iBook Survey

Science Teacher Survey

Many people are interested to see how Henrico County is using the laptop computers. Your responses to this survey will help us evaluate the laptop program and learn more about it. The information that you provide will be confidential. Teachers' names will not be used in any way.

Section 1: Your Use of the Laptop as a Professional Tool

1.1.

On average, how frequently do you perform the following tasks using your laptop?

	More than once a week	About once a week	Less than once a week	Never
a) Conduct research that contributes to instruction (e.g., research for lesson plans and curriculum design)
b) Develop materials and / or presentations for instruction or homework assignments
c) Assess student work in or out of class
d) Manage student information
e) Communicate with colleagues inside and outside the school
f) Use a TV or projector to display information from your or your students' laptops

1.2.

Overall, how helpful is it to you to have a computer for your own professional use?

Section 2: Uses of the Laptop for Learning Science

2.1.

How often do you ask that laptops be used by your students for each of the following science topics?

	More than once a week	About once a week	Less than once a week	Never	Not yet but planned for the future
a) Seek and identify reliable sources of information
b) Generate research questions as a result of observation
c) Formulate hypotheses and or predictions
d) Design scientific investigations to test hypotheses
e) Conduct systematic observations
f) Collect, enter, and store data
g) Sort and display data and related textual information
h) Analyze and interpret data
i) Evaluate data analysis and/or other evidence to develop a conclusion or support a claim
j) Communicate electronically with scientists or other collaborators outside of class and school
k) To visualize a systematic phenomenon or process
l) Develop models to describe or explain a phenomenon
m) Cultivate skills, attitudes, and disposition necessary for scientific inquiry

2.2.

How often do you ask your students to use the following electronic materials for science?

	More than once a week	About once a week	Less than once a week	Never	Not yet but planned for the future
a) The "virtual share" to access files
b) Word processor
c) Spreadsheet
d) Web browsers (e.g. Explorer)
e) Software to create multimedia (e.g. iMovie)
f) Database software (e.g. Access)
g) Instruments and probes
h) Handheld devices linked to laptops (e.g. PDAs)
i) Simulation software
j) Problem-solving software
k) Global positioning software (GPS)
m) Visualization or imaging software
n) Other1: (Please specify)
o) Other2: (Please specify)

2.3.

Select the course (e.g., Biology) that you have taught using laptops in which you believe the computers have had the most positive impact on students.

2.4.	Please name one scientific topic or concept you teach for which the students' laptops have been most useful, in your experience:

2.5.	Please name the one piece of software, or the one Web site, that you believe has been most useful in helping your students learn science:

2.6.

How much has the use of readily available laptops helped your students to learn science in your classes?

Section 3: Impacts of Laptop Use

3.1.

Listed below are some areas that may have been impacted by laptop use. Please indicate your experience of the impact the laptop program has had in each area.

	Very positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative
a) Your interaction or collaboration with students
b) Your interaction or collaboration with other teachers
c) The cohesiveness of your department or team
d) Your interaction with parents
e) Classroom management
f) Your use of high quality instructional tools
g) Interaction between and among students
h) What students learn about the subject you teach
i) Students' engagement and interest levels
j) Students' ability to work independently
k) Students' attendance
l) Students' organization

3.2.

Overall, what has been the impact of the iBook Teaching and Learning Initiative on the following groups of students? Please indicate your assessment of the impact the laptop program has had for each group:

	Very positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative
a) Average or typical students
b) Students with learning difficulties
c) Gifted or high achieving students
d) Students whose first language is not English

3.3.

What has been the impact of the iBooks on your use of textbooks and other printed materials? For each area, please indicate the impact, if any:

	Greatly Increased	Increased	No Change	Reduced	Geatly Reduced
a) The frequency with which I assign textbook use
b) The total number of pages/chapters that students read in the textbooks I use
c) The number of printed handouts (e.g. photocopies) that I use
d) The number of student assignments completed and handed in on paper
e) The use of graphing calculators (e.g., TI-83) in your class

Section 4: Facilitators and Barriers to Laptop Use

4.1.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with each of these statements?

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
a) The student laptops are reliable and rugged
b) The battery life of the laptops is a problem
c) More and better electronic materials are needed to teach my classes using laptops
d) I have the computer equipment I need
e) Teaching my students to use computers takes more time than I think it is worth
f) In my school, support for computers and equipment is good
g) In my school, support to help teachers integrate laptops into instruction is good
h) My principal is supportive of the use of laptops
i) The Internet connection in school is reliable

Section 5: Professional Development

5.1.

How would you rate your overall skill level in using the laptop -- for example, email, searching the Internet, and word processing?

5.2.

During the past year, did you participate in or lead any of the following types of professional development activities related to using computers?

	Yes	No
a) Workshops or institutes focused on a specific topic, provided by or within the district during the academic year
b) Workshops or institutes focused on a specific topic, provided by or within the district during the summer
c) Workshops or conferences provided outside your district
d) Informally worked with peers, family, or friends on skills related to technology in teaching

5.3.	Please estimate the number of hours you spent over the past year learning to use technology for education:
	Number of hours

5.4.

What other educational technology-related support do you need? Choose all that apply.

	a) Greater access to useful software or Web sites
	b) Information about the quality and effectiveness of software / Web sites
	c) More support from administrators to obtain software
	d) Pre-made activities that fit with the curriculum I teach
	e) Time to practice and learn
	f) An on-site support person to help me learn to incorporate technology into my teaching
	g) Other

Section 6: Demographic Information

6.1.

At which school do you mainly teach?

6.2.	How many years have you been teaching?
	Number of years

6.3.

Please indicate all the science courses you teach.
Choose all that apply

	Science 6
	Advanced Science 6
	Life Science 7
	Advanced Life Science 7
	Physical Science 8
	Advanced Physical Science 8
	Earth Science
	Earth Science Honors
	Applied Physical Science
	Biology I
	Biology I Honors
	Biology II
	AP Biology
	Consumer Chemistry
	Chemistry I
	Chemistry I Honors
	AP Chemistry
	Physics I
	Physics I Honors
	AP Physics
	AP Environmental Science
	Meteorology
	Exploration of the Universe
	Other:

6.4.	What is your average class size?
	Number of stuents

Feedback

Is there anything else you would like to share with us about Henrico's laptop program?

Before you submit your survey, please look over your responses to make sure that you have answered each one.