President's Message
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A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER PLACES
 Always on the go, Bruce Dixon, President of the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, discusses his experiences at 1:1 conferences and workshops in three different countries: Canada, Belgium, Singapore. Click here to read more about Bruce's reflections on these events and the policy frameworks that help shape educational change.
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AALF Leadership: Executive Director's News and Thoughts
| 1:1 RHETORIC
In this article, Susan Einhorn, Executive Director of the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, shares several terms surrounding 1:1 discussions that are often overused, misunderstood and rather vague. She urges us to be clearer about the meaning of these terms when defining our goals in order for educators to be working toward the same end. Click here to read Susan's thoughts on 1:1 rhetoric.
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Polls and Results
| SURVEY SAYS
Do you let your students bring their own laptops to school? Let us know by responding to a 10-second poll we have posted on web site (scroll down the homepage).
We will share more survey and poll results in upcoming issues, so stay tuned!
Thank you for participating!
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Research and Resources I
| EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN AMERICA
 The US Department of Education has recently released their 2010 National Education Technology Plan entitled "Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology". Of particular note is Goal Four, which recommends schools ensure that every student and educator has at least one Internet access device for use in and out of school, in order to foster an engaging, student-centered, anytime, anywhere learning environment. Click here to learn more about the 2010 National Education Technology Plan and here to share your thoughts and questions.
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1:1 Leadership and Learning
| BRINGING PAST 1:1 EXPERIENCE TO NEW ROLE
 For over 34 years, Ron Canuel has served the public education sector in the province of Quebec, ten years as the Director General of the Eastern Townships School Board (ETSB). Now, after a very brief retirement, Ron is serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Educational Association. In this article, he reflects upon some of the key initiatives he introduced at the Eastern Townships School Board and discusses how he has carried this experience into his new role. More specifically, he looks at the import of 1:1 deployments. Click here to read more of Ron's thoughts on the significant role that technology can play in the classroom.
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AALF Institutes
| UPCOMING AALF NEXT STEPS INSTITUTES!
 The Next Steps Online Institutes are a series of Professional Development courses that focus on best practices of highly effective 1:1 classes and their organization, pedagogy, and learning culture. Some courses concentrate on general guidelines for teaching and learning in 1:1 classrooms, while others center on 1:1 learning and teaching models for specific curriculum areas.
We are pleased to share our upcoming online institute line-up. All sessions are designed for teachers, teacher leaders, and principals. Click on the session dates for more information, pricing, or to register.
1:1 and English Language Learners: A Winning Combination
Laptops are a powerful tool in the EL classroom. This course is designed to provide participants with an introduction and overview to effective 1:1 practices for English Language Learners (EL's).
JANUARY 20- FEBRUARY 1, 2011
We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 1: Foundations for Success
During this course, participants will learn about, discuss and plan for the crucial alignment of district and/or site 1:1 goals with their classroom instructional practices and student engagement activities.
FEBRUARY 15- MARCH 1, 2011
We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 2: Instructional Frameworks & Increased Student Achievement
While building upon, We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 1: Foundations for Success, participants will take an in depth look at the elements of successful 1:1 classes and learn about research-based frameworks and principles that guide teachers to become 1:1 pedagogical design experts.
MARCH 15-24, 2011
We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 3: Models of Outstanding (and Effective) 1:1 Classes
Developed for people who have taken We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 1 and 2 in the Got Laptops series, this institute will provide participants with multiple virtual visits to highly effective laptop classes and schools around the world.
MAY 10-19, 2011
Class size is limited, so register early!
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Research and Resources II
| WHAT'S ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
In a recent article for the Huffington Post, Wanna be a School Reformer? You Better do Your Homework!, Gary Stager discusses what he sees as a disconcerting trend in the American public education system: a lack of preparation and proper qualification for leading educators. He implores any one who considers themselves to be educational "reformers" to peruse literature on the subject. With this in mind, Gary has created a list of books which he deems appropriate for "parents, teachers, administrators, politicians and plain old citizens committed to the ideal of sustaining a joyful, excellent and democratic public education for every child."
Here are a few selections:
A Schoolmaster of the Great City: A Progressive Education Pioneer's Vision for Urban Schools by Angelo Patri.
The Skeptical Visionary: A Seymour Sarason Reader by Seymour Sarason.
The Children's Machine: Rethinking School in the Age of the Computer by Seymour Papert.
Click here for the full list and the article in its entirety.
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1:1 Institutes
| ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS (ELL) AND 1:1
 If English Language Learners speak a variety of different languages and come from a range of cultural backgrounds and perspectives, how can teachers best instruct a diverse group of students? Click here to learn more about English Language Learners, their needs, and how 1:1 can facilitate an enriching learning environment.
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Questions from the Community
| SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE
 If you have any experience or thoughts on the question below, please respond by following the link to the discussion boards!
Do you know of any surveys that would help assess and build parent, school community and school board engagement and support of your 1:1 initiative?
Click here to share your expertise!
Are you implementing a 1:1 laptop program and struggling with a specific issue? Do you have questions about policies, communicating with parents or the community, AUPs, professional development, or any other issues that you are facing in implementing anytime, anywhere learning in your school or district? If your answer to that question is yes, let the AALF community help. Send your questions to AALF, and we'll post them both in our newsletter and on the AALF web site. Although we may not be able to post all your questions, we'll try to post as many as we can. |
Conferences, Institutes, Academies and Events
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Check Events on the AALF website regularly to learn of other events at which AALF leaders will be speaking or leading workshops. We look forward to seeing you there! NOVEMBER 29-20, 20102° Evento Internacional sobre experiencias de Plan Ceiba, Montevideo, Uruguay. AALF President, Bruce Dixon, will be speaking at this event. DECEMBER 2-3, 2010Great Lakes 1:1 Computing Conference, Milwaukee, Wisconsin JANUARY 20- FEBRUARY 1, 20111:1 And English Language Learners: A Winning CombinationJANUARY 28-JANUARY 30, 2011EduCon 2.3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. FEBRUARY 15-MARCH 1, 2011We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 1: Foundations for SuccessMARCH 15-24, 2011We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 2: Instructional Frameworks and Increased Student AchievementMAY 10-19, 2011We've Got Laptops, Now What? Course 3: Models of Outstanding (and Effective) 1:1 ClassesDo you have an upcoming 1:1 event you would like to share with other newsletter readers? Contact Justina Spencer for information on posting these events.
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| Coaches' Corner | AALF COACHING
AALF coaches provide support for educators at all levels and, working either individually or in expert teams, coaches and consultants support educators and policy makers at every phase of their 1:1 initiative. This includes creating a vision, designing appropriate goals, translating plans into action, choosing the most effective technology tools and designing technology support, providing professional development opportunities, and using data to reflect on the effectiveness of their program.
Working with individual leaders and teams of educators, AALF coaches incorporate:
- Face-to-face and additional communication sessions
- Online learning opportunities
- The use of Web 2.0 online collaborative communication tools such as blogs and wikis
- Professional development support with AALF associates who are currently working in highly effective 1:1 schools.
For additional information regarding AALF coaching support, go to the Coaching and Mentoring Services page of our website, or contact Susan Einhorn at seinhorn@aalf.org
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| AALF Worldwide Networking | CONTRIBUTING TO AALF
Our AALF worldwide newsletter readership continues to grow. As our audience and support continues to grow, we are anxious to provide timely and relevant information regarding 1:1 learning and schools around the world. With this in mind, I would like to invite foundation members to get involved with the production of this monthly publication. There are several ways you can contribute to this important work:
- Volunteer your school to be a '1:1 Global Storybook Spotlight School'; this column provides an in depth look at 1-to-1 schools from the perspective of leaders, teachers, and students
- Volunteer to submit an article to an upcoming issue of the AALF newsletter.
- Volunteer your unique suggestions; suggest columns or ideas you think would benefit 1:1 educators around the world
Please contact Susan Einhorn (seinhorn@aalf.org or 425.223.3763) if you are interested in any of these opportunities. |
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