The student tech leaders at Grace Wilday are a big part of this project. They are using the GenYES online tools and curriculum to learn the new technology and assist teachers and other students. These GenYES student tech leaders mean more support and more student ownership as everyone at Grace Wilday takes a big step forward into the 21st century.

Check out this video! (Click here if YouTube is blocked or you do not see the embedded video below)

The student who says the teachers will “TAP” the student tech team for help is talking about the GenYES online tool called the Technology Assistance Project (TAP) system. This is a Web 2.0 tool that schools use to track GenYES projects from start to finish. It also tracks help requests from teachers and offers blogs and wikis to make sure that all projects are documented and that all teachers are satisfied with the results. (More about the TAP tools.)

We are proud to be part of Grace Wilday’s learning adventure!

Sylvia

First of all, our students are committed to this project! All of our students in Wells, Maine, had to get out of bed and to the school bus by 5:15 AM for the 3 hour bus ride to Orono. They all had planned their presentations with their teachers and then practiced for 2 weeks. Once at the University, they all attended the opening session, then walked quickly across campus to a variety of classrooms and within 10 minutes they were on stage, confident and presenting to students and teachers from around the state.

read more at: Tech Learning TL Advisor Blog and Ed Tech Ticker Blogs from TL Blog Staff – TechLearning.com.

Hope we see more from these motivated students!

Sylvia

The conference is partnering with the United Nations’ World Food Programme to host the students and teachers on a specially-developed version of FreeRice.com, a web site where users make donations of rice to feed hungry people by answering core curriculum questions around vocabulary, mathematics, geography, science and more.

Maine’s laptop program is the first to work with FreeRice.com to create a localized effort to raise food for the hungry. A customized version of the site will be available to challenge Maine students, along with invitees from around the world, to raise as much food as they can.

The project showcases how technology can help make learning relevant and engaging for students by allowing them to address a real world problem via a social network while learning.

There is also a local hunger connection – students have been encouraged to bring canned foods to donate to the Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s largest food bank.

The project also presented a technological challenge for network technicians at the University of Maine System, who are busy finalizing a wireless network that will host more than 1,000 wireless laptops simultaneously in the 1400 seat Hutchins Concert Hall in the Collins Center for the Arts.

A representative of FreeRice.com from the World Food Programme will address students via video conference to kick off the event.

There will also be student-led workshops all day, such as:

• “I came, I saw, iPod!” (Mary C. McCarthy & Students from Middle School of the Kennebunks)
• News is Now, News is Complex, News is Us, News is Important! (Nicole Poulin & Students from Messalonskee Middle School)
• Get Your Geek On! Starting a High School Tech Team (Shana Goodall & Students from Orono High School)

This sounds like a great idea to raise funds and awareness of what students are doing with technology! You can participate too – pass it on!

Sylvia

Student Support of Laptop Programs – new laptops? old laptops? Are you getting the benefit of making students allies in your laptop initiative? Peer mentoring, student-led training on new hardware and software, student tech support and other ideas can be time saving, cost effective, and best of all, good for students and the whole learning community.

This whitepaper contains research, case studies, practical information that you can use right now, whether you have one cart or are a 1:1 laptop school.

Student Support of Laptop Programs (PDF)

Sylvia

I’m happy to announce a new resource for laptop schools – or schools planning a laptop implementation. Student Support of Laptop Programs (PDF) covers all aspects of creating a highly effective student support team for your laptop program. Research, planning tips, case studies, and practical suggestions are packed into 16 pages.

• Student tech support teams in a laptop school
• Student support for teachers and students using laptops in classrooms
• How (and why) to include students on planning committees
• Students as trainers and mentors for new users
• How students can make a laptop rollout go smoother
• How to train and sustain a student technology team in support of laptops

This is a great resource to share with your laptop implementation team. I hope you enjoy it and share it widely!

A special thank you to the fabulous teachers who shared stories about their wonderful students:

• Ann Powers at Tongue River Middle School – Ranchester, WY
• Debbie Kosvedy at Shadow Mountain HS – Paradise Valley, AZ
• Steve Spaeth at Mt. Ararat Middle School – Topsham, ME
• Don Kinslow at Parkview Elementary – Chico, CA
• Cherilyn Ziemer at Northland Christian School – Houston, TX

Sylvia