GBN LEARNING PILOT REPORT 2013
“Devices provide easy access to learning tools that we otherwise would not have and it also expands the different array of activities that we can do in class.” GBN Student
2012-2013 Pilot Team Pilot Teacher Team
Professional Development Team
Leadership Team
Student Leadership Team
Erin Argyros Christy Bauer Robert Berg Emily Eller Annahi Hart Kristin Olson Bill Race
Stephanie Bitter, Trainer Kelli Cohen, Tech Advisor Sue Eddington, Librarian Robert Froehlich, Tech Advisor Joan Gallagher-Bolos, Tech Advisor Kerry Galson, Tech Advisor Justin Georgacakis, Tech Advisor William Horine, Tech Advisor Mindy Ingersoll, Tech Advisor Scott Knapp, Tech Advisor Sherri Koeppen, Librarian Katie Jones, Tech Advisor Katrina LeBlanc, Tech Advisor Amanda Lazzaro, Tech Advisor Robert Milkowski, Tech Advisor Ana Peso, Librarian Jonathan Sorkin, Tech Advisor Nicholas Timmer, Tech Advisor
Ryan Bretag Chad Davidson John Finan Kris Frandson Kathy French Ann Koller Mary Kosirog Robin Levine-Wissing Bob Pieper Paul Pryma Michael Riggle Mary Rockrohr Robin Sheperd Ed Solis Rosanne Williamson
Steven Doolan Jacob Elias Arielle Goldman Christian Mergl Aaron Schmidt Simone Shuman
The Pathway to Our Learning Pilot Over the past four years, the focus of technology has been woven into the school goals. In 2008, discussions centered on "What does it mean to be well-educated" and this affirmed thought, word, and deed as a continued focus. Because of this, a number of key experiences emerged in technology to support the efforts of critical thinking, literacy, and citizenship as well as the district focus of engagement.
Four Learning Experiences
From these conversations, the notion of mobile learning for teachers and a number of core experiences emerged that would support our core beliefs and school goals. These four experiences became our focus: 1. Blended Learning Experience 2. The Google Experience 3. Connected Learning Experience 4. Agency Experience Tied to the ongoing focus of the school with critical thinking, literacy, and citizenship, each of these items brought forth changes to our approach to learning. With Blended Learning Experience, we embraced the idea of a digital space for our classrooms for efficiency, anytime learning, and resource access. For some, this space is Moodle. For others, different tools have served this purpose. With the Google Experience, we focused on collaboration and communication tools that encouraged students to own their learning. From Google Docs to YouTube, these tools have emerged as foundational for many classrooms
while also serving students throughout their time at GBN. Most importantly, the Google Experience has served our literacy, engagement, and critical thinking goals while also forming the building blocks of a digital citizen. With Connected Learning, we focused on the idea of making thinking visible and creating production-centered experiences for students. Through various social media tools, the focus shifted from consumption for creation. Finally, the idea of agency emerged and has been the most recent experience. It is here our focus has been on critical thinking, inquiry, and engagement through students participation and production of their own learning. From portfolios and blogs to project-based learning, students are leveraging digital tools to produce and enhance their experience.
Greater Need for Access
As the four experiences became a reality in more classrooms, one important aspect continued to emerge: a greater need for access to the technologies. In order to address this, a number of options were explored: mobile carts, pockets of devices in the classroom, and lab increases. While each of these brought us closer to the idea of just-in-time access to the tools that support learning, there continued to be a growing gap. It also became clear that we needed to address the idea of students that did not have the access to technologies outside of the school day. In 2010-2011, iPads emerged and these became our first exploration into a device for
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
students. Through a variety of pilots, the device was determined valuable but not ideal for the four learning experiences we desired primarily in the area of Agency and the Google Experience. In 2011-2012, we explored what other schools were doing in the area of one device per student (1:1). It is here that the idea of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) emerged: allowing students to bring their personal device and supplementing school devices for students that didn’t have one. In the summer of 2012, we ran a pilot with two courses to determine the value of BYOD on learning and teaching. While the experience brought greater access, it also brought with it considerable challenges for both teachers and students: equity, efficiency, management, and common learning experiences. In the fall of 2012, two devices emerged as exciting possibilities for our learning goals and at a palatable price point: Chromebook laptops and Nexus 7 tablets. Based upon the BYOD pilot experience and these emerging devices, we returned to the notion of 1:1. Seven teachers and 150 students across five disciplines were selected to participate in a pilot that would determine the value of a standard device on the following: - engagement - literacy - critical thinking and inquiry - information and resource access - citizenship The following report represents the student and teacher experiences throughout the pilot.
“We had what we needed right in front of us. It helped me stay organized, it was easy to use, and it was quicker to access and find information than without the device.� GBN Student
Pilot Study Approach The focus of this study was to examine the learning experience when digital devices are added for each student.
Research Questions
Approach
The following research question were the drivers for our pilot experience. 1. Identify the impact of a digital learning environment on instruction 2. Explore differences in the classroom experience with the shift to digital resources and applications - digital textbooks, online resources, Google tools, Internet, and social media 3. Explore the teaching and learning experience shaped by the infusion of a standard device in the classroom 4. Understand the impact of digital learning on student engagement
Experience Sampling Method Approach: students are notified on their devices that they are to take a quick Google Form snapshot of their current experiences. Baseline Frequency: 4 times a period call upon 5 random students (each course in the pilot) Baseline Duration: one week of gathering Pilot Frequency: 3 times a day call upon 5 random students Pilot Duration: one week of gathering
Data Gathering The following are the data gathering methods used to address the aforementioned research questions. - Experience Sampling Method: Question One - Participant Observations: Questions Two-Four - Successive Sample Surveys of Students and Teachers: Questions Three-Four - Semi-Structured Interviews and Focus Groups: Questions One, Two, and Four
Participant Observations:The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model (SAMR) Frequency: 1-2 a week per classroom Approach: Google form that notes a) what are students doing b) is the technology in use c) if no, could it be and how d) if yes, what is it and at what level of SAMR e) why the SAMR ranking
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
Participant Observations: Field Journals Frequency: once a week for 1/2 to full class period Approach: unstructured field notes from a non-participant perspective. Semi-Structured Interviews & Focus Groups Frequency: speak with two students per class visit and the teacher, meet weekly with student leadership team, and meet twice a month with pilot team Approach: semi-structured interviews with consistent focus group questions Survey Frequency: two surveys (middle and end) Approach: Common questions developed in partnership with GBS with individual focus on school goals. At GBN, the focus is on literacy, critical thinking, and the following four experiences: Blended Learning Experience, Google Experience. Networked Public Experience, and Agency Experience.
ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Our ongoing focus during the pilot was
the impact of a 1:1 learning environment on engagement. The Experience Sampling Method focuses on engagement from the idea of Flow, a research-based, “theoretical perspective of student learning that integrates cognition, motivation, and emotion” (Whitson and Consoli). Csikszentmihalyi (2000), the founding research behind Flow Theory, focuses on eight characteristics that influence engagement: 1. Challenging activity that requires skills 2. Merging of action and awareness 3. Clear goals and feedback 4. Concentration on the task at hand 5. Paradox of control 6. Loss of self-consciousness 7. Transformation of time 8. Enjoyment in the process According to Csikszentmihalyi (2000), this
“I loved that fact that leaning could be more interactive and it encouraged us to think and use our brains not only for the skill we were leaning in class but learning experiences as well. This helped to keep us engaged.” GBN Student
translates into clarity, centering, choice, commitment, and challenge. These items became the basis of measuring engagement during the pilot.
Students functioned within a blended environment that utilized the tools that were best suited for the learning NOT tech for tech sake. When asked about their experiences, students spoke about the increase in choice and empowerment with their work.
“I liked that it made class more individual. It gave everyone a quick and easy access to the Internet resources just when we needed it instead of waiting to gain access in a lab or waiting for the teacher to tell us.” GBN Student GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
CATEGORY
+/- DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BASE AND PILOT
Were you engaged?
20% increase
Did you enjoy it?
15% increase
Was it interesting?
10% increase
How challenging was it?
3% decrease
How skilled were you at it?
16% increase
Was it important to your future?
4% decrease
Were you learning anything or getting better at something?
9% increase
Did you feel nervous?
2% increase
How well were you concentrating?
5% increase
Did you have a choice in picking this activity?
6% increase
Most Engaging Activities • Collaboration • Discussions • Project-Based Work
* These results are consistent with the HSSSE data points. * * despite the above ranking higher for engagement based upon this methodology, there were still a number of students that rated these low.
Least Engaging Activities • Lectures • Question and Answer • Worksheets * These results are consistent with the HSSSE data points. * * despite the above ranking lower for engagement based upon this methodology, there were still a number of students that rated these high especially when combined with higher engagement activities such as lecture combined with discussion time.
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
Process 1. Students “paged” at random times during class and asked “what is the main activity you are doing right now” and “what are you thinking about”. 2. Students are then asked to score the 10 questions on the right using a likert-scale. 3. This was done as a baseline prior to the infusion of the technology and during the infusion. Results were then compared as noted here. 4. The results were also color coded to determine connections between higher engagement scores and specific instructional strategies as noted here.
ENGAGEMENT EXPERIENCE
Experience Sampling Results
“I liked that I had access to an abundance of information and it made life easier and better because I had access to online experiences/ practices all that time.� GBN Student
“A 1:1 environment gives students the ability to research, create, solve problems and collaborate in ways that they couldn’t before. We were experimenting and learning with the kids. That created a whole new level of education for the kids, too.” GBN Teacher
Almost all pilot teachers spoke about an increase in positive collaboration. For some classes, this made collaboration possible that was not prior to the technology. For others, it enhanced collaboration. Students spoke about their ability to collaborate together but still work independently because of the devices and Google Apps suite of tools
Using the SAMR model developed by Dr. Rueben Puentedura, we framed our discussions around the following questions when determining the value of technology infusion: 1. Does it make learning more efficient/easier? [Enhancement] 2. Does it alter a past learning experience for the better? [Enhancement or Transformative] 3. Does it create a meaningful learning experience not otherwise possible? [Transformative] Throughout the pilot, we met frequently to document the learning and teaching perspective of the teachers. At the end, we surveyed our teachers. These items became the basis for measuring the impact of 1:1 on teaching as well as triangulating our engagement results.
SAMR Model of Technology Integration
Another aspect that both teachers and students discussed was the increased sense of community. Students spoke about the sharing of creations, ideas, and resources. The built-in discussion features on all Google tools made peer-topeer feedback a natural part of the classroom experience.
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
TEACHER EXPERIENCE
As part of the pilot experience, we wanted to focus on meaningful uses of technology that made a difference in learning. In order to measure this, we used the SAMR observation instrument.
TEACHER EXPERIENCE
SAMR Model of Technology Integration Technology in Use No Technology in Use
Redefinition Augmentation
15%
27%
Process Modification Substitution
7%
34%
73%
44%
Of the 44% of the time technology was used at the Augmentation level, the majority of the time this efficiency reduced the need for teachercentered activities thereby increasing student-centered experiences. Of the 27% of the time when no technology was in use, nearly 70% of the time there was no reason to be using technology. In other words, use would have been tech for tech sake.
Of the 7% of the time technology was used at the Redefinition level, the majority of these items occurred at the latter stages of the pilot. This could indicate that as comfort grew with the technology so did transformative uses.
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
1. Each classroom observed an average of twice a week using the SAMR observation instrument. 2. Observer would document whether the classroom was using the devices or not. More than 1/2 of the students using the device constituted “technology in use” 3. If technology was in use, observer would document which level of integration was afforded by the technology. 4. The observer would document a rationale for said placement 5. If technology was not in use, the observer would document whether or not it could be and on which level. These were shared with the teachers as part of continued professional development.
TEACHER EXPERIENCE
Teacher Survey and Discussion Data Benefit to Learning
Benefit to Literacy
Process Benefit to Engagement
20% 40%
40% 60%
60%
80%
Great Deal
Quite a Bit
Position on Going 1:1
Quite a Bit
Somewhat
1:1 Teacher Expecations (Before & After Pilot)
20%
Great Deal
Quite a Bit
1. Pilot teachers met every other week during the pilot to review what is working, what opportunities exist, and what lessons learned others could utilize 2. These observations were recorded 3. Extended classroom visits occurred to document in field journal non-participant observations and informal discussions 4. A survey was provided at the end of the pilot to capture data aligned with the pilot goals.
Distraction as an Issue
20% 40%
100% 80%
Strongly Favor
Exceeds
Far Exceeds
40%
Very Little Quite a Bit
Somewhat
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
100% of the Pilot teachers preferred the Chromebooks over Nexus tablets or reviewing other devices
“Learning tends to be more fluid. It made the learning experience more enjoyable and we had access to better resources including more time with the teacher and others.� GBN Student
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
The student experience was critical through this pilot experience. From the experience sampling method to ongoing discussions during classroom visits, the insights of students shaped both the direction of the pilot as well as the direction post-pilot. As part of the pilot, the following mechanisms were used to capture student experience data:
“The Chromebooks helped us to work together to become more independent learners. I enjoyed the ability to have connections as well as access to resources.” GBN Student
1. Focus group discussions 2. Whole class discussions 3. Survey data at the mid-point and end of the pilot 4. Field notes based upon classroom observations
re
o sm s a l c ade dent m t at i N Stu h t B ked ”G “I li idual. iv ind
“I liked tha and at o t we could wor k on ou ur r own help, we own pace. Wh en we n could a eeded sk the t GBN St eacher udent or a pee r.”
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Student Survey and Observation Data Connect to More Resources & Content Different Learning Experience
Benefit to Learning
11%
5%
2%
2%
23%
36%
45%
22%
26%
30% 2%
39%
Great Deal Somewhat Not at All
12%
Quite a Bit Very Little
Position on Going 1:1
Not at All Very Little A Great Deal
11% 41%
Quite a Bit Somewhat
1:1 Student Expecations (Before & After Pilot)
5%5% 20%
5%
40% Great Deal Very Little Not at All
Quite a Bit Somewhat
91% felt the Chromebooks were “Easy” to “Very Easy” to use.
Distraction as an Issue
13%
26%
15%
15% 21% 32%
29%
Strongly Favor Somewhat Favor Neutral Somewhat Oppose Strongly Oppose
48%
Meets Exceeds Far Exceeds Meets Some
19%
Very Little Quite a Bit A Great Deal
Somewhat Not at All
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
65% of the Pilot students preferred the Chromebooks over the Nexus tablets (24%) or Reviewing Other Devices (11%).
“It allowed for us to learn wherever and whenever we wanted. I liked that this allowed us to be more efficient than going to labs.” GBN Student
Professional Development Approach These items were put in place to understand how best to provide professional development for a 1:1 experience. The results will influence our professional development during the expanded pilot. Personalized P.D. Plan In order to maximize each person's time and to develop the best possible plan, our core PD focus was on the development of personalized PD experiences. These personalized PD experiences were supported directly by the following people: • Coordinator • Cross-Discipline Tech Advisor • Discipline Specific Tech Advisor • Librarian • Student Leader • Tech Trainer These plans were built after visits from Google and site visits to 1:1 schools. Just-in-Time Experiences During the pilot, just-in-time learning opportunities emerged based upon SAMR observations and interest from teachers. This included a book of ideas based upon their Personalized PD Plans.
Whole-Group Experiences These experiences were done in cohort fashion to grow our knowledge and skills. Google Apps Team On-SIte PD: Google helped us to collectively explore a wealth of Google tools that can be used regardless of discipline. The target was to focus on 1-2 ideas for the pilot while also growing in familiarity with the devices.
Benefit of Personalied PD Plan
20%
School Site Visits: Each member visited a school already implementing 1:1. They spent time in classrooms within his or her discipline garnering 1-2 ideas for the pilot implementation and understanding the devices to a greater degree. 1:1 Management Strategies: We met as a collective group to explore classroom management strategies, distraction strategies, and logistics review IDEA-Thons: We met every other week as a cohort to share ideas and experiences. These informal gatherings served to continue growing ideas rooted in solid pedagogy.
80%
Great Deal
Quite a Bit
Benefit of Cohort Meetings
20%
Tips from the Pilot Teachers
Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Ask students for help & what they’ve discovered
Find a department member to develop activities
60%
20%
Be Open-Minded Quite a Bit Somewhat A Great Deal
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Personalized PD Plans were the foundational steps for our steps into 1:1 learning. At our late arrival day, we began this process by completing our interest inventories. The following represents a snapshot of the preferred approaches that have emerged from this inventory and where we will begin to place our focus on how to provide the best PD for each teacher. Top Three Preferred Formats 1. Small Group 2. Department-Based, 3. One on One
“It is time for the students in D225 to have a device. It will enable them to better connect to the outside world, to research, find problems, and solve problems. It will give them more opportunities to create and collaborate.� GBN Teacher
Top Three Preferred Times 1. Late arrivals 2. Lunch periods 3. Summer Preferred
Maybe
Not Preferred
150
112.5
75
37.5
0
Small Group
Online
Large Group
One on One
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
Department-Based
Cross-Department
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The table below represents areas of high interest instructionally (over 50%). The table to the left represents areas of interest identified as somewhat or very interest. Please note that these are areas of interest NOT necessarily areas of needs. The bottom graph depicts the best times for PD as indicated by faculty. AREA OF HIGH INTEREST
% QUITE A BIT TO A GREAT DEAL
Formative Assessment
50%
Collaboration
74%
Communication
64%
Literacy
51%
Critical Thinking
76%
Project-Based Learning
64%
Inquiry-Based Learning
64%
Engagement
75%
Portfolios
50%
Learning Spaces
55%
Content Delivery
52%
Discussions
58%
I would definitely attend
AREA OF INTEREST
% SOMEWHAT INTERESTED
% VERY INTERESTED
Google Calendar
43%
21%
Google Docs & Spreadsheets
23%
65%
Google Presentations
20%
65%
Blogger
37%
21%
Google Chat
33%
55%
Google Forms
24%
65%
Google Drive
21%
65%
Gmail
30%
40%
Google Groups
28%
55%
Google+
18%
56%
Google Hangouts
23%
38%
Google Sites
27%
48%
YouTube
35%
45%
Google Maps
35%
33%
LMS (Moodle, Open Class)
27%
40%
Social Media
35%
30%
Chrome, Apps, & Extensions
31%
45%
I might attend
I would never attend
150 112.5 75 37.5 0
Summer
Before School
After School
Lunch Periods
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
Late Arrivals
DEVICE EXPERIENCE
Device selection is a fluid process. At this point, the Chromebooks emerged as the best device to meet our goals with learning and teaching: critical thinking, engagement, and literacy. These devices also best serve our school-wide focus on the technology experiences that assist us with our learning and teaching goals: 1. Blended Learning Experience 2. Google Experience 3. Connected/Network Learning Experience 4. Agency Experience One of the most important aspects to understand is that the device is a fluid choice in our environment. As new devices emerge that better serve to meet our learning and teaching goals, we will evaluate. This ongoing review of the devices reinforces that we are not embarking upon a Chromebook journey but a 1:1 learning environment journey.
“The Chromebook provides an easier transition into a 1:1 learning environment, but we need to realize that the best device for our students may change as the devices change.” GBN Teacher
Non-Learning Advantages of Chromebooks • Battery Life of nearly 7 hours • Power-on to full usability in 10 seconds • Cloud-based so nothing is lost if something goes wrong with the machine • Students can access Chromebook experience across all devices if needed
• Cloud-based updating so the machine is constantly evolving - no reimaging needed • School filter goes with the device regardless of location • Ever evolving suite of apps both from Google as well as other vendors • Sign-in is tied to Google login so no need for multiple logins
• Hold Power down for 30 second to refresh the system - the solution to almost all technical problems • Growing list of 3rd Party applications beneficial to management, instruction, and user experience • Apps and tools can be sent directly to students • Built-in security and management
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
While tablets are the most common device selection currently, Chromebooks are an emerging choice that many districts are exploring as the tool that best supports their learning goals. Snapshot of Chromebook 1:1 Schools Maine High School District Leyden High School District Fond du Lac School District Richland School District Council Blu School District Presently, a number of other districts are exploring 1:1 with Chromebooks leading the way as the device of choice.
FEEDER DISTRICTS
DEVICE SELECTION FOR 1:1
District 27
Laptops
District 31
iPad Mini
District 28
No Device Selection at this Time
District 34
iPads
District 30
iPads
GBN DIGITAL LEARNING PILOT REPORT
DEVICE EXPERIENCE
1:1 is quickly emerging around Glenbrook North as the norm both with our feeder districts and neighboring districts. This trend is also consistent nationally where districts are exploring various means for 1:1 including bring your own device.
GLENBROOK NORTH HIGH SCHOOL is a learning community dedicated to students and committed to quality of thought, word, and deed “We Educate for Living”