Tablet Use in Schools: Ergonomics, Posture and Screentime Recommendations

As we have been discussing lately, rolling out a BYOD Program can generate a lot of interesting conversations with students, parents and teachers. Many people do not feel  they have the information in order to make informed decision and to set up good routines and habits around tablet use. I admit that this paper 'Tablet Use in Schools: Ergonomics, Posture and Screentime Recommendations' is a bit of overkill at 46 pages but it is not meant to scare people. Refer to the different sections as you need them or have a concern. It is a paper that I would recommend teachers have a look at so they can answer questions from concerned parents about class and home routines for tablet use.

The most basic advice that I continue to give parents, and sometimes schools almost have to give parents permission to say this - 'It is your house therefore your rules'. Do not let your kids put one over you by suggesting they have hours and hours of homework that must be completed on their device. Good communication equals good device use.

Implementing a BYOD Program: Step 1 - Resources

Some schools and/or teachers have not seriously considered a move to BYOD and how it will effect them and their students. They have been waiting for the system or the leadership to make the decision and then they will investigate what it meant for their schools and classrooms. 

This can be a chicken or the egg situation. Do you wait for someone else to make the decision or do you future proof your own teaching and learning style in order to be ready for a BYOD environment when it does come. It is an interesting exercise to have teachers evaluate the learning activities they have designed and what they would look like in a BYOD environment. Some would change significantly, other would not change at all. There are obvious benefits when teachers conduct this exercise.

It is funny because some schools have hesitated in the move to BYOD because they didn't think their community were ready. My experience is that when we talk to parents they have been waiting for someone to make the decision. Their sister's kids have been BYOD for 2 yrs now and they know plenty of people who have their kids in schools that have already moved to BYOD. They are often just waiting for their school to make the decision too.

There are other consideration however. On a larger scale what are some of the infrastructure changes that would need to take place at a school level and what are the real costs of implementing BYOD. Do you have adequate wifi coverage and access points in the right areas? What is the maximum number of devices your current system can support? What are the costs to upgrade? What age groups would you implement the BYOD Program with first?

Here are some readings that have informed others in their initial investigation of the BYOD environment. Some of these are a couple of years old but they still hold there own in this conversation. The "Bring your own Devices -  A Guide for Schools" from the Alberta Education Department has been like a BYOD Bible for other institutions.

White Papers and the like...

A Guide for Schools - Alberta	BYOD Lit Review	Use of Tablet technology in the Classroom
Are we ready for BYOD?	Horizon Report 2015	Beyond the Classroom
BYOD to School - Dell	BYOX Research Project	BYOD in Education - Microsoft

Implementing a BYOD Program: Step 1

As discussed in the initial Implementing a BYOD Program post, I normally work with schools over three intensive workshops in order for them to plan their preparation for moving to a BYOD Program. 

This works really well with schools that have previously workshopped a 'Full School Pedagogical Approach'. When done well there is input from all members of the community in developing this vision. This full school pedagogical approach is published within their community and illustrated with posters and quotes throughout the school. 

When moving to a BYOD Model schools who have constructed this model would situate the introduction of the device within this Pedagogical Approach, using the same language to justify the move as supporting previously agreed learning outcomes. Each school is expected to be able to articulate why they believe the move to BYOD will be educationally beneficial to their students. I have even seen schools produce wallet sized cards with the main points printed on them.

You can see from the level of detail why we plan 6 weeks between each of the Sessions.

Not only do we supply them with a scaffold for this process but we also provide a detailed checklist for each aspects of the Support Program. 

STEP 1: VISION
The Leadership Team has made a commitment to move to a BYOD Program
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The staff can articulate a full school pedagogical approach
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The staff can articulate why the school is moving to BYOD and what the benefits will be
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The school is prepared to staff years with key educators to run the initial BYO program
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The school is prepared to provide adequate BYOD Professional Development to staff
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The school has identified champions within staff to support the move to BYOD
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
The school has made a video of what their BYOD vision looks like in the classroom
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week
This vision has been shared with parents and the community
	The School’s Plan	Completion Date
		Year	Term	Week

https://appsineducation.blogspot.com.au/

CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation Advisory Board

You may be aware that the Horizon Report was recently discontinued. I have previously published an infographic on the Horizon Report 2014. It was always an insightful read each year when it was released.

The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has kindly stepped into this space and announced that they would publish 'The CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation' publication. This will be assisted by the CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation Advisory Board. Today I was very happy to learn that I had been invited to join the 2018 CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation Advisory Board.

The CoSN Driving K-12 Innovation Advisory Board is a body of K-12 edtech experts who will engage in online, asynchronous discussions to select the topics to be featured in the Driving K-12 Innovation publication. The advisory board is global in makeup, comprised of school administrators, educators, technologists, learning designers, and other practitioner/changemakers focused on spreading innovation in teaching and learning.

The Advisory Board discusses and selects the top Hurdles, Accelerators, and Tech Enablers that are transforming teaching and learning. This publication is produced in order to inform educators of those innovations that can have a significant impact on the education of their students.

Can I Study the ANZAC Tradition on the iPad

Anzac Day is held on the 25th April and remembers all those that have fallen in battle for Australia and New Zealand. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. They have fought in many famous battles in countless theatres of war and and have been enshrined in both Australian and New Zealand history.

I was interested to see if anyone had developed any apps to showcase the information and subsequent legends that have grown up around the ANZACs. Thankfully there were a range of apps and a number of the apps I did find were developed by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) an Australian government organisation. I think because these were developed by the ABC they are distributed for free.

	Gallipoli: The First Day: FREE Explore the events of Gallipoli in a 3D map space. From the first sightings of British Naval ships by Ottoman platoons and the unfolding chaos of the pre-dawn landings, to the ANZAC struggle to make gains in the unforgiving terrain. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/gallipoli-the-first-day/id973314067?mt=8
	WW1: Fromelles and Pozieres: FREE It’s WW1, and the battles of Fromelles and Pozieres, are raging. Hear the story of these battles narrated by Hugo Weaving while you explore 3D battlefields and trenches to gain an understanding of how WW1 battles were fought. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ww1-fromelles-and-pozieres/id1123883405?mt=8
	WW1: Battles of Third Ypres: FREE It’s WW1, and the battles of Polygon Wood and First Passchendaele, form a key part of the Third Ypres campaign. Hear the story of these battles narrated by Richard Roxburgh, explore 3D battlefields to gain an understanding of events. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ww1-battles-of-third-ypres/id1267725134?mt=8
	WW1: Beersheba: FREE Anzac history is brought to life in this interactive documentary detailing the Battle of Beersheba and its pivotal role in the Middle Eastern theatre in WW1. Explore the battlefield in 3D and dioramas to gain a rich understanding of these remarkable events in Australian history. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/worldwar1-beersheba/id1274911544?mt=8
	Kokoda VR: FREE Using real 3D locations and featuring original museum artefacts, historical interviews and videos; witness the famous Kokoda Track campaign of WWII. App comes educational resources linked to content Australian History Curriculum. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/kokoda-vr/id1299597236?mt=8
	Spirit of Anzac Centenary: FREE Spirit of Anzac Centenary Experience tells the story of Australia’s involvement in the First World War. It begins in pre-war Australia, before transporting you to recreated scenes of Gallipoli, the Western Front, Sinai and Palestine. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/spirit-of-anzac-centenary-360/id1051522298?mt=8
	Nga Tapuwae Gallipoli: FREE A guide to the battlefields of the Gallipoli Peninsula. Follow in the footsteps of the Anzacs, with interactive trails, audio guides and maps. Explore the history of New Zealand’s involvement at Gallipoli with fully researched historical guides. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ng%C4%81-tapuwae-gallipoli/id970180355?mt=8
	Nga Tapuwae Western Front: FREE A guide covering the Western Front - the Somme. Follow in the footsteps of the Anzacs, with interactive trails, audio guides and maps. Discover landmarks including the Arras tunnels, the Bulford Kiwi, and cemeteries at Tyne Cot and Caterpillar Valley https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ng%C4%81-tapuwae-western-front/id1039180827?mt=8
	WW1 Researcher: Australia: $2.99 Explore 6 case studies of people who served in the Australian Army in WW1. The app gives you an idea of what research of a soldier or nurse might look like. Research links and the collection of primary source documents will guide you. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/world-war-1-researcher-australia/id1181766329?mt=8
	Victoria Cross: FREE The Victoria Cross tells the story of the heroic deeds of soldiers during WW1. The heroic actions of these soldiers left their mark on history. In recognition they were presented with the most prestigious British and Commonwealth Armed Forces military award: the Victoria Cross. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/victoria-cross/id901382142?mt=8
	First World War History for Kids: $2.99 An interactive experience to learn about the origins of WW1, the conflict, life in the trenches, the major battles, air and naval warfare. Historical periods organised thematically and chronologically from the start of the war to the armistice https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/world-war-one-history-for-kids/id805566970?mt=8
	Remember Them: FREE The Remembering Them app provides a geo-coded list and historical descriptions of thousands of memorials, museums, shrines, statues, monuments, wartime bases, war graves and other Australian sites that commemorate our wartime history. https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/remembering-them/id973323785?mt=8

I would love t add to this collection if anyone k ow of any other suitable apps.

Implementing a BYOD Program

Making the decision to move a school towards a BYOD model can be fraught with danger. This is especially true if you are using table devices. Unfortunately many people still hold the belief that laptops are for working and iPads are for playing or surfing the net. 

One of the things we always do with schools is to work through a BYOD Support Program. This was developed in consultation with schools and has been revised regularly. The school and the community have to be given an opportunity to say how the implementation model is rolled out. I can not stress enough the importance of giving both parents and staff the opportunity to actively contribute to the BYOD conversation. It should never be the case that the school leadership makes a decision and the community is expected to follow.

Here is the outline of the BYOD Support Program that I run. It is conducted over three intensive workshops with the school BYOD Implementation Team. Each session is conducted 6 weeks apart. This is imperative so surveys can be conducted, decisions can be made, discussion and consultations can take place and information sessions for staff and parents can be held. We also insist that at least one member of the school BYOD Implementation Team must be on the leadership of the school. We find that the most successful schools are those schools were the School Principal is the one driving this pedagogical change.

The most successful rollouts are the ones where schools are really open to honest evaluations of the program. We have seen school significantly change their implementation models and even their devices based on feedback from staff, students and the community.

I would love to know what else you think we should include in the Support Program and what has been the biggest plus for your communities when they have moved to a BYOD Model.