FAQ-2

=QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE AT C.I.S.= = = =Why Laptops?= The CIS technology initiative represents the collective work of administrators and teachers collaborating in the development of the **//CIS//** //**Technology Plan.**//

The Technology Plan – 2010-2012 states that CIS students will: The **CIS Technology Plan** 2010-2012 describes a 21st Century Learning environment: //In the interest of enhancing instruction to transform the quality of teaching and learning, CIS seeks to develop a 21st century learning environment with flexible access to appropriate technology resources including but not limited to mobile curriculum carts, interactive student response systems and digital microscopes.// Them CIS technology initiative proposes teaching and learning with laptops in sixth and seventh grade. Students in 3rd through 7th grade would have 1-to-1 access to laptops within their classroom providing enhanced learning opportunities. Students and teachers would receive training and support for success. We believe that when children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.
 * Develop 21st century skills
 * Integrate current technology resources
 * Develop curiosity, knowledge and a sense of responsibility
 * Apply skills and knowledge to real world issues and problems

**When can I expect my child to benefit from this program?**
All children in LGUSD schools will benefit immediately from the TLDA Initiative. As the older grades are provided 1-to-1 access, access to the school's computer lab time increases for the younger students. The TLDA Initiative launched in fifth grade classrooms in August 2009. In February 2010, the implementation will expand to the sixth grade at Fisher Middle School; the seventh and eighth grade implementations will follow in August of 2011 and 2012, respectively. With sufficient funding, this rollout timeline will include the fourth grade classrooms as early as Fall 2010. In August 2013 the TLDA Initiative will be fully realized with 1-to-1 access available third through eighth grade. The sixth grade class of 2011/12 will be the first class to migrate to a 1-to-1, 24/7 take-home program if the plan is fully implemented. The following matrix shows the implementation timeline: 2009–5th & 6th grade classes implement 1-to-1 2010–4th & 7th grade classes implement 1-to-1 2011–8th grade classes implement 1-to-1 2012–4th-8th grade classes implement 1-to-1 2013–3rd-8th grade classes implement 1-to-1  [|Back to top >]
 * The 6th grade carts, deployed in February 2010, are referred to as //Mobile Learning Labs// during the initial phase of implementation. The //Mobile Learning Labs// will provide the middle school teachers with the opportunity to learn and prepare for a 1-to-1 implementation the following year.
 * In the fall of 2009, one shared //Mobile Learning Lab// was deployed in the 4th grade classes at each school site to prepare the teachers for a 1-to-1 implementation.
 * 7th grade carts are referred to as //Mobile Learning Labs// during the initial phase of implementation to provide the middle school teachers with the opportunity to learn and prepare for a 1-to-1 implementation the following year.
 * **4th grade implementation is contingent on funding.**
 * 3rd grade classes will share one //Mobile Learning Lab// if the 4th grade migrates to 1-to-1.
 * 8th grade carts are referred to as //Mobile Learning Labs// during the initial phase of implementation to provide the middle school teachers with the opportunity to learn and prepare for a 1-to-1 implementation the following year.
 * 3rd grade classes will share one //Mobile Learning Lab// to prepare for 1-to-1
 * K-2nd grade will have shared access to mobile carts

Why not implement with a different ratio than 1-to-1?
The TLDA Initiative proposes that LGUSD students have a laptop at their fingertips. Entire states such as Maine, Michigan and Illinois are already funding large-scale laptop initiatives so this is not a new idea. These statewide initiatives are supporting the idea that when each child has a laptop computer, the potential for analyzing, researching, writing, editing, creating, publishing, presenting and learning is greatly increased. No longer does a student have to queue up for a computer in a lab, share the family computer, or go to the library for online access. Learning becomes a anywhere, anytime experience. [|Back to top >]

What is 1-to-1?
One laptop for every student.

What does 24/7 mean?
Students are allowed to take their laptops home during the school year providing each student with access to the tool 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

What is a parent buy program?
Parents provide the funding for their students laptop through a district sponsored leasing program. The Apple Lease Option Agreement can be for a 3 year or 4 year period.

Does 24/7 in 2012 indicate a parent buy?
The rollout matrix indicates a possible timeline for the migration to a 24/7 program. We are not proposing that a parent buy program begin at the same time as the 24/7 program. Sustainable programs will be researched over the next two years and the district and parents of LGUSD will determine the best way to sustain the program in the future. [|Back to top >]

How are we paying for this?
The TLDA initiative seeks to improve student access by leveraging funds already earmarked to support student technology. The five year TLDA Plan, includes contributions from the District, LGEF and each Elementary Home & School Club in the funding proposal.

In the spring of 2009, the Los Gatos Education Foundation (LGEF) approved a $60K grant to support the purchase of two mobile laptop carts that would travel across the four elementary sites. At the same time, the Home & School Clubs (H&SC) committed two years worth of funding to the purchase of one additional mobile laptop cart to share at each school. In order to put more technology in students hands faster, the district administrative team worked closely with each H&SC and LGEF to take advantage of a four year lease option with Apple Computers. Through this partnership the available funds were leveraged to purchase 400 laptops and the TLDA Initiative was born. [|Back to top >]

[[image:http://www.lgusd.k12.ca.us/tlda/images/macbook.jpg width="205" height="110" caption="macbook"]]
In 2009, each fifth & sixth grade classroom will be equipped with a mobile cart of 30 Macbooks and a printer. Teachers and students will participate in training focused on //Digital Citizenship// that aligns with the //Appropriate and Ethical Use of Technology and Internet Safety//. In addition, every TLDA teacher will receive three, 2-day workshops of Apple Professional Development (APD) in order to develop the necessary skills and understanding of how to integrate digital technology into the daily curriculum. Each year the teachers will be offered follow-up workshops as well as Summer Institutes in technology integration.

Why Macs?
Our district's instructional program, technology support team and infrastructure is built around the //Apple Computer//. Here are a few reasons why we are currently able to maintain 1500 computers across the distrtict: These are only a few of the reasons the Los Gatos Union School District has always been a Mac District.
 * The Macintosh platform is not susceptible to viruses and spyware
 * Security and maintenance issues were markedly less during the Macintosh trial period
 * Mac OS X is more stable, making it less prone to crashes or the need to restart
 * The Macintosh laptop battery life and weight are significantly better than the PC Tablet counterpart
 * Educational support through training opportunities and resources such as the [|Apple Learning Interchange] are greater for the Macintosh
 * Seamless integration of software is available on the Macintosh through the iWork and iLife suites
 * Familiar business productivity tools such as Microsoft Office are available for both platforms
 * Handwriting recognition on the Tablet PC is still significantly slower than keyboard input
 * Programs such as Parallels and Bootcamp allow the Macintosh to run both Mac OS X and Windows operating systems when necessary. The question of PC or Mac is no longer an issue

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What kind of support does the District provide?
Maggi Reser, LGUSD Directory of Technology, holds credentials in Science and Math and a Masters and Administrative credential in Educational Leadership. Maggi came to LGUSD in 2006 after heading up the Educational Technology Department in her previous district for more than ten years. Maggi's experience with teaching students, integrating technology in learning environments, as well as her work with teachers is what sparked her passion for educational technology. Maggi believes that, used appropriately, technology is a motivator for our students and our teachers; "When teachers integrate technology into their curriculum, the curriculum becomes relevant and exciting for our students. And it can increase teachers' interest as well." Our district technicians, Matt Mullikin & John Keating have recently begun the work necessary to become Apple Certified Technicians – this qualifies them to perform the necessary hardware repairs //in-house,// significantly decreasing our warranty expenditures and reducing down time//.// Matt has extensive training and knowledge in web design and database management. John has recently completed network administration courses and is especially skilled in working with integrated applications in both Macintosh and PC environments. Our Technology Mentor, Dianna Williamson also comes to us wiith extensive knowledge of technology integration & curriculum development using the Macintosh platform. Dianna has also authored two Apple professional Development modules focusing on differentiated instruction and project-based learning that are currently used by Apple in APD workshops across the country.

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Can additional learning labs be provided if the initiative is not fully funded?
Currently, the TLDA Initiative focuses on providing the 1-to-1 access to students a grade at a time. As the funding becomes available, a four year lease agreement is drawn up with Apple to provide the laptops for that grade level across the district. The District's TLDA Action Team will evaluate the progress of the initiative and will be charged with making the necessary recommendations to the board as we move forward. [|Back to top >]

Why would we implement a parent buy through the district vs. parents purchasing their own student laptops?
A district-sponsored parent buy has several advantages over a home purchase: [|Back to top >]
 * Takes advantage of the Educational discount
 * Best pricing based on bulk purchase
 * Standardized configuration
 * District provides software through district licenses
 * District provides warranty and maintenance

What about curriculum? [[image:http://www.lgusd.k12.ca.us/tlda/images/TLDAimage.jpg width="275" height="169" caption="tlda site image" link="http://www.lgusd.k12.ca.us/tlda/images/TLDAimage.jpg"]]
Teaching and learning in the digital age focuses on the National Educational Technology Standards for Students ([|NETS]) and the CA Standards for the Teaching Profession ([|CSTP]). For examples of integration activities, teachers may refer to the LGUSD Core Technology [|Skills Continuum] K-8. The TLDA team is also developing an internal teacher resource website rich with model lessons and resources that are aligned with the District's Essential Standards as well as the NETS and CA Standards.

The LGUSD Technology Team will work closely with the Apple Professional Development ([|APD]) team to develop and provide up to 16 days of custom training modules for teachers. Instruction will include large group, small group and individualized training and support aligned to five tiers of integration readiness. [|Back to top >]

//The TLDA Team envisions://

 * //High student engagement//
 * //Integrated cross curricular lessons//
 * //Student technical proficiency//

How do you plan to ensure that the laptops are integrated on a regular basis?
The TLDA Initiative includes a Standards-based curriculum and provides a professional development component that supports teachers in the regular integration of technology. Classroom observations aligned to Strategic Plan & TUP will inform the district as we evauate the success of our program. [|Back to top >]

//Will software be included in the TLDA purchase?//
Yes the following software will be included:

//iLife//
Every Mac comes with iLife, an award-winning software suite that lets you and your students express your ideas — and yourselves — with video, images, text, and sound. [|iLife] includes the following applications:
 * iPhoto, for storing, organizing, editing, and sharing digital photos.
 * iMovie, for creating digital movies.
 * GarageBand, for performing, recording, and creating music and podcasts.
 * iDVD, for creating professional-looking DVDs.
 * iWeb, for producing websites, blogs, and wikis with MobileMe.

//iWork//
[|iWork] is a suite of productivity applications — Pages, Numbers, and Keynote — that make it easy to create great-looking documents, amazing spreadsheets, and impressive, high quality presentations. With iWork, word processing becomes much more interesting. You and your students can start with professionally designed templates and easily add images and graphs to enhance a key point.

//Additional Educational Software//
The district also provides and supports instructional programs for the student computers that are licensed district-wide. Some of these programs are subscriptions such as //World Book Online// and //United Streaming.// Student Software Suite: [|Back to top >]
 * Microsoft Office 2004
 * Word
 * Excel
 * PowerPoint
 * Calculator
 * ComicLife
 * Dictionary/Thesaurus
 * GoogleEarth
 * Google SketchUp
 * Grapher
 * iCal
 * Inspiration
 * Kidspiration
 * KidPix Deluxe 3X
 * Stationery Studio

What are lottery funds and what do they support in LGUSD?
Lottery funds are state funds that are distributed across the district based on the number of students at each school site. District practice is to use //Lottery funds// on Technology needs. The full implementation for the TLDA Initiative requires a financial commitment of $3 million dollars over the next four years to provide the hardware, software, personnel and professional development. [|Back to top >]