Come join us in a spirit of learning!

The agenda and speakers for iPadpalooza are shaping up!   Sessions cover subjects for K-12, and range from uses of iPads in math and science, special education apps, libraries and more.  Check out the video that Westlake Film Students created, inviting you to the spirit of the conference.  Hope to see many of you there.   Special thanks to video creators Kendall French Kazen and Sarah Vollman for creating the film and special thanks to Norman Greenbaum for permission to use his classic song for this promo.

Remember to sign up at http://www.ipadpalooza.com.

Call for proposals

In conjunction with TCEA, Westlake High School and Eanes ISD will be hosting the first iPadpalooza, a learning event centered around iPads, on June 19 at the high school.

The call for proposals has gone out:  sessions will be  45 minutes and  topics can range from presentations about apps to integration into lessons in specific subject areas, to maintaining an iPad cart or large scale program, etc.  Both student and faculty presenters and attendees are welcome. 

More information can be found on the website for the conference:  http://www.ipadpalooza.com.   We look forward to seeing you there.

iPad pilot in the news

Since they were first issued, iPads have drawn the interest of schools curious about how using them in classrooms can benefit students and about what creative opportunities they offer.  As piloteers(can we coin that term?) an important piece of our pilot is sharing our results with other schools who are interested in their own iPad rollouts.   To help with that endeavor and to further our own understanding (and because we are thrilled with the results of our pilot thus far), several of us are sharing the work we've done thus far, both at conferences and in articles.

Upcoming conference presentations include:

• Carl Hooker, Brad Smith and student Steve Wilbanks presenting 1:1 Ipads in K12 at SXSW Edu in March.
• Carolyn Foote presenting at Computers in Libraries iPads in School Libraries in D.C. in March.
• Jon Samuelson presenting at Mobile Learning conference Engaging Students through Educational Gaming in April.
• Linda Rawlings, Carl Hooker, Steve Ramsey, Matthew Zemo, and Stephen Shands presenting Implementation of a Tablet Initiative at NASSP in March.

If you are interested in reading our recent articles on the pilot, check out Carl Hooker's in TechEdge magazine, and Carolyn Foote's article in Internet @ Schools.

Also, look for more information about our upcoming summer training event/conference, iPadpalooza, taking place here at Westlake on June 19, and cosponsored by TCEA, which is going to be filled with exploration, collaboration, music, creativity and iPadalicious events.  We have just put out a call for proposals for the conference, and more information will be posted on the site soon!

The WIFI pilot in action: observations from a visitor

In January, Westlake hosted a group of visitors from surrounding school districts to view the iPad pilot in action, taking them to visit classrooms and meet with key staff members who handled the implementation of the pilot.

Lisa Johnson, an instructional technologist and iPad app expert, shares her impressions of the visit on her blog, including some interesting interviews with students and an inside look at the use of iPads in a variety of classrooms.

One of the most powerful moments she shared was a conversation with a student, who commented that having the iPad made them feel like the school trusted them to be responsible.   When we invite students as owners in their own learning and technology, they are very responsive to that.  It's something we've witnessed here as students in all types of classes become more responsible at managing their own organizational methods, learning and creating.


Thanks, Lisa, for sharing your impressions!

Board Presentation--Eanes WIFI Pilot

On Wednesday, January 25, a team of teachers, administrators and students presented results of the WIFI pilot to the EISD school board, sharing the results of individual experiences, surveys done, student and teacher focus groups and the work of the Westlake Vision committee.  Students Arnab Chatterjee and Steven Wilbanks even provided the school board with an example of Facetime at work.

More details will be forthcoming, but this video which was shared during the board meeting provides a portrait of the iPad pilot in progress.


WIFI Update from Westlake Chaps on Vimeo.

The Westlake committee has recommended to the board extending the pilot to 9th and 10th grade students at Westlake for the 2012-2013 school year, using previously allocated technology funding.  Details will be forthcoming!

Incorporating iPads into the Library

Using the iPads has become a natural part of day to day events in the library.  Students use their iPads, desktop computers and their personal devices all together to do research, homework, take notes, create projects and videos, etc.

But what about another library function--providing books?  We saw a real need to be able to offer a virtual e-book library that students could check out to their iPad and read, just like physical books, for those times the library wasn't accessible, was closed, or didn't have a print book available.

So the library has added two tools--Overdrive E-Library and Follett's Shelf (rolling out next week), which allow students to access online e-books and download them to their iPad for short term "check-out."  (We also offer reference books as e-books through our GALE database).

Overdrive runs over the library's webpage but is also an app for the iPad (Overdrive Media Console). It allows students to browse the e-book catalog, select a book, and download it. The book returns itself when due, thus eliminating overdue notices. Overdrive can also be used for audiobooks, and can work with Kindles and Nooks for any students using those devices.  Westbank Library and Austin Public Library use the app as well, so students now have access to a wide-range of books to "check out" to their iPads!

I introduced the app to senior English classes the last two weeks and the reception  has been very positive. It saves students from feeling like they need to buy books for leisure reading on the iPad and we can provide some required titles too. 

One student shares her reaction:


Of course the library still welcomes students to share their enthusiasm for books in the physical library, but this offers one more choice for them!

(As far as e-books in general, many other vendors are working on a variety of e-book models; for example, Ingram is designing a model where schools could "lease" class sets of a novel while the class is studying it, but it's not ready for "prime-time" yet. Many e-book products are evolving as is the pricing and contracts, but Overdrive functions like an annual subscription with an annual fee. Follett is rolling out an app for their Follett e-books that will work with our library catalog this week. If you are interested in e-books, an excellent source of information is the blog No Shelf Required and in this Mindshift article. I have also written about it extensively on www.futura.edublogs.org)

The Nitty Gritty

How are some of our teachers using their iPads? A few of our teachers share the wealth--explaining for teachers at other schools what they can do with just one teacher iPad in the classroom and what they can do when students have iPads as well. These are just a few examples of the ways teachers are incorporating iPads into their instruction so that the iPad becomes just another tool-- not the end point itself.