The start of a new school year

The technology department is busy during the summer months dealing with the various computers and iPads around the schools. This year at the Academy, we migrated two grades from older iPads 3rd and 4th generations to iPad Air and iPad Air 2. Our devices are now an average of two years old. Computers in the CAD lab and in the library were updated and cleaned up, and are now ready for students to return to class.

Today and tomorrow are our iPads pickup days. Students and/or parents are coming in to collect their device so that we do not have to roll them out on the first day of school, which is already so busy with activities and new classes. Here are a few pictures of our set-up:

We also created a Schoology class for new students so that they can set up their device at their own pace by watching several videos and completing short modules. We hope to use this class throughout the school year also, as new students move in the district.

Mastery Learning in Schoology

Over the last six months our elementary school teachers started using the Mastery Learning feature in Schoology to track writing. Teachers assigned pre- and post- assignments in narrative writing, informational writing, and persuasive writing. They graded the writing on the rubric, and, using mastery learning, were able to visually see the impact their teaching had and the growth it fostered for students.

We created this short 10 minutes movie to explain to teachers how to interpret the graphs and information in mastery learning.

The Hour of Code at Moultonborough Academy

Moultonborough Academy students participated in the Hour of Code activities today. Hour of Code activities are designed to promote computer programming and encourage students to not simply use their devices, but to understand how to program them.

During PAWS, students and teachers had the opportunity to program Minecraft characters to perform several actions, from harvesting resources to building a house. Hour of Code activities kicked off with high schoolers accessing the site through Schoology and then completing each level of tasks.

Students who were done then had the chance to attempt another activity, from programming a Star Wars game to Frozen. Most activities required over 75 lines of code to be created.

Middle schoolers then joined in during their own PAWS.

For the second year in a row, we had a successful hour of code. And to continue promoting programming, our own programming class will be hosting two game days on Thursday and Friday in the cafeteria during lunch. Students will be able to play games created by other students and provide constructive feedback to the game designers. We hope to boost both the number of students interested in programming in general as well as enrollment in the Academy's programming classes in particular.

It's not about the iPads, it's about the learning

In June 2015 we collected iPads from our pilot classes (7th, 8th, and 9th grade). We have expanded our 1:1 initiative to the whole school, and we purchased more iPads for the remaining three grades that didn't have them.

Happy students setting up their iPads.

Over the summer, we literally touched over three hundred iPads. For students who already had devices we updated the apps, backed up their devices, and assigned static IP addresses. We cleaned the devices, placed them in new cases, and got them ready to roll out.

But half the students did not have iPads, so each iPad had to be set up. We logged every device in, assigned IP addresses and students AppleID, and downloaded the apps. We were able to accomplish much through Meraki but we still had to touch every device multiple times.

Then came the big day. At the end of the last school year we determined that we did not want to spend so much time distributing iPads to students during the first week of school. So this year we tried something different. We welcomed students and their parents to come and pick up the devices the week before school, and we offered two days for their convenience. On Friday August 21, 2015, we distributed 83 iPads, while on Monday, August 24, 2015 we handed out another 90. We were left with roughly a third of the iPads, so on Friday, August 28, 2015 we caught many of the sports participants who were practicing at school and handed out more iPads. By the beginning of school on Monday we only had 35 iPads left, and by mid day all of them had been collected by students. It was by far the smoothest distribution we had.

Parents and students came over two days before school started.

We're already planning for next year, and one of our goals is to only collect the devices from seniors (who are not returning) and from the sophomores to update them. Everyone else should be able to keep their devices over the summer.

How to Join a Schoology Group

Here's a short video that explains how to join a Schoology group.

Setting Up Parent Access to Schoology

Now that we have moved to Schoology as our Learning Management Software, we are receiving many requests from parents to gain access. This is a very simple process that can be done in a few minutes.

You will need an access code. We emailed out that code at the beginning of the school year as well as [insert date]. But if you don't have it, you can contact us and we will be happy to provide you with that information.

1. Go to http://www.schoology.com, and click on the sign-up button in the upper right corner.

2. You are given three choices. Select Parent.

3. You will be asked for an access code. Enter the access code here.

4. A valid code leads you to a registration screen. Keep in mind that the email you use will be your username to log back in. Be sure to uncheck the receive news from Schoology box, otherwise it may become flooded with Schoology related mail.

5. You are now in Schoology! Click on the upper right arrow to toggle between your account and a child's account. You can see their calendar, their online classes, and the groups to which they belong.

6. If you have more than one child using Schoology, you can add another one by clicking on the upper right arrow and selecting Add a child. You will need that child's access code as well.

Schoology is a valuable tool, and we can't wait to share it with you! If you encounter a problem setting up an account, call us or email us, and we can assist you!

Here's a quick infographic that summarizes the information above, as published in our district's newsletter:

We're a Schoology district!

It’s official. We are a Schoology district!  So what is a Schoology? Schoology is a learning management system that delivers classroom content inside an educational community that is easily accessible from any internet connected device. The Schoology app for iPads works exceptionally well.  At the 2014 CODiE awards, known as the “Oscars” for education technology, Schoology took home the award for best K-12 Learning Management System but also the top honor of Best Education Solution.

After piloting Schoology last year in the middle school and 4th grade,  the instructional committee approved implementing Schoology districtwide. The middle school team made extensive use of the calendar, and employed the assessment and assignment tools to create lessons, homework, and tests. Video was embedded in lessons, and students also used Schoology for their Information and Communication Technologies portfolio. In the fourth grade, teachers and students had dynamic discussions outside of school hours on books they read as well used Schoology to take tests.

Over the summer, we hosted training sessions for Academy and Central School teachers to learn how to use Schoology effectively. Veteran teachers from the middle school were drafted and led breakout sessions on how they used it. Teachers then worked in small groups with the technology and integration team to create material for their classes.

At the Academy, all teachers are posting homework on Schoology, and students have individualized calendars highlighting all of their current assignments. Several groups have been created to communicate with specific individuals, such as the Class of 2018 or the Book Club.  At the Central School, reading logs, assignments and tests are being used in 4th and 5th grade. Students love that they get immediate feedback on their knowledge when taking tests. As the year progresses, teachers throughout the elementary grades will be using various features in Schoology. Teachers are looking forward to diving into all the different ways that we can use Schoology with their students. =

We have rolled out parent access this year at the Academy. All parents should have received an email with their access code as well as instructions. If you would like the mail sent again, please  contact Ms. Maroon at lmaroon@sau45.org. As the year progresses, we will be rolling our parent access at the Central School.  So stay tuned for more information.

Some comments from teachers about Schoology...

“I have gotten excellent feedback from students regarding my new homework system.  It’s supported by research, shorter for them, done using technology (Schoology) and creates a digital file of informal fluency assessments.  Yey!”

”...teachers are integrating Schoology in their classes, and the students are excited to use it

“Student body seems totally open and interested in Schoology.  Bravo tech dept.!! “

We also wrote a blog post about Schoology at http://maipadpilot.blogspot.com/2014/01/schoology-at-moultonborough-academy.html.