SPRINGDALE : iPods double as study, classroom manager aids
Posted on Monday, May 12, 2008
SPRINGDALE — Principals in the Springdale School District collect covetous student stares as they pass through the hallways.
They carry iPod Touches, portable media players that students want, to listen to music, watch videos and access the Internet on the go.
“They seem to think it’s pretty cool,” Todd Loftin, assistant principal at Tyson Middle School, said of the 8-gigabyte iPod Touch he carries in a plastic case.
For administrators who carry them, the deck of card-sized players have done more than snowball credibility in the eyes of students. They’ve changed the way they interact with teachers.
District technology leaders purchased 71 iPod Touches for principals and assistant principals in January, network engi- neer Eric Hatch said.
Administrators use the device to track teaching patterns in classrooms, creating a growing database of information to gauge the effectiveness of professional development techniques.
An iPod Touch allows users to access various software applications and Web pages, inputting data through a 3. 5-inch color touch screen. The 8-gigabyte model, used by Springdale administrators, retails for $ 299, and the district paid $ 23, 202 for the batch, including taxes, software and covers.
To pay for the iPods, the district used a combination of federal Title III and Title V grants, which are designated for assisting children from low-income homes and for launching innovative programs.
Hatch and technology coordinator Allison Byford created a district database, remotely accessible through a Web site, to collect information that principals observe as they step into classrooms.
“They can go anywhere and collect any information,” Hatch said.
Principals complete about three observations a week, stepping into classrooms and clicking through checklists on the tiny touch screens.
TEACHING TEACHERS In classrooms, teachers use an instruction method called the “Gradual Release Model,” which has students reviewing information in groups to strengthen their knowledge. Using the devices, principals track the model’s application in the classroom. The data, categorized by class, subject, grade and school, tracks objectives outlined in the district’s professional development plan, which emphasizes teamwork and clear learning goals. Principals can print reports that show trends in how information is presented in the classroom to determine what’s working.
“It’s not really a ‘gotcha, ’” professional development director Linda Auman said. “Most teachers find it very helpful.” Martha Walker, principal at Bayyari Elementary School, admitted that it took her some time to familiarize herself with the new technology.
“I have had some tutorials from my children,” she said.
Walker uses the iPod observations in follow-up conversations with individual teachers and staffwide e-mails.
“As we continue to learn to use it, I think it will be quite helpful,” she said.
HANDHELD TREND The Northwest Arkansas Education Services Cooperative, which coordinates programs for 17 Northwest Arkansas districts, supports the digital program, used by many of the schools it represents. “It’s a wonderful tool for getting a quick look at what’s going on in the classroom,” Bentonville technology coordinator Kathleen McInroe said. Bentonville administrators employ 82 Blackberries to monitor instruction and keep up with e-mail, a tool that is particularly helpful for high school Principal Steve Jacoby.
“Our high school has a population larger than many small towns in Arkansas,” McInroe said.
The district purchased the devices through E-Rate, a federally sponsored program that distributes money collected from universal service fees on phone and cable bills.
Some critics of the technology insist that it’s an expensive replacement for a handwritten evaluation, but it actually serves a different purpose, McInroe said.
“The power of that data is not just in one classroom,” she said. “It’s in putting together what all is going on in their whole school.” Fayetteville principals have the option of completing handheld walk-throughs, chief information officer Susan Norton said.
Most use Blackberries, but Holcomb Elementary School Principal John L Colbert is testing the iPod Touch for use in the district’s schools.
“I love it,” he said. “I can’t live without it.” Rogers has yet to adopt portable devices for its administrators, said technology coordinator Gary Day.
“I hear mixed reviews on their success,” he said.
The devices’ small screens don’t show much data, and some principals believe the program would add more work to their days, rather than making them simpler.
“It’s not worth it when you weigh the time it takes to access it with the value of what you’re accessing,” Day said.
ADDITIONAL USES Hatch created a portable student database, allowing principals to access student photos, schedules and guardian information from their iPods. The devices are locked with four-digit passwords, and the information is only accessible on the school’s wireless network. When Loftin encounters students in the hallway between classes, he quickly can access schedules to direct them to the appropriate classroom. When a parent comes to the building to pick up his child, Loftin can verify that he is the guardian. The district sees potential for other uses in the future, Hatch said. The 2008-09 technology budget allots $ 6, 000 for the purchase of 20 additional iPods. The district plans to create podcasts, or portable videos, of professional development lessons that teachers can access through the devices. Students also will be able to check out the iPods to watch educational videos related to classroom subjects on long bus rides. “There’s a lot of possibilities,” Hatch said.
To contact this reporter: eblad@arkansasonline. com
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