Middle School 2013 and Beyond: Creating a Digital Culture in a Secondary School

1. Middle School 2013 and Beyond: Creating a Digital Culture in a Secondary School https://backchannelchat.com/Backchannel/65907811

2. Who Are We? • Susan Horowitz • Principal, Ford Middle School • Susan_horowitz@allenisd.org • @swhorowitz • @fmsmustangs • http://mrshhotline.blogspot.com Sarah Landry 7th grade Asst Principal Sarah_Landry@allenisd.org Jeremiah Johnson 8th grade Asst Principal Jeremiah_Johnson@allenisd.org

3. W E Pete Ford Middle School • Allen, Texas • 873 students • 7th and 8th grades • 30% economically disadvantaged http://allenisd.org/fordms

4. Today’s Goals • We will share our experience of moving a very traditional middle school campus to one with a digital campus culture. • You will leave this session recognizing that your school is “ok” where it is as long as it does not stay there. You will have received at least one idea to add to your plan of action for moving your own campus to one with a digital culture.

5. Check In

6. Where we were • Four computer labs that were only used by CTE teachers. • Lap top carts that were locked up in the computer tech’s office. • Two week requirement for check out or use of labs. • Students were not allowed to use cell phones for any reason. We took them up and charged a fine. • WIFI Access was poor. • Document cameras were blurry • Smart Boards were few and far between but were used only for teacher presentations of moving power points. • Students were only allowed to use desktops for programs for remediation. • Teachers were reluctant to use technology devices. • Tuesdays with technology were common. • And it goes on…

7. We Wanted to Start a Revolution Importance of the Digital Revolution: …the new digital environment will have more impact on ….transmission of knowledge than anything since the invention of the printing press …leaders in public education must adapt to these new realities …. The current culture and structure ….. will not meet the needs of these (students) nor will they result in the improved learning opportunities and engaging experiences our students deserve. 2008 Visioning Document

8. Ubiquitous, invisible, essential • Teach them to use it for good and not for evil! • Direct teach • Don’t ban it

9. Leadership- Setting the Focus • Creating Cognitive Dissonance • Establishing the “Call of Duty” • Be a Futurist • Lead by Example

10. My Private List Serve • ZITE • 3 Tech Ninjas • Twitter • ISTE • ASCD • Anything and everything • Cybraryman

11. Personnel • Know the lynch pins • Be a Proton- Stay Positive • Ignore the naysayers- • We tend to focus on the most difficult 5-10%. • Change our focus to those who are positive. • “It’s ok to be where you are as long as you don’t stay there.” Daniel Pitcock • Reward those who move. • Reward those who fail. They tried.

12. Tradition does not create legal entitlement!

13. Check In @swhorowitz

14. Access and Availability • Devices are instructional materials • Ask the learners- both adult and student • Technology and Devices • One to one or BYOD • Build in Contingencies $$ Avoid the “Grandmother’s China Syndrome”

15. Listen to what students have to say about THEIR education.

16. Buy-In vs. “Embracement*” Buy in requires a reward/punishment approach likely to have conditions such as if you try it then I will give you…. Whereas, “Embracement is attained through empowerment and autonomy” That is, there is a REAL reason to use the technology and the teacher recognizes that and is called to take the appropriate risk and run with the challenge. It is essential. *Eric Sheninger, Digital Leadership: Changing paradigms for changing times.

17. Check In @swhorowitz

18. Good Instruction Trumps All • Be careful of inertia- Don’t fuel the wrong fire • 95% rule • Intervention rather than Remediation • Learning focused- Not a teacher centered event • Depth of Knowledge • High quality assessment- Avoid Googleness

19. Instructional strategies • Flipped learning • Flipped mastery- The Real Work • Learning management system http://eagletube.allenisd.org/ford/features/EbC8t3dT3boBAZEfhwww

20. Check In @swhorowitz

21. Opportunities for adult true learning • PLCs • Technology Club • Faculty meetings • Focus on ingenuity • QR Code faculty meetings- my favorite • Flipped Faculty meetings

22. Middle School: 2013 and beyond • A new urgency • Parental embracement • Student empowerment • Teacher success

23. 21 Day Twitter Challenge http://www.allenisd.org/fordms

24. Check In @swhorowitz

25. Where we are now • Every core teachers has at least 15 devices available 24/7 for student use. • Students are encouraged to use personal devices as tools for learning. • We have direct teach lessons on social media use etc through guidance and our SRO. • Students use technology for real work such as creating videos to show their learning, presentations that are animated, flipped videos are available, a student management system is being implemented. • Teachers are willing to try and take risks. • Parents have begun to embrace the BYOD model. • And the list is growing…

26. Learning Spaces • Our next frontier

27. Thank You!