Year 1 of 1:1–Student Reflections
With classes dismissed and final exams marked, the first year of our 1:1 Tablet PC learning initiative has officially concluded. The past 10 months have been a learning experience for everyone–students, teachers, parents, administrators–and some feedback and reflection are in order. Before departing for the summer, our seventh grade students completed a brief survey and shared their insight on several aspects of the program. A brief summation of their reflections indicates that we have done a good many things quite well but still have room for growth.
The Stylus Matters
Choosing the Tablet PC, with its stylus and ink-enabled applications, was a somewhat controversial yet immensely critical decision for our 1:1 initiative; we felt the ability to ink was truly a “lynch pin” for success. The $2400 question on everyone’s mind was whether the pen was worth the price. Given that approximately 98% of our students use the stylus (and feel comfortable doing so) would suggest that the stylus definitely matters. Whether taking notes, filling out simple forms, solving complex math problems, or editing images with pinpoint precision, the ability to use the pen as an input device makes the Tablet a more versatile tool for learning than either a traditional PC or Mac laptop.
Image courtesy of http://www.small-laptops.com
No Expectation of Privacy
In addition to the Tablet, the second “lynch pin” in our program is DyKnow. More than a simple note-taking tool, DyKnow consists of two distinct components; Vision and Monitor. DyKnow Vision fosters interaction and engagement in the classroom. DyKnow Monitor is a management tool that helps teachers maintain control in a digital environment. While the vast majority of students felt DyKnow was an effective tool for working with information during class, they overwhelmingly disliked being monitored. This should come as no surprise; everyone enjoys their privacy. Middle school students (and adults for that matter) should understand, however, that there is no expectation of privacy in a digital world. Hopefully as responsible use becomes more ingrained in our school culture, students will become more self-correcting in their online behavior.
Digital Notes Rule
The first lesson in the Trimester 1 Digital Literacy course was devoted to using OneNote as an electronic notebook/binder. Since that time, 95% of students have continued to use OneNote and more than 85% feel that it improves their ability to take and organize notes. The flexibility of typing and/or writing, adding images and audio, changing pens, highlighters, and page lines, and having all resources searchable from one location are major benefits of digital notes. As one student exclaimed, “OneNote RULES!!!!”. Regardless of the tool (Evernote is a popular alternative), when students take higher quality notes, they learn more.
Image courtesy of http://www.microsoft.com
Digital Texts Need to Evolve
We used electronic texts in seventh grade science, history, and world languages. The science book was simply an online PDF, the history text was a website with supplementary links, and the language program included a CD-ROM with extensive multimedia files installed on the student machines. Not surprisingly, students generally did not care for digitized versions of traditional textbooks; they found the navigation difficult and toggling between screens ardous. The audio and video files used in Spanish and French were much appreciated but many students still opted to purchase a hard copy of the book. Until digital texts evolve to include richer content and greater ease of use, paper textbooks will have their place in the backpack.
Collaboration and Participation Rise
One of the issues that arose repeatedly during the early stages of our 1:1 program was that of student-teacher and student-student relationships. Specifically, there was concern that computers would become communication barriers in the classroom and lead to isolation. Due to thoughtful planning and an intentional approach to teachnology, teaching, and learning, however, such is not the case. Approximately 70% of students indicated they were more active participants and worked more collaboratively this year than in the past. I think of all the survey results, these findings are perhaps the most significant because they (1) refute the stereotype that students in “laptop schools” stare mindlessly into their screens all day and (2) suggest we are shifting to a learning environment where students are actively engaged with the teacher and each other.
Points to Consider
While by all accounts the student surveys indicated our first year was very successful, they did raise some points worth further consideration. Roughly 20% wished their teachers would use the computer more frequently, across the board, in all subjects. Nearly 35% feel that being able to use their computer for personal use distracts them from completing their school work. A very small but vocal percentage of our students are not enamored and/or fluent with technology and would prefer, as one stated, “if computers would just go away and we could use pencil and paper again.”
There are no easy answers to these issues, but tomorrow the faculty will have an opportunity to provide their feedback on the program. It will be interesting to see how they respond and what insight they can provide as we seek to improve. I’ll share their thoughts later this week, but in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to contact me if you’d like to know more about our student reflections.
May 26th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
I have been interested in hearing from people involved in 1:1 laptop programs – thanks for sharing!
January 26th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Have you ever considered adding more videos to your blog posts to keep the readers more entertained? I mean I just read through the entire article of yours and it was quite good but since I’m more of a visual learner