Dr. Brenda Cassellius engaged in a conference call with various stakeholders throughout the great state of Minnesota to discuss a variety of educational topics today. We discussed the following topics in which I have evaluated for our district:
ESSA - Every Student Succeeds Act
This provides the opportunity for our districts to embrace innovation and engage in more innovation zone classifications. As these innovations are rolled out, they need to be assessed for efficiency/effectiveness.
In terms of assessments, it sounds as though we will maintain utilization of the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments. Some folks have been lead to believe that we would no longer need to take these assessments as we could transfer to the Northwest Evaluation Association's Measure of Academic Progress and other such tools.
The ESSA is a four year reauthorization that will be revisited. Although this may be a step in the right direction for school districts, we still have progress to make. For more information on ESSA, please click the below picture.
Higher Education Learning Commission Ruling
The Higher Education Learning Commission set standards for teacher qualification in teaching these courses. Post Secondary Education Options (PSEO) provided services to 20,000 students last year and continues to grow. This is an excellent opportunity for students and families throughout our state.
Although the HLC came out with their ruling, we were able to be granted a waiver until 2022 to remain with current programming while becoming compliant with the HLCs compliance rules. Folks are working diligently to provide guidance to districts throughout Minnesota. Programming is also being developed to make this process reasonably attainable for existing staff members.
For the JWP school district, it is absolutely essential to develop a plan of action to ensure our students continue to receive college credit offerings in house. To do so, we'll need to take the recommendations and develop a plan of action. By clicking the picture below, you can view an article from the Star Tribune regarding this process.
World's Best Workforce
Our current report on the World's Best Workforce can be located by clicking here. We will be meeting on January 7, 2015 from 7:00-9:00 pm to revise and update our current plan. The members of this team are as follows:
Mike Berding - Technology Staff Development and Curriculum Coordinator
Nicole Olsen - 7-12 Counselor
Scott Kaminski - Director of Buildings and Grounds
Dawn McGregor - Parent
Amy Schmitz - Kindergarten Teacher
Julia Strand - Parent
Kelly Eustice - School Board Member
Kristine Eustice - Community Member
Ryan Eustice - Student
Grace Schlueter - Student
Kevin Babcock - High School Principal
Jeremy Erler - Elementary Principal
Bill Adams - Superintendent
I look forward to working with this group of stakeholders to revise and improve our current plan.
Graduation Rates
Districts were reminded to ensure all MARSS reports are up to date and accurate so that graduation rates can be calculated. During the 2012-2013 school year, JWP began working with the Phoenix Recovery Programs to provide educational services for students receiving support. In the past, all students were calculated into the JWP High School Graduation Rates. Going forward, we have created two separate sites. One sites is JWP High School and one site is Phoenix Recovery Programs. This should provide a more accurate picture of how graduation rates look for each site. If you have any specific questions about this, please contact me directly.
Sylvia Martinez - Keynote
The #TIES15 weekday version kicked off on Monday, December 14, 2015. I attended the keynote with Sylvia Martinez in the overflow room. This area started off looking desloate, however, it filled up quite quickly. Sylvia Martinez (@smartinez) shared information on the "Maker Movement". Click here for an article about the Maker Movement written by Tim Bajarin (@bajarin).
You can follow Sylvia's blog by clicking here. I found its content to be rich with information to gain an understanding of the Maker Movement. Five highlights I pulled from Sylvia's presentation are the following:
1. We want all kids to say, "I can do this..."
2. We need to get kids participating in global learning activities.
3. Get kids using 3D printers to create. @KehoeScience does this at #JWP.
4. The Amazon Dash Buttons are amazing...not sure I'd be ordering Tide Detergent
5. Use Makey Makey in the classroom.
Personalization: Creating a Culture of Learning
This session was presented by Jason Berg (@bergjaso) and Beth Humbert (@BethHumbert) from Farmington Public School District in Minnesota. Personalization stems from the Farmington Strategic Plan, such as, personalized learning environments through the purposeful use of technology.
Prepare students for post secondary success
Develop independent learning skills
Time is the variable, learning is the constant
You're not done...yet
TEA Time - Time Effort and Academic Support
Instructors ask the question, "How do we use our time?" There is flexibility in learning spaces and time for instruction. Teachers provide students with time and academic support. The effort is the responsibility of the students. This proficiency based model has motivated students to do well.
Leaders in the district ensure that power standards, learning targets, formative assessments and tech tools are provided and completed well. Farmington Public Schools utilizes, "The Pencil Metaphor".
Moving students along as learning targets are reached
Teachers as coaches/facilitators
Proficiency Based Model in math class is 70% on assessments.
Road of Independent Learners
Interest and learn effectively in a variety of settings including independently and in groups
Set goals and make decisions about their learning needs
Responsibility for construction their learning, monitoring their progress, and assessing their outcomes
Ownership and control of their own learning
Quotes of the Session: "Secondary Schools are made for compliance." This is great because it is true. Farmington has flipped that upside down and has accomplished personalization.
"I have 30 different conversations with 30 different students, instead of 1 conversation with 30 students."
Design an Elementary MakerSpace Environment on a Limited Budget
Amber Schaefer (@schaeferinfirst) and Beth Sletta (@retrokitch) from New Ulm presented this session. They got the motivation from last year's TIES conference, specifically, from Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller). These two folks have found several ways to finance this program. Click here for their resources.
QR Code Projects (See resources for these excellent examples)
Tech Bulletin Board
Who Am I
Fun Photo Booth
Other Examples of Work Done:
3Doodler Pen (3D pen) You need to watch it because the kids can burn themselves.
Makey Makey
Little Bits
Video Editing
Robotics
Cartoon Creation
Foster Communication through Student Broadcasting
This was presented by Samantha Schmit (@sjschmit86), Nancy Moore (@nancymooremn) and students of Sleepy Eye Public School District. Students meet once per week to discuss their news broadcasting.
Their journey began as a PBIS Initiative - Teacher expectations, develop a sense of pride, and establish community. Their first news broadcast was shared. Click here for some examples.
There were six students present, they broke roles into the following:
Reporter (Good speaking kills, good posture)
Anchor (Good speaking skills, good posture, inform people, make the news exciting)
Editor ("Nerdy" guy, on the iPad, put clips together, use apps)
They meet once per week for about two hours and film a weeks worth of video. Fridays are the days in which they film.
Not Just Pockets of Wow: How to get all Teachers on Board
This session was presented by Doug Johnson (@blueskunkblog), Director of Technology at Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District. We reviewed a variety of technology tools to start the conference. One example was listening to the old dial up internet...don't miss that sound!
Great question to consider...how are your (our) students answering this question, "What did you do with your device today in school?"
Technology can support best practices that improve student achievement. Technology use --> Best Practices --> Achievement
We need to articulate expected uses. How are we expecting staff to use technology. Do we pick three things that we are good at? Do we encourage autonomy in that decision making, etc...
One point of interest that I found was the idea of aligning assessment to the SAMR model.
With that said, we need to rethink professional development (PD). Do we use best educational practices with PD? How are we modeling best teaching practices with teachers? Are we flipping it? Are we providing podcasts? Etc... We need to answer the question, "How are we personalizing PD?" This Essential Technology Skills for Teachers worksheet was created by Dihanna Fedder (@DLFedder) of Pine City Public School District. This would be a handy tool to develop plans of action or as @BlueSkunkBlog calls it, a Tech IEP.
Action Research - Standard Work, Implementing Work, Learning Work (Teamworks/Dennis Cheesebrow). "When anything is optional, someone will choose not to do it!"
Let's Go Shopping in the Chrome Webstore
This session was presented by Angie Kalthoff (@mrskalthoff) from St. Cloud Public Schools. You can access the resources by clicking here. You can use EDpuzzle as a video management system. In essence, you can track which part of the video is being viewed and ask questions based on that.
Clearly - This cleans up screens/webpages so they are more easily read.
Tab Resize - Split Screen Layouts
1-Click-Timer - Timer to Add to Chrome
Extensity - Hides/Relieves the visual pains of too many extensions
Color Zilla - Color Copier to match presentations...
Google Docs Quick Create - Quick Access to Google Drive
Send from Gmail - Provides efficiencies for sharing information on articles, etc...
Google URL Shortener - Shorten URLs
How to create .gif? http://makeagif.com/youtube-to-gif
Summary
Days like today are inspiring and uplifting, however, they are also exhausting. There is so much learned and it becomes difficult to develop a plan of action for my personal use of this information. In addition, application of this learning must be done in some regards to improving our organization's integration of technology. At #JWP, there is no need to implement everything, we just need select a few things and do those well.
My #TIES15 experience kicked off with a learning session on the utilization of TouchCast which is an iOS application that can be used as an interactive video platform. The end product can then be distributed to engage and enhance communication in our school community. For an example of the use of TouchCast please view the video below.
As I was learning from Chris Turnbull of St. Paul Public Schools, I developed a list of ways to utilize TouchCast for communication purposes. Although this list is long, it is not all encompassing.
Chromebook Deployment and Student Experiences
Scarlet Letter Book Talk - HS English Class
Math Mountains in 1st or 2nd Grade
High School Social Studies Debate
Paraprofessional School View
Custodian Pride
Kitchen Staff Nourishment
Caring Clerical Staff
Teacher Pride
Upcoming Events
Boastful Bits
Board Happenings
Later in the day, Mr. Erler (#JWP Elementary Principal) and I engaged in a workshop that focused on the Chromebook Classroom. We learned about a variety of extensions that make life easier for teaching, learning and leading. Some of those extensions that I discovered were "Send with Gmail" and "1-Click Timer". Each of these added efficiencies to my specific leadership. Here was a nice google video shared:
On Sunday morning I joined a former colleague, Holly Christian (@hchristian) in a Blogger and Google+ workshop. We learned a variety of techniques to improve our educational blogs and communication strategies. The instructors also provided us with solid information in terms of improving efficiencies when utilizing social media to promote our work. One Chrome extension they suggested was "Buffer". For instructional leaders and innovators, you need to seriously consider downloading this extension and utilizing it when wanting to share articles discovered online.
Sunday afternoon's learning session was experienced with both Mr. Erler and Mr. Babcock (HS Principal). This session was lead by Dr. Tony VonBank and was focused on innovative leadership in school districts. The room was filled with outstanding educational leaders from the great states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dr. VonBank shared several talking points regarding Innovation Game Planning. He did a great job creating an interactive environment. One of the points that I felt resonated the most with me was that we need to be the leaders of learning. If we, as instructional leaders, are expecting staff to implement technology tools in classroom instruction, we must lead by example. Period.
In addition, this guy was spotted in the classroom learning right along side us...
Nice to have you present @gcouros!
I can honestly report that I went four for four on the day which is not only great for Joe Mauer! Each of the sessions I attended was outstanding and filled with rich content to inspire my work as an educational leader.
From October 26th to October 28th I attended the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Personalized Learning Summit in Park City, Utah. Each day was filled with rich experiences that highlighted the outstanding innovation taking place in schools across the United States.
Background
AASA, School Improvement Network, and Board Docs provided a cooperative sponsorship of this experience.
Superintendents from 24 US States and the District of Columbia attended (70 superintendents in all)
Two Schools in Utah were visited: Innovations Early College High School & Park City High School
Media & Film
On Monday, October 26th we started our time together with a screening of the movie, Beyond Measure. This movie was produced by Vicki Abeles who also completed The Race to Nowhere which is now available on Netflix. Beyond Measure tells a story about innovative practices being employed in public schools throughout the United States. I joined several other superintendents in this screening experience which was a great start to our three days together.
Innovations Early College High School was our location of learning on Tuesday, October 27. We began our day with Kenneth Grover, High School Principal of the school. Mr. Grover shared the school's journey to provide personalized learning experiences for all enrolled students.
After our time with Mr. Grover we were afforded the opportunity to rotate through five "panels". The "panels" were made up of students, teachers, parents, administration and a building tour conducted by the students of the school.
Here are some highlights from the panel discussions.
Student Group:
Assigned adult mentor
Content is personalized and self paced
Example: One of the students shared his completion of all graduation math credits in his freshman year
Students are delighted with the system
80% on work is considered mastery
Students do not move on until mastery is achieved
Relationships with teachers/mentors are strong
Teacher Group:
Weekly check-ins with students as their mentors (Ratio of 1:46)
More time for mentoring/teacher EACH student
Less stress and more direct impact
Consistent professional growth, weekly PLCs
Relationships with teachers/mentors are strong
Teacher as facilitator
Parent Group
Meets their student's needs
Students enjoy the experience and set up
The environment is respectful
Strong relationships with teachers/mentors
Building Tour
Non-traditional setting
Students choose learning environment
No class periods
Weekly content meetings called by teacher
Setting was filled with mentorship
Welcoming and warm environment
Collaborative setting
On Wednesday, October 28th we spent time at Park City High School with a direct experience in their CAPS program. At PCCAPS, there focus is on providing students with real-world experiences lead by mentors from area businesses. For more information, follow this link: http://goo.gl/8d9t0f
Here is a video highlighting the students perspective of their experiences: https://goo.gl/XaeGnf
Here are some short videos I captured using Vine of students presenting:
Summary of Experience
These are exceptional modern exemplars of education
Most schools in the United States are still using a 19th century factory model of education
Changing to a personalized learning experience is a fundamental shift in the way we do business
There is a sense of urgency, the time to make this shift is now!
The Future
Development of Communication Protocol
Create a Task Force (fiduciary, community, parents, students, staff, etc...)
Kotter's (2005) 8-Steps of Creating Change
Create a sense of urgency
Form a powerful coalition (task forces)
Create a vision for change
Communicate the vision
Remove obstacles
Create short-term wins
Build on the change
Embrace the culture
The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
On October 13, 2015 we began using instructional rounds at JWP as another strategy to improve student learning and staff practice. Instructional rounds are a collegial model for collective and continuous self growth (Gillard, 2014). We look forward to building on our initial "round" to ensure organizational improvement.
The elementary principal, high school principal and superintendent began this journey in 2013. During the initial discussion period a variety of peer reviewed articles were read and discussed. Through this research we uncovered pieces of the instructional rounds that would work in our existing district framework. Our reading, research and knowledge assisted us in framing how instructional rounds would work at JWP.
Prior to our first instructional round we communicated with our staff. We invited one elementary teacher and one high school teacher to join us on the initial round. On the morning of the instructional round, we met as a group to discuss our purpose and intended outcomes.
Our focus for this particular round was on Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, specifically, Domain 2b: The Classroom Environment. This domain included: Importance of content; Expectations for learning and achievement; and Student pride in work (Danielson, 2007). When we entered the classrooms we concentrated on these pieces and looked for evidence that would support their presence.
After each round we debriefed to discuss our evidence collection. From there we developed clarifying questions that would ignite teacher reflection. Example questions were as follows:
1. We noticed you utilized proximity as you taught your lesson. What benefits do you identify in this practice to engage students?
2. What adjustments need to be made to further develop student engagement?
Teachers answered these questions in their learning logs. Engaging in these collaborative discussions promotes teacher reflection on their practice and identifies improvement areas. Another advantage to this process was that teachers were able to observe instruction outside of their grade levels and content areas. They were able to see different pedagogy and take away new skills to be implemented in their classrooms.
As we continue to develop and refine this new practice, we believe there will be a positive impact on student learning. Our teachers did an exceptional job working through this new way of improving practice and moving our organization forward.
Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. ASCD: Alexandria, VA.
Gillard, C. (2014, January). Targeting improvements: Instructional rounds. School Administrator, 21-25.
On September 8, 2015 Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (JWP) started the new school year. A total of 621 students entered the school house gate in great anticipation of a new academic year. Our students were welcomed back by excited staff members committed to providing them with a high quality education. We are all prepared to empower learning, energize achievement and enhance our school community.
This school year there a some important changes being implemented. Students in grades 4th through 12th were issued Chromebooks. Students in these grades will utilize these devices consistently to research and complete homework. Therefore, they will transport these devices to and from home. Kindergarten through 3rd grade students have been issued Chromebooks but they will remain in the classroom. Students in these grades will also use the devices frequently but will not be expected to utilize the devices, applications or Google Drive from home.
With the addition of Chromebooks throughout our district, it becomes important to utilize the devices to their full potential. JWP hired a Technology Staff Development and Curriculum Coordinator to assist with the deployment of the devices and to provide ongoing, job embedded, professional development for our staff. Having the actual devices offered to students is great, but utilizing them to their full potential is absolutely necessary. As part of this transition, JWP will embrace and encourage the SAMR model which stands for substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition. We ultimately want to transition our instructional offerings to redefinition. The additional position will support this movement forward. To learn more about the SAMR model, please click here.
At the high school, there continues to be a push to implement concurrent enrollment. What this means is that students will be provided opportunities to take courses that offer college or certification credits. The advantage of this process is that students can capitalize on free coursework before entering college or the workplace. JWP will continue to research ways to implement more of these opportunities in the future and hopefully provide them all "in-house".
The elementary has recently added STEM instruction. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM supports science and technology improvement in our students. The ultimate goal is to embrace the creative minds of our students while enhancing skills in the academic areas that make up STEM. Again, this is a great opportunity for the students that attend JWP Elementary.
In the past, JWP utilized the NWEA-MAP to assess students in various academic areas. The NWEA-MAP stands for Measures of Academic Performance. Although these assessments provided our staff with good information, they were limited in functionality. This year we are transitioning to the FAST assessments which provide our staff with diagnostic information and research based interventions to improve achievement. This change will have a positive impact on student achievement and instruction.
As you can tell, our district is fully committed to providing students with a high quality, world class education. We are proud of the work our staff and students do on a daily basis. To stay up to date on district happenings, please utilize the following links:
You can also download our app by searching for our district in your device's app store. If you have questions regarding that, please contact me directly.
September 8, 2015 marked the start of a new school year for the Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Public School District. At the end of last school year we were projecting to start the year with 590 students. Fortunately, the district has started with 621 students which is 31 students above our projected enrollment. This is outstanding news!
Conversations with our students, staff, parents and community members have informed us of the reasoning for our increase in student population. Stakeholders are excited about our integration of technology to prepare our students for their futures. They are pleased with our development of curriculum review and implementation. People are thrilled with our implementation of a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Program at the elementary. There is a genuine pride in the conversations from all involved.
We are excited to begin the school year. Our district looks forward to great successes as we work in partnership in providing students with innovative, creative, and effective learning.
