TRAAC Advisory Board November 4, 2011 Agenda

1. TRAAC Advisory Board November 4, 2011Agenda Project Tomorrow/NSDL

2. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Overview of Grant • Literature Review • Digital Readiness Spectrum • Data Collection Plans • Next Steps

3. Warm Up Exercise

4. Warm Up Exercise Imagine you are going to spend a month on a deserted island. What is the one “mobile technology” you would want to have with you? Yes, solar power re-charging stations will be available on your island.

5. Warm Up Exercise – Choose one • Smart phone • Tablet • Laptop • Digital reader • MP3 player • Personal Margarita Blender

6. Project Tomorrow Teachers' Readiness to Adopt and Adapt Content from NSDL (TRAAC)

7. The Team • Julie Evans, Project Tomorrow • Mary Ann Wolf, PhD, Wolf Ed • Jessica K. Beaver, UPenn • Kim Lightle, Middle School Portal 2, Ohio State University • Advisory Board

8. Goals • Develop tools to assess teachers’ digital readiness. • Understand the efficacy of interventions and identify strategies for facilitating teachers’ growth along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum.” • Identify digital resources that advance teachers’ growth along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum.” • Inform teacher preparation programs.

9. About NSDL NSDL is the National Science Foundation's online library of resources and collections for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and research. 120 collections and 132,000 records Managed by the NSDL Resource Center Focused pathway for this project is the Middle School Portal 2

10. Assumptions “Build it and they will come” & “Promote it and they will use it” “Good for one, good for all professional development model” “Younger teachers who are digital natives are more likely to use digital resources in their classroom”

11. Assumptions = Mythology “Build it and they will come” & “Promote it and they will use it” “Good for one, good for all professional development model” “Younger teachers who are digital natives are more likely to use digital resources in their classroom”

12. Conditions Despite investments in professional development, teachers’ abilities to use digital content has not changed significantly. Centralized control of the instructional process is usurping the ability of teachers to personalize instruction with digital content. Adoption of digital content for sporadic, lesson plan use is not the desired outcome. Goal should be to build teachers’ capacity to internalize the use of digital content and adapt the resources appropriately within the classroom.

13. Methodology • Approximately 40 math and science teachers from each of 4-5 districts (4 middle schools each) and teachers from the Middle School Portal 2 • 4 instructional technology coaches in each district (1 per school) • Professional development beginning in Spring 2012 through December 2013 • Data collection beginning in Spring 2012 through December 2013

14. Research Questions What is the spectrum of digital readiness for K-12 teachers? What factors influence their adoption and adaptation of NSDL resources? What are the most effective interventions and support mechanisms for moving teachers along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum?” Where do the NSDL resources align along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum”? What are the characteristics or “key markers” along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum?”

15. Research Questions • How do we create “entry points” for teachers along the spectrum? How do we increase teacher’s adaptation and usage of NSDL resources? • What strategies might NSDL consider to nurture and support teachers as they move along the “Digital Readiness Spectrum”? • What can we learn that can inform teacher preparatory programs, in-service training programs and other research initiatives involving teachers and cyber-learning tools and resources?

16. Professional Development • Site-based Instructional Coaches • Webinars • Bi-weekly Newsletters • Access to Community of Practice through the Middle School Portal • Your thoughts on content?

17. School Districts Baltimore County Public Schools, NC Chicago Public Schools, IL Onslow County Schools, NC Charter School Group Virtual School

18. Your Input… What seems to fit? What are we missing?

19. Jessica K. Beaver Literature ReviewDigital Content, Professional Development, Readiness Spectrums

20. Demand for Digital Content • Federal focus: “Ensure that teachers and students are adequately trained in the use of online content.” (Magner, U.S. Dept of Ed., 2005) • “Next generation” assessment systems(SETDA Report, 2011) • PARCC, SBAC consortia • Race to the Top support and funding • Rising 1-to-1 computing rates (EdWeek, 2008) • Trend toward digital textbooks(Cuban, 2011)

21. Open Educational Resources (OER) Benefits • Low cost(Gurell et al., 2010) • Encourages collaboration(Brown & Adler, 2008) • Supports specific instructional methods • Teachers: “demand-pull” learning • Teachers and students: problem-based learning • Garners praise for schools(Hylen, 2006)

22. Open Educational Resources (OER) Challenges • Sustainability (Gurell et al., 2010) • Quality (Hylen, 2006) • Legality (McCraken, 2006) • Access (Gurell et al., 2010) • Ease of use (Gurell et al., 2010; Lane, 2010)

23. Professional Development Outcomes of Interest • Student Learning • Teacher engagement • Teacher collaboration • Improvement of teaching techniques • Incorporation of new ideas into practice

24. Effective PD: Timeline • Professional development should be “intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice.”(Wei et al., 2009) • The one-day workshop is less effective than ongoing instruction(Hawley & Valli, 1999) • Longer activities result in greater self-reported attainment of knowledge and skills.(Garet et al., 2001) •  Study is three years long, sustained PD, newsletters, progress monitoring, etc.

25. Effective PD: Content • Content should be narrow • Subject matter, learners and learning, or teaching methods (Loucks-Horsley & Matsumoto, 1999; Wei et al., 2009) • Focusing on specific strategies causes teachers to use these strategies in their practice and improves both teacher practice and teacher attitudes (Desimone et al., 2002; Garet et al. 2001) • Content should be subject-specific • Subject-matter PD leads teachers to focus less on memorization and more on problem-solving and critical thinking. (Cohen & Hill, 2001) • Learning should focus on core content in a discipline; memorization doesn’t work.(National Research Council, 1999) • NSDL content is subject-matter specific, in-depth, and helps teachers to gain key pedagogical knowledge.

26. Effective PD: Alignment • PD must be aligned to the content standards and achieved using the curriculum materials at hand. (Hochberg & Desimone, 2010) • Alignment to school improvement priorities and goals is important (Wei et al., 2009) • Alignment to teachers’ other activities leads to more faithful incorporation of new practices, improved teacher attitudes about the new strategy(Garet et al., 2001) • Resources aligned to content standards, and is specific to middle school environment. Study has tight alignment to district goals due to cohort design.

27. Effective PD: Collective Participation • Internal: • Incorporation rates and attitudes improve when teachers from the same school work together on PD(Garet et al., 2001) • Teachers are influenced by norms and cultures of the group. Articulating ideas in a group context helps teachers to refine their beliefs and practices and gain critical feedback.(Banilower& Shimkus, 2004; NRC, 1999) • External: • Professional development should build strong working relationships among teachers.(Wei et al., 2009) •  Study uses a school cohort model; teachers can collaborate nationally

28. Effective PD: Feedback • Feedback: • PD that gives teachers regular feedback on their teaching strategies has an increased impact on teacher-reported knowledge and skills (Garet et al., 2001) • Getting feedback helps teachers to adopt new practices. (Banilower & Shimkus, 2004) • Self-Assessment: • Self-assessment and feedback helps the learning process(NRC, 1999) • Self-assessment gives teachers opportunity to reflect(Loucks-Horsley & Matsumoto, 1999) •  Needs-assessment is tailored to each teacher, allows them to look critically at their own practice, gauge progress along the Digital Readiness Spectrum.

29. Effective PD: Leadership • Teachers need strong advocates for PD for them to succeed in their PD goals. They help to ensure that the PD is sustained, meaningful, applicable, etc. (Harkreader & Weathersby, 1998) •  Study supports instructional coaches

30. Effective PD: Leadership Teachers need strong advocates for PD for them to succeed in their PD goals. They help to ensure that the PD is sustained, meaningful, applicable, etc. (Harkreader & Weathersby, 1998)  Study supports instructional coaches How do we empower instructional coaches to work closely with teachers and have an impact on their instruction? How do we develop PD to support the coaches and help them to grow in their role as mentor and coach?

31. Your Input… What other research should be considered?

32. Defining “Digital Readiness” Digital Readiness • Technology readiness: “the behavior process behind the adoption of technological products and services.” Four main components: Optimism, Innovativeness, Discomfort and Insecurity.(Van der Rhee et al., 2007) • Digital content: multimedia or online information (social media, videos, blogging, wikis, etc.) Digital Readiness Spectrum: • A teacher’s level of use of digital content will vary as a teacher becomes more comfortable with the technology

33. Digital Readiness Spectrum • Many different models, broad literature base. • CBAM • ADL Model of ICT Uptake • Technology Maturity Model (TMM) • NETS • Blooms Digital Taxonomy • Most models not designed to give feedback to teachers

34. Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) • Stages of Concern (SoC): Focuses on the innovator, is explanatory. It describes how teachers perceive an innovation and their feelings about it. • Levels of Use (LoU): Focuses on the innovator, is explanatory. It is the sequence that users pass through as they use an innovation, and it ranges from nonuse to institutionalization. • Innovation Configuration (IC): Focuses on describing innovation, is diagnostic.

35. Stages of Concern 0) Awareness: Little concern about or involvement with the innovation 1) Informational: General awareness, but in a detached way 2) Personal: Uncertainty about the demands of the innovation 3) Management: Attention to processes and tasks 4) Consequence: Focus is on the impact of the innovation on students 5) Collaboration: Focus is on coordinating and cooperating with others 6) Refocusing: Making changes to the innovation or even replacing it

36. CBAM Application to Technology • Instructional Transformation Model • ACOT • Levels of Transformation (LoT) and LoTi • Teacher Professional ICT Attributes framework • Milken’s Professional Competency Continuum • Your experiences?

37. Levels of Use: The Range of Options Instructional Transformation Model (Newhouse, 2001) Instructional Transformation Model (Marcinkiewicz, 1994) ACOT(Mandinach & Cline, 1994) LoTi (Moersch, 1997) • 0. Nonuse • Utilization • Integration • Survival • Mastery • Impact • Innovation • 0. Nonuse • Familiarization • Utilization • Integration • Reorientation • Evolution • Nonuse • Awareness • 3. Exploration 4. Infusion 5. Integration • (mechanical) 6. Integration • (routine) 7. Expansion 8. Refinement

38. ACOT in Depth • Survival: • Teachers struggle with technology, are assailed by problems, cannot anticipate problems • Result: Status quo in classrooms, teacher-directed instruction, chaos • Mastery • Teachers develop coping strategies, increase competence/confidence • Results: New forms of interactions with students, more engagement • Impact • Teachers become facilitators of learning, are less threatened, and develop new working relationships with students and content • Results: Infused technology, learner-centered environment, technology enhanced curriculum coverage • Innovation • Teachers restructure curriculum and activities around digital content • Results: Technology and digital content become essential to instruction

39. Your Input… What should this look like? How do we develop something that is:*useful for teachers*increases the knowledge in the field*useful for NSDL and OER content

40. Data Collection • Focus Groups • Speak Up Survey • Survey/Questionnaire • PD Evaluations

41. Focus Groups • Timing: • Spring 2012 • Spring 2013 • December 2013 • Participants • Math Teachers Only • Science Teachers Only • Instructional Coaches/Principals

42. Speak Up 2011 Questions • Benefits of digital content use • Barriers to implementing digital content • Evaluating quality in digital content • Types of digital content in classroom use • Implementation strategies • Preferences for professional development around digital content usage

43. Survey/Questionnaire to Determine: • Where are teachers on the Digital Readiness Spectrum? • What do teachers need/want from professional development? • What are teachers’ attitudes about digital content and integrating digital content into teaching and learning?

44. Survey/Questionnaire to Determine: Where are teachers on the Digital Readiness Spectrum? What do teachers need/want from professional development? What are teachers’ attitudes about digital content and integrating digital content into teaching and learning? Do you have ideas for questions to garner this information? Have you used particular surveys or questions that you would recommend to determine this type of information from teachers?

45. Your Input… What questions would you like to ask in the initial focus groups?What long-term of trends questions should we ask so that we can compare and contrast over time?

46. Next Steps • Approval by school sites for participation • Development of tools • Conduct focus groups • Development of Digital Readiness Spectrum • Set up Advisory Board Quarterly Virtual Meetings

47. Next Steps • Set up Advisory Board Quarterly Virtual Meetings (options): • First Tuesday of Every Third Month at 12:00 pm ET • First Thursday of Every Third Month at 1:00 pm ET • Third Wednesday of Every Third Month at 12:00 pm ET • Fourth Monday of Every Third Month at 1:00 pm ET

48. Thank you for your participation today. We look forward to working on this project with you!