Notes+from+meetings+and+webinars

Here are some notes from meetings and webinars.

The to-do list from the last meeting is on the first page, assuming you missed it. We will work on getting together again next week assuming we can find a time when the candidates are not meeting with group members. 3/30/12

Benjamin Rush Slept Here Notes from Session V Webinar 3/21/12 (another deep and powerful 2 hours)


 * Connected Coaches ** - they are there to help us directly with our projects. We can (and probably should) either email with them heavily or use Skype to set up a meeting. They can direct us to expectations and ideas and help us become more specific on our project.


 * Other Teams ** - most of them already have a tentative plan for the format of their presentation in the spring. They have divided tasks among the members and begun work on them.
 * Wiki ** - Other teams have not all created their wiki on the PLP site yet (though some have). Other years' teams have put theirs up for us to look at. We will fill out this wiki as a large overview of the project before the culminating event (meeting at Garrison Forrest).

The new content part of the webinar: suggestion - see the action research project as a pilot, later implement what has been successful
 * Scale** - this is a bit like a pilot program, testing the idea, reflecting on the program and ideas in order to learn about the issue. How can we improve practice related to this problem/issue/possibility? Then next time you try again after changing things and then implement it (assuming it is successful)

We will scale our project. Small scale = one example of an integrated curriculum project. For instance, we could produce one workable project idea and then figure out how to help teachers create/add parts to one themselves in the future. avoid trying to make this perfect, it will change over time make sure that the idea can be reproduced/works on a wide scale but start small, see how it goes.

ELEMENTS TO USING SCALE: //Depth// (creating a change in classroom practice/beliefs), //spread// (large #s of classrooms using ideas), //sustainability// (maintaining the change over time), //shift// (other classrooms are modifying our ideas themselves = ownership),

1) create a sample project ex. Using the DC Mall for 9th grade - math (this year's alt asses), English - write paper, History - do research, Art - sketching a building, Physics9 - calculating energy needs or water footprint, Spanish/French - historical connection with DC? Music?) 2) create a set of ways/suggestions for teachers to include their class in a grade-level project (no idea what this would look like) 3) create a set of 'what ifs' and a list of possibilities/things that could change (like having the English portion of the project be the trimester final exam for English while the physics 9 portion is a small problem they work on for homework when they get home) (deciding what the project would look like if the languages and arts were not required to participate) (figuring out how much time this would take out of the year's schedule) (if all the students in the whole school do their projects at the same time or at different times of the year) (culture credits?) etc.
 * Where do we go now? **

Problems we are trying to "fix" with this project - need more connection between the curriculum and the local area - cross-curriculum has worked well - Humanities - we need to do more of it to be successful and make WNA more marketable - Alternative assessments have been successful and promote thinking outside the box and creativity - do more of this to help the students and to differentiate the school from other schools

Benjamin Rush Slept Here Notes from Session IV Webinar 3/6/12 (it was deep and powerful, as usual) PROJECT IDEAS OF OTHER TEAMS (colorful stuff is more applicable to our group) -What will this project look like if it is wildly successful? -What standards will you have? How will this help to move faculty/students towards school-wide goals? -How can we help students/teachers become 21st century learners? What is the culmination of this? How do you set this up before you have the laptops? What can you do beforehand? -How do you measure success? How do you implement this? -Change culture around tech. To support student learning what do you need to do? [] - Use these questions to inform hiring practices!!!!! (yeah, I think we should do this, too), What to do with the rest of this great data they found from the teachers? How do you shift these perceptions? Perhaps with a PD designed to shift perceptions rather than to teach a specific tech. Showcase best practice that is working. -How do you help teachers achieve this? -Does the PLN answer their essential question?
 * Kinks** - Faculty Awareness of Digital Footprints, Acceptable Use Policy/How is it used effectively, wider scope of internet use in students'/teachers' lives,
 * Montgomery School** - Acceptable (Responsible) Use Policy - How the internet is used, tech, communication with parents, Write one (they have none), find info from faculty first,
 * Cyberspace Cadets** - Become a 1-1 school and have a plan before the computers arrive, increasing accessibility
 * EA 2.0** - Another transformation to a 1 to 1 school,
 * Trinity Valley** - Find out how to implement the tech in the classroom. Faculty don't use tech right now. Why not?
 * GDS ** - **Martin Bullock** - Change views of tech and education - research found - "tech is an annoying add-on, 21c learning is less than traditional learning, training students to manage networks of info online is low priority, teacher holds knowledge and students learn it (instead of co-creators of knowledge)."
 * Baldwin School - Laura Blankenship ** - Nixing AP, using interdisciplinary classes connected with outside resources senior year. This leads to have **all** classes use the 3-D classroom idea - class that adds a dimension by working with another discipline or connecting with a classroom in India or a 3rd grade classroom...
 * iTrojans** - Create PLN focused on the iPads they will be all getting soon - (PLN = Personal Learning Networks) How can they make sure this tech doesn't become a paperweight?
 * VFMA** - e-texts instead of regular books - Why or why not? How do they decide?

CHAT PARTICIPANTS READ (about WNA): At our school we have trimesters and we are required to have one of the three final exams be "alternative," so *not* a standard math test or English essay, depending on the subject. For example, we did indirect measurement in DC for my geometry final exam, and physics-related commercials on video for my Physics 9 alternative assessment. We also have a 9th grade class that combines music, art, and history, with all three teachers working together on each time-period to make the ideas in each subject become more integrated in the minds of the students. These have been very successful for us and all of our teachers love the ideas. Our project is to combine the two ideas to create a grade-oriented, cross-curricular alternative assessment-type project. We are not necessarily looking to fine tune the specifics, but instead set up an outline somehow of how this might work in our school. What it would look like and what sorts of difficulties and successes we might have... We have teacher/administrative buy-in on the general idea but there might be resistance when it comes to asking teachers to spend more time planning.

CHAT ABOUT OUR PROJECT (remember I am responding to verbal questions also in the chat): Me: I will add something that occurred to me when the last group idea was presented... About the "so-what" of the 3-D classroom Me: We have had such great success with these two ideas because the students see how the curriculum relates and it makes the whole experience more authentic. We want more interconnectedness for our students. We need more work on this end... Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): this sounds REALLY cool! Me: Yes - that is what we are working on right now. Me: We have general buy-in, but we need to get more specific on the "why" part. Moderator (Robin Ellis): what is different as a result Maggie Knapp 1: How would it be graded and by whom? Me: Ooh, good thought Maggie Moderator (Robin Ellis): will there be common planning time? Moderator (Robin Ellis): to address the grading Maggie raises? Laura Karabell: in terms of teachers planning it---maybe you could devote a few hours of an in-service day to do a brainstorm/planning session Patti Grayson - Connected Coach, AIMS/ADVIS Community: Who "governs" project for student questions, or does every teacher have a component? Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): will there be release time to plan it or execute it? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Is the team creating one unit and everyone teaching a piece? Gene Carboni: What is the purpose of cross-curricular assessment? Why the change? Why this change? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Or are you all creating different units? Me: probably no extra time, hence my worry... Laura Karabell: perhaps defining what you mean by alternative Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): ahh Laura Blankenship: Who would create the project assessments? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Will student artifacts be part of the buy-in presentation Laura Karabell: when you would implement this into the school day Moderator (Robin Ellis): how will assessments be created to accomodate the change and will student have choice in any subject area to express their knowledge Dina Schmidt: How will the outcome be evaluated? Me: We would have a project for each grade level, combing history, math, English... Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): how will you evaluate the success of your project? Jennifer Scholl: Do the students get a choice with the projext? Jennifer Scholl: sorry, project Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Will your PBL unit be project driven or process driven Patti Grayson - Connected Coach, AIMS/ADVIS Community: Will some portions of the project be graded for more than one subject? i.e. a writing assignment might also be graded by english class? leah domb: Yes, articulating why the change will be important - tho I'm sure there are very good reasons Gene Carboni: Is there a combined rubric developed by both teachers? Moderator (Robin Ellis): are teachers volunteering to participate? Me: I like the idea of choice - that is big at our school. Kelly Dintino 1: what's a PBL? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): in otherwords is the end goal for students to grow and learn or create a really great artifiact like a documentary Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Project based learning Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): or problem based Laura Karabell: @kelly i was wondering that too! Patti Grayson - Connected Coach, AIMS/ADVIS Community: how structured will it be - will students have any freedom to present learning in different ways? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): there is project driven and then there is project based Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): are other schools doing anything like this, on this scale? are there role models out there for you, or are you inventing the wheel? Martin Bullock (Georgetown Day): (instead of re-inventing it) Me: @Sheryl - good question! Those are very different Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Will teacher and student passion be part of your project? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): Will you use a connected learner scale? Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): if you do not remember that scale email me Patti Grayson - Connected Coach, AIMS/ADVIS Community: Sheryl - quit rephrasing my questions. ;) Moderator (Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach): hahaha Gene Carboni: Will the students pick the project? Moderator (Robin Ellis): is the hope to move this to include more faculty based upon the success of this? how will all of this be shared with others? Laura Karabell: would students work individually or in groups? Me: @Martin I am sure someone out there has done such a thing before... I hope... Me: Yes! That was excellent... Me: I will be sending the chat to my group Gene Carboni: talk to you soon Rebekah Patti Grayson - Connected Coach, AIMS/ADVIS Community: Great job!