Presentation made at the K12 Technology Summit in Austin,Texas on 10/20/09 on Boston's Laptops for Learning Initiative.

1. Laptops for Learning Melissa Dodd Deputy Chief Information Officer Office of Instructional & Information Technology Boston Public Schools

2. Agenda Access to Technology in the Boston Public Schools Establishing a Technology Life Cycle Model Laptops for Learning (L4L) Matching Technology to Teaching & Learning Objectives

3. Boston Public Schools District Profile Birthplace of U.S. public education 135 schools 56,000 diverse student population 72% of students are eligible for free & reduced price meals 20% Special Education 20% English Language Learners

6. Technology in the BPS Our mission is to provide the technology foundation, vision, leadership, and support for the Boston Public Schools community in the use of technology as a tool to achieve its academic and operational goal to increase student performance and close the achievement gap. OIIT’s work is guided by the LINC IV Technology Plan. Office of Instructional & Information Technology Access Information Communication & Collaboration Innovation College-Ready & Success Bound Students

7. Technology Use by Teachers in the Classroom 47% of High School teachers disagreed 56% of Middle School teachers disagreed 58% of Elementary School teachers disagreed “I am currently using technology during instruction as much as I would like to.” Boston College 2008 Baseline L4L Data

8. Access to Technology for Students Mean frequency of students performing individual and group work with and without computers during class time across school type Boston College (n=2200 teachers)

9. Access to Technology In 2006, aging hardware crisis: 55% are Windows 95s, 98s, or old Macs Current supply of hardware resources does not meet the demand for technology in schools based on district initiatives and skills/learning needed for the 21st century No clear understanding of central office responsibility vs. schools for technology purchasing Addressing the Problem

10. Access to Technology Create a pervasive environment that empowers teachers and fosters high student engagement & achievement Maintain and support the Mayor’s 4:1 student-to-computer initiative with up-to-date technology Equalize access to technology for teachers and students Establish clear expectations and standards for technology, in partnership with schools Create a sustainable computer life cycle model Establishing the Foundation

11. Technology Life Cycle Model Phase I: Project Refresh Update all 95s and 98s in computer labs and libraries Ongoing deployment through Phase II & III of the remaining ~1/3 of computer fleet in classrooms Phase II: Laptops for Learning Deploy ~1/3 of computer fleet as classroom laptops for instructional use Phase III: Labs & Libraries Build in ~1/3 of computer fleet incrementally over 5 years Conceptual Model: 2008-2012

13. Partner with City for low interest rates

14. Competitive RFP with bundled services

15. Lower up-front cost

16. Maintenance agreements & warranty with vendorsLeverage one-time funds: Microsoft Reimbursement Establish ongoing commitment in technology operating budget Connect technology to district academic agenda: Funding Strategies

17. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Purpose: Provide a state-of-the-art, dual platform MacBook for use in the classroom to meet the 21st century needs of teaching & learning Requirements: Orientation training and laptop use agreement Capacity Building: Professional Development “Just-in-Time” Support 21st Century Leadership Cadres Student Engagement Best of Both Worlds

18. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Voluntary program governed by Laptop Use Agreement Developed with Boston Teachers Union Laptop is for instructional use in the classroom $200 fee for lost, stolen, damaged laptop District has ability to collect laptops at any time BPS/BTU Appeals Committee Security Lockdown devices & “secure locations” in schools Computrace with Recovery Guarantee Anti-virus on Mac and Windows operating systems Published security guidelines Program Components

19. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Laptop Management District: image, patches/updates, support, embedding in academic initiatives School: inventory, setting expectations on use Teacher: basic care & maintenance, annual registration, data back-up Service Level Agreements 24 hour turn around for hardware repairs through loaner pool Remote/just-in-time software support 4-Year Vendor Partnerships (Apple & Parallels) Project management & professional services Professional development Capacity-building for BPS technology staff Program Components

20. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Support the multiple learning styles of adult learners Required training Centrally-offered & school-based workshops & courses Summer institutes Drop-in sessions Online tutorials Train-the-trainer Professional development impact 4000+ seats 1700+ individual teachers 90% repeat courses Professional Development

21. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Exemplars in the Classroom Podcasting Math Concepts Creating Digital Stories with Students Classroom Blogs/Wikis

22. Laptops for Learning (L4L) Exemplars Across the District School Leadership Collaboration School-Level Planning Meetings

24. Foster “a-ha” moments

25. Keep it practical

27. Critical Success Factors Engaging Stakeholders Offer myriad opportunities for engagement Have community prioritize needs Engage the teachers’ union Seek a partner in implementation Build capacity in the district to support and champion the effort Communicate regularly & consistently to all stakeholders

28. Technology in the Hands of Students

29. Fostering Innovation Matching theTool to the Learning Objective Project Management Total Cost of Ownership Hardware Standards Technology Procurement Professional Development Support & Maintenance Evaluation School’s Instructional Model Academic Objectives Learning Needs of Students Readiness of Leadership/Teachers School Culture Academic Environment Targeted Technology

30. Technology in the BPS iPod touches to teach English to recent immigrants Computer labs for credit recovery programs for “at-risk” students Mobile labs for in-classroom projects & individualizing instruction Netbooks for technology training programs for BPS families 1:1 environments for pervasive technology-infused teaching & learning Media labs for graphic design, media, production classes PDAs for formative assessments Technology Targeted to Academic Environment

31. Contact OIIT Melissa Dodd Deputy Chief Information Officer Boston Public Schools 617-635-1687 mdodd@bostopublicschools.org http://www.bostonpublicschools.org http://connect.mybps.org