Trekking Through T he World of Information With

1. Voted # 1 educational search tool in K-12 schools Delivers on the very best digital content, organized by grade and reading level aligned with state standards Differentiated instruction tools to meet each child’s individual learning needs Trekking Through The World of Information With T. Michael Rewis ITEC 7445 Dr. Paris July 9, 2013 Emerging Technology

2. NetTrekker • What is NetTrekker? • NETTREKKER is an Internet search engine especially designed for K-12 schools. • It allows for targeted searches of online resources that have been evaluated for: • educationally relevant content • aligned to state standards • reviewed by teachers for quality • with options to search by reading level • related lesson plans and support materials • much more

3. Introducing NetTrekker Search • Click below to view a short video • If the video does not load, please click here.

4. The technology vision of colquitt county schools • “The Colquitt County School System for technology use includes the desire to: • Offer students, teachers, administrators, and parents mobile and high speed access to current information to empower problem solving, decision making, and collaborative learning • Develop authentic models for assessing student achievement and diagnosing data to differentiate instruction and maximize achievement • http://colquitt.k12.ga.us/Portals/Colquitt/District/docs/depts/technology/techbulletin/CCS%202011_2014%20Tech%20Plan.pdf

5. NetTrekker supports our technology vision cont’d. • NetTrekker supports our district’s use of technology because it allows students to access an engaged learning experience at any time or any place. • NETTREKKER is a great resource for teachers to efficiently put together lessons, modules and units for students to complete during class or at home. • NETTREKKER offers 330,000+ educator-vetted digital learning resources aligned to Common Core and state standards.

6. NETTREKKER supports our technology vision cont’d. • Access is universalwith features such as Readability with English Learners, Dictionary Hot Key and Understanding the Search Results page can help you assist your EL students in getting the most out of NetTrekker! • Using NETTREKKER, students are able to dig deeper into the content they wish to learn more about or feel they need more information on, essentially differentiating their own learning. • NETTREKKER allows differentiate instruction by providing readability ratings for the Web sites it houses within each school level. These readability ratings have been assessed by educators based on composite scores of standard, long-used readability formulas and frameworks including the Automated Readability Index (Senter & Smith, 1967), the Flesch-Kincaid Index (Flesch, 1948), the Gunning Fog Index (Gunning, 1968), the McLaughlin SMOG Readability Formula (McLaughlin, 1969), and the Lexile Framework for Reading (MetaMetrics, 2008).

7. NETTREKKER supports our technology vision cont’d. • Whether in the classroom setting or at home, when using NETTREKKER, students are receiving opportunities to utilize educational technologies. • Through these opportunities, they will be better prepared to participate in the global society of their future. • While used at school, this technology can effectively meet the diverse needs of all students.

8. objectives • The main objective in using NETTREKKER in the classroom is to increase STUDENT SUCCESS through the use of technology as an instructional tool. • NetTrekker opens NEW windows for learners using dynamic content that offers many ways to learn and addresses different learner NEEDS for information they can process in their own way. • Connects learners to a MEANING by using digital resources that increase comprehension. • Support student expression and communication using POWERFULtechnology tools. • Seek resources that build CONNECTIONS for students around their interest and choices.

9. Key benefits • Each student can learn at their own pace, in the comfort of their own home (if able). • NetTrekker helps students to internalize and comprehend more with visual, textual, and spatial pieces working together to improve how she or he engages in topic. • Complex information is easier to comprehend and easier to master. Valuable comprehension of difficult concepts can be achieved using varied digital content and resources, such as animations in science, online database for research, and interactive simulations. • Teachers free up time in the classroom, that can now be used for individualized instruction and authentic learning activities.

10. Key Benefits, continued… • Whether students are auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners, the Web sites housed in the netTrekkerdatabase offer learners choices of media/mode that support their learning. • Connect students to material that caters to their preferred learning style and gives them access to new learning experiences that are not limited to the boundaries of their classrooms or schools. • Provides students with opportunities to learn though a personal learning network of peers and experts while remaining connected to specific learning Georgia Performance Common Core Standards (CCGPS).

11. Target population • In Colquitt County 23.4% of our population is below the Poverty Threshold. • 73% students receive free/reduced lunch. With this demographic, access to internet in all homes is not likely, which is why I am proposing using this tool within the schools.

12. Target population cont’d. • Ideally, a 1:1 technology model would work best, but any classroom that has the access to enough technology or has adopted BYLD policy would work great. • Pilot classrooms should be implemented to test out its effectiveness. • Many Colquitt County schools have 2 full computer labs, and many teachers already have a class set of laptops. • Every classroom has at least 4 student computers. • Several schools have started to adopt the BYOT initiative.

13. Equipment and Software • NETTREKKER is a web-based tool. • Since it is web-based, wireless access is required for each computer/learning device. • Headphones are needed with each device, as students will be learning at many different paces.

14. Technical support • Colquitt County provides excellent technical support within our technology department for any hardware issues that arise. • We have an instructional technologist dedicated to our school to help anytime we need it. • The site itself provides a list of tutorial videos to show how to navigate and use the site, and also to answer common questions. • They also provide an email for any other questions or problems a user may have.

15. Technical support cont’d. • NETTREKKER offers: • Support Center • educator experts work with our educators every day to make the most of our standards-aligned, teacher-approved digital learning resources and learning tools • Product Support • FAQ’s and Quick Start Guides available • Implementation Resources • Guides available • Self-Guided Learning • Webinars, courses, videos address lesson planning, enrichment activities, ELL instruction, differentiated instruction, and 21st century skills • Professional Learning Services • Custom workshops and webinars • Navigator Program • Work together with other colleagues

16. limitations • If NETTREKKER is utilized at home, each student is required to have access to an internet-accessible device. • At school, the students will need to have access to an internet-accessible device.

17. Cost of the technology • This web-based tool that requires no additional set-up on the part of the school or teacher. • 1 year $1,999 for a site license

18. Potential funding sources • Several Colquitt County schools have foundations to raise money • SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) funds • Teachers can create a proposal on DonorsChoose.org • There are many companies that have grants available for technology in schools • (Each grant listed below is linked to their website to find out more information) • IBM Reinventing Education Grant • Cisco System Inc. Grants • Verizon Foundation • Computers for Learning

19. How can teachers use this technology? • Teachers can easily incorporate the elements of differentiated instruction to maximize student learning • Look for resources by state or common core state standards within NetTrekker search, and identify resources for remediation or enrichment • Teachers can use this technology on its own to create lessons, or within a project/activity, such as a WebQuest • Teachers can flexibly match what a student learns with how they learn and their demonstration of what they have learned, all while ensuring not only comprehension but mastery as well.

20. How can teachers use this technology? cont’d. • Differentiated Instruction tools to foster student independence and success • Using NETTREKKER, teachers can teach content standards by creating online lessons with videos for any subject

21. How does NETTREKKER promote specific learning goals? • Students can connect learning to meaning by using digital resources that increase comprehension. • Open new windows for learners using dynamic content that offers many ways to learn and address different learners needs for information they can process in their own way. • Allow students to seek resources that build connections for students around their interest and choices. • Supports student expression and communication using powerful technology tools

22. NetTrekker’s KEY FEATURES Click on the image below to watch a short video about the features of NetTrekker. If the above video does not play, you may view it on YouTube by clicking here.

23. differentiation • NetTrekker categorizes, differentiates, and scaffolds material allowing teachers to focus on effectively engaging every student in learning. • Ease of access to locate resources that are accessible for students at a variety of levels. • NetTrekker provides teachers with a plethora of resources at all levels of ability in one place, far superior to standard search engines. • NetTrekker provides visual guides to help language learners and struggling readers find what they are looking for. • NetTrekker offers language translation tools.

24. Differentiation, continued…

25. Communication/ Collaboration • The fact that this technology can be accessed from any wireless capable device/ anywhere with wireless network, allows students and parents to access whenever they like. In this way, parents are able to learn the content that their students are and discuss it with them. • At school, students can communicate with each other on what they’ve learned from the searches.

26. Safe, healthy, legal & Ethical issues • Teachers would need to make sure parents signed the Internet use contact agreement allowing their child address to Internet at school. • Search engine has filters are in place to ensure safety of websites and materials.

27. Research evaluation • In the process of [researching, i.e.] finding…sites, you’d likely waste a lot of time and take several wrong (and possibly inappropriate) turns. If your child spends many hours on the Internet researching his or her homework, a yearly subscription to NetTrekker will prove to be an affordable, efficient, and trustworthy aid. (Breen, 2008)

28. Research evaluation cont’d • To maximize student engagement, and thereby learning, it is important to tap into the diverse interests of students. The netTrekkerd.i. database houses over 380,000 web sites to support the learning interests of a diverse student population (Huff, 2008) • This technology tool promotes engaged learning and would work well in combination with other tools in a project-based learning experienceto increase the LoTi levels of any lesson.

29. Professional learning • Teachers will need to be trained on the use of NETTREKKER as an effective technology tool for use in the classroom. • This can be quickly implemented during daily planning time. • With the tutorial videos and NETTREKKER’s “Quick Start Guide”, teachers should be able to train themselves in the use of this technology.

30. reflection • I was amazed at the read-aloud feature when I first saw NETTREKKER in action at a technology conference. It offers a dual mode support for struggling readers, pronunciation exposure for language learners, and verification for students who are unsure of a particular word or phrase they are reading. Additional links are available such as maps, encyclopedias, and grammar guides to help scaffold learning. • I think it would be a great technology tool for my students to use After trying the site out for myself, I found it easy to navigate and all the tools useful. It took me no time to find excellent resources aligned with my standards. I specifically liked the dictionary hotlink in which every words on the site is linked to an online dictionary where students can find the definition, part of speech, or pronunciation instantaneously. • Nettrekker is an excellent tool to use in collaboration to promote higher-order thinking with a student-centered, engaging, and authentic learning experience.

31. Works cited Breen, Christopher. (2008, August 5). Thinkronize NetTrekker. Retrieved from http://www.macworld.com/article/1134787/nettrekker.html Flesch, R. (1948). A new readability yardstick. Journal of Applied Psychology, 32, 221-233. Gunning, R. (1968). The techniques of clear writing. Philadelphia: McGraw Hill. Huff, L. (2008). Review of nettrekkerd.i. Language Learning & T Technology, 12(2), 19. Retrieved from http://llt.msu.edu/vol12num2/review1.pdf Smith, E. A. & Senter, R. J. (1967). Automated readability index, AMRL-TR, 66-22. Wright-Patterson AFB, OH: Aerospace Medical Division. McLaughlin, G. H. (1969). SMOG grading—a new readability formula. Journal of Reading, 12, 639-946. MetaMetrics, Inc. (2008) Retrieved May 9, 2008, http://www.lexile.com/EntrancePageHtml.aspx?1

32. For more information • Visit www.nettrekker.com/us/