Digital Textbooks Impact Education: Implementation

PART 1: Site Management

General management

Receiving: arranges for staging area, inputs Destiny data as needed
Processing: student name and barcode on netbook outer lid for easy ID and scan
Distributing: schedules classes for netbook checkout/check-in.
Storing: arranges summer storage of 7th grade netbooks (in alpha-marked boxes) by alpha letter of last name
Updating/re-imaging: arranges district pickup if all site netbooks need updating over the summer. Otherwise, re-images problem netbooks on a daily basis.

Teacher training

Before: Prepares for S2H trainers, providing materials as needed such as extra power strips and office supplies
After: provides ongoing netbook support. Provides ideas and instruction in Web 2.0 tools that enable teachers to create and implement netbook lessons. Example: The Organ Trail science unit.

Parent training
BEFORE

Teachers: Helps recruit teachers to train parents, after site determines training dates and times. Sample trainer calendar.
Parents: Creates classes, dis-aggregating parents by 1-5 level of computer ability
Handouts: Arranges for all handouts to be copied
Creates necessary forms and ledgers: repair ledger, netbook loaner ledger, broken power adapter ledger.

DURING

Receives parent phone calls for ongoing training dates, and assigns parents to classes.
Creates and updates Check-In sheets for the first day of a session. Creates and updates session Sign-In sheets and distributes them to Parent Trainers in a timely manner
Handles ongoing distribution of netbooks, resolving student and parent issues by keeping a phone ledger.
Handles arising issues of student connectivity at home.

AFTER

Follows up with training for parents who missed classes, or for parents of new, incoming students
Arranges Work Orders for repair and/or replacement as netbook issues arise.
Emails Netbook Repair form to Arey Jones when netbook damage has been paid.

Students services

Triages netbook issues: A) simple items that can be quickly checked and resolved, such as re-imaging, or B) problems or damages requiring a netbook provider (Arey Jones) Work Order, including both manufacturer problems (bad hard drive, non-lighting LED screen, bad cooling fan) and "User-created" damages (cracked screens, broken keys and switches).
Tracks netbooks through the library computer system (Destiny) with regard to students entering and leaving the school during the school year. Date and type of damages are also noted in the system for accurate documentation.
Maintains a variety of ledgers to track: 1) "Work Orders" and quotes by the netbook provider (Arey Jones), 2) "Netbook Issues" such as lost/broken chargers, students with insurance, etc. 3)"Paid and Repaired"
Manages the REPAIR Protocol:

A netbook provider (Arey Jones) Work Order (WO) with damage assessment and estimate must be created for every damaged netbook.
Parents who have purchased insurance are contacted by the school site to work directly with the insurance company to file a Claim Form. Parents receive authorization from the insurance company for repair based on the netbook provider WO information. Once confirmed, the repair can be made by the netbook provider technician who comes to the school site weekly for on-site repairs.
Parents who have the netbook repaired understand that their child will return a LOANER netbook and receive back their original repaired netbook, which can then be kept (subject to small payment) upon Promotion.
Parents who have no insurance arrange for payment of repairs. After payment, the netbook provider creates an authorization for repairs, which can then be made on-site by the netbook provider technician.
Parents who refuse to pay for repairs due to lack of insurance understand that their child will receive a LOANER netbook IF AVAILABLE to complete the school year that the must be returned to the school site at the end of the school year. If a LOANER is not available, the student will use print textbooks until netbook damages are paid.

Evaluation

School2Home measures the following:

Parent survey
Student survey
Teacher survey (Draft) and later Teacher Survey

PART 2: Digital Textbooks

1. Open Source

California seeks to supply free, standards-based digital textbooks, seen in CLRN.
Click the link under the image for information:

California Open Source Textbook Project

COSTP continues to advocate for 1) strict adherence to State curriculum framework standards; 2) the creation of high quality, peer-reviewed content; 3) well-designed support standards; universal accessibility, no matter one’s physical challenges; and, 4) a sustainable model of deployment that does not depend on taxpayer or foundation dollars. (Attributed to above link.)

Open Textbooks in California

The governor estimated that the average high school textbook costs $100 and that the state could save $400 million by going to open source for all math and science textbooks for its 2 million high school students. (Attributed to above link.)

2. Open Source Flexbooks

View the "How it Works" video from the home page by clicking HERE or the link below the image: