Coming Soon: Schoology will integrate with Dropbox and Evernote (in addition to Google Drive)

This is an exciting message that came directly from Schoology!! They will be expanding your ability to connect to your own personal Ed Tech resources by letting you connect your Schoology account with your Dropbox and Evernote accounts. This is in addition to your Google Drive account which is probably already connected. Khan Academy will also integrate with Schoology as well. 

Read on to get the full message. This has not been posted publicly yet, which is why I added it to my blog. Otherwise I would have just posted a link to this.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE FROM SCHOOLOGY:

We are always looking for new ways to improve your Schoology experience, and this upcoming feature release will be a huge step in the right direction.

Resource Apps are applications that will enable you and your staff to access and use content from third-party vendors and external file repositories directly from the Resource Center. This way all your resources, third-party or not, are always right at your fingertips.

These integrated resources will behave in the same way as other Schoology resources—you can copy them to courses, distribute them to faculty, align them to standards, and more. In this initial release, you will have access to these four resource apps:

• Khan Academy
• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Evernote

Our SkyDrive app (Office 365) will be available in a later release soon afterwards. 

Renaming the Assignment Dropbox

We will be renaming the Assignment Dropbox to “Assignment Submissions.” It will be located in the same place and perform the same function, but its new name will make it distinct from our Dropbox Resource App.

We will publish an overview on the Schoology Blog and a step-by-step help article in our Help Center upon the release of these features. And don’t hesitate to email our dedicated Support Team at help@schoology.com if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Sincerely,

The Schoology Team

Reasons, research and Rogers: Why you should roll out technology in small groups first

Purpose of pilot groups

Why do schools roll out new programs or courses in small "pilot" groups? I would point at two reasons: the decision makers either (a) want to test the programs out first before deciding if the program is viable, sustainable, and worthwhile, or (b) they need key people to lead the way in the first year which will make full-scale adoption over time quicker and longer-lasting.

Agents of change

Many school districts are rolling out one-to-one programs where every student has a computer or tablet, and they are usually doing so with small pilot groups of teachers in the first year.  Are they really testing out these one-to-one programs to see if they work with the possibility of shutting down the program after just one year?  In most cases I would say no.  It's more likely that they are choosing their best change agents and best innovators to help implement the program, improve the program, and spread the message to other teachers so that the program can expand successfully.

A one-to-one program is a huge fundamental change for a school, and for every person excited about it there is another who is deathly afraid of it.  For every person who is mildly interested (but still unsure), there is another who is mildly disinterested (and could care less).  For the one-to-one program to be successful, EVERY teacher will need to get on board.  The entire organization needs to change.

Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory

Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory is the basis for several different models of organizational change, and it is the theory that is taught in most instructional technology programs at the Masters or Doctorate level.  Organizations will not change until the people within them are ready to change, and those people have differing attitudes towards change.  In a one-to-one program, often the resistance isn't towards using technology but instead it's resistance towards change itself.

Why use small pilot groups?

I am going to apply Rogers' model to a one-to-one technology program.  In the first year of a program you want small test groups which allow you to bring in the teachers who are ready, willing, and able to make things happen.  They are the innovators.  They are willing to take risks, they will not give up when the work becomes difficult, and they will learn from their mistakes rather than speak negatively about their experience.  This is a very small group - only 2.5% of your staff according to Rogers - but it is still the perfect size for your first year.  These teachers need large amounts of professional development, technical support, and most of all, TIME.  Give them time to make things happen.

In the second year you can target the early adopters. This group is still not very large - 13.5% of the staff - but it's still five times larger than your first group.  It allows for continued support of the teachers before rolling out to a much larger audience.  You are now two years in, but you only have 16% of your staff participating.  That is perfect! Do not try to go bigger just because you can.

Your change agents will start appearing with the early adopters' group.  They do not have to be the most excited about the program or the most knowledgeable about how to use technology in the classroom.  A change agent is someone who can get other people to follow them.  They are leaders.  When your change agents try something new, other people will also be willing to give it a shot.

In the third year it is time to engage the early majority.  They make up a large population of your staff who are willing to try something new but they needed to see other people do it first.  There are still many change agents in this group, also, such as level leaders and department chairs. The number of staff members participating in the program has now doubled from 25% to 50% which continues to make expansion manageable. That is one out of two people who are involved and invested in the program and who can help to pull the remaining staff members along.

Before the fourth year you have a choice: either target the late majority (34% of staff population) in year four and the laggards (16% of staff population) in year five, or lump them together and bring the remaining 50% of your school on board all at once.  Some of your laggards will embrace the change eventually, and after three of four years it would be extremely disappointing if they still were not ready.  Unfortunately some of your laggards will NEVER accept a new program and will even go out of their way to try to sabotage it with resistance, complaints, or excuses.

From the very beginning, the leadership team should be assessing where they feel each individual staff member falls on the bell-shaped curve and then create action steps to help shorten the amount of time it will take to get ALL staff members to buy into the new program. Identifying your change agents is also vital to your success.  The sooner you can get your key players involved, the sooner they will be able to bring others with them.

Should the first pilot group be volunteers or should they represent an entire grade level or department?

My district's administrators hand-picked their first small pilot group of one-to-one teachers, with 37 of our 700 teachers forming that first year's cohort (5%) who represented many different academic departments.  Before the second year's group was chosen there was a lot of pressure to simply choose an entire department (like science) or an entire grade level (the freshman class).  We stayed the course, though, and asked for more volunteers for the second year.  An additional 60 teachers were selected through an application process for year two (8.5%), and again they represented all of the academic departments and all of the grade levels. We intentionally chose to spread the program out across all areas and all grade levels.

Expanding the program to include an entire grade level would have made many tactical decisions easier in terms of professional development, collaborative time, data collection, and even just handing out tablets on the first day of school.  Many, many districts choose to roll out their one-to-one programs one grade level at a time.  It's easier, but it does not take into account that an entire department or an entire grade level will not necessarily be ready or willing to implement the program.  Giving the entire math department two days of technology training will give them the skills to be successful, but it won't automatically give them the attitude and motivation to succeed.  In one of our high schools we could have over 50 teachers working with freshman courses.  According to Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation theory, 8 of those teachers will be innovators or early adopters, people who are truly ready to get started.  But there will also be 8 teachers who are laggards, people unprepared or unwilling to participate in the program.  Of course there are still 34 people in the middle looking for a little guidance before they jump in. Pushing out a program by grade level is not advised in the first year.

Even in an elementary school where three or four or five teachers work in the same grade level you would be hard pressed to ever find that all of them are innovators ready to pilot a one-to-one program in the first year.  From a principal's point of view, her fifth grade team might look like the best group to pilot an iPad program.  In reality, even on the best team, there is probably only one innovator and the others are probably early adopters.  The fifth grade team would be a great choice for the second year of the pilot program, but in the first year only one teacher should be in the program.

Keep your pilot groups small

Remember, there are two reasons you need to keep your pilot programs small in the first and second year.  One, you need people who are ready. They must be ready to succeed, and they must help re-shape the opinions of their peers and help prepare them for change. Two, the administration needs to ensure that the pilot group has adequate support: professional development, technical support, and time to work through the problems that invariably come up when trying something new.

(This post was published by +Edudemic on May 22, 2013. Click here to see the re-published article.)

Four decisions every district should make when using iPads in a 1:1 program

iPads and your one-to-one program

Designing a student one-to-one program of any size is a BIG DEAL, but the proper planning can help you minimize the problems from the time the first school bell rings in August. Using iPads will present a unique set of problems, but it will also lead to a unique set of rewards.  There are four decisions you will need to make before students even touch an iPad.  We learned some of these the easy way, but most of them we learned the hard way.  Read my advice below, but take in others' opinions as well.  The more you know before you implement your iPads, the better prepared you will be and the fewer problems you will have. When there are no problems, people are happy.  Repeat after me:

Fewer problems = happier teachers and students

Apple IDs

This is the granddaddy of all decisions that you will face.  Should the school district create generic Apple IDs for each iPad, or should the students create their own Apple IDs and use them on their assigned iPad? Overwhelmingly this is the answer: each student should have their own Apple ID. When a user has their own ID, then everything they create, download, save, purchase, or use is saved to their account. An Apple ID gives them access to every app, song, or movie they buy (or get for free) for the rest of their lives, and it will follow them onto multiple devices.  When they trade in their iPod Touch for an iPhone, those purchases come with.  When they trade in their iPad2 for an iPad5, all their apps and data will still be available.  (Click here to read more about Apple IDs)

Some students try to share their mom or dad's Apple ID, but this is not a good idea.  An Apple ID is meant for one person. Sharing data among multiple people is confusing and problematic.  It is best for every individual in a family to create their own Apple ID.  Should parents have access to their child's account?  That's really a family matter, but a nice compromise is when a student has their own Apple ID but the parent has their child's log in information.

In my school district last year, we asked students to create Apple IDs on the first day of school when they were issued their iPads.  This coming year we will likely send a letter home to the students and parents asking them to create the account before school begins. We will do this not only to save time but also to help educate the parents as to what we are asking for (a unique Apple ID for every student) and why we are asking for this (to create a single account that will follow their children throughout their high school years and beyond).

Configurator vs. MDM

Every iPad need some type of preparation before you issue them to your students.  Apple provides software called Configurator for free, and it can do things like install paid apps, update paid and free apps, and pre-install the wireless network password.  If you want to do more with setting up your iPads you can pay extra to use Mobile Device Management software, or an MDM. From our experience, the cost of an MDM is far greater than their benefits.  We used Casper as our MDM with 1,600 iPad2s in the first year of our 1:1 program.  There was nothing wrong with Casper, but we have decided not to use it again next year.  At a cost of around $7 per iPad per year, we decided it wasn't worth the price. We will use Configurator exclusively, and part of the reason we can do that is because of our policy on paid apps which is described in the next section.

One suggestion I have for you is do not install free apps on your students' iPads.  When you use Configurator to install an app, you will have to use Configurator to update that app unless you are willing to give out the security code to your students.  This is a huge burden on your tech staff.  Instead, create a list of free apps that every student should install on their own.  When they install the app, it becomes part of their Apple ID profile and it allows them to update the app at any time.

Paid apps vs. free apps

At last estimation, there are 14 kabillion apps available for the iPad. That might be a round number I made up in my head, but if there is an app for everything then it must be true.  Most apps are free, but obviously some are not.  Even if your district can afford to buy apps, someone needs to ask whether they are really, truly necessary.  Make these decisions regarding purchased apps before students even touch an iPad.  There are four main questions you will have to ask when deciding on the use of paid apps.

#1 Is your district ready for paid apps?
When your one-to-one program is just beginning you will be asked to quantify and qualify and justify your success in every conceivable way.  You will have to train your teachers and teach your students on how to use iPads.  You will have to distribute, manage and maintain those iPads.  Do you really have time to deal with paid apps in the first year of your program?  Can you defend the expense of paid apps? In the first year I strongly recommend that you do not spend a dime on apps. Spend $0 in your first year. There are many excellent free apps, including all of your productivity apps (Google, Evernote, Dropbox) and your LMS (we use Schoology). These are the apps you will use everyday.  It is your content apps that often cost money, and I recommend you hold off on buying those apps for the first year.  Teachers will find other free apps that are similar and possibly even better. One year later, if teachers really want a paid app then your district can create a method for requesting, pruchasing, and distributing apps.

#2 Who will pay for the apps?
If you decide to use paid apps, then who will buy them?  If your district pays for them, set a budget ahead of time and stick to it.  Apps will get expensive very quickly, even at just $1 a pop.  You will also need to establish a procedure for teachers to follow when requesting apps.  You might ask teachers to try free apps first, or to buy the paid app on their own for testing purposes before you agree to buy a set for the whole class.  Whatever you decide, make sure it's clearly posted and understood by all.

If parents are expected to buy the apps, give them the rationale behind it.  Three good reasons for a parent or student to purchase their own apps are:

1. When a student buys the app, that app will follow the student for life. Our students will graduate, and when they buy their own iPad they will not have to buy all their apps again.  Those apps, and all the learning that occurred with those apps, will always be owned by the student.
2. Overall, the total cost of apps is often less than the traditional supplies parents buy for their students every year.  A friend of mine has two children and two step children, and he says that it typically costs around $100 per child PER YEAR to pay for supplies.  In a one-to-one environment, the apps are often the only supplies your child needs.  Buying a child a $10 or $20 iTunes gift card to pay for the apps he uses in school is not any different than buying him folders and paper and a calculator.  
3. When students buy their own apps, they have more freedom to choose what they want to buy.  In some cases, choice will save them money.  Why should your child buy Pages for $10 if they are happy using Google Docs? In other cases, it allows them to spend more if they feel that there is more value to the app.  There are free scientific calculator apps, and there are $20 scientific calculator apps.  Some parents and students find value in buying the right app and are willing to put more money into it, especially if they are heading into a math or science-related field after graduation.

#3 What can you afford to spend on apps each year?
The more students you have, the more it will cost you to buy apps.  It's okay to buy apps - just make sure you do so wisely and make sure they will actually get used.  Set a budget and stick to it.  This is especially true for pilot programs - it sets a bad precedent when you go over budget in your very first year!

#4 Will you "keep" the apps, or will you give them away to students and buy new ones each year?
We use Configurator to install paid apps on our iPads, which gives us the ability to remove the app at a later time and distribute it to someone else. The district retains ownership of the app, which saves us tens of thousands of dollars every year.  The downside is that our tech staff has to update the paid apps manually, but overall it is cost-effective for us.

Some districts prefer the "consumable" model of distributing apps, where the district buys the app but then gives the app to the student permanently. People will tell you to look at it like a workbook: you spend $15 on a workbook to give to a student and you do not expect them to turn the workbook into you at the end of the year.  It sounds very logical, but it can become costly.  You will have to decide for yourself if the cost of retaining ownership of an app - the time it takes your tech staff to manage the apps - is greater or less than the cost of giving away apps to students.

My opinion is that if the district spends money on apps then the district should retain ownership of the apps. 

Security, insurance, and "what do you mean they don't bounce"?

There are multiple ways to keep your iPad secure, but to be honest none of them are very effective.  Apple loves to taut their Find My iPad feature, where you can use a computer or phone to track the location of a lost iPad.  The feature does work, but only when the iPad is turned on and it is connected to the Internet.  If a thief wipes your iPad, which takes approximately 10 seconds to begin, then Find My iPad no longer works and your iPad cannot be tracked.  Other security options include having your school district's contact information engraved on the back of the iPads (This iPad is the property of School District 1 - please call XXX-XXX-XXXX if found or presented for sale), or applying metallic security stickers.  You can also buy software to track your iPads, but they are very expensive and not very cost-effective.

So what do you do to protect yourself and your students?  Insurance. Some districts offer insurance to parents but it is not mandatory. In our district, about 50% of parents bought the insurance from Worth Ave Group for about $32 - $42 a year. Other districts require every student to pay for insurance (Wellesley, MA has a great proposal for charging one annual fee that covers the iPad, insurance, apps, and maintenance).  Another option is to self-insure your district by charging the premiums and deductibles yourself, but I strongly recommend using an outside company for the first year or two and analyzing the data regarding costs and loss before you try this yourself. In the end, most districts decide that it is the student who is responsible for the iPad.  Offering insurance is a way to protect the parents from getting a $500 bill due to a lost iPad, and it is a way of protecting the school district from the small number of parents who do not pay for their child's lost iPad.

iPads don't bounce. They don't fly. They don't float. Damage is a serious problem, and most of it can be traced back to some form of negligence. Find a good repair company in the area or one that offers a through-the-mail service, and make sure your repairs occur quickly and at a low cost.  Apple does provide decent service, but they are not very good at dealing with POs.  Blue Raven is a large company that specializes in low-cost repairs on the iPad glass, which is the most expensive repair you will face.  Blue Raven charges about 1/2 of what Apple charges for glass repairs. Once you've chosen a repair company, put the process down in writing so that your tech staff knows exactly what to do to get the broken iPads out for repair and back into your students' hands as quickly as possible.

iPad cases are another low-cost, highly effective protection method.  Get samples from multiple companies and test them with your students.  I wrote to Otterbox, Gumdrop, Uzibull, Griffin, and Belkin and they all sent me samples for free. Whether your district is buying the cases and providing them to the students for free, or if you are simply recommending a case for the parents to purchase on their own, a real hands-on test will help you to decide which case is best for your students.