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Memo To: Jeff Porter, Assistant Superintendent-Biddeford Schools

From: Charlie Lyons, BHS-MLTI Teacher Leader

Subject: Where do we go from here?

Date: October 7, 2009

I have to be honest right up front, this memo is two fold: 1) it meets a requirement of a graduate course

I am presently taking, 2) but more importantly it is a letter I wanted to write to you. I would like tofirst thank you for all your efforts in keeping the middle school, and now bringing the high school into

the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) program providing 1 to 1 laptops in our schools.

We will be meeting this week to discuss the deployment of the laptops to high school students. There

are some significant infrastructure requirements yet to be completed and many logistical problems to be

ironed out; but our students will be receiving their laptops at the high school. It is what we do after thatI would like to talk to you about.

What each individual teacher does within his or her classrooms is also another topic that I would like to

discuss another time; however I would like to look at the big-picture. Within each classroom, studentsare totally equal with both their hardware/software components as well as access to the internal

network/internet. I am more concerned with what each student does with that equipment and more

importantly when they take their laptop home.

You are aware of the term digital divide that exists across America and it is alive in Biddeford. Each

student comes into the classroom with a different set of tools (Valdez, 2007, p.32) from their 1 to 1experience at the middle school. Again the equipment there was uniform, what students did with it

varied greatly. Dependent upon their middle school teachers, their access or support at home

(motivationally and creative wise) and each students capability to use their resources; their experience

varied greatly.

This divide is also greater for girls, students of color, students with parents having little technology

knowledge (often less education) and a lower social economic status as well as a host of other factors(DeBell, 2006, p.6). I am greatly concerned that some of these problems will not change during their

time in the high school and they will leave with something less than optimal. What we are seeing is

what is defined as digital inequality.

This inequality can be defined as not only the differences among access but the inequality among

persons with formal internet access (DiMaggio, 2001, p.1). Simply stated we couldnt ensure thatstudents have equal access to the Internet at home as they have in school. Additionally we have no

ability to assist them with the student through voluminous data. How can we ensure that every student

develops an equal and similar experience with technology when we only able to control their

experience within the school building.

Here are some possible ideas that could diminish the inequality that currently exists:

Effective and ongoing professional development of the staff through the use of training sessions

provided by MLTI Mentor/Trainers during every available In-service opportunity. A careful

and considered plan over the next several years should be laid out and submitted for approval.

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Seeking every opportunity to launch broadband Internet access to every student household in

Biddeford. Governor Kings imitative still exists and we should be exploring how to continue

this benefit for students through high school.

Creation of locations and times within (and importantly) and after the school day for students to

use their laptops with some form of in-house assistance to students to allow them to maximize

their equipment.

Creating some type of digital competency assessment so that we might measure a student ability

to use their equipment to their full potential. Additional learning activities could be designed

and implemented for that student.

Here are some sources of information we can investigate and I will be sure to pass along to the staff

through our Tech Tuesdays held in the high school Media Center most Tuesdays of the month.

Some already in place are:

207 Groups through Study Wiz the state has already established a large number of informal

groups that any teacher can access through StudyWiz. I have already obtained access to

StudyWiz for each teacher. I am a member of one for Teacher Leaders. Teachers only need tosearch through the list of groups to see which ones they would like to belong and they can join.

http://studywiz.mlti.org/

ACTEM NoteShare Notebook ACTEM has a link to this broad listing of available notebooks

on a variety of subjects. Many of these were created by teachers within the state and other bytechnology professionals. The topics vary from core content areas through the use of specific

technologies.http://noteshare.actem.org/NoteShare/

I-Tune U MLTI in conjunction with Apple has developed a series of Podcaststhat give the

Mac user a quick rundown of software and applications that are available on the current

Leopard version of our Macs. Log into I-Tunes, click on I-Tunes U, go to the Educationwindow and click on K-12. Up pops a list of states that have contributed (I havent had the

chance to check out many) but the Maine link is in that window.

Maine Learns the Maine International Center for Digital Learning has created a site

especially for MLTI teachers. They offer specific assistance in pedagogy, research, initiativesand professional development. I understand the offer several video series that are excellent.

http://www.micdl.org/

Getting technology into the hands of the student is the first step to ensuring our students technologycompetency. More importantly is getting the training and resources into the hands of our teachers.

Insuring that each student is able to have the maximum experience with their equipment is all our jobs.

I would like to thank you again for your substantial efforts to date and all that you will do in regards tothese items in the future. Im sure you agree this the next step in the education of our students.

http://studywiz.mlti.org/http://noteshare.actem.org/NoteShare/http://noteshare.actem.org/NoteShare/http://www.micdl.org/http://noteshare.actem.org/NoteShare/http://www.micdl.org/http://studywiz.mlti.org/