GENERATION YES

The Genius Bar Goes to School: Informal Student Support for Technology

Learn how to plan and implement a student-led "Genius Bar" in your school. By learning the lessons of the Apple “Genius Bar,” schools can leverage student interest in technology to create a support system for computers, software, and hardware that is run and managed by students. With training and a commitment to service, students can help create a culture of collaborative support and high expectations for technology use by all. By Sylvia Libow Martinez.

Download the PDF (15 pages)

Link to the companion website (coming soon) - Schools can use this free Google Sites template to plan their own student-led Genius Bar.

Assessing Technology Literacy: The Case for an Authentic, Project-Based Learning Approach

This whitepaper takes a comprehensive look at the research, policies, and practices of technology literacy in K-12 settings in the United States. It builds a research-based case for the central importance of "doing" as part of technology literacy, meaning more than just being able to answer canned questions on a test. It also explores the current approaches to develop meaningful assessment of student technology literacy at a national, state, and local level, including TechYES.

Are you looking for the research that shows why technology literacy is not a checklist and should not be assessed by a multiple choice test? Then take a look at this whitepaper written by Jonathan D. Becker, J.D., Ph.D. Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University, with Cherise A. Hodge, M.Ed. and Mary W. Sepelyak, M.Ed. Dr. Becker is an expert researcher in achievement and equity effects of educational technology and curriculum development.

Download the PDF

Student Support of Laptop Programs
Find out how to create a highly effective student support team for your laptop program - whether you have one cart or are 1:1. Written by Sylvia Libow Martinez, the article contains research, planning tips, case studies, and practical suggestions.

• How to train and sustain a student technology team in support of laptops
• Students partnering with teachers to create and support new laptop learning activities
• How (and why) to include students on planning committees
• Students as trainers and mentors for new users
• How students can make a laptop rollout go smoother
• Case studies from all grade levels

Sharing Student Voice: Students Presenting at Conferences
This whitepaper contains practical tips for teachers working with students to present at conferences. Written by Sylvia Libow Martinez, the paper contains:

• Top Ten Tips for Student Presenters
• Balancing the needs of the audience with the needs of students
• Research on student voice, 21st Century skills and student empowerment
• How to plan and submit sessions with student presenters
• Maintaining student ownership and authentic student voice
• Logistics tips for bigger conferences and exhibit halls
• The role of the teacher

Vision to Action: Adding Student Leadership to Your Technology Plan
"Dennis Harper literally wrote the blueprint on how to work with students to create technology plans." - THE Journal

Writing a technology plan and want to make sure that it includes authentic student involvement and leadership? Written by Dr. Dennis Harper, this document provides:

• Models of student action and leadership
• Sample language for technology plans
• Guidance on connecting goals to action items that will be effective
• Step-by-step plans for incorporating student leadership programs into district plans
• Supporting research
• Reproducible worksheet for committees

Click here for our video channel on Vimeo.

There are videos showing the GenYES and TechYES model, and many student created videos about how they help teach teachers and peers about technology. Check out "GenYES Rocks" at the right.

Edutopia (The George Lucas Foundation) - Turning the Tables -- Students Teach Teachers (article and 6 minute video). This video shows the GenYES model in action in several schools, with interviews of teachers, students, and administrators. Note that it refers to the model by a previous name, Gen www.Y.

Other videos of the GenYES model are available online in the GenYES toolkit. Contact us about taking a tour of our demo site in our online contact form.

GenYES Rocks! from Shadow Mountain High School, Arizona on Vimeo.

TechYES in Action - 14 minute video presentation of the TechYES Student Technology Literacy Certification model.

If you have a high-speed connection, click on either link and it will play in your browser. If you want to download the file and save for later showing, right-click on the file and save it.

• Smaller file, faster to load and play - (MOV file, 20MB)
• Larger file, longer to load and play, but higher quality - (720x480 MP4 file, 165MB)

Games and Education Video and Wiki - Resources wiki plus 20 minute presentation by Sylvia Martinez on authentic learning with games, simulations, and game-making.

• Games in Education Resources for K-12 Educators

Technology Support with Students - The 21st Century A/V Club

• Download the videocast (slides with audio) (MP4)
• Link to Wes Fryer's blog (Speed of Creativity) with an audio-only podcast (with intro from Wes)
• Handout
• PDF of slides