Running head: DESIGN DOCUMENT (FORESTER)

Design Document: A Virtual Learning Community Focused on iPad and Chromebook

Technology Integration Strategies
Adam Forester
The University of Oklahoma
EITP 6433
Summer 2014

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Design Document: A Virtual Learning Community focused on iPad and Chromebook

Technology Integration Strategies
Background Information
Bethany High School has been very successful in recent years and is considered one of
the top public high schools in the state. This is due in large part to the close relationships that
exist in the community of teachers, students, parents and administrators. Bethany has
desperately tried to keep up with the students of the 21st century and has struggled at times with
keeping students engaged; this deficiency is the main basis for this online community design.
Providing teachers with resources to effectively engage students with technology is key to any
classroom of the present and future.
Needs
There are many types of technology available to teachers at Bethany High School;
however many teachers have chosen not to utilize them on a consistent basis. This could be for a
number of reasons stemming from many different factors, although the biggest one seems to be
the lack of professional training on the best ways to incorporate technology into their subjects.
For instance, the high school has 50 student iPads that can be checked out by the teachers for up
to three days at a time. They were purchased by the district at the start of the year and have been
operational and available for the entire 2012-13 school year. There have been only a handful of
formal requests to use the iPad carts and only a small number of teachers have expressed interest
in using them. This can either mean one of two things: 1. Teachers dont want to use this
technology, 2. They want to use technology but they dont know how or do not think they have
the time to learn to use it. Going off of evidence I have observed in the form of personal
observations and teacher conversation, I believe the large majority of teachers fall in the second
category. However there is a small minority that will not adapt to any new pedagogical methods.
Many of the teachers that I have observed in passing are just simply unfamiliar with
mobile technology, they mainly use their iPad for personal use and many of which only use it for
email or at the very most show a PowerPoint with. This is not their fault, the iPads were given to
the staff at the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year and we have had about five 1-hour inservices on how to incorporate them into a classroom. Many of the teachers that I have spoken
with would be more confident to use there iPad in a more educational setting if they were given
more instruction on how.
To support the conclusion that teachers would use technology more in the classroom with
more professional development with 1:1 interaction and feedback about technology use, I will
offer a personal example. Last year I presented to the entire faculty a presentation on using the
iPads as student responders. The tool the teachers thought was most useful was the Socrative
class responder App. The week after the presentation I got many questions and comments about
teachers trying and succeeding about using this App on their iPads and using the students
iPhones or Andriod phones (many let the student work in small groups). They loved the
interactive element and immediate feedback of the system. Their comments went on for another
two or three weeks and then tapered off.

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At the start the teachers had a high confidence level about using technology, however
without consistent feedback on their efforts many of the teachers seldom use the system now.
However, with proper feedback channels and a community of help coming up with ideas for
using iPads in the classroom, these tools would probably have been used on a more consistent
basis.
Purpose and Goals
The purpose of this proposed online learning community would be to provide the
teachers within Bethany High School with meaningful interactions and examples of ways to
integrate iPads and other technologies like chromebooks into their own classrooms. As pointed
out above, inadequate time for training on ways to integrate iPads into their curriculum is one of
the main reasons why iPads have not been used successfully. An online community would
enable teachers to interact and learn on their own time to gain techniques to effectively integrate
iPads into their classrooms. The main goal of the community would be to provide teachers with
techniques and feedback about efficient ways to integrate iPads into an existing curriculum and
increase a teachers self-efficacy when it comes to doing projects with iPads. The overall
objective of the community would be to increase the number of effective iPad interactions of
students at Bethany High School by teaching teachers effective ways to engage student learning
and achieving effective learning outcomes through the use of iPads.
Community Members/Learners
The Teachers at Bethany High School vary in their levels of experience with technology,
mainly due to age gaps within the school. There has been a recent influx of younger teachers,
however there is still a big population of veteran teachers on the staff. Many of the younger
teachers are technologically literate, however the veteran teachers seem to not show the same
skills. However, even the younger teachers, although being technology users themselves, have
not made the connection to using technology with the students yet. There could be a number of
reasons why these teachers do not use the technology they have for work in their classrooms.
This project design will address some of those needs and help to enable teachers to effectively
integrate technology into their classrooms.
Contextual Information
All the teachers at Bethany High School teach in a seven-hour day and have one planning
period. On Friday mornings all of the teachers attend either grade level or subject level
Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). The PLCs are 45 minutes in length and a PLCTrained teacher leads each group. This time is not considered part of the schools professional
development time, but has been very helpful for teachers to gain help developing new programs,
helping problem students as well as collaboration between disciplines. The school sets aside two
to three days a semester for professional development in which they provide district-mandated
seminars in addition to district hired speakers on various topics. Recently the district has turned
to some of its own teacher to provide professional development to the rest of the faculty on new
and exciting things they are doing in their classrooms.

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4
Design Framework

Design
The online community that will be used at Bethany High School will contain various
examples of iPad and Chromebook integration strategies that a teacher can explore every quarter
of the school year. These examples will be present on the course management system Desire 2
Learn. Initially, the community would provide scaffolded examples of how to use iPads and
Chromebooks to enhance a more student-centered classroom-learning environment. This area of
the community would be focused on providing examples, allowing teachers to try these examples
and then blog about their experiences. Teachers are grouped by subject area, but are free to
interact with other members in the community. The teachers in the community, along with the
site facilitators, would then provide feedback to other group members. The site facilitators
within each subject area would function to provide appropriate feedback and questioning with
needed to aid conversation. The second capacity of the online learning community would be to
provide a place for teachers to share ideas and collaborate with other teachers on iPad use in the
classroom. To achieve this teachers will maintain a Pinterest page and Twitter feed to promote
an increase in their metacognition and self-efficacy as they reflect and gain more confidence with
the use of the iPads.
Each example within the community will contain a set of activities that could include:
video-lectures about ways to integrate technology, interactive discussion boards to reply to the
videos, as well as additional reading/activity supplements on various topics. There will be a
series of in-person meetings called lunch-and-learns, each month to discuss each of the
examples as well as weekly Twitter chats that are optional. The site facilitators and the teachers
will provide feedback and collaborate/problem solve with each other think of ways to enhance
the learning processes of the students.
This approach with provide a transformation of the current system of professional
development at Bethany High School, which was done in a mass fashion and can now be
streamlined and specialized to subject area and common interests. This level of transformation
goes along with Dr. Ruben Puenteduras SAMR model of technology integration by allowing for
modification and redefinition of Bethanys current system of professional development. An
example of the modification of the current professional development system would be the
movement from an in-person, rigid and controlled environment to an online community that is
flexible, user-friendly and member driven. The technology allows for more choices by the
teachers using the community. An example of redefinition would be the significant task redesign
of the teachers going from merely a participant in a normal professional development session to
that of an active member that takes part in a community of teachers with growing knowledge as
they complete organized tasks.
With regards to Riel and Polins (2004) framework model, this model of online
instruction would be that of a practice-based framework. In a practice-based learning
community the facilitator would define the membership and the members would know each
other before hand. It would be a very informal setting as members are working toward
increasing their experiences with iPads in this case. There would be various tasks going on a
once so that a teacher can chose which one best suit their needs. The fact that there are options
with regards to tasks allow the participation to be very open and teachers role within the overall
group can change as they gain more knowledge and increase their self-efficacy with regards to

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iPad integration. In order for a teachers role to grow within the community they must continue
to grow themselves and explore new practices within the community. As teachers become more
self-efficacious with regards to technology use and integration, they can offer their own
examples of iPad use in the classroom and provide feedback to other teachers that are in need of
help.
Theoretical Rationale
As Brown (2005) pointed out in his paper on the new learning environments for the 21st
century he points out that students today are different from teachers and other adults. Students
today are much more digital-based and as a result teachers must see this and adjust their teaching
strategies. It is evident from above that Bethany High School does have the tools and resources
to enhance the todays digital learner; however, the staff at Bethany High School does not have
the knowledge of how to integrate that technology to enhance the learning of todays digital
learners. Many of todays students learn in social setting, much like Browns (2005) architecture
studio example, explaining that students learn by collaborating with peers and their teachers,
receiving feedback from both. However, in order to enable students to learn in a similar fashion,
teachers must have knowledge about using technology to enhance collaboration in the classroom.
This online learning community would provide teachers with a resource that serves in two
capacities. The first capacity of the community would be to provide scaffolded examples of how
to use iPads/Chromebooks in the classroom that can be applied to their curriculum in order to
achieve a more learner-centered classroom. The second capacity would come as a result of the
first goal of the community. By providing teachers with examples of how to integrate /s, the
self-efficacy of the teachers technology use will be affected, especially with the use of iPads in
the classroom.
Tools
Various tools will be used in the creation of the online learning community, which are
listed below:

Desire 2 Learn: The host website of the online learning community

Discussion Forums: On D2L to provide the facilitator with weekly feedback on the
learning process and interaction between members as they implement different strategies
to integrate iPads or Chromebooks in the classroom.
Videocasts or Vodcasts: Provide teachers with rich examples of iPad/Chromebook
integration into the classroom and lower the cognitive load of teachers when trying to
learn new strategies.
Twitter: Provide a back channel to allow teachers to interact, share ideas and collaborate
with peers. Weekly Twitter chats will give teachers to interact outside the classroom in
new and different ways.
Pinterest: Provide another back channel that teachers can showcase their work or archive
lessons that they would like to try with students.
Lunch and Learns: Monthly Face-to-Face Collaborations with site facilitators as well
as group members.

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References
Barab, S. A. (2004). Designing for virtual communities in the service of learning. New York:
Cambridge University Press.
Bonk, C. J., & Zhang, K. (2008). Empowering online learning: 100+ activities for reading,
reflecting, displaying, and doing. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Brown, J. New Learning Environments For The 21st Century: Exploring The Edge. change: the
magazine of higher learning, 18-24.
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2011). E-learning and the science of instruction proven guidelines
for consumers and designers of multimedia learning, third edition (3rd ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Puentedura, Ruben (2014). SAMR and TPCK in Action. Presentation PowerPoint Slides
Renninger, K.A., & Shumar, W. (Eds.). (2002). Building virtual communities: Learning and
change in cyberspace. Cambridge University Press.
Riel, M., & Polin, L. (2004). Online learning communities: Common ground and critical
differences in designing technical environments. Designing for virtual communities in the
service of learning, 16-50.

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Appendix
Handbook for Online Community Site Facilitation
Table of Contents
Page #
8
9
10
11-13

14
15
16
17
18

19
20-21
22-24

Title
Introduction for Site Facilitators
Guidelines for Facilitating Online Discussions and Blogs
Dates for Monthly Facilitator Meetings
Artifact #1: Online Videocast Tutorial A Guide to the Google Drive App
Included are Screenshots of forum discussions that result after
viewing the artifact.
Artifact #2: Teacher Pinterest Pages Designed to Showcase Teacher
Created Work as well as Integration Techniques
Teacher Pinterest Creation Instructions
Artifact #3: Teacher Created Twitter Accounts for discussion and sharing
of collaborative resources
Teacher Weekly Twitter Chats
Artifact #4: Teacher Blogs for reflection and showcase of using
iPads/Chromebooks for the increase of student engagement in the
classroom.
Teacher Blog Account Creation Instructions
Sample Discussion Entries with Script for Discussions (Refer to
Guidelines for Facilitating Online Discussions and Blogs)
Evaluation of Community (Facilitators and Members)

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Introduction to the Online Learning Community

Site Facilitators
Thank you for volunteering as a site administrator for Bethanys Online Community
aimed at helping teachers to build a more engaging classroom with the use of iPads and
Chromebooks. The following is a breakdown of the structure of the community.
Community Break Down:
Site Administrator:

Adam Forester

Science Facilitator:
English Facilitator:
Math Facilitator:
History Facilitator:
Elective Facilitator:

Jon Arthur
Kim Barnes
Jeff Barsotti
Lousandra Waltz
Michelle Healy

Community Members:

B.H.S. Faculty (Broken down by grade level)

The following documents will help you to gain a better insight into the types of
interactions and products that can be expected from members of the online community and from
yourselves as facilitators. As facilitators you are expected to be strong members and voices of
the online community and active givers of feedback to your fellow co-workers.
Duties of a Facilitator:

Initiate and moderate group blogs and online discussions.

Maintain an active Twitter account and participate in weekly chats
Maintain an active Pinterest account and participate in other group members accounts
Maintain an active Blog account and participate in other group members Blogs
Be Present at face-to-face Lunch and Learns with group members during school
lunches.
Keep notes and give feedback to the Site Administrator and participate in monthly
Facilitator Meetings

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Guidelines for Facilitating Online Discussions and Blogs

1. As a moderator, you are expected to be active on the forum. This not only includes
logging in frequently, but posting and initiating new topics of interest as well, especially in
the board(s) that you moderate.
2. As an active moderator, you are expected to help other members by offering knowledge
that you have or providing links when necessary.
3. You are expected to conduct yourself in a way that represents the forum - no offensive
behavior or arguments. We are the role models for the forum and members will emulate
our actions.
4. Do not allow negative comments. Remove the post and post a comment noting the
reason it was deleted in the Moderator Section. Send the original poster a personal
message (PM) explaining why the post was removed and noting any applicable forum rules.
5. Notify a forum administrator of any violations

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Dates for Monthly Facilitator Meetings
*All meetings are held in the High School Library from 11:45a.m. to 12:15p.m.

September 3rd, 2014

October 1st, 2014
November 5th, 2014
December 3rd, 2014
January 7th, 2015
February 4th, 2015
March 4th, 2015
April 1st, 2015
May 6th, 2015
May 27th, 2015

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Artifact #1: Online Videocast Tutorial

A Guide to the Google Drive App
Vodcast Example Artifact Web Address:
http://www.screencast.com/t/0JupkqjY
Required Components
Technology Selected

Information/Description
The use of a videocast or vodcast with teachers in an online
professional development community can help them learn new
ways to use the iPads with students. Vodcasts can foster visual
learning by displaying new/different ways to use
Applications/Activities in their classrooms (Bonk & Zhang, 2008).
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define and explain the R2D2 model of
Strategies in Integrating
online learning. In their model they explain that R2D2 consists of
the chosen technology to
Reading, Reflecting, Displaying and Doing. This artifact will
support the learning
focus on the displaying aspect of the R2D2 model. Bonk and
objectives described
Zhang (2008) define displaying as more oriented to visual learners.
above
Videocasts or vodcasts are a technology that allows users to
visually learn a skill by watching a narrated slide show that has
graphics and text go along with it. For visual learners there are
several strategies available with the use of vodcasts (Bonk &
Zhang, 2008). Creating an online library of video models for iPad
integration teachers could use to see different applications of iPads
in the classroom (Bonk & Zhang, 2008). This would require
teachers to compare/contrast, observe, reflect and evaluate. A key
part of this strategy that Bonk and Zhang (2008) point out is that
teachers will start to internalize the information provided.
Screenshot of Google Drive Videocast or Narrated Slideshow:

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Screenshot of Google Drive App Resources:

Screenshot of Google Drive Integration Strategies: Forum with Instructions for members for
responses to the video as well as strategies for implementation of principles for classroom use

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Screenshot of Google Drive Showcase Forum: for teachers to explain their use of the Google
Drive app in the classroom as well as give feedback to other teachers that are using the Google
Drive app to increase classroom collaboration

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Artifact #2: Teacher Pinterest Pages

Designed to Showcase Teacher-Created Work as well as Integration Techniques
Pinterest Example Artifact Web Address:
http://www.pinterest.com/adamforester/ipad-teacher-professional-development/
Required Components
Technology Selected

Strategies in Integrating
the chosen technology to
support the learning
objectives described
above

Information/Description
The use of Pinterest for teachers in an online professional
development community to post their favorite iPad
Applications/Activities that they have found and have used or plan
to use in their classrooms.
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define and explain the R2D2 model of
online learning. In their model they explain that the model
consists of Reading, Reflecting, Displaying and Doing. This
artifact will focus on the displaying and doing aspects of the R2D2
model. Bonk and Zhang (2008) define displaying as more oriented
to visual learners and Doing for more tactile and kinesthetic
learners. Pinterest is a technology that allows users to visually
combine and synthesize information from a variety of sources on
the internet. For visual learners there several strategies available
with the use of Pinterest so teachers can display their process of
learning (Bonk & Zhang, 2008). Creating an online library or
concept map using Pinterest would require teachers to analyze,
understand, discriminate, explore and compare/contrast
information from various sources on the internet (Bonk & Zhang,
2008). For kinesthetic learners, who apply what they have learned
about, Pinterest is a platform that allows teachers to share what
they have been working on with regards to iPad use in the
classroom. They can upload their own pins to their Pinterest page
as well as share them with other teachers. This is similar to a wiki
where you can display information for other people and they can
then add it to their own Pinterest page. The Pinterest could also
serve as a Learning Gallery to showcase iPad applications and
projects that teachers use their students.

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Pinterest Instructions
Each teacher is urged to keep a Pinterest page that chronicles their journey while
integrating technology into their classrooms. To make a Pinterest, sign-up for an account
following the steps below.

Go to https://pinterest.com and create an account.

Create a board that you will post resources that you find or examples of student
work or teacher resources that you make.
Provide the link to your board by pasting it on the Teacher Pinterest Pages link on
the Learning Community Introduction Documents.

1. The purposes of these Pinterest pages are to provide an avenue for self-reflection and
synthesis of iPad/Chromebook integration strategies.
2. Examples of postings include:
a. Classroom activities/lesson plans of integration strategies for iPads or
Chromebooks.
b. Artifacts, pictures or videos of iPads or Chromebooks in action in your
classrooms
c. Written or video reflections of technology integration strategies you have used
in your classrooms
Review other teachers Pinterest pages within your subject area and make comments,
suggestions or other pins that provide productive feedback to your colleagues.

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Artifact #3: Teacher Created Twitter Accounts for discussion and sharing of collaborative
resources
Twitter Example Artifact Web Address:
1. Each member would be urged to sign up for Twitter (https://twitter.com)
2. After signing up for Twitter they would post their Twitter names to the following
spreadsheet so that each member of the community could begin to follow one
another: http://goo.gl/xRzYv7
3. Discussion/Tweets pertaining to the community would contain the hash-tag: #iPadPD
4. Sub-Discussions would need to use the #iPadPD and then could be tagged with other
hash-tags.
Required Components
Technology Selected

Strategies in Integrating
the chosen technology to
support the learning
objectives described
above

Information/Description
The use of a Twitter with teachers in an online professional
development community can help foster reflection and
metacognition and opportunities for teachers to observe other
teachers strategies of iPad integration. Actively using a Twitter
account to share ideas introduces more chances for better
understanding of perspectives from peers and other experts on a
topic (Bonk & Zhang, 2008).
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define and explain the R2D2 model of
online learning. In their model they explain that the model
consists of Reading, Reflecting, Displaying and Doing. This
artifact will focus on the reflective aspects of the R2D2 model.
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define reflective learners as those more
likely to prefer learning through observation and making
judgments on things through their particular perspective. For
reflective learner Bonk and Zhang (2008) provide several
strategies; however I believe that Twitter serves as a social
networking linkage between members. In order to harness the
power of Twitter as a Web 2.0 tool I will encourage members to
post one or two comments/reflections on a topic dealing with iPad
integration each week. They will also be encouraged to find
people with common interests and follow their Twitter feeds as
well as look for course content and Tweet about what is going on
in their classrooms.

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Weekly Twitter Chats

Each Week there will be a there will be a scheduled twitter chat that will discuss
various technology topics regarding iPads and Chromebooks in the classroom. Below are
the topics that are scheduled for the following few months.
In order to participate in the Twitter chats all you have to have is a Twitter account. Once
you have an account search or post your comments to the hashtag:

#bethanytech
August:

17th: Questions/Comments about start of the year strategies for organization of iPad
or Chromebook roll-out with students (How to keep track of the devices and student
work?)
24th: Creating GoogleDocs and linking them to an iPad or Chromebook
31st: Questions on Managing Chromebooks and iPads

September:

7th: Open forum Question and Answer

14th: Chromebook strategies in the classroom
21st: iPad strategies in the classroom
28th: Open forum Question and Answer

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Artifact #4: Teacher Blogs for reflection and showcase of using iPads/Chromebooks for the
increase of student engagement in the classroom.
Blog (Blogger) Example Artifact:
1. Each member would be urged to sign up for a Blogger Account through Google
https://blogger.com
2. After signing up for a Blogger account they would post their weekly blog names to
the following spreadsheet so that each member of the community could begin to
follow one another and add comments: http://goo.gl/npRiU4
3. Members would then be able to add each others blogs to their reading list and would
be able to comment or ask questions about each others Blogs.
Required Components
Technology Selected

Strategies in Integrating
the chosen technology to
support the learning
objectives described
above

Information/Description
The use of Blogging with teachers in an online professional
development community can help foster reflection and
metacognition and opportunities for teachers to observe other
teachers strategies of iPad integration. Regular blogging provides
one with a chance to keep an account of the experiences or
thoughts one has, while still allowing for collaboration (Bonk &
Zhang, 2008).
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define and explain the R2D2 model of
online learning. In their model they explain that the model
consists of Reading, Reflecting, Displaying and Doing. This
artifact will focus on the reflective aspects of the R2D2 model.
Bonk and Zhang (2008) define reflective learners as those more
likely to prefer learning through observation and making
judgments on things through their particular perspective. For
reflective learners Bonk and Zhang (2008) provide several
strategies. One of the ways they suggest is to use blogs as a way
for members to record particular notes when they use a concept
they have learned and the decisions/judgments they made during
the process or if things did not go as expected (Bonk & Zhang,
2008). The real-world application of a concept and the reflection
of that on a blog via text or video-blog (vlog) would allow for
teachers to generate ideas, reflect on the ideas of others, and
conduct searches of content related to the concept and highlighting
that on their blogs (Bonk & Zhang, 2008).

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Blog Instructions

Each teacher is urged to keep a blog that chronicle their journey while integrating
technology into their classrooms. To make a blog sign-up for a Blogger account through
your Google Apps home page. Below are steps to help you do this:

Go to https://google.com and sign-in.

Type Blogger into the search bar and create a new account.
Provide the web address for your blog and provide the link on the Teacher Blog
Links page

3. The purposes of these blogs are to provide an avenue for self-reflection and synthesis of
iPad/Chromebook integration strategies.
4. Examples of postings include:
a. Classroom activities/lesson plans of integration strategies for iPads or
Chromebooks.
b. Artifacts, pictures or videos of iPads or Chromebooks in action in your
classrooms
c. Written or video reflections of technology integration strategies you have used
in your classrooms
5. Review other teachers blogs within your subject area and make comments or
suggestions that provide productive feedback to your colleagues.

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Screenshots of Member Discussion Forums
Discussion Forum for each member group:

Initial Discussion Post An Introduction of each member

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Initial Post about Technology use in the classroom:

Reflection Post: Regarding an App Review for the Science Teachers Group

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Community Evaluation
There are several ways that members and facilitators may leave evaluative comments and
suggestions about the community. The community promotes collaboration and discussion at all
levels of interaction. The facilitators and members can leave comments to each other and to the
site administrator in multiple ways:

Discussion Forums: Feedback

Evaluation Forms: Facilitators and Members

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Direct messages to the site administrator

In-Person Meetings between the site administrator and the facilitator

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