21st Century Learning #78: Elizabeth Helfant on the MICDS Tablet Project

Post-Show description: 
21st 21st Century Learning #78
Elizabeth Helfant on the MICDS Tablet Project
September 23, 2008

Elizabeth Helfant shared her amazing story of the MICDS first year tablet program roll out.  This is an great discussion of the right way to implement laptop learning in a school.  They started with teachers and curriculum designers asking for more technology because the curriculum had evolved to need the support.  If you've wondered about 1 to 1, this is must listen audio!

John Schinker will be our guest on Thursday, October 2, at 2:00pm EST (18:00 GMT) to discuss 21st Century Skills.

<Click here for Chat Transcript>

2008-09-25 14:01:38 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: Good afternoon Peggy
2008-09-25 14:03:08 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Hi Vinnie-great to see you. I was feeling lonely here :-)
2008-09-25 14:04:40 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: Good afternoon Alec
2008-09-25 14:05:10 [Message] courosa -> -EdTechTalk: hey vinnie
2008-09-25 14:05:33 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Hi Alec
2008-09-25 14:05:42 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Hi Folks.
2008-09-25 14:05:42 [Message] courosa -> -EdTechTalk: hey peggy
2008-09-25 14:06:05 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Crowd is growing :-)
2008-09-25 14:06:27 [Message] ehelfant -> -EdTechTalk: hi alec
2008-09-25 14:06:38 [Message] courosa -> -EdTechTalk: hey elizabeth, great to hear your voice
2008-09-25 14:06:43 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: hi all
2008-09-25 14:06:52 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: Good afternoon dendari, I am not sure we have met
2008-09-25 14:06:52 [Message] ehelfant -> -EdTechTalk: that southern twang!
2008-09-25 14:07:19 [Message] courosa -> -EdTechTalk: love it
2008-09-25 14:07:33 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: Good afternoon Jen.
2008-09-25 14:07:42 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: almost that, Vinnie!!!  :)
2008-09-25 14:07:57 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: oh, I forgot, timezones!
2008-09-25 14:08:09 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: lol, no worries, I am always on Chicago Time   :)
2008-09-25 14:08:09 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: I used the room reservation system to book a room to broadcast from and someone is in there!
2008-09-25 14:08:19 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Hi Jen-same for me in Phoenix AZ-11:00am
2008-09-25 14:08:53 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: wow, episode 78 -- CONGRATS
2008-09-25 14:08:55 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: Hey Peggy
2008-09-25 14:09:16 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: Elizabeth will be on WOW2 on Tuesday -- busy lady
2008-09-25 14:09:30 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Nice -- Great minds think alike.
2008-09-25 14:09:35 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: audio is great for me
2008-09-25 14:09:36 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: yep --
2008-09-25 14:09:40 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Great.
2008-09-25 14:09:48 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: no way!
2008-09-25 14:09:55 [Message] JenW -> -EdTechTalk: yes,
2008-09-25 14:11:38 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: tablets, so many people doing that!
2008-09-25 14:12:20 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: what have you done to prepare your teachers for 1:1?
2008-09-25 14:12:27 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: http://dyknow.com
2008-09-25 14:12:37 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: Thanks Vinnie, I was looking for that link!
2008-09-25 14:13:00 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: :bows respectfully
2008-09-25 14:13:32 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: do they use the dyknow in conjunction with SMART boards?
2008-09-25 14:13:33 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: iFolder.
2008-09-25 14:13:50 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Web Assist for testing.
2008-09-25 14:15:03 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: outside voices are helpful for teachers. Especially hearing other educators
2008-09-25 14:15:03 [Message] courosa -> -EdTechTalk: was glad to support your (in)sanity :-)
2008-09-25 14:15:32 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: did they have laptops before tablets, or is this all new?
2008-09-25 14:15:41 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: this was all new
2008-09-25 14:15:48 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: wow
2008-09-25 14:15:56 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: hey Matt
2008-09-25 14:16:06 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: hey y'all
2008-09-25 14:16:09 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: hey matt. Heard you evoked yesterday by Scott Meech
2008-09-25 14:16:13 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: what time did u start
2008-09-25 14:16:46 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: wonderful process! so your curriculum is being revised to reflect the technology integration?
2008-09-25 14:16:46 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: hey vinnie...I tried to get scott meech up at USM for the Oct 13 day
2008-09-25 14:17:22 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: incredible support form an incredible lineup of experts!
2008-09-25 14:17:30 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: from
2008-09-25 14:17:42 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Collaboration, communication.  Wikis, sharing what you are learning.  Faculty using the tools to plan.  Being network conscious.  All faculty having delicious account.  9th and 10th grades sharing resources.
2008-09-25 14:17:44 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: how many of you will be going 1:1 in the next year or two??
2008-09-25 14:17:48 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: ack, lost audio, anyone else?
2008-09-25 14:18:01 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Lots of nings. 
2008-09-25 14:18:06 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: link to Elizabeth's blog?
2008-09-25 14:18:45 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: I found http://helcat.org/wordpress/
2008-09-25 14:19:01 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: are all of the web 2.0 tools unblocked in your school?
2008-09-25 14:19:10 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: and http://elgg.micds.org/ehelfant/weblog/
2008-09-25 14:19:23 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Strong leadership. 
2008-09-25 14:19:33 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Thanks, vances.
2008-09-25 14:20:00 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: thanks! did you use understanding by design to develop your integrated units?
2008-09-25 14:20:33 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Mentors -- teachers train the teachers.
2008-09-25 14:20:51 [Message] VinnieVrotny -> -EdTechTalk: Purdue University is having a Workshop on Impact of Pen Based Computing in October
2008-09-25 14:21:05 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: oh great point! how to sustain?
2008-09-25 14:22:16 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: a community of teacher leaders...that is great
2008-09-25 14:22:34 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: wondered where that name came from :-)
2008-09-25 14:22:47 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: UBD is such a powerful planning process!
2008-09-25 14:23:32 [Message] alex.ragone -> -EdTechTalk: Nice.  Makes me want to move to Missouri.
2008-09-25 14:24:06 [Message] ehelfant -> -EdTechTalk: http://wiki.micds.org/pub/Interdisciplinary_Units/Civilizations/Crops
2008-09-25 14:24:29 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: that's very exciting-an entire week to become immersed in the integrated unit!!
2008-09-25 14:24:50 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: I'll bet the kids loved it!
2008-09-25 14:26:42 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: great accountability!
2008-09-25 14:27:45 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: this is bringing back a lot of memories for me from early teaching--integrated day philosophy all the time-wish I had web 2.0 tools then!
2008-09-25 14:29:21 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: thanks for unit link!
2008-09-25 14:30:08 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: thanks, Vinnie!
2008-09-25 14:30:18 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: did you say the class response system/survey was built into DyKnow?
2008-09-25 14:31:09 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: I'm so excited to learn about what you are doing Elizabeth!
2008-09-25 14:32:31 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: when I read about this some time ago I was really amazed, what an opportunity
2008-09-25 14:33:04 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Did you do any specific training with teachers or students on questioning skills?
2008-09-25 14:33:56 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: No time in office? How do you keep up with Twitter? :-)
2008-09-25 14:34:07 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: question has come up where I work should we get tablets
2008-09-25 14:34:14 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: teachers say, what for?
2008-09-25 14:34:34 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: what can I say they can do that they can't do without?
2008-09-25 14:34:41 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: that's where Elizabeth's statement on getting the curriculum ready goes a long way
2008-09-25 14:34:49 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: carts can be so limiting if you really want to integrate tech full time
2008-09-25 14:34:55 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: and then individually we're not ready, but collectively, as a school, students, they're ready
2008-09-25 14:34:56 [Message] vances -> -EdTechTalk: that is, what can you do with a tablet that you cannot do without one?
2008-09-25 14:35:01 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: Liz...was there parental resistance to having to purchase another computing device??  I'm assuming many of these families already owned some type of portable computing device
2008-09-25 14:35:33 [Message] ehelfant -> -EdTechTalk: not much resistence..matt
2008-09-25 14:36:05 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: LOL
2008-09-25 14:36:08 [Message] ehelfant -> -EdTechTalk: and their electronic text were included to offset price
2008-09-25 14:36:49 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: excellent point-using the tools to do what they need to do!
2008-09-25 14:37:27 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: how do you scare teachers?
2008-09-25 14:37:27 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: hi ds, we just finished, and are in post-show
2008-09-25 14:37:28 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: wrapping up
2008-09-25 14:37:35 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: nice show y'all
2008-09-25 14:37:44 [Message] ds -> -EdTechTalk: hey gang, sorry I missed it
2008-09-25 14:37:47 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: what time will u b broadcasting??
2008-09-25 14:37:49 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: thanks all!
2008-09-25 14:38:04 [Message] ds -> -EdTechTalk: looking fwd to catching you next time
2008-09-25 14:38:07 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: we're going for the 2:00pm start time each week
2008-09-25 14:38:16 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: there is a chance will move to 2:!5pm. eastern standard time
2008-09-25 14:38:20 [Message] matt montagne -> -EdTechTalk: @arvind...sounds good and thans
2008-09-25 14:38:25 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: 2:15pm EST that is
2008-09-25 14:38:32 [Message] PeggyG -> -EdTechTalk: Hope to catch you next week. Very interesting!
2008-09-25 14:38:43 [Message] ds -> -EdTechTalk: coolio--please Tweet for those of use with ADD
2008-09-25 14:38:54 [Message] ds -> -EdTechTalk: those of us==me
2008-09-25 14:42:05 [Message] arvind -> -EdTechTalk: bye all