Good morning here in the JIS Middle School for an open conversation with students, parents, administrators and teachers. The focus is to frame the IT strategic vision for JIS. We will have teacher, student , parent and administrator input and perspectives and then from their build the talking points to frame their next steps.

We will keep a record of the conversations, Jeff, David and myself (John) keeping at the keyboard

Students and Parents (Notes John)

• kicking off with the student perspective
• lovely start, student shares his favorite tool a blackberry and frames the fact that it is really old ( two years :)
• (student) issue from kids, the constant, reliable internet is an issue, seen as disadvantageous to school work
• (student) one perspective, is maybe this technology is a distraction?
• (student) Moodle issues, not being used by it, the fact of time to get to it "it takes a minutes, that is too long" student
• (student) Google seen as a powerful tool...see all the technology connected within the google family, maybe JIS could connect to this
• (parent) all the different technologies and venue (facebook, twitter, etc...) does not give the depth that they want.....
• (student) people bringing laptops into school, is a boost to education..great access, and more convenient to education.
• (student) the amount of paper usage, handouts... which this student shares seem over kill, as many of the handouts are only looked at once or twice, hope that more teachers will use moodle to upload assignments
  
• (student) the smartboard technology helps understanding
• (student) feels that in the elementary the distance and inconvenience of access makes the lab model not the best way to access technology and laptops would be more convenient
• (student) the issues of having to log into many different times into j~ISNET and then to moodle seems tedious
• (student) JISNET color is boring and why
• (Jeff U) if you could design JISnet from bottom up what would you do?
• (students) iweb, google, facebook- why? because so many folks are on it parent jumps in : often hard to find information on JIS NEt have to drill down too often
• (David E) would everyone having their own laptop or technology device would it make a difference to learning
• (student) not having wifi might not make such a big difference...... if speed is not there, and issue of loading
  

Administrators: (Notes David)

• Email is my life but I want to get into other apps. Mobile Phone is critical.
• Efficiency with use of technology - managing this technology worried about how little I know. - getting information efficiently
• Love but hate technology - using internet but not sit down for long periods of time - love itouch - access info in brief structures - concerned about life style
• Again bogged down with email - Trying to maintain a blog site - must be a hobby - takes time - must become something more.
• Change in lifestyle
• on-line and talking - having kids changes your style. it gets overwhelming. Like being able to stay current. email overwhelming. How find the balance
• Managing incredible amounts of information. Email 50-60 per day. Laptop is critical. One note. Having time to stay up on latest.
• UStream, google groups, Facebook - Great connections to alumni
• Using podcasts - getting information - efficiency
• We must improve student learning - how does it help kids. - not a big fan of technology but communication is key
• Excited by technology - email - connectivity - Skype is key - don't get caught up in gagetry - How is this going to make a difference? I'm reading books to research where technology is going.
• Love gmail - management with searching. - GPS watch, run - great personal tool
• Apple fan - love Skype

How do you see teachers and students learning with technology?

• Smartboards have been a breakthru... elementary - Friday Smartboard working session - well done
  
• Student - science data to gmail. - moodle - email - On-line science reports - tablet PC
  
• We seem to be holding kids back by going to the lab - elementary - not yet easily accessible. Home is far away from school
  
• How do we release our adults? -
  
• We are close to having the infrastructure.. Move to JIS Air is key.. Pockets of people ready to move ahead. - We are on many thresholds.
  
• How much more are they learning? Not much because we have not used technology to new learning styles. --heavily content based. - Value added not quite there.
• How to teach with technology as well as learn with technology.
• Students are far better researchers today...
• Technology as personalizing learning -- This would be a new place... How they connect?
• What content is important? - How do we get kids to communicating, Lifeskills.. How do we shift mindsets?
• Set performance tasks that mirror real llife.
  

Teachers and TeLMS: (notes Jeff)

• SmartBoard evaluation coming out of UK
• Students know everything, teachers don't know anything. Students have "holes in their knowledge" but pick up skills quickly.
• Student are adaptable.
• Students have a WOW factor
• Availability of the tools available through JISNet
• Teachers need on going support
• Collaboration is key between tech and teachers
  
• JIS has the tools, but is the knowledge within the staff on how to use them there?
• "If it's not sexy, students don't want to do it"
• The balance between direct teaching and student-led learning
• students are entering our classrooms with a different knowledge base
• "Kids need to be savvy now, they are going to be hit with big issues"
• Important for kids is the skill of knowing how to find it when we want it
• "Technology is only a tool"
• The term integration is lost....the concept is over used.
  
• Need programs that will put kids on the "same level"
• Technology allows the different voices of students (quiet kids speak up)
• Finding authentic things from the Internet
  
• Does the word "friend" mean something different now?
• Frustrated with blocked sites
• Teachers are not prepared and it's not OK
  
• Can technology guide our learning/instruction?
• Standards and Benchmarks? What is their place today?

Q&A

• Do we need to go slow to go fast?
• Need support for a program to work well
• Target interested people
• Take on responsibility for own learning.
• Time is a factor
• Time to prepare lessons
• Time to prepare teachers
• Time with students

Jeff's Presentation on Networks and Communities (RSS for administrators)
Okay kind of running behind, so I am going to post the links which relate to the conversation and presentation Jeff is doing with the JIS administrators
JMM