LHRIC Offers More to Districts with Updated Model Schools Service

The Lower Hudson Regional Information Center's Model Schools service released its 2012-13 professional learning catalog earlier this month highlighting its many course offerings for local educators and school district administrators and adding some exciting new opportunities for members as well.

The 42-page directory, with a focus on supporting teaching and learning in the 21^st century, includes some new additions to the Model Schools lineup of professional development opportunities. They include sessions on flipped classroom models, a form of blended instruction that uses technology to leverage learning in the classroom instead of the teacher delivering content; teaching with mobile learning devices; social media for educators; virtual coaching; and night owl ed chats (#edchat), a Twitter group that serves as a collaborative tool for educators to debate and evaluate solutions to various problems in education.

As in previous years, teachers who participate in any of the Model Schools professional development opportunities are encouraged to ask questions of facilitators and to try out the new technologies being taught. All of the sessions are intended to highlight critical elements of teaching as well as learning and assessment.

Many of the courses available to Model Schools members will be face-to-face sessions, although a variety of topics will be covered through a series of webinars.

To kick off the school year, the LHRIC will partner with NYSCATE (New York State Association for Computers and Technologies in Education) Sept. 28 for the Mobile Learning Summit, a daylong event designed for the K-20 education community to discuss, learn and share best practices in mobile learning. That includes information sessions on the value of teaching with iPads, using iBook Author and GPS technology to instruct.  

New also this year is the opportunity for Model Schools member districts to take advantage of keynote speakers from the Technology Leadership Institute (TLI) series by participating in afternoon breakout sessions for selected TLI events. These seats at the breakout sessions are available to Model Schools districts at no additional charge.

TLI provides school district leaders with the opportunity to engage with nationally known educational technology experts in an effort to learn, share best practices and communicate the value of technology in education.

Virtual coaching sessions are also available to Model School participants. Members can schedule between 30 and 45 sessions by logging on to the LHRIC website at http://www.lhric.org/forms.cfm?myForm=21.

The LHRIC's technology lab at 50 Executive Boulevard in Elmsford has also been updated to include a bank of mobile learning devices so that educators can learn more about the practical and instructional aspects of iPads, iPod touches, Droids and other mobile devices that are being used in the 21^st century classroom.

To register for any of the Model Schools courses, visit http://lhric.org/instructional_tech.cfm?subpage=771

LHRIC Wins Award of Honor from New York School Public Relations Association

The Lower Hudson Regional Information Center's quarterly newsletter, Alliance, has been recognized by the New York School Public Relations Association for outstanding achievement in the Community Newsletter category.

The prize, an Award of Honor, will be handed out at the 33^rd-Annual NYSPRA Communications Awards luncheon, to be held Oct. 26 in Rochester.

The newsletter, which is written and edited by Colette Connolly of the Southern Westchester BOCES Office of Public Information, was chosen from a myriad of other entries in that category. The newsletter is designed by Crispin Hamilton of Denver. Colo.

The publication is designed to provide trusted advice and information on the ever-changing field of instructional and administrative technology, with a particular focus on LHRIC-sponsored events and workshops that provide information on best practices and how they transform education.

School districts and other BOCES throughout the state submit entries in a number of categories, including annual report, budget/bond newsletter, calendar, community newsletter, DVD/video, electronic newsletter, excellence in writing (for a single article), overall graphics and design, photograph, poster, p.r./marketing campaign, special purpose publication and website.

NYSPRA is a statewide group of professional school communicators committed to the development and dissemination of communications designed to engage parents, staff, community residents, partners in education and other stakeholders.

YouTube for Schools: A Good Bet for the Future?

You might remember a time when YouTube was, like its friend Facebook, the bad kid in the schoolyard. Those days might just be over for the video-sharing website once best known for documenting fistfights and piano-playing cats.

In March, The New York Times published a story about Google’s new tool, YouTube for Schools. Thought you’d never hear the words “YouTube” and “schools” together in the same sentence? Largely because of the support of tech-savvy teachers, YouTube has introduced a new tool that permits school districts to use a “gated” version of the website. With it, teachers and administrators are able to view all videos on YouTube, but students can’t log in, at least not in school. Still, the tool allows them to watch YouTube EDU videos like Khan Academy, PBS, TED Talks and Steven Spangler Science, along with videos posted by their school district.

This is a major step forward for YouTube. The site has gradually transformed its reputation by introducing YouTube EDU several years ago in a partnership with the country’s major universities, then by working closely with the fabulous Khan Academy to make its videos accessible to the world. Already, a number of school districts around the country have signed up YouTube for Schools, including the Chicago Public Schools.

Go to YouTube for Schools to learn more about signing up. To view some of the YouTube channels your teachers are just dying to use in the classroom, check out Khan Academy, Steve Spangler Science, PBS, Stanford University or TED Talks. You’ll find it hard to step away from the computer. Then advocate on behalf of your teachers, if necessary.

YouTube for Teachers is another useful resource, which includes hundreds of video playlists, organized by subject and grade, with many aligned to common core standards.
Here’s a video explanation of YouTube for Schools:

 Originally posted by Evelyn McCormack, SWBOCES director of public information, on NSPRA: Social School Public Relations blog.

David Warlick's Keynote Talk Urges Educators to Think like "Digital Natives"

A well known speaker in education circles and one of the "10 Most Influential People in Ed Tech for 2011" kicked off the LHRIC's annual Tech Expo held at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor April 27.

David Warlick, the author of four books on instructional technology and contemporary literacy, and a sought-after speaker throughout the world, gave a thought-provoking presentation on the emerging new information environment titled, "Cracking the 'Native' Information Experience."

Mr. Warlick, a former teacher, recalled a time when the desktop computer had not yet been invented and when calculators cost approximately $200. "I taught in an information-scarce learning environment," said Mr. Warlick, adding that the new technology available today has empowered students to perform better and to accomplish more.

"Today's environment is abundant with knowledge, is networked and digital and has a direct impact on what it means to be literate today," he said.

"Cracking the code" on the environment that young people exist in outside of school and using that to develop new learning experiences inside the classroom is something that Mr. Warlick strongly advocates. Hyper-connected learners, he said, find each other and then share their knowledge, ideas and skills, turning them into what he described as "responsive learning."

Society, he said, is very much in tune with the responsive learning experience. "Google has turned us into a question-asking culture," noted Mr. Warlick, adding that there is a real sense of connection between people and learning through conversation. This generation of learners wants to know the rules that exist in order to reach their goals. "In the traditional classroom, we never did that. We need to approach these children in their native information environment."

An example of how students can invest themselves in the learning process, said Mr. Warlick, occurred when a teacher at Beacon High School, a progressive public high school in New York City, had a problem getting her students interested in Shakespeare's play, Othello. The solution: ask them to create a movie trailer based on their understanding of the play and then get other students, presumably those who will be studying the play in the future, interested in it.

Mr. Warlick said the purpose of school has changed. "Part of the native information experience means that students often succeed best by getting it wrong," he added. In fact, students should be thinking about what they did and then considering how they might change it.

In many ways, he added, it's about making formal learning more playful and giving students permission to make those mistakes. "It is a learning experience that is responsive, that provokes conversation, inspires personal investment and is guided by safely-made mistakes."

This, added Mr. Warlick, is requiring educators to rethink education. "It's not a race to the top; it's about being joyful, explorative, discovering information, and being inventive. Sometimes that can be as simple as the teacher who says, 'surprise me'."

To find out more about Mr. Warlick's work and to subscribe to his blog, visit http://davidwarlick.com/2cents/

Pioneer Awards Honor Outstanding Work in Local Districts

A science teacher and a technology director from a school district that also received recognition were among those honored at the LHRIC's 19^th Annual Pioneer Awards May 18, which was held at the Edith Macy Conference Center in Briarcliff Manor.

Each year the award ceremony recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in exposing students to the latest instructional technology initiatives. It also honors districts that are forward-thinking in their delivery of technology.

The ceremony culminates a year-long series of presentations by well known speakers in the field of educational technology, as part of the RIC's Technology Leadership Institute series.

Science teacher Jasper Fox was the first recipient of the Distinguished Technology Teacher Pioneer Award. He teaches general science and a Regents Earth Science class at Copper Beech Middle School in the Lakeland School District. As a teacher, Mr. Fox knows that some students have difficulty completing their assignments, so he created screen casts of the science experiments he would normally do in class using screen capture software. In the past year, Mr. Fox has posted a myriad of screen casts to the class wiki, which his students can readily access.

Mr. Fox has created a learning environment in education known as the "flip classroom." It's a new way of teaching, he said, one that has transformed the practice for many instructors, allowing them to become coaches and facilitators rather than just instructors delivering a lecture.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Fox thanked administrators and others in the district for their guidance and support. "My students are not only gaining the skills to be successful, but are gaining additional 21^st century study skills," he said.

Mr. Fox also credited the online social networking service Twitter for inspiring him and allowing him to communicate with other like-minded instructors. "This whole initiative started out as a way to provide extra help for my students," he said. "But it has now warped into something way more powerful than that."

The City School District of New Rochelle had the honor of accepting two awards during the hour-long ceremony. Director of Technology Dr. Christine Coleman was singled out for bringing mobile learning to the district. For that, she was awarded the Distinguished Director of Technology Pioneer Award.

For the past year and a half, Dr. Coleman has invested much energy in the "Mobile on the Go!" program, a Federal Communications Committee-funded grant, which involved collaboration with Verizon, the RIC and Carrot App. Referring to her can-do attitude and persistence, New Rochelle Superintendent Richard Organisciak praised Dr. Coleman for her efforts. "We as a district are very proud of the ideas and creativity from people like Dr. Coleman," he said.

The initiative has helped raise achievement levels among participating students and has closed the digital divide, said Dr. Coleman. Looking for ways to prepare its students for the 21^st century workplace, the New Rochelle City School District has made incredible strides over the past year. Since winning the FCC grant, it has deployed over a thousand mobile-filtered devices to students. As a result, the Pioneer Awards committee felt it was deserving of this year's Distinguished District Pioneer Award.

According to Dr. Coleman, students participating in the mobile learning program are displaying an improvement in reading, writing and literacy, and the formal structure of the classroom has "flipped," creating an environment where they now work in clusters as opposed to working alone, and where engagement and interactivity are the primary goals.

The district's Board of Education president, Chrisanne Petrone, was equally delighted with the honor. "We know that our district is amazing, and we also know that all of our children can learn, but we must continue to ensure that we provide them with the tools to keep them learning," said Ms. Petrone.

Sixth Annual Tech Expo Provides Educators with New Strategies for Learning

The latest updates and strategies in instructional technology were among the impressive line-up of topics discussed at the April 27 Tech Expo, an annual event sponsored by the LHRIC that attracted nearly 300 of the region's educators and administrators.

Here are some highlights from a day filled with informative workshops.

"Transmedia: The Next Technology Flood"

Teachers overwhelmed with the many resources available to them on the Internet should fret no more, said Dr. Annette Lamb, a professor at Indiana University and a former school library media specialist and computer teacher. Dr. Lamb (shown in the picture to the left) reassured educators they could "create fluid environments for teaching and learning" by using Transmedia, the technique of telling a story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital technologies.

Transmedia storytelling often involves nonlinear, participatory elements, explained Dr. Lamb. A myriad of resources are often connected to the stories, such as print materials, documents, maps, web-based clues, mobile Apps, cell phone calls, social media connections, activities and games, and media (including audio, video and animation).

"Whether you are reading a block of text or even an entire book, you can seamlessly move from one technology to the other and experience and participate in a story," explained Dr. Lamb.

Examples include The 39 Clues, an interactive and multi-platform adventure series combining books, collectible cards and an online game where readers become a part of the story. The Skeleton Creek series, the Cathy's book series and The Amanda Project are other examples of interactive books that Dr. Lamb recommended.

Pottermore is an online experience from J.K. Rowling that is built around the Harry Potter books. While it's far from being complete, said Dr. Lamb, there is already an opportunity for participants in the experience to write their own chapters to the series.

Dr. Lamb encourages educators to use all of the interactive media elements available to them, even gaming software that can be integrated into learning. "The students already have their cell phones ready and available, so let's make use of those," she noted.

Teachers might also want to direct their students to the website, We Tell Stories, a series of six stories based on classic novels that are being retold through different mediums. One story, "The Thirty-Nine Steps," the classic tale by John Buchan, walks readers through the story via Google Maps. Students can also create episodes of a new digital series called Inanimate Alice, a Transmedia project that unfolds over time and is on multiple platforms. Text, images, music, sound effects, puzzles and games all combine to tell the story of 10-year-old Alice, a budding game animator and designer.

To discover more resources for online learning, visit Dr. Lamb's popular website, Eduscapes.com.

Skype in Schools: The Future is Now

In Amy Rosenstein's third grade class at Concord Road Elementary School in the Ardsley School District, children have the opportunity to learn about the world around them thanks to Ms. Rosenstein's efforts in using Skype as an educational videoconferencing tool. On a regular basis, Ms. Rosenstein connects with former students, Matthew and Josh Levy, who now live in Hong Kong.

Before embarking on the initiative, Ms. Rosenstein thought it would be a good idea if her students learned some Mandarin in the weeks prior to their first Skype session with the boys and their mother. They also used Google Earth to locate Hong Kong on a map.

During the Tech Expo session, Ms. Rosenstein talked to the boys and gave participants a chance to ask them questions about their new surroundings and the experience of Skyping with their friends in Ardsley.

Before embarking on a project such as this, Ms. Rosenstein said it is important that teachers define their goals. Are they doing this to try out a new technology or is this being done so that the children can learn something new?

"Be creative and relaxing," added Ms. Rosenstein, "and also prepare the kids for the unexpected, meaning that a connection might not work or may be lost during a conversation." Before a typical Skype session, Ms. Rosenstein asks her students to prepare questions ahead of time, which are reviewed by her. The process, she said, has taught her students the value of asking good questions that can generate a well-rounded conversation.

Interactive Textbooks and iBooks Author

Apple's latest digital textbook, known as iBooks Author, was of interest to many Tech Expo participants. Apple representative Seana Dowling explained the technicalities of the iBooks 2 for iPad and how teachers can use it to create textbooks using simple drag-and-drop mechanisms.

"The interactivity of such books will open doors for teachers who will be able to take the content they've been gathering over the years and put it into a really unique environment that's engaging for students and that's really accessible," said Ms. Dowling.

Recent examples of digital iBooks include "Life on Earth," by E.O. Wilson, which can be viewed on an iPad using iBooks 2 or on a PC or Mac using iTunes.

Other workshops covered topics such as virtual meetings using Adobe Connect, Skype, Polycom and Web 2.0; credit recovery and blended learning; Scratch, the MIT programming language; Verizon Thinkfinity; BYOD (Bring Your Own Device); Ning networks; integrating Common Core with state STEM standards; and more.

TLI - Philadelphia Principal Chris Lehmann Urges Educators to "Reinvent" Schools

Chris Lehmann, founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a progressive science and technology high school in downtown Philadelphia, has two children, ages 7 and 5. Like millions of parents across America, Mr. Lehmann sends his kids to school each day hoping the education they receive will inspire them, will keep them interested and will turn them into well-rounded individuals.

But Mr. Lehmann, who spoke Feb 10 at the LHRIC's Technology Leadership Institute event titled "Beyond Tools: Thoughtful 21^st Century School Reform," is worried. Why? Because he believes the public school system is failing its students.

In a 2 ½-hour presentation, this former New York City educator suggested ways that schools in our area could implement the same ideas that SLA has successfully integrated since its founding in 2006, making it the nation's first legitimate example of a "School 2.0" design.

The inquiry-driven school, with a one-to-one laptop program, partners with The Franklin Institute, one of the oldest science and technology museums in the world, and focuses on science, technology, mathematics, and entrepreneurship. Admission to SLA is based on a student interview, previous test scores, the recommendation of a teacher or counselor, and the successful completion of a seventh- or eighth-grade project that strongly represents the student's abilities.

Building and Learning

Mr. Lehmann, who was honored by the White House last year as a Champion of Change, suggested that rather than continuously testing students, educators should allow them to "build and learn stuff that matters."

Referring to the popular book, "Fifty Dangerous Things (You Should Let Your Children Do)," by Gever Tulley, Mr. Lehmann said educators might take a few lessons from Mr. Tulley's premise that mastery can minimize danger. Experiments in the book include licking a 9-volt battery, playing with vacuum cleaners and boiling water in a paper cup.

"Tools are important to let kids use," added Mr. Lehmann. At SLA, Mr. Lehmann explained that longer class periods allow for that kind of creativity, because additional laboratory work is encouraged in science classes, while performance-based learning takes place at other, more appropriate times.

Standardized Testing is not Enough

Referencing the educational system's propensity for data-driven decision making, Mr. Lehmann said that in order for the initiative to work, the collected data must be of a high quality. Standardized testing measures, which are used throughout the nation as a policy strategy to establish stronger accountability measures for public education, are "cheap and give us the false illusion of a number," added Mr. Lehmann.

Using the Nebraska STARS (Student-Based, Teacher-led Assessment and Reporting System) as an example, Mr. Lehmann said schools that are under the direction of their state education departments should be using testing either as a pedagogical tool or a policy tool, but never both. The Nebraska initiative requires school districts to develop local assessment plans that are aligned with state (or district) learning standards. It also emphasizes the importance of using multiple assessment measures, rather than relying on a single test.

At SLA, a school-wide rubric is used to assess benchmark projects that are conducted every quarter and that parents can easily understand. Students are graded on the design of their projects, their knowledge of the subject, how they applied that knowledge, the process they took to complete their projects, and on presentation.

Each week students spend a number of hours at various organizations that partner with the school on special mentoring programs. They include The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, The Franklin Institute, the Drexel Research and Demonstration Lab, and The College of Physicians of Philadelphia, to name a few. In addition, entrepreneurs visit SLA classrooms and law students come from nearby schools to enlighten students. A yearlong Capstone project, completed in the 12^th grade, further enhances the inquiry-driven learning process at SLA, he added.

Meaningful Instruction

In Mr. Lehmann's opinion, the idea of meaningful instruction has lost its value and been replaced with the "delivery of instruction."

"I think we can dream bigger," said Mr. Lehmann, urging educators to create "caring institutions" where instructors teach kids, not subjects. In addition, schools should be inquiry-driven, and by that Mr. Lehmann means that educators can ask students how they think and feel about certain aspects of their education. "To ask those questions and to listen deeply for answers and then to change one's practice based on those answers is the sweet spot," he said.

Project-Based Learning in Action

Creating a school that is "understanding-driven and project-based" is what Mr. Lehmann would like to see for the future of American public education. And while schools throughout the nation say their assessment system is based on project-based learning, many of them rely on the results of a test to validate that theory, he noted.

At SLA, where Advanced Placement courses are unavailable, and where assessments are based on tests and quizzes, class participation, homework, and "real world projects that matter," allow students to own the work they do, he said.

Creating a Vision

Asked about their hopes and visions for the future education of students, some TLI participants pointed to successful summer programs as examples of more creative learning. Others expressed their concern about creating a balance between educating the whole child and the required testing of each student. Mr. Lehmann conceded that summer programs are great ways to get schools started, but he also acknowledged that visions are wonderful, but without structure they tend to be an illusion.

Paramount to that vision, said Mr. Lehmann, the co-author of "What School Leaders Need to Know About Digital Technologies and Social Media," is in SLA's hiring practices. Prospective teacher candidates are asked to provide sample lesson units to an interview panel that includes the principal, current teachers, students, and parents. Described by Mr. Lehmann as "consensus-based hiring," the interviewing of candidates is repeated until a suitable candidate is found and his or her qualifications are agreed upon by all members of the hiring group.

Educators should be building systems and structures that reflect that type of vision, Mr. Lehmann added. "Teachers care about kids, but very few of us know how to care for kids in an educational environment." Every worker at SLA shares in the same vision, said Mr. Lehmann, even the school police officer and the janitors.

Though technology is a necessary part of school these days, Mr. Lehmann said it doesn't have to be talked about as much. Instead, it should be "ubiquitous, necessary and invisible." Rather than focusing on the fact that students are using technology, educators should focus on the work that students are accomplishing because of it. "Technology transforms the ways kids create, research, collaborate, present, and network," said Mr. Lehmann. "Schools have been doing these things for years; now they can do it better."

To create a similar vision in our local school districts, Mr. Lehmann encouraged participants to seek out stakeholders and then ask a series of questions to address their fears about change and what the worst consequences of their best ideas might be. Above all, he cautioned, "Be intentional about your time and about the tools you use, and don't do this by yourselves, because it's really hard and it requires all of us to be learners."

To find out more about SLA, visit www.scienceleadership.org. To visit Mr. Lehmann's blog, "Practical Theory," go to: http://practicaltheory.org/serendipity/