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Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the January edition of the AALF newsletter. This newsletter includes a re-visit to an often requested editorial by Bruce Dixon, President of AALF, from September 2009 that discusses anytime anywhere professional learning. We also have an editorial by Susan Einhorn, Executive Director of AALF, who writes about the year of the tipping point. This issue continues some of the discussions started in our last issue. In responding to AALF's survey about letting students bring their own laptops to school, Cary Harrod describes the bring your own laptop initiative at Forest Hills School District in Ohio. We also have a summary of a recently published article about the 2010 U.S. National Educational Technology Plan by Harvard University's Chris Dede. In addition to these articles, and in response to the frequent requests we get for project ideas for 1:1 schools, we're pleased to share with you an idea from Australia's Sean Tierney who writes about the DeforestAction Student Learning Initiative. Also included in this month's newsletter are some of our regular features including, Survey Says and Share Your Expertise.
Click on the link at the end of each article to read it in its entirety on our website. You can comment or add your stories to any of these articles. We would love to hear from you!
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1:1 Editorials, Articles
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ANYTIME ANYWHERE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
 In the September 2009 edition of the AALF newsletter, Bruce Dixon, President of the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, discussed how one of the topics that heads many professional conversations around 1:1 relates to workforce capacity. We've spent years creating the notion of Professional Development, which he feel too often becomes something someone does to you, rather than it being something for which you take responsibility. Click here to read more about Bruce's thoughts on anytime anywhere professional learning.
2011: THE YEAR OF THE TIPPING POINT?
In this article, Susan Einhorn, Executive Director of the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation, states that with the recommendation that every student (and teacher) have at least one internet access device in the recently released US 2010 National Educational Technology Plan, perhaps 1:1 is finally reaching its tipping point. Click here to read more.
BRING YOUR OWN TECHNOLOGY AT FOREST HILLS DISTRICT
 In April 2010, the Forest Hills School District, a K-12 public school just outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, approved the "Partnership for Powerful Learning" pilot project, a six month action research project in which all seventh grade students are permitted to use their personally owned netbook, notebook or tablet PC throughout the school day. Here, Cary Harrod, District Instructional Technology Specialist at Forest Hills District, discusses the thought-process behind this project, slated to launch this month. Click here to learn more.
DEFORESTACTION: STUDENT DIRECTED LEARNING
 In a new project led by Microsoft and TakingITGlobal, millions of young people will join a global project titled DeforestAction, which is simultaneously tackling one of the biggest challenges facing their planet and the biggest challenges facing their schools. In this article, Sean Tierney outlines the goals of this student directed initiative and explains how you can help. Click here to read more about DeforestAction.
TRANSFORMING SCHOOLING VIA THE 2010 NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY PLAN
 As discussed in the November edition of AALF's newsletter, the US Department of Education recently released the 2010 National Education Technology Plan, Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. In this recently published article, Chris Dede, Professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard University, talks about the need for a new structure for formal education. Click here to read a summary of his arguments and get a link to the article in full.
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| Coaches' Corner | AALF COACHING SERVICES
Are you...
* Thinking about a 1-to-1 initiative, but don't know where to start? * Implementing a 1-to-1 program and need assistance? * Looking for someone to meet with your District School Board and explain the benefits of 1:1? * Reviewing your existing 1-to-1 program and looking for someone to assist in evaluating your progress and identifying areas that require more support? * Not sure whether your school or District can undertake a 1-to-1 program? * Looking for assistance in developing appropriate professional development courses to build 1:1 pedagogy?
Expert advice is now available, through the AALF Coaching and Consulting Services. AALF can provide your school or district with access to leading 1:1 practitioners with the experience and knowledge it needs.
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
CONTRIBUTING TO AALF
Our AALF worldwide newsletter readership continues to grow. With this in mind, I would like to invite foundation members to get involved with the production of this monthly publication.
Please contact Susan Einhorn (seinhorn@aalf.org or 425.502.6900) if you would like to contribute an article. |
Asking our AALF Community
| SURVEY SAYS
Do you let your students bring their own laptops to school? Let us know by responding to our 10-second poll!
We will share more survey and poll results in upcoming issues, so stay tuned!
Thank you for participating!
SHARE YOUR EXPERTISE  What type of evidence do experienced 1:1 schools rely upon to prove that technology has helped their students?
If you have any experience or thoughts on this question, please share it with the AALF community. To respond, click here to go to the AALF Facebook page and share your ideas!
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TWITTER FEED?
Do  you tweet? Have you come across some interesting 1:1 Twitter feeds that you'd like to share with the AALF community? If so, post them here on our Facebook page!
Some of our favorites include:
Will Richardson
Gary Stager
Ewan McIntosh
Be sure to follow AALF on Twitter!
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Upcoming 1:1 Events
| 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.
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
TakingITGlobal and TIGed Announce New eCourse -
Introduction to Global Learning
 TIGed is excited to be launching a professional development program, with the first e-course in the series being starting in February 2011.
TakingITGlobal(TIG) is an international charitable organization led by youth and empowered by technology. Often described as a "social network for social good," the award winning www.tigweb.org is available in twelve languages and offers a diverse set of educational resources and action tools intended to inspire, inform and involve. Since launching in 2000, 20 million people have accessed the website to learn, grow and realize their potential.
In particular, this 4-session course will explore what it means to be globally aware; the pedagogies and e-technologies behind authentic, humanizing approaches to global education; design strategies and TIG tools which can be used to empower students as learners and leaders; theme-based and interdisciplinary approaches which enrich students' experiences and help connect humans' challenges across the globe; the cultivation of students' cross-cultural leadership skills; and ways schools can create a culture of global leadership and change.
Click here for more information or to register.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD
 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!
JANUARY 28-30, 2011
EduCon 2.3, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
FEBRUARY 7-9, 2011, & APRIL 4-6, 2011
Tablet Conferences at Cincinnati Country Day School, Cincinnati, Ohio
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