Month: March 2013

If It Aint Broke, You Still Need To Try Something Else

On By Patrick LarkinIn 1:1, Burlington Public Schools, ettipad, iPad, iPadedLeave a comment
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For the last two years here in Burlington, there has been a great deal of focus on our integration of iPads into our classrooms. It has been an exciting time where many people have changed their workflows and started to rethink what learning environments can and should look like.  But even as I witness the excitement from students and teachers as we continue to add devices at the middle and high school level, I am always wondering if we are going to remain open-minded to other possibilities that may come along.
A recent post by Royan Lee on his must read blog, Spicy Learning, got me thinking more about this. In the post, titled “Why Mish-Mash Is Better Than 1:1,” Royan states the following:

“I prefer teaching with the limitations of no class sets, because it means we’re constantly reflecting on the merits of each tool for the given purpose.”

As I think about the skills that our students will need most, I am sure that flexibility and adaptability will be at the top of the list.  I think the best option for students would be a buffet of options where they can choose which option is best for them and the task at hand.  I am worried that we will be handicapped by traditional thinking and forget that the question of which device is best or which tool is best to perform a particular task will never again have a static answer.

This whole thing is a moving target that I don’t ever see stopping. We need to make sure that we are helping our students see beyond the device or resource of the day and keep their eyes open for what comes next.

An Amazing School In The UK

On By Patrick LarkinIn Essa AcademyLeave a comment
I had the chance to spend the day at an amazing school in the United Kingdom yesterday in Bolton which is just outside of Manchester. The School, Essa Academy, has been making some news for its use of iPads and was recently featured on the BBC. There is also a profile of the school on the Apple website.
While all of this is nice, the thing that makes Essa Academy so impressive is the student-centered building and of course their most impressive resource, the staff and students inside.
We felt welcomed immediately upon arrival as we walked down the pathway to the entrance and saw welcomes written on the light posts in a number of different languages. We were also impressed with the large monument of a QR code out in front of the school that directed us to the Essa Academy website.
The first thing you see when you enter Essa Academy is the dining area. It is seen as an important gathering space where students and staff share meals and spend time socializing together. When students enter in the morning the first thing they see is their teachers sharing a breakfast and talking to one another.
Interestingly, this is the only place in the school where community members eat. There is no separate dining area for staff.
In addition there are no departmental meeting spaces. All of the teachers share this large community space to get work done and collaborate.
I loved the science labs which featured these large windows so that others could look in and see the learning happening in the lab. Students are also encouraged to use the windows as a board to write formulas and brainstorm solutions to tasks.
The classroom spaces are very different from traditional schools in the fact that there is no teacher desk or whiteboard at the front of the room that is the focal point of students. Students work together in groups on different challenges and it takes some time to figure out who the teacher was. The spaces were clearly designed to focus on learners not teachers.

While I wouldn’t have thought much about the lockers other than the fact that they are more colorful and smaller than what I am used to seeing, the thing that I found interesting was that these were also the spaces where teachers stored their belongings.
It was really a joy to see a school built in 2009 that was designed with a student-centered vision! I hope other communities that are fortunate enough to build new schools are as thoughtful as the folks at Essa Academy.

Our High School Is Featured On Apple’s Education Page

On By Patrick LarkinIn UncategorizedLeave a comment
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In case you missed it, Apple posted a great video on it’s Education page yesterday highlighting Burlington High School.  Seeing it made me prouder than ever to be part of a community that is willing to take a risk and be a leader in providing the most modern classroom resources to help prepare our students.

We are quite fortunate to have a community that supports its schools financially and a teaching staff that is dedicated, talented, and willing to take risks! Having all of these factors supporting ours schools is something that has led met to say the following on more than one occasion:

“If it can be done, then it can be done in Burlington.”

Here is the link if you are interested in watching the Apple video.

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My Day At Fox Hill

On By Patrick LarkinIn Burlington Public Schools, Fox Hill Elementary SchoolLeave a comment

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One of the fun parts of my new position this year has been the opportunity to visit all of the other schools in Burlington.  Each time I have the chance to see what students and teachers are up to I am left with an extremely positive feeling. It is so great to be able to see all of the wonderful things happening across the district!  In fact, I have set a goal for the remainder of the school year to try to spend a full day in an elementary school each week.

This past week, I spent a day at Fox Hill and had the opportunity to sit in with a number of classes. Check out some of the pictures below. Thanks to Principal Johnson and the staff and students for their warm welcome!

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Students working on “sight words” in Kindergarten
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Student working on the egg drop in science class.
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Students making their Rainbow Fishes