The Path to Inquiry Never Did Run Smooth

My campus held registration this week, and it gave me the opportunity to visit with some of my colleagues for the first time since they attended SMART Board training over the summer.  I sensed both excitement and trepidation, which is to be expected.  What I didn’t expect was the level of confidence on the part of some of my faculty members that this technology would come “ready-to-use”, meaning the district curriculum would be fully updated to include SMART Board lessons for every objective.  Since I know emphatically that this is not the case, I’m concerned about the moment of hard realization that those colleagues will face in a very short time.  There is a very real chance that this will have a souring effect on some of the enthusiasm for the technology and for my PLC initiative.  I realize, even more so than before, the need for effective communication and building of a shared vision.  If I can show convincing evidence that the PLC’s are, in fact, a practical way to develop this technology, it will go a long way toward building up trust and confidence in the process.  My background research and justifications will be critical.

      As I facilitate this learning community, I must also remain sensitive to the realities of time:  the teachers on my campus, myself included, have many irons in the fire.  Most tutor after school two to three days a week, many attend goal team meetings or professional development of some kind at least once a week, and all have the ongoing demands of parent communication, planning and grading, classroom management, and personal lives.  In order for the PLC to be a successful tool for the faculty, it must be seen as a benefit and not a hindrance.  That will require organization, preparedness, and responsiveness on my part to keep the online mechanisms and the meetings running efficiently. 

     I believe the need for this initiative is real, and I believe that the PLC will prove supportive to teaching and learning with this new technology.  My challenge:  to get, and keep, Wilshire on the bandwagon!

Web Conference July 28, 2010: Persistence Pays Off

The web conference that I participated in this evening was just excellent – I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Jenkins’ support of students through this intimidating process of developing a research plan.  While the conference still had its share of technical difficulties, the flow of the conference never seemed affected.  Early in the conference some dialogue occurred relating to creating a writeable document, embedding the document into a blog, contacting site mentors, and the nuances between sections of the weekly assignment.  These questions were resolved, and Dr. Jenkins set minds at ease about the logistics of plan development.  (Please feel free to go to http://wilsoneduwiki.wikispaces.com if you need a writable copy of the SIP/PIP document.)  As a result, the conference theme was able to move effectively past the ‘nuts and bolts’ of the assignment particulars and into content. 

     I had the privilege of hearing some truly fascinating research topics: from parent involvement in Pre-K to PDAS, many stakeholders will be benefiting from the efforts of these professionals in the coming months.  I had some concerns about how to articulate my plans to share my research data this early in the process; during the conference Dr. Jenkins discussed the need to create a framework for the plan that could be updated as information and guidance became available.   As I read through the class texts this week, I had some questions about how to utilize my campus professional learning community to collect data via peer observations.  Dr. Jenkins advised us to look into some current research that is being conducted on peer-to-peer observations and evaluations, which I hope will help me to formulate a template for our PLC observations. 

     All in all, I feel much more comfortable with my inquiry progress than I did two hours ago.   Hopefully I will be able to meet with my mentor and principal in the next week;  then, it should be all systems go for the project.  It’s exhilarating to get started!

Web Conference July 23, 2010 - Whew!

I must confess, I found myself signing off from today's internship web conference feeling frustrated.  The conferences are incredibly crowded, so generally true conferencing with voice and video is out of the question.  So instead, the process is much more like the chatrooms from times gone by.  However, although the flow of information requires some diligence to follow, I don't find that particularly challenging.


What I do find exasperating is the repetition of questions, not only within a single conference, but over the course of several conferences, and between the written course material and the conferences.  I suspect some of this stems from having several different cohort groups conferencing at the same time, and some of it comes from the few-second delay that we all experience as we essentially IM back and forth on the conference board.  We had multiple questions about whether or not to purchase TK20, our new assessment and portfolio platform; about whether or not to blog on our web conferences;  about whether to include said documentation in our wikis; and about the due date for this week's assignment.  Dr. Abernathy seemed generally unruffled by the repetitiveness, and was exceedingly respectful in her responses, even those that were asked and answered more than once.  I was not so placid.  Although I did get an opportunity to ask two questions about our action research project that I had developed for the conference, I walked away from the conference feeling that we spent far too much time on "nuts and bolts" logistical information, much of which is answered in our written coursework.  


The questions that developed as I conferenced today are; first, "How could the web conferencing system in the Lamar Academic Partnerships Program be made more valid for different groups of students?"; second, "How could the web conference schedule for the Academic Partnerships program enable more students to participate with both voice and video?"; and third, "How is the dissemination of logistical information affecting student outcomes in the Lamar Academic Partnerships program?"  Although I'm not in a position to complete action research on these questions, I find it helpful for me to look at all professional functions with an eye towards inquiry.  I will join in the web conference on July 31, and collect more data on the web conferencing process.  In the meantime, on with my research.  

One Amazing Day - Be a Part of It!

Tomorrow, each of us has the opportunity to participate in something unique and quite special.  On July 24th, Hollywood producer Ridley Scott and director Kevin Macdonald are challenging the entire world to reveal their lives for the documentary project YouTube Life in a Day.  A quote from the site:


I want you to chronicle your world, your life, your neighborhood on a single day.  You could shoot the  journey you take to work, the visit you make to your son, your mother, your grandmother. Ultimately, this is a unique experiment in social filmmaking, and a time capsule that will forever tell future generations what it was like to be alive on July 24,  2010.


Kevin Macdonald has posed four questions to the world:  "What do you love?", "What do you fear?", "What makes you laugh?", and "What's in your pocket?"  These are questions of the sublime and the mundane, and they are the questions of us all.  We all love, laugh, fear, and walk through life picking up the souvenirs of living on the way.  We see the tiny triumphs of everyday, and the tragedies that scar a nation.  As a teacher, I have seen how moments can bind together children who might otherwise never receive the gift of each other.  I have watched the world around me sprout wings and fly, falter and fall, scream and cry and sing; and I have done all of these things side by side with 6 billion others who have done the same.  How much we all have to say, if only we could truly hear each other.  
So pull out your cameras and get ready!  You have 24 hours to make the everyday amazing. Moms, dads, get your children to do the filming.  Children of the digital age, help everyone who wants to participate to make it happen. This day is a moment for digital natives and digital immigrants (Prensky, 2001) to speak the same language, and to be a part of the change.  Cameras up . . .


  
Works Cited:
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants: part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.  

When Technologies Collide

     Today students in my online master's program received a letter from the Dean of the College of Education stating that the university would be converting to a new integrated assessment system for submitting assignments and creating master's portfolios.  The letter was not clear on exactly when this will occur; I can only hope that it won't be in mid-course.  Prior to today, we've been submitting work through our online courseware, then creating our eportfolios through whatever wiki platform we chose.  I can't help but wonder how much "redo" this update will require on my part in addition to the "one-time fee" that I am required to pay.  As I am early in my coursework, the transition shouldn't be too painful; but, I can well imagine that it will take some doing for students who are farther along to learn an entirely new system midstream then convert all of their documentation over.  
     This development prompted some thought today.  How do we move fluidly through the incompatibilities that come from conflicting systems and updates?  As an iPhone user, I have watched the ongoing war between Apple and Flash, and have more than once been a casualty of battle.  The failure of a common ground for users can prove a real limitation in utilizing online information to its fullest potential.   This line of thought continued to my classroom:  despite the pitfalls of YouTube, it holds an amazing wealth of insight and information.  However, the security risks are simply to great in the eyes of my district to allow classroom use anytime in the near future.  Which leads me to my final thought:  in an educational setting, how do we facilitate such changes for our stakeholders?  My school district adopted Outlook Exchange this year for district ecommunications.  This has, by all accounts, been a positive change for the district; however, the switch has not been without growing pains.  The latest came in a notice from the district that the new system will not support the integration of the Exchange calendar with external calendars, such as Google Calendar.  I know this is a disappointment to many:  integration of calendars was promoted as one of the exciting new features of this implementation.  Further, in addition to a change in our communications system, we've also experienced a major update to our website editing software.  As a result, I question how compatible the website calendar will be with the Exchange calendar.  If conflicts do occur, it will be my responsibility to find ways for my stakeholders to navigate around them successfully.


All of these thoughts lead me to the following conclusion:  change is a necessary part of growth, and growing pains are a part of life.  How I respond to these will provide a role model for my colleagues and my students.  If I can "roll with the punches" and create positive outcomes, then others will follow.

Big Effort for a Small Survey

I spent more time today than I would have ever dreamed creating a simple staff survey.  


     As part of my internship research, I need to collect some preliminary data on my campus' current readiness for our new technology implementation and on the background knowledge and interest in professional learning communities.  At the outset, it seemed to be a short, simple endeavor.  However, almost immediately I realized that there were challenges to getting the information that I truly need.  
     My first goal was to develop useful organization.  How do I organize the questions?  Will my logic be meaningful to my colleagues?  I know from my own experiences that a random, disorganized survey can make it more difficult to respond with clarity.  I created an outline much as I would for any other writing, to ensure that my questions followed a narrative thread. Next, the individual questions required forethought and planning.  Would the wording be confusing for the respondents?  Are we using terms/vocabulary in a uniform way?  With so many different roles on campus, how would I make sure that the answer choices I offered were comprehensive?  And finally came the challenge of length.  I wanted to ask enough questions to ensure that I collected all the data I need, but I know that I need to avoid "numbing" my respondents with too many questions.  
     After 3 hours of writing, rewriting, format changes, and review, I have a survey that I hope will bring me insight into the starting point for my research.  I suppose that, in the spirit of continuous improvement, I will reflect on my results and develop new knowledge for the next survey.  

Thoughts on Web Conference

     Today's web conference was an incredibly productive and informative one.  Dr. Abernathy clarified much of the confusion for ETL students, such as myself, who do not have the resources and assignments from the 5311 course that Educational Leadership students take as an introduction.  Although I realized that I had thrown a bit of time down a black hole creating a second blog, I was incredibly relieved to find out that we would, in fact, be able to use our original blog for this course, as well.  That seems so much more organic and useful for me as a student.  The mystery of the "School Leader Internship" text persists, but I hope to find resolution for that in the next couple of days.  
     Dr. Abernathy spent a significant amount of time discussing the format of the reflections, reports, and summaries required for both the course-embedded activities and the 33 indicators from the ISTE TF Standards. Because this web conference included students from a wide number of cohort groups, those of us who are early in the process had the benefit of the knowledge (and questions) from students much farther along.   Much of the concern and questions regarding these logs came from confusion about the appropriate handbook for students.  The most important "take-away" information for me today:  Use only the 3.1 handbook, and delete all earlier versions!  I also received formal notice today that monthly summaries are not to be sent in, although we are to continue completing them and posting them to our wiki.
     All in all, I feel comfortable that I am keeping pace with expectations, and will be prepared as the school year begins next month to jump into my internship activities.  The conference closed with the professor inviting August graduates to an open house . . . a light at the end of the tunnel!  So, in the meantime, I'll keep learning and growing and plugging away.

Blogging as a Leadership Tool

Over the years I have observed my campus administrators face challenges from the monumental to the mundane:  gang affiliations to Gameboys, police to PTA, TAKS scores to teachers' luncheons.  It seems that one primary thread that weaves through all of these moments is the value of effective, accessible communication with stakeholders.  A typical suburban school community holds dozens of staff, hundreds of students and families, and thousands of community members, all clamoring for time, for answers, for a voice.  A blog can offer one solution to this challenge of access.  Blogging opens up dialogue on school issues,  creates a resource for parents, and connects the various parts of the school community through a common set of information.  It is available 24 hours a day from any location with Internet access, which meets the needs of families with non-traditional scheduling constraints.  Finally, it gives an educational leader a tool to set the climate and vision of the school.  A principal can use blogging to promote the strategic goals of a campus, to address common concerns, and to promote the school to the community.  A blog can act as a vital exchange of  information between an administrator and the public.

JITR in Action

Now . . . What Exactly IS Action Research?

     In education, we constantly wage a battle between "the latest thing" and the "tried and true".  How does an educator navigate the wealth of data and options available and determine what is truly best for her students?  Many believe the solution to this dilemma can be found in the action research, or practitioner inquiry, model.  Professor Nancy Fichtman Dana of the University of Florida describes the inquiry model as one that "focuses on the concerns of practitioners (not outside researchers) and engages practitioners in the design, data collection, and interpretation of data around their question." (Dana, 2009, p. 5)  
     Action research relies on a cycle of inquiry, investigation, analysis, and adjustment.  This regular reflection allows educators to be more readily responsive to data both formal and informal, but does require a significant time investment.  An educator must make a commitment to the rigor necessary to engage in inquiry research.  As with any commitment to process, educators work best when they work together.  Environments that foster collaboration, such as university coursework, leadership teams, and professional learning communities, or PLC's, enable a researcher to develop a network of support and ideas from which to draw .  (Dana, 2009, pp. 20-21)  
     My school district utilizes a continuous improvement model at all levels, from district decision-making at the school board level to PDSA (Plan Do Study Act) cycles in the kindergarten classroom. (12manage.com, 2010)  Teachers collect, analyze, and apply data with fidelity to create plans for future action.  Where I hope to continue to refine this process on my campus is in the creation of a PLC that focuses on a particular technology implementation.  Through this professional collaboration, I believe we can create an implementation that functions effectively for both teaching and learning success.  However, there is no question that it will be a fluid work-in-progress throughout this benchmark year.  Developing an action research plan affords me the opportunity to be reflective about my own work, responsive to the available data, and flexible in my development of future actions.  All of these characteristics are good for me, good for my students, and good for my school. 

Works Cited

12manage.com. (2010). Deming Cycle (PDSA). Retrieved July 9, 2010, from 12manage.com: http://www.12manage.com/methods_demingcycle.html

Dana, N. F. (2009). Leading With Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

A Final Look Back at EDLD 5306

     I hoped that, during this first course of my master's program, I would gain insight into the future of the American classroom and into what role I might play in bringing that future to students.  I knew that even in a district as advantaged in as many ways as my own, that there is much to learn and much to do, and the course did not disappoint. In spending time examining the LRPT and the National Educational Technology Plan, I was reminded that technology as applications in all areas of the classroom:  teaching, reinforcement, analysis, work product.  I took an important first step by walking through some basic pieces of 21^st century learning, including blogs, wikis, and multimedia presentations.  Analysis of the STaR Chart data for my campus brought the realization that while we have excellent resources for integration of technology, we lack some of the practical skills and professional development to bring these resources to life in our learning and teaching. (Texas Education Agency, 2009) What I find frustrating is that many of the concerns cited by the STaR Chart data actually have solutions available within the district.  This means that one of our primary hurdles as a district remains communication.  During the past weeks I have learned much about Web 2.0 practices and the enormous potential they have to open doors and change the way we communicate with colleagues, parents, and students.  However, I do wonder to what degree our district policies will restrict the techniques from this course that I hope to utilize with my own students and with other teachers on my campus.  Determining that level of accessibility and relevance is an essential next step for me in my internship. Because the beginning of this course coincided with the end of our school year, I felt acutely the absence of feedback from members of my own campus; some of my activities could not be developed in completely authentic ways because I could not use them in real-time situations with students and campus colleagues.  However, I accept these realities with equanimity; summer courses always present their own unique obstacles to be overcome.  I will continue to develop the internship plan over the course of the summer; it is my hope that the plan is a living document that can evolve as I grow in my internship and as needs and opportunities arise in my district. 

     I have truly enjoyed the experience of returning to the role of student.  I remember well the challenges that I experienced as a young college student:  time management, organization, prioritization, balance.  These challenges still exist; however, with age comes maturity, experience, and wisdom.  I have realized that, while I have the vision for how technology can and should function in the classroom, my own classroom has a long path from reality to that vision.  The discussion boards, blogs and wikis provide fascinating insights for me as a student, as an educator, and as a leader.  Maybe most important of the insight from this foundations course is that although we do not all share the same vision, we do share a passion for the process.  I am ideologically of the same world view as Marc Prensky, who speaks of an educational system that stubbornly refuses to see a reality that has changed fundamentally from the past. (Prensky, 2001)  At the outset of this course, I would have expected that the vast majority of my peer group felt similarly.  The discussions of the past few weeks have proven categorically, and with equal passion and articulation, that this is not the case.   I look forward to watching how my views and those of my cohort group evolve during the course of this program.  

"Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more." (Shakespeare, 1598)  Next stop - research.

Works Cited

Prensky, M. (2001, September/October). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon , pp. 1,3-6.

Shakespeare, W. (1598). Act III, Henry V.  London.

Texas Education Agency. (2009). STar Chart Search Results Wilshire Elementary. Retrieved June 23, 2010, from StarChartESC12.net: http://starchart2.esc12.net/campusSearchlist.aspx?foryear=20082009&district=&campus=wilshire

 

 

 

What Exactly is My Role on the Digital Divide?

My graduate cohort seems to be having a love/hate relationship with the writings of Marc Prensky.  In particular, some of my colleagues chafe at the idea that “Teachers must practice putting engagement before content when teaching." (p. 10) I am, quite frankly, a bit perplexed by the level of resistance to this idea.  I wonder if this statement evokes for them images of style without substance.  Armstrong and Warlick (2004) describe a whole new way of understanding curriculum and learning, where instead of simply writing, students must learn to express ideas compellingly (p. 26). It seems that Prensky is calling, in his own slightly irreverent way, for teachers to do the same. (2005, p. 10) I don’t walk away from Prensky’s writings with the impression that my expertise is not valued in the classroom; rather, I understand my responsibility to be both engagement and content. Gwen Solomon (2004) tells us, “To get people to read what you write or listen to what you present, the information has to be interesting, useful, and appealing.”(p.48) I know I had many bright, knowledgeable teachers as a student, and yet only a few stand out in my memory as exceptional educators. The difference: the most outstanding teachers reached in and called on my interests, passions, and experiences. As an undergraduate and student teacher, one of my lasting lessons of curriculum and instruction involved this same idea of engagement. I learned how student engagement plays a critical role in creating authentic learning. In my professional life, this truism continues year after year, class after class, lesson after lesson. Prensky (2005, p. 10) believes that teachers must “pay attention to how their students learn, and value and honor what their students know.” The National Educational Technology Plan (2010) believes much the same:
. . . effective teaching in the 21st century requires innovation, problem solving, creativity, continuous improvement, research, diagnostic use of data, and flexible and personalized approaches to meeting students’ diverse needs and strengths. As a result, the most effective educators are professionals with complex knowledge, expertise, and competencies, not merely deliverers of content and managers of well-behaved classrooms. (p. 39)

Although the tools and the techniques are evolving, what Prensky expects of teachers is not revolutionary, but long-established: to teach students, we must reach them.


Works Cited

Armstrong, S., & Warlick, D. (2004, September). The New Literacy: The 3R's Evolve into the 4E's. Technology and Learning , pp. 20-28.
Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Prensky, M. (2005, December). Listen to the Natives. Educational Leadership , pp. 9-13.
Solomon, G. (2004, June). E-Communications 101. Technology and Learning , pp. 48-60.

New Technology: Like Opening a Present

For one of this week's course assignments, we were asked to create a short personal introduction video using a service called Animoto.  I had visions of poor acting, poor lighting, poor product.  Now, 24 hours later, I am a zealot of the converted.  Working through every possible permutation of images, music, text, and video was like recieving a new gift every time.  It became more than simply an assignment; it became an evening of fun and excitement right along with the learning.  If I can create the same level of genuine enthusiasm among my students for an assignment, I think the results will be amazing. 

Reflections on Web Conference: June 8, 2010

Our class web conference this week was short, sweet, and informative.  It appears that most of the kinks are smoothing out of conference logistics, although apparently I was the source of a bit of feedback; I'll be looking into that before next week, to be sure.  Although the pace of the course is fast and furious, it is even more clear after yesterday's exchange that I will have to set aside some time very, very soon to go back over the internship handbook (Abernathy, 2010) with an even finer tooth comb.  The appendices in particular appear to require some in depth review, as they deal with the field-based experiences (Appendices E, F, and G) and course-imbedded experiences (Appendices H, I, and J).  I have a meeting scheduled with my principal next week, and also hope to be visiting with my mentor in the coming days, as well.  It appears to be a good idea to have these meetings right away, because there is no time to waste assembling a plan for the internship field hours.  I have begun looking at the 33 standards (Williamson and Redish, 2009), and the scope of the skills is vast.  The session gave me several excellent ideas for the plan, and I'm anxious to begin!


Works Cited:  


Williamson, J. and Redish, T. 2009.  ISTE's technology facilitation and leadership standards: what every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.  Eugene: International Society for Technology in Education. 
Abernathy, K. 2010. Educational technology leadership internship handbook.  Retrieved from Lamar University, Academic Partnerships EDLD Coursework: https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1134773

The Path to a New American Education

Reflection on the National Educational Technology Plan 2010 – “Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology”


After having looked at both the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology and the National Educational Technology Plan, I was pleased to see how many basic tenets the two shared. The national plan deals with the same domains at the Texas LRPT and adds an additional area: assessment. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. vi) Some of the similar goals included anywhere, anytime access; a focus on collaborative learning for both students and teachers; specific mention of the need for online instruction (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. xiii) (Texas Education Agency, 2008); and a 1:1 ratio for internet access devices (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. xiii) (Texas Education Agency, 2006, p. 15).


In the national report I was introduced to some new ideas: the first, redesigned schedule and class groupings based on competence and academic interests and needs rather than age, seat-time, and uniform class size. The idea is based on the concept of individualized learning for students that is generated by their interests, specific curriculum needs, and learning styles (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, pp. xii, 12). The report describes the idea of individualized instruction in this way:


For example, a student who learns Russian to read the works of Dostoevsky in their original form and another who orders a surgical kit on eBay to practice sutures on oranges are learning things we would never ask all students to do. But these things are important because they are driven by learners’ own passions. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 12)


Another idea new to me involves the term Universal Design for Learning, or UDL - instruction is designed to be adaptive to the unique needs of learners. It is varied and flexible in presentation, scenario, or student response. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 19) UDL can also be used to create authentic, formative assessment, a priority in the national plan. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, pp. 28-33) This type of assessment is in direct contrast to summative based assessment, for which TAKS is an example. A significant barrier to this type of learning and assessment is inequitable access to online: the FCC term for this inequity is "digital exclusion" (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 19). The FCC and the Department of Commerce are working in conjunction to develop programs which supply online-access infrastructure to all American families and communities. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 53)


I was inspired by the wonderful technologies and programs cited in the report. A class in Singapore utilizes a program called Group Scribbles (networked interactive white boards), and students in Worchester, Massachusetts are using a program called ASSISTment ( a combination of tutorial and assessment that learns about students strengths and needs, monitors progress, and creates data for teacher regarding their thought processes) (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, pp. 28-30). One amazing story involved the use of cell phones in a Virginia middle school. Originally allowed as a stopgap measure to combat a shortage of calculators on an exam, the visionary principal at this school created an environment where student could use a variety of functions on their phones. Students kept up with homework and assignments using the calendar function, took pictures of notes with the camera function, and generated work product through podcasting and video. Understanding the risks, the school had clear expectations and boundaries for students, and specific dialogue about those boundaries. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 54) This is a wonderful example of how students can use personal technology in real-time, real-life learning experiences.


As a teacher, I yearn for professional development that has authentic value to my teaching; that integrates my technology resources and my content areas; and that, most importantly, creates an ongoing collaboration with other teachers. I am pleased to see my values shared in the national plan. The plan calls specifically for creating career-long collaborative learning communities that focus on innovation, best practices, and true integration of real-life technology with real-life learning. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, pp. 49-50) The report zeros in on the heart of the challenge for teachers:


Unfortunately, our education system often fails to give educators the tools to do their job well. We hold educators responsible for student achievement, but we do not support them with the latest technology the way we do professionals in other fields. The technology of everyday life has moved well beyond what educators regularly use to support student learning. (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 39)


The report calls for partnership and collaboration between government and foremost innovators in the various fields of technology to solve” high-risk/high-gain R&D projects" (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 76). To me, the most notable of these is the challenge to integrate the goals of individualized instruction, UDL, and real-time data tracking of concept attainment. It seems such a system would reduce the effects of high student mobility in a classroom, allow for more effective monitoring and interventions for at-risk students, and help to create an environment of personal, engaged learning for students who are desperate to find meaning in their education.


Secretary of Education Arne Duncan describes our current educational system “economically unsustainable and morally unacceptable.” (Office of Educational Technology, 2010, p. 2) The plan blazes a path for a brand new era in American education, if only we find the courage to follow it.


Works Cited

Office of Educational Technology. (2010). Transforming American Education: Learning Powered by Technology. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education.
Texas Education Agency. (2006). Long Range Plan for Technology. Austin: Texas Education Agency.
Texas Education Agency. (2008). Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology. Austin: Texas Education Agency.

The LRPT - A Two Year Report Card

I spent last evening reviewing the Progress Report to the Texas Long Range Plan for Technology (Texas Education Agency, 2008). At 180 pages, it is a lengthy report, touching on all of the domains of the original report, giving updates on progress and challenges, and spotlighting some particular successes. Some of the news was not good: The domain of Teaching and Learning in particular, which specifically deals with the implementation of the technology TEKS in the classroom and the mastery of those TEKS by students, did not fare well. The Teaching and Learning focus area online learning, or TL6, shows 25% of schools as ‘early tech’. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 41) The progress in TEKS implementation (TL4) was also low: there was little change in the overall distribution of districts across the classifications for this area from 2006-08. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 45) Approximately 80% of districts still received a classification of ‘Early Tech’ or ‘Developing Tech’ as a result of their STaR Chart data during this time.


However, the report highlights a number of pilot programs that are showing strong results. One of these programs is the Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP). This program works to change the cycle of piecemeal technology implementation that leaves schools constantly behind the curve in technology and teaching innovation. It works specifically to address the LRPT focus area TL4 (technology TEKS implementation), State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) Standards, and both student and teacher requirements in Title II, Part D of No Child Left Behind (Texas Education Agency, 2008, pp. 9-10). Six critical components of immersion: a wireless mobile computing device, productivity, communication and presentation software, online instructional resources, online diagnostic assessment tools, professional development, and technical support (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 21). The report states, “Equally as important, students are given the same tools as teachers. TIP creates an environment where technology becomes a partner to teaching and learning.” (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 10) I found both the goals and the data on this pilot extremely encouraging. Participating schools were given a ranking based on their levels of implementation, and data was disaggregated according to those levels. The evaluation found that immersion schools had more collaboration and collegiality between faculty members, more parent involvement, and fewer discipline issues. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 12) In terms of state assessments, the report finds that:


- Technology immersion had a statistically significant effect on TAKS mathematics achievement, particularly for economically advantaged and higher achieving students.
- Students who had greater access to laptops and used laptops for learning to a greater extent, especially outside of school, had significantly higher TAKS reading and mathematics scores. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 13)


This data acts as a strong endorsement for the tenets of TIP. However, most significant to me was the data surrounding level of implementation. The report shows that the benefits cited above increased 1) as time spent in the program increased, and 2) as level of implementation increased. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, pp. 15-20) I see this as a case study in how full and ongoing commitment to goals acts as a catalyst for success.


Another fascinating pilot begun since the adoption of the new LRPT is the Texas Virtual School Network (TxVSN). (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 27) TxVSN provides online coursework for students and professional development/online collaboration opportunities for teachers, which stands in response to the weaknesses revealed in the area of online learning by the STaR Chart data. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 41) Online learning opens up more variety in depth and scope of coursework for students who, because of their geographic location, would not otherwise have access. It also works to ensure that curriculum is being equitably offered in the highest quality format by very highly qualified teachers to all students. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, pp. 30-33) A wide variety of courses is currently available, including art; AP math, English, and science courses; government and economics; and both AP French and AP Spanish (Texas Virtual School Network, 2009). Both high school and professional development courses for TxVSN are vetted though a multi-layer qualification process, including adherence to TEKS and standards set by the Southern Regional Education Board, instruction by trained, content-qualified teachers, and compliance with National Standards of Quality for Online Courses (enacted by iNACOL, the International Association for K-12 Online Learning) (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 29) While some challenges remain, including significant cost and equitable access to online (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 35), the program has opened up new and exciting educational opportunities for students and teachers across the state.


The final program that piqued my interest is the eCP: Electronic Course Pilot. Two school districts, Southwest ISD and to a lesser extent Houston ISD, participated in this program that offers “virtual school” off-site to students in grades 3-8. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 89) The withdrawal rate for Virtual Learning program in Southwest ISD hovered at approximately 30%; the report states that “these numbers underscore the point made frequently in this report that online learning is not a good fit for every student. There is no one educational strategy that is right for every student; online education is no exception.” (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 91) An independent entity evaluated students entering the Southwest ISD program and found that approximately ¾ of the students had a serious deficit in at least one core subject area. Of the students who remained enrolled, almost 90% were promoted to the next grade level (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 92). These numbers offer compelling evidence that students can be effective in a non-traditional school setting, with technology as the centerpiece for learning.


Although there is much to admire, there is still much to be done. NCLB standards and the TEKS call for students to demonstrate technology literacy by eighth grade; however, there is no standardized assessment for technology literacy in Texas at this time. (Texas Education Agency, 2008, p. 51) In 2007 the state legislature authorized a pilot program for assessing technology literacy in eighth grade; the TechLiteracy assessment by Learning.com was selected as the instrument for this pilot program. In 2008 the state average scale score was 216.4; the minimum scale score to meet standards is 220. Although state data for the current school year is not yet available, HEB ISD participated in this pilot, and in 2009-2010, 73% of students in HEB ISD showed mastery on the assessment with an average scale score of 232 (Learning.com, 2010). While these scores exceed the state averages, I believe the technology facilitators in my district would find these results frustrating. The wide scope of ongoing professional development offered in my district does not seem to be translating to success in technology instruction and learning.


I take away from this report an acknowledgement that my classroom and my district, and my state are on the path towards the goals of the LRPT, but we have in no way arrived at our destination. The lessons learned are many, but in short, it will require leadership, vision, and ongoing commitment to create the target 21st century classroom for our students.


Works Cited
Learning.com. (2010). District Report - TechLiteracy Assessment. Portland: Learning.com.
Texas Education Agency. (2008). Progress Report on the Long Range Plan for Technology. Austin: Texas Education Agency.
Texas Virtual School Network. (2009). High School Course Catalog. Retrieved June 5, 2010, from TxVSN: Texas Virtual School Network: https://www.mytxvsn.org/CourseCatalogHighSchool.aspx

Teaching and Learning: Are we following the plan?

In May 2010, the Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD administered a Tech Literacy Assessment (Learning.com, 2010) to eighth grade students across the district. The intent was to assess their mastery of skills spelled out in the technology TEKS. Across the district, 73% of students met the Middle School Proficiency Standard; this passing rate is roughly in line with the state average on that same assessment. If this assessment had been TAKS or EOC, this performance would have received an ‘Acceptable’ AEIS Accountability rating. My district sets very specific goals for student achievement, and an ‘Acceptable’ rating would not be in line with those goals. The Texas Education Agency’s Long Range Plan for Technology 2006-2020, or LRPT, outlines the specific goals for different areas (‘domains’) of technological integration into public education. The LRPT introduces the Teaching and Learning domain by saying, “The key to success for all students is the assurance that they are all fully engaged in their learning processes and that there are opportunities in their schools, libraries, homes, and communities that stimulate and initiate this engagement.” (p.17) LRPT Teaching and Learning (T/L) goals state that all students will:

• have access to relevant technologies, tools, resources and services for individualized instruction 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
• use information and communication technologies to collaborate, construct knowledge and provide solutions to real-world problems and situations that are encountered.
• use research-based strategies in all subject areas to improve academic achievement.
• communicate effectively in a variety of formats for diverse audiences. (p.18)

This domain deals directly with student achievement on the technology TEKS, how the technology TEKS are imbedded in content areas, and what teachers, campuses, and districts are doing to improve student performance on the technology TEKS. In reviewing the STaR Chart data (the monitoring instrument for the LRPT) for both my campus and the state, I found that the domain of Teaching and Learning fell far short of target levels. In fact, in 2006 over 70% of reporting schools received a classification of either “early tech” or “developing tech” in the teaching and learning domain. This percentage almost directly reflects the level of tech literacy mastery among eighth graders. The connection that I make from this data: the less often students are afforded robust, dynamic opportunities for student-centered learning with technology in the content areas, the fewer students are exiting eighth grade with appropriate computer literacy.


Failure to take the needed steps forward begins at the top: Texas schools lost millions of dollars in technology funding in 2003 when the state legislature ended the Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund and again in 2006 when the Technology Allotment was reduced from $30 to $27.14 per student ADA. (LRPT, 2006, pp. 63-65) Because having anywhere, anytime technology tools and resources available requires significant infrastructure, the loss of these funds severely impedes progress toward that goal. Without that reliable connectivity and access, the goal of complete student access and technology imbedded in all area of instruction simply cannot be realized.


And yet, at its core, the Teaching and Learning domain reflects the ‘boots on the ground’ in the battle to bring education and technology together. We need the supplies, resources and infrastructure; we need the professional training to develop skills and curriculum; we need leadership and tech support that enables new ideas. But in the end, this domain is the one where I can walk in tomorrow and make a difference. I can decide, right now, that in my classroom, the days of pencil and paper standing alone are numbered. 

 Resources: Learning.com (2010). District report – tech literacy assessment. Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD.

Texas Education Agency (2006). Long range plan for technology. Austin, Texas.
Texas Education Agency (2006). STaR chart letter. Austin: Instructional Materials and Education Technology Division.

E-Presentations 101

It's 1:15 AM, and I just posted a PowerPoint presentation to my blog.  How simple that sounds.  Just a few slides -- how difficult could that possibly be?


Incredibly, agonizingly so.  Three websites, five email/password combinations, and three hours:  that's how difficult it was.  Even now, two of my slides are inexplicably not where they were in the original presentation.  I know they haven't moved in the original - I checked.  Over and over again.  And yet, even after the hair pulling, the simultaneous opening of six browser windows and four different applications, the cursing at inanimate objects, and the headache from squinting at a screen expecting the correct icon to appear by magic, I feel the rush of victory.  I learned how to do something completely new this night.  I followed the paths, I turned around at the dead ends, I never gave up.  To the outsider, it may seem silly, even trite, to feel so victorious over 14 slides on a blog post.  Not for me.  I sit here in the quiet of early morning, and I know - I know how a student feels when the finally reach inside themselves and find it.  When they find the knowledge, the confidence, the connections they didn't even know were there.  I want that for them.  I want every one of my students to feel the power of owning their learning the way I own mine tonight, and I mourn for those who may have come in and out of my doors and never felt it.    In "Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom" (2008, Edutopia: The George Lucas Educational Foundation), Marc Prensky sums it up:


     So, let's not just adopt technology into our schools. Let's adapt it, push it, pull it, iterate with it, experiment with it, test it, and redo it, until we reach the point where we and our kids truly feel we've done our very best. Then, let's push it and pull it some more. And let's do it quickly, so the twenty-second century doesn't catch us by surprise with too much of our work undone.

     A big effort? Absolutely. But our kids deserve no less.


I concur.  Tonight, I go to sleep one step farther along the path to true technological literacy.  Another step tomorrow . . .

Week one web conference - a look back

From last week's web conference notes (May 27, 2010):


An interesting first try! Some technical difficulties to overcome; lots of working the bugs out of hardware and, “can you hear me now?” I suppose that is the purpose of a dress rehearsal. Although we didn’t spend much time on course content, the exposure to the technology alone made it worthwhile. I’m looking forward to next week’s attempt.  I wonder about the frustration level of the participants -- if we had this level of difficulty in the classroom, would the students have been able to wait patiently, or would we have had a hotbed of off-task behaviors?  Would one of them have been able to jump in and solve everyone's difficulties?  I suppose the only way to find that out is to give it a try - just like today.

Week 2 Web Conference Today

Well, the Week 2 web conference is in the books. We had a little bit of experience with “technology gremlins” as we continued to develop our skills, but all in all I think we saw a marked improvement over last week. I definitely felt somewhat intimidated listening to all of the requirements for the internship; I’ll need to remember that 18 months have a lot of days and take it one day at a time. I heard quite a bit about the “performance indicators” this evening, so I think that will be my reading for this evening!  The point Professor Borel couldn't stress enough - find a mentor right away.  I wonder if it is more beneficial to have a mentor who is more familiar with my campus or one who is more familiar with the technology.  I suppose that's a decision that will happen very soon.  My lesson learned for the day - stay ahead by a week.  The more you know going in, the more you get out.  As Professor Borel told us today, "Managing your time well will make you successful!"  So, back to the books. 

Welcome!

This is my first real entry into the world of blogging. It's a bit like the first day of middle school: "What should I say?" "What should I wear?" "Will they like me?" "What am I even doing here?" I hope that this blog will serve as a learning tool and a reality check for me (and maybe others) as I move through the graduate school process. I'm nervous . . . I'm excited . . . I'm ready. Here we go!