St. John The Baptist
Catholic School
Milwaukie, OR
St. John the Baptist Catholic School is a Pre-K to 8th grade parish school within the
Archdiocese of Portland. Our teachers and 202 students are committed to achieving excellence pursued in a nurturing and innovative learning environment.
SJB is a family oriented, faith community which is committed to fostering the spiritual,
academic, physical, social, and moral abilities of our students who then actively demonstrate their learning in service to others.
We believe that learning in the digital age is best facilitated through student-centered, active learning through individualized
instruction with the best tools available. To accomplish this goal, we have implemented a one-to-one program including iPod Touch, iPad, and Macbook Air devices.
Apple Distinguished School Application
St. John the Baptist
Catholic School
Individual Leadership A credible and inspirational thought leader sets and articulates the vision. Community Engagement
Broad community sponsorship supports the institution’s
initiatives.
Shared Leadership
School leaders take collective ownership of the initiative.
Individual Leadership
Beginning just over three years ago, Principal Ted Havens became convinced that today’s students approach learning differently. The typical computer lab was no longer a sufficient use of technology at St. John the Baptist. Believing that digital natives learn best using familiar digital tools, he sought to transform SJB into an academically rigorous learning
environment with the best available tools for student-centered learning and knowledge construction. His quest led him to Apple and a one-to-one program using iPod Touches, iPads, and Macbook Airs fully integrated into the
curriculum. Principal Havens shared his vision for improving instruction and achievement using Apple devices with the school community,
including parish staff, parents, and teachers. He led them to see the potential for all students to learn and to invest money, time, and talents into a new approach to instruction.
Other teachers and staff have also become inspired to
transform student learning. For example, Elizabeth Docken, our fifth grade teacher, leads
faculty discussions on best practices with the
available technology through shared documents and provides helpful hints
for those learning new technologies to use in the classroom. Ben Kinkley, the music teacher and IT coordinator, also
leads peer to peer professional development surrounding use of the Apple mobile devices for increased curriculum integration of technology.
Visionary Leadership
Principal Havens Visionary Leadership
Principal Havens describes the process that brought Apple devices to SJB.
Community Engagement
The St. John the Baptist community of
parents, faculty, and staff has enthusiastically embraced the inspirational leadership of Principal Havens and his vision for improving instruction through integrating Apple devices into the curriculum. Understanding the need for change, the community came together to provide funding for the project. This included an initial investment by the parishioners and parents of over $80,000 at our annual auction “paddle raiser.” That night, the community showed their whole-hearted support of Apple devices in the classroom and their
commitment to educational excellence at SJB. Other funds have been raised for improvements to the infrastructure of the school and professional development in order to ensure that the Apple devices could be used by the students and teachers to their utmost potential for learning.
The community has demonstrated this commitment with more than just financial considerations.
Parents have committed to providing technology at home for each student, even purchasing Apple devices for use by students at home. They also provide
input and feedback about technology use through periodic parent surveys as well as through strategic long-range planning goals for the school and its technology needs in the future.
Shared Leadership
The vision of Principal Havens is also embraced by the faculty in a common commitment to the proper use of Apple devices in the classroom. For teachers at SJB, collaboration is essential to effective integration of technology tools in the
classroom. We use shared documents and websites to promote conversations about new apps and how they benefit students or supplement learning. We generate new ideas for innovative projects or assessments through constant collaboration.
One online collaboration tool we use is
Draggo.com. With the overabundance of educational options online, Web 2.0 tools, and mobile apps, finding the best tool for a particular lesson or to meet the needs of students can be difficult. At SJB, teachers this information with each other and with parents, sorting by grade level and subject area for easy use. All teachers have also presented best practices, new apps, online resources, and innovative lesson plans at faculty meetings. Learning how to best use Apple technologies and apply proper
pedagogy becomes less complicated within a collaborative environment like that at SJB.
Flexible Learning Environment
Information Technology IT infrastructure supports innovation in teaching and learning.
School Design and Facilities Facilities and schedules are designed to maximize learning opportunities that technology provides.
Information Technology
Several supports have been developed to
support the Apple devices in the classroom. For example, charging carts with ethernet ports permit regular updates and syncing via a single USB port connection. This makes upkeep and care of the devices easier for classroom
teachers. In addition, the support of an IT coordinator facilitates problem solving and full integration of devices with the curriculum using best practices school-wide.
Teachers also share Macbook Air computers, scheduled through a real-time, online calendar, provide additional options for in depth projects and computer-based apps. Other tools, including
projectors, document cameras, SmartBoards, and Apple TV, are shared among the faculty to support instruction using mobile devices.
The use of Apple devices at SJB also improves communication between parents, teachers, and students. Through an online system, homework, grades, school calendars, announcements, and events are shared with the SJB community. Apple devices provide easy updates and access to this online
communication system.
Flexible Learning Environment
School Design and Facilities
One of the challenges for implementing a one-to-one program using Apple devices was upgrading the infrastructure at SJB. For example, consistent connectivity assures that devices can be seamlessly
integrated into the curriculum without interruptions for technical
difficulties. This required an upgrade of the wireless infrastructure to 50 meg broadband and the use of Aerohives for increased access points. Internet SonicWALL Firewall Aerohive Access Point Apple iPad/iPod Touch Dell
PoE Network Switch Key Comcast Modem Apple Macbook Air Consistent Internet Access Hives SonicWall Visio Diagram of Wireless Infrastructure
St. John the Baptist Catholic School promotes the development and growth of the whole child: spiritually, academically, emotionally, physically, and socially. Our school community is committed to inspiring students to be life-long learners.
We foster moral excellence and self-discipline in our students so they will become responsible contributors to our school, Church, and global community in both the real world and the virtual world online. We respect the value of each student and his or her diverse needs. As facilitators of learning, faculty and staff assist parents in their role as primary educators of their children.
Our teachers use the best educational tools available to educate students and are continually striving to improve instruction and achieve excellence.
Teaching and
Learning at
Innovative Learning and Teaching
Student Learning Learning is a personal
experience for every student. Instructional Practices Faculty are master learners who expertly guide their students through difficult and complex tasks.
Curriculum Design Innovative and rigorous curriculum is designed to leverage technology.
Student Learning
Thanks to Apple in the classroom at St. John the Baptist, our students engage, construct,
collaborate, connect, and excel, becoming life-long learners.
SJB students are engaged with the material in the classroom, using Apple devices to facilitate knowledge creation through active learning from
QR code scavenger hunts in fifth grade to creating wikis in middle school science or
language arts. Utilizing the tools provided by iPods and iPads, students can readily and simply create projects to construct knowledge, using higher order thinking skills. Students publish
their work to the world. From glogging by the junior high to storytelling by the younger students, projects mean more when they are shared beyond the
classroom. For example, first graders recently practiced online story telling, including words,
pictures, and reading aloud, using the StoryKits app. (See online examples: StoryKit1 and StoryKit2) The iPod Touch and this app are effective learning tools because they allow students control over their own process to create an authentic process and product, which they were highly motivated to create and
share.
Instructional Practices
Devices like iPods and iPads are tools for learning; they are only as effective as the instructional
methods and best practices applied by the teacher to lessons. For example, teachers at SJB have found collaboration among students using Apple devices to be important instructional method for learning. Collaboration at SJB is peer to peer and student to teacher in the classroom. From shared documents to group Keynote projects, teachers create communities of learners connected to each other and to the world through Apple technology. SJB students connect to the global community
beginning even in Kindergarden. The Kindergarden
Innovative Learning and Teaching
Apple Distinguished School Application
Student Learning at SJB with Apple Devices
This iMovie provides an overview of the work students do at SJB using Apple devices.
students created a storybook using their classroom iPods, submitting it to the
Scholastic Kids Are Authors Competition last year and winning one of 50 nationwide
honorable mentions. Called The Imaginary S, the text and pictures were created as a class through shared brainstorming and lots of voting! They used their iPods to draw a letter of the alphabet in the application called Doodle Buddy and then emailed their picture to the teacher. They also used Doodle
Buddy to draw the letter that matched the beginning sound of their picture, emailing the letter to the teacher as well. This
collaboration among students, facilitated by the teacher produced an authentic learning experience for the class. They were very excited to win and even more excited to share their story with their families and other classes.
Another instructional practice facilitated in classrooms throughout SJB involves using apps for guided practice. Apps for reading or math with embedded supports for
students of all abilities create leveled
practice for increased student achievement. Many apps provide continuous instruction as
students complete
assignments at their own pace, especially when time to work one-on-one with the teacher is
limited.
Curriculum Design
The curriculum at St. John the Baptist is designed around Oregon common core standards and structured to implement the use of Apple devices in the classroom. The curriculum is reinforced with textbooks
designed with digital and online content for use on the iPads or Macbook Air computers. Instruction using leading Apple programs and apps, such as GarageBand, Keynote, iMovie, and HyperEdit as well as
age-appropriate websites for research and knowledge building are used by students from year to year. This helps to fully integrate technology skills and digital citizenship into the curriculum, ensuring that students build on the these 21st century skills from year to year. We even offer electives within the
middle school curriculum in web design and digital media for those students who wish to increase their technology aptitude.
Our academically rigorous curriculum provides a foundation of knowledge and skills for entrance into a college prep high school and beyond. Students leave SJB with the ability to utilize technology tools for life-long learning.
Created entirely by Kindergardeners at SJB, this storybook was shared across the U.S., winning an honorable mention in the Scholastic Kids Are
Compelling Evidence of Success
Quantitative
Data is routinely collected and analyzed to inform progress and success.
Qualitative
Narrative, reflective, or anecdotal evidence is collected and shared.
Quantitative
Test Scores
Students at St. John the Baptist
annually take the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) standardized test. When evaluating the impact of the Apple devices, the SJB community compared ITBS scores before implementation of the one-to-one program to scores after implementation. Since the 2011-12 school year, ITBS math computation
scores have increased for grades 4 through 8. Our current goal is to raise math computation each year by 2%, which we have exceeded since implementing the Apple one to one program.
In addition, increased achievement in reading (both fluency and comprehension) and mathematics have been especially apparent when measured throughout the school year using AIMSWeb testing. For
example, testing this fall demonstrated that all 19 eighth grade students have tested at or above grade level in math skills and computation. These successes are directly related to the use of apps and
instruction on the iPods and iPads.
Enrollment
Enrollment at SJB has also steadily increased since the integration of Apple devices into the curriculum. As the graph indicates, since the 2011-2012 school year, enrollment has increased by over 12%.
Compelling Evidence of Success
Apple Distinguished School Application
0% 2.5% 5% 7.5% 10% 2012-2013
ITBS Percent Increases in Math Computation
Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8
160 180 200 220
Enrollment at SJB
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014Qualitative Reflections
Early Childhood and Primary Grades (PreK-2)
“One significant change in the primary grades is an increase in responsive, leveled practice and a decrease in wait time for
students after finishing with other tasks. For example, in previous years, anchor activities would need to be planned in advance for students who finish work or who need more of a challenge. The Apple devices allow for students to immediately move on to an appropriate leveled practice rather than doing “busy work” or waiting for another activity. Not only does this show in student achievement in content area learning and assessments, but it also reduces frustration and management issues because students are more engaged in authentic learning.” ~~Alina Best, First Grade Teacher
Middle Grades (3-5)
“I teach research skills at all levels during library classes. Having a responsive and easy-to-use Apple device in hand allows students to access the Internet, find and evaluate resources, and share their results and conclusions. The level of engagement facilitates higher order thinking, and keeps all of the students interested, collaborative, and on task.”
~~Grace Butler, Library/Media Specialist
Middle School (6-8)
“Students in middle school learn best when they can connect authentically to the wider world and when they can actively use new knowledge,
connecting it to what they already know. Apple devices help middle school students do both through a connection to the Internet and through programs or apps that help them
create a product. In my class,
students love publishing their writing to the world online and have an excitement for
learning whenever they can use their iPads. I never thought that I would see middle school students enjoy classic novels or quoting a text until we started making movie trailers about our reading using green screens and iMovie!”
~~Jennifer Fargo, Middle School Language Arts Teacher
Ongoing Professional Learning
Relevant and Timely
Professional Development Faculty engage in a cycle of inquiry that promotes
reflection, experimentation, and sharing.
Relevant and Timely Professional
Development
St. John the Baptist has developed its own Professional Learning Community (PLC) for faculty growth and professional development. Our PLC has become a means for teachers to develop best practices for effectively using Apple technology in their classrooms. All
teachers at SJB attend monthly meetings, which are designed to meet
the specific needs of faculty members and the student community. The PLC emphasizes gathering teacher input in the
formation of professional development at the start of each year and to reflect and evaluate innovations at the end of the year.
SJB teachers also look to colleagues for
professional development opportunities, both within the Archdiocese of Portland and in the community. At the beginning of the technology integration journey in the fall of 2011, teachers visited the Canby School District to tour schools
using Apple products and to ask questions for our own implementation.
More recently, teachers have attended training sessions including Cathedral Apple
Training in 2012 as well
as training through the nearby North Clackamas School District. These kinds of training sessions give teachers many strategies and ideas for
effectively integrating Apple devices into common core instruction and making connections with colleagues at similar grade levels.
In addition, annual conferences with presentations from teachers and experts in the field of technology integration offer teachers new insight into innovative teaching techniques for the classroom. For
example, Principal Ted Havens along with Elizabeth Docken and Bethany Chipps, fifth grade and fourth grade respectively, attended the Teaching, Learning,
and Technology Symposium, hosted by the Oregon
Academic Technology Society (OATS). The various seminars inspired these teachers with new
approaches to utilizing devices and apps in the classroom, which they then shared with the entire faculty a SJB.
Ongoing Professional Learning
Contribution and Credits
List of people willing to
address five areas of best practices.
School Liaison
Mrs. Dana Day
Administrative Assistant Email: [email protected]
Contribution and Credits
In addition to the school liaison, the following people are able to address these areas. Visionary Leadership
Mr. Ted Havens Principal
Email: [email protected]
Innovative Learning and Teaching Ms. Elizabeth Docken
Fifth Grade Teacher
Email: [email protected]
Dr. Angela Gomez Kindergarden Teacher
Email: [email protected]
Ongoing Professional Learning Mr. Ted Havens
Principal
Email: [email protected]
Compelling Evidence of Success Ms. Alina Best
First Grade Teacher
Email: [email protected]
Mrs. Amber Ploussard
Middle School Mathematics Teacher Email: [email protected]
Flexible Learning Environment Mr. Ben Kinkley
Music Teacher & IT Coordinator
