SPS Online: Part II

1
(No Transcript)
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 the
  previously-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
Additional Staff 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

15
Year One Goal Strategies Results
Teachers develop the capacity to design and deliver online coursework through rigorous, supported course participation Provide PD for teachers in online course development 17 teachers participated in EDC/ ETLO online design courses
Teachers consider UD and accessibility strategies when designing online coursework Provide PD for teachers in Universal Design and accessibility as they apply to Online coursework 20 staff Participated In UD/ Accessibility
Teachers build the capacity to create online coursework by utilizing the skills learned, both during the course and after completion, to design online course modules, supported at first by the staff at EDC/ETLO, and then by each other and SPS administrative staff Design online course modules in, at least, the core content areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language, for students in grades 8 and/or 9 Teachers created 27 modules in their areas of licensure 12 modules in ELA, 2 in mathematics, 5 in technology, 3 in social studies, 3 in foreign language, and 2 in science
Students access high-level, standards-based curriculum at their location in order to achieve at high levels Deliver coursework to students 23 students participated in 5 online modules
Participants not hampered by lack of access to computers Provide laptop computers for the teachers and students in the project as needed All participants utilized laptop computers
SPS Administrators learn to effectively conduct program evaluation Provide SPS administrators with PD in collaborative grant evaluation 2 SPS administrators participated in PD 2 more Participated in less in- depth Professional Development
Report and evaluate our efforts, successes, and challenges in order to enable us to refine and enhance our work in Year 2 Procure credible evaluation by an outside Evaluator Report completed
16
Homebound Student Grant
17
Homebound Student Grant

• One Teachers 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 didnt
  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, thats how difficult it was.
• Course Development We have to make it as
  exciting for students as we can. Because a lot
  of whats happening around the country, a lot of
  kids are getting into this sort of thing in
  Florida theres a lot of online work being done.
  Its 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.
  Its 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 (Contd)
• 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 (Contd)
• 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_at_sps.springfield.ma.us (413)
787-7125 Donna Boivin, Director of
Technology boivind_at_sps.springfield.ma.us (413)
787-6605 Springfield Public School
website www.sps.springfield.ma.us
26
(No Transcript)