A workshop on the vision and implementation process the staff of St' Dorothy Elementary School EMSBh

1
A workshop on the vision and implementation
process the staff of St. Dorothy Elementary
School (EMSB)has experienced as a pilot school
for the integration of ICT into the curriculum. A
celebration of its successes as well its failures
as a model that is still evolving. Working with
partners, both major corporations (Apple Canada,
Norshield Financial Group) and educational
institutions (CSLP, Concordia University, CEMIS,
EMSB and MEQ), the vision of St. Dorothy's has
been, and is, a team effort hoping to serve as a
model to other schools.
2
The beginning 1994-95

• What technology was in place?
• Had 16 Apple II GS and received 16 LC 475s
• No Internet connection
• Computers where located in the lab
• Part-time lab technician whose primary role
  was to help set up the grade 6 yearbook

3

• Macintosh platform, primarily G3s
• 85 computers, networked using Macintosh
  Manager, OS 8.6
  
• Ratio of computers to students is 1 4.7
• Computers in the lab (15) and in the classes (at
  least 2 per class up to 6 per class)
• Integrated software package AppleWorks
• Specialty software peripherals (e.g.
  digital camera, scanner, AVID cinema)
• 5 laptops
• St. Dorothy web site

Current technology inventory at St. Dorothy
4
MEQ support and the Marois plan

• Initially hardware but no teacher training
• Coupled with the need
• To have an in-school ICT resource person for
  ICT project development versus a technician
  in charge purely of tech support
• To decentralize the computers into the
  classrooms to encourage greater use of ICT in
  learning

5

• Comparison with United States where partnerships
  are the norm
• Corporations feeling the need to re-invest in the
  community that has made them successful
• Schools should be on the cutting edge of
  technology
• MEQ can not possibly take care of all our tech
  needs
• School Boards not capable of contributing that
  amount of financial support

Why the Partnership Model?
6

• Apple Canada
• Norshield Financial Group
• CSLP, Concordia University
• CEMIS
• EMSB
• Quebec Ministry of Education, QESN

St. Dorothys Partners
7

• Commitment to education, especially inner
  city elementary schools
• Solicited other partners (Apple, CSLP)
• Established the Norshield Development
  Foundation
• Supplied material resources ensured
  initial technological resources
• Funded university involvement (100 000.00
  to the CSLP over 5 years)

Norshield Financial Group since 1996
8

• Human Resources - on site technological support
  on numerous occasions
• Material Resources - Apple has donated
  equipment e.g., five laptops, multimedia
  computer computer and a server
• Professional Development e.g., a 2 day
  multi-media workshop

Apple Canada since 1996
9
For the past 2 years, CSLP graduate students
(Concordia University) have

• Worked with St. Dorothys teachers on ICT
  integration projects
• Done research to understand the nature of
  educational technology within education
  (documentation available)
• Collaborated with teachers to implement ICT
  projects into the curriculum

10
English Montreal CEMIS (Centers for the
Enrichment of Educational Technology)

• Professional Development
• Supports a project Based Pedagogy
• Dissemination of information
• Release Time for Teachers
• Grant Applications
• Material Resources

11
cv

• Current technician to computer ratio is
  approx.1 400 (industry ratio is 150)
  making it difficult to ensure ongoing tech
  support for the school
• Matching funds for computers
• Wiring for the network
• Human resources (e.g. ICT consultant)

12

• School administrators need to be in tune with
  their teachers needs and up to speed on ICT
  in order to model good ICT practices
• School administrators allowing teachers to take
  the equipment home
• A school Tech Action Team representative of all
  cycles

What kind of support needs to be in place?
13

• Marois money only buys hardware and wiring

ICT Savvy School Administrators

• Therefore administrators need to make good
  purchasing decisions
• Listen to their teachers!(e.g.Oakville Field
  Trip)
• Encourage teachers to take laptops taken home
  on nightly basis to further tech skills
• Encourage teachers to take equipment home over
  the summer to further tech skills

14

• Who is on the Tech Team?
• One rep per cycle and a school administrator
• What does the Tech Team do?
• Meet at least once per month for an official
  meeting
• Release time is provided
• Minutes are taken
• An agenda is posted for the staff
• Look at ICT Exit Profiles http//www.qesn.meq.
  gouv.qc.ca/connection/Prof_Practice/Techexit/teche
  xit1.htm
• Tech inventory
• Assess hardware/software needs based on the
  inventory
• Dissemination of ICT info to the rest of the
  staff (conference, project info etc. given
  to them by their CEMIS)
• Occasional troubleshooting
• They are the hub of tech integration in the
  school keeping the staff informed

Tech Team
15
Reality Check

• Originally teachers did professional development
  mainly on their own time (I.e. lunches,
  after school, at home)
• While temptingdont accept corporate donations
  when they are upgrading - The amount
  you have to contribute to making the equipment
  compatible with that of the school is NOT worth
  it!
• Grant money (GrassRoots, PDIG)
• Marois plan will end - What then?

SEEK PARTNERSHIP

• CSLP research shows that teacher comfort level
  has increased from 18 (1996) to 72 (1999)
  of staff members feeling comfortable in
  using ICT within the curriculum

16
Designed and prepared by Sabine Cossette -
CEMIS Consultant EMSB, LBPSB All the clipart was
created by children in the Alphabet Adventure
Gallery Project. St. Dorothy School photo (Slide
1) by Lauren Aslin - Tech consultant (QESN), ICT
resource person (St. Dorothy Elementary, EMSB),
Part-time faculty (Concordia University).