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Styles of implementation

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For a full overview on blended learning basics and models, visit the Blended Learning Universe, an online hub curated by the Christensen Institute.

The definition of blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns:

1. at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace;

2. at least in part in a supervised brick-and-mortar location away from home;

3. and the modalities along each student's learning path within a course or subject are connected to provide an integrated learning experience.

The majority of blended-learning programs resemble one of four models: Rotation, Flex, A La Carte, and Enriched Virtual. The Rotation model includes four sub-models: Station Rotation, Lab Rotation, Flipped Classroom, and Individual Rotation.

1. Rotation model - a course or subject in which students rotate on a ﬁxed schedule or at the teacher's discretion between learning modalities, at least one of which is online learning. Other modalities might include activities such as small-group or full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and pencil-and-paper assignments. The students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments.

a. Station Rotation - a course or subject in which students experience the Rotation model within a contained classroom or group of classrooms. The Station Rotation model differs from the Individual Rotation model because students rotate through all of the stations, not only those on their custom schedules.

b. Lab Rotation - a course or subject in which students rotate to a computer lab for the online-learning station.

c. Flipped Classroom - a course or subject in which students participate in online learning off-site in place of traditional homework and then attend the brick-and-mortar school for face-to-face, teacher-guided practice or projects. The primary delivery of content and instruction is online, which differentiates a Flipped Classroom from students who are merely doing homework practice online at night.

d. Individual Rotation - a course or subject in which each student has anindividualized playlist and does not necessarily rotate to each available station or modality. An algorithm or teacher(s) sets individual student schedules.

2. Flex model - a course or subject in which online learning is the backbone of student learning, even if it directs students to offline activities at times. Students move on an individually customized, ﬂuid schedule among learning modalities. The teacher of record is on-site, and students learn mostly on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework assignments. The teacher of record or other adults provide face-to-face support on a flexible and adaptive as-needed basis through activities such as small-group instruction, group projects, and individual tutoring. Some implementations have substantial face-to-face support, whereas others have minimal support. For example, some Flex models may have face-to-face certified teachers who supplement the online learning on a daily basis, whereas others may provide little face-to-face enrichment. Still others may have different staffing combinations. These variations are useful modifiers to describe a particular Flex model.

3. A La Carte model - a course that a student takes entirely online to accompany other experiences that the student is having at a brick-and-mortar school or learning center. The teacher of record for the A La Carte course is the online teacher. Students may take the A La Carte course either on the brick-and-mortar campus or oﬀ-site. This differs from full-time online learning because it is not a whole-school experience. Students take some courses A La Carte and others face-to-face at a brick-and-mortar campus.

4. Enriched Virtual model - a course or subject in which students have required face-to-face learning sessions with their teacher of record and then are free to complete their remaining coursework remote from the face-to-face teacher. Online learning is the backbone of student learning when the students are located remotely. The same person generally serves as both the online and face-to-face teacher. Many Enriched Virtual programs began as full-time online schools and then developed blended programs to provide students with brick-and-mortar school experiences. The Enriched Virtual model differs from the Flipped Classroom because in Enriched Virtual programs, students seldom meet face-to-face with their teachers every weekday. It differs from a fully online course because face-to-face learning sessions are more than optional office hours or social events; they are required.

Source: Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker, Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2014).

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Blended Learning Definitions - Christensen Institute

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For a full overview on blended learning basics and models, visit the Blended Learning Universe, an online hub curated by the Christensen Institute. The definition of blended learning is a formal education program in which a student learns: at least in part through online learning, with some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or [...]

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What it is and isn't

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About the National Educational Technology Plan

The U.S. Department of Education released the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design and Use Divides. First released in fulfillment of Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, NETP has been updated multiple times since its original release, most recently in 2016. While past NETPs have largely served as surveys of the state of the field, the Department of Education's 2024 NETP frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning, including:

The Digital Use Divide, addressing opportunities to improve how students use technology to enhance their learning, including dynamic applications of technology to explore, create, and engage in critical analysis of academic content and knowledge;

The Digital Design Divide, addressing opportunities for educators to expand their professional learning and build the capacities necessary to design learning experiences enabled by technology; and

The Digital Access Divide, addressing opportunities for students and educators to gain equitable access to educational technology, including connectivity, devices, and digital content. This also includes accessibility and digital health, safety, and citizenship as key elements of digital access.

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National Educational Technology Plan - Office of Educational Technology

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The 2024 NETP frames key divides limiting the potential of educational technology, including: Digital Use, Digital Design, and Digital Access.

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blended learning

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Blending Teaching and Technology: Simple Strategies for Improved Student Learning - Future Ready Schools

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An essential component to becoming Future Ready, is making a digital learning plan before purchasing technology. The Interactive Planning Dashboard offers districts a five-step collaborative planning process. Upon completion, districts have a complete digital learning implementation plan, full of research-based strategies, including stakeholder input, local context, and district team leadership responsibilities.

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The pros and cons

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At its core, "flipped instruction" refers to moving aspects of teaching out of the classroom and into the homework space. With the advent of new technologies, specifically the ability to record digitally annotated and narrated screencasts, instructional videos have become a common medium in the flipped classroom. Although not limited to videos, a flipped classroom most often harnesses different forms of instructional video published online for students.

Despite recent buzz, catalyzed primarily by Salman Khan's TED talk, flipped instruction is by no means a new methodology. In the early 19th century, General Sylvanus Thayer created a system at West Point where engineering students, given a set of materials, were responsible for obtaining core content prior to coming to class. The classroom space was then used for critical thinking and group problem solving.

The Pros

Advocates of the flipped classroom point to its potential as a time-shifting tool. Jac de Haan, author of the blog Technology with Intention articulates this well:

". . . the focus of flipped teaching is different from other examples in that the technology itself is simply a tool for flexible communication that allows educators to differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs and spend more time in the classroom focused on collaboration and higher-order thinking."

And Cons

Critics of the flipped classroom argue that online instruction puts students that lack Internet access at a disadvantage. Moreover, whether delivered in class or via instructional videos, lecture is still a poor mode of information transfer. This argument is outlined very well in Harvard Physics professor Eric Mazur's talk Confessions of a Converted Lecturer.

Flipped Classroom in Perspective

Personally, I feel the current flipped classroom hype is blown way out of proportion. The flipped classroom is a simple concept that needs no title. Good teaching, regardless of discipline, should always limit passive transfer of knowledge in class, and promote learning environments built on the tenants of inquiry, collaboration and critical thinking. We, as educators, must strive to guide students through perplexing situations, and more importantly, work with one another to develop the pedagogical skills to do so. Keeping this in mind, good teaching comes in many forms, and the flipped-classroom mentality can be one of many solutions for educators.

As an instructor of Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry, I find myself torn in two directions. The science teacher in me is deeply committed to the process of inquiry, and arming my students with the skills needed to construct and test their own ideas. The AP teacher in me fears sending my students off to their examination in May having covered only a portion of all the content required. Given this tension, I have found merging aspects of inquiry learning and video-based instruction helps me address both needs. My blog at CyclesOfLearning.com has a more detailed explanation of how I use this method in my AP Chemistry class. Here's a blog post by Jackie Gerstein that clearly places flipped instruction in the context of an inquiry learning cycle.

Reflection

If, like me, you are interested in using aspects of the flipped classroom to address an issue in your practice, I encourage you to reflect on the following steps first:

Step 1: Identify your current or desired teaching style.

Step 2: Ask yourself this question: Given my style, do I currently use class time to teach any low level, procedural, algorithmic concepts?

Step 3: If yes, begin by creating opportunities for students to obtain this information outside of the classroom. ( More info on creating annotated and narrated instructional videos).

Step 4: Include a system that encourages reflection and synthesis of homework-based instruction (Click here and here for ways to make instructional videos more interactive and reflective).

Hopefully the above steps are a helpful. As we are all aware, teaching can be a very powerful, and often very personal act, where the right way is as diverse as the students we are blessed to work with. Parker Palmer reflects on this notion:

"Good teaching cannot be reduced to one technique; good teaching comes from the identity and integrity of the teacher."

On this note, I would like to share a personal story that I feel provides a metaphor for why the flipped classroom is a technique that works well for me. On May 25th of this year I underwent a fairly complicated open-heart surgery to correct an aneurysm of my thoracic aorta that was found randomly at a routine check up. The surgery went well, and five months later, minus a long scar down the center of my chest, I rarely think of the physical struggle that was the summer of 2011.

Throughout the process, I was very impressed with the confidence and knowledge my thoracic surgeon embodied. Then one day, it hit me: My surgeon had a teacher! He learned to how to perform my surgery in school! An instructor taught him how to do something, something very, very important, in a very effective way! As a teacher myself, I have a hunch my surgeon didn't learn how to repair my aorta by passively taking in information through a textbook or lecture. Rather, I'm certain his confidence and skill was cultivated through hours of inquiry, trial and error, with strong mentors by his side the whole way. In short, I'm sure he learned by doing, not observing.

We must strive to be facilitators, mentors and guides for our students, as if what we are preparing them for, much like my surgeon, will one day change lives. Any teaching methodology that amplifies this role is a step in the right direction.

Are you using various elements of flipped instruction in your practice? If so, how are you using it to foster student inquiry?

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Should You Flip Your Classroom? | Edutopia

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At its core, "flipped instruction" refers to moving aspects of teaching out of the classroom and into the homework space. With the advent of new technologies, specifically the ability to record digitally annotated and narrated screencasts, instructional videos have become a common medium in the flipped classroom.

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A look at how blended learning can work for you.

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P.K. Yonge views blended learning as the combination of digital content and activity with face-to-face content and activity. It looks very different in each class at the school. When a teacher has an activity that works well face-to-face, there isn't any reason to look for a digital replacement. If they can find something digital that is more effective or efficient, then that is implemented.

P.K. Yonge administrators knew it would be a challenge for their teachers, many of whom were averse to learning new technologies, or didn't have the time to think about how to implement it in their classroom. Blended learning requires both the time and a willingness to learn new things. But the benefits of doing the work seem to far outweigh the challenges. Four years later, P.K. Yonge has almost 20 classes that have transitioned into a blended learning model.

Getting started on using the technology or transitioning curriculum can be intimidating for some teachers. Many teachers at P.K. Yonge recommended finding another teacher to buddy up with through the process, and to help support one another.

How It's Done

Planning a Blended Curriculum

In partnership with the University of Florida, P.K. Yonge designed a summer institute that would give teachers the time and resources to think about blended learning. At the institute, teachers had an opportunity to dig into what blended learning was and how to rebuild their course. They also had the support of graduate students from the University of Florida, who helped them to find and build content. In time, teachers learned the tools and technologies on their own. While most schools won't be able to host a summer program to plan and train teachers, the same planning principles can be used in any school.

The institute itself was designed in a blended learning format. Teachers did different kinds of activities, sometimes meeting face to face and sometimes online. This provided the chance to experience blended learning in similar ways as their students.

Target One Grade Level at a Time

P.K. Yonge decided it would make sense to start by systematically targeting one entire grade level, rather than a smattering of teachers and students across the many different grades. They chose the ninth grade as a place to start because it is the start of high school, and they could roll up or down into the other grade levels from there.

Set Goals for Each Class

Interested teachers were asked to fill out a proposal with the ideas they had for transitioning their curriculum. Teachers were asked to think specifically about why they wanted a blended learning environment and what gaps it could address in the classroom.

Some of the needs teachers had were to provide students with differentiated instruction, to find quick and easy ways to do formative assessment, and to give students access to content 24/7.

Teachers were then asked how those gaps could be filled, what units in their curriculum they could possibly see as blended learning units, and to propose a timeline for the project. Finally, teachers were asked to define specific deliverables for their course. All of this helped build the ownership that was necessary for teachers to really want to do this work.

Keep it Face-to-Face or Make it Digital?

One of the key components of blended learning is to identify what is already working well in your classroom, and what might be better suited as digital content. Teachers need to know that by adding digital content, it doesn't mean throwing out all the direct instruction in the classroom. Keep what is working well in a face-to-face mode, and add what could be more effective in a digital format.

Deliverables differed from teacher to teacher depending on the content area. Some teachers overhauled an entire unit of their course, others focused on creating assessments for learning and putting those in place, while others took a more general approach and decided to transition all their handouts into a digital format so they were more accessible.

It is important to start with some deliverables that are manageable, and then keep adding new components over the year, or even next few years.

Plan for Resources and Access

Two crucial things to think about before you start are what kinds of resources your school already has, and what kind of access students will have to the technology necessary for a blended learning course. P.K. Yonge has been committed to providing computers for its students, and has about 800 available on campus. However, while some teachers have 25 computers in their classroom, others only have a few Ipads. The school also extended its library hours, so that students could access it every day before school and until 5:30 pm afterschool.

Resources

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P.K. Yonge views blended learning as the combination of digital content and activity with face-to-face content and activity. It looks very different in each class at the school. When a teacher has an activity that works well face-to-face, there isn't any reason to look for a digital replacement.

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Does providing a laptop boost student scores?

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First-of-its-kind analysis examines 15 years of data

Efforts by K-12 schools to give every student a laptop computer increased student achievement and gave a modest boost to their "21st-century skills," concludes a first-of-its-kind meta-analysis of 15 years' worth of research studies.

"It's not like just providing a laptop to every student will automatically increase student achievement, but we find that it's the first step," said Binbin Zheng, an assistant professor of counseling, educational psychology, and special education at Michigan State University.

Using statistical techniques to analyze already-completed studies, Zheng and her colleagues found that 1-to-1 laptop programs, on average, had a statistically significant positive impact on student test scores in English/language arts, writing, math, and science. The limited number of rigorous quantitative studies available to analyze means that further analysis is warranted, but the findings are clearly a good sign for 1-to-1 proponents, Zheng said.

A further review of 86 additional papers, meanwhile, found some modest evidence of other positive benefits associated with giving laptops to students, including increased student technology use; more student-centered and project-based instruction; greater student engagement; and better relationships between students and teachers.

The analysis focused solely on 1-to-1 laptop efforts. The researchers cautioned that their results are not generalizable to other devices such as tablets, desktop computers, and smartphones.

The new findings run counter to the skepticism about educational technology expressed by many researchers and practitioners. A raft of prior studies, for example, has shown that even when technology is present in classrooms, teachers are slow to transform their practice, instead using technology primarily to make administrative tasks and existing forms of instruction more efficient.

The new analysis has the potential to reshape the debate about ed-tech's impact, said Elliot Soloway, a computer science professor at the University of Michigan who has spent decades studying classroom technology.

"This is one of those definitive studies that comes along every 20 years," Soloway said. "Schools are going to use [the findings] to justify the move to one-to-one."

Rapid Growth of 1-to-1

One-to-1 student computing was first introduced to K-12 schools in the United States in the late 1990s. In 2002, Maine became the first state to launch a statewide program.

The trend has since gathered steam: In 2013 and 2014 alone, schools purchased more than 23 million laptops, tablets, and Chromebooks for use by students and teachers in the classroom (and sometimes at home).

Generally, the goal is to enable teachers and software to deliver more personalized content to students, to boost students' technology skills, and to empower children to do more complex and creative work.

Several high-profile 1-to-1 disasters resulting from poor purchasing plans, bad planning, and a lack of clear academic vision have raised questions for schools about the wisdom of the approach, however.

And some research has been less than encouraging. A 2009 survey by the National Center for Education Statistics, for example, found that classroom technology was used for practice of basic skills far more often than for design and creation. A recent study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development found that countries where 15-year-old students use computers most in the classroom scored the worst on international math and reading tests.

In an attempt to definitively determine the impact of K-12 1-to-1 initiatives, Zheng and her colleagues reviewed 96 journal articles and doctoral dissertations published between January 2001 and May 2015.

Just 10 of those studies met the researchers' criteria for inclusion in the statistical meta-analysis of 1-to-1 laptop initiatives' impact on student achievement, reflecting the still-very-limited research base on student computing initiatives.

"A disproportionate amount of the research to date on this topic consists of small case studies in one or a handful of schools," Zheng and her colleagues wrote in their study, titled "Learning in One-to-One Laptop Environments: A Meta-Analysis and Research Synthesis," published online earlier this year in the academic journal Review of Educational Research. Still, there were enough historical findings to conclude that 1-to-1 laptop programs helped improve students' academic achievement at statistically significant levels in English/language arts, writing, math, and science. The impact on reading was not statistically significant.

However, the effect of using laptops, overall, was noticeably less than the effect of other established interventions, such as smaller class sizes or individual tutoring.

The results are "small but noteworthy," Zheng said.

Interpret With Caution

The researchers also looked beyond test scores, reviewing 86 additional studies that did include an empirical examination of 1-to-1 laptop initiatives' impact in K-12 schools, but did not include an experimental design and/or quantitative results. Among the findings from that review:

A 1-to-1 laptop environment often led to increased frequency and breadth of student technology use, typically for writing, Internet research, note-taking, completing assignments, and reading.

Students used laptops extensively throughout the writing process, expanding the genres and formats of their work to include writing for email, chats, blogs, wikis, and the like.

Student-centered, individualized, and project-based learning appeared to increase in at least some instances of 1-to-1 laptop rollouts.

Student-teacher communications (via email and Google docs, for example) and parental involvement in their children's school work increased in some instances.

Students expressed "very positive" attitudes about using laptops in the classroom, as findings consistently showed higher student engagement, motivation, and persistence when laptops were deployed to all students.

Students' technology and problem-solving skills improved and their ownership of their own learning increased, according to some evidence.

There were mixed findings on whether 1-to-1 laptop programs helped overcome inequities among students and schools.

Those results should be interpreted with caution, the researchers said, because they tended to rely on observation, survey, and interview data.

Beyond Test Scores

"There was a wide consensus in the studies we reviewed that use of laptops promotes 21st-century learning skills," the authors write. "However, studies rarely attempted to operationalize and systematically measure the growth of 21st-century skills in laptop students compared with control students."

Leslie Wilson, the CEO of the One-to-One Institute, a nonprofit that consults with schools and districts, said she was "thrilled" to see the new research, though she cautioned that educational leaders shouldn't leap to conclude that going 1-to-1 is enough on its own to increase student achievement.

For such a program to be effective, she said, schools must focus on crafting comprehensive plans that cover everything from infrastructure to curriculum to pedagogy to professional development.

And the real benefits of giving every student access to a computer, contended Soloway of the University of Michigan, come when schools move from "instructive" to "constructive" learning, or from "teaching kids to remember something to teaching them how to figure something out."

To best measure the extent to which that change is taking place, Zheng said, researchers and educators will have to look beyond standardized-test scores.

She hopes the new research will prompt further efforts to develop assessments for students' digital literacy skills, as well as their creativity, independence, and leadership.

"Many of the benefits of 1-to-1 laptop programs are not detected by standardized tests," Zheng said. "For the many programs whose purpose is to help students be a better 21st-century citizen, we need to develop and use corresponding measurements."

Published in Print: May 18, 2016, as 1-to-1 Laptop Initiatives Boost Student Scores, Study Finds

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1-to-1 Laptop Initiatives Boost Student Scores, Study Finds

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Efforts by K-12 schools to give every student a laptop computer increased student achievement and gave a modest boost to their "21st-century skills," concludes a first-of-its-kind meta-analysis of 15 years' worth of research studies.

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Today's digital natives

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Today's generation is full of a bunch of little digital natives. Therefore, today's classrooms and learning tools need to evolve and change to better appeal to and engage these students. Today's classrooms are moving away the traditional lecture style classroom setting and educators are now focusing in on engaging and empowering their students by utilizing mobile device technology in the classroom as a valuable learning tool.

Mobile devices like iPads in the classroom help give today's tech-savvy generation has the ability to experience things like gaming, blogging, reading eBooks, and even taking virtual field trips right from the comfort of their classrooms. Mobile device technology in the classroom has made learning more interesting and exciting than ever before!

Of course the students love using mobile devices in the classroom and educators can certainly see the incredible benefits. So, the question isn't, should we bring these devices onto our school wireless network, it's how?

Schools all over the country are bringing the newest mobile classroom technology onto their school wireless networks via programs like 1-to-1 or BYOD. There are pros and cons to both BYOD and 1-to-1 initiatives.

Here's a list of some of the pros and cons of each strategy to help guide you toward the right decision for your school.

BYOD Pros:

The majority of teachers and students already own the devices necessary for BYOD and for the student that can't afford them, school can start a device leasing program.

With increasing budget cuts, the cost savings of implementing BYOD make this strategy very popular.

Students are already familiar and comfortable using their own technology so they can focus on actually learning with them than learning how to use the device.

Students are already familiar and comfortable using their own technology so they can focus on actually learning with them than learning how to use the device.

BYOD Cons:

Technology may become a status symbol for students causing the divide between the haves and have not's to be even greater.

Applications may not be universal across all platforms.

Students may not to mix in school work on their personal mobile devices or parents may not want to pay for mobile devices for use in school.

Disparate equipment likely causes more equipment issues than having school supplied devices that are all the same.

1:1 (School Provides One Device Per Student) Pros:

Uniform integration of technology in every class eliminates digital inequality. The school won't have to worry about who doesn't and who does have the right devices.

Since everyone has the same mobile device and is on the same platform teachers know whatever apps they use on their device will work on their student's devices.

Support tickets will definitely be easier to clear with everyone having the same device.

Cons:

With all the cash-strapped schools nationwide, it will be difficult for them to find the funding to support this method.

The 1-to-1 model will require both teacher and student training of the device the school decides to use.

With 1-to-1 there are long-term maintenance costs, but with BYOD the students would be responsible for their own maintenance on their mobile devices.

As you can see, there are pros and cons to both BYOD and 1-to-1. Some of these issues may be more important to some schools than others. The bottom line is there's no one-size-fits-all method to bringing mobile devices on school wireless networks. Each school must weigh out the pros and cons of both strategies and factor in all the possible technological and logistical issues before making a decision. No matter the approach, it's important to keep education relevant and effective. The only way to do so in today's society is integrate technology into the classroom.

Schools can execute a successful program with either solution as long as they plan ahead. If your school is considering implementing a 1:1 initiative or BYOD program the first step is always making sure your school wireless network is equipped to handle all these mobile devices securely and successfully. That's where we can help. At SecurEdge we are experts in designing and deploying the most secure and efficient school wireless networks. We have helped schools all over the country with both BYOD and 1-to-1. Feel free to contact us here with any questions or for a free consultation. Also, check out our free eBook on How to Prepare for iPads in the Classroom. Good luck!

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Pros and Cons of BYOD and 1-to-1 Technology in the Classroom

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Today's generation is full of a bunch of little digital natives. Therefore, today's classrooms and learning tools need to evolve and change to better appeal to and engage these students. Today's classrooms are moving away the traditional lecture style classroom setting and educators are now focusing in on engaging and empowering their students by utilizing mobile device technology in the classroom as a valuable learning tool.

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ISTE

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In 2010, both the Common Core State Standards and the first iPad were released. Together, these changed the name of the game in U.S. education.

The Common Core assessments were designed to be taken online, requiring students to be comfortable with using and navigating digital resources. The tablet offered an affordable alternative to computer labs and carts - one that was portable enough for students to use throughout their school day and at home.

Reviewing the current body of research, ISTE found that 1:1 programs were already showing educational gains for students in special education as well as improved reading and writing skills in certain student populations, piquing the attention of decision makers.

In late 2012, ISTE hosted a forum for school and district leaders. By far the most common reason for attending was to learn about the considerations needed for planning a 1:1 or BYOD program. Attendees didn't want to reinvent the wheel. They looked to ISTE to bring together best practices, resources and expertise to help plan for that transition. Lead & Transform is our response to that need.

Why is planning so important?

Los Angeles Unified School District made headlines last fall after Phase 1 deployment of its 1:1 program resulted in a recall of the issued devices. Most districts aren't as big as LAUSD and wouldn't necessarily receive the same kind of national attention. But large or small, school districts need to learn from those who came before them. Lead & Transform curates tools recommended by education leaders to help others develop a visionary plan and see it through to implementation and evaluation.

How does Lead & Transform help us meet the ISTE Standards?

ISTE's five sets of standards distinguish the skills needed based on the role an individual plays in the education enterprise: student, teacher, coach, computer science teacher or administrator. The standards for these various roles are intended to help educators navigate the sea of digital resources, tools and platforms and use them purposefully and meaningfully for learning.

While the standards provide guidance for individuals, ISTE's Essential Conditions help set the stage for managing the systemwide transition to digital age learning and teaching. These 14 conditions are necessary "to effectively leverage technology for learning."

Lead & Transform dives into what the Essential Conditions are and provides resources, tools and research to help school and district leaders plan for a major technology initiative. Instead of starting from scratch, education leaders can draw on the expertise of others when preparing to become technology- and standards-ready.

What are some of the lessons learned?

The number of schools and districts moving to 1:1 is accelerating, and the there are many lessons we can learn from the pioneers. For example, district leaders in LAUSD learned that spending too much time and too many resources on deployment took focus away from teacher professional development. Technology is only effective as a learning tool when educators have the skills to use it in an instructionally sound and pedagogically effective way.

Principal Michelle Ostot from Copper Ridge School in Arizona led her school's successful transition to 1:1. She advises requiring all students to take a digital citizenship course before they are issued a device or are allowed to bring their own devices to school. Strong policies and parental involvement work hand-in-hand with this course to ensure students know their rights and responsibilities when using these devices in school.

1:1 and BYOD are game changers, giving students access to digital tools throughout the day, across all subject areas. This paradigm shift challenges teachers to rethink and redesign learning activities to capitalize on their schools' investment in technology. Lead & Transform supports school and district leaders in cultivating the Essential Conditions to ensure planning is sound and effective, implementation is robust, and teachers and students are able to fully leverage technology for learning.
Carolyn Sykora is ISTE's senior director of standards. Learn more about how Lead & Transform can help you plan a school- or systemwide technology with her webinar, "Rethink Learning with the ISTE Lead & Transform Movement."

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Plan a successful 1:1 technology initiative

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In 2010, both the Common Core State Standards and the first iPad were released. Together, these changed the name of the game in U.S. education. The Common Core assessments were designed to be taken online, requiring students to be comfortable with using and navigating digital resources.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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From the eyes of a principal

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.