“With the Apple technologies, we’ve decreased our response time, which means the problems are getting solved much faster. That makes the teachers much more willing to experiment with technology.”
— Ronn Waters, Magnolia School District
Magnolia School District: Apple Tools Enable Centralized Management of District’s Computers
Videoconferencing Streamlines Support
Waters and fellow TOSA Jeremy Davis have discovered that Apple videoconferencing helps them instantly size up support issues, and provide solutions. Instead of jumping into a car, the pair can fire up an iSight camera, greatly reducing the time needed for problem resolution.
Says Davis, “The greatest part about Apple Remote Desktop is that it helps us show teachers how to be more self-reliant. And, we can take care of three or four teachers in the time it would take to drive out and assist one onsite. Because we have a smaller technology budget, we can’t afford the multiple technicians that larger districts have. Apple Remote Desktop has given us a way to stay as caught up as possible with the demand.”
“Technology Tuesdays” Catching On
Developing the troubleshooting shortcuts has given Waters more time to devote to his real love: providing professional development and curriculum integration guidance for district teachers. Magnolia offers a series of six-week “Technology Tuesday” sessions, giving comprehensive instruction in the various Apple technologies. For instance, a set of classes on iLife encompasses everything from how to launch each program in the suite, to the best use of digital cameras with iPhoto for a math class.
“We don’t just show how to use a camera; we provide five or six lesson ideas, and try to tailor them to a kindergarten or sixth-grade teacher’s needs,” Waters notes. “In every instance, we tie the use of the Apple tools back to what that teacher is going to do in the classroom the next day.
“The first year we did the sessions, we had about 15 people stopping by for Technology Tuesday,” Waters continues. “During the 2005-2006 school year, 86 teachers took part. These classes are really catching on. Teachers are excited about what they can do with the notebook computers, and they’re sharing what they’ve learned with each other. Many of them had no idea that working with an iBook was so easy, or could enhance their lessons so much.”
Educational Technologies Make Converts
Waters readily admits that several teachers were skeptical at first about using the notebooks. But peer successes and collaborations have made scores of converts.
“One teacher — who swore she’d never use a computer in her classroom — now makes AppleWorks presentations of her kids’ weekly spelling words, which rotate on their desktops throughout the day. She says their spelling test scores have absolutely skyrocketed, because the kids see the words all day long. This example and similar technology integration efforts are beginning to pay big dividends for everyone. Other teachers see these things happening, and say, “I want to do that, too!’’
Extra Tools for the Teachers
As the Magnolia district acquires more notebooks and software, the IT team realizes the demand for their services will increase exponentially. But armed with Apple Remote Desktop, iSight, and iChat, the team won’t have to worry about spreading themselves too thin: Thanks to their Apple tools, they can be in the thick of things throughout the Magnolia district.
“Now that we’ve shortened our response time, everyone’s computers are getting fixed faster and everyone’s happier,” says Waters. “Students — and teachers — are collaborating; they’re motivated. And they’re excited about learning. Our teachers all know how to teach. Apple’s just helped us give them some extra tools for their toolbox. And that’s been very cool.”
