tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2285906303158399082024-03-12T19:57:51.836-07:00Virtual School BlogJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-75476528486066271972006-11-17T10:30:00.000-08:002006-11-17T11:09:31.196-08:00WCON- Reach out and Touch Someone by Janel<strong>Ways to communicate online...</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />Hands on experience with<br />moodle, email, im, chat, discussion thread, chatrooms, whiteboard, voip, video conferencing, web conferencing, blogs, wiki, elluminate, skype<br /><br />Skype- loaded into a network in less then 5 minutes, computer to computer is free, can call landline for free as well, recently bought out by ebay, originated in Belgium, works on dialup,<br /><br />Elluminate- conference software, can also share the screen and more.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-53785186895636877902006-11-17T08:23:00.000-08:002006-11-17T09:40:17.724-08:00WCON -David Warlick Keynote Speaker by Janel<strong>David Warlick- Landmark Project</strong><br />(I have seen this guy at the NECC conference in San Diego adn have resources from that) EXCELLENT<br /><a href="mailto:david@landmark-project.com">david@landmark-project.com</a><br /><br />"The iliterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn adn relearn."<br /><br />Online handouts- <a href="http://handouts.davidwarlick.com">http://handouts.davidwarlick.com</a><br />Blog with: redefine,literacy, warlick<br /><br />We spend too much time teaching kids to use paper when we need to teach them how to use light.<br /><br />Our job as educators is to prepare students for a future we cannot describe.<br /><br />We should STOP integrating technology and start integrating literacy. INFORMATION LITERATE. We need to teach our kids how to teach themselves.<br /><br />Wikipedia vs Encyclopedia (this is not a competition) each have different strengths. The encyclopedia is published by experts but is not as updated. The wikipedia is published by anyone, but is VERY current. Each has a different strength and use.<br /><br />Reading as a literacy needs to expand to a range of skills including exposing truth. (find it, decode it, critically evaluate it, organize it into personal digital libraries) Kids start with informaiton that is billions of "pages" big. Being a digital detective. uncover the truth behind the information.<br /><br />Math as a literacy. You ned to understand the language of numbers. Two things have dramatically changed the world of numbers. There are a lot more of them out there. There are thousands and they are digital. EXAMPLE- earthquake search thing. APPLICATION is the second thing. Applications have become more important as technology has become more commonplace. <br /><br />Languages of technical areas become less important. Music tools for example. You can compose without formal training in music based on sound, technology and music programs. <br /><br />Anatomy of the long tail. Books, music, movies that don't sell enough to be sold in a store. But the long tail provides a market online for us to produce things and make them available to others. Huge amounts of content made available this way. <br /><br />Classroom Blogging- published two hours after done writing. Lulu.com self published and will upload the book in Word, saved as a pdf, library of congress stuff, made covers in photoshop, uploaded them, asks how much you want to make $3.00. they said OK we can sell it for $20.00. They make a webpage for it. They then accept credit cards and print and ship on demand. Interesting... look at this... Very cool. <br /><br />Teach kids to be effective and responsive producers of materials. Everyone has something to say and do. The long tail doesn't make a living, but it is a nice supplement.<br /><br />Writing expands into expressing ideas compellingly. <br /><br />Expand our notions of literacy<br />1. Exposing truth<br />2. Employing logic<br />3. Express ideas compellingly<br />4. ETHICS (love and protect the truth)<br /><br />Ethics<br />-seeks to express the truth<br />-do no harm<br />-be accountable<br />-respect and protect the information and its infrastructure<br /><br />Stop integrating technology, redefine literacy and integrate that.<br /><br />We see technology, kids see information. Information is at the center of their focus NOT technology. We need to concentrate more on the new information landscape and less on the machines.<br /><br />How we go about convincing people that we need to retool education in this country.<br /><br />Funny Internet cartoon-<br />You have reached the end of the internet. You will have to turn around, Use your back button to do so.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-20573311769368306832006-11-16T13:06:00.001-08:002006-11-16T14:01:33.464-08:00WCON- Organizational Readiness by Janel<strong></strong><br /><strong>Who is here?</strong><br />New Holstein-looking to implement online learning classes in one department<br />Menomonee Area SD- planning for online learning last 3 years, board policies, etc<br />Janesville- has a planning grant for a charter virtual<br />Westfield- initial research stage of online learning<br />Sun Prairie- looking at online learning for a planning grant some time in the future<br />Milwaukee High School- looking at online learning<br />CESA 3- Looking at professional development online opportunities<br />CESA 11- Consortium of 29 schools that ar elooking at online learning<br />Hayward- HS staff is doing hybrid courses<br />New London- School of Online Marketing with an online component<br />Arbor Vitae- GT kids doing online learning<br />CESA 6- Professional Development<br />CESA 12- Creating Distance Learning Network<br /><br /><strong>Online Curriculum</strong><br />-Where do you get it?<br />-What is its quality?<br />-Do we buy it or develop it ourselves?<br />-Purchase curriculum only or a teacher too?<br />-Do we do synchronous or asynchronous curriculum?<br /><br /><strong>Policy and Procedure</strong><br />-services to provide- guidance, libraries, etc<br />-extracurriculars online<br />-preplanning with students using WiscCareers and learning styles inventory<br /><br /><strong>Technical Infrastructure</strong><br />-Access to internet ready computers with minimal tech specs<br />-proxy servers, filtering systems, popup blockers<br />-student email access<br />-technical staff to assist local teachers and students<br />-accomodations for after hours access<br /><br />EMAIL-- Student names can't go out over the Internet according to CIPA--- check into this.<br /><br /><strong>Funding Strategies</strong><br />-Operating budgets from multiple sources<br />-Grants: state and federal<br />-Potential sources of federal funding<br />-Funds preserved by holding onto students who might otherwise leaveJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-51902358314279678312006-11-16T12:03:00.000-08:002006-11-16T13:06:27.741-08:00WCON- Online Course Evaluations- Exploratorium by Janelpresented by Appleton eSchool, iQ Academy, Wisconsin Virtual School, Madison Virtual Campus<br /><br /><strong>Appleton eSchool Connie Radtke-Content Demo</strong><br /><strong>2D Art Examples</strong><br />-Scan in work or taking digital pictures<br />-At the beginning of each module it identifies the tasks they are going to be doing and the approx time it will take them to complete<br />-Students have pace charts and due dates as well<br />-Flash drawings and ask about what various artists were trying to sketch out. Game format, etc. -Virtual tours to museums<br /><br />Don't like this session jumping to a new one...Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-67711034531088130992006-11-16T10:46:00.001-08:002006-11-16T11:36:09.155-08:00WCON Supplementing Curriculum with Online Options by Janel<strong>Presented by Sue Steiner Keil eSchool</strong><br /><br /><strong>Keil</strong><br />-application process is through the guidance office<br />-primarily purchase from Florida Virtual School<br /><br /><strong>Why do students enroll?</strong><br />health problems<br />-want a challenge<br />-scheduling conflicts<br />-drop outs<br />-alternative to expulsion<br />-expelled<br />-at risk<br />-flex schedules<br />-transfer students<br />-transient students<br />-ap<br />-low enrollment courses<br />-out of sequence courses<br />-homebound<br />-travelling<br />-gt<br /><br /><strong>Quality Online courses</strong><br />-QUALITY teacher is number one!!!!<br />-consistent organization from one class to the next important to consider this when setting protocols<br /><br /><strong>How do you know students do their own work</strong><br />-proctored exams<br />-frequent communication<br />-teacher discernment<br /><br /><strong>Tools to use when developing online courses</strong><br />- <a href="http://www.edutools.info/">http://www.edutools.info/</a> allows you to compare course management systems and it will provide you details and comparisons for them. This is a VERY useful tool to use. Tons of great information here.<br />- Moodle <a href="http://moodle.org/">http://moodle.org/</a><br />- Online Course Evaluation Project (also on edutools) this helps you to look at content providers AND most useful for the categories that are listed on what items are important to look at in curriculum and more. VERY NICE. Put in a rubric that you develop for evaluative purposes<br />- Ncrel and Research projects portion of edutools<br />- National Repository of Online Courses- high school and ap. Growing. Quality courses.<br /><br /><strong>Supplementary Content</strong><br />-adds diversity even in F2F classes<br />-high quality and content beyond the means of the teacher<br />-addresses various learning styles<br />-multimodal learning<br />-why reinvent the wheel<br /><br /><strong>Course Vendors</strong><br />-put an rfp together<br />-piloted a few vendors the first year<br />-developed some locally developed courses as well<br />-FVS <a href="http://www.flvs.net/">http://www.flvs.net/</a> they have course demos so you can look at lessons from many of their courses<br /><br /><strong>Supplementary Providers</strong><br />-Can license all of these individuals as well<br />-<a href="http://www.unitedstreaming.com/">United Streaming</a><br />-<a href="http://www.brainpop.com/">Brain Pop</a><br />-<a href="http://www.getaclue.com/">Get A Clue</a><br />-<a href="http://www.sasinschool.com/">SAS inSchool</a><br />-Horizon Wimbda/Wimba (voice email sending)- foreign language, $25 a license<br />-Geometer's Sketchpad<br /><br /><strong>Web Conferencing Software</strong><br />-Elluminate (highest quality)- look into this!!!<br />-WebEx<br />-Wimba<br />-Skype<br />--question to ask- is it VoIP or the Internet AND a phone line. Not sure what she said here... investigate further<br /><br /><strong>Learning Objects</strong><br />-mini lessons that are out there<br />- <a href="http://www.merlot.org/Home.php">www.merlot.org/Home.php</a><br />- Fox Valley Technical College Learning Objects are all together online <a href="http://www.wisc-online.com/">http://www.wisc-online.com/</a><br />- WiscNet <a href="http://www.digitaldistricts.org/">http://www.digitaldistricts.org/</a><br /><br /><strong>Wikis and Blogs</strong><br /><br /><strong>Virtual Field Trips and Projects</strong><br />-<a href="http://www.twice.cc/rbib.html">www.twice.cc/rbib.html</a><br /><br /><strong>Advantages and Disadvantages</strong><br />-pay for high quality content<br />-CD/DVD supplements to textbooks<br />-ABILITY to CUSTOMIZE (check this if you want to be able to add units or lessons)<br />-updating and support offered by vendors<br />-Are you purchasing courses or modules? This is important.<br />-upfront vs. ongoing costs<br />-cost per student or one cost for course<br />technology issues<br /><br /><strong>Considerations</strong><br />-who hosts it?<br />-security issues<br />-intellectual copyright issues (if teachers develop) can't copy and paste<br />-ada compliance<br />-licensing agreements<br />-infrastructure support<br />-content fit the management system?<br /><br /><strong>Teacher training</strong><br />-need an ongoing mentor<br />-monthly staff development<br />-tech support<br />-other trainings<br />-Learning Point Associates NCREL- great online 6 week course for online teacher facilitation courses, offered in January, 3 grad credits with Cardinal Stritch, contact Sue Steiner about enrolling in this course<br /><br /><strong>Student Considerations</strong><br />-orientation course for students<br />-is their a teacher at the other end of the course<br />-quality directions<br />-tech support<br /><br /><strong>Content</strong><br />-not all text based, needs multimedia<br />-bandwidth<br /><br /><strong>Start Small</strong><br />-just go with a few sources at first<br />-resource that supports a large number of media rich sources<br />-decide whether to buy, license or build your own<br />-consider consortia for purchasing power (NL has indicated an interest in partnering with us)<br />-need to establish buy-in, very important<br /><br />As far as grants and sustaining go- perpetual licenses are the key!! May not want to consider the rent a course options because they require continual monetary supportJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-90510151806115258012006-11-16T08:35:00.000-08:002006-11-16T11:24:26.796-08:00WCON- Keynote speaker by JanelSusan Patrick: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">NACOL</span>: CEO and President<br /><br />More technology in our toothpaste factories measuring effectiveness than there is in our schools today.<br /><br />40% of the high schools in the US don't have PA or advanced classes. This is horrible since we live in a knowledge based economy.<br /><br />The Tipping Point- get that book<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">NEA</span> Guide to online teaching for teacher union information. This is a great tool showing how they <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">support</span> online learning so the union doesn't fight so much.<br /><br />Virginia county- gave all students a laptop (26,000) and still spent less than the state average because they got rid of the financial support for the old school model and invested in the new one.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">NGA</span> Gates Foundation Study just published. Challenges all students to complete college <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">preparatory</span> coursework whether they want to go to college or not. This reverses our thinking.<br /><br />National- what is happening in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">elearning</span><br />#1 reason for offering online curriculum in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">hs</span> in the US is because the course is not currently offered in their high school.<br />#2 reason offered by <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">districts</span> is to meet the specific needs of student groups<br /><br />For policy making and presentations- get all the things you need to make on an index card<br />1-online learning expands options<br />2- online learning is rapidly growing (30% annual enrollment)<br />3-Research shows it is equal or better to traditional academic environment (based on federal study of student achievement scores)<br />4- Susan Loews. It improves teaching. Rethink content and strategies and go through significant training.<br /><br />Measures of success<br />Are online students engaged?<br />What are the completion rates? (95% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">FVS</span>, 90% <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">AeS</span>, 70% HS grad rate)<br />AP exam scores (national 60%, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">FVS</span> 70%)<br /><br />If we could enroll all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">of the</span> kids who wanted online courses today there would be enough to everyone. There are 12 states, primarily in the Northeast, that are not in tune with online learning either locally or statewide.<br /><br />2006 what's new<br />-Michigan requirement for all students to have an online learning experience (20 hours or more of intense)<br />-Georgia allows <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cybercharter</span> programs<br />-New state led programs in many states <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">opening</span> up<br />-CA <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">opening</span> charter schools<br />-Nebraska distance ed law<br />-Washington developing guidelines for online learning<br />-Corporate <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">America</span> 30% do online training, will go to 50% in a few years time<br /><br />We still spend money on globes. How many college programs buy globes?<br />Libraries are still spending money on subscriptions, how many students just go online to get the information<br />Text books- or laptops??? Which makes more sense, looking at 4 year leases. $250 a year. (1.11 per student per day)<br /><br />System design- we need to focus on how we design the world, because things can only go as fast and as far as they are designed to do so.<br /><br />Last time the high school system has been redesigned? 1905. Decided that they did not have to prepare all kids for college. Systemic effort to sort kids so 75% would go to industrial jobs and 25% would go to college. Valued efficiency above all else. Bell system, lock step kids by age NOT by how fast they learn, no choices, 30% drop out. 26% make it to 2 years of college. This model does not work.<br /><br />Majority of drop outs 88% had passing grades, 69% are not motivated or disenfranchised, 66% would have worked harder if more had been demanded, At Risk kids. Losing these kids in our schools<br /><br />We start schools as a question mark <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">and</span> end as a period.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-48208451079525701752006-11-16T08:26:00.000-08:002006-11-16T11:25:18.634-08:00WCON- Opening Session by Janel<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">WCON</span> conference is the only one in the state that focuses exclusively on K12 online learning<br />_________________________________________<br /><br />Appleton e-school skit- focused on what it was like to look at and take an online class, oral exams and phone call office hours<br /><br />_________________________________________<br /><br />Appleton <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">eSchool</span> and IQ Academy parent and student panel<br /><br />-Parents feel that online classes allow them to be more involved than traditional classes<br />-Students felt that one on one communication was better online than traditionally<br />-Students liked that they could take required courses online to leave room for the advanced and elective courses they wanted to take in school<br />-Cheating- <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">eSchool</span> requires <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">proctored</span> final exam <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">tha</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">t students</span> must pass can be taken in Appleton, at a library, in a local school, etc<br /><br />I had more in this post but experienced Internet problems with the connections and lost the original post.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-86745520819265654542006-11-16T07:30:00.000-08:002006-11-17T08:25:21.233-08:00WCON Conference by JanelJanel attended the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">WCON</span> (Wisconsin Collaborative Online Network) <a href="http://www.wcon.info/">http://www.wcon.info/</a><br />Conference in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Fondulac</span> at Marion College<br />November 16-17, 2006<br /><br />I have a flash drive with most of the powerpoints from this conference on them (presented by Appelton eSchool and Kiel)Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-66544611356097231222006-11-15T10:01:00.000-08:002006-11-16T11:27:57.899-08:00Marcia's Summarizing Statements from the Dallas ConferenceSummary—and my opinions<br /><br />Parents<br />Parents are an important factor in a student’s success with online courses. Only one of the sessions I attended stated that the parents are not expected to actively participate. The rest expect the parents to motivate/encourage students, as well as make sure the students are logging in and working in their classes. Some expect regular interaction with the teachers.<br /><br />Students<br />Students say traditional classes are boring. I partially agree—nothing can be exciting all of the time. I think the problem is that schools are designed to provide a general education, and this education is paced according to the needs of the “middle” students—leaving the gifted and talented unchallenged/underchallenged, and the lower students lost and confused. I think this is what the students really mean when they say classes are “boring.” I can see how online classes would be more stimulating. Students are able spend as much or as little time as they need to learn individually, as opposed to a daily 40 minute classroom experience. Furthermore, the students are quite “connected,” and online classes would be appealing.<br /><br />As all of the presenters stated, online classes are not for every student. The students who spoke to us stated that they (and their friends) thought the classes were easy, although the presenters stated that the classes are not easy at all. Online classes require responsibility as well as motivation, and the students need interaction with their teacher, according to one of the students.<br /><br />Some things that might inadvertently help students succeed…<br />The fact that students choose to take an online course gives them some ownership. They receive a computer, and all the components necessary for their class, and this is “cool.” They can set their own time schedule, and they know they can contact their teacher (and they know how to contact their teacher) if they need help. They do not have the distractions that happen in traditional classes, and there are no face to face classmates who can bully or tease them. There is some freedom in the anonymity—if you said/wrote something embarrassing during a group discussion, you don’t have to face the others all day.<br /><br />Mary Rich, one of the students who spoke to us, made a point I hadn’t considered. When discussion distractions at school, she said, “There are distractions at home, too, but they are YOUR distractions and you know how to handle them.”<br /><br />Teachers<br />“A good classroom teacher is not necessarily a good online teacher.” This was repeated throughout the sessions.<br />Teachers need a great deal of initial and ongoing training and support, and need a mentor for guidance. They also need a mentor or a trustworthy group with whom they can “vent” confidentially and to combat/conquer frustration.<br />There is a “time factor” that will have to be considered, not only with training teachers, but with managing their online classes. The symposium attendees who were not teachers generally thought that online classes/teachers actually save time, but those who teach online stated that, initially, it takes more time, and eventually becomes about the same amount of time as a teacher would spend in a traditional class. Most classes contain at least ten, but not more than twenty, students. One group allows a veteran online teacher to accept more students.<br /><br />Starting a Virtual School<br />I received some excellent information, and even a worksheet to help plan a virtual school.<br /><br />Plan, plan, plan!<br /><br />Creating policy is very important—have all of your ducks in a row and you will avoid many problems.<br /><br />All presenters stated that you need to find a partner to help financially. It is important to determine at the beginning which partner will be responsible for providing each aspect of the virtual school. Again, planning—know exactly “who” is responsible for “what.”<br /><br />A man from Colorado told us that they were creating their own curriculum materials, because the cost of purchasing curriculum is prohibitive. He and his team are quite computer-savvy, and have access to many community/business resources we do not have. At this time, I do not feel I have the ability or knowledge to create an online course that would have the “bells and whistles” of a prepackaged curriculum. The little bits of these courses that I saw were truly fabulous. According to the presenters, there are all kinds of prepackaged programs, and some of the least expensive are basically correspondence courses. “You get what you pay for” was the phrase they used, and said it definitely applied to prepackaged curriculum programs. They suggested that whatever program is chosen, it should be one that can be altered to meet state standards, and can be updated.<br /><br />All presenters suggested that starting small was the best way to begin; it’s better to be successful with something small, than have something large that is just OK. A successful experience will fuel progressively large ventures.<br /><br />“Yes, but…” or “Yes, and…”<br /><br />During this symposium, I think Chic Thompson has managed to change our way of thinking. Instead of thinking a negative “Yes, but…,” we are thinking “Yes, and…” and seeking the positive. Turn things around—look at “What would we never do?” Sometimes, changing your viewpoint makes all the difference.<br />_______________________________________________________________________<br /><br />I went to this symposium because I wanted to see what other people are doing with online education, and how they are doing it. I wanted to learn what others did “wrong”(in hopes that we could avoid it), as well as what they did “right.” As a teacher, I wanted to see the quality of the curriculum available, and I wanted to discover what I would need to do to become an online teacher. (The only thing I’d still like to do is view the Language Arts courses from various programs.)<br /><br />I left the symposium feeling that a virtual school is something that we CAN create, and it will be successful. The “road” to that virtual school is going to be difficult, with many decisions and a ton of planning…and it will be a great learning experience for everyone. And… I am willing to be one of the teachers,… but I have to test drive the curriculum first!<br />MarciaJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-27599478200658412382006-11-14T12:48:00.000-08:002006-11-16T11:26:29.420-08:00Links from the Dallas ConferenceLink to information about What A Great Idea and Chic Thompson<br /><a href="http://www.whatagreatidea.com/">http://www.whatagreatidea.com/</a><br /><br />Companies that specialize <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">in virtual</span> school products:<br />--Pearson digital learning <a href="http://www.pearsondigital.com/">http://www.pearsondigital.com/</a><br />--Virtual School K12 Programs <a href="http://www.educators.k12.com/">http://www.educators.k12.com/</a><br />--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ecollege</span> virtual Sage, online curriculum publishers <a href="http://www.virtualsage.org/">http://www.virtualsage.org/</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Virtual Schools that presented<br />--Minnesota Virtual Academy, Kim Ross Superintendent Houston, MN<br />--IQ Academies at Wisconsin, Lisa McClure <a href="mailto:lmcclure@kcdistancelearning.com">lmcclure@kcdistancelearning.com</a> See Marketing Ideas Sheet. Very useful. (In Janel's file) #1<br />--Michigan Virtual University Online Experience Guidelines (useful framework- In Janel's files) #2<br /><br /><br /><br />Presentation Links<br />--Starting a Virtual School Program for Your District- The Virtual Campus Rapid City, SD: <a href="http://www.rcas.org/thevirtualcampus">www.rcas.org/thevirtualcampus</a><br />--Virtual Veterans Top ten lists (interesting stuff- in Janel's file) #3<br />--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Nacols</span> research trends and statistics sheet with links to a lot of research (in Janel's file) #4<br />--<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Nacol's</span> paper Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills (in Janel's file) #5<br />--How to Start A Virtual School <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Pre</span>Conference Packet (in Janel's file) #7<br />--Keeping Pace with K12 Online Learning State Level policy and practice book (in Janel's file) #8<br />--Quality School Checklist from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (in Janel's file #9)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Next year's conference is in Louisville Kentucky. <a href="http://www.nacol.com/">http://www.nacol.com/</a> November 4-6.2007Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-47145294466721548902006-11-14T10:25:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:30:39.885-08:00Critical Issues Relative to Charter Virtual School by DebCritical Issues Relative to Charter Virtual School<br />Submitted by deb Gerard<br /><br />In considering what is most important, the following come to mind:<br /><br />We need to nail down specifically what it is we are going to do-exactly what kind of school we are looking to develop (and it has to be more detailed than “charter virtual school”!) <br />Determine who our target students will be specifically.<br />What we will offer those targeted students. <br />If we determine to buy curriculum, we will need to make decisions on what curriculum and from where<br />Once we determine what we want specifically, we need to determine WHO and what we need to bring it about. That includes:<br />personnel and how we use them,<br />policy and what it needs to include,<br />student management and how and by whom that will be accomplished,<br /> marketing and how it will be done and by whom and<br />how we will evaluate (DPI just told us that we must always make evaluation a part of the original plan for anything!).<br />The role of our current staff <br />How and through what medium(s) staff will be trained once we decide their role<br />There needs to be a specific timeline for this project over the course of the next few months as the next deadline for the grant is not all that far away!<br /> We need to set the next meeting and soon!Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-15226989613337835112006-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:19:26.106-08:00New London CollaborationJoe Pomrening principal at New Londaon high school contacted us to see if we would be interested in collaborating on some of the curriculum. They are writing a planning grant for a charter school that has a virtual school as one of its components. He indicated that a collaboration with Keil or Appleton is $100,000 for each of two years. His phone number is 920-982-8420 x1001. He attended the Dallas virtual school symposium as well.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-35157826539031225182006-11-09T11:48:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:31:12.186-08:00Janel's Overall List of Ten Important Concepts from the conference1. <strong>Policies</strong>- we need to research policies like mad. There are many things to consider in the set up of our policies and how they will effect the outcome and viability adn effectiveness of our school.<br /><br />2. <strong>Curriculum options</strong>- We have to decide if we are going to buy courses and provide our own teachers, have our teachers develop the curriculum adn teach it and sell our curriculum to others, have our teachers teach in a consortium and "exchange" seats (Wisconsin e-network, private companies), purchase on an individual course basis per student like virtual school<br /><br />3. <strong>Community building</strong> is important. ways to use the technology and "new space" to create a school community of interactive learners, community, teachers and parents. Therewere some really good ideas of how to accomplish this.<br /><br />4. <strong>Marketing ideas.</strong> Marketing the school is very important. Getting training inthis and being able tobrainstorm and network is key. Ideas of getting your name, mission and WHAT IT IS YOU DO out there.<br /><br />5. <strong>Quality Measurementand program evaluation</strong> Online progam perceiver by Appleton Virtual School is a great way to measure program effectiveness and monitor what is going on. This shouldbe builtin.<br /><br />6. <strong>Chic Thompson</strong> Ways to brainstorm and develop yes and habits. The power of opposite thinking when solving a problem. Turning it into opportunity. What would we never do?<br /><br />7. <strong>Resources </strong>Use SREB resources. Lots there.. Also our worthiest competitors will be out best allies.<br /><br />8. <strong>Concentrate on LEARNING not the medium of instruction</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />9. <strong>Student Management System</strong>- the current "traditional" (skyward) system will not work. It needs to have many moreoptions and tracking communication piece. This is key so make sure to research both it and the adminstration of it well.<br /><br />10. <strong>Teacher and Student Preparation</strong> All teachers and mentors should have to take an online course first. All studnets should have an orientation course so they know how the system works and to troubleshoot technology problems (add-ins, speed, etc) before they are in an actual class.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-80135113571696330692006-11-09T11:40:00.000-08:002006-11-09T11:55:56.009-08:00Break Out 2 Tues-Collaboration by DebFocus on people not places in virtual world<br />Lots of self-organizers<br />Weekly collaboration meeting-always agenda and purpose<br />Comments from new teacher:<br />Connection is critical<br />Sharing of best practices<br />Consensus building-unified front (great idea!)<br />Broadens perspective<br />Confidence builder knowing you can talk together<br /><br />Special Ed collaboration:<br />Not a lot of guidelines in place nationally<br />Part of SE job is assigned to VS-come together F2F weekly though also email<br />Sometimes more difficult to get things done and the collaboration helps here<br />Lots of discussions relative to policies<br />Principal involved in meetings<br />Operations<br />Pulled into the team and give input on what they believe policy should reflect<br />Weekly collaboration with adm<br />Sense in which “we are there for each other”<br />Collaboration has to be a required weekly thing-part of the job<br />Collaboration restores community<br />Marriage at a distance<br />Three legged stool-people/technology/processes all under the umbrella of purpose<br />SIT process:<br />Student Improvement Team-meet monthly collaboratively<br />Teachers email one week prior on student strengths/weaknesses<br />Can help all students because of brainstorming even though working on individual student<br />Can effect change quickly by calling attention to parent and providing tools and methods and very individualized<br />Part-time contracted teachers are assigned collaboration (well worthwhile)<br />Mentor for each new teacher<br />Teachers add informal collaborations with students (ie. 5AM 2 times a week) can build bonds even without sight<br />Informal parent collaboration: Can deal with issues but will need to address with administration<br />Analyzing student work: Talking about grading in the same way<br />Important to know how to do appropriate feedback/communication virtually<br />Handout: Rubric-apply this rubric to collaboration meetings<br />Much of the collaboration is NOT administration driven-can give guidance and support and wait to be invited in!<br />Key to collaboration is that it is safe and secure to express and agree/disagreeJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-30679706937344626982006-11-09T11:22:00.000-08:002006-11-09T11:38:18.328-08:00Break Out 3: Data and by DebFLVS overview:<br />36,000 students enrolled-looks like a district now<br />School House concept within this district-now have 11 houses with 45 teachers each<br />35% from EEcon<br />Wisc is beginning to look like this within partnerships on a smaller basis<br />Driving factors:<br />Accountability-proving that we do what we say we do-every three months<br />Funding-only funded for students that is successful (d or above)-ongoing enrollment<br />Transparency-hierarchy<br />If students take this class after school day, state pays for it; if during school day, district pays for it(1/6 of cost/student)<br />Less than 500 students, can do data on spreadsheet<br />Ideal model is that the FTE is never received by the district-it goes directly to the state<br />Accountability:<br />Hierarchical approach<br />Accountability: state-district-school-class,<br />operations: students-parents-teachers-counselor-adm) makes this very transparent<br />The system:<br />Diff between leading data and laggard data<br />Leading-making sure you can impact students in front of you today<br />Laggard-when data still impacts the new students when designed to impact the students who WERE there<br />Can’t make decisions outside of data<br /><br />Operational:<br />Rolling enrollment-no beginning or ending-serving as needed<br />Wait lists-a way to provide for all kids to get what they want and to start when they want-most are placed within a week or so, no longer than 3-4 weeks (if that long, will hire a new teacher)<br />Kids willing to wait max of 4 weeks but evidence shows that longer wait results in higher % of drop-outs<br />Kids have “weigh factors” (mission is to serve the ones at most need-impoverished, minority, medical, etc)<br />Student progress and communication:<br />Looking if students are on schedule or not and when they submitted work-after 3 weeks, no longer a student usually<br />Principal can access data as well as teachers to determine what is going on<br />Teacher dashboard-gives teacher all the class information<br />So much data provided and it is integrated daily to the other management systems<br />All contact is logged and all can be sort (common comments so all can see it)<br />28 days to decide if they are going to be a student of that course-if within, WD-no grade--if over, WD-F<br />Strategic:<br />Benchmarking data<br />Trends-Looking at big picture (year to year) data<br />Retention data<br />Accountability data<br />Students who are 65% complete in a course, there is an online survey to evaluate the course!!Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-7664133744268185012006-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:002006-11-07T13:14:26.542-08:00Tues Breakout 3- 5 Myths of the Mind by Janel<strong>Myths</strong><br /><br />1. Your mind is that single voice in your head.<br />-concious internal talk is not all you are<br />-mind is much more conplex and most are unconscious resources<br />-learning starts by paying attention and then skill/knowledge becomes natural<br />-difficult to explain thought process of things that become natural<br />-awash with data, bt not necessarily to make it conscious<br />-Things you learn so well that are natural become your basic skills, fast to use, and almost invisible and INDIVISIBLE<br />-Conscious thought is for the HARD problems, it builds on all of our unconscious- what is already there.<br /><br />2. Minds are like a computer<br />-old model- computers have processors andstograge and education makes this faster and stronger and fills the mind with seperate data<br />-new model- the mind is an association engine, expert minds identify different patterns and see things differently<br /><br />3. Expert minds just know more than non-expert minds<br />-professors often know less facts than their students<br />-nonexperts do not have the associative and problem solving skills that experts do<br />-all human expertise seems divisible into 10-20 big ideas. same types of structure of knowledge with a lot of stuff tucked in underneath<br />-the structure of knowledge is subconscious<br />-experts have had a lot of practice<br />-most experts are VERY self critical<br />-get teacher and material experts be able to sncourage kids and guide them rather than frustrate them<br /><br />4. Your mind works like other minds<br />-different minds learn best in different ways<br />-ALL minds can learn more than we expect<br /><br />5. Talent makes things easier<br />-American peculiarity- if I were good at X, it would be great, because it would be EASY<br />-other cultures- mastery is a matter of work not talent<br />-practice and hard work make mastery<br />-obsession makes mastery<br />-mastery is about fluency-the unconcious process<br /><br />Use flexibility and technology to make the vast amount of work required to make kids masters. HOW DO WE DO IT?<br /><br />Talent allows you to do truly extraordinary things with enormous effort. Your staff has an incredible amount of unconsious mastery to utilize. Talent only gives you permission.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-16231689783272957942006-11-07T11:30:00.000-08:002006-11-07T12:40:15.253-08:00Tues BreakOut #2- Online Professional Development by Janel<strong>Professional Development pitfalls<br /></strong>Quick fixes rather than systemic<br />Don’t utilize data<br />Happiness quotient<br />Insufficient time<br />Sit and get<br />Initiative overload<br />Pd as frill<br />Teachersonly<br />Expert dissemination<br /><br /><strong>Barriers to Online Teaching</strong><br />Online Textbooks<br />Banker Design<br />I'm Already a teachers<br />Practice Patience<br />Presence not predominance<br />quantity vs quality<br /><br />Online Readiness ChecklistJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-50466754544275802352006-11-07T10:38:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:40:08.080-08:00Monday notes 5 by MarciaMonday<br />Session: Effective Methods for Training, Supporting, and Retaining Quality Online Instructors<br />Presenters: Lisa Watkins, Sandra Richards, Jamie Sachs--Georgia Virtual School (state funded)<br />According to presenters, Georgia Virtual School has the online program for what it does best—train, support, and retain teachers<br /><br />To be successful, you must first determine what the term means.<br /><br />Defining success:<br /><br />Look at completion rates (“successful” completion rate = 70% score)<br />Compare standardized test scores<br />Compare instrucxtional techniques<br />Teacher evaluations<br />Student evaluations<br /><br />Factors that Affect Success:<br />Teacher standards<br />Teacher training<br />Instructional techniques<br />Teacher evaluation<br />Student support<br /><br />Georgia Virtual School has these online teacher standards:<br />National and State Standards<br />Organizational Standards<br /><br />Georgia standards<br />Instructor manual<br />SREB Task Force Standard Development<br />Teacher training (ongoing)<br /><br />Teacher forum<br /><br />Application for online teaching positions through Georgia Virtual School is a rigorous process, and entrance into the training program does not guarantee employment.<br /><br />Teacher Training<br />Based on set standards<br />Provides an opportunity for teachers to perform as online learners<br />Provides the opportunity for teachers to learn the pedagogy of online teaching and learning and the technology requirements for teaching online<br />Mirrors expectations set in virtual student classrooms<br /><br />Veteran teachers develop the courses for Georgia Virtual School; Georgia DPI owns the content of the courses.<br /><br />Georgia Virtual School hires teachers based on need—there are no full time teachers.<br />There are three semesters, and three pacing models (4 week semester, 16 week semester, 13 week semester). (Explanation was requested several times by several people, and we still did not understand this.)<br /><br />Questions regarding funding—for example, does funding follow student?—were answered, “That gets worked out among theirselves(sic).”<br /><br />Fall and SpringTeacher Training<br />“Desire to Learn” is their trsaining program<br /><br />Content Requirements:<br />Well defined learning objectives<br />Clear and organized content<br />Varied assignments and assessments that address learning objectives <br /><br />Instructor techniques<br />Address individual learning styles through:<br />Course content<br />Live chats—“Elluminate” program<br />Other communication methods<br />All available sources<br /><br />Create a community of learners by:<br />Providing opportunities for collaboration and interaction<br />Providing timely and targeted feedback<br />Encouraging communication<br /><br />Successful completion=mentoring<br />School provides access, Georgia Virtual School provides materials<br />______________________________________________<br />Whoever trains your teachers, be sure to--<br />model the teaching and dealing with problems<br />relate to standards set for teacher<br />have experienced mentors for each teacher<br />have new teachers shadow veteran online teachers (and teach a unit of the course)<br /><br />MarciaJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-40022679817751694422006-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:37:48.346-08:00Monday Notes 4 by MarciaMarcia’s notes…<br />Monday, November 6 3:00 PM<br />SESSION: Supporting the Online Instructor: Best Practices in Teacher-Training, Community-Building, and Professional Development Online<br />Presenters: Jo Wagner and Robin Winder, Florida Virtual School<br />Janna Vega and Jennifer Quintero, Idaho Digital Learning Academy<br /><br />What do teachers need to be effective online teachers? It’s all about relationships and support.<br /><br />This presentation states the professional development and support offered by Florida Virtual School and Idaho Digital Learning Academy<br /><br />Basic Outline:<br />Florida Virtual School:<br />Annual Face to Face Conference<br />Ongoing Professional Development Online<br />Outstanding Performance Tool with Bonus Pay<br />Training and Mentoring<br />Idaho Digital Learning Academy:<br />Support Network<br />_________________________<br />Face to Face Faculty Conference—one week long<br /><br />Train new teachers and assemble veteran faculty<br />Workshops<br />New technology and resources<br />Online teaching practices<br />Online instructional design<br />State standards<br />Up-to-date research of online education<br />Special topics, such as cyberbullying<br />Team Building! A sense of community…<br /><br />Ø Teachers are paid for the week, and paid for travel.<br /><br />Ongoing Professional Development Online<br />Online training for teachers<br />o Using Blackboard<br />o Instructional design<br />o Formatting and file size<br />o Creating assessments<br />o Structuring a course<br />o Screen design<br />Online Professional Development Course<br />o Required annually for all teachers<br />o Specific focus each year<br />§ Using digital media online<br />§ Creating a classroom community online<br />College credit is always available for the conference and online course<br /><br />“Outstanding Performance” Measurement Tool<br /><br />A rubric to measure and guide teacher performance and practice<br />Clear communication of expectations<br />Opportunity to earn “bonus pay” for outstanding performance<br /><br />Students also rate teachers.<br />Semester classes are 18 weeks.<br />A score of 32 qualifies the teacher for “bonus pay”--$25 per student<br />Bonus pay is available each semester<br /><br />Areas evaluated include:<br />Ø Quality of feedback<br />Ø Communication<br />Ø Teacher’s participation in professional development<br />Ø Administrative requirements (reports, student grades, up-to-date class schedule, etc.)<br />Ø Student evaluation of relationship with teacher<br /><br />Student is charged $50 per semester.<br />A 9 week course pays the same as an 18 week course.<br />Teacher is paid for all students who stay after two weeks.<br />____________________<br />Support Network—Idaho<br /><br />Support provided:<br /><br />Online principals—assigned by subject area (principals take care of problem if student is cheating, for example)<br />Site coordinators—in student’s home school<br />Regional coordinators—coordinate individual schools<br />Technical support specialist—full time 8-5<br />Team leaders<br />Content specialists—experts on content<br />Content area teams—a sense of community<br />Provide teachers an arena to practice modifying content without doing any “real damage”<br />Facilitate regular, open communication within a subject area about current issues, “how to” questions, or future development ideas<br />· Content Area team leaders<br />o Mentor new teachers<br />o Act as communication hubs<br />o Facilitate the work and administration of the team<br />· Constant Communication<br />o Email<br />o Instant messaging<br />o Online Instructor Handbook/Workbook<br />o “How to” guides for technology use<br />_____________________________<br /><br />FLVS<br />Training and Mentoring<br />Ø Establish and model relationships with students<br />Ø Support teacher development<br />Ø Institutional support<br />Ø Community building<br />Ø Mentoring—improves instructional performance, provide teacher support<br /><br />Online Training courses—45 days long?<br />Ø New hire training course<br />Ø Graded and facilitated by the mentors<br />Ø Models effective feedback and communication<br />Ø Content area orientation<br /><br />Timely Trainings<br />Ø Mentor corners<br />Ø Rapid reminder<br />Ø Monday Mentor Minutes<br />Ø Thirsty Thursdays<br />Ø Telephone<br />Ø Web conferences<br />All of these are communications aimed at correcting specific problems<br /><br />Program Accountability<br />Ø Monthly checklists<br />Ø Contact logs<br />Ø Mentee surveys<br />Ø Teacher retention<br /><br />Teacher teaching 135 credits is considered full time<br />Maximum 25 students in class<br />Majority of staff begin as adjuncts<br />Currently have 9000 teachers on waiting list<br />94% teacher retention<br /><br />Lessons Learned<br />Ø Mentoring and training teachers is critical to success<br />Ø Set expectations very early regarding training commitment<br />Ø Build in accountability at all levels<br />Ø Simulate student learning via teacher training<br />Ø Use “just in time” information delivery to reduce frustration<br />Ø Allocate human and financial resources for mentoring program—this is critical<br />Ø Work in “chunks,” not chips<br />Ø Pace charts for students are given to parents<br /><br />Wow!<br />MarciaJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-57324935366965076802006-11-07T10:34:00.002-08:002006-11-14T10:35:24.921-08:00Monday Notes 3 by MarciaMarcia’s notes…<br />Monday, November 6 1:45<br />Session: Structured For Success: Online Lessons That Work For Every Learner<br /><br />Presenters:<br />Dr. Steven Guttentag Connections Academy Sr. V.P. and founder<br />Patricia Hoge Connections Academy<br />Camissa French Arizona Connections Academy<br /><br />This session was basically a sales pitch for Connections Academy.<br /><br />Connections Academy has full time students in 11 states and is asynchronous, and uses print and online resources. Students use a textbook. One semester equals 90 hours, or .5 Carnegie Units (this was not explained, but it is what students earn for “completing” each semester class—I don’t know if the students must “ successfully complete” a class, or what score must be achieved to successfully complete a course.) The Connections Academy works with Glencoe, Pearson and other publishers. There was a reference to “Wisconsin Observance Days,” and it was not explained.<br /><br />Basic information:<br /><br />Parents are involved with their students and the teachers, and are expected to implement and motivate.<br /><br />Connections Academy works on a five part model.<br />Lesson components of that model:<br />Getting Started—access prior knowledge, journaling, graphic organizers, predict, infer, draw conclusions<br />Instruction—movies (interactive), streaming movies, textbook, CA developed activities<br />Activity—interactive “itext,” workbook or web extension, projects, science lab<br />Review—studymate games, text quizzes, online quickchecks<br />Assignments (Assessments?)—dropbox essays, supportive website, discussion board, online quickcheck, online quiz, unit testsJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-83514173497988772592006-11-07T10:34:00.001-08:002006-11-14T10:34:48.325-08:00Monday Notes 2 by MarciaMarcia’s notes…<br />MONDAY November 6 10:30<br />SESSION: How to Make Your Online Classroom a Success<br />Presenters from Florida Virtual School:<br />Jamie Nagle <a href="mailto:jangle@flvs.net">jangle@flvs.net</a><br />Anna Coppola <a href="mailto:acoppola@flvs.net">acoppola@flvs.net</a><br />(My comments are written in italics in parentheses—Marcia.)<br /><br />Basic Outline:<br /><br />How do you make the connection with your students?<br />Use what you have<br />Use the technology<br />Use your colleagues<br />_____________________________<br /> <br />1. Use what you have<br /><br />What did you do in the traditional school classroom that helped you make a connection with your students?<br />Communicate with your students!<br />Phone each student. Introduce yourself, your expectations, and rules. Ask student about his/her hobbies, sports, job, etc. (I think it would be wise to chart this information for future reference when communicating with student.)<br />Email students regarding assignments, or just to “check in” with them. Always make positive comment first.<br />Phone students, again with a positive message first.<br />Set deadlines and follow up. If student falls behind, make contact. Find out why student is behind, and help him/her get back on track. Flexibility works both ways—student may be having a bad week, and you need to work with him/her. Accidents, injuries, family problems can happen to anyone, including teachers.<br />Front Page—make it personal, and update it regularly. Students need to know you are a person, too. Example: Tell students what you did this week.<br /><br />Let the students know that you are willing to do “this much” for them, and you need them to do “that much.”<br /><br />2. Use the technology<br /><br />What technologies do you have that can help you make a connection with your students?<br /><br />Get a guest speaker—use conference calling (students can come in to hear), or program which students can call in to hear. Students want interaction, a chance to socialize—make sure they can ask questions of the speaker. (Guest speakers show students that their learning is real, and is useful/necessary in various occupations.)<br />“Elluminate” has a voice over feature, works in real time, and you and your students can interact.<br />Instant Messenger—students can easily contact teacher<br />Students can use podcasts to show what they’ve learned<br />MSN has voice over feature<br />Webcam<br />Do the things your students are already doing technologically!<br /><br />3. Use your colleagues<br /><br />“Don’t try to do it all alone, make a connection with your colleagues. (from slide)<br /><br />“Sharepoint”—a discussion board for teachers. Share your best practices, help each other with problems.<br />One of the questions that regularly comes up is<br />“I’m teaching from home. How do you manage your time, classes, students, and/or content?”<br /><br />Teachers need to be able to “vent” safely (confidentially).<br /><br /><br />How to learn more about your students:<br /><br />Track them, perhaps on a spreadsheet.<br />Make notes on students. When you contact them, ask what they like, hobbies, etc., and write this information down. If they send you photos, post them on your announcements page.<br />Call parents—ask them what is neat about their child.<br />Create a “chat room” for your students. (This could be monitored by creating a blog with submissions posted only after reviewed by teacher.)<br />Journaling online<br />There are potential problems with this. Emotionally sensitive material (depressed, bullied) may be written, and a situation may need to be addressed by guidance counselor. (If a child is being abused, authorities must be contacted.) What about confidentiality (students must be able to feel they can trust you, and how will you regain that trust)?<br /><br />The perfect answer:<br />“I was very concerned about you, so I contacted this person to make sure you were OK.”Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-47815015417202459862006-11-07T10:34:00.000-08:002006-11-07T11:30:18.357-08:00Tues Lunch Speaker- Texas Virtual Students by JanelStudents described their online learning experience as fun and interesting.<br /><br />1. Things they like: math multiple choice tests easy, figuring stuff out for yourself, liked the ebook, liked that it was self paced,<br /><br />2. Things they did not like: no notes, no examples in math, teacher interaction is not as great in one case, not enough feedback, not able to see what is wrong on the tests, links were old in the ebook and did not work<br /><br />3. What would you spend on technology for the traditional school- better computers (apples), better Internet service because its really slow- takes too long,<br /><br />4. How does it prepare you for your future?- able to spend time on what you are interested in doing. Take core there and have time to explore your interests, self motivation.<br /><br />5. Teachers are important. Important to know that the teacher is there for her.<br /><br />6. Use instant messenger in classes. It would be useful.<br /><br />7. My Space used for kids in the classes where they are grouped by class. They thought it would be a good way to get to know kids and be interactive.<br /><br />8. Usually there are a lot of things open and going on when they are workingon the online classes.<br /><br />9. Collaboration, any time anywhere 24/7. Conference rooms to pull people together. Model is different as people are collaborating. Need to determine how we use our spaces and set up our schedules. How will we reach our teachers and studentsJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-92220481009586943022006-11-07T10:31:00.000-08:002006-11-14T10:33:58.619-08:00Monday Notes by MarciaMarcia’s notes…<br />NACOL VIRTUAL SCHOOL SYMPOSIUM NOVEMBER 5-7, 2006<br />Monday, November 6<br />Welcome and Opening—Susan Patrick President and CEO, North American Council for Online Learning<br /><br />NACOL Mission: Education, Innovation, and Online Learning<br />Virtual school offers all students the best education with the best teachers –Susan Patrick<br />21st Century Assessments for today’s students.<br />Innovative changes in education—trend of the future.<br />PQ + CQ > IQ (Passion quotient + curiosity quotient is greater that IQ)<br /><br />Currently there are147 virtual charter schools in 18 states, and<br />1/3 of high schools offer elearning.<br /><br />Rationale: 4 key points favoring online education:<br />1. Online learning expands options and providing equal access. This levels the “playing field”—all students have access to a vast variety of courses, not just those in larger, financially proficient schools.<br />2. Online learning is rapidly growing.<br />3. It is effective.<br />4. It improves teaching<br /> <br />AP scores up to 10 points higher through online courses.<br />_________________________________________<br />Seymour (?)Papert—AI tells the story of the steamship.<br />A quicker way to cross the Atlantic was needed—the steamship was just too slow. In 1952, the rush was on to create a better, faster steamship—and it was created, and it was much faster than the old. However, the jet airplane was also created that year, making the newer, faster steamship obsolete.<br />Education could be compared to that story. <br />Are we trying to fix up the old, or should we jump into the new?<br />The old steamship is a systemic design, and can be improved to a point. The new technology, the jet plane, can go faster than ship, and thus would be the better choice to improve travel time across the Atlantic.<br />____________________________________________________<br /><br />The brick and mortar schoolhouse was created during the Industrial Revolution. Schools were designed to educate students for work in menial jobs, with 25% going on to college.<br />Currently 26% go on to college.<br />That brick and mortar schoolhouse is still doing what it was designed to do!<br /><br />Perhaps it’s time to quit trying to fix the old.<br />How many students graduate from high school? Overall average is 70%.<br />Breakdown:<br />78%white<br />52% Latino<br />56% black<br /><br />Transformation, not integration is needed—regarding technology.<br /><br />Allan Jordan—story<br />A student, who was struggling in class, goes to school door, almost goes in, but turns away. “Why?” asked Jordan. Student said he has to “power down” to go to school—at home online, he has many things going on, but in school, he has to operate on a bell system, antiquated ideas, etc.<br /><br />Leadership is TIP: trust, integrity, passion<br />Oliver Wendell Holmes said that a mind stretched to new dimensions never returns to its old dimension. (paraphrased)<br /><br />TOM CARROLL<br />President, National Commission on Teaching and America’s future.<br />Advocacy group for 21st century teaching and learning<br /><br />Erate grants<br />10th anniversary of virtual high school in Hudson<br />In 1995-96, the Erate grant applications were mainly for CD-ROM content—and at that time, everyone thought that CD-ROM would be forever.<br />In 1998, the grant applications for Internet/web access surpassed those for CD-ROM<br /><br />The last radical change in education was during the industrial age--graded learning, stand alone content, little boxes inside big boxes (school/classroom)—and we’ll call that Education 1.0<br />We now need Education 2.0 and3.0<br />We have the potential to transform education—the new teachers are the ones who grew up with the web/internet, etc.<br />Should we be the agent of change or target of change?<br /><br />Obstacles<br />Data in No Dream Denied book<br />Accelerated the number of new teachers in the 90s, but also accelerated leavers<br />Many new teachers leave within the first three years, and after five years, 46% have left.<br />Teacher turnover is a serious problem.<br />Why are these new teachers leaving the teaching profession?<br />1. They feel they were not prepared for conditions/challenges of teaching.<br />2. They feel isolated—no support.<br />3. No opportunity for growth was visibly forthcoming—no advancement.<br /><br />Teachers’ training has not changed, and the teaching “career” is the same—teach the same old thing, year after year, and then retire.<br /><br />The Generation X, and the Millenials, those who are now in their 20’s, grew up very connected. <br />They seek collaborative relationships, need mentors, want career advancement—and they don’t find this in the education field.<br />TV reflects culture and its changes:<br />Then—“Dr. Kildare”—stand alone hero, individual saves the day<br />Today—“Gray’s Anatomy”—teamwork is important –teams save the day<br /><br />Same parallel exists in Perry Mason vs. Law and Order<br /><br />Key to success is collaborative team work<br />Superman vs. Pokeman<br />Flash Gordon vs. Star Trek and NASA (no astronaut went to the moon without teamwork)<br />The teams are diverse, women involved.<br /><br />Currently, the teacher dropout rate is higher than student dropout rate.<br /><br />Where are the advancements in education? We had the stand alone teacher of the50’s, now we have the stand alone teacher in 21st century. This creates three things to be worried about:<br />While that teacher may be a good teacher, he/she has no colleague to learn from, and so can only be as good as he/she can get alone.<br />Students are struggling when they have an ineffective teacher<br />Teacher teaching alone in a flat world cannot develop necessary skills unless we use 21st Century teaching.<br /><br />Teaching 1.0—Teacher’s job is to stand and deliver content, then test to see if content is captured. All students are taught at the same level. This is what we have been doing for many years. It’s Teach and Test—if they get it, they get it, and if they don’t, they don’t.<br />T→S<br /><br />Teaching 2.0--Teacher is the Learning Leader<br />The teacher is a coach, and manages resources. This learning is project based, community centered, the focus is on the learners’ needs, and the students become resources to each other.<br /><br /><br /> T<br /> <br /> S<br /> ↕ ↕<br /> S ↔ P↔S<br /> ↕ ↕ ↕<br /> S ↔ S<br />The problem with this is that the teacher should not be off to the side. The teacher should be learning along with the students, and in doing this, the teacher will be modeling learning, how to form a hypothesis, etc.<br /><br />Thus, the diagram above would change to show the teacher within the circle as a learning leader, the students become learners, and all participate in a blended environment.<br /><br />Teaching 3.0 Teacher’s job is to create meaning with students. The focus is on relationships—learners are in an environment without walls. The learners can be anywhere geographically, but still in the same class. The teacher is the learning leader, and keeps the learning structured and focused.<br />In the drawing for Teaching 2.0, the “walls”—the circle in the diagram, representing the school building, is removed. All continuously learn together, both from their leader, their resources, and each other.<br /><br />Ideas are presented in the book The Teaching Gap <br /><br /><br />Prepare teachers by:<br />using “Teaching Academies” where teachers can develop team skills.<br />using “Learning Design Studios,” such as DaVinci—space designed for multiple purposes (including outdoors)<br /><br />When you change the role of the teacher, you change the role of the school. The school becomes a hub in a larger environment.<br /><br />For more information:<br /><br />Website<br />topic<br /><a href="http://www.edutopia.org/">www.edutopia.org</a><br />Edutopia<br /><a href="http://www.designshare.com/">www.designshare.com</a><br />Designing for the future<br /><a href="http://www.archfoundation.org/">www.archfoundation.org</a><br />Great Schools by Design<br /><a href="http://www.school-works.org/">www.school-works.org</a><br />School works<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Due to time constraints and la ck of skill, I am not able to accurately recreate the drawings/diagrams on the slide presentation. The slides of this presentation by Tom Carroll can be seen on <a href="http://www.nctaf.org/">www.nctaf.org</a>Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-70881158734272122042006-11-07T10:02:00.000-08:002006-11-15T10:03:19.170-08:00Tuesday Luncheon by MarciaAnita Givens--Sr. Director of Instructional Materials and Educational Technology, Texas Education Agency<br /><br />New ideas need to get “sticky”<br />________________<br /><br />Students<br />Two HS students from Plano West speak on their experiences with online courses.<br /><br />Mary Rich<br />Eric Ng<br />Mary—senior--took economics class online—her comments:<br />Student must be motivated in order to succeed in completing an online course<br />Enjoyed class—was “easy” for her<br />Friends told her to take an online class, said it was “easy”<br />Little communication between teacher and student UNTIL she missed a deadline<br />Found out about online class from friends—class was NOT suggested or mentioned by counselor (this comment seemed to surprise some of the audience)<br /><br />Eric—took Algebra II online<br />Nice teacher<br />Received a reminder of due dates<br />Received response to tests, etc., with feedback on what’s wrong and how to fix it<br />Experienced a “one on one” feel in online class<br />Says “it’s easier”<br />Friends took classes online to “get them out of the way”—meaning that they took required classes online, so they would have more time for special electives offered by their traditional school<br /><br />What makes a good online teacher?<br />Prompt response to student questions (“24 hours would be nice”—Mary)<br />Teacher needs to “be there” for the student, and the student needs to know this<br />Email instructions, etc., in response to student problems<br /><br />Tools?<br />Eric—math sites and links were readily available<br />Mary—group discussions, liked going outside the text<br /><br />One word regarding online school?<br />Mary—Traditional school is boring. Online was more interesting. She could find answers on her own.<br />Eric—online class was fun, nice.<br /><br />What did they like most about online courses? Least?<br />Eric—(liked most)tests were easy--(least) no notes—you had to guess<br />Mary---(liked most) I’m on my own, liked ebook, can go at your own pace—(least) little feedback, never saw test scores, links didn’t work<br /><br />If money were no object, what kind of technology would you like to add?<br />Better computers—like Apple<br />Better Internet service—too slow<br /><br />How does taking onlinecourses help you for the future?<br />Eric—you can get stuff out of the way so you can spend more time on entrepreneurship or sports marketing<br />Mary—you must motivate yourself to get it done<br /><br />Other comments?<br />Mary—students need good online teachrs because then the students feel they want to learn.<br /><br />A good teacher motivates and encourages.<br />Instant Messaging would be a good tool for eschool.<br />Teacher should initiate call to student.<br /><br />Traditional vs. Online<br />Face-to-face = lecture—and only 5% of lecture is on the test<br />Online is more direct.<br />Face to face = distractions/disturbances in class can be a problem<br />Online—this doesn’t exist.<br /><br />How would you use blog in class?<br />Mary—have used MySpace—could use blog for writing. Language arts<br />Eric—have people comment on how to solve a given equation<br />Mary—could use to help each other<br /><br />What do you do online?<br />Mary—usually multitasking (but realizes she must focu)<br />Eric—has several programs open while listening to music<br /><br />Mary—AP course online would be difficult, but it would really depend on the teacher and student. Courses should have a MySpace type place for each class—students can help each other, get to know each other.<br /><br />Eric—would rather be at home than at school, because I can listen to music while I’m working at home<br />Mary—being in school makes me sleepy, the teacher doesn’t teach, it’s better at home where there are no distractions—well, the ones that are there are yours and you know how to deal with them.Janelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-228590630315839908.post-35871882863843462082006-11-07T09:58:00.000-08:002006-11-15T09:58:34.790-08:00Tuesday Session 4 by MarciaSession: 21st Century Teaching and Learning Skills: How Can They Teach What They Don’t Know?<br />Essential Elements for Professional Development for Online Teachers<br />Susan Leavey, Virtual High School<br /><br />This is basically an overview of Virtual High School (VHS) program.<br /><br />What good is professional development for teachers?<br />Keeps teachers current<br />Collaboration opportunities<br />Gets teachers out of the classroom for more collegial options<br />Supportive environment<br /><br />21st Century learners are<br />Critical thinkers<br />Problem solvers<br />Collaborators<br />Communicators<br /><br />“Virtual High School does Professional Development very well.”<br />VHS PD is 10 weeks beginning in September.<br /><br />PROfessional GRowth ESSentials<br /><br />VHS program—how it works<br />School provides VHS with teacher, school can enroll 25 students free.<br /><br />Teacher can design own course or use preexisting<br />Community, technology and pedagogy in all courses<br /><br />Group activities and group projects are stressed.<br />Parents are NOT involved with teachers.<br />Large support network for teachers<br /><br />PROfessional GRowth ESSentials<br />Phases:<br />Course design<br />content, goal setting<br />portfolio and evidence<br />additional evidence, reflection, portfolio<br /><br />Students take ownership of academic capabilityJanelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12974665334788853638noreply@blogger.com0