Improving Teaching and Learningfor the 21st Century

Where to find me:

Twitter: #connect2013 Follow me: @adrossis

Wiki Spaces: http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/

Resources for this presentation: http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/C

ONNECT+2013

What is Learning Connections?

Learning Connections (LC) is: funded by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of

Education, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat an online community driven by the collaboration of

school districts called District Champions District Champions align their involvement with their district level plans engage in sharing and collaborations with other district

champions build capacity within their district with support from LC

Who is involved?

Polleverywhere.com

Polleverywhere.com

Blended Approach to Professional Learning

“Student learning depends on every teacher learning all the time.” (Fullan, 2007, p. 35)

Blended Approach to Professional LearningPersonalized Learning Learning Online Educational Speakers CollectionCollaboration and Learning Online Book Studies Pilot Applications21st Century Leadership ABEL Leadership Round Table Leadership SummitABEL Summer Institute ASI 2013: Level UP

http://plp.abel.yorku.ca

Personalized LearningLearning Online Scheduled Learning included:

Sessions on: Literacy Skills in Science, Numeracy and 21st Century Literacy

Videos of these sessions were created for later viewing OnDemand Learning included:

Sessions on WordPress, Moodle…Educational Speakers Collection Variety of videos availableTwitter Chat Visible Leadership Social Media in Education Skills for Today

Collaboration and Learning

Online Book Studies The Connected Educator

3 online asynchronous meetings Online activities and discussions

Pilot Applications Equella – initial set-up phase only Edsby – year one of pilot

21st Century LeadershipABEL Leadership Round Table Topics for discussion included:

Leadership with Technology for Learning App That! Social Media in Education

Visible Leadership Summit Facilitated by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and

Lisa Neale Face-to-face at York U

ABEL Summer Institute: Level UPASI delegates will Level UP to improve their effective use of technology through:

Level UP in 20Experience this fast paced Pecha Kucha style session. Presenters share what they do and how the Level UP.

ASI FlippedFlip the conference experience and engage in meaningful conversations based on shared resources

Interactive LearningExpert facilitators lead hands-on sessions for a variety of technological tools for education.

TodaysMeet

What is TodaysMeet? Online tool to create a backchannel Quick to set up Archive your transcript easily

Check out our TodaysMeet: http://todaysmeet.com/ProfLearning What makes professional learning engaging for you?

Building Community and Sharing Best Practice

“Connected learning communities are designed to support the professional development goals their members have chosen to improve instruction and subsequently bring about increased growth and achievement for the 21st century learner.” (Nussbaum-Beach & Ritter Hall, 2012, p. 38)

Building Community and Sharing Best Practice

Face-to-face at York University two conferences

Websites access to the tools, resources and professional learning share, collaborate and learn from each other

Monthly Online Meetings synchronous to share, collaborate, and build community

Face-to-Face at York UFall LC District Champion Conference 38 participants from 10 school districts and Ministry Meet and greet to promote collaboration 2 opportunities for hands-on sessions Planning timeSpring LC District Champion Conference Coming May 17th, 2013 Time to share work done throughout the year Planning time for 2013-2014 year

Websites

LC hosts two websites for members to access:http://www.learningconnections.on.ca/ Access to the tools and resources Link to professional learning site: http://plp.abel.yorku.ca/http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/ Share projects and ask questions Collaborate and connect Learn from each other

Monthly On-line Meetings

Representatives from Champion Districts meet online Provide information regarding upcoming professional learning Champions provide feedback to program office about their

needs Planning time for LC events

Sharing of best practices Each month 1-2 districts take 15 minutes to share Opportunity to ask questions and collaborate

Edmodo

What is Edmodo? Free for teachers and students to connect and collaborate http://www.edmodo.com/

Join to collaborate, share and learn Create an account and login Join our group (code: 3p8s51) Discuss how you collaborate and and share

Sample LC Projects“The integration of technology and pedagogy to maximize learning must meet four criteria. It must be irresistibly engaging; elegantly efficient (challenging but easy to use); technologically ubiquitous; and steeped in real-life problem solving.” (Fullan, 2013, p. 33)

LC Champion District Project

Evident in LC Projects: Teachers engaged in professional learning by coaching, one to

one, small group and large group Teachers sharing their work online and face-to-face Teachers learning new ways to work and collaborate Teachers using technology for literacy and numeracy

instruction Students learning appropriate use of technology Students engaged in using technology tools for learning Students completing authentic tasks and projects Teachers working with students to learn new technologies

Limestone DSB Improve communication and thinking through

purposeful, accountable interactions for students Engage students in authentic reading and writing

experiences

Ottawa Catholic DSB Support tools to capture conversations, observations

and product Provide platform for teacher collaboration and

networking (Google plus, Edmodo) Professional learning to build capacity

Near North DSB Professional learning for teachers to effectively

integrate technology across the curriculum Coaching model to build capacity Share stories of their work online and face-to-face

Thunder Bay Catholic DSB Teacher librarians use Edmodo for collaboration

and communication Focus on “Edmodo into practice” to support

other work in the district Promote use of Edmodo in the classroom

Kawartha Pine Ridge DSB Build capacity as teacher librarians to support student

inquiry – using WordPress as a collaborative tool How will using Web 2.0 tools increase the likelihood of

professional, collaborative learning happening among us, and help build our capacity as teacher-librarians? supporting student inquiry?

Upper Grand DSB Two schools: urban and rural Students working on inquiry based projects linking

classroom together Use of QR codes to share research with community

and other classes

York Region DSB Professional collaboration through Web 2.0 tools

(Twitter, Edmodo, Google Docs) Support inquiry learning in the classroom Expand on the idea of “kinetic learning”: follow hash-

tag #KineticInquiry

Hastings Prince Edward DSB Increasing the use of their iPad carts in the classroom Project integrated with the FSL network in district Professional learning for teachers using iPads and

different apps for education

Research in LC Partnered with Institute for Research in

Learning Technologies, York University research and evaluates the work of the

program 2011-2012: Learning Connections: Project

Year End Report 2012-2013: Learning Connection:

Developing Skills for the 21st Century

Research for Improvement

2011-2012: LC Project Year End Report Changed format of monthly meetings to highlight 1-2

districts Provided comprehensive online space for sharing and

collaboration: http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/ Continued to provide two face to face conferences:

“Continue to provide the two face-to-face sessions. They really help to build capacity and collaboration across boards in Ontario. We really appreciate and look forward to those opportunities to meet and share with others.” (Wideman, 2012, p. 13)

Research for 21st Century Learning2012-2013: LC - Developing Skills for the 21st Century Provide a framework to align LC project proposals with

21st century learning skills Case study of 2 districts Preliminary review of past proposals:

“Most projects explicitly incorporated inquiry, expository, communicative, and collaborative skill dimensions in their pedagogical design and classroom implementations, and all made use of ICT in ways that required students to apply (and further develop) important ICT literacy skills.” (Wideman, 2013, p. 34)

Reflector App https://www.reflectorapp.com/

Cool features: You don’t need an Apple TV to project

your iDevice You can project multiple devices Inexpensive

Cautions: Use the trial version to check if it

works on your network

For more information

Learning Connectionshttp://learningconnections.on.ca/

LC Collaboration http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/

ABEL Program site http://abelearn.ca/

Resources Wideman, H. (2012). Learning connections: Project year-end

report 2011-2012. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, York University.

Wideman, H. (2013). Learning connections: Developing skills for the 21st century. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, York University.

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Ritter Hall, L. (2012). The Connected Educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere: Integrating technology, pedagogy, and change knowledge. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc.

Fullan, M. (2007). Change the terms for teacher learning. JSD The Learning Forward Journal, 28(3), 35-36. Retrieved from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/media/13396074650.pdf

Thank you!Anita