EL INICIO DE ESTRATEGIAS DE COLABORACIÓN

In taking the tablet project from a dream to a tangible reality, the head teacher began with the available resources, arguing that “if the administration is convinced with the idea, they will be able to utilize the available resources”, but at the same time worked on winning external support. The school itself provided the initial four iPads, which was an achievement in itself, but the head teacher was not content with this humble start and did not want to stop improving the project. Rather than following the long official bureaucratic procedure by which requests for support should have been made through the regional educational office, she used her personal relations to establish and maintain direct contact with the head of the IT department at the ministry level

(Appendix O) in order to seek the support the school needed. She was thus able to bring the project to life and obtain fifteen tablets from the MOE, which also provided support with the internet connection. A measure of the head teacher’s achievement is that the highly experienced Khawla reported being surprised that the project was extended in this way. It was also the head teacher herself who had the vision and set the rules on how and when tablets were to be used, taking all decisions on which teachers would use the tablets, in which subjects and with which classes.

“My vision is that a pupil starts to learn on his own, starts to recognise what he wants and to understand why these devices are provided for him. A pupil would then start to get information on his own.. I don’t feel we’ve got to this point yet.”

Head teacher interview

ب صﻼخ بلاطلا هنأ لصوأ نأ يتيؤر" أد يغاب شيه وه فرعي أدب .. هدحو ملعتي اذه شيل وه فرعي بلاطلا أدب .. ملعتي يدبي بلاطلا ... هدنع دوﺟوم زهﺟلا تلصو نأ تيسح ام .. ةمولعملا يطعي "ةطقنلا يذهل

In addition, the head teacher’s role was vital to the project, as the findings reveal specific ways in which it directly impacted tablet use in the classroom, although on some occasions it was indirect. The first direct impact was through supporting teachers and facilitating the use of tablets in classrooms by working to support them. For example, she showed understanding of their comments on how the project was progressing, their complaints about subject supervisors not caring about time spent on the project, and their demands for things to be provided.

“I suppose that preparation is the same. If you ask about written preparation, written preparation should be there. But mental preparation should be wider and more comprehensive than it was before. It is not enough to use what is available in the textbook. Pupils can search google or YouTube, therefore, a teacher should be prepared with wider knowledge. But written preparation is the same.”

Head teacher interview

..ذاتسا ريضحتلا سﻔن نوكي ضورﻔملا" اذهو .. دوﺟوم يقرو ريضحت نوكي تنك اذا .. ينهذ ريضحت نوكي ريضحتلا ام وه وه ف يفرولا ريضحتلا دصقت نوكي مزﻻ ينهذلا ريضحتلا نكل ..ريغت يﻔتكي سب ام اقباس انلق امك هنﻻ لمشا بلاطلا .. باتكلا يف دوﺟوملا ئشلاب أ لﺟوﺟ يف ثحبي نكمم .. بويتوي و لمشا هدنع نوكي ضورﻔملا ملعملا ينعي ".وه وه يباتكلا ريضحتلا نكل .اينهذ

However, the head teacher argued that there should be no difference in planning for a lesson whether or not tablets were used. Similarly, the encouragement given to teachers working on the project was the same as that given to other teachers working at the school. Those working on the project should not be asking for special recognition but should prove themselves equal to any other teacher in the school.

“As a school administration we have overall steps for encouragement as we have a comprehensive follow-up form. And we have a monthly award for teachers, the excellent teacher. The teacher who does well in her class and is committed. We haven’t specified, but it is general for the excellent teacher and by the way the excellent teacher will be doing well in everything.”

Head teacher interview

اندنع ةلماش ةيعيﺟشت تاوطخ يف وه " ةرامتسا اندنع يف ،ةسردم ةرادإك ابيرقت ميركت اندنع يفو ةلماش ةعباتم ةملعملا ينعي ،تاملعملل يرهش ةديﺟملا اهلوصف ،زيمتم اهليصحت ، ام هنحا ينعي ..خلا ،ةمزتلم ،ةزيمتم ةركف ىلعو ،ماع هﺟوب ينعي ، انصصخ لك يف زيمتم نوكي زيتملا ملعملا ".ةﺟاح 5.3.1.2 Providing tablets

“We wish to have 30 tablets so that every pupil in the class would have one. We also want each pupil to have a tablet under his responsibility so he does not leave it at school but can take it home, interact with it and bring it to school the next day. Pupils should use tablets to replace their bags and books. That is all that we want.

ىنمتن نحن" ٣٠ بلاط لك ددع ىلع زاهﺟ زاهﺟلا بلاط لكل هنا ىنمتن ئشلا سﻔن .. ىتح نوكي .تيبلا يف ىتح هدهع هاعم نوكي يف هطحي سب ام .هاعم لعاﻔتي تيبلا يف ام لدب ،هاعم يناثلا مويلا هبيﺟيو .ةسردملا تيبلا هعم هليشي ،بات ليشي ةطنش ليشي نوكي ام لدب ،هعﺟريو هنم ركاذيو يف

Our aim is to get rid of the school bag and we make it an electronic bag.”

Head teacher interview

هنا انفادها .. ىنمتن نحن ،صﻼخ ،باتك ةينورتكلا اهلك اهيلخنو ، ةطنشلا يغلن نوكت ةطنشلا .

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The head teacher’s decision to work on getting external funding support for more tablets increased the ratio of tablets to pupils. She was not content with the four iPads that the school could afford to buy and expressly stated her wish “to have 30 tablets so that every pupil in the class would have one.” Although she had not achieved a one-to-one pupil-to-tablet ratio, her efforts had improved it from one per group of six pupils to one per pair by securing the provision of 15 devices from the Ministry of Education.