Nellie Mae Education Foundation Changing Mindsets and Culture COP March 27, 2014

1. Nellie Mae Education Foundation Changing Mindsets and Culture COP March 27, 2014

2. Presentation Outline

3. Project Goals • To increase district and community knowledge of student-centered blended learning • To determine ways to use blended learning to increase student achievement and differentiate learning • To engage in action research to pilot and evaluate blended learning approaches in two schools: Pathways Academy of Technology and Design and Bulkeley Teacher Prep and Humanities Academy • To share best practices and recommendations from the blended learning research for consideration by the district

4. Superintendent’s Work Group • Conducted a survey of principals and teachers to identify strengths and weaknesses of instructional technology in Hartford, and readiness for blended learning • Solicited valuable input from district leaders with a wide-ranging perspective on the district and the city of Hartford • Identified policy and infrastructure issues

5. Professional Learning Community • Developed a Theory of Action • Developed individual implementation plans • Lab rotation, Flex, Station rotation at Pathways • Station rotations and modified Flex at Bulkeley • Decided on hardware and software tools • Troubleshooting challenges, sharing best practices

6. Professional Learning Community • Attended conferences, learning sessions, site visits • Conferences: • CECA, iNICOL, CETPA, VITALearn, Learning Forward, CoSn • Site Visits: • Gestalt Community Schools • Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High School • Workshop with Education Elements • PLC Meetings and Individual School Meetings

7. Professional Learning Community • Determined initial measures of success: • Survey of students based on Indiana University’s student engagement survey • Focus Group • Grades • NWEA • Attendance • Observations • Teachers selected 3 appropriate measures for their course for data triangulation http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/actionresearch/arhome.htm

8. Implementation Underway Bulkeley: • 5 teachers in 6 classrooms • 110 Students • Subjects include: Lit and Comp I, US History, Algebra II, Western Humanities Society & Culture, and Western Humanities Literature • Blended Learning models: Station rotation and Flex • Using Hapara, Odyssey, Edmodo, Compass Learning, Newsela, NoRedInk, and self-created materials • Interview with Domain, a junior from BHS

9. Implementation Underway Pathways: • 3 teachers in 5 classrooms • 102 Students • Subjects include: English, Social Studies, Spanish • Blended Learning models: Station rotation, lab rotation and flex • Web-based Instructional Tools and Resources • Teachers use Study-Island, 10marks, self-created websites and materials, and a school-wide learning management platform. • Interview with Calvin, a junior from Pathways

10. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers-The Tool

11. Themes From Teacher Reflections • Bulkeley has had to overcome many technology issues and equipment delays. • Pathways has focused on the development of soft-skills. • Although at both sites it is too soon to gauge student achievement outcomes, student engagement has improved.

12. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers I was a guide, supporting students when necessary, however about 90% of the time they worked independently. I supported them to understand some key concepts and vocabulary, but the majority of the time the learning was student directed. Students were highly engaged and focused throughout class. During the independent viewing of videos of the UDHR each student used their laptops/headphones to view and were highly engaged, which was evident in all students completing the accompanying assignment. Also, during the partner activity all students were engaged, working in small groups as well as engaging in conversations with each other about the human right violations occurring in the world. Shayna Chomko, Social Studies Teacher

13. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers In my planning alone I've been leveraging resources from Education Portal, Compass Learning, and Crash Course World History to guide some instruction. Also, I'm developing a lot of interactive and collaborative opportunities using Google Docs and Edmodo as a learning management system (with a built-in discussion platform to facilitate some online threaded discussion). I'm hoping to explore new opportunities for formative assessment using Curriculet, and also will be using Quizlet to help students develop better study habits. All of these will enrich the classroom experience, and, I hope, lead to higher achievement. Justin Taylor, History Teacher

14. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers Site visits and access to experienced blended teachers and administrators were extremely valuable/motivational. Collaboration time to discuss research and findings, as well as to create blended curriculum for the upcoming semester Kim Childress and Kerry Swistro, Coaches at Bulkeley High School Mr. Griswold and I took two professional days before the holiday break to plan our blended learning units.  Using Compass, I was able to design a unit on poetry that includes an entire introductory phase on poetry analysis that the students will complete.  In addition, the videos and instructional tools that Compass provides in their Language Arts section is almost exactly tailored to the skills (and texts) covered in our curriculum, and it's designed to capture the attention of teens, so I think that my students will find themselves more engaged.  Using Compass Learning is going to enhance my curriculum tremendously.  I am looking forward to getting started. Jessica Chirdon, Humanities Teacher

15. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers In terms of changes to my own practice, I am working to be less controlling of the class, specifically allowing students to ask and answer each other’s questions without automatically answering myself; allowing students to fully engage in discourse without my interruption. Shayna Chomko, Social Studies Teacher One change in my practice has been how to best use an online presence. I was initially thinking of how to integrate technology, but now I am thinking about how technology can help me to achieve my learning objectives. This difference is difficult to articulate. Elizabeth Maurer, Social Studies Teacher

16. Culture and Practice: Reflections from Teachers I continue to envision lack of Internet access outside of school to be an ongoing challenge. I am still a bit concerned about the distribution of technology as well as the issue of only a select handful of students being presented with the technology.  Our Blended Learning PLC is meeting to solidify policies and expectations, as well as working to organize a meeting with parents after school in order to present them with this information also. Massive amount of education software available – finding the software with the right fit, level of rigor, alignment to standards and high engagement factor is a difficult task

17. Challenges and Issues • Operational: YouTube Access • Engagement: How do we broadly engage the larger community to raise awareness, knowledge and support? Website: http://blendedlearningct.wordpress.com/ • Policy: How do we change policies to reflect mastery-based progression over seat time requirement? • Scale: How do we move beyond school or classroom-based pockets of innovation to a district-level strategy?

18. Thoughts from COP • Do your experiences reflect Hartford's? • How have you handled some of the issues and challenges we identified? • What other advice can you offer us?