School Administrators Turn Out to Hear APPR Expert Speak

Approximately 200 representatives from a variety of local school districts, including superintendents, assistant superintendents and administrative teams responsible for their districts' performance review decisions, turned out Jan. 12 to hear the much sought-after APPR expert, Charlotte Danielson, advise districts on the implementation of new teacher performance reviews.

Ms. Danielson, an internationally recognized expert in the area of teacher effectiveness and the author of the Charlotte Danielson Framework for Teaching, was joined by Mark Atkinson, founder and chief of Teachscape.

The presentation, which was hosted by the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center, was held at the Edith Macy Conference in Briarcliff.

The consulting firm recently teamed up with Ms. Danielson and her company, The Danielson Group, along with the Educational Testing Service (ETS), to develop the new Framework for Teaching Proficiency System, which is based, in part, on the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) research project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Teachscape's system is the online solution to Ms. Danielson's research-based work to improve and assess the quality of classroom instruction, a critical component of the state's and federal government's recent policy initiatives that place a greater emphasis on performance-based teacher evaluation systems. The LHRIC has partnered with Teachscape to help districts implement these solutions.

For educators practicing in New York State, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's recently released Executive Budget stipulates that school districts will not be eligible for state aid increases unless they fully implement this new policy, which was enacted in 2010, and helped the state win almost $700 million in Race to the Top funds.

Under the new teacher review process, ratings will be compiled based on classroom observations, state test scores and other locally-decided measures. The Danielson model is one of several teacher and principal evaluation models that are in effect this school year for math and English teachers in grades 4-8 and their building principals, and for everyone else in the 2012-13 year.

Teaching, a Complex Job

At the start of the three-hour presentation, Ms. Danielson listened to some of the concerns that districts representatives have regarding the much talked-about process. Some shared their teachers' skepticism toward a one-time-only observation of classroom teachers, while others wondered how special education teachers might be judged.

Part of the problem, said Ms. Danielson, is that all teachers are being examined in the same way and that those outside the teaching profession are unaware of the difficulty of the job. "If you think about the complexity of the work that doctors do and the fact that they see only one patient at a time, well, we would call that tutoring," quipped Ms. Danielson. "The minute you add 26 additional students, you are talking about something much more complex."

Ms. Danielson admits, however, that the quality of the teaching can "always be a bit better." In fact, it's the obligation of every teacher to be engaged in a career-long endeavor that strengthens his or her practice, she added. But implementing a teacher evaluation system that focuses on professional efforts and the promotion of learning as a collegial endeavor would be more practical, said Ms. Danielson.

Reflective Practice and Self-Assessment

"Using my framework, learning is done by the learner through an active intellectual process," said Ms. Danielson. When a teacher is being observed, she noted, the observer should be looking at both the students and the teacher to determine if indeed the students are learning, if the teacher is being thoughtful in his or her method of teaching, and if he or she is making actual connections with students.

To define effective teaching, Ms. Danielson looks at what teachers actually do, in other words, how well they do the work of teaching, and what they accomplish as result of that, or how well their students learn from them.

Ms. Danielson, who has taught at every level from kindergarten through college, cited several studies on teacher practices and performance evaluations in various school districts across the nation, noting that value-added models of teacher effectiveness are often highly unstable and are dependent upon the kind of statistical model that is used to measure it.

To conduct a fair system for teacher evaluation, Ms. Danielson suggested that districts have a clear definition of teaching, have the appropriate instruments and procedures available to provide evidence of teaching, provide trained evaluators who can make accurate and consistent judgments based on evidence, provide professional development for teachers so that they understand the evaluation criteria, and have a process in place for making final judgments.

Her latest work, the "Framework for Teaching, 2011," is grounded in active student engagement, said Ms. Danielson, and also encourages a reflective assessment practice, which means that in addition to teachers reflecting on their practice in the classroom, observers must also identify what they saw, withholding judgment about it, and then taking the time to discuss with the teacher the circumstances surrounding that observation.

To implement the practices that Ms. Danielson suggests in her Framework, Mr. Atkinson recommended that districts consider Teachscape's observation tools. They include the Teachscape Walk, Reflect Live and Reflect Video programs.

To see a video of the presentation, which is housed in the RIC's Ensemble library of videos, go to http://tinyurl.com/7g75bw6.To discover more about the services Teachscape offers to school districts, visit: http://marketing.teachscape.com/K12-NYSAccess2.html, or to find out how your district can work with Teachscape, contact Leslie Accardo at laccardo@lhric.org or by phone at 914-592-4203, ext. 3406.

Latest Technology Solutions Showcased at TSB Event

Administrators from several local school districts had much to consider Dec. 9 as vendors and experts from the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center outlined the latest trends and technologies that will most significantly impact education in the years to come.

The presentations were part of the LHRIC's Technology Solutions Briefing (TSB), an annual event that provides technology leaders and decision makers with a more in-depth look at what's new in the industry.

Held at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor, the five topics discussed at the half-day session included information on wireless technology, virtual desktop infrastructure, mobile device management, and the strategy, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).

Here is a review of each session:

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

Co-presented by Rob Predgo, the RIC's manager of Technology Services, and Steve Struthers of Dyntek, the 45-minute session on BYOD was an overview of a technology strategy that is moving, said Mr. Predgo, at a "breakneck pace." Because students are using their own devices (including laptops, netbooks, tablets, and smart phones) on a regular basis anyway, it makes more sense for them to access a school's wireless network, he explained. That would increase their technology access and their chances of succeeding in a 21^st century learning environment, noted Mr. Predgo.

Because the BYOD initiative is still relatively new, many school districts are still trying to figure out the best way to implement such a strategy. As a result, said Mr. Predgo, best practices should be implemented to guarantee that a district's organizational data is fully secure, together with policies that protect that data. It's important also, added Mr. Struthers, that administrators choose a method by which students can access online information effortlessly, be it wirelessly or by other means.

Initiating a "trust model" is also important. That means identifying common personal device security issues and confirming the identity of users and the devices they are working on, among other safeguards. Determining if a district's Acceptable Use Policy extends to the use of personal devices is also crucial, added Mr. Struthers.

"It’s not about the technology," he noted. "It's really about setting up a platform." He added that the success of any BYOD program will depend on effective preparation, while its long-term sustainability will depend on the ongoing quality of the users' end-to-end experience.

Mobile Learning: New Rochelle's Experience

In her presentation, "Moving a Mountain: Mobile Learning on the Go!," Dr. Christine Coleman, director of technology for the New Rochelle School District, explained the process of putting 125 mobile learning devices into the hands of students at Jefferson Elementary School.

Dr. Coleman explained that as a result of the initiative, the formal structure of the classrooms has changed, creating an environment where students work in clusters as opposed to working alone, and where engagement and interactivity are the primary goals.

Halfway through the project, Dr. Coleman noticed that many of the students were using their netbooks on the school grounds. Since many of the students do not have Internet access at home, she worked to change the situation by applying for the Federal Communications Commission's "E-rate Learning on the Go" program, an initiative that helps schools and libraries deliver Internet connectivity and digital learning through mobile wireless devices.

In January 2011, Dr. Coleman applied for the FCC's E-Rate Deployed Ubiquitously (EDU2011) program, a pilot initiative to provide students or library patrons with broadband Internet access through the use of portable wireless devices. The idea, she explained, was to take the money that would have been spent on the purchase of textbooks and put it toward wireless learning, which included the purchase of Android smart phones and the utilization of Google Apps for Education.

The initiative, which has impacted over 3,000 students, many of them ESL learners and residents of economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods throughout the city, together with 150 teachers, has created a ubiquitous learning environment where collaboration is key and teachers and students can easily share learning resources, she explained.

Encouraging other districts to follow in New Rochelle's footsteps, Dr. Coleman said, "It’s not about the device, it's about what the kids can really do with it and how much learning they will get out of it."

Wireless Options

In its infancy, school districts used wireless networks "very sparingly," said the LHRIC's Anthony Ferrante, in his presentation on the advances of wireless technology. Together with Jamie Bogert of Annese & Associates, Inc., a technology solutions provider to schools in New England and throughout New York State, this presentation outlined the primary benefits of using a wireless system in school district buildings. It also included information on the costs involved, the security steps that should be taken and the types of wireless systems that are most suited to a school environment.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of installing a wireless system is that it compliments a district's BYOD initiative, explained Mr. Ferrante, a network support coordinator at the RIC. Other benefits include enhanced scalability, increased mobility and accessibility, and simplicity.

When installing a wireless system, the most important aspect of it is in the planning, said Ms. Bogert. Because students and teachers have the ability to access the wireless network not just within the building but on the sports field and in other areas close to the school, the "conversation needs to move from, where do we need the coverage to how much coverage do we need," she said.

Other considerations include the types of applications that students have access to, in addition to using a system that combines data, video, and voice networks into a single cohesive infrastructure.

Districts must also take security considerations into account when converting to a totally wireless environment, noted Ms. Bogert, as well as choosing a centralized management system that secures information, defends against hackers and malware, and sets a control policy for users, devices and networks.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

For districts interested in repurposing their old PCs, in maintaining the central management of desktop images, and in seamlessly rolling out new applications, desktop virtualization might be the answer. Bill Stein, manager of the RIC's Systems and Operations, together with Jim Geueke of Mainline Information Systems, gave participants up-to-date information on what's happening in the industry.

The advantage in switching to desktop virtualization, explained Mr. Geueke, is that end user data is stored on servers and not on an endpoint device. In addition, user data is backed up along with server data and desktops can be available in a disaster.

When our local area experienced a surprise snow storm last October, shutting down power in several school districts, a virtual desktop system would have worked well, noted Mr. Geueke. The cloud-based strategy also compliments the BYOD initiative discussed earlier in the session because the end user provides the device and user acceptance, and there is minimal power needed.

"Your employees should be able to access their desktops at any time with any device," added Mr. Geueke. "Data should never be saved on the device that's being used, because there's only so much technology-related security that you can have."

Mobile Device Management

The final session of the day focused on mobile device management, including trends within the industry, the growth of mobile devices, the security risks that poses, and the smart phones that are most vulnerable to hackers and malware.

Led by Mr. Predgo and Jeff Sciueche of McAfee, the session focused initially on how the mobile devices being used by staff and students can be properly utilized and secured. Because of the changing nature of the industry, the information that is given today is "drastically different" than what will be available six months to a year from now, said Mr. Predgo.

With an app explosion that goes well beyond email and the Web, the presenters suggested that districts might want to think about the applications they want to allow and what ones they might want to ban. The security threat to mobile devices has been growing increasingly, with the Android being an early target.

Very often, noted Mr. Sciueche, there is a policy disconnect between the IT departments and the end users. Added to that, he said, is the fact that mobile devices are predicted to be the new malware frontier, that more than half of all users don't lock their devices, and that almost one in five devices are lost each year.

To access the PowerPoint slides for each of the sessions, go to http://www.lhric.org/networking.cfm?subpage=803. For more information on the specific products mentioned in this article, visit the following vendor websites: www.annese.com, www.dyntek.com, www.mainline.com, and www.mcafee.com.

Tech Forum Attracts Area Educators

The Tech Forum New York 2011, which was held Oct. 21 at the Westchester Marriot Hotel in Tarrytown, drew educators and technology directors from a variety of regional school districts, including many staffers from the LHRIC and SWBOCES who were hoping to learn more about the latest trends in technology.

Punya Mishra, a professor of educational psychological and educational technology at the College of Education at Michigan State University, delivered the keynote presentation. Dr. Mishra urged participants to "break out of the box" in order to benefit from the true transformative effects of technology. "We are using it, but clearly that's not enough," he said.

The rapid rate of technological change, while apparent everywhere, can be a big challenge for teachers who are under increased pressure to learn new ways of integrating technology into the classroom, he said. While billions of dollars have been spent on the acquisition of new software, hardware systems and training, Dr. Mishra added that technology integration has been disappointing, asking the question: "How can we use technology to innovate?"

Dr. Mishra argued that to fully integrate technology into the curriculum, teachers must integrate their own knowledge of student thinking, their knowledge of the subject they're teaching, and increasingly, their knowledge of technology. The Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge framework (otherwise known as TPACK), which Dr. Mishra helped establish, can benefit teachers interested in designing effective transformative learning experiences for their students, he added.

Other highlights of the day included several workshops concerning such topics as one-to-one initiatives, the educational uses of cell phones and technology-based assessment tools, to name a few.

Innovative Ideas Discussed at TLI Kickoff

A Kentucky-based math teacher and an upbeat digital learning consultant, who encourages instructors and others in education to experiment with digital media, provided plenty of food for thought during the Nov. 4 launch of the 2011-12 Technology Leadership Institute series.

The 180 Degree Classroom Concept

Lisa Johnson, who serves as a technology resource teacher in the Jefferson County Public School District in Louisville, Ky., told the story of how she became a math educator in the Kentucky schools.

Having been taught to script lessons, Ms. Johnson said she longed to teach math as it had been taught to her in college. After trying several different methods of instruction that often left her frustrated, she eventually created "The 180 Degree Classroom," a novel approach that allows for the switching of roles, where the students create teaching modules that are traditionally taught by a teacher.

Ms. Johnson said she got the impetus for the enquiry-based project after hearing educational technology leader Alan November speak at the 2008 ISTE (International Society for Technology Educators) conference. "I heard him proclaim that students should be creating products in classrooms, not teachers, and that was huge for me."

Student-Centered Learning

Rather than learning through a teacher lecture, the high school students worked together to understand specific math concepts and then created video lessons that would teach these concepts to their peers. Ms. Johnson explained that the students prepared the lessons on Tablet PCs that were provided to them by the district.

During class time, the teacher walked around the room providing instruction as needed. At home, the students were expected to watch the same videos they had created in class, but on an iTouch, and then take an online quiz to assess their learning. Because the teacher was logged into the same online network as the students, he or she already knew which topics they had grasped and which ones they were struggling to understand.

There were some hiccups along the way, said Ms. Johnson, such as the unavailability of Wifi in some students' homes and the lack of direction from students who chose to use their iTouch devices for entertainment purposes. Despite those and some other technical snafus, Ms. Johnson said the project was worth it.

"Being actively engaged with their classmates, having 24/7 access to content, and the fact that teachers were able to interact with students in a more meaningful way and were facilitating learning rather than being a constant source of information were all benefits of this flipped classroom project," she said.

This year, the project has been expanded to three other schools in the district, and Ms. Johnson is currently exploring other projects, part of a Capstone Project she is working on.

Blended Learning

Digital learning consultant and author Wesley Fryer is a big proponent of creativity in the classroom. In his presentation, titled "Roadmap to Blended Learning," Mr. Fryer noted that having a vision is critical to promoting creativity among students and teachers. "The choices you make as a leader in your school are so vital," said Mr. Fryer, the author of "Playing with Media: Simple Ideas for Powerful Sharing."

Not only do schools need knowledgeable leaders, added Mr. Fryer, but they also need to dispel the common notion that all students are digital natives. "Kids are very good at entertaining themselves, but that doesn't equate to digital literacy and good communications skills. In fact, we need to do more to equip our young people to be good communicators and to be literate in our society," he stressed.

Creativity in the Classroom

Mr. Fryer believes that students can be more influenced by the conversations they have with each other and with their teachers than by the lectures they listen to in class. "When students make something they're proud of, they are going to talk to people and will want to show it," he said.

Because blended learning is a combination of face-to-face, online and hybrid learning strategies, Mr. Fryer said instructors need to maximize student engagement and interactivity. "It's not just about sitting in front of a screen answering questions," he noted. "We need to encourage creation, because students these days do not feel challenged."

Mr. Fryer contends that learning is often boring for many students. "Don't make them wait until they leave your school to get involved in the process of solving real problems and communicating with powerful tools that can make a difference."

Mr. Fryer suggested that K-12 schools need to examine the university framework to not only encourage creativity among the classroom, but also to acquire more robust connectivity. To find out more, visit Mr. Fryer's blog at http://www.speedofcreativity.org.

Model Schools Kicks Off with Digital Citizenship Presentation

In a digital age where the sharing of information is commonplace and YouTube videos abound, it's easy to see how educators might be confused about the legality of posting school-produced videos online or including copyrighted material in PowerPoint presentations.

The Oct. 4^th Model Schools Kick Off was designed to put educators' fears at ease thanks to some great advice form Barry Britt, director of educational technology at Sounzabound Music, a Georgia-based company providing royalty free music to schools.

Because all of us who create material and post it online are considered copyright holders and publishers these days, Mr. Britt said it's especially important to know the copyright laws that apply to using written work, along with songs and music videos, but also to be aware of media permissions, ethics, and ownership.

What educators need to become most familiar with, explained Mr. Britt, is the fair use law. This allows teachers to use copyrighted materials in certain situations. For example, if it's relevant to course content, if the material is being used for face-to-face instruction on a closed network, if it's not being used for duplication or distribution purposes, if it’s only being used one time, and if the user credits/cites the copyright holder.

Common mistakes that schools make include posting videos with popular background music or using copyrighted images without the proper attribution or credit. Mr. Britt cited several examples, including the case of one large school district in North Carolina that had 38 law suits filed against it, totaling $30 million. The school district in question was found guilty of violating copyright law after because it used copyrighted materials on its own cable TV station.

Teaching students to act ethically before sharing music and educating everyone, including teachers, on the fair use guidelines is important to good digital citizenship, said Mr. Britt. Citing sources and asking a copyright holder for permission to use his/her material is also a good practice, he added. Reassuring participants that he wasn't out to scare them, Mr. Britt said, "I'm not the copyright police; I'm just here to educate you."

Find out more about Soundzabound and to avail of its many resources, visit www.soundzabound.com. Additional resources, such as free instructional materials and audio files, can be found at the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfSxtaUjUBg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yj5P5Lp9jb8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z96WStYSlD4&feature=related

The Lessons of Assertive Leadership

Forget about top down reform and the technocratic accountability system that has emerged in recent years. Educational reformer Dr. Michael Fullan, who spoke at the LHRIC’s successful Tech Expo 2011, believes today’s educational leaders can bring about change through improved relationships and enhanced values.

In his hour-long talk titled “Leading in a Culture of Change,” the professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and the author of “Leading in a Culture of Change” said the key player is the principal of a school building who, in Fullan’s opinion, can turn the learning environment into one that is learning-enriched.

Fullan’s advice for today’s leaders includes the following:

• Pay attention to relationships. This is especially true for newly hired administrators taking charge of new districts. If you move too fast with change, “your culture will leave town,” warns Fullan. “If you move too slowly, you’ll get absorbed by the status quo.” Instead, listen and learn from those who have been there before you, and engage in fact-finding and joint problem-solving.
• Honor the “implementation dip” – leaders must have thick skins. Be resilient; do not take things too personally. At the beginning of your tenure, you won’t get the positive rewards you crave until change starts to sink in.
• Beware of “fat plans,” says Fullan. The size and prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning. Fullan has seen plans that are 31 pages long and that he considers “unwieldy.” They’ll work only if they’re action-oriented and if the words within them inspire others. However, if you choose the “skinny plan,” remember to make it memorable and actionable.
• Behaviors before beliefs – most people only change their beliefs after they’ve had some new experiences. Give them the new experiences, but don’t talk them into to it either.
• Communication during implementation is paramount – this is far more important than communication prior to implementation. Why? “Because communication in the abstract, in the absence of action, means almost nothing,” says Fullan.
• Excitement prior to implementation is fragile – we all know good leaders who are energizing, but who are often annoying, says Fullan. “You have to figure out how to be contagiously enthusiastic.” Fullan suggests you spread the good word through pep talks.
• Take risks and learn – good leaders should create a climate that encourages action and learning from mistakes.

To find out more about Fullan’s philosophy on educational reform, visit his website at www.michaelfullan.ca.

Adobe’s Creative Suite of Products Unveiled

About 20 educators turned out for an informative session on Adobe’s Creative Suite of products for schools, which was held April 4^th at our offices here in Elmsford. Led by Steve Adler, a solutions consultant for the company’s New York region, the half-day session was chock full of information on a new K12 school site license that includes Photoshop CS5, Illustrator CS5, InDesign CS5, Acrobat Pro 9, Dreamweaver CS5, Flash Pro CS5, and Fireworks CS5.

Before jumping into the technical aspects of these useful software products, Mr. Adler stressed the importance of moving students toward 21^st century readiness. “No matter what students pursue, the need for effective communication and collaboration across many types of media is critical,” he said.

Here at the Model Schools, we couldn’t agree more, and were delighted to feature this wonderful resource to our school district educators and to some of our BOCES instructors at the Center for Career Services.

There are lots of new bells and whistles in all seven products, which make their integration into the curriculum so much more effective, noted Mr. Adler. For example, Photoshop users can easily create stunning 3D logos and artwork from any text layer, selection or layer mask with the new Adobe Repoussé feature. HDR (high dynamic range) imaging can very easily be achieved with the new version of Photoshop, and puppet warping is another tool that can be used to slightly warp something, such as the elephant’s trunk that Mr. Adler warped to make it turn upwards toward its mouth!

The page layout program InDesign has some cool new features too. Students can create sophisticated page layouts for print publishing (think school newspapers) with this new version, in addition to interactive PDF documents that include video and sound.

To become more acquainted with this new suite of products, visit Adobetv.com, or contact us for more information.