Kio Kio School : An ICT journey

The journey began in 2010, with the beginning of involvement in a three year ICT contract

Take a look back at where we have come from, and into the future as we put the e into learning and L2L2L

In the beginning

Kio Kio School began the three year ICT contract with• A pod of 10 aging recycled computers in the school library• Stand alone desktops (one or two) in each classroom – all

recycled• One leased laptop (Principal) and two desktops (office and

library office)• Three leased TELA laptops used by a few staff• An aging server that was dying…. • No network where students and teachers could ‘save’ their

work• A digital camera (floppy disk)

2010• A watershed year• Each teacher with a laptop (by Term 3!)• Most teachers use email (with varying degrees of uptake)• Teachers and students use fragile internet via laptops and desktops• Teachers and students use word docs with growing confidence• Students mainly publishing writing and ‘project style’ learning• Fragile network with ability to print to local printers and main photocopier

when it behaved!• Three vados , three digital cameras, two easi scopes and two easi-speaks

purchased at end of year, but most not unpacked until Term 2 2011• One mobile data projector purchased• Mathletics regularly accessed by Year 5-8 students, mainly using library

pod• SMS introduced- eTap, varying degrees of use by teachers, all use eTap roll• School website October

2011• Two staff attend Learning @Schools• Network very frustrating• A wide continuum: some teachers open laptops for ICT PD and

eTap rolls but little else , through to teachers making extensive use of ICT within the confines of aging devices and a weak network

• Supportive learning environment- collegiality amongst staff• Students keen, but mainly using ICT for mathletics, publishing

and some research• Pedagogy has some inquiry base, but still a didactic approach

with primary ownership of learning with adults• ICT tech support where…. costing hugely but not apparent• Limited (no) ability to spend $ on building ICT capacity• Units developed from Net safe site- cyber safety etc.

And as 2011 moved on….• New Principal in Term 2• A high level of frustration across the staff and students• Poor network connectivity and server constantly causing

problems• All users principal saving to internal hard-drives on laptops• Fundraising purchases 2 ceiling mounted data projectors, one in

Year 7/8 classroom and one in Year 5/6 classroom… installed in May.

• High level of uptake and use of data projectors within confines of internet connectivity

• Mobile data projector used at some school assemblies to share learning

• Principal’s personal data projector set up in a third classroom• ICT Policy on Cyber safety developed- students, families and staff

• All staff meetings begin with ICT focus• Wikis and blogs set up• Growing use of ICT in each staff meeting- sharing of professional

learning and student learning• Inquiry focus – whole staff planning sessions involving Barbara

and a facilitator from Univ of Waikato• Increasing use of vados/digital cameras by teachers and students• Change of technical support- cost saving, network more reliable

and support responsive to our needs• New server and increased wireless access points• 10 netbooks on loan from RTLB• 10 laptops purchased through fundraising in November –based

in Yr 7/8 class

And rapidly we needed to• “Up the anti” with and for all learners• Look closely at our shared pedagogy…. about curriculum,

about planning, about LEARNING, about LEARNERS• Make ‘culture’ change- a chance in teacher thinking about

learners and learning• Take away the barriers for learners • Give facilities, network and devices a serious review to

remove the “but” factor • Find $ to help build the capacity and capability• Strengthen the strategic plan and annual plan to give high

priority to e-learning , with a focus on enhancing student achievement

So to 2012….• Three teachers attend Learning @Schools• All learners – staff, students and parents sign an ICT agreement• Planning and professional development days built in using banked

staffing• Bernard and Barbara help facilitate professional development

with an inquiry focus• Regular ICT focus at staff meetings• Blogs become a feature, with discussion around involving

students in development of content, uploading • Community receiving regular feedback about e-learning at Kio Kio

School• Community input into feedback on blogs• Studyladder and other great learning tools feature in blogs• Small steps forward in our pedagogical shift….

And to remove the but factor…• All classrooms have data projector with sound system, or

teaching station with data projector, or LCD screen set up with laptop

• SNUP being completed (November 2012) to strengthen school network and hook into RBI in February/March 2013

• 10 laptops leased, 6 in Year 5/6 class, 4 in Year 3/4 class• I-pads trialled • Fundraising sees $ to purchase or lease devices• Strategic plan being for library - a vision to develop this as an

information centre with the focus on information literacy… $15k to be invested initially (from fundraising)

The lessons learned…• Remove the but factors as much as possible• SNUP- seek advice, ask questions, don’t just listen to the contactors!• Be ambitious, be open minded, be adventurous, be curious, be a learner• Be strong- advocate for all learners• Get the BOT and community on board• Make sure you can update your website- the power to do so must be with

the school! • Get the pedagogical shift happening- the focus must be on the learner and

the learning• It’s C21! And a bit!!!!!• If you don’t plan for it, it won’t happen• Watch the fads- stop, think, do!• Make learning rewindable• Let the kids fly- trust them!• Kids don’t have time to wait for us to catch up!• JUST GET ON WITH IT!

From a trickle to a riverOur ICT journey has been rather like the trickle that seeps out of a spring. It runs through the tangle of weeds, gradually building volume, momentum and carving a path as it becomes a tiny creek. As it moves along, volume and momentum create a bigger creek and finally a stream.

Our stream still has its potholes filled with slowly moving water, and rocks that are inclined to sit stubbornly and slow the flow. But it is moving, and will not be allowed to stagnate.

Joy of joy, there are increasingly littlerapids filled with bubbling, energised water that look, sound and feel alive, filling the learner with anticipation. I look forward to seeing our stream become a river! One that will never arrive at a final destination…

So, where to…• The e in learning keeps ICT in focus as a tool- part of the way

we do things every day, automatically• Learn from the students- they are our greatest teachers• Keep the focus on L2L2L for everyone

• Hear from some of our students…..

• Click on the next slides