#digitalforallnow

Originally published in the French version of  ECONOCOM’S Digital for All Blog, 17/11/2016: http://www.digitalforallnow.com/marymount-international-school-numerique-apprentissage-eleve/

It is not uncommon at Marymount International School, Paris, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, to see students strolling around the school with an iPad or a MacBook. The program offered by this private school, which welcomes 360 students aged 2 to 14 years old, is taught primarily in English; and its 70 faculty members rely on new technologies to provide quality education, tailored to the specific needs of each child.

Yoann Saludes is the IT Manager of Marymount. He works alongside three Tech Integrationists, whose role is to ensure that the use of computer-assisted tools in the classroom runs smoothly and efficiently. “They are our guardian angels”, says Yoann Saludes, jokingly. “Their role is to make sure that practices are suited and adapted, and to help teachers in their daily work. In addition to this facilitation role, they are also in charge of tracking technological and educational innovations in order to identify and offer new ways of teaching.” The team also includes two technicians, who are in charge of the network and infrastructure.

Digital tools hold an increasingly important place at Marymount. As early as Kindergarten, students have access to mobile carts with iPads. From Grade 3 onwards, students can also use Chromebooks and MacBooks.

“It is important to make sure students are not conditioned –or formatted– to a given device or technology”, explains Yoann Saludes. “We favor Apple products, but think it is also important for children to use Google tools: flexibility is key.”

“In middle school, each student has a MacBook Air”, continues Leigh Ardrit, one of the Tech Integrationists. “We teach students how to use them as early as sixth grade, because even if they all think they know how to use computers, there are many features, PowerPoint or Google Docs for example, they are not familiar with. ”

Before the school deployed our iPads in 2012, students worked on laptop PCs. Digital technologies have been a part of the school for over 20 years. “We have always had an IT room” underlines Ingrid Kay. “With the rise of mobile technologies, what has changed is that digital technologies have made their way into the classroom, and are no longer limited to a dedicated space.”

Re-inventing the student/teacher relationship

From primary school onwards, teachers use Google Classroom, a platform through which they can post their classes online, and students can easily share their work.

Younger students use digital technologies in a slightly different way. Students use Seesaw, a digital portfolio. “This revitalizes and reinforces the relationship between students, teachers and parents. In middle school, it is easy for parents to ask their children what they are doing at school. With younger students, however, it can be difficult to know what goes on in the classroom. Thanks to digital technologies, parents can see what their children are working on and monitor their children’s progress. This helps build a strong and lasting relationship”, explains Yoann Saludes

Students can, on their own initiative, film their work and upload the video to their portfolio. Parents can then react, thanks to a ‘likes’ system (similar to what can be found on Facebook), or can use the platform to ask the teacher questions. Of course, everything is private and remains strictly within the circle of the school.

The use of applications, like Seesaw, Google Classroom and schedule or grade sharing solutions, has replaced the traditional liaison and homework notebook, which was only for teachers and administration, and was not, or only very little, read by students, and even less so by their parents

Digital technologies: a vehicle for change from within the classroom

If an English teacher asks students to give a presentation, on Shakespeare for example, students are free to choose how they want to present their work: traditional presentation, Google Classroom, video with iMovie… Our role is to help them use these tools”, explains Yoann Saludes.

The use of digital technologies has also helped reduce our paper consumption. “In Maths, we do not use textbooks anymore, everything is online”, underlines Leigh Ardrit. “Teachers upload their courses on the interactive whiteboard, and students can work in their own workbook or with connected tools. It is much more dynamic, and the children love it. ”

“Another growing use is in Art classes”, continues the Tech Integrationist. “The idea is to put the entire content of the course in a PowerPoint presentation and to show it as a short video throughout the class. Students can watch it during the course, which means the teacher is more available for students who need more help. This is a wonderful step forward.”

The “flipped classroom” principle means teachers prepare the content of their class beforehand, and send it to students, via Google Classroom for example, so that they know what they will be working on the next day, and perhaps prepare. This system makes students more independent, and they understand better what their teacher expects from them.

For extra-curricular activities, Marymount works with Magic Makers, a start-up which partners with Econocom, and offers creative programming workshops. Younger students are initiated to the basics of coding with Scratch, a tool that teachers also use in their classes.

-> Read also: With magic makers, Claude Terosier teaches coding to kids – and their teachers!

New technologies for innovative pedagogical practices

Students move around the school a lot, but this can easily be managed with digital tools. “It is not simply a matter of going to the music room for your music lessons, describes Yoann Saludes. “Many activities take place outside the classroom, in the playground or in a FabLab for example, when they do not require any specific equipment.” Classrooms are also set up so that students can circulate, tables are arranged in clusters, and there are resting or reading areas.

Another specificity of the school: the Individualized Learning Center (ILC), where specific support is provided for students who need it, with one teacher for every two students. “One of the teachers asked us to reduce the noise level in this space, so we installed an application which measures the sound level with a series of microphones”, explains Tech Integrationist Leigh. “We connected it to a video projector, and students work knowing exactly how high the level of ambient noise is. This offers real relief to everyone. Today, the average turnaround time between the moment a need is expressed and identifying the adapted software and its implementation on iPads is half a day. This process has become very rapid.”

Econocom, a responsive and attentive partner

In terms of hardware, the school decided to partner with Econocom. Speaking of the school’s partnership with Econocom Yoann Saludes underlines that “what we liked was the fact that they understood our needs, and the responsiveness of the sales team, which gave us confidence in the Group’s ability to provide the ideal hardware or software solution. Of course, the fact that Econocom is an Apple partner is also a considerable advantage.”

The group covered the financing and supplying the iPads. Marymount chose the leasing services, with a renewal every three years. “We never use our equipment for more than 3 or 4 years”, explains the IT Manager. “There is no point in us purchasing equipment only to renew it after a couple of years.”

The leasing solution also means the school can always offer children the most up-to-date devices. “We signed up for Swift Playgrounds, Apple’s platform for learning code. Without up-to date hardware, this would not have been possible, nor would we have been able to get a preview of Apple’s classroom systems. Whenever you buy equipment, it can be tempting to keep the fleet longer. However, after three or four years, you inevitably run up against compatibility issues”, explains Peter Farran, Educational Technology Manager.

In order to offer our students and faculty the best, Marymount’s technical teams are constantly on the lookout for solutions which can enhance the quality of the education and better guide our students in their educational experience. Constantly challenging oneself is the best way to move forward, and it is also the key of the #Digitalforallnow movement  

See other testimonials from schools who have already deployed digital tools with Econocom:

-> Saint Joseph à Gap, a middle school and high school offering general education, where its 820 students and  fifty teachers are equipped with digital tools