Good evening, everyone. I am Aimee Haslam, librarian at Adele Middle School. It is exciting to see so many folks here. I know many of you, as you are regular visitors and supporters of our library and school. I look forward to getting to know those of you who I don’t know already. Thank you all for coming tonight as I share with you Adele Middle School’s mobile learning plan.

As you know, at Adele Middle School we pride ourselves on providing an engaging and challenging curriculum. Our students have always excelled on state tests, and many of our academic programs are emulated throughout the division. Our goal is to provide Adele Middle School students with 21st century skills in multiple literacies so they may be successful in our information-rich society. School surveys show that for the last several years, parents have expressed a desire for an increase in rigorous learning opportunities for your children. Our new mobile learning plan will ensure just that.

We begin our mobile learning plan with BYOD. You may be wondering, just what is BYOD? BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device, and this fall, with your permission, students may bring their mobile devices to school. This is completely optional and if you decide not to participate, your child will still have access to many mobiles resources here at Adele.

Another aspect of Adele's mobile learning plan is the 1-to-1 initiative. 1-to-1 means each student has access to a mobile device - all day, every day. Adele Middle School is adopting a phase in 1-to-1 plan. With the extremely generous donation of a community member, 750 iPads will be purchased over the next 3 years. 225 iPads are available this year for 8th grade students. A set of 25 iPads is also ready to go, available for classroom checkout. Each teacher will also be issued an ipad. Next fall, 225 iPads will be purchased for 7th graders, and another 225 the following year for the 6th graders. Equitable access for all students is our priority in this mobile learning plan.

We all know Adele students are eager to engage with technology as our school surveys show they have been asking to bring their own devices for several years now. Even though many of our students are extremely motivated learners and responsible young adults, you may be wondering just how will we make sure learning is taking place with these devices. Our school’s Acceptable Use policy will help guide us in this regard. An acceptable use policy outlines how our school expects its community members to behave with technology. All teachers, students, and parents must sign the Acceptable Use Policy before bringing personal devices to school or being issued a school iPad. Devices will be allowed for personal use before and after the school bell as well as lunch and study hall. Otherwise, use of devices, both personal and school-issued, is only allowed under teacher supervision for educational purposes.

Let’s talk about caring for our devices. Even the most responsible students slip up once in awhile. No one wants to replace missing or damaged devices again and again. If a school-issued device is damaged, it will be sent off for repairs. This is be a one time only allowance, however. If school-issued devices are beyond repair or go missing, students will not receive another device to take home until the following school year. Funds simply won’t allow for anything other than yearly replacements. Students whose school-issued devices are severely damaged or lost will be allowed to use a device during the school day when required by a teacher for the remainder of the school year. Adele Middle School does not take responsibility for damage to or loss of personal devices. Teachers will address proper care of devices, but please encourage your children to be mindful and careful with their devices while at home and at school.

Another issue on everyone’s mind while using the internet is safety. School-issued devices will be connected to Adele's server and filtering system, iBoss Security. iBoss filters obscene and harmful content and images, helping to keep our students safe. Personal devices must be connected to the schools wifi when here at school. Students must know how to connect their personal devices to the wifi as each device is different and teachers will be unable to troubleshoot problems during instructional time. Digital citizenship, (appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use), is a serious issue with using mobile devices in education. Students will receive thorough instruction in digital citizenship as part of their curriculum. We also encourage you to communicate with your children about the importance of staying safe online.

Going mobile will offer Adele students many educational benefits. Students will have more opportunities to collaborate with others both in person and using technology. Students will be motivated and engaged during class as they explore, create, and share as a regular part of their learning experience. Given time, technology will be integrated into every asepct of the curriculum, changing the way teachers teach and our students learn.

Another major benefit to mobile learning is individualized student learning through inquiry-based projects. With access to the latest technology including ebooks, apps, and digital learning tools, students can take charge of their own learning. As young adults, having choice and freedom in learning is not only empowering educationally, but necessary for their independence and growth. For too long, students have been held to cookie-cutter standards. Even here at Adele, where teachers work tirelessly to meet students’ needs through differentiated instruction, true student exploration and inquiry has taken a backseat to testing pressures. Starting this fall with World Geography, eighth grade students will have engage in inquiry projects of their choosing. Next year, seventh graders will do the same in their science courses. The following year, sixth graders will research math-related concepts. independently.

Thanks to your generous support of our new mobile learning plan, students at Adele will have access to 20 new educational apps. Several of the apps selected are designed for note-taking, organizing, and presenting information. Others are focused on world geography, cultures, and map skills. We are also thrilled to announce our new ebook plan through BrainHive. For $1 per book, students can check out ebooks of their choice for up to 2 weeks. BrainHive's collection is heavily nonfiction and will aid in World Geography research. This year we will also have subscriptions to 5 world geography-focused digital magazines including National Geographic, National Geographic Explorer, and National Geographic Traveler. This is all thanks to you, the parents, for your generous donation of more than $5,000 over the next 3 years.

We have so much more to talk about and share, but that is about all we have time for this evening. I would like to remind you about our Parent Info sessions, held every month as part of our PTA meetings. This year our sessions will focus on digital and technological literacy so that you may learn alongside your child. As always, please check out the library website for up-to-date information regarding library and school events. The library website will maintain an updated Symbaloo of all the apps used here at school so that you may check those out if you wish to purchase them for your child's personal device. Adele Middle School is active on social media, so please like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram. And we welcome visitors and volunteers. Please stop by anytime.

Thank you again for your continued support of Adele Middle School students. If anyone has any questions, I will be happy to answer them now.