I just whipped this up in about 45 minutes. To be honest it has been in my head for weeks, I finally had a clear enough path to write it down. What do you think?
1:1 Presentation
Good evening, thank you for being here to hear from Ron and the Master Plan committee, and thank you for the chance to talk to you a bit about technology and how that plays a part in the future of KCSA.
Before I talk about technology though, I wanted to talk a little bit about something that I feel is even more important, at least to me, than the technology. My kids.
My kids are nearly 1.5 and 3 and I’m totally uncertain of their future. Specifically, I’m unsure of what is going to happen to them after they survive “school”. Will there be jobs? College? Money for college? What will it look like? The class of 2026, What will their first job be?
I’m fairly certain that the questions about a job is going to be hard to answer. Who knows what jobs will be available, what they’ll look like. Factory? Work from home? Office? Where? Doing what? Reality is we cannot predict, and therefore we cannot ‘teach’ them in a way that guarantees a college degree and a job, because that is no longer a guarantee.
What I want for my kids, what I think will help them succeed in their world, whatever it is, is this:
- I want them to attend a school that provides them with a sound academic foundation on which they can build, grow, and excel. I don’t want them hauling out their smartphone to calculate a tip… that’s done in your head.
- But in that sound education, I want my kids to be challenged to do work that matters. Quizzes, tests, research papers may have their place, but they are meant for an audience of one. The teacher. I want my children to understand the importance of a vetted authoritative voice, while at the same time appreciating the feedback and critique of their peers. I want them writing and responding to each other online because working together is a life skill they will need.
- Instead of learning that tools like Wikipedia are vault of mis-information, I want them to learn discernment, research principles, and instead of running from it I want them to edit Wikipedia because in a way they are giving back.
- I want my kids to learn in a collaborative environment where, when appropriate, the lines between students and teachers are blurred and instead you see a classroom full of learners learning from one another.
- I want my kids to know that it is ok to seek out problems and solve them. To not wait for the teacher to provide the “problem” but to seek it out, make it personal and to solve it and learn from it. They need to be in control of their own learning and that is a gift that they must never let go.
- I want my students to learn how they learn best and to apply that to their personal life as well. To understand that listening to a sermon is good, but it is even more meaningful when you read the scripture again after, or before.
- Finally, I want my kids to know who they are. To know where their strength comes from and how to use their gifts, talents abilities and a passionate desire to learn more to glorify Him.
That is what I want for my children. Actually, that’s what I want for your children too.
How do we get there?
It won’t be easy, but I believe it is the right thing to do. We cannot teach our children how to connect with the outside world, or with each other if we continue to educate them in 30x30 brick boxes. Yet, in most ways, that is the reality of school, and that is why I believe technology plays an important role.
Our mission is to equip our students with the knowledge skills and Biblical vision for the advancement of His kingdom. Technology is a part of that kingdom and it is important that we realize that and work to reclaim the ethical and responsible use of technology for His glory. This is a skill that we owe our students, and we cannot do it with the resources we have today.
We also owe it to our students to provide a rich and meaningful environment in which to learn with technology. To teach discernment, research skills, spreadsheets and databases without a meaningful context is not doing our students justice.
That is why I’m proposing that we start giving all 6th-12 grade students a laptop of their own. By implementing a 1:1 laptop program KCSA will be giving students access to the most powerful productivity tool available. A connection to each other.
Furthermore the technology can serve as a tool to help students take charge of their own learning. To provide them with the tools and meaning to further their learning on any given topic. It can also be used to give our students a voice beyond just their classroom or homes. It can be used to connect them to the world, to let them be salt and light to others all while having the wonderful gift of a caring Christian community to turn to if they find themselves struggling.
- lets math or science student focus on the data and the meaning, not making sure the hand drawn graph they are making is perfect.
- Allows a English student to seek out more poetry by a favorite poet, to connect with living authors.
- Permits SS and History classes to keep up with current events. To use tools like Google Maps/Earth to simulate the travels of traders, armies, and expeditions.
- Allows the collection of assignments, assessments, and curriculum online for easy access anywhere, any time. No more dog ate homework.
It can be used to give the quiet student a meaningful voice in the classroom, and as a means to allow students to do work that they can be proud of in their future. Straight A’s are great, but starting a website that is straight A quality that brings together people from all over sharing that same common interest is something that is more meaningful, more relevant, and totally impossible in our classrooms today.
How does it work?
- When putting together the tuition for next year KCSA will include an additional $150 per 6th-12th grade student, and that fee will remain part of the tuition calculation through the life of the program.
- Laptops would be bought in the summer of 2012 for distribution the week before school begins.
- Laptops will be in service for four years once the full program is running. New laptops for 7th and 10th graders. 10th graders return to 5th grade, graduate laptop cycle down and begin a 5th grade 1:1 in school program. After 5th and 6th the laptops are resold.
- Laptops go to and from school with each student
- Insurance considerations would be made to provide coverage fro accidents and failures.
- Staff would continue schedule PD and find additional training starting immediately.
Thank you for listening to my vision for what the school can provide for my kids, and for yours. Regardless of what we do, I ask that we remember that we are preparing kids for their future, not our past or present.
1:1 Presentation
Good evening, thank you for being here to hear from Ron and the Master Plan committee, and thank you for the chance to talk to you a bit about technology and how that plays a part in the future of KCSA.
Before I talk about technology though, I wanted to talk a little bit about something that I feel is even more important, at least to me, than the technology. My kids.
My kids are nearly 1.5 and 3 and I’m totally uncertain of their future. Specifically, I’m unsure of what is going to happen to them after they survive “school”. Will there be jobs? College? Money for college? What will it look like? The class of 2026, What will their first job be?
I’m fairly certain that the questions about a job is going to be hard to answer. Who knows what jobs will be available, what they’ll look like. Factory? Work from home? Office? Where? Doing what? Reality is we cannot predict, and therefore we cannot ‘teach’ them in a way that guarantees a college degree and a job, because that is no longer a guarantee.
What I want for my kids, what I think will help them succeed in their world, whatever it is, is this:
- I want them to attend a school that provides them with a sound academic foundation on which they can build, grow, and excel. I don’t want them hauling out their smartphone to calculate a tip… that’s done in your head.
- But in that sound education, I want my kids to be challenged to do work that matters. Quizzes, tests, research papers may have their place, but they are meant for an audience of one. The teacher. I want my children to understand the importance of a vetted authoritative voice, while at the same time appreciating the feedback and critique of their peers. I want them writing and responding to each other online because working together is a life skill they will need.
- Instead of learning that tools like Wikipedia are vault of mis-information, I want them to learn discernment, research principles, and instead of running from it I want them to edit Wikipedia because in a way they are giving back.
- I want my kids to learn in a collaborative environment where, when appropriate, the lines between students and teachers are blurred and instead you see a classroom full of learners learning from one another.
- I want my kids to know that it is ok to seek out problems and solve them. To not wait for the teacher to provide the “problem” but to seek it out, make it personal and to solve it and learn from it. They need to be in control of their own learning and that is a gift that they must never let go.
- I want my students to learn how they learn best and to apply that to their personal life as well. To understand that listening to a sermon is good, but it is even more meaningful when you read the scripture again after, or before.
- Finally, I want my kids to know who they are. To know where their strength comes from and how to use their gifts, talents abilities and a passionate desire to learn more to glorify Him.
That is what I want for my children. Actually, that’s what I want for your children too.
How do we get there?
It won’t be easy, but I believe it is the right thing to do. We cannot teach our children how to connect with the outside world, or with each other if we continue to educate them in 30x30 brick boxes. Yet, in most ways, that is the reality of school, and that is why I believe technology plays an important role.
Our mission is to equip our students with the knowledge skills and Biblical vision for the advancement of His kingdom. Technology is a part of that kingdom and it is important that we realize that and work to reclaim the ethical and responsible use of technology for His glory. This is a skill that we owe our students, and we cannot do it with the resources we have today.
We also owe it to our students to provide a rich and meaningful environment in which to learn with technology. To teach discernment, research skills, spreadsheets and databases without a meaningful context is not doing our students justice.
That is why I’m proposing that we start giving all 6th-12 grade students a laptop of their own. By implementing a 1:1 laptop program KCSA will be giving students access to the most powerful productivity tool available. A connection to each other.
Furthermore the technology can serve as a tool to help students take charge of their own learning. To provide them with the tools and meaning to further their learning on any given topic. It can also be used to give our students a voice beyond just their classroom or homes. It can be used to connect them to the world, to let them be salt and light to others all while having the wonderful gift of a caring Christian community to turn to if they find themselves struggling.
- lets math or science student focus on the data and the meaning, not making sure the hand drawn graph they are making is perfect.
- Allows a English student to seek out more poetry by a favorite poet, to connect with living authors.
- Permits SS and History classes to keep up with current events. To use tools like Google Maps/Earth to simulate the travels of traders, armies, and expeditions.
- Allows the collection of assignments, assessments, and curriculum online for easy access anywhere, any time. No more dog ate homework.
It can be used to give the quiet student a meaningful voice in the classroom, and as a means to allow students to do work that they can be proud of in their future. Straight A’s are great, but starting a website that is straight A quality that brings together people from all over sharing that same common interest is something that is more meaningful, more relevant, and totally impossible in our classrooms today.
How does it work?
- When putting together the tuition for next year KCSA will include an additional $150 per 6th-12th grade student, and that fee will remain part of the tuition calculation through the life of the program.
- Laptops would be bought in the summer of 2012 for distribution the week before school begins.
- Laptops will be in service for four years once the full program is running. New laptops for 7th and 10th graders. 10th graders return to 5th grade, graduate laptop cycle down and begin a 5th grade 1:1 in school program. After 5th and 6th the laptops are resold.
- Laptops go to and from school with each student
- Insurance considerations would be made to provide coverage fro accidents and failures.
- Staff would continue schedule PD and find additional training starting immediately.
Thank you for listening to my vision for what the school can provide for my kids, and for yours. Regardless of what we do, I ask that we remember that we are preparing kids for their future, not our past or present.