Muskego Schools Shift Into Hyperdrive With New Technology

An experiment is underway in the Muskego Norway School District (MNSD), with the goal of creating more relevant and engaging learning experiences for students, according to the Educational Services Committee meeting Monday night.

Students today are “digital natives,” who literally find a disconnect when they come to school without the devices that are part of their world, said Dr. Joe Schroeder, Superintendent of the MNSD.

So the Educational Services Committee (ESC) is working to close that gap:  Studying, experimenting, and assessing the impact of technology on learning in live environments in Muskego and other schools.  Here’s a progress report from the ESC meeting on Monday, August 8, 2011.

BYOT – Bring Your Own Technology

Students used their own laptops, iPads, iTouches and other devices to access the district’s guest network in a Spring, 2011 BYOT pilot in classrooms, said Bob Boyd, Technology Director for the district. 

The pilot will continue with the start of the new school year on September 1, 2011, Boyd said in an interview, as the ESC works to identify and resolve issues so the entire district can access the network eventually.

The BYOT pilot was rolled out at both middle schools and the high school, and Boyd said there were 20-65 students on the network at any given time, with no major technical issues.

At the high school level, however, the pilot revealed that school cell phone rules constrict the use of phones for educational purposes, said John LaFleur, Associate Principal.  For example, students are not allowed to access calendars on smart phones for time management and organizational purposes, LaFleur said.

The high school also found through the pilot it needed an additional 15 wireless access points so students throughout the high school can use the network, La Fleur said.

Getting Comfortable With Digital Learning

Worried about potential abuse of cell phones for texting and/or cheating in test environments, Committee Chairman Rick Petfalski asked, “how do you keep (students) from texting back and forth” or how do you prevent students from “taking a picture of a test and sending it across the room?”

Schroeder said that though he was at one time uncomfortable with similar issues, he has transformed and changed his opinion over time and believes handheld devices will soon replace pc’s.  Students who have to abandon digital tools at the door don’t stay engaged in learning, because “that’s not the way the world works,” Schroeder said.

To help address concerns about the evolution of technology in the school environment, Tammy Kapp, Director of School Performance, said she would gather information on how other districts are working with technology in classrooms and the policies they have in place on usage.

Petfalski later assured the School Board that a “fairly lengthy discussion requiring a close review of a policy will be expected” in connection with the BYOT program.

Looking ahead to next Spring, the high school may be ready to offer an online business education course, potentially a Microsoft Office course connected to WCTC, LaFleur said.  Summer of 2012 could also see two social studies courses added to the district’s menu of online course selections, he said.