Editors Note: As you may have noticed, I list blogs I follow on the bottom right side of The Innovative Educator. From time to time I like to feature posts from these bloggers that I encourage my audience to read as well. Here is one such post.
In his blog, the Techominivore recently wrote a post on the new ISTE Classroom Observation Tool. He shares, "ISTE has developed a wonderful tool to help schools assess their technology integration efforts. The Classroom Observation Tool provides a checklist to guide you in observing how education technology is affecting classroom instruction. The tool is built on top of Adobe Air and allows you to work offline and then upload your results so you can access them from anywhere and share them with your instructional teams."
Not only are wikis are a great tool to help a school enrich instruction, and increase communication and collaboration among staff, they are also free (for educators using wikispaces) and provide unlimited storage for digital materials including video, screencasts, presentations, pdfs, etc. When I explain this to educators and their administrators they often nod in agreement, but want to know the nuts and bolts of what this looks like in practice. The best way to explain this is to use an actual school wiki. For that I pulled from a few examples to demonstrate how a school can use a wiki to change the way they do business in impactful ways. In this post you will discover how schools can get started using wikis in the following ways.
Decrease Disruption of Instructional Time with Digital Daily Announcements
More Efficient and Effective Team Meetings and Planning
Collaborate On Important Documents Like School Comprehensive Education Plans
Enhance School Professional Development Using a Wiki
Share and Collaborate On Curriculum Maps
Save Trees /Save Time and Unclutterize Your Room or Office by Posting School Resources
Know Where Everyone Is When Schedules/Programs Are Posted
A Portal for All Your Lessons
How to Get Started
Decrease Disruption of Instructional Time with Digital Daily Announcements Each day daily notes are posted on the school wiki. Gone are the days when instructional time is stolen from students with announcements that often don’t apply to them. Instead, each day staff knows where they need to look to find out the important information. The template Jason Levy, Principal of CIS 339 uses for his daily notes includes: -Announcements and Reminders by Department -Staff Attendance -Out at PD / Visitors -Staff Recognizing Staff -Celebrating RED (Rigor. Engagement. Differentiation) in Practice -Other Stuff: Notes also may contain surveys and/or forms for teachers to complete, readings, or other important news and notes of the day. Many of these items (i.e. recognizing staff, celebrating RED) are dynamically populated using Google docs. This provides an ongoing reinforcement of staff priorities and vision.
After the staff member has read the daily notes they digitally sign a Google document with their initials indicating they have read the daily notes and they can also indicate if there are any questions, issues, feedback or concerns. You can see what this looks like here and here.
More Efficient and Effective Team Meetings and Planning All team meetings and planning can be coordinated right on your wiki. This gives staff and administration a one stop shopping spot to see exactly what is happening and how work is progressing at various team meetings.
At CIS 339 the team meeting pages include team norms and activities in which teams should be engaged followed by a listing of each team and a link to all their meeting notes, agendas, documents, and materials. Each team meeting page also has a discussion board where conversations can continue. You can see an example of what this page looks like here.
Collaborate On Important Documents Like School Comprehensive Education Plans CIS 339 uses their school wiki to collaborate on the creation, revising, and updating of their school’s comprehensive education plan. The wiki is organized with general planning and process documents, then each department has a section for their piece. This enables everyone to see where anyone is at any time and the discussion tab allows for ongoing conversation while the documents are being created. You can see an example of what this page looks like here.
Enhance School Professional Development Using a Wiki Anytime your school is having professional development all the materials can be loaded to the wiki. No more copies to run off, folders to buy, teachers sharing if there aren’t enough copies, or worrying about writing on your only copy. Additionally, a discussion forum is associated with each wiki page. This is a great way to elicit feedback during professional development and to keep the conversation going afterwards.
Share and Collaboratee On Curriculum Maps Wikis are a great tool for schools involved in curriculum mapping. Washington Irving High School (click thumbnail on right) posts their English department curriculum maps on their wiki. At the Marta Valle Secondary School, curriculum maps for each content area are posted on their school wiki. Departments begin with the curriculum mapping template that teams can collaborate on to complete. Department members can easily put links to all materials and important documents required for each piece of the map. This also allows for planning across grades and department since all information is transparently posted. The discussion tab provides a powerful communication mechanism for those implementing the curriculum to collaborate. You can see a sample of what that looks like here.
Save Trees /Save Time and Unclutterize Your Room or Office by Posting School Resources Wikis are a clutter terminator. If you're like most educators, your classroom or office desk or bookshelves are filled with documents, memos, guides, etc. that while important, rarely need to be accessed. You know, the school handbook, conference handouts, flyers, guides, articles, etc. etc. All those documents, boxes and boxes worth, can be posted in an easily accessible format, right on the wiki. In addition to saving space, schools will save time by not having to place all these documents in everyone’s mailbox every day.
At MVSS you’ll find documents such as the opening day packet, school handbook, school safety plan, principal’s letters and presentations, frequently used forms, instructional resources, discipline code, quality review documents, the vision statement, the mission statement, school brochure and more. You can see an example of what this page looks like here. At CIS 339 you’ll find many of these documents as well as a compilation of relevant articles and links which you can see here.
Know Where Everyone Is When Schedules/Programs Are Posted All teacher schedules, bell schedules, meetings, etc. can be posted right on the wiki so any staff member can locate their colleagues at anytime. This combined with the posting of staff absences and class coverages in the daily notes ensures that staff will always know where and when their colleagues can be found.
A Portal for All Your Lessons At many schools there may be more than one teacher teaching the same subject/unit of study. However, there never seems to be enough time to collaborate. A wiki solves that issue. All lessons can be posted right on the wiki and using the discussion tab, teachers can connect and collaborate. I used a wiki to do this for teachers across New York City who were running iSquad 21st Century Student Support teams. The faculty advisors and I brainstormed lesson ideas and posted all the lesson topics on the wiki, then faculty advisors signed up for the lesson they were writing by placing their name next to it and posting their lesson. Each advisor wrote one or two lessons and we instantly had a bank of lessons accessible to all. You can see what that looks like here. I also coordinated curriculum integration teams responsible for creating technology-infused lessons in literacy, science, social studies, math, and fitness. Teams met in person from time to time, but most of their work was done remotely where they collaborated to write a bank of lessons that can be used and accessed by teachers anywhere which you can see here.
How to Get Started You can have your own free school wiki in 30 seconds or less by visiting http://www.wikispaces.com/site/for/teachers. Once there you select your wikis name and click create, then Voilà, you have a wiki. If you want to know more about using wikis in education, TeachersFirst has created a handy Wiki Walk-Through which steps you through using wikis in education in a clear and easy to follow way. You can also, take a look at the Educational Wikis space. It has examples, a guide, and links to other resources.
Educators in New York City and beyond have been following the news around what is taking place in Albany as the gridlocked Senate failed to take up a bill to reauthorize mayoral control of the public school system. Today School Chancellor Joel Klein spoke to his staff and shared this email about where the NYC DOE currently stands.
Dear Colleagues,
I am sure you have been following the events in Albany and have many questions about the future of our school system. While we obviously have many questions, we cannot put the education of New York City’s students at risk because of Albany’s inaction on mayoral control of the public schools. In this e-mail, I will outline what we know and what we don’t know.
Community Education Councils: The 2002 law that put the New York City mayor in charge of the City’s public schools expired yesterday. This same law also created the Community Education Councils and the Citywide Council on Special Education. Since the law has expired, these education councils no longer formally exist. However, I am urging the Community Education Councils and the Citywide Council on Special Education, as well as the Citywide Council on High Schools, to continue meeting, at least until September when we hope to have more clarity. During this time, we will continue to support their administrative assistants. If the Councils decide not to continue their work, we’ve asked them to notify us immediately.
Panel for Educational Policy: The Panel for Educational Policy also ceases to exist today. The borough presidents and the Mayor have reconstituted the Board of Education to replace the Panel for Educational Policy.
Board of Education: The newly reconstituted Board of Education met at Tweed Courthouse this afternoon. It approved two resolutions: -First, the Board appointed me to continue serving as chancellor and delegated to me all of the powers that can be delegated under the law. This allows us to maintain continuity in our school system. -Second, noting that the State Assembly had adopted Assembly Bill no. 8903-a, which would extend Mayoral Control until 2015, while the State Senate had failed to act on an identical bill, Senate Bill no. S5887, the Board urged the State Senate to take immediate action to enact S5887.
Summer School: Summer school started today, as planned. School staff is expected to report to work as usual and serve our schoolchildren.
Support: Our central and field operations also remain in place and continue to support schools. This means School Support Organizations, Integrated Service Centers, and central staff are continuing to fulfill their responsibilities. We have instructed principals to call their SSOs and ISCs with any questions about the current situation or any regular issue related to school operations.
We have made great strides over the past seven years, and, together, we have implemented significant reforms that have improved the City’s public schools and our students’ academic results. I know we are working in an environment of uncertainty and that we all have many questions. I will work to keep you updated as we move through this period. I thank you all for your continued efforts to serve the students of New York City to the best of your ability, even during these uncertain times.
Innovative educators will often share that one of the best ways to discover and implement innovative practices is by learning from others who are doing this work. Hearing about and seeing promising practices from those who are engaged in them is powerful. I encourage school leaders interested in hearing from others who are on the path to Realizing the Promise of the 21st Century School to attend Teaching Matters annual school leader forum: A Roadmap for Innovation which takes place Wednesday, July 15, 2009 from 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm at 475 Riverside Drive.
At the forum they’ll be asking, What is a 21st century school? For the most part technology is radically changing every sector of our society, yet schools remain largely unchanged. However, there are schools that are breaking the mold and engaging in innovative practices to engage learners and prepare them for the world in which they live. The forum will provide participants with the opportunity to hear from a panel of innovative NYC school leaders on the vanguard of rethinking urban education. They will speak about their experiences regarding what is important, the challenges and what's possible! Featured guests include: • Alisa Berger: Principal, NYC iSchool • Sarah Scrogin: Principal, East Bronx Academy for the Future • Gregg Korrol: Principal, PS 101 • Julian Cohen: Director, New School Development
Teaching Matters will also provide a new and simple assessment tool for gauging where your school lies on a continuum of the 21st century school outcomes. It will help you evaluate your school's readiness and offer a roadmap of ideas for innovation in those areas you deem most critical.
This event is free to school leaders who can attend by rsvping by July 8 to lmorris@teachingmatters.org or calling 2128703505. Wine and cheese will be served and all principals who attend will be eligible to enter a raffle to jump-start a 21st century classroom with: 15 FREE Flip Video Cameras or 5 FREE Netbooks.
To get an idea of what happens at these 21st century schools, check out the students at PS 5 in the Port Morris section of the Bronx and their amazing documentary about the history and impact of Nicholas Negroponte’s ground breaking XO pilot project in their school.
I am often asked what I recommend for educators who want to learn the basics of using technology. You know, how to get started with Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. Of course, one of the best ways to learn to use an application is just using it in an environment with other experienced users that you can ask questions as you need them. Having students around to assist is a great option.
There are also many great resources to get going solo. One of my favorites for those interested in getting started is MicroSoft Office Training where you will find free self-paced training courses for Office programs. The classes are really great. Here is a sampling of applications: Access; Excel ; Outlook; PowerPoint; Project ; Publisher; Word. The tutorials provide audio, text, and animations, and are rated by those who have taken the class. This is a terrific and free resource for those interested in learning to use Microsoft applications.
For educators who want the personal touch there are training centers like New Horizons. NYC DOE educators can contact their New York City office by emailing d_ludwig@NHNY.com for special rates as low as $100 per class for educators.
For teachers who are using applications with their students, a great resource is Atomic Learning. The resource is created to appeal to students at their interest and ability level and enables them to become self-directed, independent learners who can engage in their work on-demand. This resource frees the teacher from feeling like s/he must b an expert in every application.
Another option for schools is to have a staff member designated to provide professional development and support to his/her colleagues. They can use MicroSoft Office Training, Atomic Learning resources, or use these professional development resources created specifically for educators, or create their own training.
------------------------------------------------------------- Here's Marc Prensky's advice from my Facebook page.
Here's how I answer that question: Educators going off on their own to learn technology is time that could be far better be spent partnering with students with even better results. If an educator who wants to learn finds the smartest kid he or she knows and works with them, they all will be much better off, because learning to work with students around technology is far more important for educators than learning any skills by themselves!
The New York City Department of Education has a new web filtering policy for employees. It will expand the use of its web filtering software, currently covering instructional computers, to cover all DOE computers, including those located in school administrative offices and in all central sites.
This software, called Websense, will transparently monitor all internet traffic and will automatically block content that is inappropriate, such as adult sites and those containing known security risks. Internal Department of Education websites, as well as internet sites that do not fall into the above categories, will not be affected by the filtering process.
If employees feel a particular website has been mis-categorized and/or is needed to perform job-related functions, they may contact the help desk at (718) 935-5100 to request an exception. When attempting to access a page that has been categorized as inappropriate, users will be re-directed to a block page like the one posted here.
Innovative educators often share frustration around not being able to effectively implement some of their ideas due to lack of funding. The reality for most schools is that in addition to what the district provides, they’ll need to advocate for funding to support the programs and initiatives they want to put in place. The first step in doing so is for schools to ensure they have Ideas for Getting Started with 21st Century Teaching and Learning which includes having a plan that takes into account knowing what equipment you want and how you intend to integrate technology into the curriculum. Once a school knows what they want they are ready to start working to gain funding to support their plans.
New York State has a grant designed to do this called the Learning Technology Grant (LTG). The program was created to promote collaboration between public school districts/BOCES and nonpublic schools of all denominations.
Program Purpose 1) promote an increase in continuous, progressive integration of instructional technology in classrooms and library media centers to improve student academic performance in relation to the New York State Learning Standards,
2) provide ongoing, sustained professional development focused on increasing knowledge and skills of teachers in the use of instructional technology to help students attain higher levels of performance in the New York State Learning Standards, and
3) make use of recognized model programs that are based on research and have shown promise of significantly increasing student academic achievement.
The program goals for LTG 2009 - 2012 are to:
1) improve student academic performance in achieving the New York State Learning Standards, with emphasis on programs focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
2) increase the use of instructional technology in the classroom and/or school library media center.
3) enhance collaborative projects among classrooms and library media centers.
To find out about NYC DOE school library programs, contacts and automation, click here.
Examples of Learning Technologies include:
Information delivery systems or services used to provide distance learning; (i.e. Moodle/Blackboard, Compass Learning, Apex Learning, InfoSource)
Interactive telecommunications, including equipment and services;
(i.e. Skype, webinar software, video conferencing)
Computer technology integrated into classroom or school library media center instruction;
(i.e. laptops, netbooks, eReaders, projectors, interactive whiteboards)
Networking among schools and libraries, including network equipment; (i.e. Library Automation)
Multimedia equipment and data storage;
(digital/video cameras, iPod/iTouch, servers, hard drives)
Education related materials, services and software
(i.e. Robotics, probes, graphing calculators, MOUSE Squads, Sim games, Geometer Sketchpad, Rise of Nations, Kindles)
Eligibility -Eligible applicants are public school districts and BOCES, or consortiums thereof. Applicants must give nonpublic schools of all denominations within their boundaries the opportunity to participate. Here is the listing ofNon Public Schools. -Applicants must also include at least one SURR or SINI (i.e., SINI, Corrective Action, or Restructuring) school building in the application to be considered for funding.
-No other entities are permitted to participate (community-based organizations, charter schools, etc.).
-New York City Department of Education schools can click here to see if they are eligible. Note you must request access to the list with an NYC DOE email address.
Allowable Activities and Costs The NYC allocation for this initiative is $1,785,000. Successful applications may be funded for three years at a maximum allocation of $50,000 per year, contingent upon the availability of funds for each school year. Approximately 35 grants will be awarded to NYC DOE schools.
-A minimum of 45% of the project budget must be used for ongoing, sustained professional development, including mentoring and/or in-classroom coaching of teachers to improve instruction using technology.
-No more than 45% of the funds may be used for purchase of equipment (e.g., computers, PDA’s, interactive whiteboards, alpha smarts, etc.)
-No more than five (5%) percent of the funds may be used for program administration not including indirect costs.
-No more than five (5%) percent of the funds may be used for evaluation. Below are evaluators currently evaluating Title 2D grants in New York City.
Sampling of NYC DOE Current Grant Evaluators 1) Design and Development Resources for Education and the Arts
http://www.dndrea.org/Home.asp
Josephine Imbimbo | jimbimbo@dndrea.org
Queens / Bronx
2) Research Works Inc
http://www.researchworks.org
Dr. Kathleen Toms | katytoms@researchworks.org
Manhattan
4) American Education Solutions
Elaine Rosales | grantsus@aol.com
Staten Island / Brooklyn
Peer Review Grants should include a peer review process.Statewide Peer Review is a program created by the New York State Department of Education that helps teachers document, assess, and discuss the work they complete as part of the New York State Learning Technology Grant. New York State encourages use of its Statewide Peer Review process to assist teachers in changing classroom practice to help students reach higher levels of achievement in relation to the learning standards. (http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/nysatl/whatpr.html) Schools interested in receiving support to implement this process can contact Teaching Matters, a company with proven experience in implementing this process which you can learn more about here.
Project Period Three years: November 1, 2009 - June 30, 2012. The initial year one project period will run from 11/1/09-6/30/10. A budget for the first year only (11/1/09-6/30/10) must be submitted with this application. Grants will be renewable for the next two years contingent upon the State legislature appropriating funds, satisfactory performance in the previous year and timely receipt of the annual report. No extension or carryover of funds from year to year is allowed.
Due Date Submit one (1) original and three (3) copies of the complete application postmarked by August 21, 2009.
Page Limits The Proposal Narrative should contain no more than 14 pages. A page is 8 ½ x 11 one-sided and single-spaced with one-inch margins on top, bottom and sides. Use Times Roman or Arial font in 12-point size.
Tips for Project Abstract Remember to include the following:
• The names of the schools in the grant
• The name of the project and what it does
• The activities included in the project
• The standards supported in the project
• Indicate that the two schools will use the peer review process
Collaboration Tools to Consider for Writing the Grants Consider using collaborative tools to collaborate in writing the grant with those at your school and your partner school. Tools may include:
• Video conference using Skype
• Chat using www.TinyChat.com
• Collaborate on single documents using docs.google.com
• Share and collect documents and resources using Wikispaces.com
• Engage in online discussion forums using Ning. Wikispaces discussion tabs are also an option
• Set up free conference calls using www.freeconferencecall.com
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Additional Information and support.
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Additional Grant Opportunities Tech & Learning and Dell once again bring you the annual grants directory calendar! Leverage available resources by increasing your awareness of existing grant opportunities and associated deadlines, and help address the pain point of limited budgets. PLUS, get the Top 10 Tips from T&L's Grant Guru -- hints that can help you rake in the funds! CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS FREE VALUABLE RESOURCE.
Looking for an innovative, engaging, and fun end-of-the year project for your students to do as Father's Day approaches this Sunday? Have them send their dad (or grandpa, uncle--or any other father in their life) an awesome video greeting made from their pictures. See an example here.
Animoto has created a playful setting for student's to create a video card. All they have to do is choose a few pictures, select a soundtrack, and email it off to their Dad. Students who finish quickly may work on creating a second greeting.Once students create cards you may want to suggest they share for select peers to review and comment on each other's work. Don’t forget to sign up for a FREE educator’s account.Doing so results in the user fee being waived.
Animoto won the Webby Award for best Web Service & Application and also the People’s Voice Award in the same category! Learn more by visiting the highlight reel and blog post.
Last week I had the opportunity to speak with colleagues interested in using cell phones to enhance teaching and learning in schools with a 21st century education focus. The question we explored was, "How can a school harness the power of tools that students already use and own (like cells)?" This question is asked in the face of challenges including: -Students are banned from bringing mobile devices to school -Cells have a bad reputation as a distraction rather than an educational tool -There are few well known and documented examples of cell phones being used to enhance teaching and learning -Many teachers are not comfortable with classroom management issues that exist when students have cell phones in class
Despite the challenges, we came up with some smart ideas for beginning to incorporate these tools into teaching and learning in meaningful ways. The first thing to acknowledge is that while students in some districts are banned from using mobile technologies at school, teachers are not. This means that teachers have multiple opportunities to model and demonstrate best practices to students. The next thing to acknowledge is that few teachers have ever used cell phones or other mobile technologies as instructional tools so they need to develop comfort and experience doing so before trying to do this with their students. Next is that a great way to get students started in using cells as an educational tool can be by incorporating them into their homework. This takes away two of the basic challenges: 1) Overcoming the ban obstacle. 2) Overcoming possible teacher discomfort with classroom management issues around cell phones.
Here are some ideas for schools or districts interested in allowing students to use cell phones to enhance learning.
Establish a liaison at your school responsible for helping to spearhead the effort. Schools may consider having staff apply for this role, outlining benefits and responsibilities
Consider launching with a fun scavenger hunt activity using some of the above ideas. Allow teachers to experience using the devices as an educational tool in a fun setting
Integrate cell phones into units of study and lessons o This can be collected on a wiki and shared with the community o Unit tech integration tool
Deliver a school launch for students, teachers, and parents. The launch could include: o An exciting program overview including goals and expectations o An overview of acceptable use, educational value, and expectations o Educational cell phone activities that introduce students to ways they can begin using their phones to support learning
Launch considerations o Consider integrating the phone's use as an instructional tool outside the school day in year one. This enables schools to avoid any issues of school phone bans and enables teachers to become comfortable integrating this work, while internalizing the need and not worrying about classroom management issues. If your district has a ban in place this gives you time to address that. o After a year of using cell phones let teachers decide if they want to opt into to having them incorporated during the day. Those who do not, can continue to use phones as educational tools outside the school day.
Parent Coordinator Collaboration o Provide a train the trainer for parent coordinators who can provide training for parents of project students and agree to deliver this training across the year to parents.
Online/On demand Support o Work with students to video tape and post tutorials online.
Certain conditions must exist for schools to effectively use technology to enhance education. The International Society for Technology Educators recommends a combination of essential conditions necessary to create learning environments conducive to powerful uses of technology including:
-Vision with support and proactive leadership from the education system -Educators skilled in the use of technology for learning -Content standards and curriculum resources -Student-centered approaches to learning -Assessment of the effectiveness of technology for learning -Access to contemporary technologies, software, and telecommunications networks -Technical assistance for maintaining and using technology resources -Community partners who provide expertise, support, and real-life interactions -Ongoing financial support for sustained technology use -Policies and standards supporting new learning environments
If you want to determine if your school has the conditions essential for meeting the National Educational Technology standards check out this handy “Essential Conditions for Success” tool which enables you to assess where you are and determine plans to move to where you want to be.
This blog is maintained by me, Lisa Nielsen, and was created to enable me to share information, ideas, and resources with other innovative educators as well as begin to grow a community interested in educating innovatively. This blog has a companion social network, wiki, and Twitter feed designed to support and reinforce its contents.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in The Innovative Educator are strictly those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of the NYC DOE, the AVP or any other entity.
Topics I enjoy discussing: 1. Using 21st Century Technologies to Give Educators A Voice 2. Using Social Networks, Cell Phones and Other Banned Technologies to Enhance Teaching and Learning 3. How to Begin Developing Your Personal Learning Network 4. Using Google Applications in Research 5. Putting the Paper-Trained on a Paperless Diet 6. Transforming Education with Low-Cost Laptops
In his blog, the Techominivore recently wrote a post on the new ISTE Classroom Observation Tool. He shares, "ISTE has developed a wonderful tool to help schools assess their technology integration efforts. The Classroom Observation Tool provides a checklist to guide you in observing how education technology is affecting classroom instruction. The tool is built on top of Adobe Air and allows you to work offline and then upload your results so you can access them from anywhere and share them with your instructional teams."
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