Leveraging Technology to Prepare Students for a Digital World

1. Leveraging Technology to Prepare Students for a Digital World Office of Instructional & Information Technology New Leaders Institute July 22, 2013

2. 65% of today’s grade school kids will end up at jobs that haven’t been invented yet. - US Department of Labor: Futurework – Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century

3. Technology plays a key role in supporting the Acceleration Agenda Accelerates literacy and STEM skills Enables access to data to target student learning needs and assists with differentiation of instruction Enriches student experiences through the arts & digital media and extended learning & after-school programming Enhances communication, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking

4. Digital Learning Roadmap: Innovation on the horizon in the next three years

5. Session Objectives • Who’s Who in OIIT? • Become familiar with school infrastructure needs • Learn how to maximize your school’s network and leverage user reports • Understand technology purchasing process and learn how to make informed technology planning and purchasing decisions • Learn about digital tools and opportunities to support 21st Century Learning • Access your BPS phone, a communication and collaboration tool

6. Introduction to OIIT • Who’s Who in OIIT? • OIIT Network Liaisons • Service Desk (x9200) • Tier 1 support for technical issues • Hours of Operation: Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 4:00 pm • Summer & Holiday Hours (July 1, 2013-August 23, 2013):  8:00 am - 4:00 pm

7. Understanding the BPS Network

8. Maximizing Your School’s Network • Network Usage • Monitoring School Usage • Creating a culture of responsible use and how you can help • Websense Filtering • Intro to Websense Filtering • Weekly Usage Example • Weekly Bandwidth Example • Social Media Guidelines

9. BPS Purchasing • What’s in your school? • Purpose of the “Form 40” and how it works • Technology Purchasing: www.bostonpublicschools.org/technology • Cycle Purchasing • Friday, September 27, 2013 • Friday, December 8, 2013 • Friday, March 7, 2014 • Friday, May 30, 2014 • New/Bubble Classroom Technology

10. Empower 21st century learning skills for students • Support higher-order thinking by embedding technology in the • curriculum • Example: use of simulations to support critical-thinking and problem-solving • Example: collaborative, peer-editing via online wiki/shared document • Prepare students for digital citizenry • Federal requirement to educate all students on cyber safety and cyber-bullying • Example: BPS Cyber Safety Campaign: Curriculum & resources on key elements of cyber safety made for kids, by kids • Example: Strengthen information literacy through school- based library programs • Meet unique learning needs by differentiating • instruction • Use of assistive technologies to allow multiple • means of representation, expression & engagement • Examples: text-to-speech software, visual depiction • software, online apps, iPads, audiobooks, e-books

11. Empower 21st century learning skills for students • Promote self-expression & creativity • Example: Adobe Youth Voices, 900 students learn multimedia software & develop digital media projects on real-world issues impacting youth • Example: Use of voicethread or digital story online site to develop multi-media or research project • Gain real-world, hands-on experience • Example: Students as publishers through blogging • Example: Partner with a classroom in another or bring • experts into the classroom through video • conference (e.g. Skype) • Learn STEM skills • Reinforces problem-solving, creativity, collaboration • Example: Robotics, 600 students across grades K-12 learn and use robotics principles through in-school and • extended learning opportunities

12. Online Tools to Support Higher Thinking Skills

13. Online Communication Tools Student Information System • Email staff, students, and families • Post messages • Host group pages with file storage Google Apps • Group messaging • Online collaboration tools SchoolWires • New external website for the district • Departmental and school pages

14. Using Technology to Support Common Core

15. Professional Development Opportunities Summer • Leading in a Web 2.0 World (3 seats left) • Summer Twitter Challenge • Student Information System Workshops Upcoming • 21st Century Leadership Cadres • Digital Learning Series • Stipend for SIS Facilitator (~$500) • Network-based PD/Capacity Building for Educators & School Leaders

16. Essential Conditions (iste.nets) International Society for Technology in Education www.iste.org

17. Q&A Any Questions?

18. To Learn More: Melissa Dodd, Chief Information Officer mdodd@bostonpublicschools.org Twitter: @MelissaPDodd Mark Racine, Deputy Chief Information Officer mracine2@bostonpublicschools.org Twitter: @markracine Diane Hauser, Senior Program Director dhauser@bostonpublicschools.org Twitter: @DianeMHauser Ed Considine, Technology Support Specialist econsidine@bostonpublicschools.org Twitter: @econsidine Solimar Cruzado, Business Coordinator scruzado@bostonpublicschools.org Twitter: @scruzado1 Boston Public Schools Technology www.bostonpublicschools.org/technology Twitter: @BPSTechnology 20