The Sweet Spot: Building the Right Technology Curriculum

" . . . and the pitcher throws and your looking for that pill and suddenly there is nothing else in the ballpark you and it and sometimes when your feeling right and there is a groove there and the bat just eases into it and meets that ball. When the bat meets that ball you can feel that ball just give and you know it is going to go a long way. Damn, if you don't feel like your going to live forever." - John Cusack as Buck Weaver in Eight Men Out (1988)

http://sampleandhold-r2.blogspot.com/2011/07/sweet-spot.html

We (administrators, a diverse group of faculty and our wonderful librarians) are searching for our "sweet spot" in technology integration. According to Wikipedia,  "A sweet spot is a place, often numerical as opposed to physical, where a combination of factors results in a maximum response for a given amount of effort." We are hoping to dig deep and work toward finding that just right combination of learning supported, infused, enriched or extended by technology. While we realize that this is not a static target but constantly moving, we are working towards creating an environment where as many of those sweet spots can exist.

On our PD day January 2nd, we will being the exciting task of creating anew a technology curriculum (preK-12) for our school. In preparation for this task, I've gathered resources (outside of our own curriculum maps, academic goals, and strategic management plan) to both provoke new perspectives and to ensure that we truly consider what would be the best sweet spot for us. By sweet spot, I mean that wonderful area where preparation, training, knowledge, and talent meet to enable both students and teachers to consistently connect with learning with depth and joy. Creating that sweet spot means we need to have the necessary tools, a deep understanding of pedagogy,  enough professional development, and a supportive community of learners to foster  that sweet spot.


The resources I've gathered fall into three categories:

1. 21st Century Learning/Learners
2. Innovation Trends
3. ICT Integration Protocols

21st Century Learning & Learners:

• Pat Bassett-Demonstrations of Learning for 21st Century Schools: http://www.nais.org/publications/ismagazinearticle.cfm?ItemNumber=152280
• Tony Wagner-The Global Achievement Gap & 7 Survival Skills: http://www.tonywagner.com/7-survival-skills
• Future Work Skills 2020 http://iftf.org/futureworkskills2020
• Ryan Bretag: We Are Doing All the Cs! http://www.ryanbretag.com/blog/?p=2744
  
• Karl Fisch: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/
• NoTosh (Ewan McIntosh/Tom Barrett) http://www.notosh.com/
• NY Times Schools for Tomorrow: http://www.notosh.com/2011/09/new-york-times-schools-for-tomorrow/
• Reflections from the Ohio Summit: http://dwightcarter.edublogs.org/2011/12/20/reflections-from-the-ohio-summit-2-5-part-1/

INNOVATION TRENDS

• The Top Ten Ed Tech Trends (Audrey Watters) http://www.hackeducation.com/2011/12/16/top-10-ed-tech-trends-of-2011/
• The Top Ten Tech Trends for 2012 http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/19/tech/innovation/top-tech-trends-2012/index.html
• 7 Trends to Come (Dave Cormier) http://davecormier.com/edblog/2011/12/19/top-ten-black-swans/
• The Future of Libraries http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/12/books-and-band-saws-the-future-of-libraries/

ICT Integration Protocols: 

Educational Origami: http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Facilitating+21st+Century+Learning

• What are your schools identified ICT objectives and goals?
• Are these goals administratively focused or educationally focused?
• Where does your school want to be ICT wise in 1 year, 5 years or 10 years?
• What level of consultation and buy in did key groups have, namely students, staff, the community?
• How are these goals integrated into your budgeting and curriculum planning?
• How are these goals supported by professional development for staff?
• How are these goals resourced?
• How are these goals implemented in the school, departments/faculties and the classroom?
• Do you have peer review of your curriculum, subject, unit plans and of teaching practice? Is this collegial support or appraisal?
• In Industry implementation of a new product and the training of staff are usually dollar for dollar. What is your ratio of ICT investments to training investment?
• What revision and review process do you have in place for your ICT goals, investment and training? To what degree are your students, community and staff involved in these reviews?
• To what level is the implementation of ICT into teaching and learning mandated? Is there any mechanism for checking or accountability?
• What accountability is in place for technologies put into the classroom to ensure they are utilised?
• What decision making process is involved in setting student and staff access and administrative rights to computers, networks and the internet? Who established your policy, your board, the principal or the technician(s)/support staff? What are the rationale for this decision - technical, administrative and educational? Who and how is this reviewed?
• Are your pedagogies reflective of 21st Century teaching and learning? 

 Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration  [one of the best compilation of resources on this area}


 The Plan:


 My plan is for us to discuss our dream graduate profile, work which we began in our Academic Council, and then build backward from there using Understanding by Design principles. Basically, if we know where we want to be, then we work backwards from there to build the road to get to the destination. In what ways can educational technology help all our students get there? We are going to meet first as a group and then split into three teams based on ISTE standards: Team 1: Creativity & Innovation, Team 2: Communication & Collaboration,  Team 3: Research & Information Fluency [combined with] Critical Thinking, Problem Solving & Decision Making and the last two standards (Digital Citizenship and Technology Operations and Concepts) will be examined by the core group of technology integration team. It is my hope that by dividing the work into teams with us coming together to report on our progress and to continue to draft and present our findings, we will create a living document, adaptable to change, reflective of our philosophy, and firmly focused on providing the best learning opportunities for our students. Hmmm, it seems suitable to close with another one of my favorite baseball quotes:

Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham: That's what I wish for. Chance to squint at a sky so blue that it hurts your eyes just to look at it. To feel the tingling in your arm as you connect with the ball. To run the bases - stretch a double into a triple, and flop face-first into third, wrap your arms around the bag. That's my wish, Ray Kinsella. That's my wish. And is there enough magic out there in the moonlight to make this dream come true?  [Field of Dreams].

I think there's enough magic out there. I'll keep you posted :)

Learning, Reimagined.

As often happens in this connected world, two articles flew by on my Twitter feed that caught my eye and sparked my imagination. The first was on an interesting new app called Spartify that allows you, the party host,  to turn over your Spotify playlist to your guests and allow THEM to control the music-"create a music playlist on the fly". I wondered how such a concept would translate to the classroom. What if a teacher had an app like Spotify that contained all the concepts he or she wanted students to grapple with that day? What if students could control how and when those concepts came through the classroom day. What if they could spend more time on a concept for deeper understanding and fly by the ones they know? What if they wanted to listen to Lady Gaga's version of grammar rules instead of learning from the text? What if a student wanted the bootleg version of Dylan's algebra? Well, a lot of folks are interested in personalizing learning for students but I think this Spartify idea is a step beyond.The students would be in control of personalizing their learning experience. Students would not just consume, but create their learning. Learning has stretched so far past books as we know them that it's difficult, yet so much fun, to try and prognosticate what classrooms will be like even 5 years from now. Hmmm, interesting and scary all at the same time.

The second item of interest was an article on the Fayetteville Free Library in Fayetteville, New York and how the librarian, Lauren Smedley, is reimagining the public library. Smedley's concept is to create a creative space, a Fab Lab, where the public would have free access to the necessary software and hardware to create and manufacture items. This software and hardware includes items like a MakerBot which is a 3D printer that "lets you print plastic pieces of your own design" according to the wonderful article at MindShift by Audrey Watters. She plans on opening the venue to the community to create, build, collaborate on their own, or through classes. The possibilities are endless! I love Smedley's articulation about what 21st century library should be--"free access to information and to technology, and not just books or using computers, but actually building and making things."

What an incredible time we live in.

The School Social Media Tug-of-War - Where's the Chi?

 Striking the Right Balance: Student Social Media Policies

Many of us are struggling with striking the right balance between social media/Internet use and restrictions.While teachers want to engage students in multiple mediums, ensuring that they are prepared to communicate in a thoughtful, respectful, and critical manner in all forms of communication, administrators want to safeguard their students (and their school) from any possible harm that may arise from such use. Where to find the social media chi? Fortunately for me, my school is overrun with talented faculty like Brandon B. Recently, Brandon's class used a Visible Thinking routine [Project Zero] to create a Social Media Policy for class use of blogs and Twitter. [We are currently working on a school wide policy.] I love that his students created a policy that not only incorporates safe use of social media, but that their policy also underscores the importance of how something should be communicated (proper grammar, spelling, your own words, appropriate language, etc.).

World History 2011-2012 Social Media Policy

1. I will not give out any information more personal than my first name nor will I post pictures of myself or my classmates.

2. I will not plagiarize; instead I will expand on others' ideas and give credit where it is due.

3. I will use language appropriate for school.

4. I will always respect my fellow students and their writing.

5. I will follow only the Twitter users that Mr. B. has instructed me to follow.

6. I will not communicate with anyone on Twitter that refrains from benefiting my knowledge of history, this course, or current events.

7. I will use constructive/productive/purposeful criticism, supporting any idea, comment, or critique I have with evidence.

8. I will take blogging seriously, posting only comments and ideas that are meaningful and that contribute to the overall conversation.

9. I will take my time when I write, using formal language (not text lingo), and I will try to spell everything correctly.

10. I will not use my blog posts or comments as a chat room. (No IM or texting lingo.)

11. I will not bully others in my blog posts or in my comments.

12.  I will never access another student's Kidblog/Twitter account or make any changes to their site.

13. I will only have one school account for Kidblog/Twitter and the username will consist of first 3 letters of my first name, first 3 letter of my last name, and my class period.

14.  I will provide Mr. B. with my username and password for Kidblog/Twitter and allow him permission to edit any post, tweet, comment, etc.

15. I will personalize my blog and keep my writing authentic, while taking responsibility for anything I add to my blog.

16. I will not provoke other students in my blog posts or comments.

17. I will only post photos which are school appropriate and are either not copyrighted or correctly cited.

18. I will not spam.

19. I will only post comments on posts that I have fully read, rather than just skimmed.

20. I will not reveal anyone else's identity in my comments or posts.

 

I pledge to abide by the XXXX Honor Code and should any infractions of these rules take place they will lead to consequences as deemed appropriate by the deans office:

I have read and understand the Social Media Policy.

__________________________________________________

Student Signature

__________________________________________________

Print name 

Are you there yet?  What would you add? 

Lessons Learned: Dolphin Tale

Last evening, I took my daughters to go see the movie, Dolphin Tale. (Fabulous movie!) Ten minutes into the movie, my heart sank when I saw how Sawyer, a shy, withdrawn, but bright young boy, is so apathetic about school. It soon becomes apparent that Sawyer is not disengaged with learning, just school. Sawyer suddenly becomes incredibly engaged in learning everything about dolphins and other members of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, when he helps to rescue Winter, yet his "by the book" summer school teacher fails to see the meaning in his student's new zest for learning. The teacher refuses to award credit to Sawyer, even though the boy is willing to do produce any work to report on his newly acquired knowledge. The teacher demands that Sawyer must be in his seat in order to learn, especially as he, the teacher, is such a GOOD teacher. 


How many Sawyers are out there? How many of our students are so disengaged with school? How many teachers fail to spend the time to get to know their students and help their students cross the bridge to the "land of engagement"?  


Finally, the teacher comes to realize that Sawyer's engagement with learning has resulted in not only Winter being saved, but the aquarium too. The teacher relents and grants Sawyer his summer school credit.

In the end, Winter the dolphin is saved, but so is Sawyer. What must we do to ensure that this is the norm? What must we do to guarantee that every educator learns this lesson?

Postscript:
Thanks to @dallasf & @shareski, I just watched the most fascinating video about a group of students who could not be more engaged : http://youtu.be/MTmH1wS2NJY
The video showcases a pilot project where a group of disengaged high school students were able to "re-engage" via learning through establishing an independent school group. What they have learned is amazing. Check it out.

Dolphin Tale is a retelling of a true story. 

A young boy, Sawyer Nelson (Nathan Gamble), befriends Winter, an injured bottlenose dolphin who loses her tail due to being entrapped in a crab trap in the Indian River in Fort Pierce, Florida. He motivates everyone around him to help save the dolphin by creating a prosthetic appendage to replace the dolphin's missing tail. Harry Connick Jr. plays a vet who rescues the mammal and brings her to the marine hospital he runs. Ashley Judd plays the boy's mother while Morgan Freeman is a doctor who creates a prosthetic limb for Winter. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dolphin_Tale)