Sneak Peek at Two Minnetonka Public School Media Center Summer Remodeling Projects

Over the past five years, some media centers in Minnetonka have been remodeled and updated for the times. Two media centers are currently going through this process this summer. Collaborative workspaces with mobile furniture, quiet areas for studying and reading, work stations for computers, projectors for large group sharing and teaching, small group workrooms, and flexible shelving for the book collections have been created.  

First, some history: 

 

Deephaven Elementary School Media Center

The Deephaven Elementary Media Center was remodeled in 2010. The footprint of the space did not change. A sunken seating area called "the pit" was filled in and made level with the rest of the room. Students and parents helped to plan the space along with Media Specialist Kelli Whiteside. More information and additional pictures about it can be found online.

Groveland Elementary School Learning Commons

In the summer of 2012, we transformed another elementary school library. The Groveland Elementary Media Center footprint was expanded at the same time some new classrooms were added on to the building, adding to its square footage.  This addition let in a lot of natural light with an entire wall of windows. The space has a nautical theme chosen by students and parents with portholes, sailboats, and a map of Lake Minnetonka on a curtain. Groveland also renamed the space the The Learning Commons.  More information and pictures can be found online as well as on a Google Site about the transformation by Media Specialist Colleen Small. 

MMW Media Center before changes

2015:
This summer at Minnetonka Middle School West (MMW), the first phase of a remodeling project is underway with new paint, some pendant lights, and some new furniture donated by the PTA planned in collaboration with Media Specialist Erin Carcamo. This is the first phase of a the project with more to happen in the future.

Colors for MMW Media Center

Architect drawing of MMW Media Center new furniture

MMW Media Center being painted,
note new wall color

High School Media Center with
old carpeting being removed

At Minnetonka High School (MHS), new flooring and paint with a new color scheme, some new pendant lights, and a lot new collaborative-style furniture has been added. A computer lab has been removed making way for a small group meeting area. Large, individual workstations with desktop computers that dominated the middle of the room are being replaced by smaller profile computer which will be along the side. The Media Center will be renamed The Port. This is the first phase of a multi-year project planned by staff, including Media Specialist Peter Gausmann. 

Color palette for new MHS Media Center

Architect's drawing of MHS layout with new furniture

New furniture in MHS Media Center with
new carpet installed and walls freshly painted.

More new furniture in the MHS Media Center
(yet to be arranged)

School's (Almost) Out, So Keep Your iPad for the Summer

This year, rather than collecting iPads from our current 4,500 students, we decided to have them hang on to their iPads for the summer. Last summer we changed mobile device management systems and therefore needed to touch every iPad. This year, we have no reason to collect every device. We recently added an enterprise web content filter on student iPads that offers the same level of filtering off campus as students have at school. After reviewing all the ways our students could use their iPad for learning over the summer, it made the most sense to allow students to keep them.  

We will only be collecting the iPads of our 750 graduating seniors. Those four year old iPad2s will be reused for a fifth year in a row by next year's grade five students. We have been very pleased with the functionality of these iPad2s, originally planning to just get three years of use out of them. 

Next year our iPad one-to-one program will expand again and cover all 6,000 students in grades 5-12. (Related: Tip #1 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Execute the Rollout Carefully and Deliberately and more about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Program)  Below is the letter about keeping iPads for the summer that was sent home to all grade 7-11 parents last week:

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As the school year comes to a close, we want to let you know that students will keep their iPads over the summer. We have reached this decision after considering the many opportunities students now have for learning: reading eBooks, taking Tonka Online classes, reviewing materials and practicing skills learned this year, further investigating academic interests, and exploring and creating projects based on personal interests. Opportunities for learning over the summer abound, and we believe the iPad is an effective tool our students can use to take advantage of these opportunities. Please also note that internet content filtering has recently been installed on student iPads that offers the same level of filtering off campus as students have at school.

In preparation for next year, there are four important items that need your attention.

1. All iPads will be inspected before summer to assess damage. Any fines will be listed in your child’s account. Should an iPad need repair during the summer, it should be brought to the school office where your student will attend next year as soon as possible. Please do not wait until the end of summer or it may not be able to be repaired by the first day of school.

2. Optional insurance coverage for currently insured iPads will be extended through September 7, 2015 at no additional premium. If you plan to renew your insurance coverage for next school year, you may pay the $40 annual fee online for uninterrupted coverage that begins on September 8, 2015. If you are not currently covered and wish to purchase insurance, your child must have her/his iPad inspected by Media Staff before the $40 fee will be added to your child’s account and coverage will begin. Payment Directions

3. Your child should bring her/his iPad ready to go and fully charged for learning on the first day of school, September 8, 2015. Like pencils, paper, and folders, the iPad has become an essential tool for school, and your child's teachers are planning activities and lessons on the first day of school that will help your child be organized and successful with the iPad.

4. Continue to talk with your child about digital citizenship and appropriate use of the iPad. While no filter is 100% effective, having the District’s filter on your child’s school iPad helps. For devices at home and personal cellular devices, we strongly recommend installing filters. As a friendly reminder, we encourage regular family conversations with your teen about digital citizenship, care and use of the iPad, and a focus on educational use. Please consider a Media Use Parent-Teen Agreement from Common Sense Media to begin conversations with your child.

Thank you for your attention to these important items. We hope your child has a summer filled with adventure, exploration, and learning!

Sincerely,

The Minnetonka Teaching & Learning and Technology Departments

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Other related posts:

• Tip #1 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Execute the Rollout Carefully and Deliberately 
• Tip #2 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Differentiate Teacher Training
• Tip #3 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Use Schoology as the Classroom Hub
• Tip #4- Make Full Use of the iPad as a Formative Assessment Tool 
• Great 1:1 Program Evaluation Questions for Student, Parent, and Teacher Surveys
• More about Minnetonka's 1:1 iPad Program

March Madness Boss Button: Adults Get Distracted Online and Multitask, too!

I'm not a basketball fan, so March Madness has never been something I give much attention.  I prefer hockey and am excited about the Minnesota Wild's upcoming Wildcard spot!  My two sons like basketball, so there were a lot of games on TV this weekend in our house and conversations about brackets, including the question about the odds of a perfect bracket (1 in 9.2 quintillion).

Since I'm not a big basketball fan, I wasn't aware of the "Boss Button" until a friend showed it to me on his computer.  Basically, you can stream all the NCAA Mach Madness games online as shown below.  

If you are doing this when you shouldn't be, i.e. at work, and your boss happens to walk by, never fear, you can simply click the blue "Boss Button" and then the second screen pictured below appears. This second screen makes it look like you are working on a Google Slideshow of your accomplishments instead of watching basketball on the job.

 

What struck me most when I saw this was the simple fact that the existence of this Boss Button shows that even adults have distractions. It is a life skill for everyone today to learn how to deal with them, not just students in school. The line between using technology tools for both tasks and leisure is blurred more and more each day as the tools become more accessible from anywhere and through any device.  We can do work at home and access entertainment while at work.

In school, we continue to have many discussions among staff and with students about the need to teach students to use technology responsibly. We want to do this teaching when they are in school so they are not graduating with bad habits, but instead know how to handle distractions when they are on their own.  We want them to learn these important self-discipline skills while under the supervision of parents and teachers, not when their job is on the line as an adult.

FYI, it turns out the Boss Button apparently has been around since 2006.  More on that here.  It turns out there is even a "Student" option with academic fake screens, in addition to the fake work screen shots, which is ironic as this article points out.

Tip #1 for a Successful 1:1 Implementation: Execute the Rollout Carefully and Deliberately

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to present at the Ed Tech Teacher iPad Summit in Boston with my colleague Ben Stanerson.  We presented the Top Ten Tips for a Successful iPad Implementation.  Our first tip is to Execute the Rollout Carefully and Deliberately.  It is something I'm continually thankful for as I meet educators from other schools and hear their stories, which quite often seem to be the opposite method--buy everything all at once and implement it at the same time.  Rarely do I hear much about that method that works successfully. Sometimes this disastrous implementation method even makes the news.

Four years ago, Minnetonka Public Schools launched a 1:1 iPad pilot in September 2011 with half of our ninth grade students (out of 750) at Minnetonka High School to create a seamless and dynamic 24/7 educational experience. Because we started small, we were able to focus on just 16 teachers in math, science, and English who worked with these iPad students. The pilot used digital curriculum materials, student collaboration tools and individualized instruction in math, language arts and science — all with the goal of enhancing student learning.  

The goals of our iPad program were to:

• Enhance and accelerate learning.

• Leverage existing and emerging technology for individualizing instruction.

• Promote collaboration, increasing student engagement.

• Strengthen 21st century skills necessary for future success.

After a successful pilot, the second half of the freshmen class received iPads in January 2012. The program has continued to expand each year thereafter. In year two, all ninth and tenth grade students had iPads. Year three was an expansion to our middle schools, with grade eight through eleven students and over 150 teachers using iPads.  This year we added two more grades, so we currently have 4,500 students in six grades (seventh through twelfth) using iPads.

We attribute this careful, deliberate, and well-planned rollout to our success. Rather than implementing a massive change that affected thousands of users at once in multiple locations, we began at one site with a small group and worked out the glitches.  This allowed us to fine tune our processes, training, and procedures before bringing the project to scale.  

Looking ahead to the future, we also allocated funds to give the entire faculty iPads one to two years ahead of student distribution, which allowed professional development to begin one to two years ahead of schedule. Running the pilot as a controlled experiment enhanced buy-in from all stakeholders. This systematic approach created benchmarks for success and channels for honest feedback. As a pilot, the goal was to learn fast, adjust accordingly, and establish processes for full-scale implementation. I attribute our success to this careful planning and execution. Come see for yourself at our Tenth Annual Technology Site Visit, March 4 & 5, 2014!

You can learn more about our 1:1 Program at tinyurl.com/iPadTonka