Welcome! This quarter‟s focus is teaching as a “high-tech” art form. I know everyone
can see the, “writing on the wall” concerning the, “elephant in the room”, namely,
changing how we teach. (Corny I know, but as I always say, “you have to make your
own fun, because no one else will do it for you.”) Topics will include; an overview of
our technology goals, the PCPS iDesign team initiative, the foundations for integrating
technology, and resources to catalyze the process! I know it is a little different from what
I usually publish, but I wanted to get the word out about the plans we have in the district and start some
conversations about the challenges ahead. Of course, this is just an outline, and comments are appreciated.
Are we there yet? Alas, a long road lies ahead, however the first step in any endeavor is setting goals. Below
you will find a list of definitions to use in building a common language for talking about our technology goals
and an outline of our current tech goals for the district.
PCPS Technology Common Language
Blended Learning:
While there are a variety of interpretations of the term „blended learning,‟ within PCPS this term means schools
that are technology rich and have multiple opportunities for teachers and students to use various technologies as
teaching and learning tools.
1-to-1 teaching and learning:
Schools and/or classrooms wherein teachers and students use the available technology (ex: laptops) on a
daily basis (24 hours a day) for teaching and learning.
21st century skills:
As a district we recognize that there are many 21st century skills students and their educators must develop
and master, however we have chosen to focus our work on collaboration, communication, critical thinking,
and creativity augmented with technology.
21st century pedagogy:
21st century pedagogy incorporates how a teacher plans and implements technology to achieve the district goals
and learner outcomes.
Project-based Learning:
Project Based Learning (PBL), students go through an extended process of inquiry and scaffolded problem
solving in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. While allowing for some degree of
student "voice and choice," rigorous projects are carefully planned, implemented, managed, and assessed to
help students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration,
communication, and critical thinking), and create high-quality, authentic products & presentations.
PCPS Tech Goals
Mission:
Our mission is to insure that all students are prepared to live and work successfully in a global society.
Technology Goal:
All students will graduate from Ponca City High School proficient and fluent with technology and with
the ability to apply it to a variety of different situations.
How we will achieve our technology goals (by grade level)
Elementary Schools
Grade K-2: Blended Learning
o Introduction to the PBL skills and processes
o Begin 21st century skills (collaborate, communicate, create, and critically think)
Grade 3-5: Blended Learning
o Introduction to the PBL skills and processes
o Develop 21st century skills (collaborate, communicate, create, and critically think)
West Middle School
Grade 6-7 (West Middle School): Blended Learning
o Introduction to the PBL skills and processes so they can make an informed choice (PBL or
Blended Learning)
o Apply 21st century skills (collaborate, communicate, create, and critically think)
East Middle School
Grade 8 (East Middle School): 1-to-1
o For students: Develop PBL skills and processes so they can make an informed choice in grades
11 and 12 (PBL or Blended Learning at PCHS)
o For teachers: Develop PBL lessons and units that incorporate skills and processes so students
can make an informed choice in grades 11 and 12 (PBL or Blended Learning at PCHS)
o For both: Apply 21st century skills (collaborate, communicate, create, and critically think)
augmented by technology.
PCHS
Grades 9/10 (PCHS): PBL and 1-to-1
o For 9/10 grade students: Develop PBL skills and processes so they can make an informed choice
in grades 11 and 12 (PBL or Blended Learning at PCHS)
o For teachers of 9/10th grade students: Develop PBL lessons and units that incorporate skills and
processes so students can make an informed choice in grades 11 and 12 (PBL or Blended Learning
at PCHS)
o For both: Apply 21st century skills (collaborate, communicate, create, and critically think)
augmented by technology.
Grades 11/12
o
PBL (High Tech High model) for students -- Students will use various technologies to
innovate across curricular disciplines of study with the 21st century skills of collaboration,
communication, creating, and critically thinking. They will go through an extended process of
inquiry and scaffolded problem solving in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge.
They will use their voice to make informed choices as they work with their teacher and other students
through rigorous projects.
o
PBL (High Tech High model) for teachers—They work with other teachers as they assist
students to carefully plan, implement, manage, and assess rigorous cross curricular projects to help
students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration,
communication, and critical thinking), and create unique products and/or presentations for a widening
audience including local, state, and global communities.
o
Traditional 1-to-1 for students and teachers: Teachers and students use the available
technology (ex: laptops) on a daily basis (24 hours a day) for teaching and learning.
The goals outlined above help lay the foundation for the bigger picture of transforming the way we teach to
include technology as an indispensible tool in the learning process. You will notice that we include a split
track for juniors and seniors with this plan. PBL is not the best fit for every learner. However, with the
continuing evolution of technology in the workplace, we still need to provide our learners with opportunities
to interact and communicate about their learning using the tools of the digital age. The question becomes,
“How do we get ready for this model?” Currently, several teachers are working as a pilot iDesign team
attempting to modify their lessons and even changing the way they prepare lesson plans in order to discover
what works in the classroom as we move toward achieving our goals.
The iDesign team consists of the technology coaches, teachers from all grade levels, supportive administrators,
and representatives from the Anytime Anywhere Learning Foundation (AALF) working in teams to modify
lesson planning techniques in line with the Common Core State Standards using the 21st Century skills of
collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity augmented with technology. The iDesign
teachers are working to discover clues to developing the necessary vertical alignment of tech skills across the
grade levels and methods for developing authentic learning situations where the technology provides not just
flashy entertainment for our students, but powerful thinking, doing, learning tools for both teachers and
students. The expectations for the iDesign teachers are described below.
Expectations for our work (by year of implementation)
iDesign Team 1: Year 1 (2012-2013): K-12
Students will complete teacher-centered projects aligned with a CCSS unit.
Professional development will be provided throughout year to understand and to build staff capacity to
move to Student-centered PBL
Implement a minimum of one unit during the 2012-2013 school-year.
District-wide PLC work (Elementary schools) OR Department-wide PLC work, OR cross-curricular
PLC work.
iDesign Team 2 (potentially district-wide): Year 2 (2013-2014): K-12
Students will complete teacher-centered projects aligned with a CCSS unit.
Professional development will be provided throughout year to understand and to build staff capacity
to move to Student-centered PBL
Implement a minimum of one unit per semester.
District-wide PLC work (Elementary schools) OR Department-wide PLC work, OR cross-curricular
PLC work.
District-wide: Year 3 (2014-2015): K-12
K-10: Students will complete teacher-centered projects aligned with a CCSS unit
Grades 11-12: Students will participate in either Traditional 1-to-1 or PBL High Tech High model.
Professional development will be provided throughout year to understand and to build staff capacity to
move to Student-centered PBL
Implement a minimum of one unit per semester.
District-wide PLC work (Elementary schools) OR Department-wide PLC work, OR cross-curricular
PLC work.
In their work, the iDesign teachers are searching for methods to tie together the Common Core State
Standards (CCSS), power standards, and instructional strategies discussed in our professional development and
our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with carefully selected tech tools to present curriculum in a
format that stresses the 21st century skills of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. In
other words, they are using content, pedagogy, and technology to construct meaningful learning opportunities
for our learners with integrated technologies. This method for constructing knowledge is perhaps best depicted
by the TPACK model (Koehler and Mishra, 2005). The model consist of three domains; Technological
Knowledge - how to use Technology, Content Knowledge - facts, concepts, backgrounds and theories,
and Pedagogical Knowledge - how students learn, teaching style, lesson organization, preparation, and
evaluation. From these three domains, sub-domains (overlaps) are created. These sub-domains are: Pedagogical
Content Knowledge - how content can be taught and understood, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge how technology can change or support pedagogy, and Technological Content Knowledge - how a technology
is applied to learn subject matter. The center of the model is the most important. It represents the combination
all three sub-domains and is the foundation for TPACK. To teach with technology, the teacher needs knowledge
about integrating those domains, and how they work together. According to http://tpack.org/, “Effective
technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the
dynamic, transactional relationship between these components of knowledge situated in unique contexts.
Individual teachers, grade-level, school-specific factors, demographics, culture, and other factors ensure that
every situation is unique, and no single combination of content, technology, and pedagogy will apply for every
teacher, every course, or every view of teaching”.
Thus, how do we, as educators, learn to weave these three knowledge bases into a dynamic learning
environment? The iDesign team is our early initiative to meet this challenge head on, and to begin having the
conversations we need to advance our district goals.
As mentioned above, representatives from AALF have been working with the teachers from East and the High
School to aid in our journey toward a 1 to 1 program incorporating PBL. The fact is, to truly teach with tech and
achieve our goals, teachers from all grade levels and subject areas will need to work together to define how
applying technology looks in daily practice, and how we can meet the needs of our students. The following
chart is offered as a graphic organizer:
To answer the “hows?” in the graphic, we must collaboratively lay-out and design the processes and activities
needed to scaffold the development of PBL in classrooms and to create rich learning environments. This
includes developing 1 to 1 frameworks and instructional routines, and defining the role technology will play in
our learning environments.
1 to 1 Frameworks
For a 1 to 1 program or PBL program to work, an outline or framework is needed to help guide the integration
of technology into the curriculum. The diagram below reminds us of the steps included in creating rich learning
environments. First, the foundation of the house is laid on solid planning. “Begin with the end in mind” reminds
us to refer to the CCSS and our power standards to inform our practices and determine learner outcomes. We
focus on answering the question, “What do we need to have students learn and be able to do?” It also urges us
to prepare our digital classroom to support teaching and learning. Some examples include:
Developing an online class resource, including a daily agenda.
Upload learning tools, online resources, and models that support student learning.
Listing unit objectives, models/examples of student work, and student task requirements. (ex:
assignments & projects.)
Second, since we are focusing on integrating technology, effective online research is a mandatory skill that
needs to be taught. We have all heard that our students are digital natives. Thus we develop stereotypes that
they should all know how to search effectively. While our students have grown up with technology, it doesn‟t
mean that they have learned to use it in a formal learning environment. We must teach students how to search,
evaluate, validate, and analyze online resources. This may include, but is definitely not limited to:
Working with students to establish class acceptable online dictionary sites.
Working with students to establish class acceptable search engines.
Establishing a way for students to share the sites they find (ex: http://www.diigo.com/ or
https://delicious.com/).
Third, we must provide opportunities for our students to communicate and collaborate. "How we connect with
each other is how learning occurs" (Stephen Wilmarth). We answer the questions:
Who will collaborate?
o Pairs
o Student to student
o Classroom to classroom (Design Multi-class collaborative projects between your classes)
o Classroom to classrooms (Design Multi-class collaborative projects between teachers)
o Students with experts
What kind of collaboration will be done?
o
Will students collaborate by providing feedback? (online surveys)
o
Will students work on a common project or task?
o
Will students exchange information? (online discussions)
o
Will students become experts and share expertise?
o
Will students receive expert advice?
o
Will students conduct research?
o
Will students work on a group product or performance?
But don‟t answer all of these questions yourself. Expect students to ask questions, to share these questions, and
to seek information that will help them form answers.
Next, we answer the question, “How will students show us what they have learned”? (What assessment or
student work will we use to analyze the effectiveness of our practices? To do this we provide students with
opportunities to show what they have learned by creating unique projects, products, or ideas/understandings
and by applying these to their learning. Examples include:
o Collaborative wikis
o Student blogs
o Videos
o Student eFolios
o Podcasts
o Web pages or presentations
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Plan for opportunities that require students to share what they are
learning, both daily (ex: online discussions, individual blogs, team/group wikis) and at the end of each unit or
project (ex: class website contributions, team or group wikis, class Gallery Walk activity, Town Hall meeting).
This reinforces the learning and provides additional learning opportunities. As Silvia Tolisano wrote:
We blog to teach and learn about writing, communication, networking, presentation, publishing,
commenting, reflection, organization and collaboration skills. Blogging is about Digital Citizenship,
Media Literacy, Information Literacy and Global Awareness.
We use wikis to understand about copyright, evaluation and analysis of Information, collective
knowledge and new writing genres.
We podcast (audio and video) to allow students to express themselves and their knowledge in more than
the written form. We incorporate storytelling in order to give students multimedia skills as well as
expose them to visual literacy and information literacy.
We skype in order to expose and connect teachers and students locally and globally to peers, experts,
eye witnesses. We become more fluent in networking and information literacies, speaking, listening and
presentation skills are honed.
We teach bookmarking skills to help teachers and students cope with the exponentially increasing
information available. Finding, evaluating, analyzing, tagging, categorizing, organizing, connecting and
remixing of information are just some of the skills necessary for that.
(http://www.techlearning.com/Blogs/38942)
Routines
Another key element to successfully integrating technology into the classroom is the development of routines.
Developing routines aids in setting goals and defining what is expected of learners as they work with
technology. For example, at the high school, the students are expected to follow these norms:
1 to 1 Classroom Norms
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Bring power brick, fully charged laptop in sleeve, backpack and necessary supplies every day
Be responsible; Carry your laptop carefully and appropriately
Make wise choices. (Just because you can doesn‟t mean you should)
Have all work prepared before class (printed, emailed, etc. before class or during must)
Stay on task
Back up all documents and files to H: drive and/or flash drive
Only plug in when your battery gets to 10% or less
No liquids, food, or gum near laptops
The norms need to be set for each site by the teachers and administrators working together to define the role the
students play in implementing a technology rich learning environment. However, norms are not the only
routines needed. As part of planning for integrating technology, daily routines are also important.
What Role Does Technology Play?
The role technology plays in any classroom depends upon the availability of equipment, an instructor‟s
teaching style and expectations, and the level of buy-in from the students. As far as equipment goes, with
the 1-to-1 initiative, IPad carts, student response systems, and Promethean Boards for example, the district
has definitely demonstrated an interest in providing equipment. This trend will continue with the upcoming
bond issue. Many plans are being considered to continue expanding the resources available in the district.
(Thus, please remember to vote to pass the bond issue!) Unfortunately, equipment alone is not enough to
create a rich learning environment. We also need buy in from our teachers and students. While it is true that
a teacher can only control their teaching style and expectations, with a clear focus on setting goals and
routines to adapt tech tools to the learning situation, the teacher can work to raise the level of student buy in,
and as experience is gained, ease the challenges of working with and learning how to integrate technology
effectively.
A tool that may help with integrating technology is the SAMR model (See Illustration on next page)
developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and
Redefinition. Each of these key words defines a level of technology implementation. When working with
technology, most teachers begin at the substitution level. At this level, the technology simply replaces
another tool without a significant change in the tool‟s function. Common examples include using the
promethean board as a glorified overhead projector, reading a text online rather than in print, or typing notes
rather than writing them out. There is nothing wrong with this level of implementation, as long as it is the
best method to complete the task. Remember, however, the goal is engaging students and helping their
learning. That is why using a selection of activities from varied levels of SAMR is the best practice. From
the substitution level, we move to the Augmentation level. At this level you are using a technology tool with
some functional improvement to the learning taking place. A searchable e-text, linked documents, or a
software program that extends learning (Cognitive Tutor, Accelerated Reader, spell check, cut and paste,
etc.) are all examples of technology used at the augmentation level. At the Modification level, the
technology enables the redesign of significant portions of a task. Examples of technology at this level
include; emailing assignments, presenting multimedia exemplars (videos, web pages, collaborating with
google docs, etc.) instead of paper/pencil work, online discussions or skype sessions with peers, classmates,
or experts, and using clickers to spur discussions. At the highest level, redefinition, the technology allows
for the creation of new tasks that would otherwise be inconceivable. The teacher looks beyond ways of
modifying the process, and find ways for students to collaborate, produce, and share learning experiences.
An example would be allowing students to research a topic, using google docs to allow students to
collaboratively design and edit a white-paper, brochure, or other presentation, and then distributing the
result via the web, email campaign, or other media outlet. Students collaborate with experts, author new
content and publish their work to the world. In this process, the student‟s role evolves from being a
consumer of information and content to being a producer. Maybe students are blogging about their research
or sharing their findings in a wiki. In a redefined classroom, the student isn‟t just a passive receiver of
information but an active participant in a worldwide forum. In other words, students collaborate, create new
content, and publish their work for the world. Through this process, the student evolves from a consumer of
information and content into a producer. Regardless of the medium, students are encouraged to become
digital story-tellers, relating their learning and experiences on a global stage and discovering value in the
work they produce at school.
Connecting the Dots
The information above is intended to provide a starting point for improving our craft as teachers. We will not be
ready to implement PBL and run a gambit of redefinition level lessons after reading this soap box rant,
however, as Karen Ward from AALF is fond of saying, “You learn to do the work by doing the work!”
Hopefully, you will begin to think about the ways technology can improve your lessons and provide powerful
thinking, learning, doing tools for our students to use as they progress in their educational and career endeavors.
We have the necessary skills to plan, implement, and reflect. All that we need is the determination to make time
and opportunities for the process to happen. There is no demand for you to use the TPACK or SAMR research;
however there is a demand to change what happens in the classroom so that our students can discover the skills
they need to support themselves and our communities as we move forward. Remember, we are all in this
together and as we interlock the pieces of the puzzle, the picture will become clearer, and we will discover that
we have achieved our goals.
The Technology Department Home Page
A plethora of great resources are available as you scroll down the left hand side of our
technology department home page. Tutorials, Isis help, teacher tools, digital storytelling tools, PBL resources and more!
http://www.educreations.com/
Teach what you know; Learn what you don‟t. Create and share amazing video
lessons with your iPad or browser.
http://www.plagiarismchecker.com/
Free Plagiarism Detection On the Internet
http://freeplaymusic.com/
6983 tracks to aid you in your quest for the perfect musical
accompaniment
http://todaysmeet.com/
Embrace the backchannel and encourage students to use the live stream
to make comments, ask questions, and use that feedback to tailor your
presentation, sharpen your points, and address student needs.
http://phet.colorado.edu/
Fun, interactive, research-based simulations of physical phenomena from
the PhET™ project at the University of Colorado.
https://penzu.com/
Your own personal journal and online diary
https://www.yapp.us/
Create your own mobile app for free.
http://polldaddy.com/
Create stunning surveys, polls, and quizzes in minutes. Collect
responses via your website, e-mail, iPad, Facebook, and Twitter.
Generate and share easy-to-read reports.
http://bighugelabs.com/
Helping you do cool stuff with your digital photos since 2005
Twurdy
readability rater search engine
http://www.howjsay.com/
online dictionary with pronunciation voice
https://march2success.com/
SAT and other test prep. College admissions help
http://www.sidevibe.com/howto
Turn web content into activities, ignite student critical thinking, and
manage student work automatically
http://www.twiddla.com/
A web-based, no set-up meeting playground Mark up websites, graphics,
and photos, or start brainstorming on a blank canvas. Browse the web
with friends.
http://rubistar.4teachers.org/
Want to make exemplary rubrics in a short amount of time? Try
RubiStar out! Registered users can save and edit rubrics online.
You can access them from home, school, or on the road.
Autism Apps
Free. for the iPhone or iPad, Autism Apps is a comprehensive list of apps that are being
used with and by people diagnosed with Autism, Down syndrome and other special
needs. The app are broken down into paid, free, iPad, iPhone, price and rating.
Free App Genie
Free for 30 days. Powered by AppTrakr, it reaches out across the inter-web and shows
you all of the app information that you'd see if you were in iTunes, so you don't waste
time bouncing back and forth between the app and the app store. It also sorts the free
apps by category, then by app popularity.
Free app tracker
Free. Tracks and displays thousands of apps that were paid but are now free or lower in
price. Share app price drops with friends through email, Facebook and Twitter.
Free magic app 2012
Free. Every day, MagicSolver selects three apps on the App Store and offer these apps,
which are usually paid, totally free for users to download.
Free app finder
Free. Receive free app alerts and app ratings every day.
Appsgonefree
Free. Receive an alert on your iOS device to find out which apps are free. Apps are
handpicked and reviewed to help you decide if the app is right for you.
http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=258799
blooms taxonomy revised according to Homer Simpson.
Technology Director: Jason Ridenour
Technicians:
Jeff Hasselbring
Anthony Mears
Dan Gehring
Tyrell Hills
Network Engineer: Ryan Dooley
Assistant Network Engineer: Lee Bottger
Information Systems: Jimmy Zink, Kenn Orr
District Program Specialist: Carol Matteson
Technology Coaches:
Ryan Burkett, Ponca City High School
Carol Matteson, East & West Middle School
Patsy Williams, Elementary