BHS Department Heads Discuss the 1:1 iPad Initiative

Editor's note: This is our second piece in a series on Burlington High School's 1:1 technology initiative with the Apple iPad. For yesterday's piece featuring thoughts by Principal Patrick Larkin and Superintendent Eric Conti, click .

As Burlington prepares for the 1:1 implementation of iPads in September of 2011, the over-riding question among community members is “Are we ready?” The 1:1 initiative is something that most residents accept as inevitable but the need for careful planning is often sited. 

Peter Nassiff, Chairperson of the Science Department at Burlington High School (BHS) suggested earlier this year that the administration provide the iPads to the teaching staff in September 2011 and delay providing them to the student population until September 2012. Under such a plan, teachers would have the benefit of a full year to plan curriculum adjustments, making use of professional development time, departmental meeting time and even their own free time to plan for the change. The suggestion was not adopted by the administration.

According to Principal Patrick Larkin, there is no perfect time for implementation.

“We could plan for three years and still not be ready,” said Larkin. “We will learn more by just doing it.”

Implementation Committee member Sonia Rollins agrees that the time is now.

“We all acknowledge that not everyone will be able to turn this over on day one,” said Rollins. “Sufficient training for the teaching staff is essential.”

Rollins would like to see ongoing training for the staff, including brainstorming sessions and open meetings for sharing ideas with neighboring communities.

“I am putting my trust in the administration,” Rollins said with confidence. “There is no question that the teachers need training and collaboration.”

Larkin is planning professional development focused on the iPad integration for the three days in early September before students arrive. He will also offer optional technology sessions for teaching staff over the summer. Larkin offered technology-focused sessions last summer with mixed results. According to Larkin, the Tuesday sessions last summer attracted approximately 12 attendees each week. However the sessions were open to surrounding communities and only an estimated three attendees were from BHS.

“As a department, we need time together to work on things like modifying the existing curriculum to match the iPad technology,” said English Department Chairperson Robert Conceison. The best way to do that, according to Conceison, is for teachers to work together.

Additional planning time during the school year is essential according to the department heads interviewed for this story. There are many ideas as to how to achieve the goal, from reducing teachers’ duties (bus, hall monitoring, etc.) to making use of the early morning time when school starts late for MCAS testing.  There is currently no clear plan as to how the administration will find the additional planning time.

Peter Nassiff, Chairperson of the Science Department said “It takes time to weed through the available applications and find what is suitable for your teaching. Much of what I have seen needs to be modified. It’s not plug-and-play.”

 “There is going to be a learning curve,” added Nassiff. “We need time to learn and people to give us direction. My science department runs smoothly. It’s one of the best in the state. We don’t know how this will impact us.”

Nassiff pointed out that without dedicated time for teacher planning, the iPads will simply be integrated over a longer period of time.

“If time isn’t set aside now, it will just take longer, but it will happen,” predicted Nassiff.

Math Department Chairperson Jim Curtin has already begun planning for the change. Curtin intends to break his math department into groups by teacher assignment. The groups will look at the available applications and select the best ones.

“The more we look, the more questions we will have,” said Curtin. “I’m cautiously optimistic.”

Jeffrey Hoyt, Chairperson of the Social Studies Department, is excited about the opportunities presented by the 1:1 initiative.

“In this department, we deal with contemporary issues, so the iPads will certainly be great for that,” said Hoyt.

The dilemma he said is in choosing.

“There are so many choices,” said Hoyt. “How to choose and then use that choice to your best advantage is the challenge, but it’s a good problem to have.”

As Burlington heads into unchartered territory, one question posed by Nassiff seemed to resonate with everyone.

“Technology is useful but is it going to replace good, old-fashioned book learning?” asked Nassiff. “I don’t know.”