Digital “Textbooks” in RCPS
July 8, 2013
DR. OSKAR SCHEIKL
DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT
KEVIN PERKINS
SUPERVISOR OF TECHNOLOGY
Purpose
 Why go digital?
 How are other school divisions supplementing or
replacing hard copy resources/curricula with digital
ones? (CONTENT)
 How are other school divisions providing students
with access to those digital resources/curricula?
(DEVICES)
 Where are we with digital resources/curricula in
RCPS?
 How should RCPS proceed with expanding use of
and access to digital resources/curricula?
Why go digital?
 Digital materials are more easily kept up to date.
 Available anytime, anywhere.
 Digital materials are more easily modified and
aligned to state/local standards and pacing guides
than traditional textbooks.
 More engaging & appealing to multiple learning
styles.
 Textbooks/resources can be accessed on lightweight
devices rather than being stored in heavy backpacks
full of books, papers, and binders.
State Educational Technology Directors Association
(SETDA)
 Over time and with good implementation, a shift to
digital content will:



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Increase student learning and engagement
Accommodate students’ learning needs
Facilitate search and discovery of resources
Support educators in personalizing learning
State Educational Technology Directors Association. Out of Print: Reimagining
the K-12 Textbook in a Digital Age. 2011. PDF file: 8.
http://www.setda.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=321&name=D
LFE-1598.pdf
How are other school divisions supplementing or replacing
hard copy resources/curricula with digital ones?
 Textbooks
Format
Pros
Cons
Home-grown digital
“flexbooks”
oLower cost
oCurriculum developed
by local teachers
oLimited amount of time
for curriculum
development
oNeed to train teachers
how to convert materials
to digital format
Open-source textbooks
http://www.ck12.org/stu
dent/
oLower cost
oCollaborative effort of
teachers/experts
oQuality/alignment
issues if not developed by
Virginia educators
Textbook company digital oMore robust resources
offerings
oMore quality control
oMore expensive
oContracts/annual
licensing
Home-Grown Solution
 Henry County, GA
 Adopting math “flexbooks” created by local teachers
 $5,000 to develop curriculum
 $101,000 to purchase devices for grades 6-10 classrooms
http://www.henryherald.com/news/2013/jun/19/math-going-digital-henry/
Digital Content in Virginia
 Virtual Virginia (2004)
 Online course delivery
 Flexbook: CK-12 Physics (2009)
 Free open source textbook
 Beyond Textbooks (2010)
 iPad pilot program – examine available content and device
access
 Interactive Digital Textbooks (2012)
 Economics & Personal Finance interactive digital textbooks for
sale in Apple iBookstore
 Pilot – interactive version available for iPads ONLY
Lan Neugent @ Brainstorm 2013 (JMU)
 Virginia DOE projects intended to pilot various

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approaches
iPad-only version of Economics/Personal Finance
mainly to keep the project simple
Next 2 years will be important in determining longterm strategy
Content drives device decisions
SOL testing drives device decisions (Pearson is
working on a testing engine re-design)
Which device?
Device
Pros
Cons
Traditional Laptop
oFull-featured operating
system
oKeyboard for data entry
oTool for digital media
consumption AND
creation
oPrice
oOften overkill for many
tasks
Tablet
oLower cost
oTool for digital media
consumption
oNo keyboard
oContent creation is
inefficient
Chromebook
oLower cost
oMeets basic needs well –
Internet research, word
processing, photo editing,
etc.
oQuestionable durability
of some models
oLimited local storage
oDependent upon an
Internet connection
A National Model
 Mooresville (NC) Graded School District
 1:1 MacBook Air initiative (5,000 devices in grades 4-12) via a
lease from Apple
 Somewhere around 3 percent of the district's total budget is
devoted to computer hardware, software, training, and
maintenance.
 President Obama announced ConnectEd initiative at
Mooresville Middle School on June 6, 2013
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/09/12/The-Winning-1-to-1Strategy.aspx?Page=1
Early Adopter in Virginia
 Henry County, VA
 RCPS Tech Staff visit in February, 2013
 1:1 iPad initiative in grades 3-5
 iPad labs in grades 6-12
 Began with grant and stimulus funds
 Upfront infrastructure upgrade (wireless access points in each
classroom)
 Expanding 1:1 to 6th grade
 Moving forward with a lease from Apple so that replacement
cycles can be maintained with BUDGETED funds
http://www.martinsvillebulletin.com/article.cfm?ID=32608
Success Factors Identified by SETDA
 Sustainable funding for devices
 Robust internet connectivity (school & home)
 Up-to-date policies
 Prepared educators
 Intellectual property and reuse rights
 Quality control and usability
 State and local leadership buy-in
State Educational Technology Directors Association. Out of Print: Reimagining the
K-12 Textbook in a Digital Age. 2011. PDF file: 28.
http://www.setda.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=321&name=DLFE1598.pdf
What NOT to do! – Hope for funding
 Lynchburg (VA) City Public Schools
 Provide laptops for 4th through 12th graders by 2017
 Overall cost is roughly $7 million by the end of the 2017-18
school year
 Only about $350,000 of technology funds are available per
year to fund the initiative
 “finding new funding will be necessary. Board members and
administrators hope to find grant money.”
http://www.newsadvance.com/news/local/article_f76454c2-c28b-11e2-88ff001a4bcf6878.html
What NOT to do! – Laptops … now what?
 Richmond (VA) City Public Schools
 Provide 1,700 laptops for rising 6th graders
 $200,000 from City Council … rest of $1.35 million from
private-sector funding
 would necessitate the hiring of at least 10 new employees
 wasn’t sure how the laptops would be used, how they would
support academic goals and what impact they might have on
the school system budget
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/education/richmond-considerslaptop-program-for-th-graders/article_705f7b14-3761-594f-b962798de441d742.html
What to do! - Instructional Focus
 Solon Community (IA) School District
http://www.schoolcio.com/Default.aspx?tabid=136&entryid=5814
Where are we with digital resources/curricula in RCPS?
 MacBook mobile labs
 iMac labs
 iPad labs
 BYOD in HS/MS
 Student devices at home
How should RCPS proceed with expanding use of and access
to digital resources/curricula?
 Instructional focus to start … instructional
leadership & teachers
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What resources do we want access to?
How will we transform our teaching to accommodate those
resources?
Provide professional development and support prior to device
consideration/purchase
 Don’t want teachers/students to get devices and then
ask, “Now what?”
How should RCPS proceed with expanding use of and access
to digital resources/curricula?
 Google Summit – Charlottesville - March 16-17, 2013
 Chromebook pilots in fall – Are these an option?
 High school classroom lab (30)
 Middle school mobile lab (30)
 Fall lab use survey
$279
In Summary
 No “silver bullet”
 Limited evidence of best practices and/or
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effectiveness of 1:1 initiatives
Initiative must begin with an instructional focus
Device procurement, management, and replacement
must be well-planned and budgeted for
Student/parent responsibility must be addressed
Device/resource equity must be addressed
A Golden Opportunity Awaits …
 New curriculum coordinators will be in place in
2013-14.
 Work on a new 5-year Technology Plan for RCPS will
begin in Summer, 2014.