Making change happen

During a great discussion about flipped classroom models, it became obvious that something like this is very time consuming to change as a teacher. How then do we enable a teacher who truly is willing to do something like this? Or to make any profound shift in teaching pedagogy?

Some possible things to consider are
- establish a personal learning community to support that teacher. Members of the group could help with the research, be sounding boards for discussion, provide feedback.
- give the teacher one less prep, so that she is not overwhelmed with too much planning on a daily basis.
- give her a prep period during the school day to develop the new lessons. That first year would require much more research a and worka and it does no good for her to get overwhelm halfway through a semester.
- have a curriculum support person on the faculty be available to assist whenever needed.
- reward this person with a bonus or incentive pay when successful.

Online Learning discussed at CUE

This year there was a noticeable increase in dialogue about online learning in many forms.... as projects, in flipped-classroom pedagogy, in fully developed online courses and in blended learning designs. Two years ago this was not the focus, but rather the explosion of web 2.0 learning tools that promote project-based learning, creative student work and critical thinking. They are still around and still excellent. It seems to be the teaching strategies and settings that have started to change now that these are all readily available. SO INTERESETING that these things became a catalyst for true educational changes.

Online learning is certainly here to stay, not a fad, and growing exponentially. That's why Haiku, Online School for Girls, K12 inc, and other companies are successfully developing solutions that work.

The keynote speaker did bring out the fact that many districts, private schools and parents are purchasing course content and outsourcing online learning to get it going. There are dangers to this! the individual school does not control the content, and parents can be paying for online courses from a school that are really a for-profit company's classes. K12 Inc is one such company.

Haiku Learning Management System

I met with the reps from Haiku, who are going to be speaking in LA soon.... now I don't have to go to that! :-)

There's three general levels of school services out there competing for our business:

• School Management Systems, or SMS (Whipple Hill, Blackbaud, Etc.) that facilitate school information like schedules, registration, attendance, grades, transcripts, communication.
• Classroom Management Systems, or CMS (Whipple Hill has this, Moodle, EdModo, any web-based tool teachers can use for assignments, downloads, links, drop boxes, etc.
• Learning Management Systems, or LMS (Moogle, Haiku, etc.) where lessons take place, not just class materials and drop-boxes. Teachers organize lessons on there, interaction takes place.

While Whipple Hill's class pages make an attempt at mini-LMS pages too (with images, message boards, embeded video, audio for podcasting) Haiku seems to be really taking a good direction and getting noticed for it.

Haiku lets teachers organize their classes, but really set up lessons that embed any web 2.0 tool you can think of. For example, embed a prezi, voicethread, blog feed, etc. Although setup of the prezi, voicethread etc takes place on that service, the teacher is putting it ALL IN ONE PLACE for the students. That's the great thing about it.

Online School for Girls uses Haiku LMS for their online courses. If you take a professional development course on there, you'll experience it yourself. I have enjoyed my online class so far and it all comes together.

Using Infographics as a form or assessment

This session was great!! I spent most of the time just watching and listening to the presenter. She was outstanding! I did not even know what an infographic was to be totally

honest, but she gave a very precise definition and as a concept it is so simple and they are EVERYWHERE!!!

Basically an infograph is a way to present material in more visual format. The best example being how the newspaper USA Today uses color graphics. I love this idea. Having students generate infographics to demonstrate what they have learned is an idea i would like to implement next year. It does take some background information on both my part as well as they students.

The students must educate themselves on key componets such as layout, research, copyrights, etc. but I think this is so worthwhile. The main website for the presenter was

http://linkyy.com/infographics

No it is not a typo, the link has two "y"s. Overall, a great CUE conference experience!! :)

Digital connections - bridging the gap between content and project based learning

This session was helpful in showing how using student genarated videos can really inspire students to want to learn more about a specific subject. It was interesting to see how excited all levels of students are about learning when you introduce making a video as a project to demonstrate what they have learned.

This presenter is from Santa Cruz and his program is based there, but what he discussed was how he works with a digital video factory/warehouse to work with teachers in Santa Cruz to help them plan and create making a video as a classroom assignment.

He gave us some ideas as to how start a program like this in our areas. I was hoping for more specific classroom uses of video, but I did come away with an appreciation with how much my students will love making a video to illustrate mastery or understanding of a concept.

I know we have a flip cam, now it is time to start using it!!

Eno vs. Smart????

After meeting with reps from both SMART (wonderful rep named Suzanna) and Polyvision/Digital Networks Group, inc. (from whom we purchased our first batch and is a friend of the Hubble family), I really did again find myself gravitating to ENO as the most intelligent board for Louisville's purposes. Our teachers are not interested in all the wonderful software Smart provides, and we have access to that anyway. AND the fact that the enos are at least $500 less a piece makes me love them.

The eno requires a stylus, while Smartboards let you either touch or use a stylus. That does not seem to be a game-changer for my teachers. The Smartboards are not as good to write on with dry-erase, and that's what my teachers love to do when it is not in use. They don't want to have to avoid that middle area of the room when the projector is off, and they don't use the projector all day! Finally, the flat, smooth and solid design of the eno is great. There is nothing to break or wear out because it is not electronic.... Smartboards have sophisticated camera technology and require electricity, etc.

EdTechProfile is still around!

The good ol' EdTechProfile student and teacher technology skills survey is still alive and well, but perhaps not changed much in the last dozen years. They proudly told me they removed references to Claris Works, MS Works, etc. to make it more generic... but I still struggle with finding a NETS-based assessment for my teachers and students. She didn't know of any either, and really didn't get it when I explained to her that I need a higher-level survey than "do my teachers know how to use a word processor to develop a test."

I need to get in and look at it, see if we have old data in there, and perhaps use it once again for comparison to 4 yrs ago. Interesting that would be!

Exploriments vs. Gizmos for pre/post/formative assessment and simulations

In looking for a less-expensive product for science simulations and formative assessment, I checked out Exploiments. From what I can tell, it's nowhere near the development of Explore Learning's Gizmos. But I'll have to have the science teachers try it out. they may like the higher-level math, but may not like the look and feel of it. It also doesn't seem to have the highly-developed pre and post materials that each Gizmo contains, with instant feedback to the teacher for accountability and monitoring.

LanSchool visit to booth

Jason Knutti from LanSchool was informative, he assured me that upgrading our version of LanSchool will take care of our Google Chrome and FireFox issues... I'll have to put that in the queue for Louisville's laptops. I let him know we love the product, and that the VOTING tool is a piece that they could make look better for live student polling the classroom. PollEverywhere is way better looking, but it would be nice to have that kind of visual functionality right in LanSchool.

Shmoop TEST PREP, lots of potential!

I had a great conversation with the National Sales Consultant, Christopher King, for Shmoop.
I learned about Shmoop at cue a couple of years ago as a literature teaching and learning support service with content written and provided by university phds and doctoral candadates from highly-regarded universities. Both of my own kids have taken great advantage of it for different things over the last year or two. They now include Economics, US History, and other subjects with the same appeal to students as ever. My son used their PSAT prep as well as the AP Macroeconomics and was very successful with both tests.

NOW their business model is expanding to contracts with schools on a per-student price point of $8. For this all the students at the school get access to all the test prep for PSAT, ACT, SAT, SAT subject tests. all AP exam prep, and teachers get all the teacher resources for literature, etc. AP Chem is going live on 3/30/2012. Accoring to Christopher, this prep is much higher-level than you get from the prep books and is all professor created. I'd like to look into this for our students, because I think their style and quality is fantastic. Most of all, students like using it, which gets them to actually use it!!!

How and why I flipped my classrom

Today's availability of web 2.0 tools have exploded the conversation about Flipped Classroom. Game changer.
video: by Sumo science youtu.be/d7eagl15c4
Knowledge/Comprehension: spend less face to face time lecturing
four higher levels: spend more faxe to facae time applying analyzing, synthesizing evaluating

advantags to lecture flipped:
listen to it more than once, listen when more alert when prime time for indivudual; listen mobilly on multiple devices; can project what listening to to where you happen to be when listening. Less instructional time required since no classroom management going on, uninterrupted.

Faculty challenges:
Training students to download and listen to files, voicethread, etc.
Will they do the work?
How time consuming will it be to create?
What will we do together in class?
What would be the efect on the retention and student success/

Choices for students: listen or read?
Summative assessments after each 3 units with formative within each unit. Increased formative assessment a great deal for a lecture class.


Anatomy of learning unit:
Objectives
ASsignments: REad/listen to lectrue, complete pre-class voicethread, atttend class, another voice thread, etc.

How will I ensure students completed work before class?
develop formative , pre-class assesments.

voicethread - peer-peer participatory learning.

Pre and post are more formative, participation kind of grades while summative assessments are more performance based, fact checking, etc.

Facilitation:
Before class: review the voice thread, take notes, identify problem areas and strengths
During class: show voice thread, facilitate conversation usign notes, playing, call on students, expand on things. 30 min duscussion. Then multiple small group analysis (compare/contrast); then large group discussion of analysis; then additional activities like vidro, virtual field trip, wiki challenge, polling

additional activities:
call a friend! or take a poll.
wiki challenge - in class: in groups of 3, seek out information including book, validate online content, complete information on web page like google site; presentn to class ;
This developed exam content! would have resulted in same contet lecture would have containd.

Data for monitoring this:
Success and retention: at c.c. success + % still enrolled at end with c or higher. Retention? exam grades

www.teachingwithoutwalls.com
http://goo.gl/

HOW HANdle seat time???

small group activities,

Movie trailers in the classroom

This session involved iMovies, which is new to me, but looks so cool. The presenter walked all of us through how to use iMovies to make a movie trailer with sound and a voice over.

We learned how to actually schedule out how to make a movie trailer during a 90 minute block. He showed us how he breaks down the steps of the asignment. We learned how to use this idea in ANY discipline.

We watched a few student examples and heard some super positive feedback from the students about these trailers as a review for a test or to create and solve a problem in the presenter's subject which was biology. I would love to try this!!

Blended Learning Summit

This 2-hour summit with a panel of 8 "experts" discussed blended learning. They are from county officess, middle school teachers, google certified teachers, k12inc, iNACOL (non-profit ed about online learning) The group used PollEverywhere to collect questions during the presentation.

More than posting things online and posting videos.
Spectrum:

• Textbook, teacher-centric model, F2F
• Technology-enhanced (cds, video, projection, whiteboards)
• Blended: online activity, more student centric
• Online learning: 100% online experience, no f2f

Is blended right for all students?
yes! there will be so many options, it's realy about what options make most sense.
Some students require more direction than others.
No too. can't pick one blended learning model. Teachers needs to develop, students drive too.
Benefits:
Blended/self-directed learning reduces the student expectation of being spoon-fed information!
Creates successful life-long learner. college, workplace, internation, f2f small groups. wider skill set.
Online content is treated like textbook information... what is added to that is whats exciting.
Blended, self-paced has existed, technology allowing expansion and variety.

Gets the highest quality teacher in front of more students. Extended so not within time constraints of school day.

Models of Blended Learning (Horn and Staker)
Def: an intentional shift for at least a portion of the student day to an online learning environment to boost learning and operating porductivity. Adds some element of student control over time, place, path and /or pace. Can give new ways to think about staffing, student teacher ratios. budgets.
Categories: Rotation, Flex, Self blend, Remote. These are just four examples, but endless other models. Its about customizing a model or models that work for the student group and needs.It's also about the teacher and their capability and understanding.

Rotation:
Example: Carpe Diem Collegiate HS, Yuma. time in labs and well-taught seminars. Fewer teachers, more department than individual classes. Kids move through the system in cohort groups. More age flexibility. High Tech High in San Diego uses cohorts.
Rotation: station, rotations, labs, individual rotations

Flex: Online platform with F2f support and fluid schediles. Online platform delivers most curriculum. F2F teachers provide flexible support as needed. Individual tutoring and small group discussion.Case study: Advance Path Academics. Use data to find struggling students, target assistance, then work at own pace on individual plan.

Self Blended: Stuents attend physical school while taking 1 or more courses online. Great for advanced classes.

Remote:Sometimes students are remote with a physical school check in schedule.

 NextGen learning foundation. developing ideas and promoting blended learning. Gates foundation.

Do students need to be on site 5 days a week?
Some say NO. Wow, what a thing to think about. Currently blocks meet 3 times one week, two times another. A 4 day model would allow a 7-block schedule to meet Mon-thurs, all twice a week. Then Friday (or Wednesday), the students do online components of each class. Some students work well at home less than that, some need every day. Michael Horn, "Disrupting Class"

Standards for Online Courses:
www.iNACOL.org  www.CLRN.org, etc.
Trying to provide standards to know, how engaging is a course? are the meeting online standards? if not, teachers would supplement. Do assessments line up with whats being taught? Are teachers trained to teach in online environment? Brian Bridges@CLRN Blog  http://bbridges51.edublogs.org/ 

Where does mobile or mLearning fit into blended spectrum?
Need 1-to-1 access. Accessing things on multiple devices. tablets/pads consumption devices. still need a keyboard and laptop. quantity of writing every day is too much to do without a real keyboard. Devices can be multiple...many options. 2-1 program with both!

Challenges and pitfalls:
Jump in too quickly. Why in stead of regular? PD? Must have standards, must have training.
www.onlineprogramhowto.org  has guide to k12online learning. Building, good start.
Example with small teams of teachers to bring technology in and go through the learning experience. Created an understanding that learning from few and building from bottom up. Let the innovators teach and show the others. organic growth. Some resistance comes from teachers of next courses in the sequence who are not comfortable with students coming to them after learning in a different way.

What are some ways a single teacher can begin to blend now?
Get students with you and run with it. But must do due-dilligence of reading, research, get PD, etc to make it effective. Invite the leaders above you to learn with you by sending them material, samples, etc.

Tips and Tricks for iPad and iPhone

Since I am a new iPad user and I do not have an iPhone, this session was awesome!! I learned so many tricks literally about my iPad that I did not know. This session discussed how to save battery life, how to organize apps for maximium space

I Really learned a lot personally, but not so much for my classroom teaching. But definitely worth my time.