In March 2012, all teachers in our district


received an invitation to apply to the iPad Academy. Applications were reviewed by district-level administrators and principals. Participating teachers are expected to meet the following criteria: • Commitment to integration of technol-


ogy into instruction; • Required participation in monthly ses-


sions throughout this school year and next; • Maintenance of a digital journal/port-


folio; and • Attendance at an end-of-year collo-


quium in spring 2013. Teachers are also expected to: • Undertake action research to investigate


the use of iPads to individualize learning for all students; • Understand the components of instruc-


tion necessary for our 21st century students; • Be able to integrate technology into


standards-based instruction in a way that leads to measurable student achievement gains; and • Use technology to engage students with challenge-based learning opportunities.


Teachers as tech evangelists One teacher was chosen from each site


based on their applications. In her applica- tion, one teacher summed up what we were looking for in our applicants: “ Some teach- ers are apprehensive or unaware of the bene- fits of using technology in the classroom. I’d like to be able to share tools, procedures and apps that will help allay some fears of imple- mentation in their own classrooms. “I see the role of teachers in the iPad


Academy as being tech evangelists. Learning with an iPad provides additional opportu- nities for differentiation and compacting, as well as an opportunity to present informa- tion to students in a variety of modalities. … With iPads, students can create their own learning opportunities and teach each other. I would love the opportunity to bring this technology, and these opportunities, to my students and other teachers.” Each participant in the academy would


receive a class set of iPads, an iPad and Mac Book for teacher use, an iPad cart for stor- age and charging, an Apple TV, and an op- portunity for further technology incentives


free apps that would meet our educational goals. An Apple representative walked us through the basics of using the iPad. As we were discussing how to share what


we learned with each other, one teacher downloaded the free Edmodo app and cre- ated a group for us to share ideas, discoveries and concerns. Other teachers set up digital journals. Even before we left the meeting, we had a methodology for communication and collaboration! Right around spring break our class


sets of iPads and carts arrived. Of course, the students were ecstatic. Even before any apps were loaded, students were making short videos, taking pictures, finding their houses and our school in Google Maps and using the Apple Notes app to write summa- ries and ideas. Once the iPads were in their hands,we started learning even more about what works and what doesn’t. Students par- ticipated in creating the rules, training each other how to use the iPads and creating pro- cedures for working with them. This col- laboration enforces the learning and social skills that foster real growth.


if participating in 21st Century Learning Academy in future years. Selected teachers first met in the end of


March, when we discussed our goals and immediate plans, and each teacher received a MacBook and iPad. We knew we had about two weeks before we got our class set of de- vices, so we planned to use the time to learn as much as we could about the iPad and find


Several of us were concerned that our


students would bury their heads in the de- vices, never coming up for air, but the iPads have actually fostered teamwork and collab- oration. We reminded ourselves that these kids truly are digital natives, and for them, the device is just part of the process of com- municating, creating and sharing. We have all had to be flexible and let the


process unroll, be willing to take risks and share control with our students. And our ad- ministration has to be OK with this as well.


Seeing students gain independence It is incredibly rewarding to see kids,


especially shy or reticent students or those with limited English proficiency, open up and share what they have learned with oth- ers. Allowing students to control the Apple TV, or determine how they will demonstrate their learning, has helped them become re- sponsible and independent as thinkers. Rolling out the iPads in the spring gave


teachers the opportunity to establish rela- tionships of trust with their students and put strong classroom management processes already in place before the “disruption” of introducing iPads. The iPads changed the way our classes ran and the way our students learned, and we rolled with it. Change drives creativity, and creativity fosters change!


Equity of access This model and the investments we are


making in technology are not without their detractors. Some question the financial in- vestment in technology, while others ques- tion the equity of one teacher per site getting a class set of iPads that are not widely avail- able to other students. However, as the col- laboration we desire is fostered in our teach- ers, we all become partners in the process. We did grapple with the equity issue. We


talked about rolling out iPads at one site in- stead of spreading them out across schools. We also talked about sharing the carts with multiple classrooms. In the end, after weigh- ing pros and cons, we decided the Academy model really did ensure that motivated teachers would use the technology they re- ceived. The one-to-one instant access of the cart in a teacher’s room allows for sponta- neous use in teachable moments, as well as


November/December 2012 33


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