November heralded the 1: 1 Inspire technology rollout in St. Cloud Area Middle Schools. Technology Integrationists John Gerads and Angie Kalthoff generated a great deal of excitement around the kickoff, organizing 15 community meetings as well as an online family meeting for parents who could not attend a 1:1 meeting in person.
6th, 7th and 8th grade students throughout the district each received an Apple iPad device for their individual use in and outside the classroom. The advantages of the technology are many, but Gerads and Kalthoff maintain that the biggest gain for students (and teachers) is that learning becomes transformative.
Teachers are able to differentiate instruction according to an individual student’s needs. At the same time, the devices enable collaboration in real time, both with other students and even on a global scale. In this regard, classroom walls begin to disappear as students learn from many sources and people. Another advantage for teachers is formative assessment that can be evaluated and graded instantly with immediate feedback provided to the students.
Instructors prepared early for the 1:1 initiative, with Apple training of 30 staff members beginning in October, well in advance
of students receiving their devices. From there teachers participated in “train the trainer” workshops and guided professional development sessions.
“It was very important to have consistency [in usage,]” said Gerads, “while meeting the needs of our learners.”
Overall, the energy level for teachers, parents and students has been high. Kalthoff admits that there have been some fears as well.
Gerads is most enthusiastic about the learning process the initiative provides. “It’s not about the device,” he insists. “It’s just another tool. But we can meet students where they are. It’s interactive; it’s collaborative. It inspires them to push themselves.”
“Gone are the days of grading 30 of the same reports on Texas,” he laughs. “Everything moving forward is about options and showing what you know.”
For middle school students in St. Cloud Area Schools, classes just became more relevant, dynamic and real world.
“Students worry, ‘What if I forget my assignment?'” she reports. “And parents have a lot of ‘what ifs’ and fear of the unknown. But we explain that policies are in place to answer these questions, that there is a lockdown feature, for example, if a device is stolen.”