Jeff Utecht – Educator, Consultant, Author
Posts tagged 1:1
The Next Phase of Technology at ISB
Mar 4th
ISB 1:1 Timeline
Last week our IT Director, Chad Bates, gave a presentation to the ISB School Board outlining the next phase of technology use at ISB. The phase includes a plan to go 1:1 starting next year with grade 6 students.
It’s an exciting time to be at ISB and I for one am looking forward to rolling out the 1:1 program over the next couple years.
As part of his presentation Chad went over the history of technology implementation at ISB over the past 10 years. As I sat there reflecting on how far we’ve come with technology in just the past More >
Why do I get a computer?
Dec 9th
Over the past couple of days I’ve had one simple question that I can’t get out of my head.
Why do we believe that every teacher having a computer on their desk will benefit teaching and learning, but giving one to students wouldn’t?
It’s a simple question isn’t it? I mean….when I started teaching in 1999 I walked into my 4th grade classroom with a computer sitting on my desk. Not every teacher had one at that time, but the next year, at a new school, every teacher had a laptop. We’re talking the 2000-2001 school year. Every school since has provided me More >
What Do You Want Students To Do?
Nov 3rd
Yesterday in our cohort reflecting session at the EARCOS Admin Conference we talked a lot about 1:1 programs. Everyone trying to figure out what works, what doesn’t, where to start, and the questions go on and on.
I do think we can learn from each other as schools continue to strive to use technology at a true learning tool in the classroom. But, I do think we need to remember that especially in the international world….every school is different and every school will have to “Just Do It” at some point.
There are some questions that I think schools can be asking as More >
What’s the purpose of going 1:1
May 13th
(Full Disclosure: I believe every high school student should have a laptop)
The New York Times wrote an article on May 4th, 2007 that resurfaced via Twitter last night. Titled Seeing No Progress, Some Schools Drop Laptops, It took me less than four paragraphs to start shaking my head in disbelief at the way this school district went about trying to, should I say, force students and teachers to use laptops and technology.
It’s easy to say that technology is just a tool or that the technology needs to be invisible, but actually making that happen is harder than just saying it.
Scores of More >
First quarter reflection
Oct 12th
Friday marked the end to the first quarter of the school year at ISB. As my first quarter here comes to a close I’ve started to reflect on the experience so far.
There is a reason why international schools make you sign a two year contract. It takes at least a year to get your feet on the ground, to figure out where you belong in the school, and acclimate to the your new host country.
Personally Thailand is feeling more like home daily. Our stuff has arrived from Shanghai and our apartment is feeling more like home every day. We’re slowly More >
Laptops Hinder Learning?
May 14th
A Study on how laptops hinder learning made the front page of The International Educator newspaper that comes out monthly to overseas educators and schools.
Jason Welker wrote a great article at U Tech Tips about it.
First of all, to call this a “study” of the use of laptops inschools is inappropriate. A study with a sample size of TWO classes,yes, but its findings should be understood as applying only two thesetwo particular classes, which were large lecture-style universityclasses. This particular university’s laptop “program” is described asfollows:
“Students were told at the beginning of the course thatthey could bring their laptops to class to take More >
How to go 1:1
Feb 15th
Well, we’ve hit the half way point and I think for David the worst of it is over. Tomorrow we have a geek meet in the morning where all the technology teachers get to sit around and talk tech with David…sounds like a podcast opportunity to me.
We had some good conversation today and David was part of a meeting where the admin rolled out a plan to become a laptop school by 08-09. Our discussion today focused around how do we want to get there. The school is basically looking at two different options. I’ll post them here if More >
