Orientations Provide LIFE “Big Picture” - February 2nd, 2006

IDEA Studio Coordinator Ken Tothero describes the iBook’s operating system to new PDS students.

On a recent afternoon, teacher education students, just beginning the Professional Development Sequence (PDS) and the Laptop Initiative for Future Educators (LIFE), were able to learn all they needed to know to get started using their iBook laptops in one three-hour orientation. The concentrated session covered everything from the buttons and inputs of the laptop itself, to its operating system, iLife applications, Inspiration, TeachNet, United Streaming, and Atomic Learning.

Several orientations were given during the first three weeks of the spring 2006 semester for the new PDS students in each elementary cohort and in Kinesiology, Fine Arts, and Liberal Arts programs. LIFE Coordinator Melissa Tothero and other LTC staff devised the orientations as a way to combine several smaller orientations into one and to streamline administrative tasks, such as setting up various online accounts for the students.

Students also learned about their AppleCare warranty and the support services that the Learning Technology Center (LTC) provides, and had the opportunity to meet some of the LTC support staff. Karen French, LTC Training Specialist and one of the orientation presenters, hopes that, “Now that the students have met the Laptop Help Desk personnel they will be more likely to seek assistance from them later on when they need it.”

But perhaps the most important thing the students came away with from the orientations is a broad overview of the purpose of the LIFE program and a sense of excitement about the impact the program can have on their professional growth and their futures as teachers. As she described the program’s history and showed examples of laptop-enabled projects done by past LIFE students, Melissa Tothero’s enthusiasm was infectious. Tothero said, “It was fun to help our students see that they are a part of a highly-visible and extremely innovative technology integration effort that will provide them with the skills necessary to teach a new generation of digital learners, and that will make them much more marketable as they compete for their first teaching jobs.”

Cohort faculty were pleased with the new orientations. Said Cohort Coordinator Lynn Surrette, “My cohort enjoyed a thoroughly inviting orientation to technology integration. They are now aware of all the rich resources available to them, especially the LTC’s friendly and accessible technology team. My students easily used TeachNet and Inspiration during our second methods class and they are equipped to explore more options for digital media projects than in previous semesters.” Because the new orientation format was so successful and efficient, LTC staff hope to conduct the orientations this way in future semesters.

—Laurie Caldwell, LTC Communications Coordinator