What's Next at PCS

In the technology department right now we are debating devices and the benefits of different platforms such as Windows 10 tablets versus iPads at the k-2 level.   As we have debated the benefits of both platforms we keep coming back to the central issue which is:  It doesn't really matter what device and platform you have, what matters is what are you doing with these devices.  Our big issue right now is that we are using our devices as a substitution for worksheets and text books.  Our students are not being expected to problem solve and work on real world problems.  Our teachers use drill and kill websites to reinforce skills but our students don't seem to have the opportunity to share what they are learning with an authentic audience.  As a district we need to really look at how we are using our devices to promote student learning.  With this in mind, I want to really focus on inspiring teachers to try new learning strategies  and/or instructional tools as well as creating a site-based group of instructional leaders who can model great technology based learning strategies in a blended learning environment.

I am going to accomplish both these tasks by creating a tech integration team for our district.   The integration team is composed of 1-2 teachers at each grade level that have agreed to try new learning strategies or tools in their classrooms and then discuss with their peers how these experiments went.  I wanted to work on these two characteristics because we have implemented many different types of technology over the past few years such as Canvas and Office 365.  In our district we need to move away from integrating new tools but look at the pedagogical changes that need to take place in order to give students more opportunities for deeper learning in the classrooms.  I want my teachers to try new learning strategies instead of trying new tools.  I believe the best way to incorporate both of these aspects is the integration team.

The Great Tech Divide

I think that as a district we need to develop a two front approach... The first front is the digital citizenship/responsible use of technology for students and the second front is the creation of engaging lessons that incorporate technology.  By addressing the problem from these two different approaches we will see the divide grow smaller and see the most movement toward a blended environment that is awesome.

The first front of digital citizenship and responsible use of technology is vital if we want our students to be able to survive in the world.  Technology use especially social media has become a huge issue in the work place.  Some of the most common reasons for being fired deal with technology.  These include the following
    a. Inappropriate use of social media
    b. Inappropriate Internet surfing
    c. Inappropriate use of Cell phones during work hours.

All three of these issues can be and should be addressed with digital citizenship and responsible use discussions in the classroom.  I remember when I was in the classroom I was constantly having conversations with students about when it was appropriate for them to have their phone out and when they can be on social media sites.  This generation is multitask oriented generation that expects to be entertained.  If they have any down time during class their first impulse to check their social media feeds.  Digital citizenship and responsible use will help these students make decisions about technology that will help them succeed later in life.

The second front is engaging lessons for students.  If teachers are lecturing only and the lecture is all information that can be Googled then students will not be engaged and there will be lots of technology based problems.  An engaging lesson will keep the activities short and move students up Bloom's taxonomy into the higher order thinking skills.  These types of lessons could be a flipped model in which students are using class time to engage in higher order thinking and problem solving. Another approach is using project based learning to allow students to solve real world problems that incorporate technology in productive and useful ways.  Teachers should create lessons that embrace technology and leverage the technology that students bring with them to make learning more efficient and productive.

In our district, I began this transition by focusing on our e-learning.... I did not want our teachers to create e-learning that was merely a pdf of a worksheet.  So our e-learning model was based the text "E-learning by design" by William Horton.  In this text, Horton outlines how to create e-learning lessons and learning opportunities that are engaging for learners.  My biggest take away from this book is that effective and engaging learning opportunities are created intentionally.  I have spent the last year training my teachers in how to create effective absorb activities, do activities and connect activities so that their e-learning lessons will be engaging for students.

In the year to come we are working on doing the same type of transformation for our daily teaching by implementing a blended learning model.  At this time we are not sure what this looks like at all levels but it will be awesome and student centered.

Image from https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/k/ken_robinson.html

For the past 20 years I have seen the state and federal governments try to standardize public education in order for us to compete on the global stage in terms of test scores.  Many of Sir Ken Robinson's quotes resonate with me because he is very concerned that if we are not careful we will reform the creativity right out of education.... out of our teachers... and out of students.  This quote sums up what technology could do for public education.  It is time for us to allow students, teachers and parents to take control of the education of students and enable our students to be great.  I believe this is accomplished by personalizing our instruction and customizing it to the needs of each student.
This is also where I get excited about the possibilities of technology integration, online learning and blended learning.  These types of instruction can be used to personalize the instruction for our students.  Our students come to us from a variety of backgrounds and home situations and thus need a variety of supports and encouragement from their teachers and school community. In a blended or online learning environment technology can be leverage to provide many of the supports and instruction that students need to be successful. Another key aspect of blended and online learning is the variety of the opportunities for students to use the technology to be creative and use critical thinking skills.

As I have been in my role at Peru for 1.5 years, I have noticed that PD for teachers and administrators is a one size fits all concept.  My first attempt at personalizing our PD was to create a badging course that covers many aspects of Technology integration and blended learning.  I noticed that many of my teachers completed the badges and earn the compensation for the badges without really incorporating the information into their instructional practice.  My goal for this course is to create a personalized professional development process in which my teachers create learning goals for themselves and choose PD opportunities that will help them reach this goals.  My hope is that as teachers streamline their PD we will see a return on the investment with increased engagement and test scores in the classroom.  I hope to roll out my personalized professional development process in the fall of 2017 using our lms, Canvas as the platform for delivering content to teachers.