Technology Infusion at FRA

Franklin Road Academy is preparing to take the next step in a strategic plan to incorporate technology into the classroom environment, a strategic plan which dates back to the 1980s. Three major accomplishments have been or will soon be realized:

During 2001-02:: Providing laptop computers for teachers, both to initiate computer-supported teaching in the classroom and to enhance communication with parents.
During 2002-03:: Developing a campus-wide wireless network to facilitate communication among all levels of the FRA community and to enhance our educational resources.
Fall of 2005:: Incorporating the use of portable computers by students to encourage anytime, anywhere learning. When school opened in the fall of 2005, all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors were required to have portable computers, which they use each day. For the initial year of the program, senior participation is optional.
Fall of 2006:: All Upper School students and seventh and eighth graders began using portable computers.

Research has shown that computer use in classrooms helps teachers organize and deliver materials more effectively than traditional methods and enables them to adapt to better accommodate individual learning styles.

Wired classrooms give students immediate access to current, relevant information from a myriad of responsible resources which expands the learning environment. Most importantly, computer use motivates students to participate in the learning process. Technology infusion prepares students for life in a high-tech world. By integrating portable computers into the FRA learning environment, we expect to graduate young men and women who are active learners. Laptop ownership encourages students to use technology and give them confidence to construct their own knowledge from the information they discover.

FRA first launched a student laptop program in 1992 and faced some insurmountable obstacles. Unfortunately, those first laptop computers were bulky, manufacturers were not prepared to offer timely service, and software programs for laptop computers were limited. Keep in mind that the World Wide Web was just two years old at the time. Software development began in earnest in 1991, and now we can’t imagine a world without personal computers working in tandem with the global Internet. Computers have evolved much like the World Wide Web. Portable computers are more now powerful, more durable, and have better service and support systems in place.

To meet these challenges, Franklin Road Academy is committed to integrating technology and instruction by following a plan based on logical sequences.

A comprehensive study of how students learn using technology led to the decision to move away from the limits imposed by fixed computer labs and towards the use of portable computers.
After that commitment, substantial research was undertaken to find the product that offered the features, support, and technology that matched the needs of the FRA community.
With those directives, the tablet PC was chosen.

Tablet PCs offer technology that fits into the learning style of each student. With digital ink capabilities, students can jot notes, make drawings and outline calculus problems. In many cases, digital ink notes can be converted into text with enhanced handwriting recognition programs; however, these programs will never fully replace keyboard input. The capabilities of digital technology are promising:

Moving handwritten notes as though they were text;
Underlining, scoring, editing and coloring single words or groups of words;
Searching handwritten blocks of ink for specific words or phrases

The tablet PC offers teachers the ability to use digital ink to correct math problems or make suggestions for improving all forms of written communication. Users can move and resize objects and share drawings, calculations or even handwritten notes with anyone online.

Tablet PC technology allows teachers to walk around the classroom while holding the tablet PC and projecting class work onto a screen at the front of the classroom. Students can record a classroom presentation while taking notes and those notes will refer back to the recorded audio. This keyboard and digital pen operating system is a welcome and enabling technology.

The tablet PC offers the benefits of a desktop computer in a tablet form. Students can have access to their information whenever and wherever they need it. Mathematics Department Chair Ed Zaborowski, clearly sees the advantages of tablet PC computers.

I have been teaching with a tablet PC almost all of [Spring 2005]. I use it hooked up to a projector and use the program Journal Writer as my ‘white board.’ I have unlimited white board space and can actually save each day’s notes. I have also e-mailed the notes to students who were absent. I can access the 200 or so worksheets that I have on my Website and open them up in Windows Journal and write on them. When I give a test, I print one copy in Windows Journal and make the answer key right on that copy with my stylist pen. I save the completed key to the computer. The day following the exam, I project the key on the screen, and the students can see the answers.

I am delighted that our students have them as well. In the past, when I was teaching one of my classes how to use some math software, I would have to carry my computer and projector to the computer lab, get set up, then take it all back to my classroom afterward.

Anyway, I could go on for hours about what I think about the tablet PCs and how I use them. I will tell you this: if the school had not decided to use them, I would have bought one myself. That’s how important I think they are.

Department Chair of Foreign Languages Kris Climer readily agrees.

Tablet PCs merge the ease of use and intuitive nature of a pen and paper with the power and versatility of a personal computer. I envision students using the tablets where those two domains naturally mesh. Student collaboration and sharing of ideas (dialogues in French, notes, exercises, review tools, projects and presentations) are greatly increased by the use of computers, but finding common ground was always a problem. With the tablet PCs, each student will be working with the same machine and on the same platform at school and at home. The exchange will be more fluid than ever.

Katie Parks, FRA Chemistry teacher, is also in favor of the tablet PC. She writes,

The tablet is a fantastic tool for teaching science and math for several reasons: Its versatility makes it perfect for use in labs and daily classes. The tablet works well when it comes to solving example problems or working out homework problems. It also works as an endless white board, which allows all problems and solutions to remain while the next problem is addressed.

We have a unique opportunity to use tablet PCs for some lab purposes. In our AP Chemistry classes, we have certain chemistry instruments (a pH sensor, a temperature probe, and a gas pressure sensor) that hook directly into the computer. The instruments take lab measurements and immediately download the data into a graphing and analysis program. This saves the students (and, in turn, me) time by eliminating the step of transferring hand-written data to a graphing program on a computer.

The tablet PC also offers exciting opportunities for physics teachers according to Upper School Physics teacher Joe Meko.

I am truly excited about the adoption of tablet PCs. Physics is not just the study of matter and energy; it is fundamentally an examination of the way things work and how things change. What better tool than a tablet PC to demonstrate the principles governing the physical world through online simulations and demonstrations.

All four of my physics classes (Physics I and II; Physics I Honors and Physics II AP) are conducted entirely via the tablet. Students access the textbook, download and submit assignments, access supplementary materials, plus take quizzes and tests entirely online.

Instead of being a dispenser of information, I can now truly be a guide as individual students take control of their own learning. I firmly believe that Tablet PCs represent an opportunity to take a quantum leap forward – not only in how I teach, but also in how my students learn.

Microsoft’s OneNote program for tablet PCs is a virtual three-ring binder. Imagine how easy it would be for your corridor cruiser to carry one notebook that has unlimited, organized space for every subject. Students can store and sort notes by subject, and the digital organizational tools included in the program even have built-in search functions to find notes taken in class. Because they’re digital, students can reorganize notes, search them later, and leave the binders behind.

Tablet PCs will change the learning experience in many ways. E-books make better reference tools because they give readers more control over material and offer more ways to teach and inform. Traditional textbooks are updated once every few years, but e-books can be updated every year or even during the semester.

The electronic format can link to newspaper articles, speeches, and many other audio and visual aids. With one click, a student could hear a presentation by an inventor, watch a live experiment or follow a link to the subject of interest. Many textbook publishers are playing catch-up and are just beginning to offer digital textbooks, but the demand for them is increasing. Many FRA teachers say they would be using electronic books if they were available; some teachers have already incorporated e-book learning into their classrooms.

After extensive research, FRA narrowed the field to four computer manufacturers – each of those providers offered pen-enabled technology. The Board of Directors announced in April 2006, that Lenovo offered a tablet PC that best met the criteria set for the selection: purchase from a reliable company which offers the best product, best service support, and best software bundle at the lowest possible price

We are very excited as we initiate this phase of our Technology Strategic Plan. We will continue to enhance the learning experience of our students by expanding the use of the tablet PC into the classroom. This sophisticated learning tool challenges our students, encourages collaborative work, and helps them become more confident in their computer skills as they enter college and the 21st Century work force.