Shanghai American School Educational Programs Office

As I have written frequently in the past in our publication ParentTalk, I once again stumbled across a document I had buried on my desk in a stack of papers: an old memo handed to me recently by a former colleague. The exact date escapes me, but the year and month do not: April 2000.

That was the date of the first feasibility study about the implementation of student laptops in middle schools and high schools at Shanghai American School. I have to admit that the first time I read the memo, I didn’t really shudder at the thought that we have been talking about putting the most powerful learning tool ever invented into the hands of students for nine years, at least until I started talking about it.  Then it hit me. We’ve been talking and planning and training for a 1:1 laptop program at SAS for NINE years!  Now is the time to make this change and I believe we will see some fundamental changes in the way your children access, learn and CREATE to enhance their learning in the future at SAS.

Our Implementation begins

We are happy to begin this project thanks to the approval in the January board meeting the SAS board of directors. Each student in grades 7-10 who receive a machine from the school will use:

• Macbook Computer
• Custom SAS Computer Bag
• Software including: Microsoft Office, iLife, iWorks, Adobe CS and specialized content area software.
• Access to network services and software necessary for classroom and school collaborative experiences.
• 3 year Applecare Warranty

*Special note: The computer will be the property of the student and their family at the end of three years or once they leave SAS.

Professional Development for Faculty is key to our success

Over the next few weeks we will continue to work with our teachers to use and understand their new computers as well.  Training on our computers and the new network tools began last May and has been jump-started in August as the teachers return to the classrooms for preparation of our new school year.  With an implementation like this one, preparation is key, and as promised last year, we would endeavor to minimize implementation issues by moving carefully.  Thus, I encouraged a staggered approach to our student roll out to give us time to ensure the network is up to date, our teachers are comfortable with the computers and our printing and services processes are refined.  Learning from past implementations, we know that fast is not necessarily best!

Laptop Distribution Days

As a matter of course, we want to make sure we do this event in a place, time and manner that allows students and their parents to become acquainted with the “ins and outs” of using a computer in the SAS educational environment. Thus we are targeting laptop rollouts for individual grade levels beginning with the Grade 10 students and working our way through to the grade 7 students during the month of September.  Please note that we will be hosting an evening and day event. Families with students need only attend ONE distribution activity.  We offer both times to meet the needs of our families.

The Laptop Distribution dates on BOTH campuses are:

Sept 7: Grade 10 Laptop Distribution (evening event, 6:30-8:00 PM)

Sept. 8: Grade 10 Laptop Distribution (day event, 11:00AM-12:30 PM)

Sept. 14: Grade 9 Laptop Distribution (evening event, 6:30-8:00 PM)

Sept. 15: Grade 9 Laptop Distribution (day event, 11:00AM-12:30 PM

Sept. 21: Grade 8 Laptop Distribution (evening event, 6:30-8:00 PM)

Sept. 22: Grade 8 Laptop Distribution (day event, 11:00AM-12:30 PM

Sept. 28: Grade 7 Laptop Distribution (evening event, 6:30-8:00 PM)

Sept. 29: Grade 7 Laptop Distribution (day event, 11:00AM-12:30 PM)

I realize that many of the students are very anxious to have their computers to use and learn with at SAS, especially considering all the excitement and information that has come out to our community through this time period.  Rest assured we delay the distribution only to ensure that we are fully ready for this implementation and to also allow our teachers to initially prepare for the new implementation in a thoughtful and careful manner.  We also believe that the first weeks of the school year are important on many other areas of focus and this will allow our educational professionals to become aquatinted with the students and their needs as well.

There will be a plethora of information forthcoming to you in the coming weeks.  Please watch here at http://teachers.saschina.org/edpro for updates and information about our laptop program.

File: sas-laptop-program-begins-in-1st-semester

Photo Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/16226024@N00/1783114316