Contents

1. 1 Responses submitted on the Google Form (questionnaire)
   1. 1.1 What is working in my netbook class?
   2. 1.2 What is not working in my netbook class
   3. 1.3 What I would like help with in my netbook class
   4. 1.4 Other
2. 2 Present - March 3 2011
3. 3 Notes taken by Karen at the meeting:
   1. 3.1 What is working?
   2. 3.2 What is not working?
   3. 3.3 What would you do now before you got netbooks ?
   4. 3.4 How have you problem solved?
   5. 3.5 What would you like help with?

Responses submitted on the Google Form (questionnaire)

What is working in my netbook class?

• Childrens engagement with learning. All they want to do is go on the netbooks. They love to do anything and everything.
• Commitment to writing. The kids are getting a buzz out of seeing their writing on their blog. They no longer have to wait for the multimedia to post, so I think their commitment to writing will continuously grow.
• Kids helping each other out with problem solving and trouble shooting. Nice to hear great convos about what to do or how to possibly tackle issues.
• Certain kids are becoming experts with the netbooks and google, and are really showing their abilities to help others and become leaders.
• FINALLY I have enough machines so that kids have unrestricted access to blogging, docs, research - whatever! Has been everything I hoped for in this regard.
• I am so happy with the netbooks. I use the LEARNZ virtual fieldtrips a lot with my class and it is just so much easier now each student has individual access to the on-line information and can listen to the audio conferences and watch the videos as often as they need to.
• Use G-edit as default to go on to when docs or internet down. Means time not wasted and students' work can go on
• Enthusiasm for writing etc from kids
• Finally after 4 weeks of repitition most kids are becoming competent logging on and off google doc/blog/mail etc
• Have now got set time for typing practice which I have made structured and monitored so children are actually practising correctly and working through the levels of the Tux typing programme on their netbooks rather than playing the typing games. Working much better.
• This week I've have started to introduce some online reading activities -google forms relted to journal activities and the kids are enjoying using those.
• "Key Things to focus on"
  
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Logging on and off Google Docs/Blogger  till confident
  • Copying and pasting from Google docs to blogger
  • Uploading photo to blogger
  • Command T to open new tab so have docs/blogger/mail open
  • Commenting on others blogs and leaving footprint.
  These are pretty much the main things we have worked on in 4 weeks and some are still just getting their heads around it.

• Having child experts/technicians to help trouble shoot

What is not working in my netbook class

• Kids are too clever and have figured out all the tricky tricks much quicker than anticipated. Hiding games behind work window, sending "interesting" emails, wasting time changing themes on whatever application they can, downloading games.Takes a lot of effort to police and more than one reminder about expected behaviour. Wondering if it's to do with immaturity???
• The netbooks continuously drop off google/internet and kids have to refresh internet connection repeatedly in every session. On the flip side, my kids are now sorting this out themselves and taking ownership of the issue.
• Content teaching dips as students get head around 'how to' on netbooks.
• Initially I drastically underestimated how quickly the children would pick up using their netbooks/google docs/blogs etc. For chn who have not been exposed to these yet the start is probably a bit overwhelming with an awful lot of new processes to learn and remember. I often have had to take two steps backward because I haven't gone through the steps slow enough nor repeated them enough to cement them. Tip- Continual repetition with each step.

• connection issues onto the wireless, especially the first 2 weeks

What I would like help with in my netbook class

• I really appreciate any help with blogging. This is the process that the kids are needing the most help with and the more frequently they blog the quicker they will learn to do this themselves.

• Useful, practical ideas (websites etc) for yr 7/8 class

Other

• In my year 5 class the kids need to/have need to learn the processes and routines of blogging, using docs, problem solving internet etc... and unfortunately this takes time and has meant that normal teaching experiences have taken a back seat. Something to remember for the year 5's next year!

Present - March 3 2011

Notes taken by Karen at the meeting:

What is working?

• The kids want to work.
• 4 weeks in, everyone can now log on and get working.
• Head down, tail up. Group work is working well.
• Finding new things to share. Getting the students to create forms themselves rather than just fill them out.
• Getting over the log on practice has taken time, so tasks have been minimal in first 4 weeks. Reading activities, using google forms.
• Having visual keys to help through problem solving.
• Troubleshooting - the students do a lot of figuring it out themselves.
• Netbooks mean there is always something to do for early finishers.
• Having a virtual teacher online was a new thing (using a maths video from Khan Academy) , and released the class teacher for support.
• Willingness of students to help each other. Commitment to improving their keyboarding skills.
• Communications from students who would not normally do things like that. ie student emailing teachers who would not normally speak up
• Typing practice. Lots of teachers trying to enforce faster typing habits
• Personal challenges for each student as they are no longer sharing machines.
• Take screenshots of work as they go to give a record of what they have achieved in a lesson. eg in a Maths challenge

What is not working?

• Kids not paying the deposit yet.
• Connection to the wireless has been an issue. Can we do small videos for the students so they know how to re-connect to the wireless themselves? Maybe include these videos in the image so they are on each netbook from set up.
• You don’t know what is going to go wrong, so you don’t know what to prepare for.
• A projector is essential to go over whole class instructions.
• Have the network working reliably before netbooks Go Live.
• Query using a word processor and then uploading - does this defeat the purpose of the whole thing?
• School zone v watchdog. Watchdog is better by far and much faster to use. Remaining schools need to consider switching urgently.
• Taking into account where the kids are at with what they know how to do with technology. Need to be more basic than you think.
• Content teaching drops for a while.

• They were straight in and helping others in year 7.
• They have made the transistion for the year 7 students smoother.
• Posting all the time as they are confident in the use of google docs, so work is accessible all the time for staff even when they are not at work.

What would you do now before you got netbooks ?

ie suggestions offered to teachers yet to start - using their class computers/ lab

reminders to self for NEXT year, new class!

• Heaps of log on  / log off practice in Google Apps .
• How to copy and paste from one thing to another.
• How to open new tabs on the browser.

Get more students trained up to be the "experts".

How have you problem solved?

• Talking to the team to compare notes - makes easy things obvious.
• Control  + 4 gives a screenshot / control F4 closes everything - dont get them mixed up.
• Control printscreen - gives a cursor for screen shot choice.
• Pressing g when a game freezes the whole thing, unfreezes it.
• Access the word processing programme - G-edit -on the netbook if internet access is down. 
• Is a connection problem a connection to the wireless or a connection to google docs... they are 2 different issues....
  
• Having too many pages and stuff open means a greater instability to drop off from the internet and google.
• If sharing a G Doc with class, make sure your doc is view only so they have to make a copy for their own work.
• One stop shop on the class site page for all the instructions  / links / work needed for each lesson. Kids begin day/lesson by always logging on to this Site
• Top left tells you how many things are open at a time.

Something wrong?  You need to be clear about....

• is it a re install?
• is it an insurance job?
• is it a warranty job?

What would you like help with?

• Kids who take a little bit longer - help with the basics.
• A central place to drop hints and tips as they come up.
• Create instructions on a site with links for the daily work to save emailing them the links and them having to find it.