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Thanks for posting. I'm all in favor! How do you handle push back from schools that have educated parents who want their kids outside and social, not doing much screentime? I push small amounts of screentime per week. And lesson plans that have kids take cameras/tablets outside and do documentation work, and be social. My other tactic is to say that just because the parents have a computer at home and are educated and responsible, doesn't mean they are teaching technology Literacy. You can read to child, but a trained teacher teaches literacy, reading, writing, source evaluation, etc. Kids need tech literacy from trained teachers. And what about gaming? What do you say to a parent who thinks their kids will just play games all night? It's a new world when schools give kids a textbook that can also become a comic book. On Tue, Jul 24, 2012 at 7:08 AM, Heather Chirtea <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Hi Listers! > Digital Wish just released the survey data on 1:1 computing. If you are > planning a 1:1 initiative, this data will be very useful in convincing > funders that they should support your initiative. Feel free to share, and > please credit Digital Wish when using the data. > Thanks! > All the best, > Heather Chirtea > >>>>>> > > *Data Brief:* > We surveyed 30 teachers and 465 students participating in 1:1 computing > initiatives this year - > > · *Student Engagement* - Student engagement increased 140% in word > processing and writing, creating presentations, and video production. 52% > of teachers now feel that the majority of their students are highly engaged > as opposed to only 37% pre-initiative.**** > > · *Internet Safety *- After completing the Initiative, 93% of > teachers now say that they are comfortable with Internet safety, with 67% > of them saying they are *very* comfortable.**** > > · *Problem Solving* - Students who say they can “figure out just > about anything on their own” increased from 38% to 51%, a 134% increase. The > number of students who say they have participated in ten or more technology > projects that required them to solve a problem, gather information, or draw > a conclusion, has nearly doubled, from 23% to 42%.**** > > · *Creativity* - Teachers now say that 46% of their students are > experts or peer coaches in creating a new idea or original project using > technology, a value that almost quadrupled the pre-initiative’s mere 12%.* > *** > > · *Skill *-* *Teachers reported that only 11% of their students are > considered beginners with computers, a decrease from 30% pre-initiative. > They consider approximately 50% of their students to be advanced/expert > computer users, a value that has more than doubled since the 20% > pre-deployment.**** > · *Students becoming Tech “Experts” *- The majority of students say > they are experts at digital media, word processing, making presentations, > safely and responsibly using the internet, solving problems using > technology, and researching a topic on the Internet. At the beginning of > the initiative, almost 50% of students said they didn’t know how to do > these things. > > >>>>> > *Press Release: > * > ** > > *Digital Wish 1:1 School Modernization Computing Initiative Spans 28 > Schools - Research Data Shows Improvements in Student Engagement***** > > *****Manchester Center****, VT**** – July 23, 2012 *- For the past three > years, Digital Wish has been studying the process of implementing > one-computer-per-child programs in 28 schools. Digital Wish is an > educational non-profit on a mission to bring technology to American > classrooms in order to prepare students to thrive in the global economy. > The team just completed a $1.125M Federal ARRA stimulus grant, delivering > computers, weekly educator trainings, a complete IT curriculum, and support > to the 28 schools. Their trainers modeled the entire process of > technology adoption and progressively reduced the initiative planning time > from 18 months to just 6 weeks, saving schools tremendous amounts of time > and money. Both teachers and students are reporting a wide range of gains > including increased engagement in learning, technological proficiency, and > dramatic improvements in the understanding of internet safety issues. The > 2011-2012 data report is attached. **** > > ** ** > > The 3-year research project yielded a complete IT Curriculum<http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/product?id=6561>based on ISTE’s NETS standards, that easily meshes together with the core > topics. Eric Bird, Lead Trainer said, “In order for a technology curriculum > to be successful, it has to be non-invasive. Teachers can’t just drop their > core subjects and teach technology as a separate subject. Technology has to > work together with their regular lesson plan regimen.” Based on 28 site > deployments, Digital Wish’s trainers packaged all the presentations, > worksheets, videos, and lesson plans – so that other schools could easily > replicate the program. **** > > *History* > Starting in 2008, Digital Wish spent over a year researching successful > and failed 1:1 computing initiatives. This intensive research period > resulted in the identification of eight essential components<http://schoolmodernizationinitiative.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/1-maturitydiagram.jpg>which must be addressed in order to build a sustainable 21st century > learning program, including leadership, investment, hardware, connectivity, > training, curriculum, IT support, and community engagement. The absence of > even one component creates a much higher risk of new initiatives failing > further along in the process. > > *Pilot Phase - 2009-2010* > With endorsements<http://schoolmodernizationinitiative.wordpress.com/endorsements/>from major educational associations of principals, school boards, > superintendents, IT coordinators, NEA teachers union, and training centers, > Digital Wish raised $152,000 from private foundations like the A.D. > Henderson Foundation to fund four pilot sites in the 2009-2010 school year. > Across the pilot classrooms, trainers experimented with sharing computers > between students, employing mobile labs and computer carts, and creating > comprehensive 1:1 computing environments. Because the Digital Wish team > found that learning gains were so much greater in schools using > one-computer-per-child, they abandoned shared computing and mobile computer > lab models altogether, and pledged to only support 1:1 initiatives at > scale. **** > > *Pilot Data* > Early results gathered through simple student surveys from the pilot > participants showed impressive statistics that support the importance of > making one-device-per-child strategies a top priority for schools > nationwide. Data from the pilot surveys showed:**** > > - 73% of students agree that schoolwork is more enjoyable when using a > computer.**** > - 85% of students report that they produce better work and pay closer > attention to lessons when they use a computer.**** > - 95% of students report that it is important to have* their own *computer > at school.**** > - Technology utilization doubled and even tripled across subjects for > students and teachers, with the largest utilization increases in English > and research.**** > - Within 3 months, comfort levels with computing increased in every > classroom.**** > - 86% of students say they get work done more quickly when using a > computer.**** > - 85% of students report that having technology in school is important > to their future.**** > > Through these early stages, Digital Wish gathered the resources and > support necessary to scale the initiative. According to Heather Chirtea, > Digital Wish’s Executive Director, “It’s extraordinarily difficult to > develop a successful initiative from scratch because there are just so many > decision points. Every school we entered in the pilot phase was facing > the same issues, making the same kinds of decisions, and making the same > mistakes in isolation. It was an incredible waste of time and resources. > We’ve implemented so many sites now, that we can explain the downstream > ramifications of nearly every decision and prevent schools from taking a > wrong turn very early on in the process. These lessons learned can be * > easily* scaled across the state and the country.” > > *Implementation Phase, 2010-2012* > In partnership with the Vermont Council on Rural Development, Microsoft, > Dell, and many others, Digital Wish was awarded $1.125 million in stimulus > funding to implement their *School Modernization Initiative* across 24 > more schools, as the education component of the e-Vermont Community > Broadband Project <http://e4vt.org/>. The trainers constructed six > curriculum units based on the National Educational Technology Standards for > Education (NETS.) Digital Wish teachers then went into classrooms in 24 > schools to teach both educators and students how to safely and efficiently > use current technologies to learn and demonstrate their knowledge. “The > first site took eighteen months of planning from our first contact with the > school, to passing out computers in the classroom,” said Heather Chirtea, > Executive Director of Digital Wish, “Our 28th deployment reduced the > entire planning process down to just six weeks! We have systematized > everything possible from press releases, parent letters, and policy > documents to curriculum.” These curriculum units are now available > nationally as individual units, or as part of the Digital Wish’s IT > Curriculum Series<http://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/product?id=6561>. > **** > > ** ** > > *Implementation Data ***** > > During the Implementation Phase, survey data was collected from 719 > teachers and students from 24 schools. The bulk of the data reflects the > differences in responses between the pre- and post- initiative surveys. Listed > here are some interesting gains reported during the implementation phase:* > *** > > - *Workforce Prep - *93.1% of students say having technology in school > is important in preparing them for the future.**** > - *Importance - *90.2% of students say that it is important to their > education to have their own netbook/computer during the school year.*** > * > - *Internet Safety* - Over 50% more teachers reported they are now > very comfortable with Internet research and safety, increasing from 40% to > 63%.**** > - *Skills - *Teachers say that less than half as many students are > considered beginners with computers, a decrease of 13 percentage points > from 23%. They consider approximately 1/3 more students to be > advanced computer users, a 10 percentage point increase from 25% > pre-deployment, to 35% post-deployment.**** > - *College - *Students who plan to go to college increased from 89.1% > to 90.7%, a 1.6 percentage point increase.**** > - *Frequency *- The number of students who use a computer every day in > the classroom more than doubled the pre-initiative levels, increasing from > 24% to 52%.**** > - *Collaboration* - The number of teachers who are now comfortable > with collaborating with peers, parents, and/or students using digital tools > increased from 83% to 93%, a 10 percentage point increase.**** > > Not all gains were measurable though, and teachers commonly reported a > wide array of anecdotal gains:**** > > - Students are fully engaged.**** > - In one-computer-per-child classrooms, students view the computers as > “their own” and therefore take better care of them. **** > - Computer breakage rates are lower and behavioral infractions have > been significantly reduced.**** > - Students are becoming technologically fluent 2-3 times faster. **** > - Socio-economic barriers are no longer relevant as students from > different socio-economic classes who would have never previously worked > together, are suddenly collaborating on classroom projects. **** > - A peer-coaching dynamic has emerged.**** > - New student leaders have begun to develop from all levels of the > social strata.**** > - Some of the largest gains have been made by low-achieving students > and students with educational disabilities who tend to be more visual > learners. **** > > “It was a real treat to see the changes in these classrooms firsthand,” > said Eric Bird, lead classroom trainer for the Digital Wish *School > Modernization Initiative*, “When we began, most classrooms had only a few > outdated computers. I’ve seen enormous gains in student engagement. You > really don’t understand how important this is until you find out that the > decision to drop out of school is made at the middle school level. We’re > raising engagement levels with students in grades 4-6, hopefully *before*the decision to drop out ever gets a chance to take root.” > > Bird continued, “Students *and* teachers have become technologically > fluent, very rapidly; learning independently and solving real world issues. > We implemented a unit where students studied local businesses before being > challenged to create their own business ideas. For many students, this was > the first time that they had ever envisioned themselves as entrepreneurs. > It’s a real game changer as students plan their future.” > > *Replication Phase, 2011-2012 * > The replication phase included 12 schools from the implementation phase as > well as one new school in an urban environment in ****Nashua**, **NH****funded by a grant from Dell Powering the Possible. > The same resources that were developed during the implementation phase > were then used to replicate the program the following year. **** > > > “It’s amazing how rapidly we’ve worked through the planning process,” said > Sheila Marcoux, Digital Wish’s technology integrator for ****Nashua****. “All > of the planning, documentation, usage guidelines, permission forms, and > tough decisions were already mapped out.” **** > > ** ** > > *Replication Phase Data***** > > Survey data was collected from 30 teachers and 487 students during the > replication phase. Both groups reported tremendous gains in a variety of > areas:**** > > **** > > · *Student Engagement* - Student engagement increased 140% in word > processing and writing, creating presentations, and video production. 52% > of teachers now feel that the majority of their students are highly engaged > as opposed to only 37% pre-initiative.**** > > · *Internet Safety *- After completing the Initiative, 93% of > teachers now say that they are comfortable with Internet safety, with 67% > of them saying they are *very* comfortable.**** > > · *Problem Solving* - Students who say they can “figure out just > about anything on their own” increased from 38% to 51%, a 134% increase. The > number of students who say they have participated in ten or more technology > projects that required them to solve a problem, gather information, or draw > a conclusion, has nearly doubled, from 23% to 42%.**** > > · *Creativity* - Teachers now say that 46% of their students are > experts or peer coaches in creating a new idea or original project using > technology, a value that almost quadrupled the pre-initiative’s mere 12%.* > *** > > · *Skill *-* *Teachers reported that only 11% of their students are > considered beginners with computers, a decrease from 30% pre-initiative. > They consider approximately 50% of their students to be advanced/expert > computer users, a value that has more than doubled since the 20% > pre-deployment.**** > > · *Students becoming Tech “Experts” *- The majority of students say > they are experts at digital media, word processing, making presentations, > safely and responsibly using the internet, solving problems using > technology, and researching a topic on the Internet. At the beginning of > the initiative, almost 50% of students said they didn’t know how to do > these things. **** > > In addition to the measurable improvements above, teachers and students > provided anecdotes on their experiences:**** > > When asked “*How important is having technology in school for preparing > you for the future?*” students responded…**** > > - Technology is very important to have because you can have a bigger > selection of job options if you know how to use the Internet.**** > - I think the future will be based on technology so we should get > ahead while we can.**** > - It makes learning like 20 times easier!**** > > On *student gains* as a result of the Digital Wish program teachers > responded...**** > > - I have noticed much more student confidence on the use of technology. > Motivation to do the work has been invaluable. **** > - Students are more fluent with technology. They are able to select > their form of expression using any of the programs we learned.**** > > *After School Programs* > > In addition to classroom training during the school day, 196 students from > 11 of the 13 replication schools participated in after school programs > created by Digital Wish trainers with software donations sponsored by > Microsoft. High school students and even Dell employees acted as mentors > to elementary school students to help them create video games using > Microsoft Kodu gaming and websites using Expression Web. **** > > ** ** > > Sky Kocheneur, an after-school trainer said, “I taught the students the > basics of computer game programming, and by the end of the first sessions > students were teaching me new skills! We just get them started and they > naturally build upon the basic skills. Many of the kids surpassed our > expectations.” Sheila Marcoux added, “Going into the classroom each week > and seeing the students produce these complex games was really a joy. You > could see their critical thinking and problem solving skills advance with > each session.”**** > > > *Community Impact* > With one-computer-per-child initiatives implemented across 28 sites in 2 > states the trainers began noticing a cultural shift taking place in the > schools. Staff, administrators, and community members were rapidly shifting > their assumptions about the need for technology in classrooms. Computers > were no longer something that “someone else” had to deal with. Instead, > they became an assumed part of every learning experience. Executive > Director Heather Chirtea said, “My favorite moment in the initiative was > when a student exclaimed, ‘I wish I could stay in 5th grade for the rest > of my life!’”**** > > ** ** > > In a post-mortem evaluation of the four 2009-2010 pilot schools, each one > scaled up their technology programs within 12 months of Digital Wish’s > arrival. One town voted to increase their school’s technology budget > from $5,000 to $50,000 in the following school year – ten times the amount > originally allotted for educational technology. **** > > > *The Future – “Bring Your Own Device” for Mobile ***** > > Chirtea went on to say, “Students were truly engaged with their learning > as soon as the computers entered the classroom. Digital Wish envisions a > day when every student in ****America**** will have access to their own > mobile computing device for learning.” **** > > Teachers are already requesting support as a wide array of devices find > their way into the classroom through the students’ backpacks. Digital Wish > is seeking funding to continue the research, translating their successful > computer curriculum to work with student-owned mobile devices.**** > > **** > > *About Digital Wish***** > > Digital Wish is a nonprofit bringing technology to American classrooms in > order to prepare students to thrive in the global economy. At > www.digitalwish.org, teachers make technology wishes, and donors make > those wishes come true with contributions. Since August 2009, Digital Wish > has granted over 29,000 classroom technology wishes through its online > network of over 56,000 teachers, and delivered over $12 million in > technology products to American classrooms directly impacting over 500,000 > students in all 50 states.**** > ** > > -- > Digital Wish, Executive Director > PO Box 1072, Manchester Center, VT 05255 > P: 802-549-4571, F: 845-402-7242, C: 802-379-3000 > www.digitalwish.org > ...29,061 Classroom technology wishes granted! > -- Caleb Clark Director: *Educational technology program at Marlboro College Graduate School <http://gradschool.marlboro.edu/academics/edtech/>**. Excellence in EdTech since 1997: We offer working adults single classes, certificates, The VT. EdTech Specialist endorsement and Masters Degrees. Info: http://gradschool.marlboro.edu/academics/edtech/* Contact: [log in to unmask] | 802-258-9207