I D E A S A N D T O O L S F O R E D T E C H L E A D E R S
I
M A R C H 2 0 1 4
I
$ 6
VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 8TECHLEARNING.COM
It’s just
misunderstood.
(See page 32)
DIGITAL BADGES
THE FUTURE OF PD
See page 23
PUT TO THE TEST
LEGO EDUCATION
STORYSTARTER
See page 18
WHY WE
STILL NEED
LIBRARIANS
See page 10
for more.
The Total
Common Core
Solution
Learn more on
PG25
BIG DATA ISN’T BAD
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Tech & Learning
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active
passive
public
private
digital
analog
formal
informal
calm
energetic
social
quiet
choice
focused
alone
together
engaged
relaxed
observant
focused
innovative
traditional
brainstorm
contemplative
collaborative
the new library
Today’s students demand choices, requiring libraries to offer a range of spaces to support
the many ways they learn.
Steelcase works with the world’s leading educational institutions
to create multipurpose, high-performance destinations for all of the places learning happens.
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W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | M A R C H 2 0 1 4 |
3
FEATURES
23
THERE’S A BADGE FOR THAT
By Richard Ferdig and Kristine E. Pytash
Digital badges have captured the imagination of many educators because they have proven to be an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes.
32
SCHOOL CIO: WHO’S AFRAID OF BIG DATA?
By Dr. Steven RubensteinBig data is overwhelming, but it can also furnish important information about individual students, schools, and districts. Here is how one district created a school system and culture to embrace data as a partner in learning.
36
SCHOOL CIO: BACK OFFICE BUSINESS
38
TECH TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE “SOFT” SKILLS
By Cathy SwanShould schools teach “soft” skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking? Most colleges and workplaces believe the answer is yes. This article provides a variety of examples of tech tools that can help you teach and assess these skills.
PRODUCTS
16
PUT TO THE TEST: T&L EDITORS TAKE SOME NEW
PRODUCTS FOR A TEST DRIVE.
16 Digital Passport: Classroom Edition 18 LEGO StoryStarter Curriculum Pack 20 HotSeat’s Edustation flight simulator 22 Adobe Creative Cloud
42
WHAT’S NEW
DEPARTMENTS &
COLUMNS
4 EDITORS DESK: GET ON WITH THE SHOWS 6 NEWS & TRENDS
• This Ain’t Your 70s Snow Day
• Why We Still Need Librarians
• ConsideringNewLearning Spaces
23
38
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M a r c h 2 0 1 4 | V O L . 3 4 N O . 8
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S
note
M A R C H 2 0 1 4 | V O L . 3 4 N O . 8
GET ON WITH
THE SHOWS
W
hat a way to start the year! The Tech & Learningteam has been on the road and even “across the pond” these past few weeks, keeping up with what could be called edtech’s show season.
First up was our own Tech Forum in Long Beach, with an inspirational keynote by Dr. Alec Couros (couros.ca/cv/), and an insightful panel that included LA CIO Ron Chandler discussing that little iPad pilot you may have heard about. You can watch it yourself at our Livestream channel (www.livestream.com/techlearning).
Then we spent a week in London for BETT, the granddaddy of edtech shows. More than 40,000 educators from across the planet shared best practices in panel sessions, which included one hosted by our UK advisor Terry Freedman. Meanwhile, in Philly, managing editor Christine Weiser was reporting on
T&L advisor Chris Lehmann’s Educon (educonphilly. org), which is a sort of Davos for edugeeks. Finally, we all gathered in Austin, TX, for the Texas Computer Education Association show and to celebrate our own Awards of Excellence. You can read about all of these events plus some takeaways from this year’s Florida Education Technology Conference on pages 14 and 15 and online at techlearning.com.
So what’s the next “Big Thing” to come out of all these shows? Besides the emerging Maker Movement and education app market, I saw nothing much new in the way of hardware and software. What I did find exciting were the new and innovative ways that educators are learning to use current technologies. Next stops—SXSWedu back in Austin, TX and Tech Forum in Atlanta on March 28, featuring longtime School CIO advisor Carl Hooker as keynote speaker. We look forward to seeing you online or in real time soon.
BESIDES THE EMERGING MAKER MOVEMENT AND EDUCATION APP MARKET, I SAW NOTHING MUCH NEW IN THE WAY OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE. WHAT I DID FIND EXCITING WERE THE NEW AND INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT EDUCATORS ARE LEARNING TO USE CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES.
— Kevin Hogan Editorial Director khogan@nbmedia.com
Publisher: Allison Knapp aknapp@nbmedia.com; (650) 238-0318; Fax: (650) 238-0263
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Kapuler, Jenith Mishne, Joyce Valenza
TECHLEARNING.COM
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WHAT GRADE
WOULD IT GET?
IF YOUR DATA
NETWORK WAS
A STUDENT,
BUSINESS.COMCAST.COM/EDUCATION
866-429-2241
The fact is, many school communications networks are
falling behind. Comcast Business Ethernet solutions keep
you ahead because they’re built for education.
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NEWS
AND
TRENDS
T H E L A T E S T N E W S & S T A T S A F F E C T I N G T H E K - 1 2 E D T E C H C O M M U N I T Y
NEWS
AND
TRENDS
T H E L A T E S T N E W S & S T A T S A F F E C T I N G T H E K - 1 2 E D T E C H C O M M U N I T Y
We should be designing our instruction and teaching our students to use a wide selection of digital tools that best fits within their learning style.
—Rob Miller
Part of being a strong leader is allowing yourself to trust others to do their best, even if their idea sounds a little crazy.
—Pernille Ripp
If your school, and your school day, is not about students collaborating, connecting, and building knowledge and understandings together, why would anyone come?
—Scott McLeod
@geraldaungst: Improvements coming to E-rate for libraries and schools. More funds, emphasis on broadband. http://aungst. me/1fIhsRJ
@henrythiele: School on snow days? Thank technology - Chicago Tribune http://tinyurl.com/ o6uxksw
@rroysden: Inquiry Driven: Ask questions we don’t know the answers to! Dare kids to ask questions! @chrislehmann
1
Making 1:1 Work
Ellen Ullman checked in with some 1:1 districts to get their insight into what makes these initiatives strong and how they can be sustained.2
New Study Says MOOCs
Have Few Active Users
A new study from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education reveals some interesting findings related to MOOCs.3
Google Adds More to Play
Google Play for Education announced a new aspect of their content distribution strategy—digital books.4
6 Must-Have Evernote iPad
Apps and Chrome Extensions
J Robinson lists additional extensions and tablet apps that make Evernote even more useful and versatile for the school leader and classroom teacher.5
Product Review: Britannica
Pathways: Science
MaryAnn Karre reviews this online, interactive approach to teaching the scientific method.6
Animated Atlas: Growth of a
Nation
A review of the growth of the U.S. from the Revolutionary War until all the states were added in 1959.7
Favorite Student Apps & Tools
At Tech Forum California, students from elementarythrough high school shared their favorite apps and tools.
8
Survey: Americans
Concerned about Use of
Students’ Personal Data
Common Sense Media released a survey showing adults are concerned about how students’ personal data may be used to market to them.9
Send Them on Learning
Missions
Shelly Terrell stopped giving her students homework and began to give them a choice of missions and challenges.10
Top 100 Sites and Apps of
2013
David Kapuler cites digital storytelling as one of the most prominent themes in this year’s list.top
10
WEB STORIES
From
techlearning.com
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Every feature of the Blackmagic Cinema Camera has been designed for quality. With 2 separate models, you can choose from the world’s most amazing EF or MFT lenses from crafters such as Canon™,
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Accessories Built In
High end cinema cameras often require thousands of dollars of extra accessories to make them work, however the Blackmagic Cinema Camera includes accessories you need built in! You get a large 5 inch monitor, super fast SSD RAW recorder and professional audio recorder all built in! You also get UltraScope software, used via the built in Thunderbolt™ connection, for on set waveform monitoring!
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NEWS
AND
TRENDS
T&L READER
SURVEY
WHEN WAS THE
LAST TIME YOU
DOWNLOADED
AN EDUCATION
APP?
SCANRAIL/IS TOCKPHO
TO/THINK STOCK
SITE WE
LIKE
WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/
SECURITY/SAFERONLINE/
Microsoft launched the
Safer Online site to spread
the word about online
safety and encourage
people to “Do 1 Thing” to
help make the Internet a
safer place.
this ain’t your
1970’s snow day
It’s been a rough winter for much of the country, but inclement weather doesn’t mean the learning stops. Here are tools many schools used to keep lessons rolling anytime, anywhere:
* Google Apps for Education: Had a small-group
activity in mind for room 218, period 3? Set up a Google Doc and have students answer questions collaboratively from home. If you have a presentation all ready for a “live” class, throw it up to a shared class folder.
* Twitter #Chats: Use push notifications to send out
reminders, reading links, or review questions for students. Use class hashtags to help students easily find relevant info, or create a class Twitter account. Set up a live #chat when you are available to answer questions.
* Google Forms: Google Forms can be turned into quizzes
simply by asking content-specific questions. Or they can be designed more like a handout where students answer/practice/reflect on topic areas you wanted to cover face to face.
* G+ Communities: Create a G+ Community for just your class. This makes a group page
where you can upload readings, videos, and links and have students comment on them.
* Try a HangOut: Feeling like a live chat? Set up a Google Hangout on Air. The added benefit is
this records the discussion for later viewing. —Jennifer LaMaster, CIO Advisor
F O R M O R E S U R V E YS , V I S I T W W W.T E C H L E A R N I N G .CO M /AU G 1 3
Just today
33%
Never
4%
In the past week
50%
In the past month
9%
In the past year
4%
JO
SIEPHO
S/IS
T
OCKPHO
T
O
/THINK
S
T
“How did it get so
late so soon?”
– Dr. Seuss
For more information about how these award winning products can help address
everything from assessment to increasing access to educational resources,
visit
www.stone-ware.com.
With a finite amount of hours in a school day, instruction time is more valuable than ever. While we can’t stop time,
Stoneware’s products can help you maximize teaching during the school day. Learn how LanSchool and
webNetwork can save you 10 minutes per class in recovered time. That's an additional 150 teaching hours per year.
12
6
3
9
NEWS
AND
TRENDS
RESOURCES
FOR DIGITAL
LITERACY
Tree Octopus Dog Island Free Forever spoof site Digital Literacies Venn Diagram
R E A D S H E L L E Y T E R R E L L’ S CO M P L E T E L I ST AT T E C H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 3
6
CONSIDERATIONS
FOR NEW
LEARNING SPACES
Steelcase recently released the white paper, Technology-Empowered Learning: Six Spatial Insights, which examined ways that technological advances have redefined the classroom and the design of learning environments. The report identified the following six insights to help educators consider spatial responses to tech integration:
■ Person-to-person connections remain essential for successful learning.
■ Technology is supporting richer face-to-face
interactions and higher-level cognitive learning.
■ Integrating technology into classrooms mandates flexibility and activity-based spatial planning.
■ Spatial boundaries are loosening.
■ Spaces must be designed to capture and stream information.
■ High-tech and low-tech will coexist.
For more details, visit techlearning.com/mar13
WHY WE STILL
NEED LIBRARIANS
In a recent report, Leading In and Beyond the Library, by digital learning and technology consultants Mary Ann Wolf and Rachel Jones, the following suggestions were made for policymakers and boards of education: * Envision the role of school librarians as extending
beyond the physical space of the library and being more than the keepers of books and reference materials and consider the critical knowledge and skills that school librarians bring to the digital learning transition.
* Consider how funding the role of the school librarian is also supporting teachers, students, and administrators in the digital learning transition. * Recognize how the library and the technology within
the library are essential to providing students with access to the Internet and research and learning guidance and to leveling the playing field for students without access to the Internet or devices at home, especially outside of regular school hours.
This same report made the following suggestions for librarians:
* Share how the collaboration, professional development, and instruction provided by the school librarian are integral to the digital learning transition.
* Continue learning to be leaders in the digital learning transition and experts who can provide professional development, implement new tools and resources, and guide teachers, students, and administrators.
* Lead and model the potential of the library itself as a hub of digital learning and the connection to rich and diverse content, and create a makerspace designed and positioned to meet the needs of students and teachers.
Data Collection for
the Wireless Generation
Vernier Software & Technology | www.vernier.com | Toll Free: 888-VERNIER (888-837-6437)
Vernier introduces Go Wireless Temp. This rugged, stainless-steel
temperature probe is the first in a series of wireless sensors that
communicates directly with your iPad
®. It’s completely wireless,
affordable, and backed by Vernier’s legendary support.
For complete details go to www.vernier.com/gw-temp
Meet Go Wireless
™NEWS
AND
TRENDS
EVENT
ROUND-UPS
TOP 10
FETC 2014
TAKEAWAYS
By Jodi SamSinak
1
Every student has the right to ask, “Why are we doing this?” and “How does this relate to my future?” if we can’t answer these critical questions, it’s time to take a step back.2
nothing lasts forever, except your social media posts. keep teaching digital citizenship.3
Every teacher needs to leave a digital footprint. our students should have access to our content 24/7. This isn’t only for students, but for our stakeholders as well.4
Collaboration is critical. We’re no longer working in an environment where we can choose to work alone.5
Social media is not a bad word. in the past, education and social media have not blended. at FETC, presenters showed us that they can and must go hand in hand.6
Social media is great, but it’s also great to turn it off. Wherever you are, be present. Set a time limit for yourself and your students.7
kids aren’t just texting anymore. They’re taking pictures…in your class! So why not let them take pictures and incorporate apps like instagram into your curriculum? Before they write about the content, ask them to storyboard it with digital imagery.8
our schools are still the place where kids use technology the least. if we’re preparing them for a tech future, then we better be preparing them by using the tools that they’ll need for success in their future.9
it’s not what i learned at FETC (or at any conference), it’s who i connected with. Establishing, supporting, and growing your PLn is important.10
no app can replace a great teacher! Even at FETC, where i was surrounded by Google Glass, Tobii eye mobile (eye tracking mouse), sketchnoting, and other amazing apps, the overwhelming takeaway is that no technology will ever replace us.Jodi Samsinak, an iB English teacher at ozark High School in ozark, missouri. Read Jodi’s full post at www.techlearning.com/mar14
T&L CELEBRATES AWARDS
OF EXCELLENCE AT
TCEA
a fine time was had by all at Tech&Learning’s awards of Excellence reception, which is held every year in conjunction with the Texas Computer Education association’s conference in austin. more than 70 education technology products were recognized as winners. Honored software, hardware, network, and Web gear included innovative applications that break new ground as well as those that added significant enhancements to proven education tools. a panel of more than 30 educators, who tested more than 150 entries, chose the winners. We look forward to even more new great edtech coming out in 2014.
W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | M A R C H 2 0 1 4 |
13
NEWS
AND
TRENDS
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN
LEARNING OPENS AT
SCIENCE
LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
In January, Science Leadership Academy (SLA) and The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia announced a partnership with Dell that will make the school the first in the nation to deploy the Dell
Chromebook 11 as part of its new “Center of Excellence in Learning.” This Center will go beyond a 1:1 Chromebook deployment. Thanks to more than $620,000 in grant money and education technology from Dell, the Center will also enable SLA to share its well-known model of inquiry-based learning with schools around the country through real-time and online professional development opportunities.
“The Center for Excellence at Science Leadership Academy is going to involve a number of different things—not the least of which is that we are moving our 1:1 program to the Dell Chromebook,” says principal Chris Lehmann. “What differentiates
this grant is that it not only brings technology to our school, but allows us to create the Center of Excellence. This funding will allow us to invite educators from all over the world to come see what we do. The technology is used in service of our inquiry-driven, project-based curriculum. This is a very specific kind of teaching and learning, and our hope is that this partnership will allow us to reach more educators and bring what we do at SLA to other districts.”
At the recent BETT show, Tech & Learning decided to take on the topic of “Measuring What Matters: Soft Skills Made Visible” at a Learn Live panel discussion. The panel included T&L U.K. advisor Terry Freedman of www. ictineducation.org, as well as professors, teachers, and consultants from the U.S. and England. The conversation revealed some interesting observations.
■
Margaret Cox, a professor who has done a lot of research on assessment, said, “It [is] crucial to build in time and opportunities for students to reflect on what they [have] learned. She also said, “It [is] crucial to measure the right things,” and she pointed out that students might have learned something completely different than what you, as the teacher, had intended for them to learn.■
Paul Hutton, a consultant from England, spoke about the joy of programming, and talked about the excitement that kids experience when learning and technology come together: “Skills like collaboration are not new at all, and our kids must learn how to fail.”■
Megan Power, a kindergarten teacher from the U.S., said, “Youngsters must be taught to be thinkers, and these so-called ‘soft skills’ must be built into the curriculum.” She alsoemphasized the need to provide children with opportunities to solve problems rather than slavishly following a textbook.
■
Sacha van Straten, a high school teacher from England, asked: “Why not use a Google Doc to capture a discussion and Google Analytics to track the conversations that take place there? Given that kids are learning socially, does assessment even matter?”■
Crispin Weston, a consultant from England, also questioned our assessment practices: “Are we measuring performance or capability? Examinations provide only a snapshot at a certain point in time.”Overall, each member of the panel made excellent points. And while people may not have left with all the answers, at least they knew that they were not the only ones asking the questions!
NEWS
AND
TRENDS
R E A D T H E CO M P L E T E R E P O R T AT T E C H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 3
FCC BOSS ON
E-RATE REFORM
In his first blog post, FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly recently posted the following guideposts that he believes must be reflected in E-Rate reform:
■ E-Rate must not increase costs for consumers.
■ E-Rate must be refocused on broadband access.
■ E-Rate matching requirements must be made consistent with other federal programs.
■ E-Rate funding must leverage the private sector networks and services, not overbuild them.
■ E-Rate funding should provide schools with the flexibility to choose the speeds that best meet their needs.
■ E-Rate program administration must be revised.
CONVERSATIONS
FROM THE
TECH FORUM
LIVESTREAM
ARCHIVE
1:1 & BYO Tips
Embracing
Common Core
Open Education
Resources
S E E M O R E AT
W W W. L I V E ST R E A M .CO M / T E C H L E A R N I N G
STUDY REVEALS PARENTS SEE
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR
EDUCATIONAL MEDIA
A national survey of parents of children ages 2-10 by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center finds that more than half of parents believe that learning from mobile devices falls short compared to other platforms. Other key findings of the Learning at Home study include:
* Two- to four-year-olds
spend more time per day on educational media than any other age group: 1 hour 16
minutes for ages 2-4, 50 minutes for ages 5-7, and 42 minutes for ages 8-10.
* Television continues to dominate, according to parents, with children spending
an average of 42 minutes a day with educational TV compared to 5 minutes with educational content on mobile devices and computers.
* Even among those who use educational content on each platform weekly, learning
from mobile lags behind TV: 39 percent say their child has learned “a lot” about any subject from mobile compared to 52 percent for TV.
R E A D T H E F U L L B LO G AT T E C H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 3
MOODBO
ARD
/THINK
S
T
w: www.netsupportschool.com | e: education@netsupport-inc.com | t: 1-888-665-0808 (Toll Free)
Classroom technology is evolving ... but is your classroom management software
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Monitor entire classroom - Remote control students - Block internet
Surveys - Send messages - Broadcast teacher’s screen - Class registration
By David Kapuler
D
igital Passport for iOS and Android is an expansion of theWeb-based game that helps students in 3rd-5th grades learn skills around being safe, smart, and responsible online. Based on lessons from Common Sense Media’s K-12 digital literacy and citizenship curriculum, Digital Passport uses games and videos to address online safety and security, cyberbullying, responsible cellphone use, safe searching, and respecting creative work. Students learn and advance through topic areas, collecting badges at their own pace, to ultimately earn their digital passports.
Quality and Effectiveness: Not only is Digital Passport a good mobile app for learning online safety skills, it’s perfect for meeting CIPA needs. Because it is loaded onto their mobile devices, students learn appropriate online behavior at home and teachers can use it to flip their classrooms.
The app includes an educational portal that allows educators to track and generate student reports to assess their learning
and helps schools meet E-Rate and CIPA requirements.
Ease of Use: Designed for kids in 3rd-5th grades, Digital Passport uses videos to explain the different elements of being a digitally responsible student. There are five lessons for each student to take (communication, privacy, bullying, safe Web surfing, and creative credit). These
lessons are broken up into three progressive stages to ensure that the students become more successful as they complete each stage and learn the corresponding lesson. There is also a helpful Web site and forum for parents and educators looking for help implementing Digital Passport in their classrooms.
Creative Use of Technology: Digital Passport uses an inviting combination of video and cartoon animations to teach cybersafety.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This app should be an essential tool for technology educators to use in their curricula. It’s very easy to use, tracks student progress, and generates reports. Also, Digital Passport qualifies for Apple’s Volume Purchasing Program, which allows for big discounts when purchasing apps in bulk.
DIGITAL PASSPORT:
CLASSROOM EDITION
www.digitalpassport.org/educator-registration ■ retail price: ipad & android app: $3.99FOR MORE OF THE LATEST PRODUCT RELEASES, VISIT US ONLINE AT TEchLEarNING.cOM.
PRODUCT
REVIEWS
T E C H & L E A R N I N G E D I T O R S T A K E S O M E N E W P R O D U C T S F O R A T E S T D R I V E
TOP FEATURES
• Importance and Subject Matter: The app focuses on online safety for students, which is a requirement of CIPA compliance.
• Educational Portal: Digital Passport allows educators to track student progress and generate reports.
• Innovative Use of Technology: The app combines videos and animated characters to create a fun environment for students to learn essential skills.
OVERALL RATING:
Digital Passport is
an essential app to use
when teaching students
ARE YOU MAKING A
DIFFERENCE
?
Tell us how you lead by using technology in education. Enter yourself, or a
colleague, in Tech & Learning’s 2014 Leader of the Year Program.
Tech & Learning is once again honoring K-12 educators who use technology in innovative
ways and whose ideas have made a significant impact on their school community and
beyond. We invite you to share your teaching, training, and managing success stories
with our judges. Winners will be profiled in T&L’s June Leadership issue, gain national
recognition -- and will be honored at a gala celebration at ISTE ‘14 in Atlanta!
CONTEST OPENS MARCH 1, 2014
Visit
www.techlearning.com/section/LeaderOfTheYear
to enter
By Kevin, Phineas, and Theodore Hogan
D
esigned for use in second through fifth grades, LEGO Education StoryStarter is a hands-on learning tool that enhances students’ reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. One set contains enough elements to equip up to five students with everything they need to start constructing their own stories.Quality and Effectiveness: Have LEGO bricks ever been cooler? The classic building toy can now be part of everyday classroom work and can even be tied to standards, thanks to the StoryStarter
curriculum packages. The lesson plans, objectives, and rubrics are meant to guide teachers toward building physical, mental, and digital literacies, all while having fun. While not the perfect solution, StoryStarter comes close to fulfilling the promise of gamification.
Ease of Use: You’d be hard pressed to find a kid who is not comfortable with LEGO. The challenge comes with the additional element of working with StoryStarter. Students are led into conversation about creating characters and scenes and plots. They then create scenes using the specialized LEGO pieces.
Here’s where it gets tricky. Using a Web cam, digital camera, or smart device, students can then take images of their creations and import them into the software or application. Students
then turn into desktop publishers—using a variety of graphic design tools, they are charged with creating dialogue, editing images, and learning basic layout design. While this product is marketed for grades 2-5, we found our fifth-grade reviewer more inclined to use the software, with the second grader more intent on just building with LEGO bricks.
Of course, we can’t deny what most parents and
teachers would describe as the “LEGO Factor”—hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny plastic pieces that will inevitably find the floor. The Core set does come with a tub designed to store the various pieces but our reviewers never seemed to get a handle on this concept.
Creative Use of Technology: StoryStarter effectively bridges the tactile with the digital and creative fun with rigor and assessment. Logging on to the software is simple and the basic tools are intuitive. Our student reviewers took right to it, although they needed help transferring and editing images and text. All curriculum material is available as PDF and it is well written. The software is a true tool. Students weren’t so much “playing on the computer” as “making stories.”
Suitability for Use in a School Environment:
How effective these projects could be depends heavily upon class size and access to technology. LEGO bricks are great but messy. And keeping students on task could be a real challenge. The lesson plans and rubrics are descriptive and solid. As long as the teacher has a good grasp on multimedia skills and a keen imagination, StoryStarter should be a great addition to a classroom.
PRODUCT
REVIEWS
STORYSTARTER CURRICULUM PACK
www.legoeducation.us/storystarter ■ retail price: $237.95 (Classroom pack)
TOP FEATURES
• The huge popularity of LEGO makes it an obvious draw for students to engage with in class.
• The software tools are simple and intuitive, making the bridge between physical and digital play seamless.
The K-12 Blueprint offers resources for
education leaders involved in planning and
implementing technology initiatives.
These include:
• Case studies from schools and districts
involved in one-to-one and other
technology-supported initiatives.
• Practical tips from K-12 leaders and
practitioners.
• White papers, technology briefs and a
variety of helpful publications from Intel,
easily accessible in one place.
PLUS: Toolkits available now including:
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD);
• Educational Technology Policy;
• Planning for Digital Content;
• ICT Program Evaluation;
• and Common Core Standards Evaluation.
Visit the
K-12 Blueprint Web Site!
The newly designed K-12 Blueprint website provides dynamic, just in time planning
resources for the busy ed-tech professional.
Check out the new and improved site today. If you like what you see, we invite
you to bookmark us, save and share your favorite Blueprint resources using the
site’s new virtual briefcase, and subscribe to our twice-monthly newsletter to
receive updates on what’s new.
www.k12blueprint.com
BROUGHT
TO YOU BY:
By Frank Pileiro
H
otSeat’s Edustation flight simulator is a realistic and full-featured flight simulator that is designed to integrate into all areas of STEM education. It is one of several models sold by the company. This particular model is designed for middle and high school students. It is self-contained and mobile so it can be shared among teachers in a variety of subjects.Quality and Effectiveness: The Edustation is well built and easily moved. The controls are sturdy and when they are combined with the large screen and headphones, it is easy to get a real-life flight experience. The system is truly a plug-and-play model that gets you up and running quickly. Everything is self-contained, so you just need to plug it in, start up the computer, and open the software.
Ease of Use: The real power behind this product lies in the software. It is powered by Lockheed Martin’s Prepare3D flight software. The teacher can set the software so it can be tailored to a variety of skill levels. You can save and load flights that allow you to start in the air or on the ground. The hands-on controls give you everything you need for flight and the onscreen cockpit is interactive and realistic.
Like any new skill, there is a learning curve, but the software can be adjusted to accommodate an aspiring pilot up to the most seasoned aviator. One thing I really liked is that you can turn off the crashing mode so the plane just “bounces” off the ground and the user can continue the flight.
Creative Use of Technology: The Edustation simulator is a very innovative use of technology because of the realistic environments teachers can create (e.g., weather, terrain, and location) to teach STEM subjects at a variety of skill levels. Edustations can even be networked together to allow students to fly in groups or formations. From small planes to large commercial jets, there are a variety of aircraft to challenge students. While in the “cockpit,” there are controls that allow you to look around and change your views so you can get a real-life experience. Students can actually learn how to fly with the Edustation.
HotSeat is also developing 30 STEM lab lessons for middle and high school students. Each lesson will be aligned to the Common Core standards and will be available in Fall 2014.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment: The Edustation can fit into a variety of curricular areas, especially math and science. The unit is portable and easy to set up and run. The cost for a single unit may be challenging for some districts, but its portability makes it easy to share. The students will be motivated and standing in line to use it.
PRODUCT
REVIEWS
TOP FEATURES
• The realism of its flight simulation technology allows for flying in a variety of environments and locations.
• It touches on many areas of STEM education, which gives teachers the flexibility to use it for a variety of topics and subjects.
• The product’s portability and ease of use allow it to be shared by more than one classroom. This helps justify the cost for a single unit and reaches more students.
HOTSEAT CHASSIS EDUSTATION
FLIGHT SIMULATOR
http://hotseatsim.com ■ retail price: $3,395
OVERALL
RATING:
HotSeat
Chassis Edustation
is a very innovative
use of flight simulator
technology that makes
it fun to learn more
Are you attending the
ed tech event of the year?
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By Carol S. Holzberg
I
n early summer 2013, Adobe revamped its product line by converting its desktop applications into a subscription-based online experience known as Creative Cloud (CC). All applications except for Acrobat were upgraded or enhanced. Adobe introduced a new service called Typekit, providing CC subscribers with access to a growing library of high-quality fonts to use in their Web projects. Adobe also unveiled a new social community called Behance, where members can show work in progress, get feedback, and share resources for use with applications like InDesign CC and Flash Professional CC.Quality and Effectiveness: If you purchase a CC product subscription, not only do you get a full working application installed on your computer, it also updates and upgrades each subscribed product as it becomes available. The previous version of Adobe’s Creative Suite 6 gave licensed users free access only to “updates.” Upgrades containing new features, were available for an additional fee.
Ease of Use: Most Adobe products share a similar look and feel, with common toolbars, drop-down menus, commands, panels, keyboard shortcuts, and tools like the eyedropper, smart guides, paste-in-place, and edit. Tools in one program may appear in several others. This means there is an increased comfort level and a decreased learning curve for users exploring each of the applications.
Creative Use of Technology: Enhancement and new features make Creative Cloud products more versatile than ever before. For example, Photoshop CC now features a shake reduction feature that helps sharpen an image by reducing the blur from handheld camera motion. InDesign features a QR Code creator (Quick Response Code) that lets you create a graphic data code that can link to a Web hyperlink, plain text, text message, email or business card. It can also be resized, colored and edited without compromising quality. Adobe Illustrator CC comes with a Touch Type tool for more precise type manipulation of each letter in a text selection. There are too many features and enhancements to mention them all in this brief overview. Suffice it to say that the Adobe CC brush has touched all tools except for Acrobat.
Suitability for Use in a School Environment: School personnel installing Adobe CC products on local computers should understand that an Education Enterprise Agreement governs product installation in new ways.
PRODUCT
REVIEWS
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD
www.adobe.com ■ retail price: pricing will differ from one institution to another based on its fTe count. for large-scale deployments in k-12 classrooms and computer labs, adobe
recommends that schools purchase Creative Cloud products under an adobe education enterprise agreement (eea).
TOP FEATURES
• Students work with the same industry standard tools that experts use. • Updates and upgrades are free and available upon release.
• Creative activities produce output for mobile devices in addition to desktops, laptops, and print publications.
OVERALL
RATING:
Students
who work in
collaborative settings
with real-world, industry
standard applications such
as Adobe Creative Cloud
can integrate digital
media and technology
There’s a
Badge
For That
SPONSORED BY
ILL
US
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B
Y
BREND
AN
LEA
By Richard Ferdig and Kristine Pytash
D
igital badges have captured the imagination of many educators, including those frustrated with current assessment techniques and practices. A more thorough explanation and history of digital badges is available through a report released last August by the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://all4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/DigitalBadges. pdf ) or through the Mozilla OpenBadges project (http://openbadges.org/). However, a simple definition for a digital badge is digital recognition for accomplishing a skill or acquiring knowledge after completing an activity (e.g., a course, module, or project). In the world of digital badges, there are those who create badges, those who attempt to achieve badges, those who recognize badges, and those who seek to know people who have obtained certain badges. Digital badges have arguably taken off in popularity given the increase in massive open courses that are often free and thus do not produce credits. In sum, digital badges have become an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes.Though they may have capital in multiple domains, digital badges are often new to teachers and those who offer professional development. However, there are at least three key areas where digital badges have implications for teachers and their continuing education.
1.–Digital Badges for Teacher
Professional Development.Teachers and educators often preach the
importance of personalization and individualization of
content for students. However, professional development experiences for teachers are
THERE’S A BADGE
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Teacher Evaluations
The Teacher
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often one-size-fits-all excursions. By engaging teachers in conversations about digital badges, district professionals are empowering teachers to engage in conversations about what skills and knowledge they need and want. Additionally, when teachers earn badges, they become part of a community. They are recognized as members who have specific expertise, knowledge, and abilities. This is powerful as it recognizes teachers as professionals who can assess their current instructional needs and engage in learning that addresses those needs.
2.–Digital Badges for Teacher Education.
District personnel and teachers need to be aware that a conversation is happening at the university
level, led by educators like Ian O’Byrne and Greg McVerry
(http://wiobyrne.com/ and http://jgregorymcverry. com/). This conversation is focused on how teacher certification at the university, state, and national levels might begin to incorporate assessment through digital badges. At this stage, it is too early to suggest implications for professional development. However, school district personnel and teachers could begin to work with teacher educators to shape badge content and requirements.
3.–Digital Badges for Instruction.
Teachers are often introduced to badges in professional development as consumers of digital badges. However, teachers should begin considering how they could become producers of badges. One goal of this work is for teachers to consider how they could translate content and skills to badges as alternative forms of assessment for students.
It is worth noting that teachers and district personnel need not investigate badges because they are the latest fad. Rather, badges
challenge: swartz creek (mi) community schools (sccs) understood the potential to improve teach-ing—and ultimately student outcomes—through effective teacher evaluations that informed profes-sional learning. to ensure such improvement-focused evaluations, district officials knew they needed a process that demonstrated administrators’ profi-ciency in conducting teaching observations. equally important, they needed an individualized process to connect evaluation results with ongoing professional learning for teachers.
Solution: to address this challenge, the district adopted the teachscape focus observation training and assessment system and the teachscape reflect observation and evaluation management system. with teachscape focus, administrators are trained to conduct accurate and consistent teaching obser-vations based on charlotte danielson’s framework for teaching (fft). teachers are taught the frame-work based on which subjects are being evaluated.
“teachscape has helped us establish a common language around teaching practice using the fft,” says adam hartley, assistant super-intendent of curriculum and instruction at sccs. “this common language, when used as an embedded part of the evaluation and professional learning processes, has been essential in creating a cycle of continuous improvement.”
using teachscape reflect, administrators conduct and manage teacher evaluations and then work collaboratively with teachers on data-driven professional development based on the evaluations. together, they discuss areas of strength and weakness and deter-mine strategies for instructional improvement. in addition, teachers
at sccs participate in professional learning communities to reflect on their practices and learn from one another.
teachscape has allowed district leaders to evaluate its teachers more effectively. By providing the necessary training and assessment, all administrators and teachers understand and use the same definitions and criteria for evaluating teaching, thus creating teacher engage-ment and inter-rater reliability across the district. and with an evalu-ation process that is entirely online, observevalu-ations are more efficient and evaluations are more transparent. looking ahead, the district plans to more heavily implement professional learning workshops focused on specific content areas.
REVAMPING PD AND TEACHER EVALUATION IN MICHIGAN
Swartz Creek Community Schools use teacher evaluations to improve teaching and student outcomes.
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represent a movement for understanding how to use alternative assessment techniques. Experimenting with
badges is not just for testing, but can also be used to improve instruction, motivate students, and better represent acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes. How can district personnel introduce this topic into their educational discussions? How can a teacher learn more about digital badges for professional development and for future integration into the K-12 classroom? There are three recommendations.
1.–Develop a deeper understanding of digital badges.
Teachers can begin by reading about badge implementation. For instance, this past summer, the city of Chicago launched a summer learning initiative with badges (http://www.macfound.org/ programs/digital-badges/). Connected Learning TV also hosted webinars and twitter chats about digital badges (http://connectedlearning.tv). Engaging in these professional conversations and reviewing these case studies can help district personnel and teachers develop a conceptual understanding of badges while also beginning to envision local possibilities.
2.–Earn a badge. OpenBadges (http://openbadges.org/) has made it incredibly easy to earn your first badge. A visitor to the site clicks on the word “earn,” takes a quiz, and earns a badge. From here, readers can explore an OpenBadges community to see others that are offering badges.
3.–Create a badge. It is important to remember that digital badges are a way to visually represent quality and valuable learning. You can begin your badge creation with the following series of questions:
* Have you explored existing
badges? Is there someone who
has already done the work you are trying to do so that you could
DEVELOPING A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR COMMON
CORE IMPLEMENTATION
challenge: three years
ago, when new york state
adopted common core
state standards for english language arts & literacy and mathematics, the syracuse (ny) city school district (scsd) needed to develop a strong, long-term platform for professional development around the common core implementation. the district saw the shift to common core state standards as an opportunity with the poten-tial to dramatically improve student achievement. they also knew that the success of educational change efforts hinged on a careful balance between supportive training and new practice demands.
district leaders envisioned an educator effectiveness system that would be based on a thoughtful, constructive use of tools, and they were determined to craft a reform
plan that aligned support and evaluation systems to the demands of common core standards. they needed a road map to focus on key strategies and practices that would increase instructional rigor and the complexity of unit and lesson content.
Solution: in 2012, the district partnered with insight education group to develop customized instructional frameworks that support the teaching required by common core standards. they cre-ated a plan for the district to obtain meaningful feedback from instructional leaders and teachers, build confidence in the validity of the tools, and develop pd that would support common core standards. scsd formed a task force, and the insight education group guided the task force in analyzing existing instructional effectiveness documents against what was being done across the country to construct the teaching and learning framework and the building leadership framework and rubric. they built additional frameworks to support the work of instructional coaches, library media specialists, and other positions across the district.
to ensure that teachers are evaluated equitably using the new frameworks and evaluation systems, insight education group developed a certification process for principals, which was implemented prior to conducting high-stakes evaluations. insight also facilitates monthly sessions for principals to watch video case studies and live co-observations. all teacher observers attend these sessions to increase their inter-rater reliability scores. school leaders also receive training on how to coach and develop both high- and low-performing teachers. last, but not least, insight education group provides pd for teachers to clarify and model the instructional practices described in the teaching and learning framework.
Teachers in Syracuse receive additional training to help them deliver Common Core instruction.
With over a million different resources to incorporate
into lesson plans, who can blame us for wanting to
share our library with you. We have partners like NBC
Learn and NROC, plus millions of active users, building
a standards-aligned library for you to peruse and use.
Find content to broaden a lesson or discover content
to focus on new common core curriculum standards.
My Big Campus puts a collaborative but safe twist
on the LMS, connecting students and teachers with
resources that inspire and engage. In the My Big
Campus community, schoolwork, blogs, discussions,
research, PLCs, videos and more are always there—
for anytime, anywhere learning.
You have your library.
Welcome to ours.
An LMS built for K12
simply adapt and become part of a community rather than reinventing the wheel?
* What are you assessing? Will your
digital badges align with particular standards and competencies? If so, this should be specifically addressed so learners know their learning objectives. This could also help make the badge more meaningful to the learner. * How will you earn the badge? What are
the criteria, artifacts, or work samples that will be produced in order to earn the badge?
* What are the specific steps learners would take as they create their work? How long do you anticipate that it will take for someone to complete the badge?
* How will you assess the work? Will you design and implement rubrics? * Will this be a series of
badges? If so, how do the badges build upon one another?
Is there a particular order in which the badges should be earned?
Once these questions are answered, educators can explore where they will host their badges.
There are numerous platforms that hosts badge systems, including OpenBadges (http://openbadges.org/), Achievery (http:// achievery.com/), P2PU (https://p2pu.org/ en/), and Credly (https://credly.com/). These communities can help district personnel and teachers create, develop, and manage digital badges, as well as create connections to other educators who might be pursing similar badges.
These same platforms and communities can also assist with the actual design of the badges,
including the log, the title, and the badge tags. The design is crucial because it is
the visual representation of specific knowledge and skills. Educators
can utilize Web sites such as Image Bot (http://www.flamingtext.com/ imagebot/editor) for the logo design or they can use their own image editing software. Once the design is
complete and the badge is uploaded, the badges can be earned and awarded. They can also be included in learning or content management systems.
Combining professional development and digital badges could mean offering innovative
content that leads to a badge as an achieved outcome. However, the focus and purpose of introducing the terms together is to reinforce the notion that those who conduct professional development also need to begin to consider the advantages of digital badges. In the end, it is pivotal for educators to grasp the potential of rewarding specificity of knowledge and skill acquisition through digital badges.
Richard E. Ferdig is the Summit Professor of Learning Technologies, RCET, at Kent State University.
Kristine E. Pytash is an assistant professor of literacy education at Kent State University.
challenge: as part of its district-wide priority to deliver high-quality professional development, the district of columbia public schools (dcps) wanted to help teachers increase the quality of students’ iep goals. dcps faced the challenge of rolling out an online iep goal bank system-wide that could continuously train teachers on aligning iep goals with common core standards. in addition, teachers who were hired after the school year started would not have had access to the robust trainings provided in august.
Solution: to work on their iep goals, dcps
partnered with goalbook to develop a train-the-trainer approach to rolling out pd designed to increase the quality and alignment to the common core standards for iep goals for
stu-dents with disabilities. the district has 10 trainers that can deliver ongoing pd using goalbook’s online repository to write student goals. for teachers hired after the school year starts, an online portal provides a customized version of Better lesson (betterson.com), an online library of documents, presentations, full les-sons, complete units, and courses that support the adoption of the common core standards and goals of the dcps academic plan.
through its social networking functionality, the site lets teachers grow professionally and make connections with fellow educators across the district and beyond. the portal also provides relevant, differentiated, high-quality pd, including mini-libraries of resources on how to teach effectively, video clips showing great teaching by dcps teachers, and an extensive library of videos and articles that show effective teaching techniques.
