Strong Evidence of iPad Success with Mercy Students

This spring we completed a survey of nearly all of our ninth graders using a likert scale to measure their perceptions of how intrinsic their iPads were to their learning in school.  We used the the ISTE Standards for Students as the criteria for measuring this.

We has used the identical survey in 2013 when we applied to become an Apple Distinguished School.  In every instance the 2015 students were in greater agreement that they had made the fifteen standards that we had selected.

The above chart is an excellent example. Asked to what extent they agreed that they had fun learning with their iPads, about 57% agreed or strongly agreed in 2013.  In 2015, 60% strongly agreed and the great majority of the rest agreed.

Impressive results were measured with other very important standards, such as "My iPad aids me in exploring solutions":

Why did the 2015 ninth graders a higher percentage of agreement with the survey statements shaped from the ISTE Standards. My own classroom observations lead me to believed that their teachers integrated the iPad more fundamentally into instruction. I also believe that the Mercy's adoption of Schoology as and LMS was a factor. The iPad app for Schoology is closely approximates browser functionality.

Click through the following slide show if you are interested in seeing the other survey results* as well.

Student survey results freshmen v freshmen comparison 2015 from Laurence Baker

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*Thank you Christopher Blitz for creating this great slide show for our updated version of iMercy.

Flexible Learning with Schoology at Mercy High School

As mentioned recently at the Drive-thru, we are preparing an updated edition of iMercy, a Multi-Touch book available at the iBook store.  Since publishing the first edition we have adopted Schoology as our learning management system. This has lead to many improvements in instruction.

The two minute video below describes how the Schoology app on our students' iPads facilitate paperless workflow, formative assessment, 224/7 instruction and more. This video will be placed in the "Flexible Learning Environment" section of our new edition.

iMercy 2013 edition

Flipping at Mercy

Looking back on this past school year, I think we made our smoothest and most profound technology transition. We adopted Schoology as our new Learning Management System based on the study and recommendation of a large, open committee of teachers, administrators and staff. One of the great advantages of this LMS is the performance of its iPad app.

Most of our teachers did a great job of leveraging this platform to allow for 24/7 learning.  In this 1:20 minute video, a student and teacher describe the advantages of "Flipping the Classroom" which allows students to engage with content outside of the classroom and take advantage of classroom time by diving deeper or asking questions (rather than taking notes on lectures).

Schoology allowed Mrs. Scrimscher to continue instruction and interaction with her class, even though she could not attend school for periods of time. iPad apps like ShowMe and Explain Everything have proven to be terrifically useful for the creation of "flipped" materials.

Recorded by Gary Bank; edited by Larry Baker

Highlighting New Tech Developments at MHS

As noted here recently, we are updating iMercy, the Multi Touch book that describes Mercy technology.  We published it to iTunes in 2013 where it remains a free download.

I am working with 12 other wonderful people* on an updated edition which we will submit for review to Apple this summer. Last week we were formally invited to apply for a renewal of our Apple Distinguished School status. The updated book will serve as evidence that we continue to be a leading edge school with Apple 1:1 technology.

Our committees have now reviewed each section of the book and are already collecting resources and data highlighting new developments in each area. Here is a sampling:

Visionary Leadership
An entirely new section on the iWizards will be written acknowledging new projects such as their iPad Tips & Tricks course and their iCreate workshop

Gerry Meloche's students use iPhones to identify paramecia

Innovative Learning and Teaching
We have so many new developments which could go here. The new technology in courses like Broadcasting, Photo, Film and Animation, Graphic Design, etc. could fill a chapter.

Ongoing Professional Learning
This section will feature our successes with peer to peer training as well as our Tech Talk Conference.

Compelling Evidence of Success
As I recently posted, we are surveying staff, all juniors, and all freshmen to gather comparative data to the the study we completed two years ago.

Flexible Learning Environment
Since our book was published we have adopted a new learning management system. A section on how we leverage technology through Schoology will be a key addition to this section.

We have much work ahead but I am very proud to have the opportunity to share with the world all the exciting ed tech innovations that are happening at Mercy!

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*Committee Members include Larry Baker, Christopher Blitz, Cheryl Corte, Julie Earle, Angela Harris-Schultheis, Tom James, Alison Kline-Kator, Dr. Cheryl Kreger, Ann Lusch, Carol Shea, Cindy Richter, Lisa Schrimscher, Susan Smith

Updating iMercy

Less than two years ago as part of our application process to become an Apple Distinguished School, we published iMercy to iTunes. iMercy is a 27 page multi-touch book which describes our school's technology program.

Unsurprisingly, a number of significant changes have occurred over the past two school years, so we would like to reflect these in an updated edition of the book.

A committee of a dozen enthusiastic volunteers recently convened for this project. We have two immediate tasks:

Some of us are going to collect new data with and ISTE Standards based survey on how our students use their iPads for school after three years of experience. Others will review the five chapters of the the book to consider what to weed out and what to update.

Page 11 of the iMercy first edition

Besides bringing fresh data analysis into iMercy there will obviously be some new content in the following areas:

*iCreate

*Mercy Tech Talk

*New iTunes U Courses

*Paperless Grading with Schoology

*Paperless assignment workflow with Schoology

*New technology focused courses like Photo, Film and Animation

We hope to have the new edition updated by mid-July. Of course I will keep you posted!

What's Next for the iWizards?

iWizards at iCreate Planning Meeting

Hot off of our successful iPad iCreate Workshop for seventh and eighth graders, the iWizards are now turning their attention to several other activities over the next couple of months.

Jan-Feb 

iWizards Tips & Tricks iTunes U and Schoology Courses
The iWizards are currently working on a project of collecting iPad "tips & tricks" about to share with the Mercy community through a Schoology course.  We have tentatively decided it will have the following features

*lessons that last 1-2 minutes
*GIF badges as "rewards"
*Possibly some kind of raffle for those who "complete" the course.

Gabriella Meyers, our Apple DE recently visited and suggested we create an iTunes U course with iWizard tips and tricks.  I think this is a great idea and would complement the Schoology course.

Feb. 15

Winter Open House Demonstration
For the past three years the iWizards have provided iPad demonstrations for prospective students.

Fall '14 Open House Demonstration

Feb 27

Assist at Tech Talk
Mrs. Carol Rife will be conducting and Animation Creator HD break-out session at Tech Talk. Based on the their effectiveness at iCreate she intends to ask iWizards to assist.

March 20

MACUL Presentation
Mrs. Meyers has asked us to consider doing an iWizards presentation in the Apple room at the 2015 MACUL Conference-- the largest state educational technology conference on March 20, Cobo Center, Detroit.

March 26

iWizard Workshop
All of the iWizards will gather for a full-day workshop to create the program and materials for the 2015 iPad orientation for new students. The orientation will be held on August 14.

Shadowing the Shadowers of Mercy's iPad Program

On Wednesday we hosted an English teacher and science teacher from a local grade school which intends to go 1:1 iPad in the upper grades next year.  I set up three classroom visits for each visitor.  I decided that for fun I would pop in and observe some of the iPad action as well. So you could say that I shadowed the shadowers.

First Period

In Ms. Riley's biology class the students reviewed for a test by going to lab stations.  They used iAnnotate PDF to write notes on their digital worksheets. They also accessed their iBooks for information.

Ms. Harris-Schultheis's class had recently visited the Holocaust Memorial Center. When I stopped by the girls were listening to a Camp Survivor anthem accompanied by visuals.  The students accessed the lyrics on their iPads through Schoology.

Second Period

In Ms. McGavin's anatomy class I observed juniors using the iPad and seniors using the HP Tablet.  The students used their devices to access diagrams, highlight key items and take notes about the human jaw. As you can see in the foreground a student is holding a skull. Ms. McGavin was also projecting the images and notes through her Apple TV. So the students had many different ways to access and add to the information.

Ms. Hallie Smith's ninth grade English class was also studying the Holocaust. Via an Apple TV they watched a YouTube of Hitler giving a speech, and then discussed it after looking up additional information using the Safari browsers of their iPads.

Third Period

In Ms.Waldsmith's Women in Literature class the girls (like the student in the foreground) supported their discussion with digital resources accessed through their devices. I was surprised that most girls preferred a paper rather than digital version of their novel, but most girls took notes on their iPads.

During Ms. Schrimscher's chapter review (chemistry), many girls took notes with their iPads using Pages. Students had reviewed digital resources before class, including a video that they could review through Schoology.

Observations from the Visiting Shadowers  
At the subsequent debrief my new friends shared a number of impressions. They noted that each classroom teacher had used the iPad differently, but all provided students with digital resources that were at their fingertips.  They were impressed by how so many assignments and assessments were paperless. The shadows also noted that grading seemed easier with the iPad, particularly with the tight integration that exists between Schoology and Power School.  They heard about interesting instructional uses of the camera and other apps like Socrative and Explain Everything.  They were also impressed by how adept the students were at moving from app to app and from screen to screen. They also noted that when students were assigned to groups they automatically created collaborative documents as a first step.

It was fun hosting our guests and seeing your educational technology through their eyes.

Mercy Ed Tech Decisions Feature Distributed Leadership

Distributed Leadership for learning and teaching is a leadership approach in which collaborative working is undertaken between individuals who trust and respect each other’s contribution. It occurs as a result of an open culture within and across an institution. . . .It happens most effectively when people at all levels engage in action, accepting leadership in their particular areas of expertise.  --- (Jones, Harvey, Lefoe, Ryland 2013, p.21).

Science Teacher Sara McGavin troubleshoots with iWizards

Distributed leadership characterized Mercy's decision to adopt Schoology as its Learning Management System. Reasons for changing from Moodle were identified by the I.T. Department.  However, we immediately put the evaluation different solutions in the hands of a committee of faculty members who self-selected and participated at a level each person could determine. (All meetings were open).

After the teachers chose Schoology they helped introduced the product to their peers and delivered the rationale for changing  Subsequently these same teachers conducted all of our professional development and training for Schoology.

August iPad Orientation led by the iWizards

We have also decided to hand over an important technology decision to our students. Recently we asked an iWizard to evaluate photo editing apps for use at the iCreate Workshop. The one she recommended has been so popular it may actually enter the school curriculum through our Design Foundations class. At a recent meeting of iWizards we were chatting our favorite iPad apps  One of the new ninth grade members began describing a planning app which sounded like one every student could use. It occurred to me that we should place selection of "Mercy apps"* more or less in the hands of the students. 

Consequently, we are asking the iWizards to assess all of our current apps. And at our next meeting we will ask them to pitch new ones. This is another great example of distributive leadership which has come to characterize decision making within our technology program.

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*All students own a "Mercy iPad" which is pre-loaded with a set of instructional and personal productivity apps.

August Tech Activities at MHS

At Mercy, tech serves instruction.  But for everyone to be able to leverage extraordinary tools like the iPad and Schoology, some "summer school" is necessary.  For the past two weeks we have been busy serving our teachers and new students with some tech support before school officially begins.

For ten consecutive days. Tom James (Director of I.T.) and Mr. Gary Bank (Systems Administrator)  deployed iPads to new students through an hour's set-up session where students . . . . 1) set-up their iPads   2) established passwords for the iPads and our computer labs  3) set-up Google Accounts and mail app  4) created their Apple I.D.s  5) installed their apps  6) signed into Schoology

New students become acquainted with their iPad Airs.

Schoology is the new learning management system for Mercy.  Most of our assignments and resources are pushed to the students online through this system.  Since it is new, many teachers dropped in for work sessions on Schoology and 1:1 help offered by colleagues  Angela Harris, Eleasha Tarplin, Lauren Marquard, Joe Gerardi, Larry Baker, Tom James, Lisa Robinet, Susan Smith, Alison Kline-Kator, and Jan Wampuszyc.

Several iWizards assisted with the iPad deployment, but twenty-five of them will be leading the two and a half hour iPad orientation on Friday, August 15. The sessions will include....

Schoology / Dropbox

Pages / Printing

iAnnotate PDF

iMovie + Keynote

Digital Citizenship (done by Ms. Brown, guidance counselor) 

The iWizards chose the topics, designed the instruction, and created the materials for this session.  They are eager for Friday to come!

All of these activities exhibit the generosity of spirit one finds each day at Mercy High.

Three helpful iWizards wait in the wings at iPad deployment.

Schoology Coming to MHS

A guest blog by Mercy High School I.T. Director Tom James

After a thorough review and evaluation of several different  alternatives Mercy has decided to switch learning management  systems (LMS) from Moodle to Schoology. Teachers, students and  parents will be able to access Schoology from their smartphones  and tablets (iOS and Android) or any web browser. Starting this  semester a group of pilot teachers will begin to use Schoology. By  the start of the 2014-2015 school year all courses will be moved to Schoology.

Here are some of the new features:

• Seamless integration with PowerSchool. If you take a quiz or submit an assignment your grades will automatically sync with PowerSchool.
• Easy integration with DropBox and Google Drive.
• The ability to record video and audio submissions right from your iPad or laptop.
• No storage limit on what you upload to Schoology.
• Full featured iOS and Android apps for use on the iPad or your smart phone.

More information will be provided to the Mercy community regarding Schoology throughout the rest of this semester and the start of the 2014-15 school year.