SPS Online: Part II – Enabling the Homebound to Achieve

2. SPS Online: Part II – Enabling the Homebound to Achieve Dr. Joseph P. Burke, Superintendent Donna Boivin, Director of Technology Dr. Deborah Gendreau, Supervisor of Technology

3. Demographics • Springfield, Massachusetts • Third Largest Community in Massachusetts • Urban Community • ~30 Square Miles • Population: ~156,000 • App. 25,800 students • App. 2,600 teachers (FTE) • 46 schools: • 30 Elementary Schools • 6 Middle Schools • 1 PK-7 School • 1 PK-8 School • 4 Alternative Campuses • 4 High Schools • Also, 3 Charter Schools

4. The Challenge • On any given day, 75 -100 students are absent or waiting for alternative placement • The district has a moral and legal responsibility to provide education for all students on all school days • NCLB AYP requirements need to be met • It was difficult to get home tutors who were licensed in some academic areas • Instructional interruptions that occur when students return to class after lengthy absences need to be minimized • The Superintendent charged the Technology Department with finding a technology-enabled solution to these challenges

5. The Response • Provide homebound students with access to the same high quality, rigorous, standards-based curriculum that other students participate in onsite; taught, monitored, and assessed online by licensed content area specialists.

6. The Background • 2002 – 2003: Teachers learn to facilitate online PD coursework • 2002 – 2003: Teachers facilitate online PD courses • 2003 – 2004: Teachers learn to design online PD coursework • 2003 – 2004: Teachers facilitate the online PD courses that they designed • 2003 – 2004: Students participate in commercial online coursework • 2003 - 2004: Graduate level AT/UD online course taught for teachers by Technology Department • 2003 – 2004: Online course for administrators facilitated by Technology Department • 2004 – 2005: One Teacher designs and teaches her Computer Networking and A+ Computer Maintenance classes online (pre-grant)

7. The Plan • Leverage the knowledge and skills of thepreviously-trained online coursework facilitators/designers to create online course modules which are in complete alignment with the Springfield Public Schools Scope and Sequence and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. The course modules would cover 4-6 weeks worth of work, be standards-based, rigorous, relevant, and appropriate. • Utilize experts in Universal Design and Assistive Technology to ensure that the modules are accessible to all.

8. The Overview • Initial plan with goals and benchmarks • Apply for and receive grant funding • Online Facilitators • Online Designers • Part 1: Online Professional Development • SPS-created • Commercially available • Part 2: Online Student Coursework • SPS-created • Commercially available • Ongoing Evaluation • New Component: Self-paced coursework

9. The Actions • 2004 – 2005: Teachers learn to design online course modules for students • 2004 – 2005: Teachers design and deliver online course modules for students • 2004 – 2005: Teachers learn about Universal Design and Assistive Technology • 2004 – 2005: Administrators trained by external evaluator to evaluate programs • 2005 – 2006: New cadre of teachers selected; to be taught by teachers previously trained in online course design / facilitation

10. Training Our Teachers • Various Academic Areas • Various Schools • Various Grade Levels • District Study Group • Advise the introduction of online student coursework at all grade levels • Intel “Teach to the Future” training • Using technology resources to promote staff and student success

11. Training Our Teachers (continued) • Online Professional Development through EDC • Laptops for Teacher Designers/Facilitators • Use of handheld computers for data collection and personal organization • Universal Design training to make learning accessible to all learners • Other considerations

12. AdditionalStaff PD • Administrators • Develop an understanding of online learning • Technology Leadership courses for administrators • Teachers Not Involved in the Project • Develop an understanding of online learning • Various courses in academic areas

13. Student Coursework Two-pronged Strategy: • Commercially-designed coursework • No design time necessary • No teacher time or stipends necessary • Course pre-tested • Springfield Public Schools-designed coursework • Various academic areas • Various durations • Various start and end times • Designed to meet SPS student needs • Completely aligned to our SPS curriculum

14. “Homebound Student” Grant • Units of study derived from our Academic Scope and Sequence documents • All academic areas • Technology “How-to” unit • Videoconferencing • Online textbooks • Laptops for students • High speed Internet access for students • Evaluation • Evaluation training

16. “Homebound Student” Grant

17. “Homebound Student” Grant One Teacher’s Experience Using Modules With Students • Algebra One –Systems of Linear Equations • Tested with Algebra One Honors Students during March and April 2005 • Seven students completed the unit online.

18. “Homebound Student” Grant Poetry: A Voice in the Crowd Online Course for Springfield Public School Students English/Language Arts June 20, 2005 Recently, I had the pleasure of working collaboratively with another English teacher to present the online poetry course I had created for homebound students to students in a 9th grade class at the High School of Science & Technology. The teacher was very enthusiastic about trying an online course with his students and was eager to see how distance learning worked for the teacher and students. We used the mobile technology lab, and with his small class of ten students, had a laptop available for each student. Initially, I explained Blackboard and showed the students how to access and navigate the site. Some had very little technology experience but were eager to learn. Through the online course, they were able to access sites, read information, and post discussion responses, making them more adept at using the computer and the Internet. Students found it challenging to read the poems, develop responses, and complete the various activities. The experience made them active learners because they were not dependent upon the teacher to feed them information and explain it to them. They had to find the information by following directions and reading by themselves. Most of the students enjoyed the experience of taking an online course and are willing to try more courses in the future.

19. “Homebound Student” Grant Enabling the Homebound Student To Achieve Grant Evaluation: Focus Group Report General: “Initially, I was overwhelmed … floundering around trying to find my way. But as the process went on, I got more and more excited. I found my focus, direction -- and everything fell together. I was actually disappointed at the end, once we got into the template, I didn’t want it to stop. Overwhelming at the beginning … but really a memorable experience.” Training: “You had three balls in the air. First you were learning how to upload the course – put it into blackboard. Then take the course, read, absorb, apply the content. Then turn around and develop a course – research, find sites. There should have been a course first on the ins and outs of blackboard … then a course about developing a course; then a third course to develop it. I could have worked every night until 11, that’s how difficult it was.” Course Development: “[We have to] make it as exciting for students as we can. Because a lot of what’s happening around the country, a lot of kids are getting into this sort of thing … in Florida there’s a lot of online work being done. It’s really fun to hear a kid get excited about doing it.” Study Group: “The study groups were really important because we all have varying amounts of intermediate computer skills … so we helped each other … shared a lot of tricks that way.” “These meetings were sort of like a security net. It’s wonderful, great to communicate on line. But to have someone sit there and tell you, show you – you get excited, you realize ‘This is what we can do.’ The human interaction, the socialization is very nearly as important as the work on line, or the work that gets processed alone in your basement or your office or your barcalounger.”

20. “Homebound Student” Grant Looking Back / Reflection / Challenges: • Teachers reported the training component – learning how to design a module and designing one simultaneously – was very challenging. • Teachers found the greatest challenge was learning to adapt their teaching styles to an online environment. • The targeted student population is “mobile” and not always available for extended periods of time. • High-speed Internet accessibility at student homes was an issue. • The alignment of available modules to students’ current academic needs was not always possible.

21. “Homebound Student” Grant Looking Back / Reflection / Challenges (Cont’d): • Study groups were an extremely valuable component of the program, although teachers would have liked them to be more focused. • Teachers expressed concerns as they prepared to deliver courses, including • How to hold students accountable in the on-line environment? • Will students be ready, interested and motivated? • How will awarding of credit be determined? • How to efficiently identify and enroll appropriate students?

22. “Homebound Student” Grant Looking Forward / Planning: • Establish a buddy system for new online instructors • Select teachers with higher level technology skills • Through collaboration with guidance counselors and academic directors, continue to refine the student selection process, and set policy for credit for modules • Expand the number of modules in each academic area to allow more access to a wider audience

23. “Homebound Student” Grant Looking Forward / Planning (Cont’d): • Continue the valuable study group format and plan a more focused agenda to meet teacher needs • Design in-house professional development for Year Two that not only addresses teacher technology needs, but also the challenge of modifying teaching strategies to fit an online environment • Plan ways to gather feedback from students participating in the online lessons • Seek various solutions to the high-speed Internet accessibility issue • Continue to work with UD / AT experts to ensure accessibility to all learners

24. State Standards Documentswww.doe.mass.edu/edtech • MA Recommended PK-12 Instructional Technology Standards • MA Recommended Criteria for Distance Learning Courses • Assistive Technology Guide for MA Schools • MA Technology Self Assessment Tool • MA Teacher Technology Use Survey

25. Thank you! Dr. Deborah Gendreau, Supervisor of Technology gendreaud@sps.springfield.ma.us (413) 787-7125 Donna Boivin, Director of Technology boivind@sps.springfield.ma.us (413) 787-6605 Springfield Public School website: www.sps.springfield.ma.us