K12 Schools Must Fill Need For Digital Media Skills
There is a new urgency to teach digital media literacy as a study finds students are taking online information for granted
Amy Casey didn't need convincing that her Treo handheld computer was an essential part of her first year as an Assistant Principal at Gracemore Elementary. "I love all things techie," she says, "and I was already a Palm [handheld] user." So when the North Kansas City Schools (NKCS) presented the new AP with a Treo, she was thrilled. But even she could not have predicted all the ways the handheld has saved her time, facilitated community and increased safety.
"We had a student who had an allergic reaction," she recalls. "Of course I was right there. I used the Treo to take a picture of what the symptoms looked like." By the time the paramedics arrived, though, the symptoms of the reaction had subsided and the paramedics were unsure how to proceed. "But I had the picture," says Casey, "and I could show them what it had looked like." This allowed them to treat the child promptly and appropriately and with confidence of their diagnosis. Casey reaffirmed what she already believed: "I could not live without my Treo."
Principal Users
In NKCS, all of the principals and many of the district-wide coordinators carry a Treo 650 or 600. Janet Herdman, Executive Director of Technology for the district, was behind the initial push to get cellphones for district administrators four years ago. "We wanted something in case of emergencies," she remembers. "In case services went out and what-not." There were already dozens of Palm handhelds in use as well, being used for classroom walk-throughs for maintaining student data. Combining the two functions - the organizer with the phone - just made sense. "About a year and a half ago, I saw that we could spend another hundred or two hundred per device and get much greater functionality."
As the assistant principal at Gracemore Elementary, Amy Casey's kids ooh and ahh when she takes out her Treo smartphone and snaps their pictures. "I like to record what's positive," she relates.
Herdman looked carefully at what was available and realized that the $400 price point (at the time) for the Treo 600 was within her budget. The district receives a discount on cellphone service through E-Rate, so this savings made the purchase even more affordable. "The expansion features of the Treo [smartphone] are very appealing from a tech standpoint. It also has a high rate of return on the investment. It's a very powerful tool."
She made sure there was appropriate staff development in place and went ahead with the Treo. There are now between sixty and seventy in the district, plus cellphones and other Palm handhelds. Every new user receives a half-day in-service training session on the Treo smartphone; new principals attend a new-principal orientation that includes Treo smartphone instruction, and the district maintains a trainer/technician on staff to handle on-going Treo smartphone issues. "We have three full-time techs for the whole district," says Herdman. "One of them is the Palm handheld and laptop expert." The district's commitment to the Treo smartphone couldn't be stronger. Herdman says she hears from her principals all the time, praising the usefulness of the Treo smartphone. "This is a tool we really use," she declares.
Gary Miller, Assistant Principal at Oak Park High School, was one of the administrators who was using both a cellphone and a Palm handheld before the advent of the Treo smartphone. Combining the phone functions with the Palm hamdheld functions opened a whole new realm of functionality. And by having his administrative assistant synch all the calendar data from his desktop, he has an updated calendar in his hands at all times. "I used to spend more time than I like to remember keeping track of calendar issues," he recalls. Using GroupWise, he keeps his calendar on his desktop where his AA can update it, and he keeps it synched. "I'd probably miss that most if I didn't have the Treo smartphone."
The district wants its administrators to be available all the time, and with the Treo smartphones, they are. Instead of being an intrusion, the use of the handhelds on weekends and evenings is seen as more of a perk. Casey uses the Treo smartphone to perform follow-up phone calls during her commute home. Clemens uses its data from home to write his weekly newsletter over the weekend. If he didn't have it, he'd be in his office on a Sunday, something he would prefer to avoid. Because the users are carrying the Treo smartphones almost literally 24/7, the district office can send broadcast announcements, like snow day information, and be reasonably certain that everyone will get the information promptly. Staff phone numbers are stored in the Treo smartphone as well, making it even easier to deal with emergency sub issues or last-minute arrangements with teachers and other administrators.
