Flipping for each grade level - eSchool News · 2019-09-13 · an Ongoing Real-world simulation...

By Jim CulbertWe know that it’s no longer possible to

prepare students for the real world and pro-vide an excellent education without integrat-ing technology into the classroom.

At Duval County Public Schools (DCPS)in Jacksonville, Florida—the 20th largestschool district in the nation—our mission is to

Improve your school website design 19

Inside This Issue

Technology News & Innovation in K-12 EducationOctober/November 2016Vol. 19, No. 4 eSchoolNews.com

By Aaron Sams and Justin Aglio

Although the term “flipped learn-ing” is almost universally recognized,teachers apply it in many forms, in allgrades levels, and in various schoolenvironments. If you are a teacherusing flipped learning, the chances arethat you share some similarities withother teachers who flip—as well assome differences. However, the majorcommonality among all flipped learning teach-ers is that every one of them is creating person-al learning experiences for each student.

We asked three flipped teachers—one froman elementary school, one from a junior high,

Flipping, page 10

Flipping for each grade levelAn inside look at how3 teachers personalizelearning for students

By Julia Freeland FisherEarlier this year, the Rhode Island-based

Highlander Institute and the ClaytonChristensen Institute teamed up to bringtogether a conference on blended and person-alized learning in Providence. The goal of theevent was to focus on the practical elements ofblended and personalized learning by surfac-ing the tactics that practitioners were deploy-ing in the trenches. More than 100 teachersand leaders from around the country wereinvited to share their approaches to pilotingand scaling blended learning in classroomsand schools, which my organization, theClayton Christensen Institute, summarized in anew report, called From the Frontlines.

Although our many presenters hailed froma variety of geographies and contexts, one

Change, page 18

Touchscreens page 24

From white-boards totouchscreens

Augmented reality’s big potential 16

6 tips for leading changeThe leadership strategies driving new education models

Flipped learning looks different at each level.

Live video in the classroom 22

When class looks like the real world 4

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3October/November 2016 • www.eSchoolNews.com

Con t e n t sOCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2016 Vol. 19, No. 4

21ST-CENTURY INSTRUCTION1 Flipping for each grade level

4 Why my classroom looks like the real world

8 Turn your class into a Socratic seminar

14 Getting struggling students to read requires data and compassion

16 How augmented reality enhances the classroom

20 Are high schools teaching science backward?

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP1 6 tips for leading change

12 7 keys to preparing students for the future

13 Leadership academies that create better principals

23 How we improved PD by failing forward

26 A tale of two pilots

IT LEADERSHIP1 From whiteboards to touchscreens

11 Can your internet service provider help close the digital divide?

19 5 ways to improve your school website design

DIGITAL CURRICULUM9 Stretch student collaboration skills with Breakout EDU

22 How to use live video in the classroom

25 7 digital resources for language learning

6 Leading Blended Learning: 10 ways reinventing education is like renovating your home

15 Future Ready: 18 trends for ed-tech’s future

29 eSchool Partners

30 Number Theory (infographic)

16

1

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

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4 October/November 2016 • www.eSchoolNews.com

By Anthony JohnsonThink about the jobs in today’s econ-

omy—the ones we’re supposed to pre-pare students for after graduation. Areemployees evaluated using bubble-intests to prove they know the ins and outsof their job? Do they learn and use new

skills one at a time in a vacuum? Thequestions sound a bit silly until yourealize too often that’s what studentstake away from their education. Why isthe culture to drill facts into students’heads just to pass a test?

Just like in the real world, my stu-dents show what they can do throughprojects, teamwork, and research. Is itworking? Well, according to state sci-ence exams, my students consistentlyscore higher than other science classesin my district.

I’ve never been a big believer inteaching to a test. Indeed, since my firstyear in the classroom, I’ve used a proj-ect-based model with my science andsocial studies classes. On the first day ofschool, I issue my fifth-graders a PASS-PORT (which stands for Preparing AllStudents for Success by Participating inan Ongoing Real-world simulation usingTechnology) and explain that their year-

long adventure to “Johnsonville” startstoday. The school year is a simulation ofadulthood, where students work, create,and learn about personal finance andentrepreneurial skills. They experiencereal-world situations and gain insightsinto global affairs. Students tend to view

my classroom less as a “classroom” andmore as an interactive city where allprojects intertwine to create an ecosys-tem of businesses and homes.

Each student has the opportunity tobecome an entrepreneur, politician,banker, and more. They are given$1,000 in Johnsonville cash to begintheir lives. Students must buy a house orrent an apartment, earn wages, and man-age their finances. As the children buyand sell items I donate, they learn mathskills along with life lessons.

As they would in a real business,they manage a database of their clientsor suppliers, create advertising plans,and track their income to ensure theyare making a profit. Students even learndifferent levels of government and holdelections for positions of power, includ-ing president and city council. Studentscan also earn extra money through aca-demic achievements and good behavior.

Here are a few reasons I believe thismodel works so well with students.

• Project-based learning is relevant

to students. In Johnsonville, stu-dents explore issues like buying ahome, paying rent, starting a busi-ness, and managing finances.Students see adults face these sameissues and can relate what happens inJohnsonville to the real world.Relevancy makes each lesson memo-rable, meaning students are morelikely to remember the overall con-cept of a lesson as opposed to mem-orizing facts for a test.

• It encourages collaboration. Desksare designed for individual stu-dents—which is why I don’t haveany. In my classroom you will onlyfind tables, collaboration bars, andsofas that are perfect places for stu-dents to think creatively and prob-lem-solve. It is important that stu-dents take an active part in their ownlearning and are able to solve prob-lems using what they know and havelearned. By using critical thinkingskills to collaborate and completeperformance-based lessons, my stu-dents are fully engaged throughoutthe entire school year.

• Students are in control. Otherteachers trying PBL often tell me,“My kids can’t do it” or “It’s a lot ofwork.” I think the real issue here isteachers not wanting to give up con-trol of their classrooms. PBL givesme the freedom to facilitate andencourage critical thinking.Additionally, I find students workbetter when the teacher isn’t hover-ing over them. PBL promotes stu-dents to think creatively and buildthe 21st-century skills they need tobe successful in today’s job market.

• Students are using pre-built, credi-

ble, standards-aligned curriculum.

I have discovered Defined STEM is agreat tool to help me create relevant

Why my classroom looks like the real worldAn elementary classroom simulates real life and saw test scores soar

21st-Century Instruction

Role-playing engages students in real-world concepts. (photo: GameDesk)

World, page 28

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Imagine that changing education to ablended paradigm is like renovating alarge and much-loved home that is morethan 100 years old and contains lots ofwonderful memories.

Would our expectations change?The change from traditional teaching

to blended learning is the biggest changein education for over one-hundred years;it changes a core aspect of the way teach-ers teach. Make no mistake; this is nottinkering at the edges of education. Ifeducation was a house, it would be a fun-damental refit, from the foundations tothe roof. (Note that I am talking about

organization-wide change, not just a few“lone innovators” operating independent-ly in a school. That would be more likerepainting a couple of rooms, in the hopethat others would then follow suit, com-pared to a whole house renovation.)

Yet some expect that a whole houserenovation, like whole organizationchange, can be done quickly and easily.

Change takes additional time, effort,resources, and planning. It usuallyrequires extra money. It also usuallyinvolves disruption of day-to-day activ-ities while the change is occurring. Thisis true in all facets of life. Why wouldchanging an educational organizationfrom traditional teaching to blendedlearning be any different?

Nobody would expect a house reno-

vation to occur without the need forexperts, a change to living conditions, abit more mess, interruptions to dailylife, finding some unexpected problems,etc. Instead, when making a large-scalerenovation to a large house we:

1. Have one vision, instead of an idea ofthe week or every family member forhim or herself.

2. Plan the updated building (possiblywith an architect, design specialist,and color specialist).

3. Hire specialists (plumbers, electri-cians, plasterers, bricklayers, kitchenexperts, etc.)

4. Expect interruptions to power, watersupply, etc.

5. Understand that there will be incon-venience, such as rooms that cannot beused on occasion, dust throughout thehouse, etc.

6. Understand that projects often takelonger than initially planned.

7. Expect that living conditions will gobackward during the project, but thatthe long-term results will be worth it.

8. Are prepared to act in case sometradespeople are not able to produce thequality and standard of work requiredto complete the project successfully.

9. Get a loan or dip into savings to payfor the renovations.

10. Expect that tempers may get frayedon occasion.People who expect that “renovating”

the fabric of teaching and learning to anew paradigm is going to be different torenovating a house are fooling them-selves. Do not expect that it can be donequickly, easily and without expertise,expense and tension.

Changing education across an entireorganization takes years, not weeks ormonths. It is messy, inconvenient, andexpensive. This is also true of any majorchange in any industry. However, the

change is stillworthwhile.

There is an implementation surgethat must occur. It is resource intensive,a time when lots of extra resources haveto be applied to the change, and it hap-pens during the renovation. Once it iscomplete, things will return to normal—but a new and more effective normaldifferent to the normal that existedbefore if it is done well.

This is different from the ad hocchange that can occur in organizations.If an ad hoc approach is applied to ren-ovating a large house, the final resultprobably won’t be pretty. In fact, thestructural integrity of the house mighteven be compromised.

If an ad hoc approach is applied towhole organization change to blendedlearning, the same type of thing can occur.

I sometimes hear of people say, “Itried blended learning but it didn’twork.” Well, I have heard of people whohave tried to renovate homes them-selves and that didn’t work either, butnobody was surprised, as they possiblydidn’t follow the steps outlined above.

As Michael Fullan points out in“Leading a Culture of Change,” there isusually an “implementation dip” in per-formance and confidence when imple-menting an innovation that requires newunderstanding and skills. It is obviousthat this is part of the process of reno-vating a large house; it should also beobvious in education.

It is about time we realized that therules of life and change also apply to themove to blended learning and plan andact accordingly. It is about time weapproach this major fundamental shift inthe fabric of education in a mature way.

Peter West is director of eLearning atSaint Stephen’s College in Australia.

10 ways reinventing education is like renovating your homeWhy are we more realistic when renovating a house than we are with changing the way our schools work?

Leading Blended Learning

It is about time we

realized that the rules of

life and change also apply

to the move to blended

learning, and planned and

acted accordingly.

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By Mary HowardWith so much talk about the

Common Core standards and trulyincreasing our student’s argumentativepowers and critical thinking skills, someteachers are starting to think criticallythemselves about how best to engagestudents in thoughtful debate and dis-cussion around texts they need to ana-lyze anyway.

One method, called the Socraticseminar, challenges students to formaldiscussions about a text based on open-

ended questions. Throughout the exer-cise, students must alternately employgood listening, critical thinking, creativ-ity, and rhetorical prowess.

The Socratic style of discourse lendsitself quite well to establishing criticalthinkers due to the fact that Socratesbelieved that enabling students to thinkfor themselves was more important thanfilling their heads with knowledge.Even if you’re new to the concept, it’seasy to get started.

Select a textTo start, consider engaging the class

in a guided reading of a novel with com-pelling themes and issues. Bullying,environmental issues, poverty, courage,scarcity, and challenges are all goodtopics that elicit great conversation.

Throughout the course of the week, stu-dents read assigned sections of a classnovel and discuss story events and crit-ical vocabulary associated with thereadings.

The questionsProvide students with a prep sheet to

elicit thought-provoking questions.Students should be able to summarizethe assigned section of the text, identifycompelling quotes or statements fromthe reading, and attempt to create appli-

cation and synthesis-style questions thatfocus on things like the critical ele-ments, difficult choices made by char-acters, and sometimes controversialthemes running through the novel.

The set upArrange your classroom in a format

that encourages discourse. A doublehorseshoe configuration works wellwith a small group of students to be theinner circle. The inner-circle studentswill be slated to be the ones discussingand interacting. The outer circle of stu-dents will be slated to observe andreflect and provide a backchannel.

The discourseRelinquishing control can be diffi-

cult! Once the seminar begins, disci-

pline yourself not to guide or facilitatethe conversation. Let it evolve organi-cally. It can be awkward initially. Whenstudents realize it is their stage, theybegin conversing, sharing, and engageeach other in a truly critical level ofanalysis of a text that they’ve read in adeep and meaningful way.

BackchannelOne great technique to engage the

outer circle is to try a backchannel tech-nique. The website Todaysmeet.comoffers a live feed of comments andquestions that the outer circle of stu-dents can collaboratively create toextend the conversations and give thema voice in the process. ThroughTodaysmeet, students can post thoughts,questions, feedback comments, andeven prompts to assist the inner circle.

Reflection/assessmentAfter the discussion, an assessment

piece is essential. Students can write aparagraph indicating what they learned.It allows them to reflect on the experi-ence and on their own comprehensionand understanding of the critical issuesthat may have been brought up withrespect to the themes in the novel. Thisreflection can also afford students anoth-er opportunity to share events that relatedeeply to the characters, the character’schoices, and experiences. They can alsoextrapolate character traits and applythem to new situations.

Enabling students through a Socraticseminar is a powerful way to build crit-ical, active thinkers who are engagedand involved in your classroom!

Mary Howard is a sixth grade teacherin Grand Island, New York teaching ELAand social studies. Mary was recentlyawarded the Lee M Bryant OutstandingTechnology teacher of the year award forher work with the New York StateAssociation for Computers andTechnology in Education (NYSCATE).

Turn your class into a Socratic seminar Socratic seminars get students thinking critically and learning about texts



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Socratic seminars push listening, thinking, creativity, and rhetorical skills.



Digital Curriculum

By Lee AraozThere is a new platform for immer-

sive learning games that’s taking class-rooms across the world by storm. Basedon the same principles as interactiveEscape The Room digital games—which challenge players to use their sur-roundings to escape a prison-like sce-nario—Breakout EDU is a collaborativelearning experience that enhances criti-cal thinking and creativity while foster-ing a growth mindset in students.

There are two types of games avail-able for teachers to run in their class-rooms: the physical games (which arethe main games) use the Breakout EDUbox (or any box with a hasp that can belocked) with a set of locks, and the dig-ital games, which only need internet-connected devices.

Gameplay revolves around aBreakout EDU box that has been lockedwith multiple and different locks includ-ing directional locks, word locks, andnumber locks. After listening to a gamescenario read by the teacher, studentsmust work together to find and use cluesto solve puzzles that reveal the variouslock combinations before time expires(usually 45 minutes). Teachers caneither purchase the Breakout EDU kit,which includes a plastic or wooden boxand a set of locks, or the individualpieces of the kit can be ordered fromAmazon directly. Either way, it takesabout $100 to get started with the phys-ical games; the digital games are free.

The physical gamesThese games require a Breakout EDU

box and a set of locks that can be pur-chased as a kit or individually. At pres-ent, there are 60 games available on theBreakout EDU website, and more arebeing added each week. Teachers canselect games based on the age level ofstudents, ideal group size, and contentarea. There is even a template for teach-ers to design their own games, which canbe submitted for inclusion on the site.

Most games can be set up in under15 minutes before students enter theclassroom. Each game includes physicaland digital clues that help students solve

puzzles to obtain the combinations tothe assorted locks. All of these areincluded on the Breakout EDU gamepage, where they can be downloadedand printed. Additionally, overviewvideos are included to assist teacherswith game preparation.

Game titles include:• Dr. Johnson’s Lab

(Zombie Apocalypse)• Attack of the Locks

(Star Wars themed)• The Candy Caper• The Mighty Pen• Teamwork

As they play these fast-paced games,students work collaboratively to findclues while using critical thinking skillsand deductive reasoning to solve puz-zles that reveal the lock combinationsbefore time expires (a link to a BreakoutEDU timer is included).

The same game principles from themain Breakout EDU games page applyto these games, but there is no physicalcomponent needed other than an inter-net-connected device, preferably aChromebook, laptop, or desktop com-

puter. There are 18 digital games avail-able on the Breakout EDU Digital site,with more recently released. They rangein difficulty from Level 1-10. However,these ratings are subjective, and all thedigital games are quite challenging.

In these games, small groups of stu-dents search for clues in the form of hid-den hyperlinks in images and text on thegame webpage. These clues may lead topuzzles that when solved, reveal thecombinations to assorted digital lockson the game page. However, there are“red herrings” included in each gamethat will lead players on a wild goosechase if followed. Students have 45minutes to use clues found to solve thedigital puzzles and find the combina-tions to all the locks.

A frequent response of teacherswatching students working throughthese games is “total engagement.” Infact, most students are unhappy whentime expires, as they want to continueworking on the puzzles. These gamesfoster a growth mindset and a spirit ofresilience is promoted because studentsuse trial-and-error to complete thegames.

It is my suggestion that educatorsvisit the Breakout EDU site to familiar-ize themselves with this exciting inter-active game platform. I highly recom-mend teachers join the Facebook page,as there is a vibrant and spirited groupof game aficionados who share gameideas and links to brand new physicaland digital games.

Lastly, I encourage interested teach-ers to play a few of the digital gamesthemselves (either alone, with family, orother faculty members) to experience itfor themselves and to discover some ofthe great skills their students will besharpening.

Lee Araoz is a K-12 technology coordinator, instructional coach, staffdeveloper, speaker, and author.

Stretch collaboration skills with Breakout EDU The physical and virtual escape games build valuable 21st-century skills

eSN

Escape games get a new upgrade.




and one from a high school—todescribe what learning looks like intheir world.

Beth Hobbs, third-grade teacherBurkett Elementary, Pennsylvania

“Over the past few years, I havetransformed my traditional classroominto a student-centered classroom.Through flipped learning, my studentsare able to complete weekly readingassignments and tasks at home to extendtheir learning beyond our regular cur-riculum.

Depending on the student’s rolewithin each task, students question eachother, share an interesting part of a read-ing passage, provide a summary, definenew words, and connect the reading totheir experiences or similar stories.Students become excited to meet anddiscuss their novels.

Before I moved to a flipped class-room, it would take weeks to read anovel together in class, and the discus-sion was led and influenced greatly bywhat I said. By completing the assign-ments at home, the students are able toform their own opinions and even chal-lenge their classmates to look at thebook through different perspectives.

With the help of exciting apps suchas Chatterpix, iMovie, Adobe Voice,Touchcast, and ClassFlow, students canshowcase their mastery of learningthrough a fun outlet. Without flippedlearning, it would not be possible for meto integrate the use of such engagingapps within the classroom. Flippedlearning has allowed me to go outsidemy comfort zone and put the learninginto my student’s hands.”

Rob Baier, seventh-grade mathteacherFort Cherry Junior and Senior HighSchool, Pennsylvania

“How do I flip my classroom? Inyears past, when I assigned problems, Ialways had students who forgot the les-son from that day. This year, I will

assign a set of problems and attach aninstructional video about the lesson.The idea is to keep the instructionalvideo less than 4 or 5 minutes long. Thisallows the students to be able to get acontent refresher or see if they missedsomething.

Another way I am flipping my class-room is by keeping up on missed schooldays. If I am not in school or if I ampulled for a training or meeting, I postan instructional video on GoogleClassroom, complete with assignedproblems. The same is true for possiblesnow days. This allows for very little, ifany, missed instruction.

The final way I am flipping myclassroom is assigning a video to watchas homework that will drive an impor-tant discussion or performance task forthe next day in class.

Why do I flip my classroom? Onsnow days or days I am out of the build-ing, I want my students to still beengaged in the learning process, and Iwant to evoke thought for future discus-sions. I want to cut down on the amountof direct-instruction time and increasethe amount of time the students areactively learning. Gone are the days of“busy work” when a teacher missesschool. Now, by flipping our class-rooms, we can maximize instruction.”

Kalliope Tsipras, high school mathteacherBrashear High School, Pennsylvania

“I started flipping my classroom insmall bits: a lesson here or there, athree-day lesson, and then a week’sworth of lessons, and so forth. Over the

past summer, I decided to completelyflip my pre-calculus class and focusclass time on students’ completely solv-ing lots of problems, with lots of helpfrom me.

I have come across some difficultieswith implementation, such as not all ofmy students having access to computerseach night. I have opened my classroomin the morning, during homeroom, andduring lunch for students to come in andwatch the videos. I created a survey forstudents to complete at the end of eachvideo on Google Forms to gauge stu-dent understanding.

I have only started the process, and Iam still learning, but being upfront withmy students has helped. They are alsowilling to help with any issues thatcome up on the videos by emailing meand coming up to see me personally.Flipping your classroom only works ifyou are willing to be upfront and honestwith yourself, your teaching, and yourstudents. Also, keep your administratorsin the loop, so they know what is goingon in your classroom.”

How will you flip?If one thing is certain, the best

flipped learning environments are creat-ed by teachers who are willing to learnfrom each other and share. Now thatyou have read three unique classroomexperiences from teachers who areusing flipping to improve their students’learning outcomes, where do you gofrom here? How do you start flippingyour class today? Remember, to be agreat a teacher, you don’t need a Ph.D.,Ed.D., or MBA. All you need is CS:Common Sense. Do what is best for students!

Aaron Sams teaches and operatesthe education consulting firm SamsLearning Designs. Justin Aglio is thedirector of innovation at MontourSchool District in Pennsylvania.

Flippingcontinued from page 1

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If one thing is certain, the

best flipped learning

environments are created

by teachers who are

willing to learn from each

other and share.

Go to eSchool News Online fordaily news, resources and updates.http://www.eschoolnews.com




IT Leadership

By Chike AguhDarriale Bradley and her family spent

many nights in the parking lot of fastfood restaurants, but not for the food. Itwas for the wi-fi. For Darriale, sitting inthe parking lot was the only way shecould do her online homework, becauseshe didn’t have a home internet connec-tion. No child should have to go to suchlengths just to do homework, and everychild should have easy and affordableaccess to the internet and the opportunitythat access brings. Yet, sadly, Darriale isfar from alone.

The digital divide is a reality forthree out of four American families,meaning approximately 8 million indi-viduals under the age of 18 are livingwithout internet access. According toPew Research, 79 percent of surveyedmiddle and high school teachers reportallowing students to access homeworkonline, with 76 percent allowing stu-dents to submit assignments online.However, only 18 percent of teachersreported the majority of students haveaccess to the digital tools they need athome, which left those students withoutaccess to broadband at a significant dis-advantage.

So, where does this leave these stu-dents and their families? In short, with-out an internet connection, you are botheconomically and educationally mar-ginalized. Luckily, this can be solvedand we, at EveryoneOn, with the help ofpartners, are working to help familiesconnect to the digital world.

In our work, we hear a commonrefrain from parents: “We know weneed internet access, but we can’t affordit.” In addition, there is a lack of aware-ness about available discounted servic-es, and the qualification process forlow-cost internet options is often longand cumbersome.

Progress against a problem as big asthe digital divide demands bold, collab-orative action from both the nonprofitand corporate worlds to address issuesof affordability, access, equipment, andinclusive enrollment systems.

The good news? The kind of bold,collaborative work required already ishappening and connecting familiesdaily. EveryoneOn is a national non-profit working with more than a dozenhigh-speed internet providers and otherorganizations to provide high-speed,low-cost internet, computers, and freedigital literacy training for all uncon-nected U.S. residents.

One such opportunity for discountedinternet service is available through aprogram called Connect2Compete, aflagship partnership that offers $10 permonth at-home service to families withK-12 students who qualify for free andreduced-price school lunch programs.

And, some of these internet partnersare going even further in expanding eli-gibility and access to affordable connec-tions. Cox Communications is oneexample. It was the first company to rollout the Connect2Compete program,piloting the initiative for the FCC in SanDiego, then rolling out the programnationally in 2013. The Cox offerextends Connect2Compete discounts tofamilies with children in the Head Startand Early Head Start programs,Temporary Assistance for NeedyFamilies (TANF), the SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program (SNAP),National School Lunch Program(NSLP), as well as to families with K-12 students living in HUD-assistedhousing, as part of the nationalConnectHome initiative launched byPresident Obama in July 2015.

Leadership among internet serviceproviders is critical and makes all the

difference to the sustainable success ofthese programs. In addition to broaden-ing eligibility requirements, Cox iscommitting time and resources toengage local city leadership, communi-ty nonprofits, and public housingauthorities to help ensureConnect2Compete and ConnectHomeprograms succeed in the markets theyserve. Because the families we’re tryingto reach do not have access at home,information needs to be provided inpractical and accessible ways. Thatmeans going the extra mile to placeinformation in bus stops, communitycenters—and sometimes literally plac-ing flyers at the doorstep of public hous-ing authority developments and hiring“street teams” to answer simple ques-tions about how to sign up for service.The most effective supporters ofConnect2Compete and ConnectHomehave staff members who reach out tolocal families and are accountable tomeeting measurable goals.

Cox sets a good example of whatneeds to be done by the highest levels ofcorporate leadership. As a startingpoint, other companies must recognizethe connection between digital inclu-

Can your internet service provider helpclose the digital divide? Internet service providers can take a leading role inhelping all students achieve at-home access

Many students lack home access.

Divide, page 28



Thought Leadership

By Chris MarczakIn any given third-grade classroom,

you can find a student who is reading ata level far beyond their age, and anotherwho is still working on letter recogni-tion. How does a traditional classroomteacher with 25-30 kids manage such awide range of students? As a districtleader, how do I support our teachersand ensure that they are challenging stu-dents who are at a higher level whileproviding struggling students withproper support?

These are the tough questions I askedmyself when taking over as superin-tendent of Maury County Schools inTennessee in August 2015. Within thefirst few months, we ditched the old lit-eracy model to adopt a project-basedfocus; deployed instructional coaches(without hiring anyone); and launched atop-down, district-level approach thatquickly gained bottom-up buy-inthrough school and community support.We also implemented a differentiatedliteracy program and digital library thatmeasures reading with reading—notquiz scores and points.

Creating the keys to successIn my first days as superintendent, I

did what I called a “22in22 Tour” whereI traveled to all 22 schools in my districtin 22 days. I know from experience thatthe best leaders are the best listeners, soI made sure to take the time to hear whatschool leaders and classroom teachershad to say about Maury’s administrativeapproach. I heard loud and clear thatthere were issues of trust, lack ofresources, switching initiatives on adime, and a need for truly aligned andsupportive professional development.That’s when I knew I had to eliminatethe top-down approach that the districthad taken in the past (and many districts

employ) and go through a processto determine our Keys to Success.

Over 10 weeks, my administra-tive team and I asked every schoolboard member, administrator,teacher, staff member, and parentto answer one simple question:What should students know beforeleaving elementary school, middleschool, and high school? After makingmy rounds inside our school communi-ty, we asked the same question to a widevariety of community organizationsincluding the Rotary, Kiwanis, CityCouncil, NAACP, retired teachers’ asso-ciation, the County Commission, andmore than 20 more groups. Here weretheir suggestions:

• All students’ reading proficiency ator above grade level by the end ofthird grade

• All students’ math proficiency at orabove grade level by the end of thefourth grade

• All students’ math and English profi-ciency at or above grade level by theend of sixth grade

• All students proficient in Algebra 1by the end of eighth grade

• All students scoring at or above ACTcollege readiness benchmarks bygraduation

• All students financially literate bygraduation

• All students participating inadvanced placement, dual-enroll-ment, industry certification, work-based learning, or military prep bygraduationBy generating common goals as a

community, we created a level of trans-parency that was new to Maury County.The keys created a common vocabularyacross the entire community, so every-one was well aware of our mission as adistrict. For the first time in a long time,

this district shifted its focus from statetest scores and data to the kids and whatthey should be able to do to be truly col-lege and/or career ready—the way itshould be.

Putting power in theprincipals’ hands

Just as we want our classrooms tofocus on differentiated learning for stu-dents, we wanted each of our schools tocreate a unique plan of attack whenimplementing the keys to Success. Weput the power in the hands of the princi-pals (and their teachers) to choose howtheir schools could best address thekeys.

Principals are the ones who knowtheir students and teachers best, andtherefore the best steps to take to reachour common goals. For example, stu-dents attending one school on the westside of the county have different needsthan students on the other side of thedistrict, a more urban area. A blanketplan for all schools was not going towork. Each school was empowered tocreate its own plan by engaging teachersand staffs into the keys’ strategic plan-ning and budget preparation; as a result,teachers entered the school year laser-focused on what they needed to do inthe upcoming school year to address ourkeys at a classroom level.

Chris Marczak, Ed.D., is superintend-ent of Maury County School District inTennessee.

The 7 keys to preparingstudents for the futureWhat should students know by the end of third grade?High school? And how do you get them there?

English and math benchmarks play a role.

eSN



Thought Leadership

By Linda D. MulveyThe city of Syracuse’s public educa-

tional system, and its long-term econom-ic health, are nearing a tipping point.According to a recent study by theCentury Foundation, Syracuse has thehighest rate of extreme poverty concen-trated among blacks and Hispanics of thenation's 100 largest metropolitan areas.

Like many other urban school sys-tems, Syracuse City School District(SCSD), where I serve as chief academ-ic officer, has faced a number of chal-lenges: Retaining teachers past theirthird year of teaching, too many com-peting initiatives that were unaligned tolarger goals, and—most pressing—lowacademic performance among disad-vantaged students.

A couple years ago, we took a freshlook into what it would take to move theneedle on these enormous challenges.The research was clear: The largest non-classroom-based impact on studentachievement as well as teacher retentionis the effectiveness of building princi-pals. We also recognized that schoolleadership is quite possibly the most dif-ficult job to do well. We knew we had tomake a substantial and systemic invest-ment in our principals if we were goingto make progress.

How we startedIn 2015, we decided the best course

of action was to build a series of leader-ship academies. We started by askingourselves two questions.

1. What does it look like to be a greatleader in Syracuse?

To answer this question, we turned tothe leadership effectiveness frameworkwe had created in 2013 with InsightEducation Group. Consisting of twodomains, Instructional Leadership andOrganizational Leadership, the frame-work defines what it means to be aneffective building leader at all phases ofa leader’s career and sets high standards

for effective leadership based uponresearch and best practices.

We expect our leaders to exhibiteffective instructional leadership, includ-ing establishing a shared vision for suc-cess and creating a culture of data-drivendecision-making. In addition, they areexpected to create a culture of highexpectations, manage innovation, andlead with integrity and fairness.

2. What are our school leaderstelling us is their greatest need?

To answer this question, we listened toour leaders. We engaged in discussionswith them about their needs for long-termprofessional development and what itwould take for them to feel supported.

Based on information gleaned fromthese two guiding questions, we part-nered with Insight Education Group todevelop unique goals and pathways toschool leadership for four different stake-holder groups: aspiring leaders, vice prin-cipals, new principals, and veteran princi-pals. While our goals for each stakeholdergroup differ based on each group’s role,we also worked hard to have continuityso all school leaders have a common lan-guage with which to operate.

Where are we nowOur leadership academies are now

monthly occurrences, and we work hardto sure that each session is:

• Issue-based and relevant: Our lead-ers engage in case studies and prob-lem-solving protocols to address the“real” issues they face every day in ourschools.

• Data-driven: Our leaders are requiredto access and analyze the data we usein our district to drive instructionaldecision-making and be prepared tofacilitate conversations about the data.

• Job-embedded: In addition to ourmonthly academies, we provide exec-utive coaching to our leaders to helpthem practice the concepts discussedduring monthly academies in the daily

context of their schools. Principalsalso meet in cohort groups with assis-tant superintendents.With our student population at 72

percent free and reduced lunch andspeaking more than 70 languages, wehave focused several sessions in each ofour academies on building a positiveschool culture that supports all students.These sessions focus on viewing everychild as an asset to the classroom andleveraging the uniqueness they bring tothe school community regardless oftheir race, gender, or economic status.

Additionally, for our AspiringLeaders Academy, we have added aportfolio-based assessment in whichparticipants complete key work prod-ucts related to the academy’s contentand then meet with a coach to reviewthese products, receive feedback, andcontinue to advance them. One exampleof this is a video-based leadership storythat each aspiring leader records andupdates two to three times throughoutthe year. We are hoping this new struc-ture will address the challenge of pro-viding ongoing support beyond themonthly academies, so that the contentsticks and we can realize the vision ofbuilding a pipeline of leaders throughour differentiated academies.

Linda D. Mulvey is chief academicofficer for the Syracuse City SchoolDistrict in New York.

Leadership academies thatcreate better principals

Leadership training can pay off.

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By Tammy MangusWhen I became an administrator

back in 2008, I realized there were toomany students flying under the radarand not reading at their grade levels. Ifthere’s one thing I know as an educator,now a superintendent, it’s that readinglevel defines success—period. Researchshows that if a student reads on gradelevel, his or her likelihood of being suc-cessful dramatically increases.

Early in my educational career, Ilearned first-hand the impact of using stu-dent achievement data to guide myinstruction, but assessment results don’ttell the whole story of a student. As partof my mission to see that no student fallsthrough the cracks, all are greater thanaverage, and everyone graduates know-ing how to read, I developed an ideacalled “Truthful Kindness and NecessaryAction” to help me balance objectivereporting and empathy for students.

The compassionate rescue In my district, we talk a lot about

being kind to students. While my teachersare extremely kind, there are situationswhere students are what I call “compas-sionately rescued” from their struggles.In other words, teachers may be allowingstruggling students to slide through orrescue them from the necessary struggleof having to master key skills, when theyhaven’t shown mastery.

Many times I find this is done out oflove for the students. As a teacher, Ihated to watch a student struggle to reador fail academic assessments. To savestudents from falling behind the rest ofthe class or being singled out, manyteachers move them forward with theexpectation that they’ll catch on.Although these teachers believe they arebeing kind to the student at the time, thishas a major impact on each student’slong-term educational development.

When I was a high school Englishteacher, I remember one 10th-grade stu-

dent who refused to participate in anysort of activity and spent classes withhis head down. During a meeting withthe student, I discovered the core of theissue: His reading level was way belowwhere it should have been for a highschool student. I thought, “How is it thata 10th-grade student made it all throughschool not being able to read?”

That school year, I worked diligentlyto get this student up to speed on phonicsand basic reading concepts, measuringhis progress on a regular basis to ensurethat he was improving. By measuring hisprogress often and using his test scores asa benchmark, I was able to adjust my les-sons to move faster through parts heunderstood and spend more time on con-cepts he had a harder time grasping. Itwasn’t always easy, but by the end of theschool year, he caught up and was read-ing on grade level.

Moving from THINK to‘Truthful Kindness’

My experience with that 10th-graderinspired me to revamp the old acronymTHINK (Is it True? Is it Helpful? Is itInspiring? Is it Necessary? Is it Kind?).My goal was to help my teachers adoptthe approach we call “TruthfulKindness and Necessary Action.”

Truthful Kindness is a concept whereteachers use data to be transparent withstudents and parents about where the stu-dent measures compared to state stan-dards and class averages. Data doesn’t liewhen it comes to measuring if a studentcan read or not. Data can also tell you if astudent is grasping a concept or where heor she may need additional intervention.

Keeping kindness in mind, teacherstake necessary action to help each childreach his or her goals and become aboveaverage compared to standards. Insteadof pushing kids along and compassion-ately rescuing them from their strug-gles, truthful kindness guides eachteacher to take the time to help students

become successful and meet standardsbefore moving onto the next grade.

The No. 1 goal in my district is forstudents to be greater than average. Toensure each student is reading at gradelevel by third grade, my elementaryschools use a software program calledReading Horizons to build a strongphonics foundation and help strugglingreaders catch up.

The digital curriculum helps studentslearn to decode the English languageusing a solid set of rules. Since weadopted Reading Horizons, we’ve beenable to collect even more data on ourstudents and provide appropriate inter-vention when necessary to make surethat they are greater than averageaccording to the standards.

The idea of Truthful Kindness andNecessary Action can be adopted in anyschool. I assure my teachers that if theyare truthfully kind and take necessaryaction, they will become the inspira-tional teacher they aim to be. Teacherswho practice truthful kindness, applyappropriate rigor to each lesson, andhold themselves accountable to thelearning of each student make it possi-ble for all students to leave our schoolsable to read and prepared for life.Teachers and leaders like this are theones who get remembered.

Tammy Mangus is superintendent ofthe Monticello Community SchoolDistrict in New York.

Getting struggling students to read requiresdata and compassion

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Students must show mastery beforemoving on to the next grade level.



I do a lot of speaking about tech-nology trends in education, andnone of my talks seem to get largeraudiences than those that addressnew or emerging technologies. Partof this is our never-ending interestin what is “new,” and also that littlevoice in my head that says, “MaybeI am falling behind.”

So, as an educator interested intechnology—after all, you are

reading eSchool News—what is the best source for trackingemerging technologies for learning? And, even more impor-tant, which of these emerging technologies addresses the chief problems you are trying to solve in your school orschool district?

The answer to the first question is easy. Each year the NewMedia Consortium (NMC) and CoSN—the Consortium forSchool Networking—jointly create the Horizon Report.Produced with the insights of an international panel ofexperts, and with nearly 1 million downloads per year, thisreport on emerging technologies for learning is likely themost well-read report identifying key technology trends forprimary and secondary education. (The 2016 report is madepossible by Share Fair Nation at http://go.nmc.org/2016-k12).This comprehensive report helps education leaders and practitioners develop future-focused digital strategies andlearning approaches that mirror the needs and skills of the realworld.

The answer to the second question of what trends are mostimportant in your school/school district requires some workon your part. While the 2016 Horizon Report identifies whatleading experts see as key trends, the most important conver-sation to have is to see if any of those trends relate to chal-lenges in your community. The good news is that CoSN isalso issuing a new toolkit to accompany the 2016 Horizon K-12 Education Edition that will help start that conversation.Both the Horizon Report and toolkit are free.

The toolkit lays the groundwork for you to share the latesteducation trends and inspire progress amongst your staff andcommunity. From start to finish, the toolkit includes tem-plates, suggestions and guidelines for school and district com-munication, presentations, and guides for hosting informa-tional events–all in an effort to simplify the process and helpyou maximize the visibility of the report’s cutting-edgeresults.

So, what do the experts think are the key trends, significantchallenges, and important developments in technology in K-12? Here you go:

Key Trends Accelerating K-12 Educational Technology Adoption

Long-Term trends: Driving ed-tech adoption in K-12 edu-cation for five or more years:

• Redesigning Learning Spaces• Rethinking How Schools Work

Mid-Term trends: Driving ed-tech adoption in K-12 educa-tion for three to five years:

• Collaborative Learning• Deeper Learning Approaches

Short-Term trends: Driving ed-tech adoption in K-12 edu-cation for one to two years:

• Coding as a Literacy• Students as Creators

Significant Challenges Impeding K-12Educational Technology Adoption

Solvable challenges: Those which we both understand andknow how to solve:

• Authentic Learning Opportunities• Rethinking the Roles of Teachers

Difficult challenges: Those we understand but for whichsolutions are elusive:

• Advancing Digital Equity• Scaling Teaching Innovations

Wicked challenges: Those that are complex to even define,much less address:

• The Achievement Gap• Personalizing Learning

III. Important Developments in Technologyfor K-12 Education

Time-to-adoption horizon: one year or less:• Makerspaces• Online Learning

Time-to-adoption horizon: two to three years:• Robotics• Virtual Reality

Time-to-adoption horizon: four to five years:• Artificial Intelligence• Wearable Technology

The first step to address emerging technologies for learningis to start by defining the type of learning we want. Once you’veproperly assessed your current situation, the next step is to lookat the exciting new tools that will enable that vision.

Keith Krueger is CEO of the Consortium for SchoolNetworking (CoSN).

18 trends for ed-tech’s futureThe annual Horizon Report’s key trends include collaborative learning and wearable tech

Keith Krueger

Future Ready By Keith Krueger

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http://go.nmc.org/2016-k12



By David Loveland and Jim Wasserman

Several years ago, I made one ofthose foolish Dad choices. Despite mywife’s better judgment, I let my 6- and7-year-old sons watch Men in Black.What I thought would be a cool eveningof fighting aliens turned into one ofthose nights ending with two kids afraidof going to sleep under a wife’s “I toldyou so” glare.

Miraculously, I stumbled onto a solu-tion when my elder son came into ourbedroom around midnight saying he keptwaking up scared because he was afraid agiant bugman would get him. In themoment, a solution arose. I told my son

that I kept special, super strong anti-bug-man powder in the bathroom, so strong itcould only be used in emergencies, butthat it could keep bug monsters out of thehouse. With that, I went into the bath-room, filled a small plastic bag with tal-cum powder, and spent the next 30 min-utes walking around the house throwingthe powder about the place while chanti-ng “Go away bugmen!” with my son. Heslept the rest of the night.

The point of the story is not aboutshowing myself to be a good parent (Iabandoned any pretense to that titlewhen I said to my wife, “The boysmight be scared at first, but by the endthey’ll be laughing”). What this incidentdemonstrates is a kind of teaching tech-nique that too often is underutilized.

Consider when my son came into myroom, professing his fear of bugmen. Icould have lectured him that, in fact,

there were no bugmen, and that his viewdid not comport with reality. This “coldwater in the face” approach would havedone little to alleviate my son’s latentfears while demanding that he take ahard U-turn into reality while in themidst of dealing with those fears. Onthe other hand, denying that there mightbe bugs in the house at all would createan unrealistic virtual world that mighthave placated my son for the moment,but then be shattered by the next day’sdiscovery of some critter.

The answer, as my half-awake mindstumbled into, was to take reality (thereare bugs), take my son’s perception ofthat reality (bugs can lead to bugmen)

and move forward on that premise byadding another layer on top (there is asolution: anti-bugmen powder). Havingbeen empowered to defeat the chal-lenge, and having fun doing it, my sonwas ready later to then learn more aboutbugs, bugmen, and aliens as we sattogether at the computer looking upsuch things during the next few weeks.

This approach has a name, at least inthe gaming world: Augmented Reality,or AR. In AR, extra information is digi-tally overlaid onto the real world toenhance the experience either for infor-mation or entertainment purposes. Ifyou have ever been to a museum andlistened to a “virtual tour” on a headsetwhile you look at the very real exhibitor pieces in front of you, then you haveexperienced AR. That these tours aremisnamed “virtual” demonstrates thesomewhat confusing, but important,

distinction between “augmented reali-ty” and “virtual reality” (VR). In a nut-shell, VR creates an entirely made upworld that can be as divorced from real-ity and its rules (like gravity) as thedesigner wants, while AR takes what isreal and overlays information to getmore out of exploring our world.

This distinction is even more pro-nounced and important in education.Unfortunately, too much of our educationsystem is structured like VR. We create anartificial world where subjects like histo-ry, science, and physical education areseparated into distinct, and unreal, classeswithout reference to each other. So too,the student’s day is blocked out into delin-eated (and often arbitrary) chunks of time.Students are asked to read about thingsand solve problems that have no connec-tion to their immediate world, such as amath/economics problem about securinga mortgage, but are expected to embracesuch things because “it will be their realityin the future.” Unfortunately, learningthings because they will be important inthe future is a poor motivator and weaksales pitch, as nearly every 20-somethingwho has to listen to retirement investmentoptions will tell you.

AR, on the other hand, is an approachthat has endless possibilities for enhanc-ing the motivation and actual learning forstudents. Starting with the world as stu-dents perceive it, the approach presentsthe world in a way that engages students.Once engaged, or having “bought into it”as teachers like to say, students are muchmore receptive to the follow-up learningthat the teacher can then add on top.

A good example of AR teaching is thegame, now a few years old, calledGeoGuessr. With GeoGuessr, a player isplaced, via their phone, tablet or comput-er, in some random place in the world viaGoogle Maps. Looking around and wan-dering by using the arrow keys to navi-gate, the player looks for clues (climate,vegetation, road sign language, geo-graphic and man-made features) to guess

How augmented reality enhances the classroomAt its core, AR is just a series of layers that help students make sense of the world

“Too much of our education system is structured like

virtual reality. We create an artificial world where

subjects like history, science, and physical education

are separated into distinct, and unreal, classes without

reference to each other.”



How augmented reality enhances the classroomAt its core, AR is just a series of layers that help students make sense of the world

where they are. Points are awarded forhow close the guess is to the actual spot.The game was a hit generally, but clevereducators found it a boon to their class-rooms. Kids vied for the highest score, allthe while learning how to look at andprocess information (palm trees) forapplication (where do palm trees grow?).Turning human and physical geographyinto a fun game allowed teachers toimpart significant information and pro-cessing experience for students. As MaryPoppins might say, that spoonful of ARhelped the learning go down.

AR also taps into an especially chal-lenging age to teach, middle school. Inelementary school (grades 1-5), stu-dents are concrete learners who prettymuch take the world as the teacher pres-ents it to them. Every parent of a childthat age has heard plenty of sentencesbeginning with, “Teacher says …” Bymiddle school years (grades 6-8), stu-dents start to develop abstract thoughtand processing. They also start to seethat the world is inconsistent or notexactly how it might have been present-ed to them before. Not everyone is awinner, not all kids are nice, and lying isnot always absolutely wrong, such as toavoid embarrassing someone.

Presented with having to cope andsucceed in a potentially chaotic world,tweens try to take control of their tinycorner of individuality and seek self-empowerment. Psychologists call thisthe search for seriation and classifica-tion, but a lay person would observe itas a preoccupation with putting thingsin some sort of order, from schoolyardarguments over which is the best sportsteam to which people or trends are “in”and which are “out.” Kids at this agealso become involved with games andotherwise determining social hierarchy,from monster card games to cliquishrumor mongering on the schoolyard.Indeed, many such coping-with-chaosskills continue into adulthood, as weargue on Facebook and other socialmedia about which people are the “goodguys” and who are the “bad guys.”

This is AR. We take reality, and weoverlay our understanding for compre-

hension or entertainment value. It’s alsowhat has fueled the Pokemon Go craze,wherein people walk about the worldusing their devices to find and capturePokemon that are hidden throughout ourotherwise observable world.

So if we all do it, whether in huntingPokemon or in analyzing the stock mar-ket or politics, why not tap into it morefor education? This can be done with afew simple tweaks by the classroomteacher (while more professional AR edu-cational programs are being developed):

1. Start where the students are. Ateacher should not start with a “Kidsknow nothing” attitude. Begin withthe students’ perception or understand-ing of the concepts or situation as abase reality. What do they know aboutthe world regarding this topic? If yougive them a word, what’s the firstthing that comes to mind?

2. Make education empowering for

kids. Now the kids can add a layer ontop. What questions, challenges, orproblems do the kids see with reality asthey perceive it? What are the issues,and what can be done to solve them (areal solution and, perhaps, one crazy,fun one, too)? During this stage it isimportant for a teacher to not discountfun as a motivator. As stated above,future return on investment is notenough, so where is the engagementhook now for the student? Also, whenmaking a game, it is human nature tohave more fun winning than in making“everyone a winner.” If a teacher is

worried about wasting class time tomake a lesson fun, then consider it anexample of long-term investment.

3. Finally, finish with time for the

teacher to do an educational over-

lay. Here is the payoff for the class-room. The kids have enjoyed theirtime, but now the teacher must use hisor her skills to show the students howthey are better prepared to meet futurechallenges (in gaming and the realworld) from what they have previous-ly done. Why, historically, were thereso many communal clocks in old pub-lic squares (that then becamePokestops), and why do we not buildthem so much anymore? How did youcalculate the winning strategy, andunder what circumstances might thatstrategy be useful in the future?In following these steps, a good

teacher can create a viable AR learningenvironment, even perhaps with few orno electronic devices. People shouldremember that, while everyone oohsand ahs about the latest technology, andwhile technology can enhance learning,the driving engine of learning hasalways been, and always will be, thestudent’s engaged and active mind.

This year may be remembered as theyear AR truly came to the forefront. It isinteresting that this craze has arisenamidst a summer of intense Americanracial strife and a divisive election. Myelder son (formerly fearful of bugmen),now a college student, tells me of hun-dreds of people gathering in the park inHouston, hanging together, collecting,and interacting like never before. As hepostulated, perhaps the players, seeingthe world as so divisive, have overlaidan activity that allows more genial,cooperative existence as an AR tonic.

It’s not a tuning out of reality, as VRmight have it, but a way to take bit ofcontrol and move more freely about thenoise and chaos. Perhaps, both insideand outside the classroom, AR is the tal-cum powder we all need.

David Loveland and Jim Wassermanare currently teachers at The ParishEpiscopal School in Dallas, Texas.

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Tech isn’t required, but it can help.



Thought Leadership

refrain echoed loudly through-out the ProvidenceConvention Center:Implementing blended andpersonalized learning is aboutmanaging change. Innovatorsstressed that without effectivechange management, the besttechnology tools and the mostelegant personalized learningmodels will come up short.Here are six change manage-ment strategies that practition-ers stressed as vital to drivingnew models of learning acrosstraditional systems:

1. Embrace not knowingOne tension in managing change

across a classroom or an entire district ismaking the unknown an opportunityrather than a threat. This framingdepends on leaders who are willing tomake the unknown safe. As AmandaMurphy, a Highlander Institute FuseRhode Island Fellow from WesterlyPublic Schools, put it, managing changeacross a system is about “supporting theeager, but non-expert.” In part, thisrequires giving people room to expressconcerns. “We had faculty volunteerswho were interested but didn’t haveexpertise,” she said. “They talked aboutwhy they were nervous, and this helpedpeople understand that there were manyothers in the same boat. It set the tonethat it’s okay not to know. And nowthey’re asking for help.”

2. Co-designAll too often, new approaches to

instruction are designed in isolation fromthe teachers who will be implementingthose approaches. Participants stressedthat limiting the number of seats around ablended and personalized learning designtable, in turn, limits the level of teacherbuy-in to new classroom models. “Leadershave ideas for teachers, but it doesn’t worktop-down,” said Julia Rafal-Baer of Chiefsfor Change, a nonprofit network of stateand district education leaders. “Teachers

need to be part of the strategic conversa-tion.” Leaders noted that the more teachersare involved in the design process upfront,the more likely they will be to persist andadapt when challenges to implementationinevitably arise.

3. Cultivate early adoptersMany initiatives that participants dis-

cussed came from a few early innova-tors trying new approaches within theirsystems. Early adopters of blended andpersonalized learning can also provide apowerful antidote to top-down direc-tives. For example, Donna Vallese, aformer principal at Nowell LeadershipAcademy, a public charter school inRhode Island, said she never told teach-ers they had to use certain tools likeGoogle Classroom. “Instead, it wasseeded with early adopters,” she said.“It spread organically from the groundup, and then everyone was doing it.”

4. Open doorsClassrooms can be infamously siloed

environments where teachers operate inisolation. Participants noted that foreducators pursuing innovative class-room models, breaking down those siloswas critical. Tracey Nangle, a teacher inNorth Smithfield School District inRhode Island, said that an open-doorpolicy at her middle school helped toshift schoolwide attitudes and culture infavor of collaborative learning.“Teachers are given release time to

work as teams and observeclassrooms together. It buildsrespect between colleaguesand exposes all of the greatwork that is happening,”Nangle said.

5. Rethink rolesAs schools manage change

across their instructional mod-els, the traditional roles thatadults play may shift. DavidRichards of Fraser PublicSchools described how hisdistrict’s move to competen-cy-based learning prompted arethinking not just of teachers’roles, but also of roles across

the schools and ecosystem. “We lookedat the positions we had and then aban-doned them for the positions we need-ed,” he said. Similarly, Eric Tucker ofBrooklyn Lab Charter School in NewYork recommended using personalizedlearning models to move teachers awayfrom the one-size-fits-all roles they’vetraditionally played. “Embrace that edu-cators have different skills andstrengths,” he said.

6. Make timePractitioners looking to adopt blend-

ed and personalized learning practicesstressed that the learning curve is steepand time scarce. Yet, some school lead-ers are finding creative ways to giveteachers and themselves more time foryear-round professional growth and foradapting to new tools and techniques.For example, Scott Frauenheim sharedhow Distinctive Schools created anunprecedented chunk of time for peer-to-peer learning during the school dayby working with a scheduling expert toupdate where time gets allocated eachday. “We found 105 minutes of planningand collaboration time by minimizingtransitions between classes. This time ishelping to prevent burnout and helpingteachers learn to let go of what they’vealways done,” he said.

Julia Freeland Fisher is director ofeducation research at the ClaytonChristensen Institute.

Changecontinued from page 1

View the full report at: www.christenseninstitute.org.

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IT Leadership

By Jovana �Čenejac These days, before visiting your

campus or even speaking to anyone onthe phone, the first impression anyonewill ever have of your school is via itswebsite. When researching existingschools, the majority of people willautomatically undertake in-depth onlineresearch to learn more about theiroptions. Therefore, it is crucial that yourwebsite contains enough relevant infor-mation that is eye catching and easy tonavigate through so as to provide help-ful information and not confuse the vis-itor, causing them to leave the website.After enrollment, the website will serveas a vital link for parents, students, andschool administration.

Content seems to be key here, yet itis not merely enough, meaning if it isnot organized in the right way, it will bedifficult to find or there will be toomuch of it, therefore it will not serve itspurpose. This is where design plays itspart in providing solutions for contentdisplay and organization.

That being said, design is not some-thing you should fear, becauseit doesnot present a difficult task given thedevelopment and advancement in theCMS that enable even those withoutmuch design skill to achieve greatresults. Yet, there are a few steps youshould consider and implement if youwant to maximize your website’s effec-tiveness.

Simplify Too often, great looking websites are

ruined by unnecessary content, complicat-ed navigation, or both. The logic behindthis seems to be—the more you are dis-playing, the more you have to offer.Instead, you should think like the visitorto your site. Yes, beautiful visuals couldgrab attention for a while, but informationand content are what they came for, sodon’t let the flashy stuff get in the way ofinformation. Here are the most importantfeatures of a school’s website that need tobe simplified in order to get results.

• Home page content—while it is com-pletely understandable that you want toimpress your visitors into becomingfuture clients, your home page must notbe overcrowded with useless informa-tion and too much content of any kind.With a little help from elegantWordPress LMS themes, you can havea beautiful and personalized home pageand still keep it simple in terms of thecontent. Your home page should show aconcise profile of your school, withclear and easy-to-follow links to themost important pages, such as schoolcalendar, timetables, courses descrip-tions, teachers’ profiles, contact page.

• Navigation—your website needs tohave a natural flow, which means thatusers need to be directed to the desiredpages quickly and easily so as not toget confused and eventually give up.Again, think like the visitor on yourwebsite, and place call to action ban-ners, social media buttons, and menubars where people expect to find themwithout having to spend time lookingfor them.

• User integration—the registrationprocess as well as the login should besimple, easy, and fast in order to feelseamless for the user. If you’re offer-ing courses for purchase e on the site,you need an efficient means of han-dling that, too (payment systems suchas PayPal and WooCommerce areintegrated into every modern LMSWordPress theme).

Multimedia When designing a school or any other

website it is important to incorporate visu-al features, as they tend to be an efficientway into your school’s presentation.Make sure to add appropriate pictures andvideos that convey the right message andtell a story about your school, classes, stu-dents, and staff. Remember to place itwhere appropriate so as not to fit the con-tent on the page, and do not use too manymultimedia files as they can slow downwebsite loading time.

Social media Integrating social media buttons into

the website is one of the most helpfultools to promote any shareable sectionof your website, such as an events page,blog posts, etc., helping you inform andinteract with your followers. Moreover,it is most likely that the majority of yourpotential students will use social mediato search for schools nearby, so makesure your profiles are neat, active, andregularly updated.

Mobile ready As the number of people who mostly

use smart phones to browse the internetis growing by the year, you want tomake sure that your website has aresponsive design for desktop comput-ers and smartphones alike, in order toprovide each visitor to your websitewith the best experience.

Personalize Additionally, assuming you want to

establish a recognizable image for yourschool, make sure you add personal feelto it. This means choosing LMS solu-tions with many custom options so thatyou can choose your colors and fonts;customize banners, student badges andcertificates, and other features that canhelp you provide a unique experience toyour visitors and students.

Jovana Čenejac is an English teacher,translator, and copywriter.

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Websites should be mobile ready.

5 ways to improve your school website design




By Dennis PierceU.S. high schools are teaching sci-

ence in a backward sequence of coursesthat is a remnant of 19th-century think-ing, says former Harman executive andNew Jersey Teacher of the Year RobertGoodman—and changing the order inwhich science courses are taken and theway they’re delivered can lead to pro-found differences in both STEM interestand achievement.

Goodman was speaking at theBuilding Learning Communities (BLC)

conference in Boston, organized byeducation thought leader AlanNovember. He talked about how hetaught algebra-based physics to ninth-graders near Newark, N.J., most ofwhom came from poor families—andmany of whom went on to take (andpass) the AP physics exam. Hisapproach was so successful that it hasbeen replicated across the state and incountries around the world.

Goodman himself never took anyscience beyond biology in his own highschool experience. Needing to fulfill ascience requirement at New YorkUniversity, he took a physics course

because it was the only class that fit intohis schedule.

“About two weeks in, I fell in lovewith physics,” he said. “For me, it wasthe thinking activity that was involved.We don’t pay enough attention to that inschools—that thinking is an activity byitself.”

Goodman ended up transferring andearning a physics degree from MIT. Hewent to work for Harman ConsumerGroup, a division of the audio electron-ics firm Harman International, and ulti-

mately became its president. After 20years, he decided to launch a secondcareer as a high school teacher.

In 1999, he was asked to launch apre-engineering program for BergenCounty Technical High School, whichat the time was a brand-new vocationalschool. The program he headed upbegan with 16 nint- graders.

Although Goodman had beenassured they all knew algebra, it turnedout only three of the 16 had takenAlgebra I. Because algebra is founda-tional to engineering, he used his twohours of vocational time each day tocreate what he called an “on-ramp” to

STEM success, consisting of 40 min-utes of Algebra I instruction, 40 minutesof algebra-based physics, and 40 min-utes of engineering.

Why physics? It’s required foralmost all STEM career paths,Goodman said—more than any otherscience subject. “It makes science makesense,” he noted. Yet, less than a third ofU.S. high schools even offer physicsinstruction—and most students (andespecially poor and minority students)aren’t exposed to it.

What’s more, teaching physics tohigh school freshmen allows them tosee practical uses for algebra and applythose skills to solving real problemsright away.

As it happened, that was a huge ben-efit, because it answered the “why”question at the heart of so much of U.S.education. Once Goodman startedteaching physics to ninth-graders, he nolonger heard kids say, “When am I evergoing to use algebra?”

The classroom that Goodman wasassigned to had no desks or tables, onlya few computer workstations, because itwas assumed the students would beusing the space to build things. So,before classes began that first year, hetook some of the small round tablesfrom a faculty lounge and rolled themdown the hall to his room. He also tooksome chairs from the cafeteria.

“It was by pure chance, and not anydesire to follow Vygotsky—but it turnedout that I had created a social construc-tivist classroom,” he said. “I taughtthem some content briefly for the firstfew minutes of class, and then the stu-dents applied this content to solvingnew problems they hadn’t seen before,working together in small groups.”

He added: “Seventy-five percent ofmy class was kids just discussing sci-ence. It turns out that works really well,because kids love to argue about stuff.”

The combination of Goodman’s ped-agogical approach and the fact that stu-

Are high schools teaching science backward?This simple change could transform STEM achievement, and New Jersey is the proof

Early exposure to physics can help with algebra and other STEM subjects.



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dents were learning algebra and physicssimultaneously made his course enor-mously popular. Soon, students in theschool’s other career and technicalfields were asking administrators if theycould take physics in the ninth grade—and by 2003 every freshman was takingthe course.

What’s more, many of these studentswent on to take AP physics, with aremarkable pass rate.

By 2005, the school’s students weretaking and passing the AP physics exam ata rate that was 13 times the state average.The percentage of students from this voc-ed school taking AP physics was easilyNo. 1 in the state, more than double thenext-highest school’s percentage.

State leaders wanted to replicate thissuccess throughout the state’s highschools. Around the same time, the NewJersey Education Association wanted toprepare its members for the new teacheraccountability measures coming downthe pike. These factors led to the forma-

tion of the New Jersey Center forTeaching and Learning, a nonprofitresearch and development organization,and Goodman became its executivedirector.

“One of our goals is to get schools tostop teaching science backward,” hesaid. “The only reason we teach biolo-gy, then chemistry, then physics isbecause of a decision made in the1800s.” But as Goodman proved, teach-ing physics while students are justlearning algebra sets them up for suc-cess in all of the STEM disciplines,while making science and math moremeaningful. And when students under-stand physics, they can explore otherscience topics at a level of sophistica-tion that goes beyond simply memoriz-ing facts.

The NJCTL also creates free andopen instructional materials and trainsteachers in student-centered instruction.Its training extends to schools in Africaand elsewhere, and the center also has

trained 197 veteran educators tobecome physics teachers over the lastseven years.

The approach that Goodman pio-neered has led to higher participation inAP physics among minority studentsthan the national average, helping toclose the STEM achievement gap.What’s more, Bergen County TechnicalHigh School is now ranked 28th in thenation and has had several studentsaccepted into MIT. “Every single one ofthem was rejected by the math and sci-ence academy down the street,”Goodman said.

He concluded: “I’m not saying that allof these students will become physicists.But we want every student to be able tobecome a doctor if they want to, forinstance—and they can’t do that if theynever develop an interest in science.”

The former editor in chief of eSchoolNews, Dennis Pierce is now a freelancewriter covering education and technology.

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Digital Curriculum

By JR RiptonLet’s face it—we live in a very visually

oriented society. Visual media is a greatway to communicate, with a lot of positiveapplications in the classroom. Videos areattention-getters. One of the major bene-fits, in fact, is that everybody is familiarwith video chat, thanks to smart phonesand online media. It has fostered a newmovement in education, led by organiza-tions like The Global Classroom Project,to connect schools all around the globe.

New video technology is making thevideo chat option much more flexibleand practical, too. A good mix of graph-ics, video chat, and interactions candeliver excellent educational values.This allows for far better discussion andcommunications opportunities.

Here are a few ways that you can uselive video effectively in the classroom:

Expert guest speakersA good selection of guest speakers

for live video is another major asset.Experienced speakers are excellent pre-senters. They can bring a subject to lifevery easily and handle questions veryeffectively.

Expect also to be astonished by therange of guest speakers it is possible tobring into your classroom. It may take alittle planning, but if you approachpotential guest speakers through parentorganizations, like NASA, colleges orcommunity-based organizations like theMuseum of Tolerance, you can actuallyget world-class speakers.

For academic guest speakers, it’s agood idea to refer directly to their cur-rent college for help. The colleges willbe able to assist directly with yourneeds, and are very helpful in arrangingguest speakers.

Video tours and virtual edThese options are among the very lat-

est and perhaps the most important devel-opments in education. Video tours allowclasses to go around the world and covera phenomenal range of subjects.

The same possible technical issues

apply to this type of videoconferencing,but this is very much an investment inhigh-value learning. It is expected that thevideo tours and virtual education willprogressively become part of the higherlearning experience in the near future.

These options also include theopportunity to bring in experts fromplaces like the Smithsonian, which hasits own free video conference facilities.Major American colleges have similarfacilities available.

Parental video chatsOne of the hardest things to do as a

teacher is to manage parental connec-tions. Many parents do have perfectlylegitimate reasons for not being able toattend conferences with teachers. Theeasy option, and certainly the cheapestand most practical option in many cases,is to introduce video chats with parents.

Again, it’s important to keep an eyeon the possible technological issues. Ifyou’re in a school that has older videotechnology, you may not be able to con-nect with parents who use Skype or sim-ilar video chat technology. A good, all-purpose/all-platforms video chat facilityis the easy answer, as long as it can keepup with the bandwidth requirements of amodern video platform.

Video and student safety Student safety is the top priority of any

school. Students getting lost on field tripsor getting separated from their group arecommon problems. Using video links tokeep in contact with students is a verysimple and very effective option. If youare trying to expose your students to newexperiences, a field trip is a great idea, butif you can have the same level of experi-ence by taking a video tour, then youeliminate the risk of a student getting lost,hurting themselves, or doing somethingthat can cause real damage to an artifact.A great example of this is the 5,000-year-old rock carving which was destroyedwhen young visitors tried to “improve” it.This type of problem isn’t guaranteed tooccur when you take your class on a field

trip, but it’s one that can be avoided withthe use of video instead.

A good video connection is alsoinvaluable because it creates a sense ofinteractivity. You can combine the videowith a “tour guide” who can answerquestions and give you a close-up lookinto areas of an exhibit or a particulararea of interest. When you have a high-quality video feed, this can even give youmore detail than you would see if youwere viewing the same thing in person.

Connectivity problems andthe need for pre-emptivefixes

Predictably, one of the most commonproblems with live video in the class-room is likely to be technology, ratherthan people. Good connectivity and reli-able streaming are the keys to success.The usual problems are network quality,lack of internet quality, and old softwareor hardware.

Expect these problems. Video prob-lems are Murphy’s Law at its most reli-able. The best way to avoid the prob-lems is to speak to your school’s ITteam about software solutions, hard-ware, and things like server issues thatmight scramble the video chat.

Schools should also consider thatupgrading video software and hardwarewill also have added benefits throughoutthe school, beyond occasional videochats. Better streaming alone is a majorpositive upgrade. This can be easier thanever with new technologies like the onedeveloped at video chat companyAgora.io, which is designed to mitigatethese connectivity issues, even in areaswith poor or unreliable internet connec-tions. If your live-streaming video ischoppy and doesn’t work well, it willruin the experience for your students andwaste the time for any guest speakersyou may have. Mitigating these issuesbefore they happen makes for a richerand clearer learning experience.

JT Ripton is a freelance education, tech-nology, and business writer from Tampa.

How to use live video in the classroom

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Thought Leadership

By Michele EatonIn the Metropolitan School District

of Wayne Township, there are severalblended and online opportunities avail-able for students. Perhaps the same istrue in your district, but how many ofthose same opportunities are availableto teachers as well?

Recently, the teachers in one particu-lar program in the district inspired a per-sonalized approach to professionaldevelopment. The Ben Davis ExtendedDay (BDED) blended learning programis an extension of one of the district’shigh schools, Ben Davis High School.The program operates in the eveningsand serves students who, for one reasonor another, are not able to attend duringthe day. The students move through theircourses online and at their own pace,while physically attending school in theevenings in a lab setting. There are fourteachers who work in the evening andteach the courses for English, math, sci-ence, and social studies.

As part of the professional develop-ment for BDED, the teachers wentthrough a design thinking process todevelop strategies to overcome one ofthe teachers’ main perceived issues andprovide more personalized learning forstudents. While moving through theprocess to find a way to improve studentengagement and consistency in effort,the group explored various strategiesthat could be implemented to solve theidentified problem.

Each strategy was evaluated andranked based on several characteristics(ease, training necessary, cost, predictedsuccess, etc.). Ultimately, the teachersdecided as a group to research andimplement Individualized LearningPlans (ILPs) with their students. Theteachers wanted to create learner pro-files for each student that would be usedto personalize and individualize instruc-tion for the students.

At the time, there was no tool in thedistrict necessarily built for this work,so the teachers at BDED did someonline research to find other schools and

programs implementing something sim-ilar with their students. The group stud-ied ideas from Providence Public HighSchool in Rhode Island, the work ofBarbara Bray and Kathleen McClaskey,Maureen Devlin at Wayland PublicSchools, the Open College at KaplanUniversity, and various other templates.Borrowing from these templates andideas, the teachers developed their owntemplate using the only collaborativetool they had—Google Docs.

After collaboratively creating a tem-plate to use with their students, the nextstep was to sit down with each student andwork with them to fill out the initial plan,with the intent that the ILP would not be astatic document, but rather a plan the stu-dent could continue to use as they learnedhow to advocate for their own learning.These conversations were so beneficial. Itwas a great opportunity to build relation-ships with students and learn about theiraspirations, strengths, and constraints.

Unfortunately, the success of theproject went downhill after that point.The ILPs were difficult to manage for alarge group. The students were not asinvested in the process after the initialmeeting, and most of the ILPs remaineduntouched in their respective GoogleDrive folders. With the typical teacherworkload already on their shoulders,managing all of those documents anddrawing students to them on a consis-

tent basis when their students wereworking remotely or at different paces,became too much of a burden. After thefirst year of implementation, the teach-ers were unsuccessful in using the ILPsin a way that would increase studentengagement and consistency of effort.

As the group came together to reflecton the year and their goals in regard tothe Individualized Learning Plans, itwould have been easy for this idea to bedismissed as a failure or waste of time.That meeting went in a different direc-tion, though. Instead of hearing “Somuch for that,” the teachers asked,“What can we do differently?”

This fail forward mentality is whatso many teachers want of their stu-dents—to not let mistakes discouragethem, but to learn and grow from them.Their students-first attitudes gave methe confidence as a professional devel-oper to take a risk too.

At about this time, the district adopt-ed a new learning management system(LMS). Within the platform, there is anILP feature that can be used with staffand students. This could immediatelysolve one of the problems the teachersexperienced. The ILP could be on thehomepage of the digital environmentwhere the students navigated to dailyfor the classwork.

The ability to tie it to coursework

How we improved PD by failing forward

When a personalized learning plan failed, teachers simply try, try again.

Personalized, page 28



IT Leadership

deliver educational excellence in eachclassroom and school, every day, to giveall our students a chance at success. Thisincludes using technologies to facilitateinterest in learning.

Our educators had been using toolssuch as projectors and interactive white-boards in classrooms for years, but therewas no real across-the-board standard forour schools’ core classroom equipment.

Additionally, the equipment we hadwas aging. Projector bulbs were startingto dim and teachers would have to turnoff lights to use them, which hardlyenergizes students. Some of the interac-tive whiteboard software was out ofdate, and not all schools had the fundingto upgrade outdated equipment.

Our superintendent, Dr. NikolaiVitti, gave us the opportunity to put newtechnology in, and worked to secure thefunding. This presented a two-fold chal-lenge—update and standardize ourinteractive classroom technologieswhile being mindful of the taxpayerdollars used to fund the investment.

DCPS needed something that waseasy to operate and affordable enough tobe standard across all classrooms, but thatwas also innovative enough to change thelandscape of the classroom and create amore active learning space—somethingthat a teacher could use for the wholeclass as well as in small groups. Afterresearching options to replace our some-what outdated technology, we ultimatelydecided on a combination of 55- and 65-inch touchscreen displays.

Best practicesWe had success using the following

best practices for implementing newinteractive display technologies intoschools:

Keep an open mind. We asked schooladministrators and teachers what theywere looking for in a touchscreen tech-nology to ensure we hit the mark and nar-rowed it down to four vendors to makesure we had enough options to choosefrom. In the end, we ended up with touch-screens from NEC Display Solutions.

Ensure ease of use. The displays wechose have software built in that usesnative drivers within Windows. The factthat we don’t need to worry about soft-ware anymore is huge—these displaysgive us plug-and-play functionality,which eliminates any future issues withoutdated software and the costs ofupgrading.

Allow portability. Teaching doesn’tonly happen at the front of the class-room—it also happens on the sides andat the back. We purchased the displaysbundled with media carts to make themportable, allowing them to move aroundclassrooms as needed.

Learn from the past. Previously,our schools had been using portableinteractive whiteboards, but if theboards were ever bumped or jarred, theywould go out of calibration and it wouldtake time to recalibrate them. The cali-bration issues were eliminated with thedisplay and cart bundle—and we wereable to use the monitors as one piece ofequipment to replace both projectorsand interactive whiteboards.

Test out the tech. We deployed themonitors in middle schools first,because our experience is that teachers

of that population have more flexibilityto change the way they do things.Middle school students can be especial-ly restless, and we’ve been successfullyusing blended learning centers to keepthem interested, giving students theopportunity to learn with the monitorsas well as one on one with the teacher.

DCPS now has 2,500 interactive dis-plays across our schools, and we plan tohave an interactive display in all coreclassrooms in each of our 45 secondaryschools for the 2016-2017 school year.So far we’ve tripled the number of inter-active devices in student hands, thanksto our superintendent, who was support-ive of our goals.

Feedback from students and teachershas been positive, and we plan to con-tinue to grow student use of the moni-tors. At DCPS, we believe that usinginteractive displays to facilitate learningwill help us in our quest to set studentsup for success, giving them the bestpossible opportunities, and new ways tolearn and grow.

Jim Culbert is executive director of ITfor Duval County Public Schools inFlorida.

Touchscreenscontinued from page 1

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At DCPS, we believe that using interactive displays to

facilitate learning will help us in our quest to set

students up for success, giving them the best possible

opportunities and new ways to learn and grow.



Digital Curriculum

By Lisa Rodriguez In classrooms all across the country,

old-fashioned textbooks and stodgy les-son plans are sucking the life out of lan-guage learning. These classes leave somany learners apathetic or frustrated asthey recite scripted dialog or memorizean endless litany of verb conjugations.Who said that language learning had tobe so boring?

These days, thanks to digital technol-ogy, we have the resources to resusci-tate language learning and make it theadventure it should be.

There are many advantages to digitallanguage learning over classroom instruc-tion, including access to content at anytime, in any location, and current technolo-gies make content interactive, as opposedto stuffy foreign language textbooks.

One of the most popular computer-based language learning programs isRosetta Stone, founded in 1992. Theprogram includes 28 languages and canbe purchased in CD-ROM format, down-loaded, or subscribed to online. Levels 1through 5 cost $229, including access tomobile apps for a limited time.

Rosetta Stone provides comprehen-sible input by putting new words andphrases in the context of multimediaelements: video, photos, audio, and text.A free demo lesson in the language ofyour choice is available on the RosettaStone website.

The Pimsleur language learning pro-gram focuses on speaking and compre-hension rather than literacy in the sec-ond language, and includes courses in44 languages. Lessons can be purchasedas MP3 files, CDs, or software thatincludes flash cards and other multime-dia features. Introductory packages inthe language of your choice cost $150for the first 30 lessons in software for-mat, $21.95 for the first five lessons inMP3 format, or $49.95 for the first 16lessons in CD format. Lessons can bepurchased from the website, but theycan also be downloaded at audible.com.

Pimsleur lessons may even be avail-able from your public library for free,although language availability may belimited. A free lesson is available to tryout on the Pimsleur website.

Another language learning publisher,Penton Overseas, is actually out ofbusiness, but its audio programs for sev-

eral languages are more widely avail-able for free through public libraries.

Duolingo is one of the best free toolsavailable for learning a second lan-guage. There are 20 languages tochoose from, including English.Learners can access lessons on theDuolingo website or in the mobile appfor iOS or Android.

The downside of language instruc-tion delivered electronically, rather thanface-to-face in a classroom, is the lackof social interaction. The purpose oflanguage is, after all, to communicatewith other humans.

Language classrooms, however,rarely provide learners with the opportu-nity to practice their new language withnative speakers. Dialogue practice isoften scripted practice between two ormore learners at similar levels of fluency.This may not be the most effective or rel-evant way to learn and practice a newlanguage. The internet now makes it pos-sible for people to communicate from allover the world, providing previouslyimpossible access to native speakers.

MyLanguageExchange is a socialnetworking website that allows lan-guage learners to connect and help oneanother learn their respective languages.For example, a native English speakerwho wanted to learn Italian can doactivities in Italian, and receive feed-back from native Italian speakers whoare learning English, and receive feed-back from native English speakers.

MyLanguageExchange uses theCormier method of language exchange, inwhich small groups work together doingactivities half the time in one of the nativespeaker’s language, and the other half inthe other native speaker’s language.

Practice groups are not formed untillearners are at intermediate fluency. Beforethis, they can form penpal relationships,communicating in emails and text chats.

Videoconferencing is another way fornative speakers of different languages toconnect. Skype in the Classroom allowsteachers from all of the world to connecttheir classes, to take their students on vir-tual field trips, and to talk in real time toguest speakers. Google Hangouts isanother videoconferencing tool that can beused to connect students or guest speakersfrom around the world. Students can workon collaborative projects, participate inbook discussions, teach one another aboutwhere they live, and practice languagewith native speakers their own age.

Technology has made it possible forlanguage learning to be more interesting,motivating, exciting, and relevant thanever before. With all these resources avail-able, there is no need for traditional, boringactivities such as copying and reciting verbconjugations or reciting scripted dialog.Language is a magical thing—a key tocommunicating and getting to know peo-ple and allowing them to know you. It’s ashame that old-fashioned techniques killedthe joy of learning a new language. Let’sdo better for the next generation.

Lisa Rodriguez is a former bilingualteacher and current adjunct professor.

7 digital resources for language learningDigital tech lets students learn languages the way they were meant to be learned

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Who said language learning was boring?



Thought Leadership

By Becky Oristaglio and Nadine Aitch

Ed. note: Choosing hardware orsoftware for an entire school district is amomentous decision, so it makes sensethat districts across the country arechoosing to organize pilot programsbefore signing on the dotted line. Hereare two case studies of how carefullyplanned and executed pilots helped dis-tricts make informed choices whileimproving teaching and learning.

Listen and Learn

Central Falls School District, Rhode Island

Becky Oristaglio, speech andlanguage pathologist

Hearing and understanding what isbeing said in the classroom play a cru-cial role in a student’s speech and lan-guage development, reading andspelling ability, attention and concentra-tion, and overall academic achievement.Experiencing the impact of pooracoustics in the classroom led me on ajourney to create an environment wherecommunication was optimal for stu-dents in my charge.

In early 2010, I began the search forthe best amplification system to imple-ment in the classrooms of VeteransMemorial Elementary School toimprove learning for students with hear-ing loss and impairments, learning dis-abilities, and English language learners.I turned to university-level research andthe district’s consulting audiologist forhigh-quality recommendations on thebest system available, and almost every-thing I read documented LightspeedTechnologies’ Redcat audio system asthe system of choice.

I presented the research and myvision for change to the principal, whoembraced the idea and gave permission

for a trial period. I contacted the localLightspeed representative to discuss mylofty goal of implementing soundfieldsystems in all classrooms in the districtand requested two trial units. TheLightspeed representative sent threeunits for trial, came to Veterans Schoolto set up units, and provided instructionon how to use the Redcat.

Piloting one classroom at a time

The system came in three parts—speaker, wearable teacher’s micro-phone, and a Sharemike handheld stu-dent pass-around microphone—whichwere simple enough that I was able tomove the systems between classroomsafter one week to give many teachersthe opportunity to access the system’susability and impact on learning andstudent performance. At the end of thetrial, the classroom teacher completed aquestionnaire and provided feedback onthe experience. At week’s end, teacherswere pleading to retain the system,because they noticed their students weremore engaged in lessons and distrac-tions were minimal.

My search for a solution that wouldhelp students with hearing impairmentsand learning disabilities as well asEnglish language learners led to the real-ization that being able to hear the teacherclearly benefited every student in the dis-trict. With university research, document-ed trial data, and teacher/student feed-back, the district clearly acknowledgedthe need for this tool in all classrooms.We made plans to expand our pilot.

Since this sort of technology was notbudgeted, the special education director,consulting audiologist, and I wrote agrant proposal asking for funding topilot the amplification system in everyclassroom in the school. We receivedthe funding, and in 2010, 29 Lightspeedsystems were installed at VeteransMemorial Elementary. Every year

since, we’ve added more and more sys-tems to our schools. Today our districthas Redcat systems in 127 classrooms.Central Falls recently acquired fundingand purchased 16 additional unitsscheduled for installation in ELL class-rooms this summer. I hope to be able toprocure the needed 10 soundfield unitsto fulfill my original goal.

But we’ve gotten more than justhardware. Lightspeed and Central Fallshave a close partnership. Every teachergets troubleshooting tips before imple-mentation, training on how to use thesystem, and ongoing support.

In addition to each classroom’sSharemike handheld microphones, wehave purchased several additionalteacher microphones for our shyest stu-dents to wear throughout the day.Hearing their voices amplified and theresponses from their peers has increasedtheir confidence, participation, and socialinteractions, resulting in improved aca-demic performance and the establish-ment of positive peer relationships.

A rock star pilot

St. Clair R-XIII School District,Missouri

Nadine Aitch, assistantsuperintendent of curriculum,instruction, and assessment

St. Clair’s instructional and technolo-gy team regularly attends professionaldevelopment conferences, as well as

A tale of two pilotsFor these districts, planning and vision were key to implementing new technology

Pilots test tech in real-world settings.


dedicating time to researching productsthat are new to the market. We also useTwitter to follow educational groups thatare tied closely to Google, instructionaltechnology (#GoOpen), and many othergroups as well. For three years, I was apart of the team that attended ISTE,which is often where we find the nexttechnology we want to pilot.

In most cases, it’s a team decision topilot a product that might fit an academicneed in our district. Of course, our super-intendent has the final say on whetherit’s fiscally possible to purchase theproduct. A key to our success with tech-nology implementations is that we pilottwo or three products a year but havenever piloted a product that we knew wecouldn’t afford. Piloting products allowsus to test them in real-world circum-stances to make sure that we don’t wastemoney, time, and forward progress on aproduct that is not going to positivelyimpact student achievement.

We strive to do our homework on thefront end. As part of our research, wecontact other school districts that areusing the product and conduct site visitsto see and hear for ourselves what theirteachers think of the product. Veryrarely do we pilot a product that isbrand new.

We’re a PLC (professional learningcommunity) district, so data is veryimportant to us. We want data to driveour instruction wherever possible, sowe need the data we collect to be usefuland actionable for our teachers.Products also need to be easy for ourteachers to adopt and use.

In 2013, the year our district wentone-to-one, we found many resourceswith a focus on STEM, but we were notfinding quality technology resources forliteracy. We are a balanced literacyschool, so the fit had to be perfect. Afterviewing myON at ISTE, we thought itsupported our balanced literacy model,so we launched a pilot.

Starting with the rock stars

We made the decision to start smallwith the myON pilot, introducing it to anumber of our rock star teachers during

summer school. (We already had a fewother new initiatives going, so we wereworried that we would overwhelm ourteachers with one more thing.) Using atrain the trainer model, we set up exten-sive professional development for ourrock stars and allowed them to imple-ment and use the platform for a fewweeks. We knew that if our rock starsgave their seal of approval, their excite-ment would spread through the districtlike wildfire, leading to more teachersasking to pilot the product as well. Wenever turn down a teacher who is inter-ested in taking part in a pilot.

To measure the success of a pilot, welisten to our teachers. Often we willhave teachers complete a Google Formor survey to share their thoughts on thepilot. Our instructional tech coachesspend a lot of time in the classrooms toprovide support and to observe theproduct in use, so we have a good graspof what teachers and students think of itand how it is being integrated.

Smart decisions

In the past, we’ve said no following apilot. Ownership of the product changedcompanies in the midst of our pilot andthere were several kinks in the new set-up that caused our teachers and studentsto become extremely frustrated. It was anelectronic product, so it was crashing, nottracking student data correctly, and giv-ing us constant error messages.

If I were offering advice to other dis-tricts just starting with pilots, I wouldsay: Do your homework up front.Conducting a district needs survey is agreat place to start. Listen to your teach-ers too, but remember that often, teach-ers are not exposed to new products, socreate a team to do some of the front-end research. Attending conferenceslike ISTE that have a heavy emphasison instruction and technology is anothergreat place to start. And most of all,don’t pilot a product or initiative if youknow the district can’t afford it.



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http://texasmacrepair.com


lessons I can incorporate intoJohnsonville. The supplementary cur-riculum provides students withresearch resources, videos, and proj-ect prompts that encourage studentsto think outside the box and put themin real-world situations.

On test scoresThe state of North Carolina does not

test students on collaboration and citi-zenship, but does consider critical think-ing a key ability. I’ve discovered the bestway to test student’s critical thinkingskills is through project-based learning.In addition to working in the realm ofJohnsonville, students complete at leastone project a month to show whatthey’ve learned in a real-world situation.

North Carolina state testing showsthat my PBL model improves studentscores. At the end of the 2016 schoolyear, my fifth-grade students scored anaverage of 85 percent on the state sci-ence exam, while my school as a wholescored 58 percent. It’s not a leap to sug-gest the focus on PBL and hands-onlearning was the catalyst for this majorboost.

It’s important to remember that everychild is different and learns differently.Relating classroom lessons to real lifehelps students at any level connect withthe content and interpret it in a way theyare able to understand. When studentsbecome part of their own learning, theytake pride in their education and become more engaged. PBL not onlykeeps students busy, but it allows eachone to show what they’ve learned in acreative, supportive, and collaborativeenvironment.

Anthony Johnson is a fifth-grade sci-ence and social studies teacher atIsenberg Elementary School inSalisbury, North Carolina.

sion and business success. Bridgingthis divide expands the customer basefor their services and the rest of thedigital economy. Second, organizationsmust make signing up for discountedoffers like Connect2Compete as easyand open as possible. Third, companiesneed to devote the necessary humanresources to meet families where theyare and get as many families signed upas possible.

These efforts get real results. Morethan half the families who haveenrolled in the Connect2Compete pro-gram have seen improved grades fortheir children. The benefits extendbeyond schoolwork, as adults also cango online to find and apply for jobs

(more than 90 percent of recruiters useor plan to use social media to findpotential employees). Digital literacyalso will improve their likelihood ofsecuring a job offer, as 50 percent oftoday’s jobs require technology skills.

Undoubtedly, an ISP’s commitmentto go beyond simply providing a dis-count makes an even greater impact.

No student should have to spendtime doing homework in the parkinglot of a fast food restaurant. Affordablehome access is a key component ofachieving success in today’s digitalworld. And, working together will helpcreate these connections to the internetand the American Dream that all fami-lies deserve.

Chike Aguh is chief executive officerat EveryoneOn—a national nonprofitworking to eliminate the digital divide.

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Dividecontinued from page 11

Worldcontinued from page 4

smoothly and efficiently was alsoappealing. As a professional investedin personalized learning, I believedthat using the ILPs could have a dra-matically positive effect on our stu-dents’ growth. However, it was impor-tant to me that I not ask the teachers toimplement something that I would notbe willing to do for them. Upon furtherreflection, I also believed that theteachers deserved a personalizedapproach to learning, too.

This summer, all of our AchieveVirtual online teachers (included theBDED teachers) got together andlearned more about personalization.They each constructed their own learn-er profiles and used those to createILPs for their professional develop-ment for the year.

We had some common goals as agroup, but the teachers ultimately decid-ed what they would learn, how theywould learn it, and when they wouldlearn it. They were even given controlover how much professional develop-ment they received this year. The princi-

pal and I knew that we worked with agroup of dedicated professionals whodid not need us to mandate a certainnumber of seat hours or tell them howthey would best learn something.

I am currently working hard at man-aging about 60-70 ILPs for our teach-ers. We are all collaboratively con-tributing resources, discussions, andlinks to webinars and Twitter chats. Iwill still host face-to-face meetings forthose who prefer that format andonline mini-courses as well.

After two months of implementation,we are seeing a lot of success with thelevel of voluntary engagement in theprofessional development. At the end ofthe year, we will all get together andreflect. We will reflect on our successes,what isn’t working, and how we can useour enriched understanding to make thiswork successfully for students.

While there will be failures alongthe way, I am confident that we can usethem to learn, grow, and ultimately failforward.

Michele Eaton is director of virtualand blended learning for MSD ofWayne Township in Indiana.

Personalizedcontinued from page 23

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Partner Index

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)www.asha.org

Brocade Communication Systemswww.brocade.com

CDW-Gwww.cdwg.com

Discovery Educationwww.discoveryeducation.com

Dreambox Learningwww.dreambox.com

Fuel Educationwww.getfueled.com

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Penn State World Campuswww.worldcampus.psu.edu

Scholastic Library Publishinghttp://scholasticlibrary.digital.scholastic.com

Schooldude.comwww.schooldude.com

School Outfitterswww.scholoutfitters.com

The Douglas Stewart Companywww.dstewart.com

Verso Learningwww.versoapp.com

VMware www.vmware.com

Waterford Institutewww.waterford.org

Xirruswww.xirrus.com

Zebra Technologieswww.zebra.com

Austin Mac Repair . . . . . . . . . . .27www.austinmacrepair.com

Copernicus Educational Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2www.epson.com

Dreambox Learning . . . . . . . . . . . .32www.dreambox.com

Elmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31www.elmousa.com

Netsupport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5www.netsupport.com

TabPilot Learning Systems . . . . .7www.tabpilot.com

Waterford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21www.waterford.org

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http://www.jamfsoftware.com

http://www.jupitered.com

http://www.kidsdiscover.com

http://www.littlebits.cc

http://www.measuredprogress.org

http://www.pearsonassessments.com

http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu

http://scholasticlibrary.digital

http://www.schooldude.com

http://www.scholoutfitters.com

http://www.dstewart.com

http://www.versoapp.com

http://www.vmware.com

http://www.waterford.org

http://www.xirrus.com

http://www.zebra.com

http://www.austinmacrepair.com

http://www.epson.com

http://www.dreambox.com

http://www.elmousa.com

http://www.netsupport.com

http://www.tabpilot.com

http://www.waterford.org

31%

20%

76%

Number Theory


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576

11,160

34,362

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34,575

67.52%

22

—

24,305

9

24,336

10,571

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—

0

10,571

34,907

347

35,254

69.72%

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23,165

23,202

34,362

67.52%

24,305

24,336

34,907

69.72%

October/November 2016

Vice President, Online Products and Services 9/21/16

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Source: Survey of 1,005 K-12 teachers conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of University of Phoenix between April 14 and 25, 2016.

Anti-social mediaKids may be Facebooking at the breakfast table, Snapchatting through lunch, and tweeting on the bus ride home, but the one place they’re not getting much social media time is in the classroom, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 K-12 teachers. Despite an overwhelmingnumber of teachers who admit to using social media platforms for personal use (83 percent), only 14 percent use it in the classroom—and of those who don’t, 62 percent said they had no plans to start. Here’s what might be keeping teachers logged out during class time:

81% are worried about potential conflictsfrom using social media with students

say parents sometimes use social media tomonitor teachers’ work and/or personal lives

are intimidated by students' knowledge of social media

have experienced issues with students or parents on social media

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