Deeper Thinking, the Common Core and Integrating Technology

to Ensure Success

Chromebook Seminar

Today’s conversation

Look at landscape of education today

Look at what is being required/expected of students, teachers and administrators

Where does technology fit in

Today’s Education Landscape

Common Core curriculum and assessments

APPR

Shrinking budgets

Research that challenges education models that were used when we were in school

Horizon Project

Charts the landscape of emerging technologies for teaching, learning, and research, creative inquiry

Purpose - to help educators build upon innovation taking place at their institutions by providing them with expert research and analysis 

- New Media Corporation

Horizon Report – Key Trends

Focus of assessments shifting from “what you know” to “what you can do”

Social media is changing the way people interact, present ideas and information, and communicate

New emphasis in the classroom on more challenge based, active learning

Horizon Report - Challenges

Faculty training does not acknowledge that digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession

Innovating pedagogy is a complex process requiring research into impacts, responsive state of mind to technology changes, and understanding what strategies can make innovation in pedagogy possible

K-12 must address the increased blending of formal and informal learning.

PISA ReportProvides a snapshot of a nation’s performance

Provides important insights into policies and practices that can inform education leaders as they refine their education systems

Provide guidance to U.S. as states move to implement standards for college and career readiness

PISA Questions

Test whether students can apply their knowledge to real-world problems and to “analyze, reason and communicate effectively as they pose, interpret, and solve problems in a variety of situations.”

PISA Findings

Nations with top performers

have clear expectations for student learning that include emphasis on using knowledge to solve real-world problemsensure that teachers are deep learners, and can lead classrooms where students think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively

Not one path to change

Culture and environment of each school/district is unique

It needs to be considered and honored

Important to plan and strategize

Develop action and plan and implement

Less is more - although plan can envision many changes implement one or two at a time

Include constituents in planning

A Tale of

Two Schools

Gray SchoolPrincipal meets daily for one period with one grade level - occasionally does formal observations, rest of the day in her office

Knows some students by name

Purchased $350,000+ of technology equipment based solely on input from vendors

Teachers vocalize that expectations are not clear - procedures change very often, with little or no warning

Red SchoolPrincipal meets daily for one period with one grade level - rest of the day spent doing informal observations, formal observations, has lunch in her office with students

Knows just about every student by name, greets students and teachers everyday at front entrance

Has concrete, clear, well-articulated expectations of students and teachers

School Environment4 computer carts housed in a “Staff development” classroom -hardly if ever used

Smartboards in every room - more than half not used at all

Computer lab - students go once a week use drill and practice software

Two classroom computers used for word processing and drill and practice

Google Apps for Education school

4 computer carts in use continually - teachers decide among themselves when used

Smartboards in every room - used continually

No computer lab

Two classroom computers used for word processing

Google Apps for Education school

It’s not about technology it’s about learning and teaching

Our accepted beliefs?Schools need to provide and create opportunities for students to engage in deeper thinking

Teaching and engaging in deeper thinking is hard work - (can’t be done with an app!)

The skill and knowledge of teachers critical to the process of student learning and achievement

“Can we change our traditional culture of teaching and learning so that students are empowered to take more responsibility for making important contributions to their own learning and to their learning community.” - Alan November

Teachers need to be deeper thinkers too!

Need to engage in deeper thinking activities

Need to see what deeper thinking lessons and activities look like

Need professional development

Need to be supported in taking risks to try new approaches

show some video clips from Ed Leader 21 youtube

Some paths to consider

Using data to inform instruction

Alternative classroom settings e.g. flipped classroom

Students taking responsibility for their learning

Access to equipment and network connectivity

What should student learning include?

Students need to deal with information to construct new knowledge

Find - Analyze - Manage - Present -Share/Collaborate

21st century skills

Creativity, Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking

Important to think about how you can

and want to use technology

Technology in the Common Core

http://commoncore.fcoe.org/sites/commoncore.fcoe.org/files/resources/SPIRAL%20FINAL.pdf

Google Can Be a Support Tool

Find - Google Search and Google Scholar

Analyze - Google spreadsheets and forms

Manage - Google Drive organizing filessocial bookmarking sites (not Google!)concept mapping software (not Google!)

Present - Google presentations

Share / Collaborate - Google Suite

Using Google Docs in the Classroom

Google Drive Enables Students to

Access their work from any computer, anywhere, with an Internet connection

Create and submit work electronically to teachers

Work collaboratively

peer editing

collaborative projects

Organize and analyze data

Collect information

Google Drive Enables Teachers/Admins to

Access their work from any computer, anywhere, with an Internet connection

Teachers can create and submit content to students

teachers comment directly on student work

Provide student feedback and extra-help

Work collaboratively

curriculum writing

data analysis, and more!

Collect information

from various constituencies

Role of Education Leaders

Model what we believe in

Provide an environment of communication and collaboration

Support (reasonable!) risk taking

eSchool News Article - 5 Qualities of a Tech Savvy Administrator

Role of Leaders in 21st Century Education

What does this look like in your school?

Access to technology

Professional development Is it available?Are you evaluating its effectiveness?

Technology plan Do you have one?Are you using it?Do your constituents know about it?

“The world as we have created it

is a process of our thinking.

It cannot be changed without changing our

thinking.”

- Albert Einstein

Questions ???

For info on this presentation

and resources cited

http://tinyurl.com/custom-june-2014

Example of Deeper Thinking Student Activity

“Tools not as important as the connections made possible by them”

Hallmarks of Connected Classroom1.Reliable broadband and Wi-Fi internet access

2.One-to-one and/or bring-your-own-device

3.Teachers who give up control

4.Students and teachers learn together

5.Administrative support

6.Communication and collaboration between IT and curriculum leaders

•eSchool News article

What Educators Want from Digital Tools

Deliver instruction

Diagnose student learning

Vary delivery method

Tailor learning experiences

Support student collaboration and interactivity

Foster independent practice•Survey results from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

College and Career Ready Students

Demonstrate independence

Build strong content knowledge

Respond to varying demands of audience, task, purpose, discipline

Comprehend and critique

Value evidence

Use technology strategically and capably

Come to understand other perspectives and cultures

http://coretaskproject.com/2013/04/12/wagners-21st-century-learning-skills-and-the-ccss/

Collective Intelligence

• “How can people and computers be connected–so that collectively–they act more intelligently than individuals, groups, or computers have ever done before?”

MIT Center for Collective Intelligence