Revisiting the Principal's Focus in Teacher Evaluation

Similar to DuFour’s The Learning-Centered Principal, DuFour and Marzano discuss the need for learning leaders who focus on the evidence of learning rather than on formal teacher evaluation. Again, the traditional concept of improving education “one teacher at a time” is being challenged, and in its place is a different approach to teacher improvement. DuFour and Marzano propose that principals spend the majority of their time organizing, driving, and supporting collaborative teams. They said, “Time devoted to building the capacity of teachers to work in teams is far better spent than time devoted to observing individual teachers.”  

This post is in further reflection to 

From Teaching to Learning-shifting the principals focus (a reflection on DuFour's proposal).

So??

“Great in theory," according to some. Iowa teaching standards, teacher evaluation procedure, and local board policy dictate a different scene. 

What DuFour and Marzano are recommending is to minimize (not eliminate) the extensive individual conferencing and observation time by instead redistributing valuable time working collaboratively with teacher groups. Within the PLC planning, implementation of strategies and assessments, and collective feedback, teachers will gain much more than an individual conference with one administrator. To elaborate, teachers will focus on defining and sharing the intended, implemented (enacted), and attained (assessed) curriculum for their subject area. Teachers will provide evidence that students are learning what is being taught. IF students are not learning, teachers will consult with their PLC’s to look deeper into instructional methods that will ensure every student is successful in attaining the intended objectives. Through this process, principals can gather a great deal of individual data by observing, helping, monitoring, and providing resources to help each PLC improve and realize its structured goals. Needless to say, principals can still provide individualized attention when needed or requested, but evidence supports that teachers working in teams demonstrate greater accountability and competence thus providing heightened increases in student achievement.

Team Responsibilities	Principal Responsibilities
·  Clarify essential curriculum ·  Establish consistent pacing ·  Develop frequent common assessments ·  Use results from assessments to inform and improve individual and collective results	·  Provide: o Time o Structures o Training o Resources o Clarity of purpose
Collectively, the work of the team is inquiry based. Individually, Marzano and DuFour claim, “each member of the team becomes more certain regarding what students must learn and how students will demonstrate their learning. Throughout the year, team members are held accountable by one another to produce results, and if progress is lacking, they work together to modify instructional strategies, differentiation methods, etc.	The role of the principal is to ensure the team is impacting student learning and is providing evidence to support achievement growth. Items the principal collects include the guaranteed and viable curriculum, pacing guides, common assessments and results, analysis of results, etc. When a team or individual members are struggling, the principal provides support and training to resolve the problem.

It makes sense to me that if teachers are working collaboratively, more cognizant of their own improvement, and holding one another accountable, and if student achievement is on the rise, teacher evaluation will be a less time-consuming and a more seamless task.

I will complete evaluator training in 2011; this training may change my perspective, but for now – I think it’s a matter of structuring the collaborative accountability push around local evaluation policies.

What do you think? Is it just theory, or is it a viable component in evaluation? Can it work? What are the realities, drawbacks, benefits, etc.? 


This post is in response to -  
DuFour, Richard, & Marzano, Robert J. (2009). High-Level Strategies for Principal Leadership. Educational Leadership. February, 2009. Vol.66, No.5, pp.62-68.

Finland versus the US - Where do we rank?

Finn students, according to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), are the best readers in the world. Some interesting details regarding this academic survey: it includes 40 industrialized countries, the surveyed schools are similar in organization, and socioeconomic status, unlike the other countries’ students, doesn’t seem to hold Finland students back! Top down, promoting literacy is a priority and includes campaign and public service participation from libraries, newspaper and periodical associations, and Finland’s public broadcasting company.

This piece also included a brief insert, “Case Study: A Reader-Friendly School,” written by Helena Linna, Reading Curriculum Developer and Instructor of Ymmersta School in Espoo, Finland. Linna provided readers with an inspiring taste of instructional strategy. Teachers at Ymmersta School strive to foster a love of books within students and create motivated readers through self-expressive activities that combine discussion and collaboration. Activities include pair-work reading, literature circles, reading portfolios, and coupling reading with writing. A very interesting practice of Ymmersta School is that they name areas of their school after places in stories such as Hundred Acre Wood, Rivendell, and Diagon Alley (from Winnie-the-Pooh, The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter). This brief article only lists a few of the many motivating techniques this Finn school employs.

So???

My first thought was to take a look at where the United States scored. In 2003, we scored 19^th out of 40. In 2006, the United States’ scores were not reported due to an error in the instructions. The next report is available in December 2010.

Something that kept creeping into my mind is the randomness and variety of initiatives that our nation’s education system seems to be overwhelmed with. In the five years I have been in the school setting, I have heard “assess this using this, assess that using that, look at all these different numbers and figure out what each number means for each student, then individualize this and differentiate that for each of your 98 high school language arts students.” And I know great teachers can do this!! And I admit that it is IMPORTANT! That was always my intention; however, realistically, at the end of the night and after hours of grading papers, I was lacking the tools I needed to do this efficiently. But it seems we could never really narrow down to focus on one thing, and we never had sufficient supports for implementing within any one given area. This may sound infantile and naïve but it would be refreshing to simplify and make reading fun again. 

Another concept that is tickling my brain is the fact that “Finland does not administer any national reading comprehension tests during the nine years of basic education, nor are their national tests in other subjects.” Their entire concept of testing is something I have never heard of. They take a sample, ten percent of a given age group, and then base their analysis over that representation. The results are not public and nor are they used for comparison purposes; they are shared with the individual schools to improve teaching and learning. The national board then develops teacher-training programs based on their findings. The authors claim that much of the success is attributed to a push for reading across all levels and platforms of society. As well, teachers across every subject are focused on content-area reading, and all use motivating reading strategies to draw students in.

This article is a lot to take in because this system is nothing like ours. What does this mean for us as a nation… so ingrained in the results of tests; comparing schools, teachers, and students; and holding districts by their toes if too many students are below a given percentile… maybe we’ve got it all wrong?

Take a look at Can US Learn Ed Reform from Finland?, a blog post by The 21st Century Principal - J. Robinson for more information and reflection on Finland's academic success. 

This post is in response to - 

A Land of Readers by Irmeli Halinen, Pirjo Sinko, and Reijo Laukkanen

Halinen, Irmeli; Sinko, Pirjo; Laukkenen, Reijo. (2005). A Land of Readers. Educational Leadership. October, 2005. Vol.63, No.2, pp.72-76.

From Teaching to Learning-shifting the principals focus (a reflection on DuFour's proposal)

If you are a practicing administrator - feedback would be appreciated (would help me with my principal prep). 


Back to the basics. 

DuFour focuses on two words: instruction and learning. The message for readers to take away is that learning is more important than instruction… in a sense. He challenges the state and national standards set for principals to be instructional leaders. DuFour contests, “The focus on the principal as instructional leaders is flawed.” He believes that principal leadership should be focused on the advancement of staff and student learning rather than on individual teacher instructional strategies. DuFour strived for many years to be an exceptional instructional leader. He focused on individual teacher instruction and spent a great deal of time working one-on-one with teachers using a structured observation and feedback process. His work created positive outcomes, however, after many years and many hours spent on individual teachers and their teaching strategies, he realized that his focus was flawed. How were students doing? DuFour began changing his emphasis on instructional input into learning output where he would help teams of teachers prepare and guide students in achieving the school’s intended outcomes.

So???

My first reaction was… it is just a matter of semantics, teaching-learning, they are pretty much the same thing as far as the principal’s role in leadership is concerned. I realized, however, that a focus on student learning is critical in driving teacher professional development. When comparing the difference between putting an emphasis on teaching strategies versus student learning, it comparable to a ME-ME-ME focus versus a THEM focus. DuFour compares it as a shift from inputs to outputs and intentions to results. Which would you prefer to have educators placing emphasis on when prepping for the academic year? Ultimately, we want the student learning to increase; so, I agree with DuFour that more benefits will come if the principal serves as a lead learner versus an instructional leader. 

DuFour said that shifting a focus on teaching to a focus on learning is more than semantics. He’s right. It is about a principal who understands his or her role as leader and maintains a school-wide culture where student and teacher learning is priority.   

...into my 'Principal Prep Notebook':

To shift the focus from teaching to learning, the principal leads teacher teams in completing the following:

1.      Clarify the essential outcomes of the course and the outcomes of each unit of instruction within the course. [“A school’s teachers cannot make student learning their focus until they know what each student needs to learn.”]

2.      Develop two assessments per semester and specify the standard of mastery for the assessment as well as for each subtest within the assessment. [“How will we know whether students have learned the essential outcomes?”]

3.      Analyze results and develop strategies for improvement on the basis of the analysis. [“Teachers set a bar for student performance and then work to ensure that each student can make it over that bar.”]

The lead learner’s (principal’s) responsibilities:

·       Provide collaboration time.

·       Set focus and parameters.

·       Establish process and guiding questions.

·       Provide training, resources, and support to help teachers overcome difficulties they encounter while developing outcomes, writing assessments, and analyzing student achievement data.

·       Give access to relevant, timely information on students’ performance.

·       Provide help in writing specific and measureable team improvement goals that focus on student learning rather than on their team activities.

·       Offer encouragement, recognition, and celebration.

·       Hold accountable individuals or teams who fail to fulfill responsibilities.

This post is in response to - 

DuFour, Richard. (2002). The Learning-Centered Principal. Educational Leadership. May, 2002. Vol.59, No.8, pp.12-15.

A Presentation by Jeff Utecht: the learning continues...

Jeff Utecht: What did I learn and how could it affect me as a principal?
The Thinking Stick: Technology
What does it mean to be information literate these days?


This post is from the perspective of an educational technology leader, teacher librarian, and aspiring school principal. 


[If you don’t know him: Jeff Utecht is an international teacher currently working in Bangkok, Tailand as an Elementary and Technology Learning Coordinator at Shanghai American School. Through education, he acquired his BA in Elementary Education; MS in Curriculum and Instruction; and added his Administration Certification. He began teaching 4th-6th grade classes and later technology classes while also serving as a technology coordinator. Jeff served as an administrative intern (where he worked 720 hours in various leadership roles), implementation leader, professional growth and evaluation coordinator, and K-12 Technology Specialist. In addition to teaching university courses and presenting to educators, he authored the recently published book, Reach and created the blog, The Thinking Stick.]


Snippet of the Presentation: Jeff presented at the Principal Leadership Network Conference (at the Prairie Lakes AEA) on behalf of Scott McLeod. The content was geared toward administrators and their views on technology in schools. The vehicle for Jeff’s content was real-world applicable lessons that administrators could take back to teachers. Now that’s a presentation worth attending. The beginning of Jeff’s presentation revolved around the evolution of technology, especially the Internet, and how schools are responding. Some schools choose to block, some choose to be wide open, while the rest sit on the fence providing limited access to the WWW. The theme question for this discussion was “What is the educational purpose behind blocking versus providing access beyond school walls?” So, how many schools block YouTube? …YouTube as in the 2nd most frequented search engine (providing news, entertainment, tutorials, etc. in video rather than written format)? Many schools choose to block YouTube due to the risk of students finding inappropriate content. Jeff posed this question for us to consider, “If you block YouTube, do you block Google? …There’s bad stuff there too.”


My thoughts after this discussion: Are we teaching students how to use the tool, or are we denying them a very important educational lesson on information literacy that is needed throughout each student’s lifetime? Are we teaching them how to make good choices in the digital world beyond our walls, or are we going to hope they make good choices based on the traditional content and tools we are so, in some cases, so desperately hanging on to providing them? Yikes. We as adults know the dangers are out there, and I would hope that part of my own children’s schooling involves digital literacy coupled with skills in problem-solving and decision-making… and in a way that engages them with tools of their generation!


Policy-making was another topic that continues to stay with me. How many schools are creating policies that address new digital tools and behaviors? I mentioned this in a prior post… It’s going to take a lot of paper and a great deal of wasted time keeping up with technology. Think about it in terms of an electronic evolution: school Apple IIe's with the Oregon Trail to PCs at homes to adults with cell phones to mobile laptops to LeapFrog learning devices to 10-year-olds with cell phones to iPods to iPads… and this doesn’t touch on the digital evolution of the listed devices’ inner-workings. Maybe I’m naïve and not as versed in school law as more veteran education leaders, but it seems an act of practicality and good sense to keep policies focused on behaviors rather than tools and programs that may be extinct the next day (follow link to Scott McLeod's Mind Dump).


Memorable: The most memorable part of Jeff’s time with us was the level of engagement of all of the participants (from what I could observe). Jeff started the day by assigning us (students) tasks. Volunteers had the following duties: three Google Docs note-takers recording discussions on the topic of A New Learning Landscape (one from the perspective of a student, one from the perspective of an administrator, and one recording links and resources), a moderator on Twitter along with volunteer tweeters, a moderator on a back channel along with willing participants, and a doodler up on the white board.

Imagine the links for learning with the various note-taking strategies!

Hands-on Activity: Jeff led us through a fifteen-minute activity (total of about 25-35 minutes including the introduction and the debriefing of “student” responses). But the meat of the activity – 15 minutes. For fifteen minutes, 20-30 students were sweatin’ bullets, including myself, as we worked with partners to complete a small research task given to us by our boss, Mr. Utecht. We had to email our findings within that time, or if we did not meet the deadline - face being fired. Each group had the freedom to choose the topic of their interest, making the activity even more attractive. Again, from my observation, it seemed that each member in each group was on task, and the group conversations were productive and meaningful. Finally, the debriefing is where I learned the most because I was eager to compare my group’s answers to that of our peers.


The summary above is just part of the thinking that was taking place within that conference room. What is inspiring is that the learning and discussion continue well beyond that session. Below are the questions Jeff left us with:


Where is your school?

• Is the technology being used "Just because it's there?"
• Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in Old ways?
• Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in New ways?
• Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for the students?

Organization Challenge to G-T Students

G-T STUDENTS,

I CHALLENGE YOU TO CHECK ONE OR MULTIPLE OUT... 

Prize TBD (to be determined) goes to the FIRST 10 to write PERFECT paragraphs stating the ways the tool improves organization for school purposes (screenshots of actual use must be included). Who knows - the prize could be... M&Ms!!?! Or... pizza for lunch!?!? Or...an APPLE!?  Or..a trip to Disneyland!?!?

The suspense!

Hint: Soshiku and TrackClass look to be the most well-rounded for student purposes (assignment keeping, note taking, calendar organizing, file storage, and even collaboration with project peers). Try both - that will improve your chances.

Criteria: 

• You need to be using the tool for one week (with proof). Fakers will not win. 
• The paragraph must be in tip-top shape (perfect punctuation and grammar/best-practice paragraph structure and sentence construction)
• I will not give second chances, so please make sure you have had proofreaders help you! 
• I will begin accepting emails December 15 at 8:00 A.M. and will close the competition at midnight.

Check back later for results. :)

SEE THE BLOG linked here (By Richard Byrne) FOR THE TOOLS (AND THEIR LINKS). 

GOOD LUCK, 

Mrs. Alesch

... and so I must challenge my own blog post!

After my last post on the Facebook-Students-Educators policy triangle, I have had many discussions with teachers, students, and administrators. It wouldn't be fair if I didn't come back and challenge my own blog post. 

I consider myself a change agent, a proponent of educational reform, and a liberal compared to most in terms of technology's role in education. To note, I still believe Facebook has its place in connecting teachers and students, but I am humbled by the concept of ethics and professionalism when it comes to students and teachers "friending." 

I initially created my Facebook page as a 29-year-old varsity volleyball coach to communicate more efficiently with my players, and it worked g-r-e-a-t. As a high school English teacher, I began receiving friend requests from students. I pondered, at that time the door I was opening, but moved forward cautiously because I liked the idea of building relationships with students to enhance my educational influence... although, I will admit, I had wished Facebook would create another term for "friending" because I didn't view the relationship between myself and my students that way - and neither did they. It was a way for me to reach out, communicate, and offer a slice of my personal life.

I drew the line within my personal/professional Facebook page: When I began adding my own personal friends and family, I sent each person a message explaining that my presence was as an educator and role model, and that all posts, pictures, and any other reflection of me would be as that educator and employee of the school district. When accepting requests from students, I reminded them of my responsibility as a mandatory reporter and that anything that came across my newsfeed that was questionable would be reported. Later, due to saturation of student "discussions," I changed my settings so that I would not receive student posts. At that time, I felt I was headed in the right digital-direction professionally and ethically.

However, what I just realized was that even though I kept my persona professional and role model-like, I was still putting myself in a risky position - it was my "ACCESS" that made me liable.

Here is the scenario that was presented to me... the scenario that changed my view: School employee goes to a student's page to leave him/her a message (school-related or not) or "likes" a student's post or comments on a student's picture - all of which could be positive gestures. Sometime later (anytime really), student posts something that hints or blatantly spells out suicide. Student commits suicide. The parents raise questions as to why the employee did not come forward. Whether the employee saw the post or not is not the argument. When the employee makes the choice to extend school walls to Facebook, the employee is, in an ethical and professional sense, responsible for monitoring that digital extension of school grounds. To zoom in even further on this incident, maybe the employee had never commented on that particular student's page but HAD on different student's page. The employee could still be questioned because of the simple concept of access. And with access comes professional and ethical responsibility. 

If not careful, access could be our own professional suicide.

Can Educational Policy Makers Stop the Evolution of Communication?

In a recent administration class, my colleagues and I had an intense discussion about Facebook and schools’ acceptance of social media. In part, my views were tailored from an enlightening presentation by Jeff Utecht on information literacy, education, and today's opportunities to reach students. 

When we discuss whether or not to block Facebook because of what students may stumble upon, say, or do. Facebook isn’t the issue. What students are saying and doing is. The same may be said for policies that prevent/discipline teachers from connecting with students beyond the classroom through social media such as Facebook. It’s not the tool, it is the behavior. If we have teachers posting inappropriate comments, pictures, etc...if they are willing to put those [lets call them] views online, what are they saying and doing in the classroom?!? It's the behavior (which should already be covered in school policy, correct?).

Society is evolving, norms are changing, and some educators/policy makers are trying to stop it/ban it? It can’t be stopped. Therefore, we must adapt. We must be technology and information literate leaders - EDUCATORS. Communication has transformed itself and educators need to be ever-present demonstrating etiquette, modeling appropriate behavior, and leading the charge (in and out of the classroom - 24/7 role model came with the teaching/administration gig). 

Part of the reason that Facebook has earned the reputation it has is because it’s been unmonitored for the most part... not that monitoring is what I'm advocating. The more that adults and our tech-social students interact online, the greater chance we have to influence and engage them in behavior we can all be proud of (that is - if the educators interacting with students are positive role models to begin with)....



Agree? Disagree? Feel free to challenge my thinking. 
I'm learning.

The comfort zone, learning, and... maybe it's okay to feel overwhelmed...

Check out Nick Sauers' "Feeling Overwhelmed" blog post.  

Have you ever felt like “…..this is good stuff, but my toolbox is already full!”???

Nick makes reference to doctors and their toolboxes. How would we as consumers respond if doctors began telling us their toolboxes were full?? And while we are well aware that with the evolution of technology, more efficient equipment and mechanisms are produced to improve health care...?

Another spin on this is taking a look at learning and the comfort zone... Or the not-so-comfortable zone of learning.

When our students are feeling as though their toolbox is full. I believe our mission is to keep pushing them to update their tools so that they have the best set of problem-solving gadgets to work with. I showed my students empathy when they felt overwhelmed, but I also explained to them that it wasn't until they stepped out of their comfort zone by reading a little more, writing a little longer, and studying a little harder that they would make gains in their ability to learn new concepts and master new skills.

Think about the word, "comfort" ... What are we doing when we are comfortable? A blog post I recently read, "Your Comfort, Learning, and Anxiety Zones," defines these three zones (http://airline-command.blogspot.com/2007/11/your-comfort-learning-anxiety-zones.html).

I think metacognitive awareness is key here. We need to be able to organize our thoughts and resources in a way that allows us to begin taking on new information. When I taught psychology, I compared the brain to a file cabinet... I think our overwhelmed educators (and students at times) are in a state where the drawers are open and papers are everywhere-scattered about as they try to keep up with digital reform. They're trying to sort them out, but a window seems to be open blowing information about faster than teachers/learners can put them away.

Develop a plan, organize the files, and maintain the file cabinet by discarding and replacing as needed. Don't shut the window - fresh air is GOOD. We, as educators, must find a balance between our comfort zone... and our learning zone. Enjoy a couple of quotes I thought were motivating:

A ship in a harbor is safe, but that's not what a ship is built for.
~Unknown~

Progress always involves risk; you can't progress to second base and also keep your foot on first.
~Christie Mason~

Comfort zones are most often expanded through discomfort.
~Peter McWilliams~

Every moment of one's existence one is growing into more or retreating into less.
~Norman Mailer~

Media Literacy

According to the article, A Land of Readers, published in Educational Leadership,"Being media literate refers to the student's ability to understand the purpose of a given article, the choices an author made in the course of writing it, and the visual impact of the article's visual and textual components." What are we doing as educators to prepare students to comprehend today's literature and to reflect on yesterday's prose? Myriad forms of writing that students come across today include hidden agendas; are our students able to make informed decisions about the information they stumble upon and/or research? Do we model the process we as practiced readers use to identify deceitful written communication?

Press Release for Graettinger-Terril Library Renovation (G-building)

“Flip the G-T Library!”

“We would like to transform this space into an inviting atmosphere that is plugged into the 21st century as well as make our facility more user and community-friendly. We have such great space to work with, and with a little rearranging, painting, and new carpet, we can increase the traffic of this newly revamped learning center.”

We began this project with a $50k grant in mind but unfortunately we have not yet been one of the lucky in getting a chance to compete. The show must go on. Since the school board has committed to replacing the unraveling carpet, I would like to take this opportunity to spice up the paint scheme.”

Mrs. Alesch’s library crew of students is selling raffle tickets for four fleece blankets with the winning names to be drawn on graduation day right before the ceremony. They also hosted an ice cream social the night of open house and one day during the school week for students.

The painting date is tentatively set for the week of May 24.

“By then we will have the library cleaned up and out and ready for some renovation. We hope to have raised enough money to purchase paint and supplies.”

“Year by year, we plan to make small improvements to furniture and shelving with this year providing the major makeover in terms of interior appearance. Willing students and staff members will be donating their time to the project. We are going to continue to be resourceful and work with what furniture we currently have as well as seek any talents or donations from community members interested in helping out. The crew includes Morgan Mortenson, Leah Bisienius, Tiffany Harris, Nikki Brown, Alysssa Hoffman; please contact any of these young ladies or Mrs. Alesch if you would like to help in any way."

The project is estimated to cost a little over $1000.

Our Plan:

• Revamp the main area of the library to create a Java/Barnes & Noble-like atmosphere (thematic in design/color, artwork on walls, etc.) 

• ADD: a community room/superintendent's office/student showcase room, media/production room, PD/work-study room, student study room, and tech room/librarian office (currently it is being used more as storage) 

• Children's Section: playful theme, colorful, add comfortable sitting for individual reading (beanbag/rocking chairs or carpeted steps for story time?) 

• Multimedia room: Transform one room into a multimedia/production/green screen room Remove shelves in west section; clear space for instructional area - table desks for classroom instruction or PD in-service (disperse shelving by different arrangement) 

• Technology upgrades: add a big screen TV or projection device to show movies to school and/or community (could be a SmartBoard) 

• Add 21st century technology to be checked out by school/community: cameras (digital/video), projectors, movies, cds, etc. 

• Market library for more community use  

• ...and of course... add new books/databases for students to enjoy!

Dream big - working together, we can accomplish great things!

The following sites were created for our initial planning, feel free to check them out and/or participate in the discussions:

PLANNING/INFORMATIONAL SITE- http://sites.google.com/site/flipourlibrary/

BLOG PARTICIPATION SITE- http://flipourlibrary.blogspot.com/2010/03/lets-begin.html

 















The Terril-Building library is going to undergo some changes to promote better teaching and learning as well following the completion of the Graettinger-Building project. STAY TUNED!!!

Report: Iowa nearly worst for teen driving safety

Report: Iowa nearly worst for teen driving safety

"Iowa's youngest drivers rank among the nation's worst when it comes to safety."
"Take mom and dad out of the car, and Iowa researchers found the teen crash rate increases 700 percent and seat belt use drops to less than 40 percent on average."

This information is stomach turning. The power of parental involvement here is SO critical.

How to Write Thesis Statements for Essays: Teach High School Students to Write a Great Essay Thesis

For my students: Please use this site to guide you in your persuasive essay/thesis planning.

How to Write Thesis Statements for Essays: Teach High School Students to Write a Great Essay Thesis

1:1 Research Poster

Please click on the poster below to see it enlarged. For the University of Iowa's School of Library & Information Science [teacher librarian grant] program AND due to the fact that Graettinger-Terril will be deploying 1:1 August of 2010, I have been researching the elements necessary for successful implementation in initiatives both nationally and internationally. Although I have studied document upon document, my research is just beginning, I hope to report back our progress in one year.

One-to-One Computing Initiatives: Success Factors for Optimal Learning by Teresa Alesch is licensed under a 

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. 

Based on a work at gttechandinfolit.blogspot.com.

One-to-one Computing Initiatives: Critical Elements for Optimal Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to investigate one-to-one computing initiatives, where schools provide wireless connectivity and equip students with personal laptops. My guiding question was, “What features do successful one-to-one programs have in common?” To answer this, I examined the results of published one-to-one implementation and outcome reports authored by state and technology/education organizations.

From these studies, I identified common themes in successful programs and extracted six elements that provide a foundation for positive outcomes:leadership system, technology management, professional development, research-based pedagogy, program evaluation, and implementation plan. Though each initiative differed in structure and in goals ranging from raising academic achievement, increasing equity, decreasing digital divide to preparing students for today’s technology-driven workforce, data used to measure success remained similar including stakeholder satisfaction, instructional observation, discipline, attendance, and achievement.

Multiple studies mention constructivist teaching as a variable, so I drew from educational theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey and further deduced that coupling laptop technology with active learning methods results in positive outcomes. Previously published findings report that teachersincorporating active learning approaches transition more proficiently into differentiated instruction, project-based facilitation, and higher-level inquiry-based teaching. As a result, students respond eagerly to a more relevant curriculum allowing teachers to increase engagement, individualize instruction for varied learning styles, leverage resources, and level the playing field with universal access.

Using the six elements with an emphasis on constructivist instruction, I created a formula for implementation, which may guide administrators, teachers, librarians, and IT coordinators in integrating laptops as instructional tools.

Flip the G-T Library!

On May 1st, G/T library (Graettinger building) is applying for a grant to remove the hazardous asbestos and to redesign our space. Upon removing the asbestos, the students and staff of Graettinger-Terril CSD would like to redesign our library to improve accessibility and atmosphere so that the entire community can benefit from a more inviting, tech-ready learning space.

To see this video in its full capacity, please click on the linked title above.

Teaching: The Unprofessional Profession

I thought this article provided some valuable thoughts to ponder. While the content targets administration as boring or claims that teachers blame administration for being boring, I think we need to look past it and analyze what the message means to us as teachers. If we are getting nothing from professional development (this could be applied to anything in life), maybe we should look a little deeper into our own personal motivation. Should bettering ourselves professionally and raising academic achievement be extrinsic or intrinsic? Is it someone else's job to motivate us, or should we be responsible for our own learning?

Teaching: The Unprofessional Profession

Teresa Alesch

One-to-one Computing Initiatives: Critical Elements for Optimal Learning

The purpose of this research was to investigate one-to-one computing initiatives, where schools provide wireless connectivity and equip students with personal laptops. My guiding question was, “What features do successful one-to-one programs have in common?” To answer this, I examined the results of published one-to-one implementation and outcome reports authored by state and technology/education organizations.

From these studies, I identified common themes in successful programs and extracted six elements that provide a foundation for positive outcomes: leadership system, technology management, professional development, research-based pedagogy, program evaluation, and implementation plan. Though each initiative differed in structure and in goals ranging from raising academic achievement, increasing equity, decreasing digital divide to preparing students for today’s technology-driven workforce, data used to measure success remained similar including stakeholder satisfaction, instructional observation, discipline, attendance, and achievement.

Multiple studies mention constructivist teaching as a variable, so I drew from educational theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Dewey and further deduced that coupling laptop technology with active learning methods results in positive outcomes. Previously published findings report that teachers incorporating active learning approaches transition more proficiently into differentiated instruction, project-based facilitation, and higher-level inquiry-based teaching. As a result, students respond eagerly to a more relevant curriculum allowing teachers to increase engagement, individualize instruction for varied learning styles, leverage resources, and level the playing field with universal access.

Using the six elements with an emphasis on constructivist instruction, I created a formula for implementation, which may guide administrators, teachers, librarians, and IT coordinators in integrating laptops as instructional tools.

Join the G-T Staff, Students, and Community in Flipping Our Library!

We are attempting to gather multiple stakeholders to combine efforts in redesigning our library space. For too long, the G-T library has gone unchanged (other than the change of deteriorating carpet, shelving, books, paint, etc.) We would like to enhance our space to provide greater opportunity for students and staff to use and enjoy our space.

Please visit our project site and our collaboration blog.

Flip This Library: School Libraries Need a Revolution

Click the title.
This article describes the modern learning space... a hopeful future of our Graettinger-Terril Libraries!

...this site is a great example.
New 'Learning Commons' defies commonplace 
Chelmsford library revamped

...and this site puts it all together. 
Library Program Administration - Facilities Management

10 Big Myths about copyright explained

Teachers & Students - Check out this article as well as the rest of the site. 

Did you know that if a work does not have a copyright, it could still be copyrighted? Yes, it is true. Read more about this and other circumstances related to copyrighted material.

Also, on this site you can find "A Brief Intro to Copyright."

For more information, check out the U.S. Library of Congress.

G-T School District Approves Technology Initiative

A write up from the Emmetsburg Newspaper.

G-T Advances in Technology!

-For Immediate Release-

The Graettinger-Terril Community School District held a special board meeting Thursday December 4, 2010, to discuss the 1:1 laptop initiative. The school board and administration have attended 1:1 presentations by “Apple Distinguished” school, Newell-Fonda. Wanting forward movement, leaders have been discussing the idea of equipping each student in grades 5-12 with a computer that can be used at school and at home. The meeting began with a student-centered presentation produced by Darci Farnum and Teresa Alesch. Students shared their perspective as to why the initiative would be a positive investment into their educational futures. Principals Jesse Ulrich and Chris Richards covered several key areas of implementation and expected outcomes. Alan Hansen, Apple sales representative, proposed the items on the lease as well as the cost of the program. Mr. Randy Collins, Graettinger-Terril superintendent, and Lisa Chapman, board secretary, gave a presentation on how to pay for the initiative.

The funding will come directly from the state penny tax also known as the Silo fund. Graettinger and Terril school boards and previous administration have done an excellent job of using money wisely. As a result, the Graettinger-Terril board is in a great position to approve the initiative without having to raise property taxes to implement this program. The board members had a lengthy discussion about the initiative and the cost for the district. A motion was made and seconded. The motion carried pending the approval of the lease by the school attorney. Administration, teachers, and students are thankful for the previous board and administration’s fiscal responsibility and look forward to the changing landscape within the Graettinger-Terril Community School District. With this investment, our students will be able to experience 21st century skills, and begin to be prepared for a global and digital age.