Participants & Their Questions:
Sandy Kendell, EdTech Coordinator in a 4A District - We have implemented one iPad for every teacher K-12 and we are rolling out BYOD grades 6-12.
- How do you manage iPads efficiently while still giving individual users latitude with their devices?
Bruce Ellis, Director of PD TCEA, former Director in a LARGE URBAN district.
- Questions: iPad management at a distance, tweaking the conflict between using them as shared devices vs. 1:1.
- Information on implementing Android
Anonymous Inst Tech Coordinator from a Fast Growing suburban school district. Implementing 1:1 for 3rd through 12th grade students. Not committted to a device yet. Evaluating what to do PK-2. 3rd - 5th in Spring and 6th - 12th in Fall. 6-12 will take home.
- How do we go about doing this? Procedures? Would like to visit with people who've done it successfully.
Millie from a small rural CenTex district. 1:1 with Macs in HS. 4th year. 7th & 8th also one to one but don't take home. PK-6 sharing iPad carts. All teachers have Mac Books. PK- 6 teachers all have iPads too.
- Just moved in to new elementary schools. Teachers have had Windows laptops. They are getting Macbooks on Monday morning and need training!
- Teachers will have two "computers" in the classroom. What device should it be? What do they want it to do?
Molly Valdez, San Antonio ISD. Did a Kindle Fire deployment last year. Good but kinks. Students liked the size of the Kindle.
- Anyone else using that device?
Mark Gabehart, Round Rock ISD - Forming a tablet committee to develop specs on what they want tablets to be able to do to support curriculum and teacher efforts.
- How do you go about supporting a variety of tablets in your school district?
Joel Adkins, Pleasanton ISD - Just here to help answer questions! :-) Policy is now not writing policies. Any device is supported!
Tim Holt - El Paso ISD - multiple roll outs - iPads, Chromebooks, BYOD, a stew of things happening in the district.
- How do you keep a balance in the control without losing purpose?
Tanna Fiske - @fiskeclass on Twitter - EdTech from Eanes ISD - Fully 1:1 K-12. Has done cart scenario in past as a classroom teacher. Just wants to see where everyone is.
Timn Yenca - @mryenca on Twitter - EdTech from Eanes ISD. Looking at different MDM solutions for 1:1. Anticipating Apple's MDM solution coming in Fall.
Bryan Fuqua - Robinson ISD Tech Director - All teachers have iPads, BYOD at jr. high and high school. Different carts all over the place. Exploring 1:1.
- How have others decided on what device to go with? Who all had input? Staff? Teachers? Community?
Caleb Basinger - Systems Engineer with Apple, here to help!
ANSWERS/SUGGESTIONS/IDEAS:
- Have heard New Braunfels ISD has gone 1:1 iPads and are a very good resource.
- Eanes ISD does site visits. Includes teachers panels and technical information. Try to share their successes.
- Belton ISD - 1:1 iPads and Chromebooks. They do scheduled tours
- iPad Carts vs. Small Pods of iPads in classrooms - In Sandy's opinion (a few people agreed), pods of iPads are more robustly used because teachers have consistent access.
- A shared cart often winds up being monopolized by one or two teachers
- Another option is an iPad Cart shared and dedicated to each classroom on the grade level for six weeks or another specific type of time.
- Security - Joel's district blocks porn, gambling, and murder. Keep it flexible so tech is not an obstacle to prevent teachers from being flexible in the classroom.
- Basic image on iPads, then use Apple volume purchasing for teachers to customize the apps they want on their iPads. Help teachers learn how to assess apps.
- Devices going home - not filtered by most districts. Can be pointed back to the filter on the district network by global proxy, though.
- Kindles have been difficult to globally manage. They have to be touched.
- Consider hiring contractors to help set up devices.
- In elementary classrooms - iPads seem to be the device of choice.
- Right now, it's really a browser war. Something work well in Chrome or Firefox or Explorer. Use what works for you to get the task done. - Joel Adkins
- Don't forget bandwidth! And access points!
- Educate your stakeholders on bandwidth.
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