St Fintina’s Post Primary School Student Laptop Initiative

 Create an environment where students are more actively involved in their learning  Make learning more appealing and engaging for students  Bring greater flexibility and mobility to learning  Enhance the technology skills of students so that they are ready for lifelong learning and employment in a technology driven world  Foster a more co-operative relationship between teacher and student leading to a more productive learning environment

 Ensure that all students irrespective of socio economic background had access to digital learning  Facilitate greater discussion, collaboration and co-operation among students around learning  Build a closer relationship between school and home and ultimately enhance the technology skills of family members  To address the increasing weight of schoolbags and the resulting impact on student health

 Organised a half-day seminar on 21 st century learning, in a local hotel, for staff to cement “buy - in” to the project  Identified staff training needs and organised a training schedule  Agreed on specifications for the laptops  Researched, identified and acquired samples of suitable machines.  Discussed how the laptop scheme would be administered  Agreed on a funding strategy and on a payment scheme for parents  Organised an information evening for parents and presented the project to them

 Sought tenders for the laptops  Contacted EDCO Digital in relation to e- books and discussed the initiative with them  Agreed on a technical support plan. A technician to be present in the school one day per week.  Discussed battery (Long-Life) charging, laptop protection, insurance etc.  Agreed on a training schedule for students  Drafted a laptop policy  Discussed training for parents

 Option to buy outright or participate in a purchase rental scheme over 3 years.  First instalment €200 with balance divided over next two years  Laptops are collected from students at the end of each year and are only returned following payment of instalment  This also allows maintenance and updates to be performed over the summer

It is critical that teachers are adequately prepared and supported throughout the entire process.  Teachers were surveyed to identify their level of technological skills  Based on the results certain teachers received grouped or individual training to get them to a standard level.  Teachers were trained on the capabilities and functions of the laptops being introduced.  Staff received training on the Smart Classroom suite, OneNote, Moviemaker, My Classes, SharePoint, Clickview etc.  There was also a major emphasis on the use of pair learning, group work, project work and other active teaching methodologies.

 Think long-term with regard to maintenance, insurance, laptop protection, replacement and upgrades.  Have some form of in-house technical support or helpdesk if possible. Put a laptop policy in place and have a contract with parents  Draw up an inventory of all machines including serial numbers  If possible appoint a co-ordinator of the scheme  A wireless broadband system  Access to on-going training for staff  Install some form of classroom management software

 There were difficulties with the e-books being accidently removed from some laptops.  Not all teachers engaged with the initiative to the same intensity at the outset  We under estimated the amount of training that some students required to bring them up to par with others.  There were a number of technical issues- microphones, cameras, passwords etc.  The safe storage of the machines during the day had to be revisited as some students began leaving laptops in schoolbags around the school.  Plan to deal with parents who might not want to buy in  Cracked and damaged screens

 We ensured teachers were familiar and comfortable with the idea.  Group and 1-1 training was provided for staff on the student laptops  Time was invested in enhancing the computer skills of the students  We tried to resolve technical issues as swiftly as possible  Lead teachers were used to share their skills with colleagues and to assist them  Subject departments were required to plan how laptops could be integrated into the teaching of their subject.  Teachers were encouraged to communicate electronically with their students.  Teachers are required to set projects for students which required them to research, collaborate and present the material in a digital format

 We are not fully there yet but the majority of teachers have embraced this initiative and have adjusted their teaching style accordingly.  Teachers are gradually building up banks of personal digital resources for use in the classroom. There is a greater discussion around teaching and a willingness to share expertise and resources.  There is a general consensus that teaching has to be varied and versatile to appeal to the different learning styles in the classroom.  The introduction of the laptops has brought about a sense of partnership in the classroom where student IT expertise is being called on by some teachers

 Teachers realise the importance of using active and interactive teaching methodologies.  Nearly all teachers are now using their own or school laptops on a daily basis in their classrooms  Almost all teachers are communicating electronically with their teaching groups.  Teachers are mindful that students have to present work in written format in examinations  The tablets are extensively used by the Maths department in conjunction with Microsoft OneNote. Students return their assignments in electronic format to the teachers for grading etc.

 Commitment of school leadership  Buy-in from all partners  On-going training for staff and students  Good broadband- wireless desirable  Dependable technical support in place  Laptop management system set up in school  Accidental damage and loss insurance policy  Tight contract and policy with parents

 Have a shared an e-learning vision in place in the school  Ensure that all staff are consulted on the E-Learning Plan for the school  Ensure there is on-going training available to teachers  Provide digital resources as requested by staff  Facilitate attendance at seminars and workshops  Try to have technical issues dealt with as swiftly as possible  Build the infrastructure to support the use of this technology  Commend teachers on innovation and encourage them to share with colleagues  The principal needs to keep up to date on new developments in technology and share these with staff.

 Start small and build up gradually  Plan all aspects well  Decide what you want from the project  Research and consult  Get all partners on board  Be patient

 Still not there with regard to device choice  Evaluate impact of project on learning  Encourage students to be more creative and innovative  Introduce a course on programming: Scratch, C++,  Embed technology further in teaching at the school  Keep introducing new developments in ICT