This post is a couple of observations I have made concerning the installation of new hardware and software in our schools.  Specifically, the hardware is Promthean’s ActivBoard (interactive whiteboard) and the software is their ActivStudio product. Personally, I feel that Promethean’s software for interactive whiteboards is the most useful for teachers compared to packages that are offered by Smart Technologies, Hitachi, and Mimio.  The reason for this is fourfold: 1) the software offers many resources in the library and many, many resources (almost 10,000) that are downloadable from Promethean Planet, 2) it has many users who share flipcharts so that teachers don’t have to “reinvent the wheel” - almost a quarter of a million registered users, 3) the software is robust - it has many tools and customization options for teachers to make the most of their teaching environment, and 4) there are many training/professional development opportunities for new users to make the most of the software at Promethean Learning. **DISCLAIMER** - I swear Promethean or any of it’s affiliates did not pay me to say any of this - no money, candy, cars, etc. Promise.  I am just speaking on experience, using the package in London, England when I taught there, and now helping teachers integrate it into their classrooms in Aurora, CO and experimenting with the other packages and what they have to offer.  Now on to the observations: Logistical: “Be Prepared” It seems that when new hardware and software is introduced into a school, all parties involved should be aware of what the new package is being added on to.  At one site, this new package is predominantly being added to older model PC’s that have the capacity to not run properly if they are not optimized before adding the new software.  We have found that many of the teacher’s computers are not running properly and leading to less than desirable effects such as running extremely slow and crashing.  This can most likely be alleviated by preparing the computers beforehand by re‑imaging them and setting them up for a scheduled bi‑weekly defragment.  Re‑imaging takes off all of the old and makes room for the new and will allow for better results when adding the new hardware and software. Community Building and Sharing It has been observed that the new implementation of the hardware and software has lead to the formation of user groups centered around using the software.  Whereas before teachers may “go it alone” in terms of their planning, now they have an opportunity to plan together by learning the software and creating products to be used in the classroom during these groups.  The groups have also fostered the sharing of best practices and teaching strategies centered around the delivery of content via the use of the hardware and software.  Now the teachers have the ability to create lessons together and divide up work in order to lessen the workload which frees up time to focus on preparing meaningful opportunities for students to engage, learn, and understand new content.

Though work being done to integrate this technology into our classrooms is mostly in its infancy, it’s great to see what is happening now with teachers literally having this technology anywhere between weeks to a couple months.  What is even more exciting is to imagine where this will take us into the future! Enjoy the vid! apscms.net/staffpages/coachriebau/files/2008/10/hinkleymodellingiwb.mp4

Here are some good examples of Hinkley HS teachers creating and manipulating flip charts for their lesson using Promethean’s Activstudio software on an Activboard.  For those of you who don’t have ActivStudio software, I have included a .zip folder that has a file for loading the free flip chart viewer onto your computer so you can interact a bit with the flipcharts.  Note: I have also included flip charts presented in powerpoint (.ppt) should you not be able to access the flipcharts (.flp).  You will not be able to use any of the interactive items, but you can see what the gist is. Nice work teachers! Enjoy! Get the free flip chart viewer here ActivStudio versions Headings - McEuen.flp Point of View - Kaspar.flp Graphs - R. Wright.flp White House Rhetoric - Roth.flp Powerpoint versions Biomes of the World - Thompson.ppt Headings - McEuen.ppt Point of View - Kaspar.ppt Graphs - R. Wright.ppt White House Rhetoric - Roth.ppt

These are the words Ivan and I heard in a classroom at Hinkley High, enthusiastically - and definitely not sarcastically (which can be typical of cynical teenagers), blurted out by a student when we briefly showed her and her peers a piece of new technology that would be used in their classroom soon.  I felt like this simple statement, and how she said it, may have summed up the feeling and the mood spreading across the school, and trickling into the school district - a feeling that with the proliferation of new 21st century learning tools in our classrooms, that there is exciting potential to learn in new and hopefully better ways, and that it’s not just the schools in a wealthy suburb that are utilizing all of the high-tech tools anymore, but that the resources are being made available to all.  Is there a sense of equity? Maybe, maybe not, but the truth is… the kids are observing that we are making a commitment to them to provide them with the means to take their education to the next level, and in turn, they may actually find themselves a little bit more excited to come to school each day and find enjoyment in learning about the world around them because now we have useful tools to bring the world to them!