As we get ready to present the Technology Task Force Proposals to the faculty and staff on Monday, 2/4 I thought I would use a bit of Web 2.0 and share the presentation using Slideshare.net.

There have been 17 people who have worked on this task force and the work represents the best practices and ideas for how Durham Academy should proceed. While the 3 recommendations are large with respect to requiring teachers to become clickable, attend training and integrate technology many already have been doing this as they recognized the importance. The digital device is the boldest recommendation and yet that also has already started to happen as more and more students are bringing laptops to school.

The biggest change that will happen is that all students will have the tools and access to a clickable teacher instead of just those that have chosen to integrate the technology into their classroom. The chaos that will surely happen when only some students have a digital device will not happen if we make sure all students have the correct digital device loaded with the content they need.

If all 3 recommendations are not approved, Durham Academy will continue to be a great institution, however, all of our students will not have equal access which will need to be addressed in the future

Here is the presentation. Comments are welcome.

[slideshare id=248747&doc=durham-academy-technology-task-force-1201810177698988-5&w=425]

I recently got the book from ISTE: What Works in K-12 Online Learning by Cathy Cavanaugh and Robert Blomeyer. I was interested in how to keep the momentum of Moodle going along with the best practices.
I am impressed so far as I read the chapters and feel good about where we are today. I am very grateful to all of the teachers and students here who are using Moodle to enhance the learning of each other. Moodle is clearly the way of the future for the learning environment of Durham Academy.
I have been reading the chapter on Teaching and Learning Literacy and Language Arts Online. I would like to be in these teachers classes. Some of the resources mentioned our students use or could use if teachers knew about them.

Visual Thesaurus is a nice way to see words come alive. There is a subscription aspect to this tool that may be useful for students.
Dictionary is one I see students use every day.

Connecting Students Around the Globe
Kidlink is a knowledge-building network with volunteers in about 50 countries. Teachers and students create accounts and then find classrooms around the world to collaborate with on projects.
Telecollaborate allows you to find classrooms around the globe as well.
Internet Project Registry has been around for along time and connects classrooms with awesome projects.

E-mail type exchanges
e-Pals connects classrooms and gives teachers and students free email and blogs.
IECC is a site that will connect teachers with teachers from all over the world.

Story Sharing
Story Center has a tag line called: Listen Deeply – Tell Stories.
Digital-Story Telling – has ongoing projects for teachers and students.
Voicethreads – create images or text and add your voice and share it with the world. This is the most written about site this past year as it alters how students can share their stories.

Authors and Literature Guides
Children’s Literature Web-Guide gives access to authors and illustrators.
Internet Classics Archive from MIT

Podcasts
Podcast Directory of Literature – like it sounds.
Lit2Go from the University of South Florida or subscribe via iTunes under iTunesU.

What does this mean for learning? It means to me that the if a classroom is not flat it is not taking advantage of the tools that are available. Lets all get flat I say.

Technorati Tags: class2.0, learning

I have come to expect that some days will be more rewarding then others since I do work with both Middle school students and technology. Yesterday and today demonstrated the wave nature of my work dramatically.

Trough:
Yesterday as I left school a group of girls were sitting outside enjoying the weather and waiting for their afternoon practice to begin. They were snacking and had books strewn about studying. One girl who I have know since 1st grade and is now in 7th grade, exclaimed; “Hello Mr. Schaefer! Wow, I never see you any more like I did last year when I was always in the lab. We never come to the lab for class”. Her friends echoed some of the same sentiments and while I know students can exaggerate some, they are telling the truth as they see it. She and her friends were in the lab “all the time” as they worked on various podcasts, movies, multimedia presentations, blogging and other writing projects. The digital learning of a 6th grade student is different then a 7th grade student. I am not saying whether it is better or less it is in the perception of the student, different. Should this be happening or should the student be utilizing the tools they learned in 6th grade more in 7th? What are the causes for this drop in “computer lab time”? For one thing, the double Language Arts block is gone so the flexibility for teachers is lessened and all of the Science classrooms have laptops available for students to use as well. Perhaps the curriculum is structured in such a way as to lessen the time to integrate technology.

Something that I also know is that the student who exclaimed her missing me and the computer lab has a MacBook that her mother purchased for her last year after we discussed the purchase. Why is she not using that at school more this year? Does she even bring it to school? Is this a good or bad thing?

Crest:
Today a student asked if she could talk with me concerning a laptop for herself. She has an iPod Touch and a Windows laptop that is old and missing keys. She travels each weekend and needs a new laptop to take with her. She wanted to buy what she heard Apple will announce next week at MacWorld or whatever I thought would be good. We talked for about 10 minutes on what the rumors might be and how a MacBook could work really well for her and that whatever she did she should hold off until we know more about what happens next week. I am amazed that an 8th grade girl knows there is a MacWorld next week much less that she has seen the rumors and photo mockups of the rumors. Why is she so tuned in? My answer is because it is a part of her life. She is a digital native and that is what natives do. She has a problem, (traveling and old laptop) so she is looking for a solution based on past ways she solved problems. We did put together a price on a MacBook but she knows to wait, like I need to tell her to wait so she could be one of the first with the latest gadget.

Trough:
Since we came back from break I have been asking students in study hall if they have a laptop. Most do although not all which means some students may not have access to the technology as much as their peers. We must be careful of creating the haves and have nots. I do know since we came back that perhaps 5 students have asked for directions to setup their laptop on the network. While this is the default laptop program at DA, we must realize that it has long term ramifications if not all community members have equal access.

Crest:
It is lunch time so I am observing in the labs what students are doing. I notice a student using a laptop just like mine, well not just like mine but close as his is newer and is running Leopard. He is demonstrating how to use iChat effects in Photobooth to a group of students. He is excited and wonders why every student does not have a laptop. He even had a financial plan for how we could save money over the course of 3 years by not having to buy the desktops and how students could have a great laptop even when it is paid for at the end of the 3 years. He obviously has plans for his future. He is an 8th grade student.

I will keep riding the digital wave as that is what I do, but I do hope the period between crests gets smaller as the troughs are to me where we need to interject change.

Technorati Tags: learning

Here at the Middle School students are busy taking the typical end of semester exams in 7th and 8th grade classes. Students use the tried and true methods of index flash cards and study guides. Teachers work hard to get them printed and distributed to the students before the exam. I have overheard teachers talking about how many students do not understand that past tests, quizzes and other material will be used to create the semester exam. I remember how hard it was for me to get this concept into the “heads” of my students when I taught Earth Science at Culbreth Middle School. That was from 1993 until I came here in 1999. Times and technology certainly has changed since then as teachers and students now use a Course Management System called the DAILE Moodle, some teachers have web sites while others hold firm to the way they have done it for their career.

I am amazed at the tools the students are using to get ready for the exams along with the paper guides given to them by their teachers. The tools they use affirm my readings and belief that the Web 2.0 tools really do create a Classroom 2.0.

Here is a list of tools to date.

Quizlet – started by a 15 year old student a few years ago with the tag line “The end of flash cards” It was started by Andrew to learn the many words he had just been given by his teacher. It has caught on here like wildfire as it allows students to create “sets” that will help them learn, familiarize and even test themselves. Students create groups and can manage who has access to the various sets. The site has matured nicely with many other tools and a great user interface. Mrs. Long was happy to see her Latin students using sets in preparation for the exam. She asked me how she could use it in her room and I said, perhaps if you suggested at least one student create a set to make sure it was accurate (we know that can be a downfall of mass collaborative projects) the students will take ownership of it themselves. One user who is a student here (and has a great user name) has created 26 sets for far. uncstar4ever is worth looking at since it shows how students are able to become teachers of students.

Last year I did need to step in when someone thought having a set that was inappropriate was good fun. I contacted Andrew and the set was removed and it provided me with a great teachable moment. I am glad to see that they now have a flagging system where users can alert them to inappropriate sets.

Two students here at Durham Academy two students wrote the software called Flashstacks which allows students to create similar flash cards and even share them with other DA students. It is good software for that purpose, but it does not have all of the features of Quizlet.

Wikis: Eighth Grade History students have taken history into their own hands as well. The free MindTouch Deki Wiki has been set up to serve out this wiki. Christopher is behind it I believe and he has clearly hit upon a resource that is useful for getting ready. Now it does seem that students still feel the same way about exams as we did when we were in school as is evidenced by the graphic created in order to demonstrate it. The wiki is a good example of what students will create when free or low cost technology tools are available.

Since the 5th and 6th grade students do not have exams they have been busy as well using learning tools. 5th grade students are researching topics related to the book Bud, Not Buddy. WIth the efforts of Mrs. Longee and assistance by myself, each class is editing a wiki for use by their class along with the world. Students are learning to collaborate and create learning resources. To see the wikis develop, go to: Mrs. Doak’s 5.2 Class, Mrs. Doak’s 5.1 Class, or Mrs. Parry’s 5.3 Class, or Mrs. Parry’s 5.4 Class. We used PBwiki instead of Moodle as the tools are richer at present and because Mrs. Parry is constructing her Moodle course at this time.

Sixth graders are also working on wikis in Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Williamson’s Moodle courses. They are only available to students or parents with the log in information of your son or daughter. Check them out as it demonstrates more of the new tools for learning that are available and necessary for today’s learning.

In addition, Mrs. Williamson’s class are putting the finishing touches on their second book talks which they did using Keynote and GarageBand. After writing their script (once they read the book) students created title slides in Keynote to serve as guides as they narrated their podcasts. We call them Bookcasts as they are a new twist to the old book report. More collaboration, creation, peer editing, and authentic learning since their podcasts are available via iTunes. Students in this class were working on multiple projects at one time and supporting each others learning by troubleshooting or offering tips on how to make just the right soundtrack music. Check our Room 207

I am so proud of the efforts of the teachers and students as we continue to stretch the learning environment here at the Middle School. Tomorrow I get to work with some sixth graders who are creating movies of Medieval Day with Mr. Keeney. Stay tuned…

Technorati Tags: class2.0, learning

Coming to a Macintosh in February 2008. Microsoft is introducing an entire new version of its Office Suite.

This will be a huge upgrade in not only features but look and feel. In fact it reminds me of Pages which is part of the iWork ’08 suite. Very template driven and loaded with drag and drop. I hope it plays well with network home directories as that is what we use here at school.

Stay tuned.

I attended the first and second session of Ed Costello’s 4 sessions he will be having where he alerts the faculty to possible action items coming out of the years work that our Technology Task Force did in concert with the Technology Advisory Committees study of laptop programs around the country. I think our group worked well and was well served by Liz Coleman and Sheppy Vann’s leadership.

I thought I would blog about our proposals that will be put out for a vote in April of 2008.

Proposal 2: Set expectations and provide ample professional development opportunities and support

Training in the past has centered on using software with the hope that as teachers learned software they would bring it into their classroom. This method worked some of the time if the teacher had the time and inclination to take on creating a project using the software skills they had learned. Karen Lizska did this with her use of iMovie and her Spanish classes. I am sad to say that the overall training method has been a failure if we measure it on how much more technology is used by our teachers. Too many times we used the “Just in Case” method of training in that here is how you use Microsoft Word just in case someday you will need to use it. Excel was a program I taught this way to faculty members. If any learner does not use the skills they have learned they will quickly erode. Is that not why teachers have students do homework after new skills are taught – practice and use leads to a deeper understanding.

The methods for delivery at Durham Academy have ranged from Wired Wednesdays, Saturday Academy, Technology Mentors, GoLive Gurus, Vendor Delivered, and release time for teachers to work on lessons using the technology.

Our proposal will include something like the following. This is very FLUID so nothing is written in stone, so to speak.

Professional Development:
Teachers need to be supported with professional development that addresses best teaching strategies within the new learning environment. This training will be started in the year before students get their laptops and will include both in house and outside experts.
Divisions will coordinate the professional development they desire from outside vendors and in house integration specialists. Themes to address are reshaping curriculum using digital tools, enhancing curriculum by introducing an Interactive Learning Environment, and new strategies for teaching today’s student.
The professional development curriculum starts with attendance at three separate sessions covering the basic digital building blocks. This would occur during the summer in 3 to 4 day sessions in each area. By the beginning of school faculty would need to have their virtual learning environment established and populated with digital content. They would also need to have mapped their content delivery for the year using e-textbooks or on-line digital resources.
Once they have completed the basics, development would continue with 1-day training sessions each month. The training would focus on applications specific to their division. In the second year training would take place 3 times a year in daylong sessions. Release time will be given. Every 5 years the faculty person would need to attend a week-long summer immersion session to gain exposure to new applications and methods of using digital content. Technology use will be assessed as part of the overall professional evaluation process.
It is also recommended that technology aptitude be a condition of hiring new faculty. New hires must demonstrate experience using digital content in the classroom. This could be assessed during the hiring process by reviewing a digital portfolio of classroom content created by the prospective new hire.
Much like the new Real-time Learning page on our web site, we need to promote the new modes of teaching that colleagues do each day. A DA Technology Showcase should take place once a year so fellow teachers can see what colleagues are doing in their classrooms. This will aid in developing a mentor relationship between colleagues who are otherwise prone not to know about a technique or strategy.

I attended the first session of Ed Costello’s 4 sessions he will be having where he alerts the faculty to possible action items coming out of the years work that our Technology Task Force did in concert with the Technology Advisory Committees study of laptop programs around the country. I think our group worked well and was well served by Liz Coleman and Sheppy Vann’s leadership.

I thought I would blog about our proposals that will be put out for a vote in April of 2008.

Proposal 1: Expand and support a digital learning and communication environment accessible anytime, anywhere!

What is it, Why must we expand it, and How will it be done?

What is it: Our students use many digital tools today in their life outside of school. Supporting digital learning is about blending the best of Durham Academy; faculty, relationships, curriculum or the “brick and mortar” with the digital changes in learning and the world. Through the use of DAILE Moodle we have started down the path of creating a digital learning and communication environment. Perhaps we should call it DABLE for Durham Academy Blended Learning Environment since Interactive or Virtual Learning Environments do not best reflect the brick and mortar nature of a private school. Check out how Bloom’s Taxonomy can be addressed within Moodle.

Learners today need access to digital content in order to extend what is taught in class. Students have an over load of information available to them today and as educators we need to help them make sense of it all by teaching within the digital environment. Moodle makes this possible in ways unimaginable only a few years ago. I see this reflected each day as students use messages to communicate, wikis to publish and collaborate, and lead classes or clubs which in turn begs the question: Who is the teacher and Who is the learner?

In the summer of 2007, ISTE updated the NETS for students to reflect the changes taking place in technology and learning:
I. Creativity and Innovation
II. Communication and Collaboration
III. Research and Information Retrieval
IV. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
V. Digital Citizenship
VI. Technology Operations and Concepts.
How well is Durham Academy preparing our students in these areas of core knowledge?

Why we must expand it:
We have started building the digital learning environment and now must include all community members. I was happy to hear Kathy Cleaver bring up the notion of making sure that all of the community members have the ability to connect. DA will need to insure that all members can access the digital learning community which means providing Internet access to families that do not have it.

Teachers are not the gate keepers of the information as we once used to be. We do need to help students create the context for the information overwhelm that is taking place today. In addition, students need to use more then just text to learn. The use of images, audio, video and social networking tools must become part of all curriculum areas as we move our learning environment forward. We are building an online learning community for Durham Academy just like we have built an online community for parents and alumni with our web site. See A Vision of Students Today for a good example. Yes it is on Youtube. Mike Wesch from Kansas State University is a leading thinker on this subject. See Alan November’s post on “Banning Student Containers“.

How will it be done:
Change is not easily embraced by humans as it causes us to invoke the fight or flight urge. We do have a plan that will be as painless as possible with appropriate and sustained professional development to prepare teachers to use these new tools. There will be some minimum standards that teachers will need to meet, but have yet to be defined. I would expect they will be attainable and something like essential information for your class that you give students already. Of course the tool kit will include more then this basic ability and like teachers have always done, you will make appropriate decisions on what tools to employ. Some teachers will use more tools while others may make the decision to use the basic set. These choices are how professionals educators work. However, not knowing about the tools will not be reason for not using the tools. We can also enlist the assistance of our students as we move into this new arena.

Restructuring of a school is no different the what businesses do to remain competitive. What aspect in your life have remained the same in the past ten years? Still take your check to the bank to deposit it? Still write checks for everything you purchase? Do you pay your bills online? Have you ever purchased a book or other item from Amazon? This past week I saw a video down by parents of ours who were outraged that Spencer Gifts was selling inappropriate items at a mall. It was on YouTube. Adults and students live in a different digital reality outside of school so we are proposing to keep the best of Durham Academy and blend it with the new tools for learning that exist outside of our walls.

Dory Devlin is one parent who sees what her daughter is doing with Moodle and blogs about it. She is not a parent of a DA student but her comments are what I would hope our parents would say about our use of Moodle.

This is the actual proposal text from our recommendations:
Web-Based Learning Environment:
All technology must support and advance the learning environment in the future which will need to adjust to stay relevant in the twenty-first century. The focus will be on preparing the students for their future needs to compete in the new global marketplace.
Continued development of the Interactive Learning Environment that the DAILE Moodle offers students and teachers. Along with Moodle, Word PressMU will allow teachers to efficiently and easily post information when the need for interaction is not needed or developmentally appropriate. Mahara will be added into Moodle 2.0 for Social Networking and ePortfolios along with Galleries and Blogs. Durham Academy should continue to explore Open-Source solutions in this area.
All teachers must have a web presence to their classroom or course which will become part of the professional evaluation. Divisions will set the standards but levels of interaction should be increasing as the student progresses through Durham Academy. Probable expectations will include: Communication for School to Parent, Teacher to Student in Middle and Upper, Teacher to Parent in Lower and Preschool, Teacher approved Links for learning, Syllabus, Class Policies, Homework, Extension of the classroom. The public nature will offer a preview to future classes and prospective parents.
Beginning with the 2009 – 2010 academic year, students in grade six and grade nine will be equipped with a Macintosh Laptop as the standard school model. Laptop users will be able to run either the Windows or Macintosh operating system on the school model standard laptop configuration. Parents will be assessed an annual fee for the use of the laptop in the Middle School, while Upper School students will purchase the school model. As the use of laptops begin, the computer competency exam will sunset as the skills being measured do not represent the skills be used.
Develop a Learning Community Portal so students have asynchronous communication among peers and access to files from where ever they are learning geographically.
Development of student e-portfolios that will exhibit their work over the course of Middle and Upper school. Mahara imbedded in Moodle will support this need.
Electronic textbooks, when available, will need to be used by teachers. The exception to this is paperbacks. In all of our observations paperback books were used in the schools visited. Their size lends itself to the paper form factor. Also e-textbooks leverage the use of augmented materials now being made available by publishers through the virtual learning environment systems. Also many e-textbooks contain electronic highlighting features, note taking and links to web content. Ideally, these will be loaded on student laptops eliminating the need for both a textbook and a laptop.