The Connection: Home and School

One of the exciting aspects of teaching using a 1:1 computing system is the new ways in which students are becoming connected to their learning. No longer does learning take place within the four walls of the classroom. Now, students can access the subject areas from anywhere that internet is available. Recently, one student was hospitalized for over a week and while she was recovering, she was able to complete all of her work. She even had the opportunity to stay in contact with her peers and myself through our wikispace. When she came back to school, she said that it really made a difference to be able to stay connected with what was happening in school. She never felt that she really was gone. The transition back to school was made a lot easier because of her ability to stay connected to the classroom and to be able to complete tasks in the different subject areas while she was away. Another student was gone from the classroom for a two week family holiday in Scotland. Again, the student's comment was that it was great to see what the class was doing while away and that it made coming back a lot less stressful. From home, students are also able to view when assignments are due on our wikispace and to preview our classroom schedule using google calendar. One student commented that he likes using google calendar from home because by viewing the daily and weekly schedule, it organizes his day and it makes him feel more prepared. Parents are beginning to also access our class's wikispace and they also like being connected to what the students are doing in school.

Substitute Teachers and the 1:1 Computing Classroom

I have recently been absent from my classroom and different substitutes have had the opportunity to experience a 1:1 computing environment. I am quite interested in the reactions of the substitutes who have come into the classroom. One substitute teacher did not feel comfortable using technology and altered the day plan to accomodate pen and paper. Another substitute felt that because the instructions for the different subject areas were explained sequentially and in detail in Moodle, then the students should be self sufficient and would not require monitoring. I am quickly understanding that substitutes in my classroom require advanced preparation apart from a written dayplan.

Another issue I am finding is that substitute teachers in our school division need to have usernames and passwords created for them before they can access our division's computers. This needs to be completed by our system's administrator and although it is an easy task, it takes time and if I am away suddenly it is difficult for me to orchestrate. Once the substitutes have a username and password they then need to be registered in Moodle and on Wikispaces. Again, this process takes time. Currently, I have given them access to my username and password so that they could access the sites needed to provide instruction for the students. I have not felt comfortable in providing this information; however, because of time constraints and not knowing who was coming into my classroom until the last minute, this appeared to be my only option.

To alleviate this problem, I have asked the administration if I could make a list of 4 substitutes who will be called on first to come into my classroom when I am away. I am planning to meet with these four substitutes and go over my expectations for them when facilitating tasks to be completed using the students' netbooks. The majority of substitutes have never had the opportunity to teach as facilitators and find it quite unnerving and definitely out of their comfort zones to teach in this way. By having four constant substitute choices, usernames and passwords can be created ahead of time and, through our advanced preparation meeting, substitue teachers will have time to practice logging onto Wikispaces and to Moodle to access the different subject areas.