The ClassMates program is a new student learning initiative launching in the 2011-2012 school year that will provide each 7th-12th grade student with his or her own ClassMate: an A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262-owned and supported convertible tablet PC. These small, lightweight, and rugged notebook PCs feature both keyboard and pen input, and come bundled with a full set of A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262-specified education, collaboration, and productivity software. (For more, see What are the ClassMates technical specifications?)
29 February 2012
Why is A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 launching the ClassMates program?
A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 has been a leader in integrating information and communication technology (ICT) into teaching and learning and, with the ClassMates program, is poised to take the next step on that path of enhancing and transforming student learning.
We live in a changing world. ICT is rapidly transforming our society. While computers were only a few decades ago expensive devices reserved for special purposes, we are now flooded with a variety of low-cost mobile electronic devices. This proliferation of increasingly affordable, powerful, and portable computing devices and the immense information, communication, and collaboration medium of the Internet presents a tremendous opportunity for enhancing education.
The ClassMates launch at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 is in-line with educational best practice. In its 2010 National Education Technology Plan, the U.S. Department of Education set the goal “that every student and educator has at least one Internet access device and software and resources for research, communication, multimedia content creation, and collaboration for use in and out of school.” The ClassMates program also represents a substantial step toward fulfilling the A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 Technology Integration Plan.
That student learning benefit is the driver behind the ClassMates initiative. From text and instant messaging to Facebook to YouTube, today’s kids know how to use technology for communication and entertainment. But we have just scratched the surface of leveraging technology as a tool for learning. We know that A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 students, already well-grounded in traditional academic content, well-rounded in art, music, physical education, and extra-curricular activities, if also savvy with the productive uses of technology, will have a distinct advantage in high school and beyond.
That student learning benefit is the driver behind the ClassMates initiative. From text and instant messaging to Facebook to YouTube, today’s kids know how to use technology for communication and entertainment. But we have just scratched the surface of leveraging technology as a tool for learning. We know that A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 students, already well-grounded in traditional academic content, well-rounded in art, music, physical education, and extra-curricular activities, if also savvy with the productive uses of technology, will have a distinct advantage in high school and beyond.
We believe that providing a reliable standard tablet computer for each student (a “ClassMate”) will be a powerful aid to accelerate learning. The ePAL acronym also provides a framework for understanding this learning benefit:
- Engagement + Efficiency
- Personalization
- Anytime, Anywhere Access
- Learning
This framework encompasses the following benefits:
Efficiency
- Instant information
- All-in-one organizer
- Class time savings
- Cart, boot, logon time
- Instant eHand-outs
- Time-shifting activities
- Prep time savings
- Assignment posting & submission
- Paper & toner savings
Engagement
- Interaction
- Collaboration
- Student-centered
- Hands-on
Personalization
- Individualized attention
- Differentiated instruction
- Multiple learning styles, multiple media
- Student-paced mastery
- Assistive technology
Access
- Anytime, anywhere
- Instant, searchable:
- Notes
- Assignments
- Resources
- Pen input allows applications across all disciplines
Learning
- Motivation to learn
- Rigor via relevance
- Higher-order thinking
- 21st Century Skills
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Critical thinking
- Information Literacy
- ICT Skills
What research supports the ClassMates program?
During the 2009-2010 school year, the A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 undertook a review of literature during the course of its investigation of the application of information technology to teaching and learning. In the academic literature, implementation of 1:1 student computing programs was found to lead to improved student learning outcomes:
- Enhanced student achievement
- Increased student engagement
- Enhanced 21st century skills
- Learning beyond the classroom
- Increased multi-modal student content creation
- Flexible, student-driven curricula
In addition, research by the MacArthur foundation revealed that while students are facile users of online tools and use them naturally for entertainment and communication, they need help learning how to judge the quality of online information, who to connect with online, and how to use these tools for productive purposes. A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 is well positioned to help students in these latter cases by teaching them how to become responsible and productive users of technology.
Of the resources and research reviewed by faculty, the following selected references may be of interest:
- Journal of Technology, Learning and Assessment, Volume 9: Special Edition: Educational Outcomes and Research from 1:1 Computing Settings. Peer-reviewed, scholarly on-line journal addressing the intersection of computer-based technology, learning, and assessment.
- Technology in Schools: What the Research Says. 2009 update of Metiri Group review of research. Includes section on 1:1 computing.
- Measuring the Value of One-to-One Computing-A Case Study Perspective. Consortium of School Network Compendium 2006.
- Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project. November 2008 ethnographic study of student computer use sponsored by the MacArthur Foundation.
How much does the ClassMates program cost?
Exclusive of one-time network and other technology infrastructure upgrades, the ongoing annual costs to support the ClassMates program are approximately $204 per student. Some of the shared costs of the program are included in the school’s operating budget, so the net per student per year cost will be $193. The board has chosen to subsidize the ClassMate program during its launch, so the 2012-2013 technology fee will be $115 per student.
May we opt-out of the ClassMates program?
The ClassMates program is structured as an integral component of education at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262. Teachers are modifying curricula and instruction to take advantage of the unique capabilities of the pen-enabled ClassMate tablet PC. As such, daily use of the ClassMate tablet PC will be integrated into the classroom. Many student textbooks and other printed learning resources will now be available as searchable references on the ClassMate tablet PC. Because the ClassMate tablet will be a natural part of daily teaching and learning at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262, enhancing and extending traditional classroom interaction, participation in the ClassMates program is required of all 7th-12th grade students.
May my child bring his/her own computer instead of using the ClassMate tablet?
By standardizing on the ClassMate tablet, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 can offer a rich digital toolset customized to support student learning both in and out of the classroom. Students and teachers are able to concentrate on the learning enabled by the ClassMates program rather than on troubleshooting problems with and navigating the idiosyncrasies of many different platforms.
The A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 ClassMate tablet is a student learning tool customized for the unique A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 curriculum to maximize the learning opportunities enabled by mobile computer technology while minimizing the distractions and hassles technology can sometimes bring. The ClassMate tablet is a convertible Tablet PC, which combines the productivity of a keyboard for typing written assignments with the intuitiveness of pen, ideally suited for writing equations and drawing graphs in math and science, drawing in fine art, or just jotting quick mind-maps and notes. This unique combination of pen and keyboard input is not available on standard notebook PCs nor on the Apple iPad or Android-based slate form-factor tablets. In addition, each ClassMate is configured with the education, collaboration, and productivity software that our faculty has chosen to most effectively support student learning.
We have carefully designed the ClassMates program as a sustainable student learning initiative. By standardizing the ClassMate, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 can offer a rich digital toolset to support student learning both in and out of the classroom. Students and teachers are able to concentrate on the learning enabled by the ClassMate rather than on troubleshooting problems with and navigating the idiosyncrasies of many different platforms. Having a standard platform ensures equity in allowing A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 to provide each with student the same high level of support to maximize the ClassMate’s effectiveness as a tool for learning. Consistency in the hardware and software platform allows faster resolution of problems by IT support and decreases overall program costs, minimizing the financial impact and providing the highest educational return on investment.
Families may always choose to have home computers available for casual Internet browsing, games, and other activities, but students will be required to use the school-provided ClassMate for schoolwork.
Why is the ClassMates program using tablet PCs?
In considering how best to leverage technology to enhance student learning at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262, our faculty carefully reviewed the available options. In the end, they selected for the ClassMates program a convertible tablet PC, a notebook computer which combines the productivity of a keyboard for typing written assignments with the intuitiveness of pen, ideally suited for writing equations and drawing graphs in math and science, drawing in fine art, or just jotting quick mind-maps and notes. This unique combination of pen and keyboard input is not available on standard notebook PCs nor on the slate form-factor Apple iPad or Android-based tablets.
Tablet PC Advantages
- Subject Area Applications:
- Mathematics: Writing mathematical equations and drawing graphs.
- Science: Writing chemical equations and drawing graphs of data and diagrams.
- English: Diagramming sentences, highlighting electronic texts, and editing Word documents with ink annotations.
- Fine Art: Digital drawing and painting with pressure-sensitive stylus.
- Social Studies: Labeling and coloring maps.
- Unified Learning Platform: By adding pen input to a notebook computer, the tablet PC provides a single, portable platform for accessing electronic textbooks, browsing Internet resources, using educational applications, taking notes, writing reports, creating multimedia presentations, and communicating and collaborating with teachers and other students. No other device provides this range of learning applications nor the potential to have every document, note, communication, multimedia resource a student needs instantly available, organized, and searchable. This all-in-one access promises tremendous organizational and learning efficiency benefits and opens the door to a portfolio assessment process.
- Multiple Learning Style Support: Drawing and handwriting notes engages visual and kinesthetic learners. The tablet software makes it easy to use multiple pen and highlighter colors to emphasize important points and easily categorize information.
- Note-taking Efficiency: With a tablet, students can manipulate hand-written notes and drawings on the computer with the same kinds of electronic advantages that makes word-processing software superior to typewriters, including ease of editing and revision through drag & drop, copy & paste, and undo/redo, as well as ease of sharing and collaboration by e-mail or the Web.
- Unobtrusive Form Factor: The upright screen on standard notebook PCs can place a visual barrier between students and the teacher whereas when used as a tablet, the tablet PC is no more obtrusive than a paper notebook. In addition, taking notes with the stylus is quieter than typing.
Tablet PC Features
- Note-taking: The ClassMates tablet is bundled with special ink-aware applications useful for note-taking, including PostIt (like a the paper ones) and NoteTaker (like a 3-ring binder). These applications allow students to take notes with the keyboard or pen and organize them for each class.
- Handwriting-to-Text: Most ink-aware applications convert handwritten notes to editable text. The Tablet PC input panel recognizes handwriting in any program, allowing use of the pen as a co-equal input device with the keyboard.
- Ink Annotations: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel support digital ink natively. In addition, any document may be sent through the virtual printer feature and then annotated in Foxit Reader, allowing digital ink highlighting and annotations on e-book texts, Web pages, PDFs, pictures, and more.
Won’t my student get too much "screen time"?
A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 recognizes the electronic screen as a fixture of modern life. While some kinds of "screen time" lead to passivity and isolation, effective use of information and communication technology actually increases engagement and collaboration and connection, including the new possibility to easily connect with peers and teachers at distance. Because of its enormous potential to enhance education, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 maintains a commitment to the productive, engaging use of ICT in instruction, while still balancing plenty of "offline" time both in and out of the classroom.
Between television, mobile phones, MP3 players, game consoles, and computers, student time seems to involve shifting attention from one screen to another. A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 is committed to the health and well-being of all students and is sensitive to the issue of “screen time” overwhelming other activities, creating potential imbalance in the lives of growing children. At the same time, we recognize these screens as fixtures of modern life and the information and communication technology accessed through them as possessing enormous potential to enhance education. As a result, while we maintain a commitment to a balance of “off-line” time in the classroom as well as through athletics, music performance, and recess, we are not shying away from the productive use of some screen time in instruction.
Just as we intend to maintain this healthy balance of time away from screens in the school day, we strongly encourage parents to do the same at home. Monitor the amount of time your child spends watching TV, playing video games, sending text messages, and set appropriate limits, especially on passive "screen time". While some computer time will be required to complete homework, schedule this time early in the evening to give students a break before bedtime. Have students charge their ClassMates somewhere other than their bedrooms so that they will not be tempted to continue using them when they should be sleeping. Some research suggests that any type of electronic screen exposure prevents the brain from following its normal progression toward sleep. Given the importance of sleep to learning, getting a good night’s sleep is a student’s top priority.
What are the ClassMates technical specifications?
For its pen- and touch-enabled convertible tablet PC functionality, high performance, extreme durability, and value pricing, LFCDS has chosen the ByteSpeed 10" NL2 Classmate as the student ClassMates tablet.
Hardware
- 10" Net Tablet 1366x768 Touch Display
- Intel GMA 950 Graphics
- Intel Atom N450 1.66GHz Processor
- 1.3 Mega-pixel Web Camera
- 2GB DDR2 800MHz Memory
- 250GB SATA 5400RPM Hard Drive
- Intel 6200 802.11 ABGN Wireless Card
- 6-cell Lithium Ion Battery (1-Yr Warranty)
- Microsoft Windows 7 Professional
- Microsoft Office 2010 Professional
- Mythware Classroom Management collaboration software
- Forefront Endpoint Protection AntiVirus/malware
- CIPAFilter web content filter
- A variety of education software applications
What about at home?
Will my student take his/her
ClassMate tablet home?
To provide access to the same tools and resources available while at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 for the completion of homework, students will be expected to take their ClassMates home nightly. Students will be responsible for charging their ClassMate overnight and must come to school with a fully charged battery to ensure the ClassMate is ready for classroom use.
Will the ClassMate connect to our home network?
The ClassMate will support both a wired RJ-45 Ethernet network connection and a wireless (WiFi) connection. The ClassMate will connect to any 802.11a/b/g/n wireless network, whether at A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262, in your home, or in a public location. The Web content filtering software will restrict Internet access regardless of which network the ClassMate connects through.
What if we do not have home Internet access?
Since the ClassMate is stand-alone tablet PC computer with local document storage, much productive work is possible even without Internet connectivity. However, home Internet access adds enormous information access, communication, and collaboration possibilities outside of the classroom. Please contact Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf if you do not have a home Internet connection.
May we print to a home printer from the ClassMates tablet?
Since students will be turning in some homework electronically and A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 has configured ClassMate tablets to connect to both black & white and color laser printers at school for student printing, access to home printers is not be required. However, you are welcome to try to connect the ClassMate to a home printer.
We recommend consulting the manual for your printer for installation directions, as the process varies from printer to printer. However, the following Microsoft Windows 7 "Install a printer" help page may provide sufficient background:
Given the variety of home printer configurations and the availability of on-campus printing, we do not provide official support for home printing. However, we are happy to provide limited assistance in connecting to home printers. If you are unable to connect using the instructions from your printer manual and Windows 7 Help and Support, please have your student to bring in his/her ClassMate tablet with the necessary printer driver software to
Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf between 8:00AM-4:00PM on school days. You may provide the required printer driver software either by sending the original printer installation disc in with the ClassMate tablet or by e-mailing the exact make and model number of your printer to technology@a-ccentral.us so that we may download the required drivers for the printer from the manufacturer's Web site prior to you coming in. We will inspect the software to ensure compatibility and attempt to install it. Families must complete any additional connection and configuration steps at home. Due to resource constraints and the variety of home printing configurations, cannot provide assistance beyond driver installation in setting up home printing from
ClassMate tablets.
Will the ClassMates replace printed textbooks & classroom materials?
While we won't be going totally paperless, we do anticipate that the ClassMates program will allow us to reduce the number of printed classroom materials and books students will need, significantly reducing student backpack load over time.
A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 teachers are actively seeking ways to leverage the ClassMates platform to reduce the number of printed materials students need, to increase classroom and homework efficiency, reduce the "lug" burden of burgeoning student backpacks, and conserve paper. For example, Middle School Math textbooks will be available electronically, as well as High School Chemistry. Middle School Science labs are completed digitally and High School History assignments are submitted via the ClassMates. Other departments are making similar leverage of the available electronic materials as appropriate.
What happens if the ClassMate tablet crashes, breaks, is lost or stolen?
What happens if the ClassMate tablet crashes?
Since the ClassMate is a school resource, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 takes responsibility for the backup and repair of the ClassMate tablet PC so that families do not have to worry about service and support.
While students will be expected to practice responsible data management and strongly encouraged to create their own backups of irreplaceable files since no data recovery scheme is 100% reliable, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 does provide each student server space that is automatically backed-up nightly for school-related files used by ClassMate tablet PCs.
In the event of a crash, students should bring their
ClassMate to Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf between 8:00AM-4:00PM on school days for repair and data recovery..
What happens if it the ClassMate tablet breaks?
Maintenance
Any software issues will be resolved by the A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262
Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf . Any hardware malfunctions will be processed and repaired free of charge under the manufacturer's warranty. For cases requiring extended diagnosis or repair, a replacement ClassMate will be issued to the student.
Damage Insurance
Families will be liable for repair costs if the ClassMate has been physically damaged (for example, suffered a drop, been crushed in a backpack or had a beverage spilled on it). Damage insurance is available for the ClassMate program to limit parent liability by visiting our personal property insurance here:
Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf will coordinate the repair and families will receive an invoice from the Business Office. While all damage will be repaired, minor damage not affecting the operation of the ClassMate may be delayed until the summer, ensuring families will not pay more than is necessary to maintain a functioning ClassMate.
What happens if the ClassMate tablet is lost or stolen?
The ClassMate program calls students to be responsible stewards of school equipment. Families will be held financially responsible for the full cost of any missing equipment, including the ClassMate tablet PC, AC adapters, stylus, etc. Families should consult their homeowner’s insurance to determine coverage. Families wishing to protect against loss or theft may purchase additional loss/theft insurance by visiting our personal property insurance here:
Can you monitor my child at home through the ClassMate tablet?
A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 believes that a strong educational partnership between home and classroom entails sharing supervisory responsibilities. Families are responsible for supervision of students at home. The restrictions placed on the ClassMate tablet PC largely limit student use to academic activities. If parents have specific concerns or questions about either supervision or their child’s use of the ClassMate, they should contact the School. To ensure appropriate use, the ClassMate tablet is configured to log student Web site access and application launches. In addition, the content of A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 Google Apps e-mail correspondence is traceable. There is no facility for remote monitoring via the integrated Webcam and microphones, which are only active for local recording by students.
Will inappropriate Web content be blocked?
Regardless of what network the ClassMate connects to (school, home, public) the installed Web filter will restrict the same content categories that are filtered at school, blocking inappropriate Web content.
Because the ClassMate is intended as a tool to support learning, these content restrictions may be more conservative than some families would otherwise allow for their children. Filters have been chosen to emphasize educational goals and minimize distractions. Families always have the option of allowing their children less restricted access to the Internet on home computers.
No filter is perfect and families should not rely on Web content filtering as a substitute for supervision and guidance. As part of its ClassMate orientation and our ongoing work with students, A-C Central C.U.S.D. #262 will provide students with guidance on making safe and responsible choices online and we ask for parent partnership in setting appropriate limits and reinforcing these important lessons.
The building principal and technology administrator are coordinating to monitor student use of the ClassMate tablets. Any concerns that arise should be immediately directed to Technology Administrator Michael T. Bendorf . In addition to maintaining logs of e-mail, Web use and application use, the School also receives automated alerts when students repeatedly attempt to access sites in banned categories. Conversations with students and families about student decision-making and other consequences will ensue if there are signs of persistent attempts either to access non-academic material or to disable or otherwise obviate the monitoring and filtering software.
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