IMPACT Grant OverviewIMPACT Grant Overview

Collaborative Planning Using Technology Creatively

Thomasville City SchoolsThomasville City Schools

Mr. Dirk Gurley, PrincipalMr. Dirk Gurley, Principal

2008-092008-09

Dale Collins, Lynn Beasley, Alvin Rubin, Heath Williamson, Amy Boyle

Grayson Covington, Lyza Royal, Sam Captain, Donna Sink, Denese Byrd

13 Schools Funded for 08-09 13 Schools Funded for 08-09 $4.9 million$4.9 million

• Asheboro High

• N. Asheboro Middle

• S. Asheboro Middle

• Kannapolis Middle

• Kannapolis Intermediate

• A.L. Brown High

• Perquimans County High

• Perquimans County Middle

• Hertford Grammar

• D.F. Walker Elementary

• Liberty Drive Elementary

• Thomasville Middle

• Thomasville High

ThomasvilleThomasville High SchoolHigh School

$500,000$500,000

Purpose

To impact student learning and teaching in order to increase student proficiency and decrease the drop-out rate

We want to break the cycle of poverty through education

Technology will be the integral part

•Online professional development communities

–For instructional advice and sharing

•Development of teacher and student digital content

•Move from written form to digitally create verbal products

•Multiple forms of instruction

Vision

All students will graduate in four years equipped to communicate effectively with strong foundations in core academic areas and continue their education at a two or four year college.

Skills needed by pre-college students

• Written Skills

– Written literacy

• New Media literacies

– Research skills

– Technical skills

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Students and teachers must be able to:

• Locate appropriate resources

• Understand intellectual property restrictions

• Use scanning equipment to produce useful images

• Develop a narrative context for the website

• Develop a visually engaging site

Goals

• Student Proficiency = 80%

• Lower dropout rate below the state average

• Reduce teacher turnover

Partnerships

• QTL

• Winston-Net– 10 school districts & Wake Forest

• Piedmont Triad Consortium

• High Point University

• Friday Institute (NCSU)

• Davie County Schools

What Will it Look Like?

• Every teacher and administrator will use a wireless laptop with 24/7 access to all teaching resources from anywhere.

• Students use mobile devices to post work to wikis and blogs to collaborate and share their writing with other audiences as they enter thoughts about the day’s essential question.

Presently, students create digital materials without the benefit of instruction from the faculty… usually recreational in nature.

75% of THS students have MYSPACE.

Digital Content

• Text documents

• Pod casts

• Videos

• Data sets

• Multimedia presentations

• Simulations

• Games

What Will it Look Like?

• The essential question runs as a marquee across the interactive whiteboard.

• Teachers use individual podcasts to differentiate instruction in the classroom.

• Student journalists plan and prepare the school news to be broadcast each day.

What Will it Look Like?

• Students take asynchronous classes through the Virtual High School as well as real time classes through videoconferencing facilities.

• Teachers use planning blocks to update their websites and collaborate with colleagues from within and across the world.

• Teachers receive professional development from on demand online resources.

We must understand the importance of increasing student achievementthrough professional development and quality programs.

Professional Development

TRANSFORMED

PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

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Professional Development

“Those (teachers) who are truly literate in the 21st century will be those who learn to both read and write the multimedia language of the screen.”

Phase One

• Leadership Training for Administrators

• Leadership Training for MTAC

– THS Media Technology Advisory Committee

• Develop Professional Development Plans

Professional Development

• Professional Development Plans

• Aligned with NC Standards and Guidelines for Professional Development

• Opportunities for teachers to guide their own learning by completing online learning classes through LearnNC, eBistro, and Promethean Learning

Professional Development

• Professional Learning Communities

– Inquiry Model – asking questions about student achievement and teacher needs

• Best Practices

• Understanding by Design

– Curriculum Mapping

• Promethean Planet

Professional Development

• SAS Curriculum Pathways

• United Streaming

• School Island

Professional Development

• Podcasting

• Blogging

• Geocaching

• PDAs

• Effective use of wikis

• Video conferencing

• Broadcasting

Professional Development

EdTech Leaders Online (ETLO)

• Online learning programs for teachers, administrators, and students

• Graduate level training courses for online instructors and course designers

• Online workshops focused on specific subject areas

First in the classroomWorking Smarter – Not Harder

• Flipcharts

• PowerPoints

• Video streaming

• ACTIVotes

• Digital Audio Playbooks

• IPods

Project Based LearningImproves…

Critical Thinking and Writing

Instruction is curriculum based, technology is the tool for learning.

Class Projects

Information Literacy

Technology Literacy

• Principles of written information technology

• Media literacies

INTEGRATE

Sample Student Projects – Creating digital Content

• Create a video for biology

• Create a website for history

• Create a multi-media presentation for English

Students• Will develop six-year plans

• Will have an advisor through Advisor-Advisee

• Will access classes at DCCC and NCVPS

• With 1st semester failures will be identified and recruited for credit recovery courses

• Scoring at levels I or II on EOC tests will have a Personalized Education Plan revised each semester.

Phase Two

Guide teachers to understand how the integration of both the information and computer skills curriculum are integrated into the core content.

Summer 2008

• Professional Development

– Understanding by Design

Summer 2008• Technology Fair

– To provide teachers and administrators with a theoretical and practical understanding of the project.

– Sessions on podcasting, blogging, geocaching, effective use of wikis, video conferencing, broadcasting, and using PDAs.

– Add Interactive Whiteboards to the remaining classrooms

– Two Information Superhighway labs enhancing the core curriculum

First Semester

• Core collaboration teams

– Curriculum Facilitator, IT Facilitator, media Coordinator, department chair, curriculum consultants

Second Semester

• Teachers will engage in cross functional collaborative teams.

• Teachers will view and follow master teachers by participating in observations, demonstration lessons, and video conferencing.

Partnerships

• With respective departments in other schools to share in successes

• Use of distance learning labs for teachers to communicate with departments at other schools

MTACMedia Technology

Advisory Committee

Reviews evaluation sources and reports data

• To Administrators

• To the School Improvement Team

• To Teachers

School 2.0 Approach

• Communicate clear goals based on data

• Manage stable plans for student success

• Monitor implementation and performance

• Challenge and empower faculty

MTAC Will Develop

• Curriculum Review Teams

• Tutorial Design Teams

• Global Communication Teams

Alignment

• School Improvement Plan

• School and System Technology Plans

• THS Staff Development Plan

• NC Professional Teaching Standards

Evaluate (Then adjust the Plan)

• EVAAS

• ABC Tools

• Online surveys

– Teachers, Parents, Students

– Interests, attitudes, and on-going needs

• Report Card Grades

• CRTs