This is easier to achieve if schools provide the laptop computers. However, whether laptops are provided by the school, parents, or a mixture of both, the principal will experience significant pressure to allow all and any laptops into the program. The resources of your computer network and the extent of your technical support will determine your answer. 2. Decide upon a standard set of software tools that will be consistent across New for District Leaders Resources for Planning the School Calendar, 2009-2010 Are you familiar with Absolutely Incredible Kid Day or the International Day of Nonviolence? What about the dates of next year's Christian, Jewish, Islamic and Bahá'í holiday observances? This publication features: • state, legal, religious, and school holidays from 1/09 through 6/10 • educational convention dates for the next 6 years • an 18-month planning calendar #DA-0750, 116 pages, price $40 Response to Intervention: An Action Guide for School Leaders Over the past decade, Response to Intervention (RTI) has gained traction as a framework for guiding school improvement efforts. This book is the hands-on tool school leaders need; it provides an understanding of critical RTI concepts and step-by-step guidelines on how to successfully implement an RTI framework at all school levels. #DA-0755, 134 pages, price $30 Order today at Educational Research www.ers.org Service Reliable PreK-12 Research or call 800-791-9308 For Over 35 Years February 2009 21 http://www.ers.org http://www.ers.org http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2009

District Administration - February 2009
Contents
Advertiser Index
Editor's Letter
News Update
Security
Curriculum
Crisis Response
Supervisor's Opinion
The Rise of the Virtual Teacher
Speaking Their Language
Alternate Transportation Routes
Opinion
The Aftermath of the New 403(b) Regulations
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Problem Solution
New Products
Product Focus
Professional Opinion

District Administration - February 2009