http://wiki.oneville.org/oneville/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Jeddcohen 2026-05-01T17:17:15Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.43.6 http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Expanded_story:_Data_dashboards&diff=3466 2016-06-10T22:41:31Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock and Jedd Cohen for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by local technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> =The Details of the Work=<br /> '''The expanded story behind our efforts, our communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and our turning points!<br /> <br /> '''Starting off, and developing our goals:<br /> <br /> From start to finish, the dashboard project was a saga of not fully understanding the extent of work involved in creating tech tools from scratch. Our first technologist early in the project argued convincingly that simple, clear &quot;dashboards&quot; were key to including ordinary people in data discussions and, quite possible to create from scratch, so the non-technologists in the group jumped headfirst into a tech development area we knew nothing about. In fact, as we began the OneVille Project back in summer 2009, we actually proposed to create a “dashboard” displaying basic data linking multiple youth- and child-related databases in the city. That was because many policymakers and researchers have a sense these days that the more data seen by more people, the better (see our [[Research base]] page). But we quickly became unsure that “seeing everything” on young people was necessarily good – and especially, not clearly necessary at the level of the individual student and family (does a teacher actually need to know a student’s police record in order to serve him better? Who exactly should see health data on a child?). And anyway, the district was first interested in getting all of its own basic data viewable, quickly -- and that’s what we ended up working on in the end. Now that we understand more about tech tool development, it's likely that this multiple database project would have been very difficult to get close to completing with part-time, individual developers.<br /> <br /> We also moved away from any effort at multi “sector”-database linking because SomerPromise, the Mayor's new site-based initiative to provide comprehensive youth services, was also interested in tackling the issue of linking databases across agencies, and we felt they were better positioned to pursue that goal even as we worked to do R &amp; D supporting the effort by creating administrative and family-level views of school data alone. So, the goal became to create a simple data display that could help educators and families of youth in a single school see some basic data from district’s data warehousing software, Aspen X2, in a single view. This included creating a translated display easily understandable by an immigrant parent.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> Throughout, we also became convinced that a dashboard shouldn’t just show data more clearly – it should help people communicate about it. Our rationale: Data displays in schools have traditionally been a) on paper and b) one-way. Think a report card or a quarterly report on one’s “scores”: schools or districts just “display” student scores to students and parents or show parents their child’s absences. Since OneVille’s goal is to support diverse partners in running communication about pursuing the success of young people, we wanted to make sure that parents could communicate back ABOUT data, to teachers -- and that tutors, teachers, and parents could over time communicate with one another. So, we designed the individual view to allow users to upload commentary, and future iterations of the admin and teacher views would also allow for qualitative notes.<br /> <br /> In talking to families, teachers, and other service providers with our next technologist, Seth, we realized that just &quot;getting data&quot; on a student is never enough: people need to then converse (online, in person, or otherwise) about how the young person is doing and how they might be assisted. Just knowing how many days a child is absent is the first step, but then you need to have a conversation about why and what to do about it!<br /> <br /> We ultimately found the project of building a finished data dashboard for actual ongoing use by a district's educators and families to be beyond the capacity and resources of our single-technologist staffing and two-year funding plan. The future of open source dashboard development for districts and communities may well lie in large, more experienced developer teams constructing and then troubleshooting free dashboards together for pay. (If we had focused our Ford grant fully on the dashboard's development, we perhaps could have supported such a team.) But having almost finished usable dashboard products relying on two individual, part-time young developers in sequence, we consider our work to be evidence that the goal is worth pursuing and can be attained -- with the resources described in our final section below, &quot;Development process and future prospects.&quot; In the following sections, &quot;The Community's need for the work,&quot; &quot;Design process,&quot; and &quot;Feedback on the design,&quot; we describe the tool as it was designed to work.<br /> <br /> =='''The community’s need for the work==<br /> <br /> Our work was shaped by a number of insights about necessary communications about &quot;basic data&quot; with students and their families, as individuals and across classrooms or schools.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> Our dashboard was intended to sit “above” Aspen X2, the district’s current database, and displays its data in a more easily readable format for more people. (The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, currently through emails of data from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.) <br /> <br /> The value of a dashboard on top of X2 became clear as parents, teachers, and afterschool providers all shared a range of concerns about the accessibility of the data as stored in X2:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Aspen_X2_3.jpg|Aspen X2 screenshot]]<br /> <br /> Once some of these users would get to X2, they found the format of the data there hard to understand. First of all, information isn't translated for non-English speakers. In addition and particularly importantly, when a teacher logged into X2, it was hard to see any student’s ''growth over time'' (i.e., test score growth). As Josh pointed out, test scores are kept in pure chronological order and since students take many tests, it was hard for anyone looking at X2 to see growth on a single test from year to year. Further, the “fields,” or “boxes,” keeping data in X2 didn’t actually have calculations like test score growth: they just showed one score, then the next. Seth first spent lots of time building “tubes” to make the dashboard automatically calculate this growth; rebuilding and then tweaking these &quot;tubes&quot; for final 100% accuracy was David's last task. <br /> <br /> From an administrator’s perspective, it was also hard to compare different aspects of student data simultaneously. For example, a request to the central office was required to link a table of attendance by student name with a table of MCAS score by student name. Principals also said they had to click through numerous choices within X2 before seeing any data at all. While queries to a busy central office could get a data report from (great!) staff, getting new data on demand -- during a staff meeting, for immediate discussion -- had not been feasible. 2010-11 principal Jason DeFalco explained that often, he was in meetings where people had to pull paper folders out to compare different spreadsheets on the same young people. <br /> <br /> As our dashboard conversations with Principals DeFalco and Vadhera showed us, part of this problem was that some important data fields were not kept in X2 at all yet (e.g., afterschool enrollment and attendance, specific in-school tutoring services students received, and some disciplinary records). We ultimately had to leave out some data folks wanted on the dashboards because it was not yet kept in X2. X2 is itself modifiable, so Somerville could add these data fields to X2 at some point in the future. But in addition, while some in-school afterschool providers have direct access to X2, many running afterschool programs elsewhere in the community didn't, meaning they had trouble knowing basic information like whether students who were coming to afterschool were going to school. When we began the project, even some in-school afterschool providers typically kept their information in separate computer databases or on paper. <br /> <br /> Again and again, people voiced the need to see all the data in one place. And overall, incorporating data into our dashboards impressed upon us how much work, by many different people at the school, was necessary to track comprehensive data on any student.<br /> <br /> Finally, perhaps most interesting, the existing X2 system was set up only to house student data -- not to help people talk about it. In talking about the individual-view dashboard prototype with parents, the major feature everyone emphasized was the ability to immediately comment ON data, rather than simply “look at it.” While the District's new report card (which came out on paper, printed from an online database) importantly had sections for comments by teachers, those comments -- on particular skills listed on the report card -- only could be chosen from a drop-down list. Teachers could add longer summary comments on student progress only once per quarter, in the days when report cards “open” for updating and before they “close.” X2 also cuts off teacher comments at a certain length. So, the individual-level dashboard we designed has comment boxes next to each issue on the dashboard, for users to say whatever they want.<br /> <br /> =='''Design Process==<br /> <br /> From the very beginning, in the 2009-2010 school year, we collaborated with a range of Healey community members to design the dashboard’s user interface. As it turned out, Greg Nadeau, Somerville resident and Healey dad, had already made a color-coded Excel spreadsheet for the Healey Principal the year before we began work on the dashboard. It was an early Excel version of what we came to call the Admin View. Here’s the earliest version of our Admin View:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Greg_nadeau_view.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Before we worked on making the dashboard version of this view “live” by connecting it initially to X2, the school’s main need at the time was entering updated data into the Excel spreadsheet -- by hand. We knew that we would eventually develop a dashboard to automatically transfer data from X2, but the school needed to integrate the data sets immediately. So Susan Klimczak, from the South End Technology Center at Tent City, who would later become the lead organizer for the [[eportfolio]] project, did some valiant handiwork at the principal's request, assisted by colleague Al Willis, the original proponent of the OneVille dashboard project (who also ended up later helping to realize the [[eportfolio]] project). They cleaned up the current year’s spreadsheet and added new data typically not kept in X2 that the principal also wanted to see, like disciplinary referrals and afterschool enrollment. We also had some regular meetings via phone conference with Greg and the principal to consider the patterns the principal wanted to see and the new &quot;fields&quot; for data that the principal felt needed to be created permanently in the district student information system (e.g., attendance in the afterschool programs. Afterschool programs weren't keeping this data in Somerville's core data system, X2, and still don’t.)<br /> <br /> '''Turning point: The Teacher View<br /> <br /> Josh, a 5th grade teacher at the Healey, got interested in the dashboard design when we stopped by his classroom one day after school in the winter of 2011. Looking together at his computer and printouts, we realized he was already creating spreadsheets of student data from X2 by hand. He was interested in quickly displaying and sorting basic data, to supplement his face-to-face and phone conversations with students and parents. His work showed us the need for what would become the “Teacher View,” a version of the Administrator View in which all the students come from the same homeroom.<br /> <br /> Between this stage and the latest version of the admin and teacher views (below), Mica, Seth (our project technologist, who had stepped up to tackle dashboard development in 2010 while assisting with many other OneVille projects), and Jedd met with Principal DeFalco several times during the 2010-2011 year and new Principal Vadhera beginning during the summer of 2011 to figure out the highest priority data fields for the admin view and to brainstorm potential uses. Based on DeFalco’s feedback, and with Seth’s programming skill, we developed a dashboard to transfer data from X2 to a user-friendly view. Seeing Greg’s initial prototype, above, sparked DeFalco to suggest additional data fields: years at Healey, score growth on the MAP, ELL status, MEPA scores (English language learner assessments), IEP status, and afterschool program name (in the end, we did not add program name to the dashboard, because it was never made a real field in X2.) From this feedback, we developed the view below (names are fictional to ensure anonymity):<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> All data fields are visible on one screen – so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data. Viewers can sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. With Vadhera, over the summer of 2011, we brainstormed additional uses for the admin staff, which are described below in the second-to-last &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, “Data really can launch a conversation.”<br /> <br /> <br /> '''Turning Point: Making the report card online and interactive<br /> Stories of parents and afterschool providers trying to communicate with teachers about students’ report cards prompted us to push forward on an “Individual View” that included the report card instead of just absences, grades, and test scores. Mica, Seth, Josh, and Jedd had many meetings in the spring of 2011 to brainstorm the design for this view, considering parent needs for accessibility and common communication challenges between teachers and parents. <br /> <br /> We had also been inspired by the New Visions for New Schools project, which has reported success with a view that gives parents and students a quick understanding of student performance on quantifiable measures. (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf) Compared with New Visions' view, we wanted to include the the report card's qualitative assessments and also, allow and encourage parents - and afterschool providers - to ''comment'' on any child's progress, send these comments to the teacher, and begin a conversation about how to support the student at home and in school. New Visions emphasizes a verbal agreement between family and teacher, called an “Improvement Plan,” so we created space on the dashboard page to write down this agreement. In our initial prototype, we did this by adding actual “Improvement Plan” text boxes in the right-hand side of the screen:<br /> <br /> [[Image: New visions view.jpg]]<br /> <br /> As we continued to develop the dashboard and add new types of basic data for viewing, we wanted to keep all the info on a single page for easy access, but new developments convinced us to spread the info out across several pages. At the time we were designing the “Individual View,” the District was ceasing to assign its elementary students numerical grades, or their equivalents on the typical A, B, C scale, and moving to the standards-based K-6 report card that asked teachers to grade students as proficient on a range of grade-level skills. So, we made Somerville's new K-6 report card (handed out on paper to families) online and color-coded. We also decided that we wanted the text boxes to prompt more of an ongoing conversation, rather than a formal quarterly agreement. So, we put these text boxes next to each chunk of data, with a prompt embedded in the “save comment” click button to encourage parents to write comments or questions. With the help of local technologist Evan Burchard, whom Seth recruited, we developed a revised version. The image below includes a sample tutor comment. That’s because in the months to come, we would realize that any approved viewer of the dashboard could comment:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Individual view grades.jpg|grades]]<br /> <br /> As we added the report card to the individual view, we realized it was substantial enough that it needed its own page (above). In order to make the individual view as accessible as possible, even to families that are not used to looking at lots of quantitative data in one place, we spread the rest of the individual view’s information across several other pages, the names of which are visible as tabs at the top of each page. The individual view is now organized like a slideshow: Clicking on different tabs allows the viewer to see and comment on different parts of each student’s profile. We combined info about the student’s attendance and MCAS and MAP scores into the Individual View, which also includes the teacher’s quarterly summary comments from the report card:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments]]<br /> <br /> At this point, the Individual View offered many text boxes for parents and other service providers to enter comments. So, we created a “Comments” page, which captures all the comments entered for review before sending to the teacher. In thinking this through with Josh, we figured that the main (“homeroom”) teacher really had to be the “point person” for younger students in particular; so, all comments go to him/her as a starting point. On the dashboard’s final page, the parent or afterschool provider can also request that the teacher reply to their comments or make an appointment with them:<br /> <br /> [[Image: indivviewcommentsummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Parents or other service providers can specify any new contact info and convenient meeting times. After receiving these comments, the homeroom teacher can forward any relevant parts to the appropriate subject area teachers via email. (Rather than have parents automatically “reply to all” on comments perhaps best designed for the homeroom teacher, Josh felt that homeroom teachers would like to take the lead in responding to and informing other involved teachers or service providers about families’ comments. Testing how these conversational dynamics actually went was to be an important piece of the pilot.)<br /> <br /> To enable easy translation for piloting, the view has hardly any words added onto the language already in the report card. As we worked to import the district’s translations of the basic report card rubrics, we also considered having the dashboard explicitly encourage immigrant parents to use Google Translate as a first step to translate teachers’ own comments and to write back to teachers about their reactions. In the completed views, we would have offered a translated version of the basic individual view in Spanish, Portuguese, and perhaps Haitian Creole.<br /> <br /> Overall, knowing all the work that families and schools face on a daily basis, we designed these tools to spark specific kinds of interaction around particular chunks of student data. How people used the tools would be up to them – but rather than have the tools just “display” data, we wanted the individual view, in particular, to also prompt and encourage communication about data.<br /> <br /> ==Feedback on the design==<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> We asked for feedback repeatedly on the dashboard views, showing it to administrators, families, and afterschool providers, including doing focused interviews with parents and students from Josh’s own class (parents participating in the pilot would continue to be co-designers). In recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: Smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot; When asked whether the dashboard might feel like extra work, another parent articulated his/her vision of parent involvement: “Not extra – you have children, you spend time to communicate. The more time you spend, the better students do.” One English-speaking parent with three children at the school explained that the dashboard’s comment and scheduling features solved a long-standing problem for her: After being a Healey parent for 11 years, she had only ever had time to meet with each of her children’s core academic teachers during PTA nights, but never the specialty teachers, e.g., music, art, or support room teachers. She said our dashboard could enable and encourage parents like her to submit their questions, requests for meetings, and updated contact info to the student’s homeroom teacher, who could forward it to the specials teachers. Another parent was especially enthusiastic about online access: “I do everything on the computer now.” And another immigrant parent said he does “everything” on his smart phone!<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Data really ''can ''launch a conversation.<br /> <br /> In a recent meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the potential value of the integrated dashboard tools, in contrast to the old system of requesting info from many different people: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Online access to this data also could help close an even more basic communication gap, as Vadhera noted: “Even having this [individual view] up there [online] for parents to go back to,” could help when “the report card didn’t get in the backpack, or whatever.” She could see it being a powerful tool in conversations with parents who come in to see her, as there were often crossed wires about things as basic as students’ absences.<br /> <br /> Principal Vadhera explained that on the admin view, she was interested in “anything that shows a gap.” Similarly, sorting attendance data by grade, for example, would save hours for staff who had typically printed the daily reports and then spent hours across “a week” looking for patterns among the different pages.<br /> <br /> In addition, she noted, students with IEPs and 504 plans sometimes need accommodations on the MCAS, and she often spent “hours” going over the paper lists and checking with the teachers to ensure that everyone’s accommodation needs had been met. Our tool could allow her to sort by IEP and 504 status, so that all these students appear together, and, as she said, “so we don’t have moments when things fall through the cracks.”<br /> <br /> Principal Vadhera and Josh both suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s needs, design and discuss targeted interventions, and, if desired, record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments that would get archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email. Such team conversations could involve the school’s “student support team,” a standing group of educators that Purnima described as “the central nervous system of the building,” including Purnima, the Vice Principal, Nurse, and Adjustment/Redirect Counselor. Josh explained that another advantage to the individual view was that in contrast to his whole-class spreadsheets, it could allow him to present a single student’s data in one of these team meetings without revealing all the other students’ grades unnecessarily (a breach of confidentiality). Finally, reviewers noted that another relevant team that could use the dashboard to look at data together (even remotely) was each student’s individualized group of supporters, e.g. their homeroom teacher, Special Ed or ELL specialists, and reading/math resource room staff. Josh expressed interest in piloting the dashboard this way.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information.<br /> <br /> We planned to continue substantial parent outreach during the pilot phase to show parents how to use the dashboard. We would face the same challenges with the individual view as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular – and our dashboard can be accessed through a smartphone), and some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. The same work schedules that make parent-teacher meetings hard also make it hard for some parents to coordinate their schedules with the computer labs at local libraries or in the housing projects where some families live. (Also, to look at an online data display together, educators too need internet access -- not always easy if people meet in a room without a computer, wireless, or a laptop to plug into an ethernet cable.)<br /> <br /> Several years from now, the proliferation of smartphones and iphones will likely shrink this challenge dramatically, making it easier than ever for partners to join the conversation about student data.<br /> <br /> ==Development process and future prospects==<br /> <br /> We planned to pilot our three “views” at the Healey in fall 2011 and report out what we learned. As Principal Vadhera explained about our planned incremental approach to implementation, “A lot of ideas start like THIS (gestures big with hands). And then they fail. This is a guinea pig, Josh could always share back, move forward in small increments. Teachers might just want to get on board with this!”<br /> <br /> While we asked for our local technologist to be done with development for piloting by September 1, the tools were still in development by mid-October, 2011, after the Ford funding had ended. The prototypes of the administrative and teacher views appeared to be nearly complete pending new data from the District (which required building final &quot;tubes&quot; to the district's student information system), and the word on the individual view was that it was &quot;nearly complete.&quot; These delays prompted a district administrator to reconsider the pilot, even as Josh, families, students, and supporting teachers were still ready to test the dashboard in fall 2011, as were their principal and local afterschool providers. By that time, our budget for development was spent down, and we were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free. <br /> <br /> David spent 200 hours rebuilding the three dashboard views our original developer had worked on in order to clean them up, i.e., to make them easier to combine and debug/modify in the future, and develop them closer to completion. The goal was to create work and code that other developers elsewhere could also ultimately use for new projects (one of OneVille's ultimate goals with tech development). He also &quot;cleaned up&quot; work-arounds in the original code and designed both the admin and teacher views to be compatible with an eventual individual view. <br /> <br /> The biggest challenge was simply the scale of the work. Listening to local community members' desires to see a variety of data types quickly and clearly in one place, we had expanded any original vision of a single, hyper-simple dashboard to three more complex views; after the original budget ran out, the project still required several months of full-time development work, rather than a few days or week, and David did the work pro bono after his actual job ended. A secondary challenge was that both the prior OneVille PI, Mica, and the current dashboard project manager, Jedd, understood education data but had no significant experience with technology project management -- i.e., understanding the scope of developing tools from scratch. The full series of technologists working on the project, in turn, didn't know details about education data -- the format of student data in the district's system, information necessary in order to finish the &quot;tubes&quot; to the system 100% accurately. All this too had to be learned from scratch across our team. Features that a non-technologist would consider trivial, such as creating logins for different teachers, ended up requiring substantial reworking of the code. Similarly, while we knew what subset of student data people wanted to see, we learned that the district's data set had many more kinds of information to track and parse in order to make sure that no unknown values caused errors in the dashboard display.<br /> <br /> David estimates that 60-100 hours of work remain to finish building the &quot;tubes&quot; from Somerville's data system to our teacher and admin dashboard views, for 100% accuracy in the data display. Given that the teacher and admin views are now ready to integrate with an individual view, David estimates that finishing the individual view, which is not as far along, would take 220-330 hours. Adapting the tool to another district's student information system (if not X2) would involve rebuilding most of the tubes, and some elements of the display, so it would likely take closer to 480 hours.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner; it also means that the developer's work assignments can shift according to community desires. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted and planned development hours; the future of such open source dashboard development may lie in large, experienced teams designing and troubleshooting such tools together. And, while building &quot;from scratch&quot; is not truly free, it may remain far less expensive than storebought tools, and so more attainable with district budgets: the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological How-Tos''' in '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''). <br /> <br /> Our goal has always been to launch an open source dashboard design that could contribute not only in Somerville if it proved useful, but elsewhere through iterative development. While our &quot;product&quot; in the end is code instead of a finished piloted product, we believe that the community design process we began will serve next design efforts for &quot;data display.&quot;<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Data_dashboards&diff=3465 2016-06-10T22:37:02Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock and Jedd Cohen for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> In an era when you can log on to any computer and get quick updates from friends, shouldn't the people who need to see basic data in order to serve young people be able to see it immediately? <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, access to the data tools needed to provide this info (and, knowledge on how to use those tools) varies widely among districts. Some districts and schools that can afford it are investing in sophisticated data systems made by private companies; sometimes those companies fold, leaving districts in the lurch again. Resource-strapped districts and schools often can’t afford to buy such tools. And when districts do have online data display tools, educators or parents often aren't trained on how to use them -- and most typically haven't participated in maximizing those tools' design. So, even in districts that have created expensive data display systems, often the problem is getting people to actually use the system to support students better. So, we wanted to try to design tools to community specifications. <br /> <br /> In Somerville, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. <br /> <br /> We - local academic researchers and a teacher co-researcher (Josh), and several local technologists - worked with one classroom's families, related afterschool providers, and two principals (with the ongoing advice of central administration in the Somerville School District), to try to meet the need for a user-friendly, affordable way to view and examine lots of student data in one place. The result of our work is a suite of three “data dashboards,&quot; open source web applications designed to let family, teachers, principal, and afterschool providers quickly view and sort data they need to see. We created an “admin view” for principals, which shows Student Information System data on all students in the school; a “teacher view,” which shows a teacher such data on the students in his or her class; and an “individual view,” designed to link teachers, afterschool providers, and families in communication about the details of an individual student’s data profile. <br /> <br /> In the dashboard project, we thought a lot about who needs to see which data on children. The quantitative measures or summary data about young people kept in a typical &quot;Student Information System&quot; (e.g., students' absences; their credits; a report card) never show &quot;the whole child&quot;: '''[[Eportfolio|eportfolios]]''' can help with that. But such basic measures still provide information crucial to the process of tracking student progress. And they do tend to predict things like graduating or “dropping out.” <br /> <br /> We undertook a collaborative design process that asked different district and school administrators, parents, and afterschool providers to look at the developing tools and comment on that very question -- which data available in Somerville's Student Information System was most important to view on demand? We held regular meetings with teacher and co-designer Josh, did repeated interviews with principals and service providers, and met with parents and service providers in evening review meetings. Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth, with Somerville technologist Evan Burchard (now of San Francisco), created the initial core of three views. Seth was working on the dashboard while also helping to project manage on other efforts, and after the initial technological development went slower than we all hoped and budgeted for, delaying a fall pilot, David Lord, a fabulous and generous young developer in San Diego, developed the views to near professional-level completion for us for free. At the end of this page, you'll find the code for all three views. This code, and so, the dashboard tools themselves, are freely available for anyone to complete and adapt. <br /> <br /> While just implementing a store-bought tool could have been faster, -- and while the future of open source, free dashboard design for schools likely lies in large, experienced tech development groups tackling such projects for pay -- we felt that it was crucial to collaborate with the Somerville community to design the tools. In that process, some issues about data display became clear to us:<br /> <br /> '''A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> Principals Vadhera and DeFalco, teacher Josh, and various students we talked to in our other pilots, all mentioned instances where a student “fell through the cracks” because of a piece of missing data. For example, some stakeholders told stories of a student who received an unexpectedly poor grade, with the parent, the homeroom teacher, or the administrator surprised by the news. Administrators also described how seeing patterns faster could support timely interventions. For example, Principal Vadhera talked about needing to quickly sort data by &quot;students with IEPs,&quot; to ensure these students had MCAS accommodations on testing day. <br /> <br /> '''One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> To clarify: Somerville, like a typical district, already has a “student information system” - a database that stores or “warehouses” student information. The issue is that such data have been hard for people to view quickly all in one place, or sort quickly for patterns that are displayed in one view. <br /> <br /> We've been learning that many schools as well as afterschool programs do not have easy tools for quickly displaying (or sorting) basic information for multiple partners to view at once, all in one place and in simple form. In Somerville, while the data on these &quot;dashboards&quot; all exist in Somerville's student info system, lots of people still talked about the need to improve display of that data for parents and students, teachers, afterschool providers, and administrators. To see patterns using the existing Student Information System, administrators often sent many data analysis requests to a central office (filled with great staff!) and the staff would send patterns back to them. Or, teachers had to create their own Excel spreadsheets or printouts and analyze them by hand. Administrators also told us of time wasted in meetings as staff flipped through multiple folders or drawers to find data. Staff said they wasted time preparing for such meetings by trying to analyze patterns by hand. Finally, parents could access the student information system with a password, but many parents said they didn't know about this feature, and some had a hard time understanding the way the system displayed data (which was also only in English). So, we designed the &quot;dashboards&quot; to sit on top of the student information system and &quot;pull&quot; data out for easy viewing (and for two of the views, sorting), all in one place. Our goal was to translate the interface on the &quot;individual view,&quot; for parents.<br /> <br /> The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, with the last iteration anticipating updates through routine emails of data sets from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.<br /> <br /> '''Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> Others had offered to make Somerville data-viewing tools for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the tools would then require tens of thousands of dollars for annual upkeep. We figured that with our Ford grant, we could work with a local technologist to develop an open source tool to educators' and parents' specifications, free to the district. Also, a &quot;free&quot; tool meant a sharable tool. Any next district or developer could then have the software for their own use. <br /> <br /> It's true that open source development produces a free tool, meaning that districts wouldn't have to buy the product itself or renew the license to use it. But those using open source tools still have to pay for services, for upkeep and troubleshooting the tool. Still, we reasoned, this can be a fraction of the cost of storebought tools. Our local technologist Seth put it this way: “Take the quarterly profit of a company like Blackboard INC (Quarter 1, 2010) and break it down into services and license fees. In just one quarter, Blackboard made only $7.3 million in services [tech support], but made $93.7 million dollars in 'product revenues' (licenses to run their software). In the K-12 context, a freely available and documented open source competitor to store-bought communication tools would free up a lot of money back to US schools.” Districts that pay lots of money for store-bought, &quot;off the shelf&quot; dashboard tools also often can find them unused by the community -- or, companies often go out of business, leaving districts searching for tech support or next products. For all these reasons, we wanted to try to build something &quot;free&quot; to community specifications instead. <br /> <br /> In all this, we've encountered the core problem with designing and creating tools from scratch, to community specifications and on a fixed budget: relying on part-time individual technologists rather than large companies. While our local technologist worked to produce tools to community specifications, he went far slower than budgeted for, leaving us unable to pilot the dashboard. We were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free.<br /> <br /> We note that professional-level local technologists on larger budgets might provide more immediately ready open source infrastructure for schools and districts. So can technologists with products closer to final development. Our other &quot;from scratch&quot; tool experience went better: after the same local young technologist struggled to complete our prototype Parent Connector Network hotline, a professional-level hotline was finally prototyped rapidly by Leo Burd, a new colleague at MIT's Center for Civic Media who specialized in such open source (VOIPDrupal) tools for voice-messaging and was inspired enough by the Parent Connector project that he did it for free. See the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Parent Connector Network&lt;/font&gt;]]''' project!<br /> <br /> '''The administrator view'''<br /> <br /> We based the administrator and teacher views on an Excel spreadsheet model created by Healey dad Greg Nadeau, which staff were trying to update annually by hand in 2009. In partnership with Principals Jason DeFalco and Purnima Vahdera and teacher Josh Wairi during the 2010-2011 school year, we updated fields on these views to teachers' and administrators' specifications. Most important, we made all data fields visible on one screen, so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data, as users do to see data in the district's Student Information System. Viewers can also sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. Whereas the admin view lists all students in the school, the teacher view presents similar information for a single class of students. Here is the admin view, with fictional, blurred data to maintain confidentiality:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''The individual view'''<br /> <br /> Our individual view (below) was designed to be used by educators, parents, and afterschool providers; it complements the &quot;admin&quot; and &quot;teacher views&quot; with additional student data that Healey parents, students, afterschool providers, and teachers named as being especially relevant to see. <br /> <br /> Importantly to the OneVille Project, this &quot;individual view&quot; also was designed to give parents and afterschool provider viewers the chance to comment ON the data and send these comments to the teacher's email inbox, sparking an exchange that could continue over email or in person. The current Student Information System only allowed viewers to view data, not comment on it. So, unless the people in a student's life were sitting together looking at the SIS, data display also couldn't easily launch a conversation between those people. <br /> <br /> Our screens also have a minimum of extra words, to enable translation for piloting. Here is the individual view’s final page, where viewers can review and submit their comments, which go to the teacher's email inbox:<br /> <br /> [[Image:NewComments.jpg|NewComments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> Note the tabs for viewing other pages at the top of the screenshot. The images below show the pages connected to each of these tabs, covering grades, test scores, attendance, and teacher summary comments.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In creating the individual view, we drew on a data display model from the New Visions schools in New York (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf)<br /> combined it with Somerville’s locally designed K-6 report card, and worked with teacher Josh and his families (with advice from his students and afterschool providers) to integrate everyone’s insights into the testable product.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> <br /> '''Our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; over time have been these. See the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''for more:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Aha! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Data dashboards|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> In addition to our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;Main ¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about data dashboards, we had other key discoveries along the way:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> Our goal in 2011-12 was to pilot and tweak these three tools with teacher Josh, Principal Purnima Vadhera, and families/students and their afterschool providers. Our fabulous but part-time and pro bono developer in San Diego finished the tools to near-pilot readiness by late Spring 2012, but fell about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. <br /> <br /> We're disappointed to not yet pilot these tools, because throughout the design process, we’ve gotten feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators about all three dashboards’ potential value. Staff emphasized the ways the tools could support information-sharing and conversation in meetings, one-to-one interactions, and email-based conversations about the data. And in recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a recent planning meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the value of the three integrated dashboard views, in contrast to the old system of hand-compiling data from different locations: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Finally, both Principal Vadhera and teacher Josh suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s basic situation and design more targeted interventions. If using the individual view, educators could then record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments then archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that some developers move faster than others and that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted development hours. And, the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological how-tos''', below.<br /> <br /> '''The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?''' We’d need to continue training outreach on the dashboards during a pilot phase of the &quot;individual view,&quot; because we'd face the same challenges as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular, and the individual view could be accessed by smartphone). Some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. These communication barriers block parents from understanding data even if it is on paper or shared verbally. Technology training at least offers parents skills for checking data on demand.<br /> <br /> '''While we could not pilot the dashboard in the 2011-2012 year, we have been exploring local leads to create a model of basic computer and email training run by parents, youth, or local students, for parents who need this support.''' See the [[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Parent Connector]] project. Our goal was to combine email training with training parents to use the &quot;Individual View&quot; dashboard. Another hook could be training parents to join the school's newly schoolwide, parent-created listserv. '''The school has already established a computer in the school's new Parent Welcome Center, available for parent use at prescheduled times, and there's daily availability of the computer lab in the local housing development. <br /> <br /> Even though the tools weren't finished for piloting glitch-free in Somerville in the end, the open source code (below) now exists to display data for easy viewing and sorting. And because the tools are open source, they can support next efforts at creating free educational data displays for districts or programs too often spending fortunes on storebought tools. Our entire Ford grant could have been eaten up in buying Somerville a tool off the shelf. Instead, we have added a partial tool to the “kit” by producing an open source dashboard and code next developers can modify. Still, we note that the OneVille projects in which we used preexisting free tools – Google sites or wikispaces for [[Eportfolio]] software, or Google Voice and low-cost pre-existing text messaging for the [[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|texting]] project – seeded the most longstanding local change most quickly and actually got people communicating.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> <br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> <br /> Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to tackle similar things in your school:<br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ABOUT &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> <br /> [https://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src/ Admin and Teacher View Source Code]<br /> (written in Python)<br /> <br /> [https://github.com/sethwoodworth/OnevilleReportCard/ Individual View Source Code]<br /> (written in the Ruby on Rails framework)<br /> <br /> Since the individual view is not quite complete, and since we want to fully communicate our vision to future developers, here are links to the complete information for this tool:<br /> <br /> [https://oneville-report-card.heroku.com Here is the link] to the application as it currently stands.<br /> <br /> Here is the login info:<br /> email: mary@oneville.org<br /> <br /> password: marypassword<br /> <br /> and [[To-dos for individual view|here is a link]] to the list of remaining to-dos that would optimize its usefulness.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Summary:_Data_dashboards&diff=3464 2016-06-10T22:34:41Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock and Jedd Cohen for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In diverse districts across the country, administrators, teachers, and approved service providers are often unable to quickly review patterns in basic data affecting students – like trends in their absences, test scores, grades, and credits. This is often due to the high cost of cutting-edge student data systems (or, the high cost of professional development showing educators how to use the systems they have). Families, for their part, are often unsure how to find all the relevant data on their children, how to read data once they are given it (e.g., a report card), and how to communicate with schools about it. (see http://nationalpirc.org/engagement_webinars/webinar-student-data.html). As both educators and parents know, gaps in available basic data also can create gaps in student service, because people in charge of supporting young people remain unaware about some key aspects of their situation. How are speakers of language X doing on standardized tests? Who is enrolled in which afterschool program? Was Jose's absence rate over the past semester unusual? <br /> <br /> In Somerville in 2009, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. Over the past two years, several local technologists, a teacher, and several researchers have been working with the teachers' families, related afterschool providers, and two principals in the Somerville School District to help design and create &quot;dashboard&quot; tools using open source software (free software that any developer can adapt). <br /> <br /> A &quot;dashboard&quot; is a quick, visually simple view of student data, all in one place. Our &quot;dashboards&quot; are designed to let (appropriate) viewers go to a single place – on the web – to find and sort comprehensive data on each student, class of students, and the entire school. Particularly in designing our &quot;individual view&quot; (which would display an individual student's data to student, parent, teacher, and approved service providers), we’ve been working to design a tool that not only displays basic data on students, but also launches a focused conversation among stakeholders about that data.<br /> <br /> The first dashboard below (our &quot;administrator&quot; and &quot;teacher&quot; view) shows educators data on a school or classroom of students. The &quot;individual view&quot; dashboard beneath it shows data on an individual student to student, teachers, parents, and approved afterschool providers. This view also allows these people to communicate with each other through the “comment boxes.” (Names are fictional to preserve anonymity.)<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> On the OneVille Project, the dashboard was one of six subprojects and our first effort to create a tech tool totally from scratch with young local technologists. Development with our Somerville colleagues took more budgeted hours than any of us originally anticipated, and after some excellent pro bono work by David Lord of San Diego, by Spring 2012 we were about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. The &quot;code&quot; for all of the dashboard views is linked on the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' page and to date is the core &quot;product&quot; of this pilot. Open source code also means that any developer anywhere can develop on the product we made. For example, community youth-serving and university outreach orgs needing to view and sort youth- and student-related data have expressed interest in a similar free product developed for their specific needs. See the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' and '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' pages for the full story of developing this tool.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communications?===<br /> What we found:<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: People say it's crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> ===How do the dashboards work? How might they be designed?===<br /> <br /> :*You can see how we designed our dashboards in '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''and '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]]'''.<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> '''Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ''about'' &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people's lives? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the dashboard project directly at:<br /> <br /> Jedd Cohen (jic378@mail.harvard.edu); Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:NewComments.jpg&diff=3463 2016-06-10T22:33:47Z

<p>Jeddcohen: Jeddcohen uploaded a new version of &amp;quot;File:NewComments.jpg&amp;quot;</p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:Teacher_comments.jpg&diff=3462 2016-06-10T22:30:59Z

<p>Jeddcohen: Jeddcohen uploaded a new version of &amp;quot;File:Teacher comments.jpg&amp;quot;</p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Summary:_Data_dashboards&diff=3461 2016-06-10T22:29:12Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, and Josh Wairi for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In diverse districts across the country, administrators, teachers, and approved service providers are often unable to quickly review patterns in basic data affecting students – like trends in their absences, test scores, grades, and credits. This is often due to the high cost of cutting-edge student data systems (or, the high cost of professional development showing educators how to use the systems they have). Families, for their part, are often unsure how to find all the relevant data on their children, how to read data once they are given it (e.g., a report card), and how to communicate with schools about it. (see http://nationalpirc.org/engagement_webinars/webinar-student-data.html). As both educators and parents know, gaps in available basic data also can create gaps in student service, because people in charge of supporting young people remain unaware about some key aspects of their situation. How are speakers of language X doing on standardized tests? Who is enrolled in which afterschool program? Was Jose's absence rate over the past semester unusual? <br /> <br /> In Somerville in 2009, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. Over the past two years, several local technologists, a teacher, and several researchers have been working with the teachers' families, related afterschool providers, and two principals in the Somerville School District to help design and create &quot;dashboard&quot; tools using open source software (free software that any developer can adapt). <br /> <br /> A &quot;dashboard&quot; is a quick, visually simple view of student data, all in one place. Our &quot;dashboards&quot; are designed to let (appropriate) viewers go to a single place – on the web – to find and sort comprehensive data on each student, class of students, and the entire school. Particularly in designing our &quot;individual view&quot; (which would display an individual student's data to student, parent, teacher, and approved service providers), we’ve been working to design a tool that not only displays basic data on students, but also launches a focused conversation among stakeholders about that data.<br /> <br /> The first dashboard below (our &quot;administrator&quot; and &quot;teacher&quot; view) shows educators data on a school or classroom of students. The &quot;individual view&quot; dashboard beneath it shows data on an individual student to student, teachers, parents, and approved afterschool providers. This view also allows these people to communicate with each other through the “comment boxes.” (Names are fictional to preserve anonymity.)<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> On the OneVille Project, the dashboard was one of six subprojects and our first effort to create a tech tool totally from scratch with young local technologists. Development with our Somerville colleagues took more budgeted hours than any of us originally anticipated, and after some excellent pro bono work by David Lord of San Diego, by Spring 2012 we were about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. The &quot;code&quot; for all of the dashboard views is linked on the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' page and to date is the core &quot;product&quot; of this pilot. Open source code also means that any developer anywhere can develop on the product we made. For example, community youth-serving and university outreach orgs needing to view and sort youth- and student-related data have expressed interest in a similar free product developed for their specific needs. See the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' and '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] ''' pages for the full story of developing this tool.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communications?===<br /> What we found:<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: People say it's crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> ===How do the dashboards work? How might they be designed?===<br /> <br /> :*You can see how we designed our dashboards in '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''and '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]]'''.<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> '''Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ''about'' &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people's lives? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the dashboard project directly at:<br /> <br /> Jedd Cohen (jic378@mail.harvard.edu); Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=The_OneVille_Project&diff=3460 2012-12-18T15:55:28Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Visit an archive of our Oneville Blog */</p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Simplifiedonevillemainsliderightlines.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ==What is the OneVille Project?==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project is a community research and action project in Somerville, Massachusetts (2009-2012). <br /> <br /> Our goal: to support community cooperation in young people's success, by supporting communication and collaboration between the diverse people who share young people's lives. <br /> <br /> Specifically, people of all ages in our diverse community have been testing how low cost and commonplace technology might help students, educators, families, and other supporters:<br /> <br /> :-communicate about '''each young person's''' life and progress;<br /> <br /> :-share information, ideas, and resources '''across schools''' and the '''community.'''<br /> <br /> ==Six Smaller Projects==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project divided up into six smaller projects exploring tools and strategies to help people communicate. Each project has paired local researchers, youth, parents, educators, technologists, and community organizers. We documented the work of each group in its own section:<br /> <br /> :'''[[Summary: Data dashboards|Data dashboards]]<br /> :'''[[Eportfolio|Eportfolios]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Texting]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network]]<br /> :'''[[citywide information-sharing|Citywide information sharing]]<br /> :'''[[computer infrastructure|Computer infrastructure]]<br /> <br /> You can also click the sidebar to explore each project. Click '''[[Six working groups|here]]''' to see summary descriptions of all projects, as well.<br /> <br /> '''Want to discuss this project in another language?'''<br /> <br /> ''Do you want to discuss our work in another language? Contact mica.pollock@gmail.com and we'll set up a conversation with interpretation. This website is being hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, and they are working to add a translation button as well.''<br /> <br /> '' '''En Español:''' ¿Desea discutir nuestro trabajo en otro idioma? Envíe un correo electrónico a mica.pollock@gmail.com e estableceremos una conversación con interpretación. Este sitio Web está siendo organizado por el Centro Berkman para el Internet y la Sociedad de la Universidad de Harvard, y están trabajando para añadir un botón de traducción también.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Em Português:''' Você quer discutir o nosso trabalho em outro idioma? Contacte mica.pollock@gmail.com e vamos estabelecer uma conversa com interpreter. Este site está sendo organizado pelo Centro Berkman para Internet e Sociedade de Harvard, e eles estão trabalhando para adicionar tradução também.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Nan Kreyòl Ayisyen:''' èske ou ta renmen diskite sou travay nou nan yon lòt lang? Kontakte mica.pollock@gmail.com epi konsa nou ka fè yon ti konvèsasyon avèk entèpretasyon. Se sit entènèt sa a ki ap akòmode pa sant Berkman pou entènèt avèk Sosyete nan Harvard epi ki ap travay pou yo ajoute yon bouton pou tradiksyon tou.''</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&diff=3459 2012-12-18T15:53:41Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>* Our Work<br /> **The OneVille Project|Home: What is OneVille<br /> **Six projects|About Us: Six projects<br /> **About Us: Basic Facts|About Us: Basic Facts<br /> **About Us: Our Way of Working|About Us: Our Way of Working<br /> **Summary: Data dashboards|Project: Data dashboards<br /> **Eportfolio|Project: Eportfolio<br /> **Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Project: Texting<br /> **Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Project: Schoolwide toolkit/Parent connector network<br /> **Citywide information-sharing|Project: Citywide information-sharing<br /> **Computer infrastructure|Project: Computer infrastructure<br /> **Participatory design research|Participatory Design Research<br /> **Research base|Why Improve Communications? Research base and ¡Ahas!<br /> **Next Steps|Next Steps<br /> **Oneville Blog|Blog Archive, 2009-2011</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&diff=3458 2012-12-18T15:50:09Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>* Our Work<br /> **The OneVille Project|Home: What is OneVille<br /> **Six projects|About Us: Six projects<br /> **About Us: Basic Facts|About Us: Basic Facts<br /> **About Us: Our Way of Working|About Us: Our Way of Working<br /> **Summary: Data dashboards|Project: Data dashboards<br /> **Eportfolio|Project: Eportfolio<br /> **Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Project: Texting<br /> **Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Project: Schoolwide toolkit/Parent connector network<br /> **Citywide information-sharing|Project: Citywide information-sharing<br /> **Computer infrastructure|Project: Computer infrastructure<br /> **Participatory design research|Participatory Design Research<br /> **Research base|Why Improve Communications? Research base and ¡Ahas!<br /> **Next Steps|Next Steps<br /> **[[Oneville Blog]]|Blog Archive, 2009-2011</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&diff=3457 2012-12-18T15:49:48Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>* Our Work<br /> **The OneVille Project|Home: What is OneVille<br /> **Six projects|About Us: Six projects<br /> **About Us: Basic Facts|About Us: Basic Facts<br /> **About Us: Our Way of Working|About Us: Our Way of Working<br /> **Summary: Data dashboards|Project: Data dashboards<br /> **Eportfolio|Project: Eportfolio<br /> **Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Project: Texting<br /> **Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Project: Schoolwide toolkit/Parent connector network<br /> **Citywide information-sharing|Project: Citywide information-sharing<br /> **Computer infrastructure|Project: Computer infrastructure<br /> **Participatory design research|Participatory Design Research<br /> **Research base|Why Improve Communications? Research base and ¡Ahas!<br /> **Next Steps|Next Steps<br /> **[[Oneville Blog]]|Blog Archive: 2009-2011</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&diff=3456 2012-12-18T15:48:33Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>* Our Work<br /> **The OneVille Project|Home: What is OneVille<br /> **Six projects|About Us: Six projects<br /> **About Us: Basic Facts|About Us: Basic Facts<br /> **About Us: Our Way of Working|About Us: Our Way of Working<br /> **Summary: Data dashboards|Project: Data dashboards<br /> **Eportfolio|Project: Eportfolio<br /> **Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Project: Texting<br /> **Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Project: Schoolwide toolkit/Parent connector network<br /> **Citywide information-sharing|Project: Citywide information-sharing<br /> **Computer infrastructure|Project: Computer infrastructure<br /> **Participatory design research|Participatory Design Research<br /> **Research base|Why Improve Communications? Research base and ¡Ahas!<br /> **Next Steps|Next Steps<br /> **[[Oneville Blog]]|Oneville Blog</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=MediaWiki:Sidebar&diff=3455 2012-12-18T15:48:01Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>* Our Work<br /> **The OneVille Project|Home: What is OneVille<br /> **Six projects|About Us: Six projects<br /> **About Us: Basic Facts|About Us: Basic Facts<br /> **About Us: Our Way of Working|About Us: Our Way of Working<br /> **Summary: Data dashboards|Project: Data dashboards<br /> **Eportfolio|Project: Eportfolio<br /> **Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Project: Texting<br /> **Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Project: Schoolwide toolkit/Parent connector network<br /> **Citywide information-sharing|Project: Citywide information-sharing<br /> **Computer infrastructure|Project: Computer infrastructure<br /> **Participatory design research|Participatory Design Research<br /> **Research base|Why Improve Communications? Research base and ¡Ahas!<br /> **Next Steps|Next Steps<br /> **[[Oneville Blog]]|&quot;&quot;Oneville Blog&quot;&quot;</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=The_OneVille_Project&diff=3443 2012-08-15T06:51:44Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Six Smaller Projects */</p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Simplifiedonevillemainsliderightlines.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ==What is the OneVille Project?==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project is a community research and action project in Somerville, Massachusetts (2009-2012). <br /> <br /> Our goal: to support community cooperation in young people's success, by supporting communication and collaboration between the diverse people who share young people's lives. <br /> <br /> Specifically, people of all ages in our diverse community have been testing how low cost and commonplace technology might help students, educators, families, and other supporters:<br /> <br /> :-communicate about '''each young person's''' life and progress;<br /> <br /> :-share information, ideas, and resources '''across schools''' and the '''community.'''<br /> <br /> ==Six Smaller Projects==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project divided up into six smaller projects exploring tools and strategies to help people communicate. Each project has paired local researchers, youth, parents, educators, technologists, and community organizers. We documented the work of each group in its own section:<br /> <br /> :'''[[Summary: Data dashboards|Data dashboards]]<br /> :'''[[Eportfolio|Eportfolios]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Texting]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network]]<br /> :'''[[citywide information-sharing|Citywide information sharing]]<br /> :'''[[computer infrastructure|Computer infrastructure]]<br /> <br /> You can also click the sidebar to explore each project. Click '''[[Six working groups|here]]''' to see summary descriptions of all projects, as well.<br /> <br /> ''Do you want to discuss our work in another language? Contact mica.pollock@gmail.com and we'll set up a conversation with interpretation. This website is being hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, and they are working to add a translation button as well.''<br /> <br /> '' '''En Español:''' ¿Desea discutir nuestro trabajo en otro idioma? Envíe un correo electrónico a mica.pollock@gmail.com e estableceremos una conversación con interpretación. Este sitio Web está siendo organizado por el Centro Berkman para el Internet y la Sociedad de la Universidad de Harvard, y están trabajando para añadir un botón de traducción también.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Em Português:''' Você quer discutir o nosso trabalho em outro idioma? Contacte mica.pollock@gmail.com e vamos estabelecer uma conversa com interpreter. Este site está sendo organizado pelo Centro Berkman para Internet e Sociedade de Harvard, e eles estão trabalhando para adicionar tradução também.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Nan Kreyòl Ayisyen:''' èske ou ta renmen diskite sou travay nou nan yon lòt lang? Kontakte mica.pollock@gmail.com epi konsa nou ka fè yon ti konvèsasyon avèk entèpretasyon. Se sit entènèt sa a ki ap akòmode pa sant Berkman pou entènèt avèk Sosyete nan Harvard epi ki ap travay pou yo ajoute yon bouton pou tradiksyon tou.''<br /> <br /> ==Visit an archive of our '''[[Oneville Blog]]'''==</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=The_OneVille_Project&diff=3442 2012-08-14T21:05:35Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Six Smaller Projects */</p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Simplifiedonevillemainsliderightlines.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ==What is the OneVille Project?==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project is a community research and action project in Somerville, Massachusetts (2009-2012). <br /> <br /> Our goal: to support community cooperation in young people's success, by supporting communication and collaboration between the diverse people who share young people's lives. <br /> <br /> Specifically, people of all ages in our diverse community have been testing how low cost and commonplace technology might help students, educators, families, and other supporters:<br /> <br /> :-communicate about '''each young person's''' life and progress;<br /> <br /> :-share information, ideas, and resources '''across schools''' and the '''community.'''<br /> <br /> ==Six Smaller Projects==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project divided up into six smaller projects exploring tools and strategies to help people communicate. Each project has paired local researchers, youth, parents, educators, technologists, and community organizers. We documented the work of each group in its own section:<br /> <br /> :'''[[Summary: Data dashboards|Data dashboards]]<br /> :'''[[Eportfolio|Eportfolios]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Texting]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network]]<br /> :'''[[citywide information-sharing|Citywide information sharing]]<br /> :'''[[computer infrastructure|Computer infrastructure]]<br /> <br /> You can also click the sidebar to explore each project. Click '''[[Six working groups|here]]''' to see summary descriptions of all projects, as well.<br /> <br /> ''Do you want to discuss our work in another language? Contact mica.pollock@gmail.com and we'll set up a conversation with interpretation. This website is being hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, and they are working to add a translation button as well.''<br /> <br /> '' '''En Español:''' ¿Desea discutir nuestro trabajo en otro idioma? Envíe un correo electrónico a mica.pollock@gmail.com e estableceremos una conversación con interpretación. Este sitio Web está siendo organizado por el Centro Berkman para el Internet y la Sociedad de la Universidad de Harvard, y están trabajando para añadir un botón de traducción también.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Em Português:''' Você quer discutir o nosso trabalho em outro idioma? Contacte mica.pollock@gmail.com e vamos estabelecer uma conversa com interpreter. Este site está sendo organizado pelo Centro Berkman para Internet e Sociedade de Harvard, e eles estão trabalhando para adicionar tradução também.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Nan Kreyòl Ayisyen:''' Ou vle diskite sou travay nou nan yon lòt lang? Kontakte mica.pollock @ gmail.com ak nou pral mete sou pye yon konvèsasyon ak entèpretasyon. Se sit entènèt sa a ap akomode pa Sant lan Berkman pou Entènèt ak Sosyete nan Harvard, epi yo ap travay ajoute yon bouton tradiksyon tou.''<br /> <br /> ==Visit an archive of our '''[[Oneville Blog]]'''==</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=The_OneVille_Project&diff=3441 2012-08-14T20:57:10Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Six Smaller Projects */</p> <hr /> <div>[[Image:Simplifiedonevillemainsliderightlines.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ==What is the OneVille Project?==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project is a community research and action project in Somerville, Massachusetts (2009-2012). <br /> <br /> Our goal: to support community cooperation in young people's success, by supporting communication and collaboration between the diverse people who share young people's lives. <br /> <br /> Specifically, people of all ages in our diverse community have been testing how low cost and commonplace technology might help students, educators, families, and other supporters:<br /> <br /> :-communicate about '''each young person's''' life and progress;<br /> <br /> :-share information, ideas, and resources '''across schools''' and the '''community.'''<br /> <br /> ==Six Smaller Projects==<br /> <br /> The OneVille Project divided up into six smaller projects exploring tools and strategies to help people communicate. Each project has paired local researchers, youth, parents, educators, technologists, and community organizers. We documented the work of each group in its own section:<br /> <br /> :'''[[Summary: Data dashboards|Data dashboards]]<br /> :'''[[Eportfolio|Eportfolios]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|Texting]]<br /> :'''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network]]<br /> :'''[[citywide information-sharing|Citywide information sharing]]<br /> :'''[[computer infrastructure|Computer infrastructure]]<br /> <br /> You can also click the sidebar to explore each project. Click '''[[Six working groups|here]]''' to see summary descriptions of all projects, as well.<br /> <br /> ''Do you want to discuss our work in another language? Contact mica.pollock@gmail.com and we'll set up a conversation with interpretation. This website is being hosted by the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard, and they are working to add a translation button as well.''<br /> <br /> '' '''En Español:''' ¿Desea discutir nuestro trabajo en otro idioma? Envíe un correo electrónico a mica.pollock@gmail.com e estableceremos una conversación con interpretación. Este sitio Web está siendo organizado por el Centro Berkman para el Internet y la Sociedad de la Universidad de Harvard, y están trabajando para añadir un botón de traducción también.''<br /> <br /> '' '''Em Português:''' Você quer discutir o nosso trabalho em outro idioma? Contacte mica.pollock@gmail.com e vamos estabelecer uma conversa com interpreter. Este site está sendo organizado pelo Centro Berkman para Internet e Sociedade de Harvard, e eles estão trabalhando para adicionar tradução também.''<br /> <br /> ==Visit an archive of our '''[[Oneville Blog]]'''==</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Data_dashboards&diff=3427 2012-07-24T17:40:37Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Technological how-tos */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, and Josh Wairi for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> In an era when you can log on to any computer and get quick updates from friends, shouldn't the people who need to see basic data in order to serve young people be able to see it immediately? <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, access to the data tools needed to provide this info (and, knowledge on how to use those tools) varies widely among districts. Some districts and schools that can afford it are investing in sophisticated data systems made by private companies; sometimes those companies fold, leaving districts in the lurch again. Resource-strapped districts and schools often can’t afford to buy such tools. And when districts do have online data display tools, educators or parents often aren't trained on how to use them -- and most typically haven't participated in maximizing those tools' design. So, even in districts that have created expensive data display systems, often the problem is getting people to actually use the system to support students better. So, we wanted to try to design tools to community specifications. <br /> <br /> In Somerville, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. <br /> <br /> We - local academic researchers and a teacher co-researcher (Wairi), and several local technologists - worked with one classroom's families, related afterschool providers, and two principals (with the ongoing advice of central administration in the Somerville School District), to try to meet the need for a user-friendly, affordable way to view and examine lots of student data in one place. The result of our work is a suite of three “data dashboards,&quot; open source web applications designed to let family, teachers, principal, and afterschool providers quickly view and sort data they need to see. We created an “admin view” for principals, which shows Student Information System data on all students in the school; a “teacher view,” which shows a teacher such data on the students in his or her class; and an “individual view,” designed to link teachers, afterschool providers, and families in communication about the details of an individual student’s data profile. <br /> <br /> In the dashboard project, we thought a lot about who needs to see which data on children. The quantitative measures or summary data about young people kept in a typical &quot;Student Information System&quot; (e.g., students' absences; their credits; a report card) never show &quot;the whole child&quot;: '''[[Eportfolio|eportfolios]]''' can help with that. But such basic measures still provide information crucial to the process of tracking student progress. And they do tend to predict things like graduating or “dropping out.” <br /> <br /> We undertook a collaborative design process that asked different district and school administrators, parents, and afterschool providers to look at the developing tools and comment on that very question -- which data available in Somerville's Student Information System was most important to view on demand? We held regular meetings with teacher and co-designer Josh Wairi, did repeated interviews with principals and service providers, and met with parents and service providers in evening review meetings. Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth, with Somerville technologist Evan Burchard (now of San Francisco), created the initial core of three views. Seth was working on the dashboard while also helping to project manage on other efforts, and after the initial technological development went slower than we all hoped and budgeted for, delaying a fall pilot, David Lord, a fabulous and generous young developer in San Diego, developed the views to near professional-level completion for us for free. At the end of this page, you'll find the code for all three views. This code, and so, the dashboard tools themselves, are freely available for anyone to complete and adapt. <br /> <br /> While just implementing a store-bought tool could have been faster, -- and while the future of open source, free dashboard design for schools likely lies in large, experienced tech development groups tackling such projects for pay -- we felt that it was crucial to collaborate with the Somerville community to design the tools. In that process, some issues about data display became clear to us:<br /> <br /> '''A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> Principals Vadhera and DeFalco, teacher Josh Wairi, and various students we talked to in our other pilots, all mentioned instances where a student “fell through the cracks” because of a piece of missing data. For example, some stakeholders told stories of a student who received an unexpectedly poor grade, with the parent, the homeroom teacher, or the administrator surprised by the news. Administrators also described how seeing patterns faster could support timely interventions. For example, Principal Vadhera talked about needing to quickly sort data by &quot;students with IEPs,&quot; to ensure these students had MCAS accommodations on testing day. <br /> <br /> '''One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> To clarify: Somerville, like a typical district, already has a “student information system” - a database that stores or “warehouses” student information. The issue is that such data have been hard for people to view quickly all in one place, or sort quickly for patterns that are displayed in one view. <br /> <br /> We've been learning that many schools as well as afterschool programs do not have easy tools for quickly displaying (or sorting) basic information for multiple partners to view at once, all in one place and in simple form. In Somerville, while the data on these &quot;dashboards&quot; all exist in Somerville's student info system, lots of people still talked about the need to improve display of that data for parents and students, teachers, afterschool providers, and administrators. To see patterns using the existing Student Information System, administrators often sent many data analysis requests to a central office (filled with great staff!) and the staff would send patterns back to them. Or, teachers had to create their own Excel spreadsheets or printouts and analyze them by hand. Administrators also told us of time wasted in meetings as staff flipped through multiple folders or drawers to find data. Staff said they wasted time preparing for such meetings by trying to analyze patterns by hand. Finally, parents could access the student information system with a password, but many parents said they didn't know about this feature, and some had a hard time understanding the way the system displayed data (which was also only in English). So, we designed the &quot;dashboards&quot; to sit on top of the student information system and &quot;pull&quot; data out for easy viewing (and for two of the views, sorting), all in one place. Our goal was to translate the interface on the &quot;individual view,&quot; for parents.<br /> <br /> The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, with the last iteration anticipating updates through routine emails of data sets from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.<br /> <br /> '''Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> Others had offered to make Somerville data-viewing tools for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the tools would then require tens of thousands of dollars for annual upkeep. We figured that with our Ford grant, we could work with a local technologist to develop an open source tool to educators' and parents' specifications, free to the district. Also, a &quot;free&quot; tool meant a sharable tool. Any next district or developer could then have the software for their own use. <br /> <br /> It's true that open source development produces a free tool, meaning that districts wouldn't have to buy the product itself or renew the license to use it. But those using open source tools still have to pay for services, for upkeep and troubleshooting the tool. Still, we reasoned, this can be a fraction of the cost of storebought tools. Our local technologist Seth put it this way: “Take the quarterly profit of a company like Blackboard INC (Quarter 1, 2010) and break it down into services and license fees. In just one quarter, Blackboard made only $7.3 million in services [tech support], but made $93.7 million dollars in 'product revenues' (licenses to run their software). In the K-12 context, a freely available and documented open source competitor to store-bought communication tools would free up a lot of money back to US schools.” Districts that pay lots of money for store-bought, &quot;off the shelf&quot; dashboard tools also often can find them unused by the community -- or, companies often go out of business, leaving districts searching for tech support or next products. For all these reasons, we wanted to try to build something &quot;free&quot; to community specifications instead. <br /> <br /> In all this, we've encountered the core problem with designing and creating tools from scratch, to community specifications and on a fixed budget: relying on part-time individual technologists rather than large companies. While our local technologist worked to produce tools to community specifications, he went far slower than budgeted for, leaving us unable to pilot the dashboard. We were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free.<br /> <br /> We note that professional-level local technologists on larger budgets might provide more immediately ready open source infrastructure for schools and districts. So can technologists with products closer to final development. Our other &quot;from scratch&quot; tool experience went better: after the same local young technologist struggled to complete our prototype Parent Connector Network hotline, a professional-level hotline was finally prototyped rapidly by Leo Burd, a new colleague at MIT's Center for Civic Media who specialized in such open source (VOIPDrupal) tools for voice-messaging and was inspired enough by the Parent Connector project that he did it for free. See the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Parent Connector Network&lt;/font&gt;]]''' project!<br /> <br /> '''The administrator view'''<br /> <br /> We based the administrator and teacher views on an Excel spreadsheet model created by Healey dad Greg Nadeau, which staff were trying to update annually by hand in 2009. In partnership with Principals Jason DeFalco and Purnima Vahdera and teacher Josh Wairi during the 2010-2011 school year, we updated fields on these views to teachers' and administrators' specifications. Most important, we made all data fields visible on one screen, so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data, as users do to see data in the district's Student Information System. Viewers can also sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. Whereas the admin view lists all students in the school, the teacher view presents similar information for a single class of students. Here is the admin view, with fictional, blurred data to maintain confidentiality:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''The individual view'''<br /> <br /> Our individual view (below) was designed to be used by educators, parents, and afterschool providers; it complements the &quot;admin&quot; and &quot;teacher views&quot; with additional student data that Healey parents, students, afterschool providers, and teachers named as being especially relevant to see. <br /> <br /> Importantly to the OneVille Project, this &quot;individual view&quot; also was designed to give parents and afterschool provider viewers the chance to comment ON the data and send these comments to the teacher's email inbox, sparking an exchange that could continue over email or in person. The current Student Information System only allowed viewers to view data, not comment on it. So, unless the people in a student's life were sitting together looking at the SIS, data display also couldn't easily launch a conversation between those people. <br /> <br /> Our screens also have a minimum of extra words, to enable translation for piloting. Here is the individual view’s final page, where viewers can review and submit their comments, which go to the teacher's email inbox:<br /> <br /> [[Image:NewComments.jpg|NewComments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> Note the tabs for viewing other pages at the top of the screenshot. The images below show the pages connected to each of these tabs, covering grades, test scores, attendance, and teacher summary comments.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In creating the individual view, we drew on a data display model from the New Visions schools in New York (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf)<br /> combined it with Somerville’s locally designed K-6 report card, and worked with teacher Josh Wairi and his families (with advice from his students and afterschool providers) to integrate everyone’s insights into the testable product.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> <br /> '''Our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; over time have been these. See the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''for more:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Aha! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Data dashboards|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> In addition to our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;Main ¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about data dashboards, we had other key discoveries along the way:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> Our goal in 2011-12 was to pilot and tweak these three tools with teacher Josh Wairi, Principal Purnima Vadhera, and Wairi's families/students and their afterschool providers. Our fabulous but part-time and pro bono developer in San Diego finished the tools to near-pilot readiness by late Spring 2012, but fell about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. <br /> <br /> We're disappointed to not yet pilot these tools, because throughout the design process, we’ve gotten feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators about all three dashboards’ potential value. Staff emphasized the ways the tools could support information-sharing and conversation in meetings, one-to-one interactions, and email-based conversations about the data. And in recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a recent planning meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the value of the three integrated dashboard views, in contrast to the old system of hand-compiling data from different locations: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Finally, both Principal Vadhera and teacher Josh Wairi suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s basic situation and design more targeted interventions. If using the individual view, educators could then record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments then archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that some developers move faster than others and that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted development hours. And, the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological how-tos''', below.<br /> <br /> '''The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?''' We’d need to continue training outreach on the dashboards during a pilot phase of the &quot;individual view,&quot; because we'd face the same challenges as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular, and the individual view could be accessed by smartphone). Some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. These communication barriers block parents from understanding data even if it is on paper or shared verbally. Technology training at least offers parents skills for checking data on demand.<br /> <br /> '''While we could not pilot the dashboard in the 2011-2012 year, we have been exploring local leads to create a model of basic computer and email training run by parents, youth, or local students, for parents who need this support.''' See the [[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Parent Connector]] project. Our goal was to combine email training with training parents to use the &quot;Individual View&quot; dashboard. Another hook could be training parents to join the school's newly schoolwide, parent-created listserv. '''The school has already established a computer in the school's new Parent Welcome Center, available for parent use at prescheduled times, and there's daily availability of the computer lab in the local housing development. <br /> <br /> Even though the tools weren't finished for piloting glitch-free in Somerville in the end, the open source code (below) now exists to display data for easy viewing and sorting. And because the tools are open source, they can support next efforts at creating free educational data displays for districts or programs too often spending fortunes on storebought tools. Our entire Ford grant could have been eaten up in buying Somerville a tool off the shelf. Instead, we have added a partial tool to the “kit” by producing an open source dashboard and code next developers can modify. Still, we note that the OneVille projects in which we used preexisting free tools – Google sites or wikispaces for [[Eportfolio]] software, or Google Voice and low-cost pre-existing text messaging for the [[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|texting]] project – seeded the most longstanding local change most quickly and actually got people communicating.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> <br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> <br /> Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to tackle similar things in your school:<br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ABOUT &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> <br /> [https://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src/ Admin and Teacher View Source Code]<br /> (written in Python)<br /> <br /> [https://github.com/sethwoodworth/OnevilleReportCard/ Individual View Source Code]<br /> (written in the Ruby on Rails framework)<br /> <br /> Since the individual view is not quite complete, and since we want to fully communicate our vision to future developers, here are links to the complete information for this tool:<br /> <br /> [https://oneville-report-card.heroku.com Here is the link] to the application as it currently stands.<br /> <br /> Here is the login info:<br /> email: mary@oneville.org<br /> <br /> password: marypassword<br /> <br /> and [[To-dos for individual view|here is a link]] to the list of remaining to-dos that would optimize its usefulness.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Data_dashboards&diff=3426 2012-07-24T17:39:48Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Technological how-tos */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, and Josh Wairi for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> In an era when you can log on to any computer and get quick updates from friends, shouldn't the people who need to see basic data in order to serve young people be able to see it immediately? <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, access to the data tools needed to provide this info (and, knowledge on how to use those tools) varies widely among districts. Some districts and schools that can afford it are investing in sophisticated data systems made by private companies; sometimes those companies fold, leaving districts in the lurch again. Resource-strapped districts and schools often can’t afford to buy such tools. And when districts do have online data display tools, educators or parents often aren't trained on how to use them -- and most typically haven't participated in maximizing those tools' design. So, even in districts that have created expensive data display systems, often the problem is getting people to actually use the system to support students better. So, we wanted to try to design tools to community specifications. <br /> <br /> In Somerville, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. <br /> <br /> We - local academic researchers and a teacher co-researcher (Wairi), and several local technologists - worked with one classroom's families, related afterschool providers, and two principals (with the ongoing advice of central administration in the Somerville School District), to try to meet the need for a user-friendly, affordable way to view and examine lots of student data in one place. The result of our work is a suite of three “data dashboards,&quot; open source web applications designed to let family, teachers, principal, and afterschool providers quickly view and sort data they need to see. We created an “admin view” for principals, which shows Student Information System data on all students in the school; a “teacher view,” which shows a teacher such data on the students in his or her class; and an “individual view,” designed to link teachers, afterschool providers, and families in communication about the details of an individual student’s data profile. <br /> <br /> In the dashboard project, we thought a lot about who needs to see which data on children. The quantitative measures or summary data about young people kept in a typical &quot;Student Information System&quot; (e.g., students' absences; their credits; a report card) never show &quot;the whole child&quot;: '''[[Eportfolio|eportfolios]]''' can help with that. But such basic measures still provide information crucial to the process of tracking student progress. And they do tend to predict things like graduating or “dropping out.” <br /> <br /> We undertook a collaborative design process that asked different district and school administrators, parents, and afterschool providers to look at the developing tools and comment on that very question -- which data available in Somerville's Student Information System was most important to view on demand? We held regular meetings with teacher and co-designer Josh Wairi, did repeated interviews with principals and service providers, and met with parents and service providers in evening review meetings. Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth, with Somerville technologist Evan Burchard (now of San Francisco), created the initial core of three views. Seth was working on the dashboard while also helping to project manage on other efforts, and after the initial technological development went slower than we all hoped and budgeted for, delaying a fall pilot, David Lord, a fabulous and generous young developer in San Diego, developed the views to near professional-level completion for us for free. At the end of this page, you'll find the code for all three views. This code, and so, the dashboard tools themselves, are freely available for anyone to complete and adapt. <br /> <br /> While just implementing a store-bought tool could have been faster, -- and while the future of open source, free dashboard design for schools likely lies in large, experienced tech development groups tackling such projects for pay -- we felt that it was crucial to collaborate with the Somerville community to design the tools. In that process, some issues about data display became clear to us:<br /> <br /> '''A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> Principals Vadhera and DeFalco, teacher Josh Wairi, and various students we talked to in our other pilots, all mentioned instances where a student “fell through the cracks” because of a piece of missing data. For example, some stakeholders told stories of a student who received an unexpectedly poor grade, with the parent, the homeroom teacher, or the administrator surprised by the news. Administrators also described how seeing patterns faster could support timely interventions. For example, Principal Vadhera talked about needing to quickly sort data by &quot;students with IEPs,&quot; to ensure these students had MCAS accommodations on testing day. <br /> <br /> '''One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> To clarify: Somerville, like a typical district, already has a “student information system” - a database that stores or “warehouses” student information. The issue is that such data have been hard for people to view quickly all in one place, or sort quickly for patterns that are displayed in one view. <br /> <br /> We've been learning that many schools as well as afterschool programs do not have easy tools for quickly displaying (or sorting) basic information for multiple partners to view at once, all in one place and in simple form. In Somerville, while the data on these &quot;dashboards&quot; all exist in Somerville's student info system, lots of people still talked about the need to improve display of that data for parents and students, teachers, afterschool providers, and administrators. To see patterns using the existing Student Information System, administrators often sent many data analysis requests to a central office (filled with great staff!) and the staff would send patterns back to them. Or, teachers had to create their own Excel spreadsheets or printouts and analyze them by hand. Administrators also told us of time wasted in meetings as staff flipped through multiple folders or drawers to find data. Staff said they wasted time preparing for such meetings by trying to analyze patterns by hand. Finally, parents could access the student information system with a password, but many parents said they didn't know about this feature, and some had a hard time understanding the way the system displayed data (which was also only in English). So, we designed the &quot;dashboards&quot; to sit on top of the student information system and &quot;pull&quot; data out for easy viewing (and for two of the views, sorting), all in one place. Our goal was to translate the interface on the &quot;individual view,&quot; for parents.<br /> <br /> The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, with the last iteration anticipating updates through routine emails of data sets from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.<br /> <br /> '''Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> Others had offered to make Somerville data-viewing tools for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the tools would then require tens of thousands of dollars for annual upkeep. We figured that with our Ford grant, we could work with a local technologist to develop an open source tool to educators' and parents' specifications, free to the district. Also, a &quot;free&quot; tool meant a sharable tool. Any next district or developer could then have the software for their own use. <br /> <br /> It's true that open source development produces a free tool, meaning that districts wouldn't have to buy the product itself or renew the license to use it. But those using open source tools still have to pay for services, for upkeep and troubleshooting the tool. Still, we reasoned, this can be a fraction of the cost of storebought tools. Our local technologist Seth put it this way: “Take the quarterly profit of a company like Blackboard INC (Quarter 1, 2010) and break it down into services and license fees. In just one quarter, Blackboard made only $7.3 million in services [tech support], but made $93.7 million dollars in 'product revenues' (licenses to run their software). In the K-12 context, a freely available and documented open source competitor to store-bought communication tools would free up a lot of money back to US schools.” Districts that pay lots of money for store-bought, &quot;off the shelf&quot; dashboard tools also often can find them unused by the community -- or, companies often go out of business, leaving districts searching for tech support or next products. For all these reasons, we wanted to try to build something &quot;free&quot; to community specifications instead. <br /> <br /> In all this, we've encountered the core problem with designing and creating tools from scratch, to community specifications and on a fixed budget: relying on part-time individual technologists rather than large companies. While our local technologist worked to produce tools to community specifications, he went far slower than budgeted for, leaving us unable to pilot the dashboard. We were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free.<br /> <br /> We note that professional-level local technologists on larger budgets might provide more immediately ready open source infrastructure for schools and districts. So can technologists with products closer to final development. Our other &quot;from scratch&quot; tool experience went better: after the same local young technologist struggled to complete our prototype Parent Connector Network hotline, a professional-level hotline was finally prototyped rapidly by Leo Burd, a new colleague at MIT's Center for Civic Media who specialized in such open source (VOIPDrupal) tools for voice-messaging and was inspired enough by the Parent Connector project that he did it for free. See the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Parent Connector Network&lt;/font&gt;]]''' project!<br /> <br /> '''The administrator view'''<br /> <br /> We based the administrator and teacher views on an Excel spreadsheet model created by Healey dad Greg Nadeau, which staff were trying to update annually by hand in 2009. In partnership with Principals Jason DeFalco and Purnima Vahdera and teacher Josh Wairi during the 2010-2011 school year, we updated fields on these views to teachers' and administrators' specifications. Most important, we made all data fields visible on one screen, so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data, as users do to see data in the district's Student Information System. Viewers can also sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. Whereas the admin view lists all students in the school, the teacher view presents similar information for a single class of students. Here is the admin view, with fictional, blurred data to maintain confidentiality:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''The individual view'''<br /> <br /> Our individual view (below) was designed to be used by educators, parents, and afterschool providers; it complements the &quot;admin&quot; and &quot;teacher views&quot; with additional student data that Healey parents, students, afterschool providers, and teachers named as being especially relevant to see. <br /> <br /> Importantly to the OneVille Project, this &quot;individual view&quot; also was designed to give parents and afterschool provider viewers the chance to comment ON the data and send these comments to the teacher's email inbox, sparking an exchange that could continue over email or in person. The current Student Information System only allowed viewers to view data, not comment on it. So, unless the people in a student's life were sitting together looking at the SIS, data display also couldn't easily launch a conversation between those people. <br /> <br /> Our screens also have a minimum of extra words, to enable translation for piloting. Here is the individual view’s final page, where viewers can review and submit their comments, which go to the teacher's email inbox:<br /> <br /> [[Image:NewComments.jpg|NewComments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> Note the tabs for viewing other pages at the top of the screenshot. The images below show the pages connected to each of these tabs, covering grades, test scores, attendance, and teacher summary comments.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In creating the individual view, we drew on a data display model from the New Visions schools in New York (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf)<br /> combined it with Somerville’s locally designed K-6 report card, and worked with teacher Josh Wairi and his families (with advice from his students and afterschool providers) to integrate everyone’s insights into the testable product.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> <br /> '''Our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; over time have been these. See the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''for more:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Aha! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Data dashboards|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> In addition to our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;Main ¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about data dashboards, we had other key discoveries along the way:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> Our goal in 2011-12 was to pilot and tweak these three tools with teacher Josh Wairi, Principal Purnima Vadhera, and Wairi's families/students and their afterschool providers. Our fabulous but part-time and pro bono developer in San Diego finished the tools to near-pilot readiness by late Spring 2012, but fell about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. <br /> <br /> We're disappointed to not yet pilot these tools, because throughout the design process, we’ve gotten feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators about all three dashboards’ potential value. Staff emphasized the ways the tools could support information-sharing and conversation in meetings, one-to-one interactions, and email-based conversations about the data. And in recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a recent planning meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the value of the three integrated dashboard views, in contrast to the old system of hand-compiling data from different locations: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Finally, both Principal Vadhera and teacher Josh Wairi suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s basic situation and design more targeted interventions. If using the individual view, educators could then record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments then archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that some developers move faster than others and that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted development hours. And, the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological how-tos''', below.<br /> <br /> '''The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?''' We’d need to continue training outreach on the dashboards during a pilot phase of the &quot;individual view,&quot; because we'd face the same challenges as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular, and the individual view could be accessed by smartphone). Some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. These communication barriers block parents from understanding data even if it is on paper or shared verbally. Technology training at least offers parents skills for checking data on demand.<br /> <br /> '''While we could not pilot the dashboard in the 2011-2012 year, we have been exploring local leads to create a model of basic computer and email training run by parents, youth, or local students, for parents who need this support.''' See the [[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Parent Connector]] project. Our goal was to combine email training with training parents to use the &quot;Individual View&quot; dashboard. Another hook could be training parents to join the school's newly schoolwide, parent-created listserv. '''The school has already established a computer in the school's new Parent Welcome Center, available for parent use at prescheduled times, and there's daily availability of the computer lab in the local housing development. <br /> <br /> Even though the tools weren't finished for piloting glitch-free in Somerville in the end, the open source code (below) now exists to display data for easy viewing and sorting. And because the tools are open source, they can support next efforts at creating free educational data displays for districts or programs too often spending fortunes on storebought tools. Our entire Ford grant could have been eaten up in buying Somerville a tool off the shelf. Instead, we have added a partial tool to the “kit” by producing an open source dashboard and code next developers can modify. Still, we note that the OneVille projects in which we used preexisting free tools – Google sites or wikispaces for [[Eportfolio]] software, or Google Voice and low-cost pre-existing text messaging for the [[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|texting]] project – seeded the most longstanding local change most quickly and actually got people communicating.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> <br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> <br /> Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to tackle similar things in your school:<br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ABOUT &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> <br /> [https://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src/ Admin and Teacher View Source Code]<br /> (written in Python)<br /> <br /> [https://github.com/sethwoodworth/OnevilleReportCard/ Individual View Source Code]<br /> (written in the Ruby on Rails framework)<br /> <br /> Since the individual view is not quite complete, and since we want to fully communicate our vision to future developers, here are links to the complete information for this tool:<br /> <br /> [https://oneville-report-card.heroku.com Here is the link] to the application as it currently stands.<br /> <br /> Here is the login info:<br /> email: mary@oneville.org<br /> <br /> password: marypassword<br /> <br /> and [[To-dos for individual view|here is a link]] to the list of remaining to-dos that would optimize its usefulness.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboardshttps://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Data_dashboards&diff=3425 2012-07-24T17:39:15Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Technological how-tos */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, and Josh Wairi for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> In an era when you can log on to any computer and get quick updates from friends, shouldn't the people who need to see basic data in order to serve young people be able to see it immediately? <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, access to the data tools needed to provide this info (and, knowledge on how to use those tools) varies widely among districts. Some districts and schools that can afford it are investing in sophisticated data systems made by private companies; sometimes those companies fold, leaving districts in the lurch again. Resource-strapped districts and schools often can’t afford to buy such tools. And when districts do have online data display tools, educators or parents often aren't trained on how to use them -- and most typically haven't participated in maximizing those tools' design. So, even in districts that have created expensive data display systems, often the problem is getting people to actually use the system to support students better. So, we wanted to try to design tools to community specifications. <br /> <br /> In Somerville, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. <br /> <br /> We - local academic researchers and a teacher co-researcher (Wairi), and several local technologists - worked with one classroom's families, related afterschool providers, and two principals (with the ongoing advice of central administration in the Somerville School District), to try to meet the need for a user-friendly, affordable way to view and examine lots of student data in one place. The result of our work is a suite of three “data dashboards,&quot; open source web applications designed to let family, teachers, principal, and afterschool providers quickly view and sort data they need to see. We created an “admin view” for principals, which shows Student Information System data on all students in the school; a “teacher view,” which shows a teacher such data on the students in his or her class; and an “individual view,” designed to link teachers, afterschool providers, and families in communication about the details of an individual student’s data profile. <br /> <br /> In the dashboard project, we thought a lot about who needs to see which data on children. The quantitative measures or summary data about young people kept in a typical &quot;Student Information System&quot; (e.g., students' absences; their credits; a report card) never show &quot;the whole child&quot;: '''[[Eportfolio|eportfolios]]''' can help with that. But such basic measures still provide information crucial to the process of tracking student progress. And they do tend to predict things like graduating or “dropping out.” <br /> <br /> We undertook a collaborative design process that asked different district and school administrators, parents, and afterschool providers to look at the developing tools and comment on that very question -- which data available in Somerville's Student Information System was most important to view on demand? We held regular meetings with teacher and co-designer Josh Wairi, did repeated interviews with principals and service providers, and met with parents and service providers in evening review meetings. Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth, with Somerville technologist Evan Burchard (now of San Francisco), created the initial core of three views. Seth was working on the dashboard while also helping to project manage on other efforts, and after the initial technological development went slower than we all hoped and budgeted for, delaying a fall pilot, David Lord, a fabulous and generous young developer in San Diego, developed the views to near professional-level completion for us for free. At the end of this page, you'll find the code for all three views. This code, and so, the dashboard tools themselves, are freely available for anyone to complete and adapt. <br /> <br /> While just implementing a store-bought tool could have been faster, -- and while the future of open source, free dashboard design for schools likely lies in large, experienced tech development groups tackling such projects for pay -- we felt that it was crucial to collaborate with the Somerville community to design the tools. In that process, some issues about data display became clear to us:<br /> <br /> '''A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> Principals Vadhera and DeFalco, teacher Josh Wairi, and various students we talked to in our other pilots, all mentioned instances where a student “fell through the cracks” because of a piece of missing data. For example, some stakeholders told stories of a student who received an unexpectedly poor grade, with the parent, the homeroom teacher, or the administrator surprised by the news. Administrators also described how seeing patterns faster could support timely interventions. For example, Principal Vadhera talked about needing to quickly sort data by &quot;students with IEPs,&quot; to ensure these students had MCAS accommodations on testing day. <br /> <br /> '''One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> To clarify: Somerville, like a typical district, already has a “student information system” - a database that stores or “warehouses” student information. The issue is that such data have been hard for people to view quickly all in one place, or sort quickly for patterns that are displayed in one view. <br /> <br /> We've been learning that many schools as well as afterschool programs do not have easy tools for quickly displaying (or sorting) basic information for multiple partners to view at once, all in one place and in simple form. In Somerville, while the data on these &quot;dashboards&quot; all exist in Somerville's student info system, lots of people still talked about the need to improve display of that data for parents and students, teachers, afterschool providers, and administrators. To see patterns using the existing Student Information System, administrators often sent many data analysis requests to a central office (filled with great staff!) and the staff would send patterns back to them. Or, teachers had to create their own Excel spreadsheets or printouts and analyze them by hand. Administrators also told us of time wasted in meetings as staff flipped through multiple folders or drawers to find data. Staff said they wasted time preparing for such meetings by trying to analyze patterns by hand. Finally, parents could access the student information system with a password, but many parents said they didn't know about this feature, and some had a hard time understanding the way the system displayed data (which was also only in English). So, we designed the &quot;dashboards&quot; to sit on top of the student information system and &quot;pull&quot; data out for easy viewing (and for two of the views, sorting), all in one place. Our goal was to translate the interface on the &quot;individual view,&quot; for parents.<br /> <br /> The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, with the last iteration anticipating updates through routine emails of data sets from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.<br /> <br /> '''Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> Others had offered to make Somerville data-viewing tools for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the tools would then require tens of thousands of dollars for annual upkeep. We figured that with our Ford grant, we could work with a local technologist to develop an open source tool to educators' and parents' specifications, free to the district. Also, a &quot;free&quot; tool meant a sharable tool. Any next district or developer could then have the software for their own use. <br /> <br /> It's true that open source development produces a free tool, meaning that districts wouldn't have to buy the product itself or renew the license to use it. But those using open source tools still have to pay for services, for upkeep and troubleshooting the tool. Still, we reasoned, this can be a fraction of the cost of storebought tools. Our local technologist Seth put it this way: “Take the quarterly profit of a company like Blackboard INC (Quarter 1, 2010) and break it down into services and license fees. In just one quarter, Blackboard made only $7.3 million in services [tech support], but made $93.7 million dollars in 'product revenues' (licenses to run their software). In the K-12 context, a freely available and documented open source competitor to store-bought communication tools would free up a lot of money back to US schools.” Districts that pay lots of money for store-bought, &quot;off the shelf&quot; dashboard tools also often can find them unused by the community -- or, companies often go out of business, leaving districts searching for tech support or next products. For all these reasons, we wanted to try to build something &quot;free&quot; to community specifications instead. <br /> <br /> In all this, we've encountered the core problem with designing and creating tools from scratch, to community specifications and on a fixed budget: relying on part-time individual technologists rather than large companies. While our local technologist worked to produce tools to community specifications, he went far slower than budgeted for, leaving us unable to pilot the dashboard. We were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free.<br /> <br /> We note that professional-level local technologists on larger budgets might provide more immediately ready open source infrastructure for schools and districts. So can technologists with products closer to final development. Our other &quot;from scratch&quot; tool experience went better: after the same local young technologist struggled to complete our prototype Parent Connector Network hotline, a professional-level hotline was finally prototyped rapidly by Leo Burd, a new colleague at MIT's Center for Civic Media who specialized in such open source (VOIPDrupal) tools for voice-messaging and was inspired enough by the Parent Connector project that he did it for free. See the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Parent Connector Network&lt;/font&gt;]]''' project!<br /> <br /> '''The administrator view'''<br /> <br /> We based the administrator and teacher views on an Excel spreadsheet model created by Healey dad Greg Nadeau, which staff were trying to update annually by hand in 2009. In partnership with Principals Jason DeFalco and Purnima Vahdera and teacher Josh Wairi during the 2010-2011 school year, we updated fields on these views to teachers' and administrators' specifications. Most important, we made all data fields visible on one screen, so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data, as users do to see data in the district's Student Information System. Viewers can also sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. Whereas the admin view lists all students in the school, the teacher view presents similar information for a single class of students. Here is the admin view, with fictional, blurred data to maintain confidentiality:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''The individual view'''<br /> <br /> Our individual view (below) was designed to be used by educators, parents, and afterschool providers; it complements the &quot;admin&quot; and &quot;teacher views&quot; with additional student data that Healey parents, students, afterschool providers, and teachers named as being especially relevant to see. <br /> <br /> Importantly to the OneVille Project, this &quot;individual view&quot; also was designed to give parents and afterschool provider viewers the chance to comment ON the data and send these comments to the teacher's email inbox, sparking an exchange that could continue over email or in person. The current Student Information System only allowed viewers to view data, not comment on it. So, unless the people in a student's life were sitting together looking at the SIS, data display also couldn't easily launch a conversation between those people. <br /> <br /> Our screens also have a minimum of extra words, to enable translation for piloting. Here is the individual view’s final page, where viewers can review and submit their comments, which go to the teacher's email inbox:<br /> <br /> [[Image:NewComments.jpg|NewComments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> Note the tabs for viewing other pages at the top of the screenshot. The images below show the pages connected to each of these tabs, covering grades, test scores, attendance, and teacher summary comments.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In creating the individual view, we drew on a data display model from the New Visions schools in New York (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf)<br /> combined it with Somerville’s locally designed K-6 report card, and worked with teacher Josh Wairi and his families (with advice from his students and afterschool providers) to integrate everyone’s insights into the testable product.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> <br /> '''Our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; over time have been these. See the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''for more:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Aha! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Data dashboards|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> In addition to our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;Main ¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about data dashboards, we had other key discoveries along the way:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> Our goal in 2011-12 was to pilot and tweak these three tools with teacher Josh Wairi, Principal Purnima Vadhera, and Wairi's families/students and their afterschool providers. Our fabulous but part-time and pro bono developer in San Diego finished the tools to near-pilot readiness by late Spring 2012, but fell about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. <br /> <br /> We're disappointed to not yet pilot these tools, because throughout the design process, we’ve gotten feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators about all three dashboards’ potential value. Staff emphasized the ways the tools could support information-sharing and conversation in meetings, one-to-one interactions, and email-based conversations about the data. And in recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a recent planning meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the value of the three integrated dashboard views, in contrast to the old system of hand-compiling data from different locations: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Finally, both Principal Vadhera and teacher Josh Wairi suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s basic situation and design more targeted interventions. If using the individual view, educators could then record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments then archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that some developers move faster than others and that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted development hours. And, the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological how-tos''', below.<br /> <br /> '''The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?''' We’d need to continue training outreach on the dashboards during a pilot phase of the &quot;individual view,&quot; because we'd face the same challenges as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular, and the individual view could be accessed by smartphone). Some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. These communication barriers block parents from understanding data even if it is on paper or shared verbally. Technology training at least offers parents skills for checking data on demand.<br /> <br /> '''While we could not pilot the dashboard in the 2011-2012 year, we have been exploring local leads to create a model of basic computer and email training run by parents, youth, or local students, for parents who need this support.''' See the [[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Parent Connector]] project. Our goal was to combine email training with training parents to use the &quot;Individual View&quot; dashboard. Another hook could be training parents to join the school's newly schoolwide, parent-created listserv. '''The school has already established a computer in the school's new Parent Welcome Center, available for parent use at prescheduled times, and there's daily availability of the computer lab in the local housing development. <br /> <br /> Even though the tools weren't finished for piloting glitch-free in Somerville in the end, the open source code (below) now exists to display data for easy viewing and sorting. And because the tools are open source, they can support next efforts at creating free educational data displays for districts or programs too often spending fortunes on storebought tools. Our entire Ford grant could have been eaten up in buying Somerville a tool off the shelf. Instead, we have added a partial tool to the “kit” by producing an open source dashboard and code next developers can modify. Still, we note that the OneVille projects in which we used preexisting free tools – Google sites or wikispaces for [[Eportfolio]] software, or Google Voice and low-cost pre-existing text messaging for the [[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|texting]] project – seeded the most longstanding local change most quickly and actually got people communicating.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> <br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> <br /> Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to tackle similar things in your school:<br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ABOUT &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> <br /> [https://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src| Admin and Teacher View Source Code]<br /> (written in Python)<br /> <br /> [https://github.com/sethwoodworth/OnevilleReportCard/ Individual View Source Code]<br /> (written in the Ruby on Rails framework)<br /> <br /> Since the individual view is not quite complete, and since we want to fully communicate our vision to future developers, here are links to the complete information for this tool:<br /> <br /> [https://oneville-report-card.heroku.com Here is the link] to the application as it currently stands.<br /> <br /> Here is the login info:<br /> email: mary@oneville.org<br /> <br /> password: marypassword<br /> <br /> and [[To-dos for individual view|here is a link]] to the list of remaining to-dos that would optimize its usefulness.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboardshttps://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Data_dashboards&diff=3424 2012-07-24T17:37:40Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Technological how-tos */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, and Josh Wairi for the dashboard project, with initial dashboard development by Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth and next development for piloting by David Lord of San Diego<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> In an era when you can log on to any computer and get quick updates from friends, shouldn't the people who need to see basic data in order to serve young people be able to see it immediately? <br /> <br /> Unfortunately, access to the data tools needed to provide this info (and, knowledge on how to use those tools) varies widely among districts. Some districts and schools that can afford it are investing in sophisticated data systems made by private companies; sometimes those companies fold, leaving districts in the lurch again. Resource-strapped districts and schools often can’t afford to buy such tools. And when districts do have online data display tools, educators or parents often aren't trained on how to use them -- and most typically haven't participated in maximizing those tools' design. So, even in districts that have created expensive data display systems, often the problem is getting people to actually use the system to support students better. So, we wanted to try to design tools to community specifications. <br /> <br /> In Somerville, teachers and administrators said they couldn’t easily view or sort patterns in student data because that data was buried in different “fields” in the student information system (SIS), which Somerville couldn’t afford to replace or fundamentally upgrade. <br /> <br /> We - local academic researchers and a teacher co-researcher (Wairi), and several local technologists - worked with one classroom's families, related afterschool providers, and two principals (with the ongoing advice of central administration in the Somerville School District), to try to meet the need for a user-friendly, affordable way to view and examine lots of student data in one place. The result of our work is a suite of three “data dashboards,&quot; open source web applications designed to let family, teachers, principal, and afterschool providers quickly view and sort data they need to see. We created an “admin view” for principals, which shows Student Information System data on all students in the school; a “teacher view,” which shows a teacher such data on the students in his or her class; and an “individual view,” designed to link teachers, afterschool providers, and families in communication about the details of an individual student’s data profile. <br /> <br /> In the dashboard project, we thought a lot about who needs to see which data on children. The quantitative measures or summary data about young people kept in a typical &quot;Student Information System&quot; (e.g., students' absences; their credits; a report card) never show &quot;the whole child&quot;: '''[[Eportfolio|eportfolios]]''' can help with that. But such basic measures still provide information crucial to the process of tracking student progress. And they do tend to predict things like graduating or “dropping out.” <br /> <br /> We undertook a collaborative design process that asked different district and school administrators, parents, and afterschool providers to look at the developing tools and comment on that very question -- which data available in Somerville's Student Information System was most important to view on demand? We held regular meetings with teacher and co-designer Josh Wairi, did repeated interviews with principals and service providers, and met with parents and service providers in evening review meetings. Somerville technologist Seth Woodworth, with Somerville technologist Evan Burchard (now of San Francisco), created the initial core of three views. Seth was working on the dashboard while also helping to project manage on other efforts, and after the initial technological development went slower than we all hoped and budgeted for, delaying a fall pilot, David Lord, a fabulous and generous young developer in San Diego, developed the views to near professional-level completion for us for free. At the end of this page, you'll find the code for all three views. This code, and so, the dashboard tools themselves, are freely available for anyone to complete and adapt. <br /> <br /> While just implementing a store-bought tool could have been faster, -- and while the future of open source, free dashboard design for schools likely lies in large, experienced tech development groups tackling such projects for pay -- we felt that it was crucial to collaborate with the Somerville community to design the tools. In that process, some issues about data display became clear to us:<br /> <br /> '''A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> Principals Vadhera and DeFalco, teacher Josh Wairi, and various students we talked to in our other pilots, all mentioned instances where a student “fell through the cracks” because of a piece of missing data. For example, some stakeholders told stories of a student who received an unexpectedly poor grade, with the parent, the homeroom teacher, or the administrator surprised by the news. Administrators also described how seeing patterns faster could support timely interventions. For example, Principal Vadhera talked about needing to quickly sort data by &quot;students with IEPs,&quot; to ensure these students had MCAS accommodations on testing day. <br /> <br /> '''One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> To clarify: Somerville, like a typical district, already has a “student information system” - a database that stores or “warehouses” student information. The issue is that such data have been hard for people to view quickly all in one place, or sort quickly for patterns that are displayed in one view. <br /> <br /> We've been learning that many schools as well as afterschool programs do not have easy tools for quickly displaying (or sorting) basic information for multiple partners to view at once, all in one place and in simple form. In Somerville, while the data on these &quot;dashboards&quot; all exist in Somerville's student info system, lots of people still talked about the need to improve display of that data for parents and students, teachers, afterschool providers, and administrators. To see patterns using the existing Student Information System, administrators often sent many data analysis requests to a central office (filled with great staff!) and the staff would send patterns back to them. Or, teachers had to create their own Excel spreadsheets or printouts and analyze them by hand. Administrators also told us of time wasted in meetings as staff flipped through multiple folders or drawers to find data. Staff said they wasted time preparing for such meetings by trying to analyze patterns by hand. Finally, parents could access the student information system with a password, but many parents said they didn't know about this feature, and some had a hard time understanding the way the system displayed data (which was also only in English). So, we designed the &quot;dashboards&quot; to sit on top of the student information system and &quot;pull&quot; data out for easy viewing (and for two of the views, sorting), all in one place. Our goal was to translate the interface on the &quot;individual view,&quot; for parents.<br /> <br /> The dashboards are also designed to be automatically updated, with the last iteration anticipating updates through routine emails of data sets from the district's IT staff. For full adoption, a small amount of programming could afford further automatic upload.<br /> <br /> '''Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> Others had offered to make Somerville data-viewing tools for hundreds of thousands of dollars; the tools would then require tens of thousands of dollars for annual upkeep. We figured that with our Ford grant, we could work with a local technologist to develop an open source tool to educators' and parents' specifications, free to the district. Also, a &quot;free&quot; tool meant a sharable tool. Any next district or developer could then have the software for their own use. <br /> <br /> It's true that open source development produces a free tool, meaning that districts wouldn't have to buy the product itself or renew the license to use it. But those using open source tools still have to pay for services, for upkeep and troubleshooting the tool. Still, we reasoned, this can be a fraction of the cost of storebought tools. Our local technologist Seth put it this way: “Take the quarterly profit of a company like Blackboard INC (Quarter 1, 2010) and break it down into services and license fees. In just one quarter, Blackboard made only $7.3 million in services [tech support], but made $93.7 million dollars in 'product revenues' (licenses to run their software). In the K-12 context, a freely available and documented open source competitor to store-bought communication tools would free up a lot of money back to US schools.” Districts that pay lots of money for store-bought, &quot;off the shelf&quot; dashboard tools also often can find them unused by the community -- or, companies often go out of business, leaving districts searching for tech support or next products. For all these reasons, we wanted to try to build something &quot;free&quot; to community specifications instead. <br /> <br /> In all this, we've encountered the core problem with designing and creating tools from scratch, to community specifications and on a fixed budget: relying on part-time individual technologists rather than large companies. While our local technologist worked to produce tools to community specifications, he went far slower than budgeted for, leaving us unable to pilot the dashboard. We were fortunate to find another technologist, David Lord, based in San Diego, to bring the admin and teacher dashboard views to near completion for free.<br /> <br /> We note that professional-level local technologists on larger budgets might provide more immediately ready open source infrastructure for schools and districts. So can technologists with products closer to final development. Our other &quot;from scratch&quot; tool experience went better: after the same local young technologist struggled to complete our prototype Parent Connector Network hotline, a professional-level hotline was finally prototyped rapidly by Leo Burd, a new colleague at MIT's Center for Civic Media who specialized in such open source (VOIPDrupal) tools for voice-messaging and was inspired enough by the Parent Connector project that he did it for free. See the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Parent Connector Network&lt;/font&gt;]]''' project!<br /> <br /> '''The administrator view'''<br /> <br /> We based the administrator and teacher views on an Excel spreadsheet model created by Healey dad Greg Nadeau, which staff were trying to update annually by hand in 2009. In partnership with Principals Jason DeFalco and Purnima Vahdera and teacher Josh Wairi during the 2010-2011 school year, we updated fields on these views to teachers' and administrators' specifications. Most important, we made all data fields visible on one screen, so there is no need to click through multiple windows to view the desired data, as users do to see data in the district's Student Information System. Viewers can also sort up to three columns at a time simply by clicking at the top of each while holding down the shift key. Whereas the admin view lists all students in the school, the teacher view presents similar information for a single class of students. Here is the admin view, with fictional, blurred data to maintain confidentiality:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg|1000x500px|Admin Dash 2012-01-25.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''The individual view'''<br /> <br /> Our individual view (below) was designed to be used by educators, parents, and afterschool providers; it complements the &quot;admin&quot; and &quot;teacher views&quot; with additional student data that Healey parents, students, afterschool providers, and teachers named as being especially relevant to see. <br /> <br /> Importantly to the OneVille Project, this &quot;individual view&quot; also was designed to give parents and afterschool provider viewers the chance to comment ON the data and send these comments to the teacher's email inbox, sparking an exchange that could continue over email or in person. The current Student Information System only allowed viewers to view data, not comment on it. So, unless the people in a student's life were sitting together looking at the SIS, data display also couldn't easily launch a conversation between those people. <br /> <br /> Our screens also have a minimum of extra words, to enable translation for piloting. Here is the individual view’s final page, where viewers can review and submit their comments, which go to the teacher's email inbox:<br /> <br /> [[Image:NewComments.jpg|NewComments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> Note the tabs for viewing other pages at the top of the screenshot. The images below show the pages connected to each of these tabs, covering grades, test scores, attendance, and teacher summary comments.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:IndivDashSummary.jpg|IndivDashSummary.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Test scores.jpg|Test scores.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Attendance.jpg|Attendance.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:Teacher comments.jpg|Teacher comments.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In creating the individual view, we drew on a data display model from the New Visions schools in New York (http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/9thGradeTracker.pdf)<br /> combined it with Somerville’s locally designed K-6 report card, and worked with teacher Josh Wairi and his families (with advice from his students and afterschool providers) to integrate everyone’s insights into the testable product.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> <br /> '''Our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; over time have been these. See the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''for more:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; A gap in student data equals a gap in service.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; One-Stop Shopping: It seems crucial to be able to see different kinds of student data at the same time, in a single display -- and, to be able to sort that data to check for patterns.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Open source data tools could save schools across the country significant costs, IF design goes fast enough, IF community users are ready to use the tools, and IF tech support for open source tools remains available locally.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Aha! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Data dashboards|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> In addition to our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;Main ¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about data dashboards, we had other key discoveries along the way:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In addition to having the ability to quickly see and sort such basic data, diverse partners in young people’s lives need supports to communicate ABOUT basic data.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents welcome an invitation into a conversation with their child’s teachers, and even if these parents are unfamiliar with technology, these parents often see technology as an opportunity for connection, rather than an obstacle.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> Our goal in 2011-12 was to pilot and tweak these three tools with teacher Josh Wairi, Principal Purnima Vadhera, and Wairi's families/students and their afterschool providers. Our fabulous but part-time and pro bono developer in San Diego finished the tools to near-pilot readiness by late Spring 2012, but fell about 60 development hours from pilot-readiness on the admin and teacher views (and roughly 300 hours from pilot-readiness on the individual view). Remaining work: to finish tweaking the final programming &quot;tubes&quot; linking the dashboard to Somerville's Student Information System so that data could be displayed 100% glitch-free. <br /> <br /> We're disappointed to not yet pilot these tools, because throughout the design process, we’ve gotten feedback from parents, teachers, and administrators about all three dashboards’ potential value. Staff emphasized the ways the tools could support information-sharing and conversation in meetings, one-to-one interactions, and email-based conversations about the data. And in recent interviews, several immigrant parents emphasized the way the individual view dashboard could spark parent involvement: smiling, one said, &quot;Parents are not just left out of the school. With this, you are bringing them in, sucking them into the school curriculum!&quot;<br /> <br /> In a recent planning meeting with OneVille staff, Principal Vadhera described the value of the three integrated dashboard views, in contrast to the old system of hand-compiling data from different locations: “Right now, in just five minutes, I have seen a complete picture of the kid. Without even checking in with folks [other staff]. Normally, I would have to wait for them to get back to me, and bring charts and graphs to meetings. What a great way to launch conversation.”<br /> <br /> Finally, both Principal Vadhera and teacher Josh Wairi suggested that the dashboards could enhance teamwork among educators: In staff team meetings, access to each view could allow teachers and administrators to collaboratively assess a student’s basic situation and design more targeted interventions. If using the individual view, educators could then record their plan by submitting it as subject-specific comments then archived in the homeroom (lead) teacher’s email.<br /> <br /> The ultimate lesson here involves the timeline of software development, and the risks associated with community-based design research if one is literally designing a new technological tool from scratch. Developing a software application from scratch means lots of work on the developer's end before any immediate use by the community partner. The reality is that part-time technologists creating these products to community specifications, working alone on our limited budget, couldn't quite create a financially sustainable tech solution for Somerville's data viewing. We might lose confidence in local open source development, but we've learned the hard way that some developers move faster than others and that the basic need is sufficiently budgeted development hours. And, the reality is that a tool for easily seeing data &quot;all in one place&quot; otherwise may not exist in Somerville for some time due to the expense of &quot;off the shelf&quot; tools. We're optimistic that next developers can pick up right where we left off, rather than starting from scratch like we did. That's how open source development works, in fact. The code for these dashboard products is now available online and free to the next developer. See '''Technological how-tos''', below.<br /> <br /> '''The families whose children most need assistance are often the hardest to reach with technology, but they are also the most in need of such rapid access to information. Rather than say parents &quot;won't use&quot; technology, how about training?''' We’d need to continue training outreach on the dashboards during a pilot phase of the &quot;individual view,&quot; because we'd face the same challenges as anyone working to enhance collaboration around students across barriers of income, racial/ethnic background, language difference and tech literacy. Not all parents have home access to computers and internet (though phones with internet access are increasingly popular, and the individual view could be accessed by smartphone). Some parents are not functionally literate in their home language. These communication barriers block parents from understanding data even if it is on paper or shared verbally. Technology training at least offers parents skills for checking data on demand.<br /> <br /> '''While we could not pilot the dashboard in the 2011-2012 year, we have been exploring local leads to create a model of basic computer and email training run by parents, youth, or local students, for parents who need this support.''' See the [[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Parent Connector]] project. Our goal was to combine email training with training parents to use the &quot;Individual View&quot; dashboard. Another hook could be training parents to join the school's newly schoolwide, parent-created listserv. '''The school has already established a computer in the school's new Parent Welcome Center, available for parent use at prescheduled times, and there's daily availability of the computer lab in the local housing development. <br /> <br /> Even though the tools weren't finished for piloting glitch-free in Somerville in the end, the open source code (below) now exists to display data for easy viewing and sorting. And because the tools are open source, they can support next efforts at creating free educational data displays for districts or programs too often spending fortunes on storebought tools. Our entire Ford grant could have been eaten up in buying Somerville a tool off the shelf. Instead, we have added a partial tool to the “kit” by producing an open source dashboard and code next developers can modify. Still, we note that the OneVille projects in which we used preexisting free tools – Google sites or wikispaces for [[Eportfolio]] software, or Google Voice and low-cost pre-existing text messaging for the [[Summary: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|texting]] project – seeded the most longstanding local change most quickly and actually got people communicating.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> <br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> <br /> Here are some questions to ask yourself if you want to tackle similar things in your school:<br /> :➢ To support young people, what “data” should show up on any data display, and why?<br /> :➢ How does your school make data on students visible to school administrators, classroom teachers, and afterschool providers? And how about parents? Which necessary data is readily available, and which isn't?<br /> :➢ What infrastructure would support actual conversations ABOUT &quot;data,&quot; between the people who share young people? <br /> :➢ Which conversations about data should happen in person and which could be supported online? Could you do an experiment to test which works for what?<br /> :➢ What data isn’t found in any “student information system” but should still be known? By whom?<br /> :➢ Is your district spending tons of money on data display tools to get basic data in front of people?<br /> :➢ If so, how might low cost tech development or professional development on the tools you already have support such information-sharing? <br /> :➢ ***How can you ensure resources for ongoing tech modifications and tech support after you have developed your initial tool?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> <br /> [https://bitbucket.org/davidism/oneville/src]<br /> (written in Python)<br /> <br /> [https://github.com/sethwoodworth/OnevilleReportCard/ Individual View Source Code]<br /> (written in the Ruby on Rails framework)<br /> <br /> Since the individual view is not quite complete, and since we want to fully communicate our vision to future developers, here are links to the complete information for this tool:<br /> <br /> [https://oneville-report-card.heroku.com Here is the link] to the application as it currently stands.<br /> <br /> Here is the login info:<br /> email: mary@oneville.org<br /> <br /> password: marypassword<br /> <br /> and [[To-dos for individual view|here is a link]] to the list of remaining to-dos that would optimize its usefulness.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Data dashboards|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Summary:_Texting_for_Rapid_Youth_Support&diff=3423 2012-07-24T16:41:08Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Uche Amaechi, Maureen Robichaux, and Ted O'Brien for the texting project, with input from students piloting texting at Full Circle/Next Wave<br /> <br /> '''Watch a video of teacher Maureen Robichaux discussing her experience with texting:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;youtube&gt;UQmca8lQib4&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> [[Image:sheliaphone.jpg|thumb|Shelia: the joy of a cell phone for communicating whenever]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> There is often a gap in rapid, personalized support communications with young people in schools. People don’t always have time to meet face to face to discuss students’ individual needs and experiences. Many students at risk of dropping out are absent from school quite a lot. Often, teachers don’t know how youth are doing outside of school and other supporters are unaware of how youth are doing in school. All this in an era when technology could make rapid communication with young people more normal than ever in schools!<br /> <br /> Over the 2010-11 school year, we worked with two teachers and 40 young people at Somerville’s alternative middle and high school to test texting as a tool for rapid, personalized youth support. All 40 students have chosen or been forced to leave Somerville’s mainstream schools and are vulnerable to dropout. They’re also fabulous young people, and great research partners.<br /> <br /> Our initial vision was to enable an entire support “team” for each youth to communicate rapidly with the young person and one another, using whatever media would work best. We ended up finding student-teacher texting (primarily over sms, but also using various internet based services) so fruitful that we stayed with it for the entire 2010-11 year. We continued to test one-to-one texting between four new teachers and their students in 2011-12, allowing us to see what happens when people new to texting get rolling. We also briefly tested a group texting tool supporting rapid communication between “teams” of youths’ chosen supporters, and supported teachers to “blast” texts to all of their students at once.<br /> <br /> [[Image:TextingNetworkDiagramOneville.jpg|TextingNetworkDiagramOneville.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communications?===<br /> <br /> We have tried texting between teachers and individual students, with the goal of one day expanding the use of mobile messaging to support communication among a “team” of supporters of students’ choice.<br /> <br /> What we found:<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting can provide anytime, anywhere, rapid youth support and also glue together student-teacher relationships re. academics and school. The practical benefits of being able to reach people for check-ins and questions go hand in hand with the ability to build mutually supportive relationships outside the school day.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting is a “common-denominator” tool that allows more students to communicate with teachers. People can use regular phones, smart phones, and computers to communicate via text message. And for youth, text based communications are often preferable to phone calls.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting also supports personalized, two-way communication between youth and their supporters, about a range of school-related and life topics. <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt; Main ¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; To students, texts demonstrated caring because they demonstrated effort by both students and teachers to respond to the other. And as texting partners actively &quot;cared&quot; about the person on the other end of the line, texts could also make both partners care more about student success.''' As students and teachers both noted, texting allowed students and teachers to support each other as well as &quot;bond,&quot; in ways crucial for solidifying students' commitment to both teachers and school. Students made it clear that the more they felt teachers cared about them and their success, the more they wanted to succeed in school -- and that texting helped solidify this confidence.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; All texts sent between school personnel and students are school &quot;records,&quot; meaning they can be reviewed for safety and accountability as needed. At the same time, we're seeing that the feeling of quiet privacy that texting affords can jumpstart personalized support for students less likely to articulate their needs publicly in school.''' <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Articulating joint norms for safe and supportive texting is crucial.''' We brainstormed norms for safe and supportive texting together with teachers and students each time before starting our texting pilots in 2010-11 and 11-12. For example, we brainstormed rules for when texts could be sent, when responses could be expected, and what information should be &quot;shared&quot; by whom. In our pilots, both students and teachers were impressed with the level of &quot;politeness while texting&quot; that occurred. No one felt that inappropriate texts were sent.<br /> <br /> ===How does texting for rapid youth support work? How would it be implemented?===<br /> <br /> For details, see our '''[[http://wiki.oneville.org/main/Overview_and_key_findings:_Texting_for_Rapid_Youth_Support#If_You.27d_Like_To_Try_Texting_In_Your_School--A_Guide_to_Setting_Up_a_Texting_Pilot&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Guide to texting in your school&lt;/font&gt;]].<br /> <br /> :*'''Go with those teachers (and students) that are excited. '''It’s crucial to start with people who really want to communicate in a particular way — who are motivated by the technology or the flexibility. These people are most likely to innovate a new piece of communication infrastructure for their school or district. When others see what is possible, they'll join in.<br /> :*'''Spend enough time learning to use the texting technology. '''We used Google Voice, which allowed teachers to use their phones or their computers to review and send text messages. The tool also captured texts for safety and accountability.<br /> :*'''Spend enough time discussing potential and actual uses for the texting communication and support. '''Beyond exploring the current school and district policies on teacher-student communications, ask and decide: When will teachers be available? For what? How often? Will they focus on specific students or try to connect with all students equally? What supports will the teachers have within the school or district, especially if students express serious needs? <br /> :*'''Collectively set expectations and ground rules for texting communication -- ideally through a face-to-face meeting with everyone that will be involved, '''where everybody’s concerns and suggestions are heard. Draw up a contract so everybody is clear on what is appropriate. <br /> :*'''Connect each teacher with all the students who want to participate in texting. Make sure teachers have up to date contact information for all students.''' (In our pilot, even while some students lost phones or ran out of minutes, far more were able to participate than if rapid communication had depended on computers or home phones.)<br /> :*'''Schools and teachers should work to understand how their students most want to communicate and more specifically, how they use their phones before attempting to roll out a texting program.''' For example, although most students' first phones will be smartphones going forward, in 2011-12 we saw differences between middle and high school students' use of phones (see '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings.&lt;/font&gt;]]'''). We also saw in 2011-12 that far from being unaware of privacy issues online, most of the students considered privacy when engaging in computer-mediated interactions -- and tended to “trust” the privacy of texting even while texts too are forward-able. That taught us that rules for &quot;sharing&quot; need to be made very explicit with students when setting group norms. Overall, because youth habits of using technology change often, teachers should talk to students about their communication preferences and habits.<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> '''Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ In your school, when students have personal questions or needs, are there ways for them to privately and/or rapidly reach their supporters?<br /> :➢ How do teachers supplement their often-limited interactions with students during the school day?<br /> :➢ How much do teachers communicate with students and families outside of the classroom?<br /> :➢ What type of relationships and interactions do teachers have with their students, both in and outside of the classroom?<br /> :➢ What policies, structures, and norms do teachers and students have for interacting outside of class? <br /> :➢ Could texting help with rapid and/or more personalized youth support? What are your reservations about texting, and how might these be addressed?<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the texting project directly at:<br /> <br /> Uche Amaechi (amaechi@gmail.com); Maureen Robichaux (mrobichaux@k12.somerville.ma.us); Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Summary:_Texting_for_Rapid_Youth_Support&diff=3422 2012-07-24T16:40:43Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Uche Amaechi, Maureen Robichaux, and Ted O'Brien for the texting project, with input from students piloting texting at Full Circle/Next Wave<br /> <br /> '''Watch a video of teacher Maureen Robichaux discussing her experience with texting: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQmca8lQib4&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Teacher Testimonial&lt;/font&gt;]] '''<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;youtube&gt;UQmca8lQib4&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> [[Image:sheliaphone.jpg|thumb|Shelia: the joy of a cell phone for communicating whenever]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> There is often a gap in rapid, personalized support communications with young people in schools. People don’t always have time to meet face to face to discuss students’ individual needs and experiences. Many students at risk of dropping out are absent from school quite a lot. Often, teachers don’t know how youth are doing outside of school and other supporters are unaware of how youth are doing in school. All this in an era when technology could make rapid communication with young people more normal than ever in schools!<br /> <br /> Over the 2010-11 school year, we worked with two teachers and 40 young people at Somerville’s alternative middle and high school to test texting as a tool for rapid, personalized youth support. All 40 students have chosen or been forced to leave Somerville’s mainstream schools and are vulnerable to dropout. They’re also fabulous young people, and great research partners.<br /> <br /> Our initial vision was to enable an entire support “team” for each youth to communicate rapidly with the young person and one another, using whatever media would work best. We ended up finding student-teacher texting (primarily over sms, but also using various internet based services) so fruitful that we stayed with it for the entire 2010-11 year. We continued to test one-to-one texting between four new teachers and their students in 2011-12, allowing us to see what happens when people new to texting get rolling. We also briefly tested a group texting tool supporting rapid communication between “teams” of youths’ chosen supporters, and supported teachers to “blast” texts to all of their students at once.<br /> <br /> [[Image:TextingNetworkDiagramOneville.jpg|TextingNetworkDiagramOneville.jpg]]<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communications?===<br /> <br /> We have tried texting between teachers and individual students, with the goal of one day expanding the use of mobile messaging to support communication among a “team” of supporters of students’ choice.<br /> <br /> What we found:<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting can provide anytime, anywhere, rapid youth support and also glue together student-teacher relationships re. academics and school. The practical benefits of being able to reach people for check-ins and questions go hand in hand with the ability to build mutually supportive relationships outside the school day.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting is a “common-denominator” tool that allows more students to communicate with teachers. People can use regular phones, smart phones, and computers to communicate via text message. And for youth, text based communications are often preferable to phone calls.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Texting also supports personalized, two-way communication between youth and their supporters, about a range of school-related and life topics. <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt; Main ¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; To students, texts demonstrated caring because they demonstrated effort by both students and teachers to respond to the other. And as texting partners actively &quot;cared&quot; about the person on the other end of the line, texts could also make both partners care more about student success.''' As students and teachers both noted, texting allowed students and teachers to support each other as well as &quot;bond,&quot; in ways crucial for solidifying students' commitment to both teachers and school. Students made it clear that the more they felt teachers cared about them and their success, the more they wanted to succeed in school -- and that texting helped solidify this confidence.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; All texts sent between school personnel and students are school &quot;records,&quot; meaning they can be reviewed for safety and accountability as needed. At the same time, we're seeing that the feeling of quiet privacy that texting affords can jumpstart personalized support for students less likely to articulate their needs publicly in school.''' <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Articulating joint norms for safe and supportive texting is crucial.''' We brainstormed norms for safe and supportive texting together with teachers and students each time before starting our texting pilots in 2010-11 and 11-12. For example, we brainstormed rules for when texts could be sent, when responses could be expected, and what information should be &quot;shared&quot; by whom. In our pilots, both students and teachers were impressed with the level of &quot;politeness while texting&quot; that occurred. No one felt that inappropriate texts were sent.<br /> <br /> ===How does texting for rapid youth support work? How would it be implemented?===<br /> <br /> For details, see our '''[[http://wiki.oneville.org/main/Overview_and_key_findings:_Texting_for_Rapid_Youth_Support#If_You.27d_Like_To_Try_Texting_In_Your_School--A_Guide_to_Setting_Up_a_Texting_Pilot&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Guide to texting in your school&lt;/font&gt;]].<br /> <br /> :*'''Go with those teachers (and students) that are excited. '''It’s crucial to start with people who really want to communicate in a particular way — who are motivated by the technology or the flexibility. These people are most likely to innovate a new piece of communication infrastructure for their school or district. When others see what is possible, they'll join in.<br /> :*'''Spend enough time learning to use the texting technology. '''We used Google Voice, which allowed teachers to use their phones or their computers to review and send text messages. The tool also captured texts for safety and accountability.<br /> :*'''Spend enough time discussing potential and actual uses for the texting communication and support. '''Beyond exploring the current school and district policies on teacher-student communications, ask and decide: When will teachers be available? For what? How often? Will they focus on specific students or try to connect with all students equally? What supports will the teachers have within the school or district, especially if students express serious needs? <br /> :*'''Collectively set expectations and ground rules for texting communication -- ideally through a face-to-face meeting with everyone that will be involved, '''where everybody’s concerns and suggestions are heard. Draw up a contract so everybody is clear on what is appropriate. <br /> :*'''Connect each teacher with all the students who want to participate in texting. Make sure teachers have up to date contact information for all students.''' (In our pilot, even while some students lost phones or ran out of minutes, far more were able to participate than if rapid communication had depended on computers or home phones.)<br /> :*'''Schools and teachers should work to understand how their students most want to communicate and more specifically, how they use their phones before attempting to roll out a texting program.''' For example, although most students' first phones will be smartphones going forward, in 2011-12 we saw differences between middle and high school students' use of phones (see '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings.&lt;/font&gt;]]'''). We also saw in 2011-12 that far from being unaware of privacy issues online, most of the students considered privacy when engaging in computer-mediated interactions -- and tended to “trust” the privacy of texting even while texts too are forward-able. That taught us that rules for &quot;sharing&quot; need to be made very explicit with students when setting group norms. Overall, because youth habits of using technology change often, teachers should talk to students about their communication preferences and habits.<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> '''Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ In your school, when students have personal questions or needs, are there ways for them to privately and/or rapidly reach their supporters?<br /> :➢ How do teachers supplement their often-limited interactions with students during the school day?<br /> :➢ How much do teachers communicate with students and families outside of the classroom?<br /> :➢ What type of relationships and interactions do teachers have with their students, both in and outside of the classroom?<br /> :➢ What policies, structures, and norms do teachers and students have for interacting outside of class? <br /> :➢ Could texting help with rapid and/or more personalized youth support? What are your reservations about texting, and how might these be addressed?<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the texting project directly at:<br /> <br /> Uche Amaechi (amaechi@gmail.com); Maureen Robichaux (mrobichaux@k12.somerville.ma.us); Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Texting for Rapid Youth Support|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3416 2012-07-23T18:42:12Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> {|<br /> | [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|frame|A complex action game]]<br /> | [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|frame|Another action game, this time with a shark]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> {|<br /> | [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|frame|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]]<br /> | [[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|frame|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the computer infrastructure development directly at: Caroline Meeks (caroline@solutiongrove.com)</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Eportfolio&diff=3411 2012-07-23T16:13:47Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* What communication challenges did this project address? */</p> <hr /> <div>Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ''Written by Susan Klimczak and Mica Pollock, with input from OneVille co-researchers: Somerville High School ePortfolio Leaders Christopher Glynn, Michelle Li and Michael Maloney; Somerville High School teachers May Chau, Ryan Guilmartin, Maureen Halpenny, Sibby LaGambina, Suzanne Morris, Susan Olsen, Yuri Petriv, Patrick Smith, Karen Woods; Somerville High School Students Diego Aldana, Zoe Blickenderfer, Guil Cafer, Samantha Carvalho, Vanessa Cordeiro, Thiago DaCosta,Patrick Cherenfant, Nat Demkowski, Douglas Funes, Richard Guerrier, Susan Hassan, Rachel Iacomini, Ashley Joseph, Anderson Jupiter, Rocky Man, Brian Martinez, David Nwanchuku, Sonam Ngawang, Travis Price, Sergio Resendes, Kamilla Silva, Anandpreet Singh, Astrid Vasquez; Somerville education organizer Joe Beckmann; Somerville education technology scholar Alice Mello; community technologists Al Willis and EliJAH Starr<br /> <br /> [[Image:ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010.jpg||thumb|ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In the 2009-10 school year, when the OneVille Project offered to help design online portfolios (eportfolios) at Somerville High School, the Somerville School Improvement Council had already identified that the school’s paper portfolio process needed updating. Some students, teachers and administrators said they considered the existing Somerville High School paper portfolio tradition “a cumbersome collection of paper four times a year.” Teachers and students noted that these paper portfolios, largely stuffed with students’ five-paragraph essays and other assignments curated and evaluated by teachers, were “locked in a file cabinet” and rarely shown to or used by anyone except for during formal accreditation visits. A core of administrators and teachers were excited to explore online portfolios: in comparison to paper folders, online portfolios could hold multimedia documentation of student skills and allow students to share their skills with more supporters (mentors, admissions officers, employers).<br /> <br /> Groundwork for the project was laid over a year of collaboration between the OneVille ePortfolio project team and the SHS School Improvement Council and principal. Over two semesters in 2010-11, OneVille’s year-long ePortfolio participatory design project engaged a total of 12 Somerville High School (SHS) teachers and 23 students purposefully chosen to represent a full range of achievement levels and backgrounds. By spring 2011, the group’s eportfolio entries included videos of students narrating their original poetry, solving math equations, and doing physics, as well as interviews with teachers evaluating students’ negotiation skills; photos and commentary on students’ original art, science experiments, and creations from work/internship/after school experiences; and class assignments, including reflections about why students found them particularly valuable for their learning.<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;youtube&quot;&gt;9dUuCxV5D7c&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> One early student designer spoke of the communications about students’ skills and talents that the eportfolio infrastructure newly made possible:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;vimeo&quot;&gt;25157328&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> These students and teachers have sparked an emergent school tradition of such vibrant online “ePortfolios,” with curation and evaluative reflection on entries largely done by students. The ePortfolios designed through our participatory research communicate students’ full spectrum of learning and accomplishments in and out of school and are organized by a set of discrete 21st century skills rather than by broad school subject areas. ePortfolios produced with Web 2.0 tools used only free and open source software, making the ePortfolios sustainable for schools even in times of tight budgets.<br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio content.jpg|eportfolio content.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Teacher researchers and other teachers in the school have begun to actively use ePortfolios to learn about how to best support students. Many teachers in the school have begun to redesign classroom assignments to tap students’ enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 tools used in the ePortfolio process. Students are beginning to actively share ePortfolios with a wider community in and out of school, including in college applications and job interviews. <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio to whom.jpg|eportfolio to whom.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In the second half of our design year, a teacher and students developed an ePortfolio template (using Googlesites) that could be used in a schoolwide implementation. ePortfolios were implemented using this template in every SHS science class during the 2011-2012 school year. See also https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio template.jpg|thumb|eportfolio template.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In a public presentation of SHS’s ePortfolios at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard in December 2011, one researcher in the audience was so impressed that he suggested the seven presenting students must be “exemplary” students; he asked how we believed less talented students might fare with the ePortfolio process. Yet few of the seven student-presenters were honor roll students. “That shows you every student can shine at this if they put in the time and effort,” a SHS teacher said. “We are representative of the potential that everyone has,” a SHS student agreed.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communication?=== <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Eportfolios increase communication about student accomplishment across subjects and grades inside school, and about student experiences outside of school.''' Student creation and curation of ePortfolio entries across subjects and grades, and across experiences outside school, increases communication about students’ full range of skills -- and helps teachers better design and personalize instruction.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In comparison to paper portfolios, well-designed ePortfolios communicate to more people who can support young people’s success in and out of school.''' ePortfolios that can be accessed online become useful not only to teachers, counselors and administrators inside schools; they also become useful to parents, mentors &amp; tutors, colleges, and people with job and internship possibilities. Well-designed ePortfolios communicate more content and allow broader access to student work in comparison to paper portfolios. For this reason, eportfolios are increasingly cited as an indicator of school excellence in school accreditation processes.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Students making eportfolios develop a capacity to articulate the best ways they learn -- and to better advocate for themselves inside and outside school -- by reflecting on their accomplishments and learning experiences across subjects/grades, and on their out-of-school learning experiences.<br /> <br /> ===How do eportfolios work? How might they be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''Partnering with local researchers (and a foundation) in a participatory research design process that begins as a one year out-of-school-time project with participant stipends can be an effective way to develop and tailor an approach to ePortfolios that works with your school culture. <br /> :*'''Combining academics, community participants with community organizing experience, classroom teachers, and students on a participatory research design team designing ePortfolios can contribute greatly to the success of the project.<br /> :*'''Using free and open source Web 2.0 tools for ePortfolios is possible and creates equitable access to ePortfolio tools for all schools. '''Our project demonstrated that with just a little technical support, students and teachers can successfully use free and open source Web 2.0 tools to design and implement ePortfolios. <br /> :*'''Organizing ePortfolio entries by 21st century skills (rather than by school subjects) can increase the quality and usefulness of ePortfolios. '''We used a “verified resume.” <br /> :*'''Using an implementation approach guided by constructionism --giving students and teachers multiple opportunities to share and discuss their design process and their ePortfolio products --- can greatly improve a school’s ePortfolio design. '''Constructionism (developed by Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab) claims that people learn best as they make and design things, and suggests that for the greatest learning to happen, people must share both their design process and what they make with others.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;Somerville High School teachers have made a number of videos helping next teachers and students design eportfolios. Access them here: https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/ &lt;/font&gt;<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ At your school, do students get the chance to communicate the full range of what they know and can do?<br /> :➢ What kinds of preparation and planning are necessary in order to develop ePortfolios in your school or organization? <br /> :➢ What kinds of community partnerships can you develop to support ePortfolio development at your organization? <br /> :➢ What kind of resources, time and people can be devoted to developing an approach to ePortfolios at your school? <br /> :➢ What kind of equipment is available for ePortfolios at your organization? <br /> :➢ What is internet access like at your organization? <br /> :➢ What sorts of entries do you want your eportfolio to include? Can you allow teachers and students the space to experiment with categories for your school’s eportfolio entries? <br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the eportfolio project directly at:<br /> <br /> Susan Klimczak (klimczaksusan@gmail.com); Michelle Li (mli@k12.somerville.ma.us); Chris Glynn (cglynn@k12.somerville.ma.us) (extra questions can also go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> See '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] and [[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] for more!</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Summary:_Schoolwide_toolkit/parent_connector_network&diff=3409 2012-07-23T15:24:23Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* What communication challenges did this project address? */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock, Jedd Cohen, Tona Delmonico, Gina d'Haiti, and Ana Maria Nieto for the Parent Connector project, with input from parents across the Healey School (particularly Consuelo Perez, Lupe Ojeda, Sofia Perez, Maria Carvalho, Ivanete Calmon, Veronaise Chaiki, Will Thalheimer, Tracy and Dave Sullivan, Adriana Guereque, Maria Oliveira, Manoj Archarya, Claudia Ramos, and Michele Arroyo-Staggs).<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Gina.jpg|thumb|Gina, Connector to Haitian Creole speaking parents]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> Ensuring that everyone in a school can partner in student success requires overcoming structural barriers to communication between the school and families who share it. With parents, teachers, staff, and administrators at the K-8 Healey School in Somerville, we've been working toward a toolkit of tools and strategies for schoolwide communication that includes families across lines of language, income, background, literacy skills, and tech access/training. Over the course of three years, we met parents particularly committed to improving schoolwide communication and linked them in to lead the design effort.<br /> <br /> In 2010-11 and 2011-12, we focused particularly on strategies for including immigrant parents in the loop of school information and input. We focused on creating the infrastructure of a &quot;Parent Connector Network,&quot; in which bilingual volunteer parents (&quot;Connectors&quot;) help get information to and from immigrant parents who speak their language. Parents and staff have been figuring out how a combination of face-to-face communication strategies and inexpensive technology can help ensure that all parents in a multilingual and mixed-income school can access important school information and share ideas with other parents and school staff.<br /> <br /> '''Basic Parent Connector Network Model (see the bottom of this Summary page for our full set of final &quot;components&quot;):<br /> [[Image:Slide3new.jpg|Slide3new.jpg]]<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;youtube&gt;xMtoxUyPSU0&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communications?===<br /> What we found:<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Along with strong intentions to include all families, diverse schools need systems -- infrastructure -- for getting information to everyone and input from everyone. If structures don’t exist to get info out and input in, information just doesn’t get distributed, translated, or shared despite good intentions. And parent-school partnerships that could happen, don’t.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Overall, we’ve learned that committed and diverse parents can be expert innovators of communication infrastructure for including all parents because they have a full understanding of communication barriers. <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; In a multilingual school and district in particular, improving communications -- and strengthening relationships between families and educators -- requires creating a standing infrastructure for effectively tapping a key local resource: bilingualism.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Building relationships -- so diverse parents feel comfortable sharing information and ideas -- is as important as ensuring access to information and ideas.<br /> <br /> ===How do Parent Connectors work? How would it be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''The core of the Connector Network model is 2-way home-school communication facilitated by bilingual parent Connectors''' (with the coordination help of a school-based parent liaison or staff). If willing, '''bilingual parents (&quot;Connectors&quot;) might volunteer '''time to build relationships with immigrant families who speak their language and help get information to and from them. Click '''[[Overview and key findings: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|here]]''' to see how we got to this point.<br /> :*'''Connectors can call 3-5 other families once a month '''to share key information from the principal/school and to ask questions about any issues parents are facing. Connectors may accompany their families to PTA conferences and/or help them to request interpretation and set up meetings with teachers. We also learned that '''face-to-face, parent-parent relationship-building''' in school social events, like our Multilingual Coffee Hour, is key even while calls home can help with initial connections and information access. Also, we're now learning that Connectors may connect perhaps most effectively to same-language parents who share their child's own grade.<br /> :*'''Translating material efficiently requires organization -- a system for triaging and translating school information for families.''' While translating official documents will always require professional translation, '''volunteer or stipended “translator of the month” Connectors can help paid staff prioritize and translate '''school information. Bilingual volunteers can also help school staff share such information out via a multilingual schoolwide parent listserv and strategic use of school robocalls. <br /> :*'''Translated public information and parent FAQs can also go onto a free multilingual hotline to reach people who rely more on phones than the internet''' (contact us if you want to create a hotline!).<br /> :*'''Because parent volunteer availability changes, the Network needs to recruit Parent Connectors each year and on an ongoing basis.<br /> :* '''Connectors can become constant innovators of communication infrastructure. Healey Connectors in this project constantly asked, &quot;How can we reach families more effectively?&quot; '''In the spring of 2012, we started experimenting with: Connectors providing informal interpretation for parents trying to connect to teachers and staff, when families drop off their kids early in the morning or pick them up in the afternoon; creating a translated public list of services that all parents are entitled to regardless of documentation status, so that all parents and teachers are informed of what's available; and hosting multilingual parent coffee hours around town in addition to inside the school. Parents also have suggested that hosting multilingual school-related events where parents already gather (e.g., church) may be just as effective as trying to bring parents to school-based events.<br /> :*In sum, '''face-to-face elements of the Connector infrastructure by spring 2012''' included the following: a '''multilingual coffee hour, where parents can meet each other and ask questions of the principal;''' '''Connectors who link parents seeking translation, to staff before and after school;''' a '''process for Connectors to triage and then, translate key school information on to a school hotline and other channels; and '''social events where Connectors meet other parents.''' <br /> :*'''Technological elements of the Connector infrastructure''' include '''phone calls home,''' a '''hotline''' and a strategic use of '''robocalls''' for getting information to all families, a '''secure online spreadsheet''' of parent contact info for Connectors, a '''Googledoc''' of basic contact info/citywide parent services info all Connectors need to know https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eF7hZP5DUCwl92WTYcOrElUWDICTdx69WjDgs8UfOI/edit, and a '''fall parent communication form''' (see [[File: Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf|Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf]]) to help parents sign up to get a Connector and allow parents to record their preferences for contact. We’ve also been exploring computer training of parents.<br /> :*'''Here's a full diagram of the infrastructure model we created and tested:'''<br /> [[Image:Revisedinfrastructure.jpg|Revisedinfrastructure.jpg]]<br /> <br /> :*'''([[Overview and key findings: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|Here's]] a link to the story of how we got to the point of testing this “infrastructure” for multilingual translation and interpretation.)<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> '''Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ Can everyone who needs to get and share important school information, get and share it? Do parents know who to talk to when they need information?<br /> :➢ Where do you put school information so that everyone in the school can see it?<br /> :➢ How do you share parent ideas around the school?<br /> :➢ What system do you have for translation and interpretation, in particular?<br /> :➢ How can you tap local bilingualism, either paying local people to translate material or organizing bilingual volunteers to pitch in on translation and interpretation in a way that doesn't take too much of their time? <br /> :➢ How can you build on and strengthen parent-parent relationships to pull all parents into school events and conversation? <br /> :➢ What tech training do parents need in order to get information? How could you help all parents get this training?<br /> :➢ Which efforts at parent information should be a task for school staff rather than volunteers?<br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the Parent Connector Network directly at:<br /> <br /> Jedd Cohen (jic378@mail.harvard.edu); Tona DelMonico (tona_d@comcast.net) Ana Maria Nieto (amn956@mail.harvard.edu); questions on our first 2 years can go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Eportfolio&diff=3408 2012-07-23T15:11:17Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* What communication challenges did this project address? */</p> <hr /> <div>Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ''Written by Susan Klimczak and Mica Pollock, with input from OneVille co-researchers: Somerville High School ePortfolio Leaders Christopher Glynn, Michelle Li and Michael Maloney; Somerville High School teachers May Chau, Ryan Guilmartin, Maureen Halpenny, Sibby LaGambina, Suzanne Morris, Susan Olsen, Yuri Petriv, Patrick Smith, Karen Woods; Somerville High School Students Diego Aldana, Zoe Blickenderfer, Guil Cafer, Samantha Carvalho, Vanessa Cordeiro, Thiago DaCosta,Patrick Cherenfant, Nat Demkowski, Douglas Funes, Richard Guerrier, Susan Hassan, Rachel Iacomini, Ashley Joseph, Anderson Jupiter, Rocky Man, Brian Martinez, David Nwanchuku, Sonam Ngawang, Travis Price, Sergio Resendes, Kamilla Silva, Anandpreet Singh, Astrid Vasquez; Somerville education organizer Joe Beckmann; Somerville education technology scholar Alice Mello; community technologists Al Willis and EliJAH Starr<br /> <br /> [[Image:ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010.jpg||thumb|ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In the 2009-10 school year, when the OneVille Project offered to help design online portfolios (eportfolios) at Somerville High School, the Somerville School Improvement Council had already identified that the school’s paper portfolio process needed updating. Some students, teachers and administrators said they considered the existing Somerville High School paper portfolio tradition “a cumbersome collection of paper four times a year.” Teachers and students noted that these paper portfolios, largely stuffed with students’ five-paragraph essays and other assignments curated and evaluated by teachers, were “locked in a file cabinet” and rarely shown to or used by anyone except for during formal accreditation visits. A core of administrators and teachers were excited to explore online portfolios: in comparison to paper folders, online portfolios could hold multimedia documentation of student skills and allow students to share their skills with more supporters (mentors, admissions officers, employers).<br /> <br /> Groundwork for the project was laid over a year of collaboration between the OneVille ePortfolio project team and the SHS School Improvement Council and principal. Over two semesters in 2010-11, OneVille’s year-long ePortfolio participatory design project engaged a total of 12 Somerville High School (SHS) teachers and 23 students purposefully chosen to represent a full range of achievement levels and backgrounds. By spring 2011, the group’s eportfolio entries included videos of students narrating their original poetry, solving math equations, and doing physics, as well as interviews with teachers evaluating students’ negotiation skills; photos and commentary on students’ original art, science experiments, and creations from work/internship/after school experiences; and class assignments, including reflections about why students found them particularly valuable for their learning.<br /> <br /> One early student designer spoke of the communications about students’ skills and talents that the eportfolio infrastructure newly made possible:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;vimeo&quot;&gt;25157328&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> These students and teachers have sparked an emergent school tradition of such vibrant online “ePortfolios,” with curation and evaluative reflection on entries largely done by students. The ePortfolios designed through our participatory research communicate students’ full spectrum of learning and accomplishments in and out of school and are organized by a set of discrete 21st century skills rather than by broad school subject areas. ePortfolios produced with Web 2.0 tools used only free and open source software, making the ePortfolios sustainable for schools even in times of tight budgets.<br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio content.jpg|eportfolio content.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Teacher researchers and other teachers in the school have begun to actively use ePortfolios to learn about how to best support students. Many teachers in the school have begun to redesign classroom assignments to tap students’ enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 tools used in the ePortfolio process. Students are beginning to actively share ePortfolios with a wider community in and out of school, including in college applications and job interviews. <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio to whom.jpg|eportfolio to whom.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In the second half of our design year, a teacher and students developed an ePortfolio template (using Googlesites) that could be used in a schoolwide implementation. ePortfolios were implemented using this template in every SHS science class during the 2011-2012 school year. See also https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio template.jpg|thumb|eportfolio template.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In a public presentation of SHS’s ePortfolios at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard in December 2011, one researcher in the audience was so impressed that he suggested the seven presenting students must be “exemplary” students; he asked how we believed less talented students might fare with the ePortfolio process. Yet few of the seven student-presenters were honor roll students. “That shows you every student can shine at this if they put in the time and effort,” a SHS teacher said. “We are representative of the potential that everyone has,” a SHS student agreed.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communication?=== <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Eportfolios increase communication about student accomplishment across subjects and grades inside school, and about student experiences outside of school.''' Student creation and curation of ePortfolio entries across subjects and grades, and across experiences outside school, increases communication about students’ full range of skills -- and helps teachers better design and personalize instruction.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In comparison to paper portfolios, well-designed ePortfolios communicate to more people who can support young people’s success in and out of school.''' ePortfolios that can be accessed online become useful not only to teachers, counselors and administrators inside schools; they also become useful to parents, mentors &amp; tutors, colleges, and people with job and internship possibilities. Well-designed ePortfolios communicate more content and allow broader access to student work in comparison to paper portfolios. For this reason, eportfolios are increasingly cited as an indicator of school excellence in school accreditation processes.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Students making eportfolios develop a capacity to articulate the best ways they learn -- and to better advocate for themselves inside and outside school -- by reflecting on their accomplishments and learning experiences across subjects/grades, and on their out-of-school learning experiences.<br /> <br /> ===How do eportfolios work? How might they be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''Partnering with local researchers (and a foundation) in a participatory research design process that begins as a one year out-of-school-time project with participant stipends can be an effective way to develop and tailor an approach to ePortfolios that works with your school culture. <br /> :*'''Combining academics, community participants with community organizing experience, classroom teachers, and students on a participatory research design team designing ePortfolios can contribute greatly to the success of the project.<br /> :*'''Using free and open source Web 2.0 tools for ePortfolios is possible and creates equitable access to ePortfolio tools for all schools. '''Our project demonstrated that with just a little technical support, students and teachers can successfully use free and open source Web 2.0 tools to design and implement ePortfolios. <br /> :*'''Organizing ePortfolio entries by 21st century skills (rather than by school subjects) can increase the quality and usefulness of ePortfolios. '''We used a “verified resume.” <br /> :*'''Using an implementation approach guided by constructionism --giving students and teachers multiple opportunities to share and discuss their design process and their ePortfolio products --- can greatly improve a school’s ePortfolio design. '''Constructionism (developed by Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab) claims that people learn best as they make and design things, and suggests that for the greatest learning to happen, people must share both their design process and what they make with others.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;Somerville High School teachers have made a number of videos helping next teachers and students design eportfolios. Access them here: https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/ &lt;/font&gt;<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ At your school, do students get the chance to communicate the full range of what they know and can do?<br /> :➢ What kinds of preparation and planning are necessary in order to develop ePortfolios in your school or organization? <br /> :➢ What kinds of community partnerships can you develop to support ePortfolio development at your organization? <br /> :➢ What kind of resources, time and people can be devoted to developing an approach to ePortfolios at your school? <br /> :➢ What kind of equipment is available for ePortfolios at your organization? <br /> :➢ What is internet access like at your organization? <br /> :➢ What sorts of entries do you want your eportfolio to include? Can you allow teachers and students the space to experiment with categories for your school’s eportfolio entries? <br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the eportfolio project directly at:<br /> <br /> Susan Klimczak (klimczaksusan@gmail.com); Michelle Li (mli@k12.somerville.ma.us); Chris Glynn (cglynn@k12.somerville.ma.us) (extra questions can also go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> See '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] and [[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] for more!</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Eportfolio&diff=3407 2012-07-23T15:09:46Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* What communication challenges did this project address? */</p> <hr /> <div>Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ''Written by Susan Klimczak and Mica Pollock, with input from OneVille co-researchers: Somerville High School ePortfolio Leaders Christopher Glynn, Michelle Li and Michael Maloney; Somerville High School teachers May Chau, Ryan Guilmartin, Maureen Halpenny, Sibby LaGambina, Suzanne Morris, Susan Olsen, Yuri Petriv, Patrick Smith, Karen Woods; Somerville High School Students Diego Aldana, Zoe Blickenderfer, Guil Cafer, Samantha Carvalho, Vanessa Cordeiro, Thiago DaCosta,Patrick Cherenfant, Nat Demkowski, Douglas Funes, Richard Guerrier, Susan Hassan, Rachel Iacomini, Ashley Joseph, Anderson Jupiter, Rocky Man, Brian Martinez, David Nwanchuku, Sonam Ngawang, Travis Price, Sergio Resendes, Kamilla Silva, Anandpreet Singh, Astrid Vasquez; Somerville education organizer Joe Beckmann; Somerville education technology scholar Alice Mello; community technologists Al Willis and EliJAH Starr<br /> <br /> [[Image:ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010.jpg||thumb|ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In the 2009-10 school year, when the OneVille Project offered to help design online portfolios (eportfolios) at Somerville High School, the Somerville School Improvement Council had already identified that the school’s paper portfolio process needed updating. Some students, teachers and administrators said they considered the existing Somerville High School paper portfolio tradition “a cumbersome collection of paper four times a year.” Teachers and students noted that these paper portfolios, largely stuffed with students’ five-paragraph essays and other assignments curated and evaluated by teachers, were “locked in a file cabinet” and rarely shown to or used by anyone except for during formal accreditation visits. A core of administrators and teachers were excited to explore online portfolios: in comparison to paper folders, online portfolios could hold multimedia documentation of student skills and allow students to share their skills with more supporters (mentors, admissions officers, employers).<br /> <br /> Groundwork for the project was laid over a year of collaboration between the OneVille ePortfolio project team and the SHS School Improvement Council and principal. Over two semesters in 2010-11, OneVille’s year-long ePortfolio participatory design project engaged a total of 12 Somerville High School (SHS) teachers and 23 students purposefully chosen to represent a full range of achievement levels and backgrounds. By spring 2011, the group’s eportfolio entries included videos of students narrating their original poetry, solving math equations, and doing physics, as well as interviews with teachers evaluating students’ negotiation skills; photos and commentary on students’ original art, science experiments, and creations from work/internship/after school experiences; and class assignments, including reflections about why students found them particularly valuable for their learning.<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;quicktime&quot;&gt;File=OneVille Presentation.mov|width=320|height=240|autoplay=true&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> One early student designer spoke of the communications about students’ skills and talents that the eportfolio infrastructure newly made possible:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;vimeo&quot;&gt;25157328&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> These students and teachers have sparked an emergent school tradition of such vibrant online “ePortfolios,” with curation and evaluative reflection on entries largely done by students. The ePortfolios designed through our participatory research communicate students’ full spectrum of learning and accomplishments in and out of school and are organized by a set of discrete 21st century skills rather than by broad school subject areas. ePortfolios produced with Web 2.0 tools used only free and open source software, making the ePortfolios sustainable for schools even in times of tight budgets.<br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio content.jpg|eportfolio content.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Teacher researchers and other teachers in the school have begun to actively use ePortfolios to learn about how to best support students. Many teachers in the school have begun to redesign classroom assignments to tap students’ enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 tools used in the ePortfolio process. Students are beginning to actively share ePortfolios with a wider community in and out of school, including in college applications and job interviews. <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio to whom.jpg|eportfolio to whom.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In the second half of our design year, a teacher and students developed an ePortfolio template (using Googlesites) that could be used in a schoolwide implementation. ePortfolios were implemented using this template in every SHS science class during the 2011-2012 school year. See also https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio template.jpg|thumb|eportfolio template.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In a public presentation of SHS’s ePortfolios at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard in December 2011, one researcher in the audience was so impressed that he suggested the seven presenting students must be “exemplary” students; he asked how we believed less talented students might fare with the ePortfolio process. Yet few of the seven student-presenters were honor roll students. “That shows you every student can shine at this if they put in the time and effort,” a SHS teacher said. “We are representative of the potential that everyone has,” a SHS student agreed.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communication?=== <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Eportfolios increase communication about student accomplishment across subjects and grades inside school, and about student experiences outside of school.''' Student creation and curation of ePortfolio entries across subjects and grades, and across experiences outside school, increases communication about students’ full range of skills -- and helps teachers better design and personalize instruction.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In comparison to paper portfolios, well-designed ePortfolios communicate to more people who can support young people’s success in and out of school.''' ePortfolios that can be accessed online become useful not only to teachers, counselors and administrators inside schools; they also become useful to parents, mentors &amp; tutors, colleges, and people with job and internship possibilities. Well-designed ePortfolios communicate more content and allow broader access to student work in comparison to paper portfolios. For this reason, eportfolios are increasingly cited as an indicator of school excellence in school accreditation processes.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Students making eportfolios develop a capacity to articulate the best ways they learn -- and to better advocate for themselves inside and outside school -- by reflecting on their accomplishments and learning experiences across subjects/grades, and on their out-of-school learning experiences.<br /> <br /> ===How do eportfolios work? How might they be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''Partnering with local researchers (and a foundation) in a participatory research design process that begins as a one year out-of-school-time project with participant stipends can be an effective way to develop and tailor an approach to ePortfolios that works with your school culture. <br /> :*'''Combining academics, community participants with community organizing experience, classroom teachers, and students on a participatory research design team designing ePortfolios can contribute greatly to the success of the project.<br /> :*'''Using free and open source Web 2.0 tools for ePortfolios is possible and creates equitable access to ePortfolio tools for all schools. '''Our project demonstrated that with just a little technical support, students and teachers can successfully use free and open source Web 2.0 tools to design and implement ePortfolios. <br /> :*'''Organizing ePortfolio entries by 21st century skills (rather than by school subjects) can increase the quality and usefulness of ePortfolios. '''We used a “verified resume.” <br /> :*'''Using an implementation approach guided by constructionism --giving students and teachers multiple opportunities to share and discuss their design process and their ePortfolio products --- can greatly improve a school’s ePortfolio design. '''Constructionism (developed by Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab) claims that people learn best as they make and design things, and suggests that for the greatest learning to happen, people must share both their design process and what they make with others.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;Somerville High School teachers have made a number of videos helping next teachers and students design eportfolios. Access them here: https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/ &lt;/font&gt;<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ At your school, do students get the chance to communicate the full range of what they know and can do?<br /> :➢ What kinds of preparation and planning are necessary in order to develop ePortfolios in your school or organization? <br /> :➢ What kinds of community partnerships can you develop to support ePortfolio development at your organization? <br /> :➢ What kind of resources, time and people can be devoted to developing an approach to ePortfolios at your school? <br /> :➢ What kind of equipment is available for ePortfolios at your organization? <br /> :➢ What is internet access like at your organization? <br /> :➢ What sorts of entries do you want your eportfolio to include? Can you allow teachers and students the space to experiment with categories for your school’s eportfolio entries? <br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the eportfolio project directly at:<br /> <br /> Susan Klimczak (klimczaksusan@gmail.com); Michelle Li (mli@k12.somerville.ma.us); Chris Glynn (cglynn@k12.somerville.ma.us) (extra questions can also go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> See '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] and [[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] for more!</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Eportfolio&diff=3406 2012-07-23T15:06:59Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ''Written by Susan Klimczak and Mica Pollock, with input from OneVille co-researchers: Somerville High School ePortfolio Leaders Christopher Glynn, Michelle Li and Michael Maloney; Somerville High School teachers May Chau, Ryan Guilmartin, Maureen Halpenny, Sibby LaGambina, Suzanne Morris, Susan Olsen, Yuri Petriv, Patrick Smith, Karen Woods; Somerville High School Students Diego Aldana, Zoe Blickenderfer, Guil Cafer, Samantha Carvalho, Vanessa Cordeiro, Thiago DaCosta,Patrick Cherenfant, Nat Demkowski, Douglas Funes, Richard Guerrier, Susan Hassan, Rachel Iacomini, Ashley Joseph, Anderson Jupiter, Rocky Man, Brian Martinez, David Nwanchuku, Sonam Ngawang, Travis Price, Sergio Resendes, Kamilla Silva, Anandpreet Singh, Astrid Vasquez; Somerville education organizer Joe Beckmann; Somerville education technology scholar Alice Mello; community technologists Al Willis and EliJAH Starr<br /> <br /> [[Image:ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010.jpg||thumb|ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In the 2009-10 school year, when the OneVille Project offered to help design online portfolios (eportfolios) at Somerville High School, the Somerville School Improvement Council had already identified that the school’s paper portfolio process needed updating. Some students, teachers and administrators said they considered the existing Somerville High School paper portfolio tradition “a cumbersome collection of paper four times a year.” Teachers and students noted that these paper portfolios, largely stuffed with students’ five-paragraph essays and other assignments curated and evaluated by teachers, were “locked in a file cabinet” and rarely shown to or used by anyone except for during formal accreditation visits. A core of administrators and teachers were excited to explore online portfolios: in comparison to paper folders, online portfolios could hold multimedia documentation of student skills and allow students to share their skills with more supporters (mentors, admissions officers, employers).<br /> <br /> Groundwork for the project was laid over a year of collaboration between the OneVille ePortfolio project team and the SHS School Improvement Council and principal. Over two semesters in 2010-11, OneVille’s year-long ePortfolio participatory design project engaged a total of 12 Somerville High School (SHS) teachers and 23 students purposefully chosen to represent a full range of achievement levels and backgrounds. By spring 2011, the group’s eportfolio entries included videos of students narrating their original poetry, solving math equations, and doing physics, as well as interviews with teachers evaluating students’ negotiation skills; photos and commentary on students’ original art, science experiments, and creations from work/internship/after school experiences; and class assignments, including reflections about why students found them particularly valuable for their learning.<br /> <br /> &lt;qt&gt;file=OneVille Presentation.mov|width=320|height=240|autoplay=true&lt;/qt&gt;<br /> <br /> One early student designer spoke of the communications about students’ skills and talents that the eportfolio infrastructure newly made possible:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;vimeo&quot;&gt;25157328&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> These students and teachers have sparked an emergent school tradition of such vibrant online “ePortfolios,” with curation and evaluative reflection on entries largely done by students. The ePortfolios designed through our participatory research communicate students’ full spectrum of learning and accomplishments in and out of school and are organized by a set of discrete 21st century skills rather than by broad school subject areas. ePortfolios produced with Web 2.0 tools used only free and open source software, making the ePortfolios sustainable for schools even in times of tight budgets.<br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio content.jpg|eportfolio content.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Teacher researchers and other teachers in the school have begun to actively use ePortfolios to learn about how to best support students. Many teachers in the school have begun to redesign classroom assignments to tap students’ enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 tools used in the ePortfolio process. Students are beginning to actively share ePortfolios with a wider community in and out of school, including in college applications and job interviews. <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio to whom.jpg|eportfolio to whom.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In the second half of our design year, a teacher and students developed an ePortfolio template (using Googlesites) that could be used in a schoolwide implementation. ePortfolios were implemented using this template in every SHS science class during the 2011-2012 school year. See also https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio template.jpg|thumb|eportfolio template.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In a public presentation of SHS’s ePortfolios at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard in December 2011, one researcher in the audience was so impressed that he suggested the seven presenting students must be “exemplary” students; he asked how we believed less talented students might fare with the ePortfolio process. Yet few of the seven student-presenters were honor roll students. “That shows you every student can shine at this if they put in the time and effort,” a SHS teacher said. “We are representative of the potential that everyone has,” a SHS student agreed.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communication?=== <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Eportfolios increase communication about student accomplishment across subjects and grades inside school, and about student experiences outside of school.''' Student creation and curation of ePortfolio entries across subjects and grades, and across experiences outside school, increases communication about students’ full range of skills -- and helps teachers better design and personalize instruction.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In comparison to paper portfolios, well-designed ePortfolios communicate to more people who can support young people’s success in and out of school.''' ePortfolios that can be accessed online become useful not only to teachers, counselors and administrators inside schools; they also become useful to parents, mentors &amp; tutors, colleges, and people with job and internship possibilities. Well-designed ePortfolios communicate more content and allow broader access to student work in comparison to paper portfolios. For this reason, eportfolios are increasingly cited as an indicator of school excellence in school accreditation processes.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Students making eportfolios develop a capacity to articulate the best ways they learn -- and to better advocate for themselves inside and outside school -- by reflecting on their accomplishments and learning experiences across subjects/grades, and on their out-of-school learning experiences.<br /> <br /> ===How do eportfolios work? How might they be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''Partnering with local researchers (and a foundation) in a participatory research design process that begins as a one year out-of-school-time project with participant stipends can be an effective way to develop and tailor an approach to ePortfolios that works with your school culture. <br /> :*'''Combining academics, community participants with community organizing experience, classroom teachers, and students on a participatory research design team designing ePortfolios can contribute greatly to the success of the project.<br /> :*'''Using free and open source Web 2.0 tools for ePortfolios is possible and creates equitable access to ePortfolio tools for all schools. '''Our project demonstrated that with just a little technical support, students and teachers can successfully use free and open source Web 2.0 tools to design and implement ePortfolios. <br /> :*'''Organizing ePortfolio entries by 21st century skills (rather than by school subjects) can increase the quality and usefulness of ePortfolios. '''We used a “verified resume.” <br /> :*'''Using an implementation approach guided by constructionism --giving students and teachers multiple opportunities to share and discuss their design process and their ePortfolio products --- can greatly improve a school’s ePortfolio design. '''Constructionism (developed by Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab) claims that people learn best as they make and design things, and suggests that for the greatest learning to happen, people must share both their design process and what they make with others.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;Somerville High School teachers have made a number of videos helping next teachers and students design eportfolios. Access them here: https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/ &lt;/font&gt;<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ At your school, do students get the chance to communicate the full range of what they know and can do?<br /> :➢ What kinds of preparation and planning are necessary in order to develop ePortfolios in your school or organization? <br /> :➢ What kinds of community partnerships can you develop to support ePortfolio development at your organization? <br /> :➢ What kind of resources, time and people can be devoted to developing an approach to ePortfolios at your school? <br /> :➢ What kind of equipment is available for ePortfolios at your organization? <br /> :➢ What is internet access like at your organization? <br /> :➢ What sorts of entries do you want your eportfolio to include? Can you allow teachers and students the space to experiment with categories for your school’s eportfolio entries? <br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the eportfolio project directly at:<br /> <br /> Susan Klimczak (klimczaksusan@gmail.com); Michelle Li (mli@k12.somerville.ma.us); Chris Glynn (cglynn@k12.somerville.ma.us) (extra questions can also go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> See '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] and [[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] for more!</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Schoolwide_toolkit/parent_connector_network&diff=3361 2012-07-22T17:33:24Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our work, and our ¡Ahas! */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock (2009-11 work), Jedd Cohen, Tona Delmonico, Gina d'Haiti, and Ana Maria Nieto for the Parent Connector project, with input from parents across the Healey School (particularly Consuelo Perez, Lupe Ojeda, Sofia Perez, Maria Carvalho, Ivanete Calmon, Veronaise Chaiki, Will Thalheimer, Tracy and Dave Sullivan, Adriana Guereque, Maria Oliveira, Manoj Archarya, Claudia Ramos, and Michele Arroyo-Staggs).<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Maria and Seth.jpg|thumb|Maria, Connector to Portuguese-speaking parents, and Seth, local technologist, working together on a hotline recording]]<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> At Somerville’s Healey School (K-8), as in many U.S. schools, parents hail from across the globe and speak many languages. And as in many schools, language barriers often keep parents from being equally informed about school issues, events, and even educational opportunities. So do disparities in tech access, tech training, and time -- as well as gaps in personal relationship and connections. Lots of people at the Healey talked about needing better school-home and parent-parent communication, particularly to fully include immigrant families, families without computer access/knowledge, families with low literacy skills, and families who couldn’t or didn’t show up often in person at the school.<br /> <br /> So, we operated from a central principle already core to the Healey School: a child can’t be educated as effectively if parents aren’t included as key partners in the project. So, schools should ensure access to school information and pull all parents into dialogue about improving their children’s school experience. Info out, input in.<br /> <br /> The Healey School enrolls a full U.S. range of families with different communication habits and needs. Some email the principal and Superintendent regularly. Some parents have no computers and no internet. A listserv has long enrolled only some. Robocalls home go in four languages; handouts home often don't. For many, parent teacher conferences require interpreters, and accessing those interpreters itself is a structural communication need, in part because some parents don't know how to access the service and in part because many of the parents who need interpretation are incredibly busy - sometimes working multiple jobs. One Portuguese-speaking dad worked such long hours he didn't even have time to come to school to post a sign saying he wanted to find and pay another parent to help him drive his daughter to school. In addition, parent and staff efforts to make an appointment to talk to one another with interpretation services can also get lost in the crush of meeting student needs: One Spanish-speaking parent told us she’d tried a number of times throughout the year, unsuccessfully, to meet with her child’s teacher in person. <br /> <br /> In contrast, some families, particularly English-speaking families, volunteer many hours in classrooms during the school day and so get regular access to their child’s teacher. Many such families also are on committees that meet after school and so, take the opportunity then to contribute ideas to the school. Over the years, we saw that families who saw each other regularly at face to face school events also made friends, joined listservs, signed up in directories, and showed up at next events.<br /> <br /> As we describe below and in the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] ''', when we began in 2009 we first worked on several strategies to support diverse parents to share ideas and information, and to build relationship (Reading Nights, Parent Issue Dialogues). Then, we focused on the challenge of multilingual communication, because language barriers particularly have excluded many Healey parents from full participation. The Multilingual Coffee Hour, begun in 2009, was our first explicitly multilingual effort. Then, in 2010-11 and 11-12, the Parent Connector Network has focused fully on parents reaching out to other parents who speak the district's three main languages other than English: Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. We've also been working to build personal relationships between bilingual parents and recent immigrant parents, in order to bring more voices into school debates and more people into school events and leadership -- as well as help the school respond more quickly to parent needs.<br /> <br /> Begun in Winter 2010, the Parent Connector Network now supports translation and parent-school relationships, by connecting bilingual parents (“Connectors”) to more recently immigrated parents face-to-face, and via a phone tree and multilingual hotline. The Parent Connector Network is now run largely by parents and community members, with coordination efforts by a OneVille community staff member handed to school staff; Connectors continue to innovate the Network model in partnership with school administrators and staff and with the blessing of District administration. Our hope is that new part-time Parent Liaisons being hired by the District for schools like the Healey will also help the volunteer Connectors coordinate their work.<br /> <br /> Beginning in spring 2012, Connectors started to use a multilingual call-in hotline (which our MIT friend Leo Burd made for us with open source VOIPDrupal software) to share out school information, to help ensure that information reaches English language-learning families and families with fewer tech and literacy skills. As Connector relationships and incoming parent requests and ideas grow in the future, Connectors may use Google forms to gather and prioritize school information. (Google forms are simple online forms that allow multiple people to input information that gets stored in a basic online database.) We tried that strategy briefly in 2010-11 but didn't yet need it: so far, Connectors have been able to handle individual parent needs by simply relaying requests and issues to appropriate staff.<br /> <br /> By spring 2012, we were working with 5 Spanish-speaking Connectors, and 1 Portuguese-speaking, 1 French-speaking (for Haitian Creole-speaking families), and 1 Hindi and Nepali-speaking Parent Connector. Each Connector is asked to call 3 - 5 other families once a month to share key information from the principal/school and to ask questions about any issues parents are facing. The Connectors are also on-call to parents during the school year to help them find answers to both general and specific questions or concerns they may have about their child’s school. (e.g., some Connectors have received calls about issues like summer school enrollment, or about how to reach the district’s Parent Information Center to enroll a new cousin in a school.) <br /> <br /> That spring, we also successfully tested a strategy of having volunteer Connectors wear &quot;badges&quot; as informal interpreters or contacts available to any school parent at the beginning of some school days, to enable more parent-parent connections and a clear route to get &quot;on demand&quot; interpretation for early morning conversations with staff.<br /> <br /> Connectors also are starting to act as volunteer “Translators of the Month” for each main language group, helping to translate a monthly set of school information for our Healey Hotline. This translated material can then be used for other school media (listserv, handouts, flyers, etc.). These Translators won't translate the official information the school or district is legally required to make accessible to all parents. (Civil rights law requires that all parents have an equal opportunity to access important school information; some such information involves specialized lingo and definitely requires formally trained professionals.) But so far, volunteers and, stipended Connectors ($15/hr) are willing to help produce an additional stream of translated material for the school. (As we describe below, we later found that in-person support to access interpretation helped ELL families to feel comfortable meeting with their teachers.)<br /> <br /> In fall 2011, we also successfully argued for creating a part-time liaison role (five hours per week paid by the school) for staff already employed by the school to support the Connector Network. The liaison role provides a range of crucial supports for the network that a school employee is best positioned to do. For example, the liaison can help summarize school information for translation by the translators of the month, summarize parent needs for the administration, recruit new parents at in-school events, and respond appropriately to serious or ongoing parent needs -- beyond what a volunteer parent can or should do. The role requires not only a strong connection to local immigrant communities but skills in tracking and managing multiple relationships and projects simultaneously. Several staff members tried the role, and one particularly willing staff member volunteered her time.<br /> <br /> The role is currently distributed across the volunteer staff member, several parent leaders, and a OneVille community staff coordinator. Our final goal has been to transfer these responsibilities away from OneVille paid staff and fully onto staff and parent leadership, and we spent the spring 2012 semester building the staff skills to do this, supporting parent leadership, and piloting the full combination of multilingual hotline, connectors, and parent liaison work.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:(2)Slide1.jpg|Slide1.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:(2)Slide2.jpg|Slide2.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:(2)Slide3.jpg|Slide3.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''See the bottom of this Overview page for the final set of &quot;components&quot; we were implementing by spring 2012.'''<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> Work informing the Parent Connector Network began in a 2009-10 series of Reading Nights and Parent Dialogues, and a Multilingual Coffee Hour that continued in 2010-11 as part of the Parent Connector Network infrastructure. We learned a huge amount in that work and we built relationships that enabled the development of the Parent Connector Network. '''Click [[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|here]] for the full backstory!''' <br /> <br /> As a multilingual group of parents and staff (a few of whom speak only English), it has taken us two years to fully understand:<br /> <br /> 1) The barriers in the way of adult English learners' participation in English-dominant schools;<br /> <br /> 2) The sort of systemic communication &quot;infrastructure&quot; necessary to include more immigrant parents as partners in the project of supporting young people;<br /> <br /> 3) How to find and recruit people with the skills needed to implement the infrastructure, and how a volunteer-based project can delegate responsibility across available community members (and, stipend key people for leadership roles.)<br /> <br /> Some main '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;''' over time have been these:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Overall, we’ve learned that committed and diverse parents can be expert innovators of communication infrastructure for including all parents because they have a full understanding of communication barriers.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In a multilingual school and district in particular, local bilingualism is a key resource for strengthening communications and relationships between families and educators.''' The key is tapping local bilingualism in strategic ways.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; To fully engage all parents in a multilingual and diverse school, each effort to engage parents requires multiple efforts to make communication fully inclusive. Barriers to full inclusion exist every step of the way. So, we have come to think in terms of creating a full &quot;infrastructure&quot; for schoolwide communication (and low-cost translation and interpretation in particular).''' For example, to reach parents across tech access barriers, a Reading Night linking three kindergarten classrooms and a Special Education classroom required advertising the event not only using the school's listserv, but also via paper handouts and displays on the kindergarten hallway's wall. Including all parents during the event also required actively tapping parents' own bilingualism, by engaging parents in translating conversation in multilingual groups. To get parents to a Multilingual Coffee Hour or PTA Night event, we needed to learn how to record multilingual invitation messages on the school's &quot;robocall&quot; system; then, we had to experiment with which recorded voices made the event seem most appealing to parents. We also experimented with recording targeted robocalls to one language group at a time, instead of recording all four at once. This was because on parents' home answering machines, robocalls often cut off after the first two languages -- and because Portuguese and Haitian Creole translations were always last after English and Spanish, those languages often didn't get heard. <br /> <br /> Before we started working on the Parent Connector Network in Winter 2011, we worked with families and teachers in other efforts to improve parent-school and parent-parent connections. Most of all, we had to build relationships across parents and staff who cared deeply about including everyone. These friends became key partners in innovation. <br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Ahas! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> Additional &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!s&lt;/font color&gt; about schoolwide communication included the following.<br /> <br /> ''READING NIGHT AHA:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Running up the Healey stairs to a Reading Night.jpg|thumb|Running up the Healey stairs to a Reading Night]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Consuelopizza.jpg|thumb|Consuelo, mastermind of the Multilingual Coffee Hour, and her OneVille pizza: our best Reading Night advertisement]]<br /> <br /> '''Reading Night was about building initial relationships and friendships between parents as much as it was about sharing reading tips.''' These relationships became crucial to all of the work we all did together at the Healey over the next three years.<br /> <br /> ''MULTILINGUAL COFFEE HOUR AHAS:<br /> <br /> The Multilingual Coffee Hour started in 2010-11 and then became a key piece of the Parent Connector Network infrastructure the following year. We realized:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Making parent gatherings explicitly multilingual encourages speakers of languages other than English to ask questions and offer opinions. In addition, multilingual events -- events where people take the time to translate for one another and, encourage others to speak in their own language -- also help parents and staff appreciate their peers' language talents.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Dave.jpg|thumb|Dave, multilingual coffee hour enthusiast and 2011 PTA president]]<br /> <br /> ''PARENT-PARENT ISSUE DIALOGUE AHAS:<br /> <br /> In 2010-11, several Parent-Parent Issue Dialogues helped a number of Healey parents debate a fundamental and controversial issue about their school's future: integrating several historically separate student programs. We realized the following in these efforts: <br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents have few or no opportunities to talk to each other or to decisionmakers in organized settings, about major issues in their school. This means that their ideas and energy for improvement go untapped. Parents with tech access and knowledge (e.g., parents on a school listserv), and English speakers, are often far better informed and included in such debates.<br /> <br /> :'''*TURNING POINT:''' With the Healey in the midst of integrating several historically separated programs, parents focused for 2010-11 and then 11-12 on improving infrastructure for schoolwide communication -- and particularly, on including immigrant parents in the loop of school information and input. We designed the Parent Connector Network.<br /> <br /> :'''*&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt;/TURNING POINT: Try focusing on the most-blocked communication first.''' In this case, after trying a number of efforts to link parents at the school in dialogue (another important barrier at the Healey was the need to build relationship between newer, higher-income English-speaking Somerville residents and older, lower-income English-speaking Somerville residents), we focused on addressing the language barriers making communication particularly difficult.<br /> <br /> ''PARENT CONNECTOR NETWORK AHAS:<br /> <br /> In addition to the main '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;'''above, we realized the following:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Innovation requires experimenting with communication solutions, even if strategies aren't guaranteed to work.''' In our case, we tested a number of solutions for getting school info “out” and parent input “in” across boundaries of language, and building relationships across those boundaries.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; While asking how schools get info out, we also have to ask how they get input in. How do schools hear about and then respond to parents’ ongoing problems and concerns?<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; School-home communication relies in part on parents building relationships and connections with other parents.''' Parents said they came to PTA night or other such school events because someone they knew invited them -- that a friendly face would be waiting at the event (&quot;Come to this event, and I'll be there to support you&quot;). Tech tools like phones, hotlines, or listservs can amplify and extend that ultimate resource for parent-parent connection: relationship-building. One of our Connectors had an ¡Aha! that others echoed across the OneVille Project: “My main conclusion is that relationships matter and they are what makes everything work.”<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Creating “infrastructure” that makes interpretation and translation more efficient requires figuring out who to pay for what.''' The people who share a school can, will, and should volunteer their time to help the school and other families communicate. But only up to a certain point. When workload is too heavy or when professional skills are necessary -- and, to embed the project into the core work of the school -- projects need to pay staff whose job it is to help include all parents. For example, communication on individual parents’ serious personal needs will have to be covered by paid staff, freeing volunteers to be friends, info-sharers and links TO paid staff. But making translation mechanisms more efficient (e.g., trying a hotline to get info to many parents at once; triaging info to be translated by volunteers or stipended parents on the hotline) can save staff time that otherwise is spent explaining things repeatedly.<br /> <br /> '''Some key turning points in developing the Connector role:'''<br /> <br /> By late January, 2012, we began to feel that phone calls pairing Connectors to a subset of families weren't enough. The Connector Network had grown to a total of nine bilingual Connectors paired with dozens of families for phone calls &quot;out,&quot; but parents weren't asking much of their Connectors, and putting effort into getting parents to school-based events started to seem less profitable than perhaps scheduling events where parents themselves already were. Parent Connectors met together to brainstorm next steps on information-sharing and relationship-building:<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT: In spring 2012, we pursued a deepened focus on face-to-face, rather than phone-to-phone connection. '''The Connectors brainstormed several sites of rich communication in daily school life to build on next:<br /> <br /> :*Often, we saw ELL (English language learning) parents waiting before and after school to ask questions of a single bilingual staff member. To support these face-to-face connections, we found it useful to stipend three connectors to spend additional hours before and after school, to help connect parents directly to the staff member they wanted to talk with.<br /> <br /> :*Parents also find that communication about their child’s classroom, rather than about the whole school, is much more engaging and rewarding. So next year, Connectors will begin to pair up with grade level teams or even with particular &quot;classroom parents&quot; to share classroom-level information with families in their child's class or grade.<br /> <br /> :*Next year, Connectors plan to hold monthly multilingual coffee hours outside of the school, at places where parents already gather -- e.g., at the Portuguese Club, the Haitian Coalition, or the Mystic Housing Project.<br /> <br /> '''Some key turning points in developing the Connector Network's technological infrastructure:'''<br /> <br /> :*Leo Burd, a new friend from MIT's Center for Civic Media, finished an improved version of our '''hotline''' in spring 2012. We stipended three Connectors each month to translate the info update into three languages and record it on the hotline. The Connectors began to call families simply to let them know the hotline was a resource, and Connectors sent out a robocall in the school's main languages to announce the hotline via the school’s automatic messaging system. We think the hotline may relieve the Connectors of having to share schoolwide information with families. This, in turn, would allow Connectors to focus all their energy on more personalized outreach.<br /> <br /> :*During the 2011-12 schoolyear, we also created a '''Googledoc''' of basic contact info/citywide parent services info all Connectors need to know: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eF7hZP5DUCwl92WTYcOrElUWDICTdx69WjDgs8UfOI/edit<br /> <br /> :*We helped Purnima Vadhera, the 2011-12 principal, make a '''fall parent communication form''' (see [[File: Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf|Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf]]) that will help parents sign up to get a Connector, make it easier to get parents’ phone numbers, and allow parents to record their preferences for contact (texting? listserv? classroom listserv?) and indicate whether they need email training.<br /> <br /> :*Finally, we began teaming up with parent leaders and local community organizations to explore offering '''computer, internet, and email listserv training''' to parents. In a multilingual community where not everyone uses computers, some lack access to information because of translation gaps and some because of a gap in basic tech knowledge. We learned early on in our work in Somerville that the problem for parents was often not necessarily one of computer access (the nearby housing project has many computers) as much as one of training. Even English-speaking parents in the school’s magnet program didn't know how to get on its listserv; many parents didn't know how to use a computer's basic functions. Now that the school’s programs have merged and the Healey school is creating a schoolwide listerv, these issues will rise to the fore. And having parents develop and participate in a multilingual school listserv could be a powerful new frontier for parent inclusion.<br /> <br /> In our 2011-12 work, we've also gleaned some very practical lessons about '''how to implement the Parent Connector infrastructure:<br /> <br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Bilingual volunteers may engage parents more effectively in school activities if they reach out to parents with a specific offer or request rather than a generic offer that requires parents to actively seek their help.''' For e.g., the generic offer &quot;to provide school information and help answer your questions whenever you need it&quot; may be less effective than “I’ll come with you to parent-teacher conferences next week,” or “Come to a Brazilian dance performance at the school on Friday.&quot;<br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In order to engage ELL families with the most excitement in schools, a focus on traditional school activities that simply include parents in “business as usual” (i.e., Parent-Teacher conferences) can be complemented by the creation of school activities that actively honor these families’ languages and lives,''' e.g., a monthly Multilingual Coffee Hour that actively invites multilingualism, or an International Week that actively incorporates heritage activities in the classroom and after school.<br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Parent availability changes, so it's important to develop a strategy for recruiting new parents to school efforts early and often.''' In addition to doing outreach and holding multicultural events at the beginning of the school year, when parents' hopes and energy are high, recruitment can also target parents whose children are in kindergarten, help the families become acclimated, and eventually tap them as leaders and mentors to next parents.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We are proud to say that the Parent Connector vision and project is now part of the Healey School's school site plan. We have a core of volunteer Connectors reaching parents in-person and via phone, and lead Connectors in Spanish and Portuguese. Two current/former Harvard graduate students, Jedd Cohen and Ana Nieto, worked as support coordinators in 2011-12 to support the effort while it solidified. The 2011-12 principal, Purnima Vadhera, worked with us to submit a contract to Human Resources for the five hrs/week liaison position to handle parent needs forwarded by the Connectors -- and to oversee the multilingual communication process we’ve come up with. While we waited for the liaison position to be approved, we filled in the gap by combining Jedd and Ana's efforts with that of a bilingual staff member, Adriana Guereque, who volunteered her time to follow up on individual family needs, and a very engaged Healey parent, Laura Pitone, who triaged monthly information and ensured that the district translated it.<br /> <br /> Together, the Connectors (with advice from many other parents and staff consulted over the two years) fleshed out a list of components of the necessary “infrastructure” for multilingual communication. The Connectors themselves have become seen as a key local resource, as people willing to be on call to answer other parents' questions in their language and to (monthly) share information that requires more explanation:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Revisedinfrastructure.jpg|Revisedinfrastructure.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In sum, this year we piloted the full infrastructure we developed for multilingual communication. We:<br /> <br /> :a) piloted our Parent Connector Network, in which bilingual parents make monthly contact with immigrant and low-income families to get information to and input from them; Connectors also invite parents to our Multilingual Coffee hours and to the hotline.<br /> :b) tested a model where a Parent Liaison and Lead Parent Connectors develop and implement the details of face-to-face and phone-based outreach, follow up on specific parent needs, and help parents access interpretation;<br /> :c) piloted initial use of our open source hotline, on which parent “Translators of the Month” translate and record information about events, issues, and opportunities.<br /> <br /> We're pleased to announce that next year the Healey School will have a district-funded, part-time parent liaison to manage volunteers, reach out to ELL families, and oversee a new Welcome Center, designed to provide a welcoming space at the Healey to all families. We're working with the incoming Principal, Jill Geiser, to build on our insights from the Connector Network as she designs the responsibilities of this new position.<br /> <br /> '''Final thoughts'''<br /> <br /> Overall, we’ve been exploring a cost-effective hybrid of volunteer efforts to connect parents to other parents and “infrastructure” that includes paid school staff. As mentioned above, a key issue we addressed in the Parent Connector Project was the line between translation/interpretation that bilingual parents can and will do as volunteers to serve their community, and when the district has to pay professionals. A parent in a federally funded district has a civil right to translation and interpretation if she needs it to access important parent information (including at parent-teacher conferences). But all districts are strapped for money and bilingual skills are true community resources. How to tap those resources without overtaxing volunteers, and without asking volunteers to do the sort of work that really should be done by paid professionals?<br /> <br /> In our case, we isolated an aspect of the infrastructure that volunteers couldn’t cover and argued that a bilingual staff member be employed part-time to cover it. We reasoned that volunteers shouldn't be asked to ensure that parents get Special Education services for their children or be responsible for requesting paid interpreters from the district. Paid staff in any district should be on top of such “case management.” But volunteers may be able to do something no staff member can do so easily: build friendships that glue parents in as partners in student success.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> Consider the current and needed schoolwide communication infrastructure at your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ Can everyone who needs to get and share important school information, get and share it? Do parents know who to talk to when they need information? <br /> :➢ Where do you put school information so that everyone in the school can see it?<br /> :➢ How do you share parent ideas around the school?<br /> :➢ What system do you have for translation and interpretation, in particular?<br /> :➢ How can you tap local bilingualism, either paying people to translate material or organizing bilingual volunteers to pitch in on translation and interpretation in a way that doesn't take too much of their time? <br /> :➢ How can you build on parent-parent relationships to pull all parents into school events and conversation? <br /> :➢ What tech training do parents need in order to get information? How could you help all parents get this training?<br /> :➢ Which efforts at parent information should be a task for school staff rather than volunteers?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> We’re using a '''Googledoc''' as one organized place for a Connector list of resources relevant to Somerville's immigrant families:<br /> https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eF7hZP5DUCwl92WTYcOrElUWDICTdx69WjDgs8UfOI/edit<br /> <br /> See http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html for instructions on starting a Googledoc. (Note: to use googledocs, users need gmail accounts to view any googledocs that are set as &quot;private.&quot;)<br /> <br /> While some school systems get parents' permission en masse to release their information to other parents in a School Directory, administrators asked us to take care to ask each parent's permission for releasing information to their Connector (see '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this aspect of the project). We use '''Editgrid for secure lists of approved parent contact info''' for Connector use. See editgrid.com for instructions on starting and using Editgrid's spreadsheets. (At this time of this writing, Google spreadsheets don't allow sorting by any column, whereas Editgrid spreadsheets do.)<br /> <br /> We used '''Google Translate''' for some first-pass translations of material for the hotline or other school channels, but bilingual parents still had to correct the translations. See http://translate.google.com/support/ for tips on using Google Translate.<br /> <br /> With the Healey's principals, Connectors have experimented with recording translated robocalls home, using '''Connect-Ed,''' the district’s existing system for sending calls to many families at once. As described in the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]],''' in our case, we learned to target robocalls to one language group at a time instead of recording all four at once, because robocalls often cut off after the first two languages (and because Portuguese and Haitian Creole were always last). We also asked Connectors to record some robocalls in their friendly parent voices, which drew some parents to PTA night!<br /> <br /> On the '''hotline''': Local technologist Seth prototyped our first hotline, and in spring 2011, we were still recording voices or saving audio files onto Seth's computer -- see photo of Maria and Seth above. At that point, Leo Burd from the Center for Civic Media then made the professional version that we began piloting in 2011-12. (Here's Leo talking about his VOIPDrupal software: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8NCRLCdPno&amp;noredirect=1). See [[here]] for Leo's explanations of the programming. Leo's goal is for the software to be developed quickly by any community that wants to use it.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Overview_and_key_findings:_Schoolwide_toolkit/parent_connector_network&diff=3360 2012-07-22T07:46:43Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our work, and our ¡Ahas! */</p> <hr /> <div>''Written by Mica Pollock (2009-11 work), Jedd Cohen, Tona Delmonico, Gina d'Haiti, and Ana Maria Nieto for the Parent Connector project, with input from parents across the Healey School (particularly Consuelo Perez, Lupe Ojeda, Sofia Perez, Maria Carvalho, Ivanete Calmon, Veronaise Chaiki, Will Thalheimer, Tracy and Dave Sullivan, Adriana Guereque, Maria Oliveira, Manoj Archarya, Claudia Ramos, and Michele Arroyo-Staggs).<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Maria and Seth.jpg|thumb|Maria, Connector to Portuguese-speaking parents, and Seth, local technologist, working together on a hotline recording]]<br /> <br /> ==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> At Somerville’s Healey School (K-8), as in many U.S. schools, parents hail from across the globe and speak many languages. And as in many schools, language barriers often keep parents from being equally informed about school issues, events, and even educational opportunities. So do disparities in tech access, tech training, and time -- as well as gaps in personal relationship and connections. Lots of people at the Healey talked about needing better school-home and parent-parent communication, particularly to fully include immigrant families, families without computer access/knowledge, families with low literacy skills, and families who couldn’t or didn’t show up often in person at the school.<br /> <br /> So, we operated from a central principle already core to the Healey School: a child can’t be educated as effectively if parents aren’t included as key partners in the project. So, schools should ensure access to school information and pull all parents into dialogue about improving their children’s school experience. Info out, input in.<br /> <br /> The Healey School enrolls a full U.S. range of families with different communication habits and needs. Some email the principal and Superintendent regularly. Some parents have no computers and no internet. A listserv has long enrolled only some. Robocalls home go in four languages; handouts home often don't. For many, parent teacher conferences require interpreters, and accessing those interpreters itself is a structural communication need, in part because some parents don't know how to access the service and in part because many of the parents who need interpretation are incredibly busy - sometimes working multiple jobs. One Portuguese-speaking dad worked such long hours he didn't even have time to come to school to post a sign saying he wanted to find and pay another parent to help him drive his daughter to school. In addition, parent and staff efforts to make an appointment to talk to one another with interpretation services can also get lost in the crush of meeting student needs: One Spanish-speaking parent told us she’d tried a number of times throughout the year, unsuccessfully, to meet with her child’s teacher in person. <br /> <br /> In contrast, some families, particularly English-speaking families, volunteer many hours in classrooms during the school day and so get regular access to their child’s teacher. Many such families also are on committees that meet after school and so, take the opportunity then to contribute ideas to the school. Over the years, we saw that families who saw each other regularly at face to face school events also made friends, joined listservs, signed up in directories, and showed up at next events.<br /> <br /> As we describe below and in the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] ''', when we began in 2009 we first worked on several strategies to support diverse parents to share ideas and information, and to build relationship (Reading Nights, Parent Issue Dialogues). Then, we focused on the challenge of multilingual communication, because language barriers particularly have excluded many Healey parents from full participation. The Multilingual Coffee Hour, begun in 2009, was our first explicitly multilingual effort. Then, in 2010-11 and 11-12, the Parent Connector Network has focused fully on parents reaching out to other parents who speak the district's three main languages other than English: Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. We've also been working to build personal relationships between bilingual parents and recent immigrant parents, in order to bring more voices into school debates and more people into school events and leadership -- as well as help the school respond more quickly to parent needs.<br /> <br /> Begun in Winter 2010, the Parent Connector Network now supports translation and parent-school relationships, by connecting bilingual parents (“Connectors”) to more recently immigrated parents face-to-face, and via a phone tree and multilingual hotline. The Parent Connector Network is now run largely by parents and community members, with coordination efforts by a OneVille community staff member handed to school staff; Connectors continue to innovate the Network model in partnership with school administrators and staff and with the blessing of District administration. Our hope is that new part-time Parent Liaisons being hired by the District for schools like the Healey will also help the volunteer Connectors coordinate their work.<br /> <br /> Beginning in spring 2012, Connectors started to use a multilingual call-in hotline (which our MIT friend Leo Burd made for us with open source VOIPDrupal software) to share out school information, to help ensure that information reaches English language-learning families and families with fewer tech and literacy skills. As Connector relationships and incoming parent requests and ideas grow in the future, Connectors may use Google forms to gather and prioritize school information. (Google forms are simple online forms that allow multiple people to input information that gets stored in a basic online database.) We tried that strategy briefly in 2010-11 but didn't yet need it: so far, Connectors have been able to handle individual parent needs by simply relaying requests and issues to appropriate staff.<br /> <br /> By spring 2012, we were working with 5 Spanish-speaking Connectors, and 1 Portuguese-speaking, 1 French-speaking (for Haitian Creole-speaking families), and 1 Hindi and Nepali-speaking Parent Connector. Each Connector is asked to call 3 - 5 other families once a month to share key information from the principal/school and to ask questions about any issues parents are facing. The Connectors are also on-call to parents during the school year to help them find answers to both general and specific questions or concerns they may have about their child’s school. (e.g., some Connectors have received calls about issues like summer school enrollment, or about how to reach the district’s Parent Information Center to enroll a new cousin in a school.) <br /> <br /> That spring, we also successfully tested a strategy of having volunteer Connectors wear &quot;badges&quot; as informal interpreters or contacts available to any school parent at the beginning of some school days, to enable more parent-parent connections and a clear route to get &quot;on demand&quot; interpretation for early morning conversations with staff.<br /> <br /> Connectors also are starting to act as volunteer “Translators of the Month” for each main language group, helping to translate a monthly set of school information for our Healey Hotline. This translated material can then be used for other school media (listserv, handouts, flyers, etc.). These Translators won't translate the official information the school or district is legally required to make accessible to all parents. (Civil rights law requires that all parents have an equal opportunity to access important school information; some such information involves specialized lingo and definitely requires formally trained professionals.) But so far, volunteers and, stipended Connectors ($15/hr) are willing to help produce an additional stream of translated material for the school. (As we describe below, we later found that in-person support to access interpretation helped ELL families to feel comfortable meeting with their teachers.)<br /> <br /> In fall 2011, we also successfully argued for creating a part-time liaison role (five hours per week paid by the school) for staff already employed by the school to support the Connector Network. The liaison role provides a range of crucial supports for the network that a school employee is best positioned to do. For example, the liaison can help summarize school information for translation by the translators of the month, summarize parent needs for the administration, recruit new parents at in-school events, and respond appropriately to serious or ongoing parent needs -- beyond what a volunteer parent can or should do. The role requires not only a strong connection to local immigrant communities but skills in tracking and managing multiple relationships and projects simultaneously. Several staff members tried the role, and one particularly willing staff member volunteered her time.<br /> <br /> The role is currently distributed across the volunteer staff member, several parent leaders, and a OneVille community staff coordinator. Our final goal has been to transfer these responsibilities away from OneVille paid staff and fully onto staff and parent leadership, and we spent the spring 2012 semester building the staff skills to do this, supporting parent leadership, and piloting the full combination of multilingual hotline, connectors, and parent liaison work.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:(2)Slide1.jpg|Slide1.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:(2)Slide2.jpg|Slide2.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:(2)Slide3.jpg|Slide3.jpg]]<br /> <br /> '''See the bottom of this Overview page for the final set of &quot;components&quot; we were implementing by spring 2012.'''<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> Work informing the Parent Connector Network began in a 2009-10 series of Reading Nights and Parent Dialogues, and a Multilingual Coffee Hour that continued in 2010-11 as part of the Parent Connector Network infrastructure. We learned a huge amount in that work and we built relationships that enabled the development of the Parent Connector Network. '''Click [[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|here]] for the full backstory!''' <br /> <br /> As a multilingual group of parents and staff (a few of whom speak only English), it has taken us two years to fully understand:<br /> <br /> 1) The barriers in the way of adult English learners' participation in English-dominant schools;<br /> <br /> 2) The sort of systemic communication &quot;infrastructure&quot; necessary to include more immigrant parents as partners in the project of supporting young people;<br /> <br /> 3) How to find and recruit people with the skills needed to implement the infrastructure, and how a volunteer-based project can delegate responsibility across available community members (and, stipend key people for leadership roles.)<br /> <br /> Some main '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;''' over time have been these:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Overall, we’ve learned that committed and diverse parents can be expert innovators of communication infrastructure for including all parents because they have a full understanding of communication barriers.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In a multilingual school and district in particular, local bilingualism is a key resource for strengthening communications and relationships between families and educators.''' The key is tapping local bilingualism in strategic ways.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; To fully engage all parents in a multilingual and diverse school, each effort to engage parents requires multiple efforts to make communication fully inclusive. Barriers to full inclusion exist every step of the way. So, we have come to think in terms of creating a full &quot;infrastructure&quot; for schoolwide communication (and low-cost translation and interpretation in particular) in a school.''' For example, to reach parents across tech access barriers, a Reading Night linking three kindergarten classrooms and a Special Education classroom required advertising the event not only using the school's listserv, but also via paper handouts and displays on the kindergarten hallway's wall. Including all parents during the event also required actively tapping parents' own bilingualism, by engaging parents in translating conversation in multilingual groups. To get parents to a Multilingual Coffee Hour or PTA Night event, we needed to learn how to record multilingual invitation messages on the school's &quot;robocall&quot; system; then, we had to experiment with which recorded voices made the event seem most appealing to parents. We also experimented with recording targeted robocalls to one language group at a time, instead of recording all four at once. This was because on parents' home answering machines, robocalls often cut off after the first two languages -- and because Portuguese and Haitian Creole translations were always last after English and Spanish, those languages often didn't get heard. <br /> <br /> Before we started working on the Parent Connector Network in Winter 2011, we worked with families and teachers in other efforts to improve parent-school and parent-parent connections. Most of all, we had to build relationships across parents and staff who cared deeply about including everyone. These friends became key partners in innovation. <br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> We had many ¡Ahas! in sequence on this project over two years. &lt;font color=red&gt;'''To read the full story of the efforts that gave us these ¡Ahas!, click [[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|here!]]'''&lt;/font color&gt; <br /> <br /> Additional &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!s&lt;/font color&gt; about schoolwide communication included the following.<br /> <br /> ''READING NIGHT AHA:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Running up the Healey stairs to a Reading Night.jpg|thumb|Running up the Healey stairs to a Reading Night]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Consuelopizza.jpg|thumb|Consuelo, mastermind of the Multilingual Coffee Hour, and her OneVille pizza: our best Reading Night advertisement]]<br /> <br /> '''Reading Night was about building initial relationships and friendships between parents as much as it was about sharing reading tips.''' These relationships became crucial to all of the work we all did together at the Healey over the next three years.<br /> <br /> ''MULTILINGUAL COFFEE HOUR AHAS:<br /> <br /> The Multilingual Coffee Hour started in 2010-11 and then became a key piece of the Parent Connector Network infrastructure the following year. We realized:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Making parent gatherings explicitly multilingual encourages speakers of languages other than English to ask questions and offer opinions. In addition, multilingual events -- events where people take the time to translate for one another and, encourage others to speak in their own language -- also help parents and staff appreciate their peers' language talents.<br /> <br /> [[Image:Dave.jpg|thumb|Dave, multilingual coffee hour enthusiast and 2011 PTA president]]<br /> <br /> ''PARENT-PARENT ISSUE DIALOGUE AHAS:<br /> <br /> In 2010-11, several Parent-Parent Issue Dialogues helped a number of Healey parents debate a fundamental and controversial issue about their school's future: integrating several historically separate student programs. We realized the following in these efforts: <br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Many parents have few or no opportunities to talk to each other or to decisionmakers in organized settings, about major issues in their school. This means that their ideas and energy for improvement go untapped. Parents with tech access and knowledge (e.g., parents on a school listserv), and English speakers, are often far better informed and included in such debates.<br /> <br /> :'''*TURNING POINT:''' With the Healey in the midst of integrating several historically separated programs, parents focused for 2010-11 and then 11-12 on improving infrastructure for schoolwide communication -- and particularly, on including immigrant parents in the loop of school information and input. We designed the Parent Connector Network.<br /> <br /> :'''*&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt;/TURNING POINT: Try focusing on the most-blocked communication first.''' In this case, after trying a number of efforts to link parents at the school in dialogue (another important barrier at the Healey was the need to build relationship between newer, higher-income English-speaking Somerville residents and older, lower-income English-speaking Somerville residents), we focused on addressing the language barriers making communication particularly difficult.<br /> <br /> ''PARENT CONNECTOR NETWORK AHAS:<br /> <br /> In addition to the main '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;'''above, we realized the following:<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Innovation requires experimenting with communication solutions, even if strategies aren't guaranteed to work.''' In our case, we tested a number of solutions for getting school info “out” and parent input “in” across boundaries of language, and building relationships across those boundaries.<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; While asking how schools get info out, we also have to ask how they get input in. How do schools hear about and then respond to parents’ ongoing problems and concerns?<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; School-home communication relies in part on parents building relationships and connections with other parents.''' Parents said they came to PTA night or other such school events because someone they knew invited them -- that a friendly face would be waiting at the event (&quot;Come to this event, and I'll be there to support you&quot;). Tech tools like phones, hotlines, or listservs can amplify and extend that ultimate resource for parent-parent connection: relationship-building. One of our Connectors had an ¡Aha! that others echoed across the OneVille Project: “My main conclusion is that relationships matter and they are what makes everything work.”<br /> <br /> '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Creating “infrastructure” that makes interpretation and translation more efficient requires figuring out who to pay for what.''' The people who share a school can, will, and should volunteer their time to help the school and other families communicate. But only up to a certain point. When workload is too heavy or when professional skills are necessary -- and, to embed the project into the core work of the school -- projects need to pay staff whose job it is to help include all parents. For example, communication on individual parents’ serious personal needs will have to be covered by paid staff, freeing volunteers to be friends, info-sharers and links TO paid staff. But making translation mechanisms more efficient (e.g., trying a hotline to get info to many parents at once; triaging info to be translated by volunteers or stipended parents on the hotline) can save staff time that otherwise is spent explaining things repeatedly.<br /> <br /> '''Some key turning points in developing the Connector role:'''<br /> <br /> By late January, 2012, we began to feel that phone calls pairing Connectors to a subset of families weren't enough. The Connector Network had grown to a total of nine bilingual Connectors paired with dozens of families for phone calls &quot;out,&quot; but parents weren't asking much of their Connectors, and putting effort into getting parents to school-based events started to seem less profitable than perhaps scheduling events where parents themselves already were. Parent Connectors met together to brainstorm next steps on information-sharing and relationship-building:<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT: In spring 2012, we pursued a deepened focus on face-to-face, rather than phone-to-phone connection. '''The Connectors brainstormed several sites of rich communication in daily school life to build on next:<br /> <br /> :*Often, we saw ELL (English language learning) parents waiting before and after school to ask questions of a single bilingual staff member. To support these face-to-face connections, we found it useful to stipend three connectors to spend additional hours before and after school, to help connect parents directly to the staff member they wanted to talk with.<br /> <br /> :*Parents also find that communication about their child’s classroom, rather than about the whole school, is much more engaging and rewarding. So next year, Connectors will begin to pair up with grade level teams or even with particular &quot;classroom parents&quot; to share classroom-level information with families in their child's class or grade.<br /> <br /> :*Next year, Connectors plan to hold monthly multilingual coffee hours outside of the school, at places where parents already gather -- e.g., at the Portuguese Club, the Haitian Coalition, or the Mystic Housing Project.<br /> <br /> '''Some key turning points in developing the Connector Network's technological infrastructure:'''<br /> <br /> :*Leo Burd, a new friend from MIT's Center for Civic Media, finished an improved version of our '''hotline''' in spring 2012. We stipended three Connectors each month to translate the info update into three languages and record it on the hotline. The Connectors began to call families simply to let them know the hotline was a resource, and Connectors sent out a robocall in the school's main languages to announce the hotline via the school’s automatic messaging system. We think the hotline may relieve the Connectors of having to share schoolwide information with families. This, in turn, would allow Connectors to focus all their energy on more personalized outreach.<br /> <br /> :*During the 2011-12 schoolyear, we also created a '''Googledoc''' of basic contact info/citywide parent services info all Connectors need to know: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eF7hZP5DUCwl92WTYcOrElUWDICTdx69WjDgs8UfOI/edit<br /> <br /> :*We helped Purnima Vadhera, the 2011-12 principal, make a '''fall parent communication form''' (see [[File: Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf|Healey School Communications Sign-Up Form 2011.pdf]]) that will help parents sign up to get a Connector, make it easier to get parents’ phone numbers, and allow parents to record their preferences for contact (texting? listserv? classroom listserv?) and indicate whether they need email training.<br /> <br /> :*Finally, we began teaming up with parent leaders and local community organizations to explore offering '''computer, internet, and email listserv training''' to parents. In a multilingual community where not everyone uses computers, some lack access to information because of translation gaps and some because of a gap in basic tech knowledge. We learned early on in our work in Somerville that the problem for parents was often not necessarily one of computer access (the nearby housing project has many computers) as much as one of training. Even English-speaking parents in the school’s magnet program didn't know how to get on its listserv; many parents didn't know how to use a computer's basic functions. Now that the school’s programs have merged and the Healey school is creating a schoolwide listerv, these issues will rise to the fore. And having parents develop and participate in a multilingual school listserv could be a powerful new frontier for parent inclusion.<br /> <br /> In our 2011-12 work, we've also gleaned some very practical lessons about '''how to implement the Parent Connector infrastructure:<br /> <br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Bilingual volunteers may engage parents more effectively in school activities if they reach out to parents with a specific offer or request rather than a generic offer that requires parents to actively seek their help.''' For e.g., the generic offer &quot;to provide school information and help answer your questions whenever you need it&quot; may be less effective than “I’ll come with you to parent-teacher conferences next week,” or “Come to a Brazilian dance performance at the school on Friday.&quot;<br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In order to engage ELL families with the most excitement in schools, a focus on traditional school activities that simply include parents in “business as usual” (i.e., Parent-Teacher conferences) can be complemented by the creation of school activities that actively honor these families’ languages and lives,''' e.g., a monthly Multilingual Coffee Hour that actively invites multilingualism, or an International Week that actively incorporates heritage activities in the classroom and after school.<br /> *'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; Parent availability changes, so it's important to develop a strategy for recruiting new parents to school efforts early and often.''' In addition to doing outreach and holding multicultural events at the beginning of the school year, when parents' hopes and energy are high, recruitment can also target parents whose children are in kindergarten, help the families become acclimated, and eventually tap them as leaders and mentors to next parents.<br /> <br /> ===Our products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We are proud to say that the Parent Connector vision and project is now part of the Healey School's school site plan. We have a core of volunteer Connectors reaching parents in-person and via phone, and lead Connectors in Spanish and Portuguese. Two current/former Harvard graduate students, Jedd Cohen and Ana Nieto, worked as support coordinators in 2011-12 to support the effort while it solidified. The 2011-12 principal, Purnima Vadhera, worked with us to submit a contract to Human Resources for the five hrs/week liaison position to handle parent needs forwarded by the Connectors -- and to oversee the multilingual communication process we’ve come up with. While we waited for the liaison position to be approved, we filled in the gap by combining Jedd and Ana's efforts with that of a bilingual staff member, Adriana Guereque, who volunteered her time to follow up on individual family needs, and a very engaged Healey parent, Laura Pitone, who triaged monthly information and ensured that the district translated it.<br /> <br /> Together, the Connectors (with advice from many other parents and staff consulted over the two years) fleshed out a list of components of the necessary “infrastructure” for multilingual communication. The Connectors themselves have become seen as a key local resource, as people willing to be on call to answer other parents' questions in their language and to (monthly) share information that requires more explanation:<br /> <br /> [[Image:Revisedinfrastructure.jpg|Revisedinfrastructure.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In sum, this year we piloted the full infrastructure we developed for multilingual communication. We:<br /> <br /> :a) piloted our Parent Connector Network, in which bilingual parents make monthly contact with immigrant and low-income families to get information to and input from them; Connectors also invite parents to our Multilingual Coffee hours and to the hotline.<br /> :b) tested a model where a Parent Liaison and Lead Parent Connectors develop and implement the details of face-to-face and phone-based outreach, follow up on specific parent needs, and help parents access interpretation;<br /> :c) piloted initial use of our open source hotline, on which parent “Translators of the Month” translate and record information about events, issues, and opportunities.<br /> <br /> We're pleased to announce that next year the Healey School will have a district-funded, part-time parent liaison to manage volunteers, reach out to ELL families, and oversee a new Welcome Center, designed to provide a welcoming space at the Healey to all families. We're working with the incoming Principal, Jill Geiser, to build on our insights from the Connector Network as she designs the responsibilities of this new position.<br /> <br /> '''Final thoughts'''<br /> <br /> Overall, we’ve been exploring a cost-effective hybrid of volunteer efforts to connect parents to other parents and “infrastructure” that includes paid school staff. As mentioned above, a key issue we addressed in the Parent Connector Project was the line between translation/interpretation that bilingual parents can and will do as volunteers to serve their community, and when the district has to pay professionals. A parent in a federally funded district has a civil right to translation and interpretation if she needs it to access important parent information (including at parent-teacher conferences). But all districts are strapped for money and bilingual skills are true community resources. How to tap those resources without overtaxing volunteers, and without asking volunteers to do the sort of work that really should be done by paid professionals?<br /> <br /> In our case, we isolated an aspect of the infrastructure that volunteers couldn’t cover and argued that a bilingual staff member be employed part-time to cover it. We reasoned that volunteers shouldn't be asked to ensure that parents get Special Education services for their children or be responsible for requesting paid interpreters from the district. Paid staff in any district should be on top of such “case management.” But volunteers may be able to do something no staff member can do so easily: build friendships that glue parents in as partners in student success.<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> Consider the current and needed schoolwide communication infrastructure at your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ Can everyone who needs to get and share important school information, get and share it? Do parents know who to talk to when they need information? <br /> :➢ Where do you put school information so that everyone in the school can see it?<br /> :➢ How do you share parent ideas around the school?<br /> :➢ What system do you have for translation and interpretation, in particular?<br /> :➢ How can you tap local bilingualism, either paying people to translate material or organizing bilingual volunteers to pitch in on translation and interpretation in a way that doesn't take too much of their time? <br /> :➢ How can you build on parent-parent relationships to pull all parents into school events and conversation? <br /> :➢ What tech training do parents need in order to get information? How could you help all parents get this training?<br /> :➢ Which efforts at parent information should be a task for school staff rather than volunteers?<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> ''Here's where we describe &quot;how to&quot; use every tool we used, so that others could do the same. We also describe &quot;how to&quot; make every tool we made!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> We’re using a '''Googledoc''' as one organized place for a Connector list of resources relevant to Somerville's immigrant families:<br /> https://docs.google.com/document/d/15eF7hZP5DUCwl92WTYcOrElUWDICTdx69WjDgs8UfOI/edit<br /> <br /> See http://www.google.com/google-d-s/tour1.html for instructions on starting a Googledoc. (Note: to use googledocs, users need gmail accounts to view any googledocs that are set as &quot;private.&quot;)<br /> <br /> While some school systems get parents' permission en masse to release their information to other parents in a School Directory, administrators asked us to take care to ask each parent's permission for releasing information to their Connector (see '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this aspect of the project). We use '''Editgrid for secure lists of approved parent contact info''' for Connector use. See editgrid.com for instructions on starting and using Editgrid's spreadsheets. (At this time of this writing, Google spreadsheets don't allow sorting by any column, whereas Editgrid spreadsheets do.)<br /> <br /> We used '''Google Translate''' for some first-pass translations of material for the hotline or other school channels, but bilingual parents still had to correct the translations. See http://translate.google.com/support/ for tips on using Google Translate.<br /> <br /> With the Healey's principals, Connectors have experimented with recording translated robocalls home, using '''Connect-Ed,''' the district’s existing system for sending calls to many families at once. As described in the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]],''' in our case, we learned to target robocalls to one language group at a time instead of recording all four at once, because robocalls often cut off after the first two languages (and because Portuguese and Haitian Creole were always last). We also asked Connectors to record some robocalls in their friendly parent voices, which drew some parents to PTA night!<br /> <br /> On the '''hotline''': Local technologist Seth prototyped our first hotline, and in spring 2011, we were still recording voices or saving audio files onto Seth's computer -- see photo of Maria and Seth above. At that point, Leo Burd from the Center for Civic Media then made the professional version that we began piloting in 2011-12. (Here's Leo talking about his VOIPDrupal software: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8NCRLCdPno&amp;noredirect=1). See [[here]] for Leo's explanations of the programming. Leo's goal is for the software to be developed quickly by any community that wants to use it.<br /> <br /> Click here for the '''[[Summary: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Summary&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: Schoolwide toolkit/parent connector network|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3359 2012-07-20T14:32:38Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> {|<br /> | [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|frame|A complex action game]]<br /> | [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|frame|Another action game, this time with a shark]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> {|<br /> | [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|frame|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]]<br /> | [[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|frame|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> |}<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3358 2012-07-20T14:29:39Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> &lt;gallery&gt;<br /> [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|frame|A complex action game]]<br /> [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|frame|Another action game, this time with a shark]]<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> &lt;gallery&gt;<br /> [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|frame|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]][[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|frame|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> &lt;/gallery&gt;<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3357 2012-07-20T14:12:33Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|frame|A complex action game]][[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|frame|Another action game, this time with a shark]][[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|frame|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]][[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|frame|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3356 2012-07-20T14:07:24Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|A complex action game]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|Another action game, this time with a shark]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]]<br /> <br /> [[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> <br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3355 2012-07-20T14:07:03Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|A complex action game]]<br /> [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|Another action game, this time with a shark]]<br /> [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development]]<br /> [[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|Working on the script for a game]]<br /> <br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:Working_on_the_script_for_a_game.jpg&diff=3354 2012-07-20T14:01:53Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:The_game_known_as,_%22Mr._Stick,%22_in_development.jpg&diff=3353 2012-07-20T14:01:35Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:Another_action_game,_this_time_with_a_shark.jpg&diff=3352 2012-07-20T14:00:27Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:A_complex_action_game.jpg&diff=3351 2012-07-20T14:00:05Z

<p>Jeddcohen: uploaded a new version of &amp;quot;File:A complex action game.jpg&amp;quot;</p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=File:A_complex_action_game.jpg&diff=3350 2012-07-20T13:57:03Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div></div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3349 2012-07-20T13:56:23Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids.<br /> <br /> [[Image:A complex action game.jpg|A complex action game.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg|Another action game, this time with a shark.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg|The game known as, &quot;Mr. Stick,&quot; in development.jpg]]<br /> [[Image:Working on the script for a game.jpg|Working on the script for a game.jpg]]<br /> <br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Eportfolio&diff=3348 2012-07-20T13:53:36Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>Click here for the '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project; click here for the '''[[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] '''on this project.<br /> <br /> ''Written by Susan Klimczak and Mica Pollock, with input from OneVille co-researchers: Somerville High School ePortfolio Leaders Christopher Glynn, Michelle Li and Michael Maloney; Somerville High School teachers May Chau, Ryan Guilmartin, Maureen Halpenny, Sibby LaGambina, Suzanne Morris, Susan Olsen, Yuri Petriv, Patrick Smith, Karen Woods; Somerville High School Students Diego Aldana, Zoe Blickenderfer, Guil Cafer, Samantha Carvalho, Vanessa Cordeiro, Thiago DaCosta,Patrick Cherenfant, Nat Demkowski, Douglas Funes, Richard Guerrier, Susan Hassan, Rachel Iacomini, Ashley Joseph, Anderson Jupiter, Rocky Man, Brian Martinez, David Nwanchuku, Sonam Ngawang, Travis Price, Sergio Resendes, Kamilla Silva, Anandpreet Singh, Astrid Vasquez; Somerville education organizer Joe Beckmann; Somerville education technology scholar Alice Mello; community technologists Al Willis and EliJAH Starr<br /> <br /> [[Image:ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010.jpg||thumb|ePortfolioResearchGroupFall2010]]<br /> <br /> ===What communication challenges did this project address?===<br /> <br /> In the 2009-10 school year, when the OneVille Project offered to help design online portfolios (eportfolios) at Somerville High School, the Somerville School Improvement Council had already identified that the school’s paper portfolio process needed updating. Some students, teachers and administrators said they considered the existing Somerville High School paper portfolio tradition “a cumbersome collection of paper four times a year.” Teachers and students noted that these paper portfolios, largely stuffed with students’ five-paragraph essays and other assignments curated and evaluated by teachers, were “locked in a file cabinet” and rarely shown to or used by anyone except for during formal accreditation visits. A core of administrators and teachers were excited to explore online portfolios: in comparison to paper folders, online portfolios could hold multimedia documentation of student skills and allow students to share their skills with more supporters (mentors, admissions officers, employers).<br /> <br /> Groundwork for the project was laid over a year of collaboration between the OneVille ePortfolio project team and the SHS School Improvement Council and principal. Over two semesters in 2010-11, OneVille’s year-long ePortfolio participatory design project engaged a total of 12 Somerville High School (SHS) teachers and 23 students purposefully chosen to represent a full range of achievement levels and backgrounds. By spring 2011, the group’s eportfolio entries included videos of students narrating their original poetry, solving math equations, and doing physics, as well as interviews with teachers evaluating students’ negotiation skills; photos and commentary on students’ original art, science experiments, and creations from work/internship/after school experiences; and class assignments, including reflections about why students found them particularly valuable for their learning. One early student designer spoke of the communications about students’ skills and talents that the eportfolio infrastructure newly made possible:<br /> <br /> &lt;p&gt;&lt;videoflash type=&quot;vimeo&quot;&gt;25157328&lt;/videoflash&gt;&lt;/p&gt;<br /> <br /> These students and teachers have sparked an emergent school tradition of such vibrant online “ePortfolios,” with curation and evaluative reflection on entries largely done by students. The ePortfolios designed through our participatory research communicate students’ full spectrum of learning and accomplishments in and out of school and are organized by a set of discrete 21st century skills rather than by broad school subject areas. ePortfolios produced with Web 2.0 tools used only free and open source software, making the ePortfolios sustainable for schools even in times of tight budgets.<br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio content.jpg|eportfolio content.jpg]]<br /> <br /> Teacher researchers and other teachers in the school have begun to actively use ePortfolios to learn about how to best support students. Many teachers in the school have begun to redesign classroom assignments to tap students’ enthusiasm for the Web 2.0 tools used in the ePortfolio process. Students are beginning to actively share ePortfolios with a wider community in and out of school, including in college applications and job interviews. <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio to whom.jpg|eportfolio to whom.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In the second half of our design year, a teacher and students developed an ePortfolio template (using Googlesites) that could be used in a schoolwide implementation. ePortfolios were implemented using this template in every SHS science class during the 2011-2012 school year. See also https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/.<br /> <br /> <br /> [[Image:eportfolio template.jpg|thumb|eportfolio template.jpg]]<br /> <br /> In a public presentation of SHS’s ePortfolios at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard in December 2011, one researcher in the audience was so impressed that he suggested the seven presenting students must be “exemplary” students; he asked how we believed less talented students might fare with the ePortfolio process. Yet few of the seven student-presenters were honor roll students. “That shows you every student can shine at this if they put in the time and effort,” a SHS teacher said. “We are representative of the potential that everyone has,” a SHS student agreed.<br /> <br /> ===Why is it important to improve communication?=== <br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Eportfolios increase communication about student accomplishment across subjects and grades inside school, and about student experiences outside of school.''' Student creation and curation of ePortfolio entries across subjects and grades, and across experiences outside school, increases communication about students’ full range of skills -- and helps teachers better design and personalize instruction.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font color&gt; In comparison to paper portfolios, well-designed ePortfolios communicate to more people who can support young people’s success in and out of school.''' ePortfolios that can be accessed online become useful not only to teachers, counselors and administrators inside schools; they also become useful to parents, mentors &amp; tutors, colleges, and people with job and internship possibilities. Well-designed ePortfolios communicate more content and allow broader access to student work in comparison to paper portfolios. For this reason, eportfolios are increasingly cited as an indicator of school excellence in school accreditation processes.<br /> <br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Aha!&lt;/font&gt; Students making eportfolios develop a capacity to articulate the best ways they learn -- and to better advocate for themselves inside and outside school -- by reflecting on their accomplishments and learning experiences across subjects/grades, and on their out-of-school learning experiences.<br /> <br /> ===How do eportfolios work? How might they be implemented?===<br /> <br /> :*'''Partnering with local researchers (and a foundation) in a participatory research design process that begins as a one year out-of-school-time project with participant stipends can be an effective way to develop and tailor an approach to ePortfolios that works with your school culture. <br /> :*'''Combining academics, community participants with community organizing experience, classroom teachers, and students on a participatory research design team designing ePortfolios can contribute greatly to the success of the project.<br /> :*'''Using free and open source Web 2.0 tools for ePortfolios is possible and creates equitable access to ePortfolio tools for all schools. '''Our project demonstrated that with just a little technical support, students and teachers can successfully use free and open source Web 2.0 tools to design and implement ePortfolios. <br /> :*'''Organizing ePortfolio entries by 21st century skills (rather than by school subjects) can increase the quality and usefulness of ePortfolios. '''We used a “verified resume.” <br /> :*'''Using an implementation approach guided by constructionism --giving students and teachers multiple opportunities to share and discuss their design process and their ePortfolio products --- can greatly improve a school’s ePortfolio design. '''Constructionism (developed by Seymour Papert at the MIT Media Lab) claims that people learn best as they make and design things, and suggests that for the greatest learning to happen, people must share both their design process and what they make with others.<br /> :*'''&lt;font color=red&gt;Somerville High School teachers have made a number of videos helping next teachers and students design eportfolios. Access them here: https://sites.google.com/site/shseportfolio/ &lt;/font&gt;<br /> <br /> ===How do you know if your school could improve communication?===<br /> <br /> Questions to ask about the current system in your school:<br /> <br /> :➢ At your school, do students get the chance to communicate the full range of what they know and can do?<br /> :➢ What kinds of preparation and planning are necessary in order to develop ePortfolios in your school or organization? <br /> :➢ What kinds of community partnerships can you develop to support ePortfolio development at your organization? <br /> :➢ What kind of resources, time and people can be devoted to developing an approach to ePortfolios at your school? <br /> :➢ What kind of equipment is available for ePortfolios at your organization? <br /> :➢ What is internet access like at your organization? <br /> :➢ What sorts of entries do you want your eportfolio to include? Can you allow teachers and students the space to experiment with categories for your school’s eportfolio entries? <br /> <br /> === The Next Layer: Connecting to Folks Doing Similar Work in Other Communities.===<br /> <br /> We'd love to spark a lively exchange between people working on similar things. <br /> <br /> '''Want to talk further?<br /> <br /> Are you working on improving communications in your own school or community? <br /> <br /> Contact point people for the eportfolio project directly at:<br /> <br /> Susan Klimczak (klimczaksusan@gmail.com); Michelle Li (mli@k12.somerville.ma.us); Chris Glynn (cglynn@k12.somerville.ma.us) (extra questions can also go to Mica Pollock (mica.pollock@gmail.com)<br /> <br /> See '''[[Overview and key findings: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Overview and key findings&lt;/font&gt;]] and [[Expanded story: ePortfolios|&lt;font color=#0000FF&gt;Expanded story&lt;/font&gt;]] for more!</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3347 2012-07-20T04:58:02Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> As the notes below describe, we supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing and distributing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people could access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible. Computer access is in part a question of basic access to machines, but it's also a question of access to working machines, updated and quality software, and training to use all of the above.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook, and an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When Somerville High School graduate and local technologist Caroline Meeks started working with the program in 2010-11, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. Caroline, a software designer, wanted to provide a constructive, free alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and help clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity; another goal was refurbishing discarded computers for new users. OneVille helped staff her work that year as one initial effort at local &quot;computer infrastructure&quot; improvement.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> ''Notes by Somerville technologist Caroline Meeks with Derek Radfern and Andi Tepper''<br /> <br /> '''A Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the OneVille project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Mica, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments; it helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization was required for the image to be a viable option.<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used.<br /> <br /> '''TURNING POINT:''' However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to '''Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program.''' Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp <br /> <br /> After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition had 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that had been wiped clean. All were Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There were plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors were in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> Ten computers were imaged, of which six were installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. In future such programs, it might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still came intermittently after the project ended. Generally we could expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who were really only interested in playing flash games. We also ran two classes at the wonderful Somerville education organization Parts and Crafts (http://partsandcrafts.org) during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK), and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids. We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> :➢ Who has computers at home? Who doesn't? What are the educational consequences? What distribution or refurbishing efforts might help spread available computers, around the community? <br /> :➢ Are computers accessible in public centers? In public computer centers, are hardware and software up to date and usable? <br /> :➢ What training opportunities exist, for youth and for adults? What local initiatives could support such training? (for a larger-scale community initiative, see the efforts of the South End Technology Center in Boston, at http://www.tech-center-enlightentcity.tv/)<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3314 2012-07-19T21:03:40Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;, and turning points!===<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it. We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3313 2012-07-19T21:03:16Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it. We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Questions to Ask Yourself if You’re Tackling Similar Things Where You Live===<br /> '''What big issues would we recommend others think about in their own attempts to improve communications in public schools? Contact us to talk more!<br /> -------<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3312 2012-07-19T21:01:37Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor. The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP) Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it. We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3311 2012-07-19T21:01:11Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3310 2012-07-19T21:00:24Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> '''Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3309 2012-07-19T20:59:25Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> *Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> *Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> *Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> *Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3308 2012-07-19T20:58:50Z

<p>Jeddcohen: /* Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps */</p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We have video and photo releases from two CHA students so far (Nana and Dessources), plus the students from Parts and Crafts. Examples of their work can be found in the shared Dropbox folder.<br /> <br /> Replicable Pieces - Standalone pieces that someone else could take and use.<br /> <br /> Etoys stick with backup.- Audience is teachers and after-school programs. How to make it, use it, and recreate it. - http://goo.gl/L4FIF <br /> <br /> Choose your own adventure Etoys book - Audience is people who are using Etoys and want to make a choose your own adventure book. - http://goo.gl/k00Ga<br /> <br /> Translatable books - Audience is bilingual people who want to make a book that can switch between two languages. - http://goo.gl/RJ8vf<br /> <br /> Etoys Training curriculum - Audience is people who want to train adults in using Etoys with kids or for curriculum. - http://goo.gl/Fet1b<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen http://wiki.oneville.org/main/?title=Computer_infrastructure&diff=3307 2012-07-19T20:56:59Z

<p>Jeddcohen: </p> <hr /> <div>==Communication we hoped to improve==<br /> <br /> ''What aspect of existing communication did we try to improve, so that more people in Somerville could collaborate in young people's success? How’d it go?<br /> :''(Who was involved in the project and how was time together spent? What did the project accomplish?)<br /> <br /> We’ve supported Somerville technologists in collaboration with a community organization, the Haitian Coalition, to work on low-cost improvements to Somerville's computer infrastructure (refurbishing computers, teaching multi-age classes in a housing project) so that more people can access basic technology and gain basic technology skills to make such communications even possible.<br /> <br /> Typically, the computer lab at Somerville's Clarendon Hill Apartments, a housing project in West Somerville, has half a dozen kids in it, playing flash games or using applications such as Second Life or Facebook. The computer lab does not have any content filtering, but there is always an adult present in the lab to monitor usage. The computer lab consists of thirteen PCs running either Windows 2000 or Windows XP. When we started the program, many of the computers were unusable due to the presence of viruses and malware, or due to people changing the passwords. We wanted to provide a constructive alternative to run-of-the-mill computer games and clean up the computers so that the residents, particularly the youth, could take advantage of this opportunity.<br /> <br /> ==Our work, and our '''&lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt;==<br /> <br /> ''What was the basic groundwork needed to support the current work? How did the project change and grow over time? At this point, what are our main &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; about improving communications in public education? What communication and implementation &lt;font color=red&gt;¡Ahas!&lt;/font color&gt; and turning points did we have over time? <br /> -------<br /> <br /> '''Our Custom Etoys Stick<br /> <br /> In the fall of 2009, Caroline Meeks was working on testing “Sugar on a Stick” in an Allston elementary school in collaboration with Sugar Labs, a spinoff of the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) organization. Seth Woodworth, who was working on the Oneville project, was a former employee of One Laptop per Child. Caroline lives near Somerville and attended Somerville High School. Thus, there was interest in doing a pilot in Somerville.<br /> <br /> Seth brought Caroline, Professor Mica Pollock, and Franklin Dalembert, the Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition of Somerville, together for a meeting at the Somerville Housing Authority’s facility at Mystic. (The Haitian Coalition [[haitian-coalition.org]] is a community-based organization located in the Clarendon Hill Apartments, and it promotes Haitian culture and helps members of the Haitian community gain access to services and programs such as legal aid, social services, voter registration and small business training.) The group decided to pilot in the CHA computer lab in partnership with the Haitian Coalition of Somerville. The team was later joined by Derek Radfern, a student taking a gap year between graduating high school and entering Olin College, a local engineering college.<br /> <br /> The original goal of the project was to give every child in CHA a USB stick with a bootable version of the Ubuntu distribution of Linux, and filled with educational programs. The initial software selection was based on the work of Open1to1, a Maine based educational project. See [[open1to1.org/index.php/Main_Page]] for further information. However, a number of technical issues were encountered that hindered, and ultimately prevented, implementation. These issues included: <br /> <br /> *Slow boot time on CHA machines - more optimization required for the image to be a viable option<br /> *The Persistence software did not work when the stick was created on Windows, regardless of the tool used<br /> <br /> However, the Haitian Coalition's relationship with Waveplace [[waveplace.org]], an organization that is piloting the use of OLPC laptops in a number of schools, introduced the team to Etoys, a childrens’ programming environment where kids can both draw and program. Etoys has been used for over 10 years in the US and other countries; see [[squeakland.org]]. Another feature of the software is its instructional capability: Etoys allows users to create curricula to teach kids how to use to software for increasingly advanced purposes. Waveplace’s goal is to create a full set of curricula; currently they are working on subjects that include science, mathematics, and health. <br /> <br /> One of the main advantages of Etoys over similar projects such as Scratch and Turtle Art is that it has a “to-go” version already built that runs from a USB stick without needing to install anything on a computer. This way, each child can have his or her own stick that holds Etoys, a particular set of curricula, and the child’s own projects.<br /> <br /> We wanted to create a stick that easily runs on different hardware platforms (Windows, Macintosh, and Linux) and that automatically backs up the students’ work to the internet without student intervention. After doing this, we started classes with children who dropped into the CHA Computer center, teaching them to use Etoys to create art, games, and stories, and testing some of the Waveplace curricula.<br /> <br /> Our custom Etoys stick runs off of a Java executable archive that serves three main purposes: to identify the operating system currently in use; to execute the proper version of Etoys based on the OS; and to execute Dropbox if that OS is Windows. A copy of the Java source code can be found here: http://pastebin.com/W4c7s0wp After the jar file runs, Dropbox will run transparently in the background if on Windows, and Etoys will open after a short delay, depending on the speed of the system. Also included on our sticks are the project files for Waveplace science and geometry curriculum. They can be accessed by using the “open” button.<br /> <br /> '''Refurbishing Donated Machines<br /> <br /> The Haitian Coalition has 19 donated computers (along with a number of monitors and other peripherals) that have been wiped clean. All are Dell Optiplex GX240 models, with varying amounts of RAM and CPU power (averaging 512MB and 1.5GHz respectively). We decided to install the Ubuntu distribution of Linux on them for reasons of cost, performance, and open-source availability.<br /> <br /> We’ve loaded many educational programs and useful tools onto the systems. The full list is included in the link below, but the highlights are: KDEdu (large suite of educational programs), GIMP, Chromium, Dropbox, Scratch, Audacity, and Etoys. We also installed the Netbook Launcher on them, courtesy of Martin Owens, as an easier to use alternate interface.<br /> <br /> There are plenty of keyboards, mice, and power cords lying around; monitors are in shorter supply.<br /> <br /> Steps to prepare CHA computers and list of software can be found here: http://goo.gl/5QPUn<br /> <br /> As of this writing, ten computers have been imaged, of which six have been installed in homes at CHA. Finding families to donate computers to was mostly done through word of mouth and signage around the apartment complexes. The kids, who were in general more enthusiastic than their parents about the prospect of having a computer, were our main avenue for spreading the word - once one of them knew, all of them knew, as well as their parents. Lince and Franklin also reached out to specific residents who would benefit from a donated computer.<br /> <br /> Installing the computers in the homes was a relatively simple process. An appointment was made for the installation, and we brought all the equipment over to their house (computer, monitor, keyboard, mouse, 2 power cables) at that time. One challenge was finding enough outlets to host the power plugs - most of the families didn’t have power strips. It might be good to have surge protectors to donate to the families as well.<br /> <br /> After everything was installed, we spent some time going over how to log in (password is “password”), how to navigate the menus or Netbook Launcher as appropriate, how to use basic applications, how to open the internet (if they had internet or were expecting to get it soon), etc. We also showed them how to find their files and how to open a USB stick. When there was interest in learning more, we went over more advanced settings and features of Ubuntu (changing screensaver, password, etc) and went further into word processing. Then we answered any questions they had and let them explore on their own.<br /> <br /> In addition to preparing the donated computers, we’ve brought the systems already in place within the CHA lab up to date. The administrator accounts had been locked with the password long forgotten, so we reset the passwords to “Somerville” and proceeded to clean up the machines. This process included removing the software that posed security risks or performance problems (downloaded freeware games, free smilies, and viruses posing as free smilies) and locking the desktop background to prevent kids changing it to offensive images. The systems also needed plugin updates - notably Java. Finally, we plugged the security loophole that allowed us to change the admin password in the first place. These systems are now secure.<br /> <br /> ===Our Products: Concrete communication improvements and next steps===<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> We've had a total of 17 kids take part in our classes at CHA over the course of eight training sessions. Of those, roughly half came for only one or two classes; the rest still come intermitently. Generally we can expect four or five kids on any given day, with a few more who are really only interested in playing flash games. We've also run two classes at Parts and Crafts during their vacation camp, where we got around ten students.<br /> <br /> The kids are always excited about learning new and cool things to do in Etoys, whether it's animating a character's mouth or making moving eyes that track your cursor.<br /> <br /> The main project we ran at CHA was on storytelling. (http://goo.gl/VjclP)<br /> <br /> Choose-your-own-Adventure books (http://goo.gl/dEUUK) and action-based “cops and robbers” style games (http://goo.gl/AHDcr) have also gone over well. The kids did show a tendency to use a lot of violence in their books, but we ascribed it to the fact that kids will be kids and that there’s not much to be done about it.<br /> <br /> ===Technological how-tos===<br /> <br /> '''System Requirements and Restrictions<br /> <br /> *Backup is currently only working on Windows XP and up. (Since one of the computers in the CHA lab runs Windows 2000, we know it’s not compatible with that version of Windows.)<br /> *Systems must have Java installed in order for users to start Etoys. It’s still possible to browse to the appropriate executable manually, but this isn’t something most people will know how to do.<br /> *The version of Java must be reasonably current, which can present a problem on systems without access to the internet. For reference, the current version of Java is JRE 6 update 25; execution failed on an older system, which turned out to be running JRE 2.<br /> *It is impossible to make the sticks autorun eToys (that is, without making kids execute anything), as this functionality has been removed in the major operating systems for security reasons.<br /> <br /> '''Backup<br /> <br /> Our current backup solution involves using an application called DropboxPortableAHK, which was written in AutoHotKey. The app is on the back end of the interface, as it is automatically executed when Etoys runs. The user never has to interact with it except when an update is available for the software.<br /> <br /> DropboxPortableAHK is basically a wrapper for the normal Dropbox installer. The difference is that it modifies some of the steps in the install process to match your preferences - in this case, making the Dropbox folder reside on a USB drive. During setup, you can mark the Etoys data folder as the Dropbox folder so that all project files are automagically backed up:<br /> <br /> [[Image:dropboxahk.png]]<br /> <br /> Whenever a student runs Etoys on a Windows computer (XP or higher) with internet access, their project files are synced with the cloud; therefore if a stick is lost or damaged, the project files can easily be accessed and restored since the usernames and passwords for the sticks are on record. In addition, this part of the stick does have an auto-update ability to ensure that the kids have the latest version of the backup software.<br /> <br /> Instructions for setting up Dropbox on the sticks can be found here: http://goo.gl/L4FIF<br /> <br /> '''Ideas for future tech development<br /> <br /> Finding a backup solution for Mac and Linux, as DropboxPortableAHK only works on Windows.<br /> Possibly creating a Chrome extension to house all the data, as was discussed in February.<br /> Using githooks or similar technology to allow the sticks to pull the newest version of the stick from github servers automagically.<br /> Continuing to image the remaining computers at CHA.</div>

Jeddcohen