www.canisiushigh.org
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devices anywhere on campus. Even
when hundreds do so at once, the net-
work won’t slow down. Getting on the
network, says Foti, “has to work just
like a light switch.”
Of course, iPads are not the end of
the story.
In addition to Amodeo’s assis-
tance, teachers also have the Content
Creation Lab where they can create
original materials and podcasts for use
in their classrooms. They can also ac-
cess countless academic resources on
iTunesU for free or at minimal cost,
which offer almost limitless possibili-
ties for advancing Canisius’s curricula.
Anatomy students, for instance, could
use an iPad application like Anatomy
3D to view andmanipulate the sys-
tems of the human body; students in
the humanities gain fingertip access to
information in the National Archives.
»
Helping out Foti and Amodeo on the
technology front are a couple of new
faces. Brian Joseph ‘06 is a support
technician who handles any techni-
cal issues in offices and classrooms.
Nikki Lewandowski staffs the help
desk for students and troubleshoots
iPads. Dedication of these four staff
to Canisius technology efforts un-
derscores the school’s determination
to get it right.
“If youwant tomeet kids where they
are, you have to do it in a serious way,”
Amodeo says. Foti agrees: “You can’t
just get your foot a little wet.”
Multi-faceted benefts
The rollout of the one-to-one com-
puting program began in November
when teachers received their iPads.
Students began getting their iPads this
summer. The beauty of the device is
multi-faceted:
»
Textbooks for the iPad include imag-
es, videos and other interactive tools
that make the subject matter come
alive. Pierson’s biology iBook, for in-
stance, has 3-D images of the skeletal
systemthat students canmanipulate.
Dr. Amy Kimmel, an English teacher,
has created an iBook for his poetry
class that includes poems in audio
and video of poets and others read-
ing various works.
»
Teachers can illuminate concepts
more easily. Government teacher
Thomas Coppola ‘01, for example,
is making heavy use of an app called
“270toWin.” With it, he and stu-
dents can slice and dice the elector-
al results of past elections, find out
how individual states voted and pose
questions on how elections might
have changed with slightly different
electoral results.
»
Students can add notes to their digi-
tal textbooks, eliminating the need
for (and the risk of misplacing!) note-
books. They’ll also have a digital
planner that includes information,
such as academic and sports calen-
dars, tools they will use to stay orga-
nized and efficient. .
»
Students can log into Moodle with
their iPads to enroll for courses and
get their homework assignments
(which also eliminates teachers’
need to make copies).
»
Students and teachers can safely
store and share any school-related
file via an “eBackpack.”
»
Beginning in September, students
will take tests on their iPads, a pro-
cess that will provide a differently
numbered test for every student to
ensure a true assessment of each stu-
dent’s ability.
»
The near future brings additions like
the algebra I textbook becoming an
app with videos to help students
working on important concepts like
factoring polynomials.
Many of these features, says
Amodeo, “expand classroom walls.”
They also contribute to the ways that
Canisius engages with the “flipped
classroom” educational model. In the
flipped classroom, students watch lec-
tures, do research and read textbooks
at home and learn at school through
teacher-guided, hands-on activities.