POST BY: Mr Gideon Williams – Director of e-Learning at Senior School
The Senior School’s Digital Learning Leaders with the devices being reviewed.
We are currently in the process of reviewing the impact of our 1:1 iPad programme at the Senior School as part of our strategic plans for supporting teaching and learning with technology.
Whilst our digital strategy is so much more than the ‘device’ we are aware that any change has the potential to impact on how we use digital resources to support our students’ learning and colleagues’ teaching. With this in mind, we have asked our Digital Learning Leaders to take part in a short trial starting after Half Term, where they will be asked to use a different device to support their learning.
Our IT Manager, Leon de Graaff, has organised a number of tablets and laptops for our Digital Learning Leaders to use in place of their iPads for the rest of this term. These include:
- Microsoft Surface Pro 3 & 4 (detachable device)
- iPad Pro
- Chromebook
- Lenovo (2 in 1)
- Ultrabook
- Laptop
For the duration of the trial, students will be swapping their iPads for the device they are given. They will then use the loan device in lessons and at home for a period of 2-3 weeks before swapping it for another.
Whilst teachers have been informed that students will be using a different device, we have asked them not to make alterations to their lesson to accommodate this. However, we have asked them to allow our Digital Learning Leaders to use the device anytime they wish. Our Digital Learning Leaders are not only confident users of digital technology but also very able at finding alternative solutions to any problem that presents itself.
As part of the trial we will be asking our Digital Learning Leaders to evaluate their experiences of each device as to how well they supported learning. We will also be asking them to blog about their experiences and exploits on this website on a regular basis.
I am not aware of any other school that has taken this innovative approach and I am hugely grateful to the support from Mr Oxlade, Mr de Graaff, our staff and the parents of our Digital Learning Leaders.
As for me, I must admit to being just the tiniest bit jealous!
Gideon Williams
Director of eLearning
