Action+Plan


 * __Action Plan__**

**Objective:** Teachers in the 1:1 laptop program will develop monitoring techniques, including operating the LanSchool software, to ensure that students have the opportunity to learn in a safe and productive virtual learning environment. The teachers will apply these strategies during classroom instruction and will be evaluated through observations by the administration.

**Action Strategy:** The library media specialist will hold a workshop for the Middle and Upper School faculty on how to monitor students in a 1:1 laptop environment. The first workshop will be held for teachers in grades 7 and 9. Teachers will learn about the iPrism Internet filter as well as how to operate LanSchool (remote desktop software) and use other monitoring strategies (e.g., walking about the classroom). The librarian and planning committee will review feedback from teachers and administrators to help determine what changes need to be made to the workshop prior to its next implementation. This workshop will take place after the school's iSummit, a workshop that will train teachers to implement Web 2.0 tools and other instructional technologies in preparation for the transition to a computer based curriculum.

(Image from Lanschool.com)

**Challenges:**
 * Technophobic/relunctant teachers
 * Meeting with committee members over the summer (some may be out of the area for vacation and some members will be attending the iSummit workshop)
 * Limited amount of time to test software in the library (i.e., spring testing and activities)
 * Selecting a date in August in which all teachers will be available to attend (the school has no mandatory in-service day)

**Opportunities:**
 * Teachers earn professional development credit without having to travel
 * The librarian can ease the frustration of some teachers due to lack of formal training (this will increase the use of instructional technologies in class).
 * Teachers can teach parents about monitoring children on the computer
 * Demonstrate the effectiveness of the LanSchool software by using it on participants’ computers
 * Teachers and administration will learn not to rely on the Internet filter (i.e., fallibility)
 * Teachers will learn that students will always find away to get around the filtering and monitoring software
 * Expand on the library media centers services/functions (i.e., this is an opportunity to promote the library)

This video found on YouTube, in which a student is demonstrating how to bypass an older version of the LanSchool software using C++, can be used to show the teachers how they cannot rely solely on monitoring and filtering software to monitor students.

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**Timeline:** The workshop would need to be held during the first week of August (1-5) prior to students returning to school. That gives the planning committee four months to identify the needs and goals for the workshop as well as target what monitoring strategies will be taught. During this time the library media specialist needs explore the features of the LanSchool software and prepare instructional materials.

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**Budget:** LMS hourly rate is approximately $30 an hour. Meetings, planning time, and hosting the workshop is approximately 43 hours. The cost of planning and hosting the workshop is approximately $1,290. The LMS should also consider including $50 in the budget to buy snacks for the faculty bringing the total to $1,340.

**Evaluation:** A needs assessment will be performed in the spring to determine what monitoring strategies are currently being used by teachers. The LMS will also informally observe what monitoring strategies, if any, are being employed by teachers in the Mac lab. Teachers will be given a survey after the workshop to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the workshop (Likert-type and open answer). Teachers will also be able to indicate on the survey what they would like to learn about in the future. A survey will be sent out after the first grading period to teachers in grades 7 and 9 to determine if they are having any issues with the students in the 1:1 laptop program violating the AUP and/or if monitoring strategies from the workshop are preventing potential violations. The librarian will work with the administration to ensure that unannounced observations take place to determine whether or not teachers are successfully applying what they have learned from the workshop.