Let's talk about an idea we'll call 1-to-1 pedagogy.  I think the term conjures up some interesting ideas about what classroom practice might look like, in the best of circumstances, when every child has his or her own laptop. It's also implicit in what we talk about when we refer to an outcome we call anytime anywhere learning.

However both terms urgently require further definition. When you talk with people about anytime anywhere learning, they either nod their heads in agreement, and merrily build their own picture in their minds of what they think it means, or they have no real idea at all. Given their own schooling, they have no context in which they can "see" it, and therefore we must become better at clearly and concisely describing "what it might look like."

Of course we frequently do that by way of example, which while effective at one level, is nonetheless somewhat cumbersome. We simply have to develop better language that more clearly describes anytime anywhere learning and the associated idea of 1-to-1 pedagogy.

I'll give you an example from a related parallel field (with reference to my colleagues at Design Share (www.designshare.com). Imagine your task is to discuss with a school community your (rather radical) ideas about a new school building. How can you do that?

Well, firstly, it is delightfully concrete and can be physically modeled, but what if I said to you it was to contain an Einstein Studio to allow for individual reflection and focused study, and a Socrates Studio for small group discussion; my guess is that not only would you have an idea of the physical space, but more importantly, those simple labels would lead you to have a fairly clear idea about the sorts of learning that would most likely take place in each of those two areas, so we also must be creative in how we might better describe the change in practice that 1-to-1 pedagogy implies.

We state clearly the Foundation's belief that "anytime anywhere learning fosters a child's innate motivation to learn, it encourages academic rigor through relevant application, and it connects them with the world they will enter."  And in taking part in anytime anywhere learning, there is an implication that a 1-to-1 pedagogy would provide students with a constructivist, international education where meaningful tasks subsume curriculum objectives and a personal, portable computer with which to think about, construct, and share ideas.  Just as Paulo Freire and others talked much about critical pedagogy, so we must able to define this idea of 1-to-1 pedagogy in ways that make it easier for us to better communicate what we are striving to achieve in 1-to-1 classrooms.

We need a conversation amongst ourselves, as we are those "fortunate ones" who have already seen much of what is possible.  I'll extend my thoughts, but in the meantime I would very much value your thinking on this, so that we can share your wisdom and insight with our members.

One of AALF's main goals is to provide support to educators at current or soon to be 1-to-1 schools and districts. In our conversations, it's clear that there's a huge need for a variety of services for schools at all stages - from those schools and districts starting to think about 1-to-1 to schools and districts who have had 1-to-1 in place for a number of years and are looking for ways to continue building and innovating in their teaching practices.

In response to these needs, AALF is developing a series of events and services to provide support to this growing group of educators. Recently, AALF held three one-day Leadership Summits, one in Fresno, California, a second in Calgary, Alberta, and the third in Seattle, Washington. Summits are designed for superintendents, principals, and other school leaders at schools and districts thinking about 1-to-1. The goal of the Leadership Summits is to equip educational leaders with the knowledge and vision they need to guide their school or district program towards a successful anytime anywhere learning environment.  If you are considering 1-to-1, this is the event for you. The line-up of Fall Summits will be announced soon on the AALF website. For more information, click here.

But what if you've already decided to implement 1-to-1? How do you get started? What are the first steps to take, and what are some ways to handle the issues that will arise? To help you answer these questions, AALF has designed the 21 Steps to 21st Century Learning Institutes, intensive 2-day institutes for school leaders ready to start a 1-to-1 laptop program in their schools. Even if you've recently initiated 1-to-1, the institute can help you solve some of the issues and challenges that arise in the early implementation stages. Led by Bruce Dixon, AALF president and 1-to-1 pioneer, the Institute is based on the experiences of thousands of laptop schools around the world. The 21 Steps to 21st Century Learning range from research and resource assessment, through all stages of project and financial planning, communications, professional development, and deployment. The next 21 Steps Institute will be held August 18-19, 2008, in Lambertville, NJ. Click here for more information or to register.

A third type of event that AALF is adding is the Anytime Anywhere Learning and Teaching Academy, a 3-day event that will help you develop your in-school digital pedagogical coaching team, your team of teachers and school leaders who will focus on supporting all the teachers in your school or district as they develop meaningful and significant learning opportunities for which technology is one of the necessary components. The Academy focuses on both peer coaching skills and rethinking curriculum in order to develop the type of 1-to-1 pedagogy Bruce describes in his editorial. Designed for schools that already have or are beginning 1-to-1, or for those who have had 1-to-1 in place for a few years and want to re-ignite the pedagogical fires, the Anytime Anywhere Learning and Teaching Academy is an excellent first-step when initiating an AALF coaching plan. The first Academy will be held on August 13-15, 2008, in Portland, OR. To register online for the Anytime Anywhere Learning and Teaching Academy, click here. For more information about the Academy, contact me at SEinhorn@aalf.org. Read Karen Ward's article below for more information about AALF's Coaching Services.

In addition to this series of support services and events, AALF also partners with various organizations to provide speakers, sessions, or whole strands at education conferences. This past week, we partnered with the One-to-One Computing Conference at Penn State University, to lead a series of  "critical conversations" about anytime, anywhere learning and leadership. AALF President Bruce Dixon and Pennsylvania's Classrooms for the Future Project Manager, Holly Jobe, were joined by a variety of thought leaders, including well-known educational consultant Bernajean Porter, Paul Curtis (Chief Academic Officer for the New Technology Foundation),  and Jeff Mao (Coordinator of Educational Technology for the state of Maine), and Wade Pogany (Director of Curriculum and Instruction for the state of South Dakota). AALF will lead a similar series of conversations at this summer's Laptop Institute at Lausanne Collegiate School, in Memphis, TN, July 13-15, 2008. For more information, go to: www.laptopinstitute.com/

Finally, supporting the anytime anywhere learning community isn't just a matter of AALF events and services. We all need each other's help in this process. If you have not done so already, please join our database of schools that have implemented 1-to-1 and have agreed to be available to answer questions that other schools may have about 1-to-1. You can also help the community by sharing your story. Please contact me at SEinhorn@aalf.org or Karen Ward at KWard@aalf.org and let us know how you implemented 1-to-1, some of the challenges you faced, and what you feel you did particularly well. By sharing our experiences and supporting each other, we all will grow and all of us - teachers, learners and teacher-learners- will benefit. 

I look forward to hearing your stories!

Susan

 

 

Contact me (kward@aalf.org or 425-223-3753) or consult the AALF website if you think this type of ongoing support would be advantageous for yourself, other school educators or your students.

 

Have a great month!

Karen

 

 

 

The Power of Technology

The biggest value I see with the tablets in my classes is in terms of productivity in the classroom. In the old days if I wanted students to acquire certain information I would first have to copy it down onto the blackboard and the students would then have to copy into their notebooks, and all this had to happen before any real learning could take place.  Now, with tablets and the software program Dyknow I can instantly send students the background information and they spend zero time copying needless information from the board. (Obviously there might be times when I want students to copy something down to help them and I can still do this, too).

 

 

AALF Leadership Summits

AALF Regional Leadership Summits are designed for superintendents, principals, and other school leaders at the school or district level who are thinking about implementing 1-to-1 learning. The goal of the Leadership Summits is to equip educational leaders with the knowledge and vision they need to guide their school or district program towards a successful anytime anywhere learning environment.  If you are considering 1-to-1, this is the event for you. The line-up of Fall Summits will be announced soon on the AALF website. For more information, click here.

 

 

Educators and administrators from 26 American international schools witnessed first-hand how our students, staff, and community have embraced innovation, change, and leadership in education for the 21st century. Participants saw students showcasing their use of technology to enhance, enrich, and accelerate their learning. They heard educators and students sharing their best practices, strategies and techniques, ideas and applications that have proven to be successful in our one-to-one environment. They learned about the administration of the program - professional development, network and equipment management, classroom management, responsible use policies, community support, resources, and support structures. We shared what we do, why we do it, and how we do it. This helped attendees develop a clear understanding of our tech integration program.  As two of the three conference days were school days, there were several opportunities for folks to visit classrooms and witness our teaching/learning "live".

 

While networks and infrastructure are an essential piece of the vision that we are bringing alive at our school, there are serveral

other elements that have made it easy for us, one of which is development of community ownership in the vision. This is being embedded at all levels - from administration to teachers to students and board and parents. We shared how we continue to develop the culture so it outlasts each of us at the school. It's hard work to build that type of culture but it is wonderful when one sees the outcome! It was our hope that ASB Un-Plugged will help guide other schools as they consider embracing a one-to-one learning environment.