Planning with the end in mind

After our wonderful visit in California, I spent a few hours thinking about one of the questions posed to us.  Where would you like to be in June 2015 and at the end of our initiative? So began to think, about that.  What would be the best case scenario of the implementation of the program? What would need to take place to get us there?

Since only the coaches and storytellers went to California for the DP meeting, it was important to reconnect with our team in Evanston.  So we caught Patty Tzortis up on some of the events of our trip. Then we began to work in earnest on our Logic Model for Evanston’s iPad initiative.

So we started thinking about

What knowledge changes would our teachers need to embrace and integrate the iPad as a learning device?

What practice changes do we want to see ?

What student changes do we want to see?

Our conversation was rich. We began to develop our ideas.  Instead of venting about where we stand in our initiative, we focused on the possibilities.  We were hopeful! While we aren’t yet finished with the Logic Model, I feel good that we’ve unified our thoughts on our work as Instructional Coaches.

Next steps? Complete the model, share our model with our building administrators (gather their input) market our model internally to our new district administration. Work to get on the radar outside of our buildings...tell our story.

Lesson Learned...Victories Won.....

Privacy is such a large part of the Digital Citizenship discussion.  We talk to the students about not sharing passwords, usernames, etc with their classmates.  We had lessons on Identity Theft and Over-sharing digitally before we passed out the first iPad.  So the decision to ask the students to share their Apple ID's and passwords before we left for Winter Break was not one that came about lightly.  As a school we had already experience two lost iPads.  The thinking was if a student contacted Mr. McHolland over the break and said they'd lost their iPad, we would be able to track the iPad hopefully before it becomes a statistic.  I know, if someone really wanted to take the iPad, the location services would be the first thing the thief would disable. So, yes it was a bit of a straw grasper.

So Winter Break came and went without a hitch.  Matter of fact, I didn't hear a peep about students loosing LTE service, Apple ID issues, or and thing of the sort. School resumed in the middle of Chicago's blistery winter. The wind chill factor was registering below zero. Because of this, Chi-beria. The weather forecaster encouraged citizens to limit their exposure to 10mins.  So most of the area school's closed down for two days the first week back to school.  We returned on a Friday, to some pretty cold temperatures, but the wind chill factor was in a safe range.
Chicago's new nick name has become

After school, Mr. McHolland encouraged the children to leave the campus, all after school activities were canceled. Staff cleared the building pretty quickly.  When I got home, I did what most Chicagoans do on cold nights like this, I began to prepared a hardy dinner for my family and I started thinking about what movie I wanted to watch with my kids after dinner.

In the midst of dicing and slicing, my cell phone rang.  I looked, and saw that it was Mr. McHolland. He told me that one of our Chute students didn't make it home from school, and that his father was really worried.  Mac asked me if I could pull up the students Apple ID and password, and then send a signal to see if we could perhaps use the iPad to locate the child.  My tenure at Chute has been in a role of classroom teacher.  While I have always been aware of some of the dangers that our students face from time to time, I have never been aware of exactly when they were actually in danger. Needless to say, I was truly shaking, hoping, praying that our efforts would bear fruit.

Since I'd used a Google Form to compile the student Apple ID information, I had the spreadsheet in Google Sheets on my cell phone.  I looked up the students name, logged into the find my iPhone App, and located the iPad.  Since I wasn't aware of where the student lived, I told Mr. McHolland the square area of where the iPad was located.  Low and behold, it was the student's house.  Mr. Mac told me to send the signal so that the dad could follow the tone. The dad found his son, asleep on the back stairs to their apartment.  His son had left his keys at home, and couldn't get in.  So, the young man sat on the back porch, and fell asleep.  It was cold, close to 8pm, when he was found.  School dismissed at 3:35pm.

I recognize that this story could have had many different endings. I am so glad, this was the outcome. The Chute family is still intact, our birdies are all accounted for and safely tucked in the nest.

Did I see this as a possibility when I asked the student's to share their information with me? No way! But I am so glad I did.

Tale of Two Missing iPads

I've been playing around with sharing this particular experience for a couple of weeks.  I wasn't quite sure how much of our journey should be shared.  But then I realized, that the purpose for sharing is to help others who are about to embark on this same journey.

We had set the date for our rollout event.  I knew the iPads were in the building, but I hadn't even looked at them one time.  I was knee deep in looking at User Agreement Contracts, getting students under 12 their Apple ID's, and helping teachers become familiar with a new learning tool, the iPad. In the news I saw this heading about a school in the city.

For the first time, I considered the possibility of someone considering the iPads at our school as having a street value. Our tech department had shared as early as August that our iPads wouldn't be of any value to anyone outside of our students.  I listened to talk after talk about security profiles, and MDMs , etc. So, I figured, everything was under control. I had faith in the people and the systems they established. Why? They were the experts.

Then then the unthinkable happened.  Chute hosted a game on our premises on a Saturday.  Some alumni of the school decided to go on a destruction and shopping trip. While probing and ransacking, the ne'er do wellers found an open classroom, and stole one of the teacher assigned iPads and laptop.  It was the weekend. School was closed. 

By Monday morning, Mr. McHolland had done his due diligence.  He had talked with the police, looked over the video footage in the building, and ID'd the culprits.  Case closed! Except, the equipment was still missing. We used the find my iPad site. More than 24 hrs later, we all know that's useless.  This is where the unbelievable begins.

The southside community of Evanston has an anchor and it's our school.  Over the past 20 years Chute has tried to establish itself as a safe heaven.  Routinely, the support staff and the administrators follow the children home, making sure they home safely.  The community is familiar with the Chute Family, and what it represents.  So when Mr. McHolland went to the high school, and questioned about the whereabouts of the perpetrators, no one was surprised.  It also, wasn't surprising to find out that Mr. McHolland followed all leads until he retrieved all of the stolen property on his own. Now, Mr. McHolland has a wife and four lovely children.  Is this apart of his job? It's not safe nor is it smart to go looking for equipment when it's stolen. Is this our plan? Are we going to chase down every lost iPad like this?

We didn't have an established protocol for this. Where is the plan? Who's job was it to make up the rules? Did I forget something?

The second missing, stolen, lost iPad happened.  One of our students went to the Evanston Public Library after school.  There is a section for teens called THE LOFT.  Our student plugged his iPad into an outlet out of his line of sight.  He thought he camouflaged it by placing the iPad inside of his book bag.  Okay, so he didn't think that the white cord leading from his bag to the electric outlet was a clue.  Needless to say, when he returned to get his bag, his iPad was missing.  The student promptly contacted Mr. McHolland the next morning at school.  Mr. McHolland asked me if we had a record of the students Apple ID.  I said no.  But we all know, more than 30 minutes to an hour later, the iPad's sim card was removed and that was that.  So unlike our first experience, we now officially have one lost iPad a month and a half into our initiative.

But again, we are left with the idea that we need a plan. 

Changing Signs

Chute's hallways have always been a clear indicator of what's being taught in the surrounding classrooms.  Group

work, Post-it parking lots, and art work, can be found throughout the building.  Needless to say it's colorful, but how useful is it?  For years we've fought back and forth about what to hang in public areas and we've debated our intentions.  Are we sharing what we've learned to inspire someone?  Are we exposing students to new information? Are we celebrating a student's accomplishment? The list goes on and on.

But no matter our thinking, the hallways have been teacher centered for the past 20 years I've been here.  Teachers design bulletin boards to coincide with a particular unit of study. We laminate, cutout letters, search for images etc. The board begins in the mind of the designer, the teacher.Do we see kids volunteering to advertise new information learned?  Should they be involved?  Should kids then also have an opportunity to use that which is hanging in the hall?  Would this public information be seen and then validated by student use?  I think so.

After the iPad rollout, I've watch the hallways become a bit more interactive. Students are hunting for answers, using their cameras, scanning QR codes to interact with a vocabulary bulletin board, setting up appointments with tech support for iPads.

School has always been a building with walls, lockers, hallways, children, adults, and books. Learning takes place in a multitude of ways. But it was guided 100% by the adults in the building. Judging by the language, the activity I see in the hallways since the iPad rollout, I'd say we are witnessing a change. While teachers are currently deciding what they are putting up, I find that what they are displaying encourages interaction.  We, the staff, are looking for ways to communicate, share, and connect with our students even when we are not in their presence.

QR Codes around the building.

So I still have questions. How can we invite, encourage, or facilitate our students managing what should be displayed or shared? How do we  guide them in the creation of some of the signs around the building? What would they find helpful as a resource? Isn't it time, in the time of student centered education (Danielson based instruction, that we consider how to make not just the instruction, but our learning environment student centered? Shouldn't that include the hallways? In Danielson it says, "Both students and teacher establish and maintain through planning of learning activities, interactions, and the classroom environment high expectations for the learning of all students." I would stretch this conversation to say, that we need to consider not just the classroom, but the entire building.

It's empowering when someone gives you an opportunity to express yourself.

Screen time...

In the past weeks, I've answered my share of emails and basic conversations regarding how much students will be using their iPads during the day, and then how much will they need them at night.  In September the New York times published an article about Steve Jobs and his family regarding screen time or tech use at home. Steve Jobs was a Low-Tech Parent

Multiple families sent me a copy of this article. It dawned on me that this is a very important parenting conversation.  While the journalist focused on the iPad, and the parents are sending me this article because of our iPad initiative, I wonder how much people monitor their kids screen time period. Over the weekend, everywhere I went, I saw children with their parents phones in the waiting room, using tablets in the car, even staring at the muted screen in the restaraunt.  So it really became clear. Do people monitor screen time?  All of it?

As a parent, my husband and I felt that it was important to limit our children's screen time.  Our children are not allowed to watch tv, play video games, play iPod / iPad games during the week.  This includes the use of Chrome books, tablets, laptops unless it's for academic reasons.  Since my son is in the 8th grade, he has many assignments that require internet access. We are also aware of where our children use their digital devices. They use them in the living room or dinning room, where we are in the evening.  Once academics are complete, the devices are turned off, and on the charger; ready for the next day.

Since we know how important it is for children to express themselves and be creative, we encourage our children to do just that every evening.   Our 6 year old, changes into costumes, redresses her dolls, combs hair, builds forts and tents, and delves into a world she creates on her own. My son plays the piano, sketches, reads, and sometimes, he helps his sister with her fort and tent building.   These are skills and life experiences that are important.

At dinner, there are no screens or phones.  We spend the time listening to each other. We try to catch up on our day.  Most of the time, we are retelling tall tales of past times.

As a parent I recognize that I need to put limitations on my kids, so that they can experience other things.  Shinny bells, and whistles impress the most jaded adult, let alone a naive child.  When I read the article about Steve Jobs, I thought wow, great parenting.  In the world we live in, it's imperative to stop, pause and allow time to be together, to relax, and to disconnect.

However, I'm aware of the 21st Century Skills my children will need to be successful in the future.  I'm also aware of the Common Core Standards and how it weaves technology into both the reading and math standards.  My kids attend Agassiz Elementary School.  They follow a rigorous curriculum that include the CCS and 21st Century Skills.  I'm aware of their technology initiatives, and I've seen how they've enhanced some of the learning experiences my children have had. I recognize that that is the role of the school.

In the end, it's about balance. Both home and school play an important role in the lives of our children. 

week two

Isn't it funny how quickly you fall back into the swing of things? It's almost like summer never happened.  I got an email formally telling me who my evaluator will be this year. Team meetings are running like clock work.  Chute's Instructional Leadership Team is planning our first Staff Meeting. We are focusing on student engagement by way of engaging lessons. We have an all school read this year, Teach Like a Champion  by Doug Lemov to help illuminate some ways to make our classes more engaging.   It's official, I'm going to declare it.  The honeymoon is over! Now we can get down to the real work!

So the question that hit me, while sitting in some of these meetings. Where does our iPad Journey fit into all of this?   I'm listening to some of the meetings that are riddled with details that must be addressed to keep the machine  of school going. So I thought grassroots....divide and conquer.....get in where you fit in.  Right?

Meeting with my colleagues in small groups has truly been enlightening.  We met by content area and grade level.   Each group had its own concerns and entry points.  I was encouraged by the willingness to share.  It also became clear, that differentiation is greatly needed.

I'm reminded of bootcamp.  I joined bootcamp this summer to continue to up the ante with my workout routine.  My first session, I was so excited to go that I got up at 4am, showered, selected by clothing carefully, prepared bottles of water to take with me to bootcamp. I left my house around 4:30 so that I would be on time. When I got there the instructor told me to warm up by running on the track. I thought okay, I can do that.  I trained for a marathon before, no problem.  Then the whistle blew and it was time for the group of 15 early risers to get into the actual workout.  Needless to say, it was an intense workout.  I paused to catch my breathe, to wait for the burn to quit, just to think and ask myself "why" throughout the entire hour. After class, the instructor, a retired marine, says, "You did great!" I'm thinking, what have I gotten myself into? Can I do this? Can I keep up with everyone else? Is there a refund policy? The instructor then says, "It's your first day. Everyday will get easier, and easier.  I'll say give me 10 push-ups and you'll drop and do them, no problem. We'll run 2 miles in cadence, and you'll lead the pack. Just take one day at a time."

During our PD, everyone was so excited about this opportunity.  We worked with each other, played with a few aps, and enthusiastically attempted to add our iPads into the first day of school activities.  I called that the warm up.  These were things we could do without much assistance.  But now the whistle is blowing, and we are learning our students, becoming familiar with our students IEP's and 504's. The workout is in full swing. How do I support my colleagues to keep the voices in their heads quiet?  How do I make them feel like my bootcamp instructor did for me. So after every meeting and playground session I had this week, I said, "This is the beginning of our journey.  Everyday, using the iPad will get easier and easier. We are in this together as a community of learners." We schedule our next time together, and surprisingly everyone is still smiling.

Funny thing about honeymoons and marriage.  While the honeymoon may be the fun part, its the wonder of a long marriage that's the miracle.  So, the honeymoon is over, but now the real work begins and it has it's own tenor of excitement.

Week one

Today is the preverbal "hump day" to the rest of the working world, but for me its just day 3.  It's the third day of school with students in attendance.  The bells are chiming every 40 mins., the hallways fill and then empty is three minutes flat. Teachers are meeting and planning with hope and expectations lining the walls of their classrooms.  It's an awesome season.  It's my favorite time of the year, everything is still possible. This year somehow has a special zing to it.  Last spring, our school, Chute Middle School got word that we were chosen by Digital Promise and the Verizon Foundation to begin an iPad initiative. Every student and teacher gets a wireless tablet 24/7 access to the internet. This has made the beginning of the school just that much more thrilling.

For many of the students at our school, this opens up many doors. It slams the doors shut on the digital divide.  BOOM!

I've had such rich conversations this week with my colleagues.  People are looking to do great things in their classrooms with this awesome tool. Yes there will be challenges, but most things and achievements worth having, are at times, challenging.

My mother went to school in the south during the late 1940's-1950's.  As an African-American child born to sharecroppers, times were hard.  During her era, having an up to date book, working pens and pencils were imperative for her success.  It was a challenge.  Brown v. Board of Ed. was passed late in her education. Separate wasn't equal, so her schooling was riddled with doing the best she could with the bare minimum.  So the divide began.

Seventy plus years later, my mother's grandchildren need more than pencils, pens, and up to date books to be academically successful.  Our modern technology has made our world smaller and our classrooms connected. But there are still children growing up like my mother.  Time hasn't changed the characteristics of poverty. We have children in our school who don't have access to information because of circumstances that are out of their hands.

Imagine the thrill of starting this year, with the understanding that we, the Staff at Chute Middle School have an opportunity to guide our students using the technology provided by Digital Promise and the Verizon Foundation.

Close the gap on the digital divide? Check
Provide 24/7 learning opportunities via the web? Check
Enriching the lives of our future leaders, creators, and innovators? Check
Add to the collaborative culture of teachers and staff? Check

This is truly a thrilling time.
I know where the journey begins. But where will this journey take us is the question. :)