Peregian Springs State School mLearning BYO iPad Program Background Some parents ask about the evidence on which we are basing our ‘bring your own’ device programs. Research into technology in classrooms has been conducted over the last 30 years with the most influential and definitive research being done by Dr Reuben Puentedura. His research has shown that using technology to support instruction in a planned way (across K-12) rather than just having children play learning games has a significantly higher effect on student outcomes than introducing technology in later schooling years. IPads have been trialled in classrooms around Australia since 2011. There is a plethora of information on the Internet about these trials and their success in increasing student engagement, responsibility and a range of learning outcomes. These trials were so successful that in 2012 the Department of Education in Queensland provided every school with 10 iPads to be used with students with disabilities and learning difficulties. Of particular use to our school is the research undertaken by our own Department and also that of Victoria where one-to-one programs have been implemented widely for many years. The following websites provide some reading on this, should you be interested. • http://education.qld.gov.au/smartclassrooms/documents/enterprise-platform/pdf/ipad-trial.pdf • http://www.ipadsforeducation.vic.edu.au/pubs/ipads-for-learning/2017-ipad-trial • http://cheltenhamps.vic.edu.au/wp- content/uploads/sites/13/2014/11/iPads_for_learning_In_your_hands_trial_evaluation_report.pdf Our Regional Technology Manager (who is employed by the Department to work with schools to develop these programs) also has provided a number of resources to our School Council. These are available on request Many of our teachers have pursued their own further learning and professional development in the use of digital technologies for learning. Our approach to the use of iPads and laptops in classrooms is to move students beyond being content consumers to constructing their own understandings and moving to a level of content creation. Most research points to the greatly increased level in student engagement which included more communication between teacher and student, development of responsibility, compacted learning as students move more quickly through steps in the curriculum at their own pace, and an increased quality in the work students produce. The research also tells us when mobile initiatives fail, it is due to relying on the use of pre-loaded software that merely replaces an existing activity in the classroom and when games for rote learning of discrete facts are used. The use of mobile devices in classrooms requires pedagogical change where teachers actually alter their instructional practices. Our teachers have and continue to be supported with professional development and coaching in the use of mobile devices for learning. Their work is often on show for visiting educators and many of them regularly are asked to provide professional development to colleagues in other schools. History of Bring Your Own (BYO) Devices at Peregian Springs State School The mLearning BYO Program has been an on-going priority since our school’s inception. Our aim has been to identify best practice models and to evaluate if access to a personally-owned device at school and home has an impact on academic improvement, engagement, attitude to learning and on the development of 21st century learning skills. BYO MacBook (2010 – now) During Term 3 2010, we participated in a project evaluating the advantages of a student personalised laptop program, supported by Apple who provided MacBook laptops and iPod Nano devices for students in Years 6 and 7 for a period of four weeks. This trial informed the implementation of the student laptop program at Peregian Springs State School which commenced for students in Years 5, 6 and 7 in 2011. Parents were involved in information and Q & A sessions with staff and local Apple representatives, to help make an informed decision. Peregian Springs State School 10 October 2017 The BYO MacBook program is offered in all Year 5 and 6 classes and is not-compulsory. Students without a personally-owned MacBook have access to a bank of shared school-owned MacBooks. The annual participation rate across classes involved in this program sits at around 90% of students having a BYO MacBook daily at school. BYO iPad (2016 – now) The first iPad was introduced by Apple in the middle of 2010. From 2011 onwards the school began purchasing iPads and setting these up in small pods of 4 which were initially shared across each year level. Each subsequent year has seen the purchase of more iPads, to where we now have at least 4 iPads available in each classroom from Prep to Year 4. Unlike many other schools, we have taken our time to evaluate these devices and their use as learning, collaborative and creative tools, and it was not until Term 3 2015 that we began working towards offering 1:1 BYO iPad classes. In 2016 we instituted our first BYO iPad classes – one in Prep, two in Year 3 and two in Year 4. In 2017, we have two BYO iPad classes in each of Prep, Year 1 and Year 4. In 2018, we will offer BYO iPad classes in Prep (2 – 3 classes); Year 1 (3 classes); Year 2 (3 classes); and Year 3 (in any class). BYO iPad will commence in 2019 in all Year 4 classes. Staff Readiness Teachers and school leaders have attended, participated in and provided many professional development opportunities since 2010, to prepare them to work in the ways of the 21st Century Learner; to embrace both digital and non-digital ways of teaching and learning; and to choose the best fit pedagogy and tool for the task and each individual learner in their class. This has included significant professional learning on establishing one- to-one environment best practice, including intensive practicums, on-site visits to local and interstate schools offering a one-to-one program, accessing latest research around personalised learning with mobile devices (iPads, laptops etc), attendance at state, national and international conferences and master classes. Several of our teachers have won awards and/or spoken at conferences demonstrating their high level of knowledge and understanding of the pedagogies required in the area of ICT integration in the classroom. Many other new and established schools from across Queensland have come and visited our school to see our teachers and students in action with iPads and MacBooks. As a school we run our own in-house conferences; build cross-year level networks; provide time for teachers to visit each others’ classrooms; and provide in-class coaching and mentoring opportunities through our eLearning coaches and other key staff, to share the valuable knowledge amongst our staff. We are also often visited by teachers and school leaders from other schools who are looking to implement or expand their programs. Our teachers and students always relish these opportunities to share their enthusiasm and knowledge, and use the information gained and share to reflect on and improve their own classroom practice utilizing a range of ICT devices. All of our teachers are at a different stage in their journey of effective integration of ICT, and each will continue to be supported to identify their own learning goals in this area and to refine their practice. Why Apple devices? Many parents ask us why we don’t use cheaper tablets or those with open-source code, instead of ‘expensive’ Apple devices. The focus in our mLearning program, as in all programs in our school, is on learning and teaching. Using only one brand of device (i.e. Apple) allows us to streamline our technical support and gives staff more confidence to troubleshoot the occasional glitch. It also allows Teachers to plan and teach all students at once using one set of apps, rather than spending time planning different lessons for students using different devices and different apps. The research we have done since 2010 and the advice we continue to receive is that for primary school children it is best to be specific and have only one type of computer or tablet in the classroom. This limits the amount of technical and software support teachers would have to give students who are just starting out with personal devices. It’s only when students get to the later years of secondary school (e.g. Years 10, 11 and 12) and have Peregian Springs State School 10 October 2017 advanced skills which enable them to manage their devices without teacher intervention, that a program of bringing any device to school can be implemented without disrupting learning. All students access and use Apple Mac computers and iPads at this school. We do not use any Windows-based computers in classrooms or for student use. As such, the school does not provide any support for Windows-based computers or their programs. Teachers use and provide instruction in the suite of software that comes with an Apple Mac or Apple iPad. The key software (Keynote, Pages, Numbers, iMovie, Garageband) that comes with Apple devices is usually free and is user friendly and easy for anyone to negotiate. Windows computers and other tablets can be used at home but they are not used for learning at Peregian Springs State School. The longevity of Apple devices is also a key factor in our continued use of them. Whilst on the surface they may appear more expensive initially, the fact that they usually outlast all other non-Apple devices by a number of years makes them more cost-effective in the long run. We receive strong support for our programs from Apple and their related educational and technical services.