Sophie Grant Proposal

Grant Proposal

Budget

Standards to be taught

A Revolution is a Circle, After All

Teacher leaders can be dynamic conduits for connect school community resources to meet student needs and improve outcomes. As noted in the School-Community Partnerships guide from UCLA, community agencies and schools have reciprocal actions and goals for the sustainable improvements of children’s lives. Teacher leaders can be open and initiate contact with community agencies and businesses whose areas overlap with the mission of the school to foster collaboration and extend learning and support beyond the classroom walls to wrap around the students. An even closer resource for students at hand: the family connection. By reaching out to families, teachers can build upon home based knowledge and tap into “funds of knowledge” that can only be accessed through genuine family engagement.

In Chapter 11 of Digital Leadership, Sheninger details the transformative nature of partnerships by sharing a case which illustrates the benefits of going beyond the classroom walls to procure and nurture partnerships both near (community) and far (national/global). Maplewood Richmond Heights School District established “cornerstones of learning,” then sought out partnerships to support them to enhance engagement and achievement, and provide students with opportunity and power to experience how actions affect change in the real world.University, Experiential Learning, Intraschool, Corporate/Community, and Mental Health partnerships were built and continue to function to aid students in becoming proficient global citizens by giving them the chance to expand beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Sheninger also details more benefits of following the Pillars of Digital Leadership can offer the development of synchronistic opportunities via the use of social media.

In Chapter 12, Sheninger brings the narrative back to the importance of the human connection and interpersonal communication skills and human interactions. He explains that technology is used to enhance, not replace, instruction. Sheninger puts out a “Call to Action” for leaders to step up, embody the Digital Pillars, and help steer their schools into the future with meaningful purpose, dynamic outreach, and careful implementation. 

                                             http://pixshark.com/sistine-chapel-dome.htm

Module 6

In my opinion, having a supportive community can make or break a school.  When you work at a school that parents simply will not get involved, there will be little success.  The school that I am currently working at tries to encourage parent/community involvement, through various activities such a math night at Walmart, McTeacher night at McDonald's, muscle car mania, and various other programs in which we invite parents, students and community members to participate in encouraging educational values in our students.  Our PTO is extremely small but tries very hard to get others to participate.  At the beginning of the year I give parents the information in which they can contact me through email (live grades and personal) and I also give my cell phone number.  Many other teachers have stressed to me that they would never give out their numbers, cause they do not want parents calling and bugging them, but I really like it.  I text my parents frequently when I have questions or concerns, and they respond almost instantly.  I send out reminders of upcoming test and project due dates.  Of course you do get those parents who abuse the system and want to call all hours of the night, but I am quick to put a stop to it, and well so far so good.  

Chapter 11 and 12:

Both chapters are extremely short.  Chapter eleven discusses the different opportunities and partnerships that schools can look for and engage in to become more successful.  The chapter is broken down into different forms of partnerships that schools can engage in.  They include: strategic partnerships, university partnerships, experiential learning partnerships, intraschool partnerships, corporate/community partnerships, mental health partnerships, and leveraging social media.  

Chapter twelve is even briefer then chapter eleven and it basically sums up the  key points or concepts expressed throughout the book.

Module 6 Post

Teacher leaders can play a major role in engaging school community resources.  They can lead by example and encourage their fellow teachers to do the same.  They can also encourage community involvement.  There are so many ways in which teacher leaders can become involved in their schools and successfully use the resources that are available within their school and community.  Whether it's establishing a school's website and getting news and information to the community or integrating a new technology resource.  The important part is that they take an active role in leading within their school and encouraging others to do the same.

Many of the ideas mentioned in Chapter 11 are very interesting.  I very much like the idea of not using "competitive endeavors" and focusing more on partnerships.  A small bit of competition among peers is healthy, and can encourage success, but working together, and also those outside of the school community, is much more realistic.  This chapter offers many examples of how strategic partnerships can be beneficial to many different parties.  By giving examples, this also gives those who read ideas for potential partnerships they might try to pursue for their classroom and their school.

Chapter 12 wraps up many of the ideas presented throughout the book.  Mostly, though, it talks of technology.  It talks of the importance of technology and technology integration within the school community, but the author also notes that human interaction is important as well.  He is correct, of course.  We do live in a world where everyone is connected through technology, but this risks a lack of interaction among other people.  I do believe that a balance between "old school" methods and technology would be great idea.  It's important not to get too reliant on just one method of instruction, and that includes the use of technology.

Module 6: Connecting With Communities - Tiffany

     The role that teacher leaders can play is a unique one. They have direct insight into the daily lives of their students, inside the classroom and often even outside of it. In terms of connecting with community resources, they have the advantage to work as the liaison between the students, parents, school, and community. Moreover, they'll be the ones who will typically work with, or be directly impacted by, community resources. Teachers can provide their opinions on what works and what doesn't, as well as offer suggestions. 

     Chapter 11 discusses discovering opportunities within the school's community through partnerships. Sheninger stressed that the focus should be fixated on the students but to continually make improvements and advancements through innovative solutions and successful branding. The chapter also briefly discusses the types of partnerships possible such as university partnerships, experiential learning partnerships, intraschool partnerships, corporate and community partnerships, and mental health partnerships. Personally, I found the discussion of mental health partnerships to be the most salient; the recognition that schools have the unique opportunity to provide much more than a basic education and that even providing that can be difficult without a strong, healthy foundation to place it on.   The metaphor comparing schools to gardens is fitting when we so often discuss student, school, community, and professional growth.
     Also in this chapter, Sheninger once again discusses the power of leveraging social media by maintaining that it propagates attention, which produces new opportunities for partnerships, authentic learning experiences, and professional development, as well as recognition for the school and educational technology. Sheninger conveys a simple, yet powerful message in harnessing the power of social media - sharing success generates success. 

     Sheninger concludes his book on leadership in the best possible way, as call to action. We've read examples, examined the possibilities and challenges. Now, what are we going to do? What I appreciated most was that throughout the book, while promoting the power of technology, Sheninger also promotes the importance of face to face interactions. The final chapter serves as a gentle admonition to not only keep that in mind, but to remember that being a leader also means being a model in behavior.

MODULE 6

Teacher Leaders and Community Involvement

                 One of the main actions I believe I can take as a teacher leader to encourage community involvement in the school is through the technology initiative I’m presenting.  A large part of the reasoning behind my initiative is to encourage regular communication between teachers and parents and teachers and the community.  I think one of the keys to a school’s success is an open and honest relationship with the community.  When parents don’t know what’s going on in a school, or how decisions are made, there can be misinformation circulated, gossip, bad press, all of the things that surround something that seems secretive, especially when it involves the children of the community.  As a teacher leader in charge of the school online grading system, website and website training, I’ll have the ability to encourage honest and open communication between teachers and parents as a part of my training.

Discovering Opportunity & A Call to Action

                  The final two chapters of Eric Sheninger’s Digital Leadership go back to the Pillars of Digital Leadership that were discussed in Chapter 4.  As a school works its way through these pillars, there are a multitude of resources and opportunities available to them within the community, and through social media, that will be cost-effective and beneficial not only to the students, but also to the parents, teachers, administrators, and local businesses. By working together to foster a positive and open relationship between all of these stakeholders, the school can become a hub of the community, and a safe, positive place that prepares students for the future they will live in.

                  A key to this development is building relationships with partners in and around the community the school serves.  Schools can partner with local colleges and universities, as well as other schools in the area, to share resources in a way that will move all partners forward without having to invest more money. 

                  Schools can also partner with businesses and organizations in their area to widen the experience of the students, broaden their perspective on historical, present, and future community issues, and engage parents and community members who have a vested interest in the success of the school system.  All of these partnerships can be achieved with little to no cost to the schools.

                  Another beneficial partnership is with physical and mental health providers.  Schools can provide a place for counseling, physicals, treatment for minor health issues, substance abuse education and treatment, and other challenges that children face mentally and physically.  These kinds of partnerships will make these services more visible and attainable for the families the schools serve, which will benefit all parties.

                  Then, of course, there are public media and social media tools, which are free to the schools and will help foster transparency and accountability in the school district, as well as a sense of involvement for the families in the community.

                  Schools need to be leaders in all of these areas.  These are all partnerships and tools that can be developed and used by the school system at little to no cost, yet they will make the educational experience of the students more relevant, beneficial, and valuable in the 21^st century, and they will continually challenge the school to move forward, which will keep the educational system from stagnating.

Jared's Module Six Reflection

1. As you explore the resources, reflect on the role teacher leaders can play in the strategies of engaging school community resources. Post your reflection on our course blog.  

So I have been drawing this triangle for years.  I usually throw it on the board the first day of class to illustrate for my students what I feel makes an effective school.  It’s pretty simple, but I feel that it’s true:  If all corners on the triangle are present and putting forth effort, the school program will do what it’s supposed to do and the student will find success.  I show them this, so they will notice that the whole thing is pointless (pun intended… sorry) without the student.  It’s a flat line.  As long as the student is there and is trying, learning can happen.  Without him, it’s over.  As for the teachers and the parents, they are of secondary importance.  The student can learn without them, but it will be much more difficult.  Unfortunately, plenty of students find no support from parents.  It’s a harsh reality in some of the tougher neighborhoods, and there are all sorts of things that cause this.  Think of the problems that break up a family or make a home difficult to live in (addiction, abuse, extreme poverty).  In homes where these things are a factor, then day to day survival and not education become the main focus of life.  In a community where many students come from homes like this, again, day to day survival and not education are the focus for the entire community.  This is often reflected in drop out rates, test scores, and other stats we use to evaluate schools.  A student can still succeed with no parental support, but it is so much more difficult.  It takes an exceptional student to look beyond his current situation and muster up the desire to learn Algebra or write a paper.

This is where I think teachers have to be leaders.  If you call yourself a teacher, it’s up to you to help re-establish the connections where they have been broken or help create them where they don’t exist.  And if parental involvement is not possible (and unfortunately, for some families, it is not), the teacher is just going to have to work harder find a substitute support for that student.

Many may argue that “teachers are not paid to do this.”  No.  No, they are not.  But if teachers want an effective school program they should try.  Do you know any school that has found success without teachers doing more than they are paid to do?  I don’t.

Too often, bystanders make invidious comparisons between schools.  They point out that one school is succeeding (“making AYP,” etc.) or is failing.  They focus then turns to curriculum, teaching methods, etc.  I often feel that the focus should turn to community.  Consider this: if you switched all of the teachers in the successful school with all the teacher in the failing school, would the numbers flip?  Probably, not.  I think the answer is in the community itself.  This means the teachers at the “failing” school face the giant task of making education desirable, relevant, and important in a community that, for whatever reason, does not or cannot place education as a top priority.  (This is tough, by the way.  It could be as simple as feeding people, or as complicated a facing a drug or alcohol addicted culture, or standing up to political corruption). 

Now upon visiting the Communities in Schools website, I think I was introduced to a few more possibilities.  My triangle had become an intricate circle, containing mentors, tutors, food banks, health services, job shadowing, college visits, and service learning.   It’s a much more developed model.  I truly think, this approach is the best hope for schools where students are having trouble finding support.

2. Reflection on Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times (Chapters 11-12):

Sheninger provided two brief but powerful chapters here at the end of the text.  Chapter 11 is great list of possible supports that teacher leaders can use to help create the community students need to learn.  The idea of leveraging social media to make these things available to the public is something every digital leader should heed.  I also think Sheninger’s call to action in the final chapter was balanced.  There is a wisdom to knowing that we are not just promoters of technology in the classroom, but that we are meant to be examples of it’s effective use.

Mod 6

When I reflect on the role of teacher leaders to engage in school communities, I realize that the community in which I teach, a lot of the people already know each other.  I have had many students where I know their siblings or their parents, and it is only my second year of teaching.  I cannot imagine having been teaching for years after years and having the siblings and the parents in the classrooms.  I feel that family involvement is a 50/50 kind of thing in this area.  50% of the parents are very much involved with their student's life in school and outside of school.  I have had many emails with concerns for homework they may have brought home or just to see how their student is doing.  However, there are a lot of families that are not as involved.  I see many students struggling to stay awake because of something that happened at home, many without a coat or jacket, many who are starving come breakfast or lunch time because they may not have eaten at home.

However, the one thing that I have not had to deal with much is different cultures in my teaching.  I have mainly Caucasian and very few African Americans in my school.  Therefore, we do not have to differentiate a lot of our teaching because most of the students were brought up in the same culture.  When it comes to poverty level - that is when it is a different story.

Chapters 11 and 12 were shorter chapters; therefore, I feel like they were more to the point.  Chapter 11 reminded me of the opportunity I had to take the coaching position at my school.  I decided to step up and take a leadership position because I knew that I needed to step up my game considering I am a newer employee.  Chapter 12 basically wrapped up the whole book in a nutshell.  I really enjoyed the book as a whole.

Sophie- Mod 5

Chapter 9 Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning

“Digital Leadership is a mindset and a call to transform a school’s culture into one that unleashes the creativity of students so they can create artifacts of learning that demonstrates conceptual mastery”. Do you agree that schools should reflect real life?

Just in my and my husband’s life/work, if we don’t know something, we try to figure it out on our own, and then we either look it up or ask someone with more experience than we do for help. Either way, we will eventually talk to a peer about it to get a better understanding because our peers usually have more experience than we do and they may have a few tricks or shortcuts that would help us out.

Students don’t get to do that in the average classroom. I say average, because I have seen some classrooms (mine included) where they do. It is important for students to be able to ask one another about their thinking and answer questions. Most of the time, the student “next door” can explain it better than the teacher can (if they understand it). I have found that sometimes I don’t have the right words to explain it to some students; that is why I try to pull their peers into the conversation as much as possible, they might have the words that I don’t. It is also important to nurture that curiosity and questioning. If it is stifled, then we will never have that next great gadget or cure.

The real world requires you to figure things out on your own. School should be teaching the kids how to do this, giving then the skills to be successful at whatever they do. Memorizing facts isn’t the most important thing anymore; knowing where to go to get the answer and how to find it is. Our schools now-a –days are stuck in the old traditions of producing a kid off of a conveyer belt. At each stop (grade level) information is shoved into their heads and then they are moved on. This kind of instruction doesn’t allow students to think critically or problem solve.

Schools should be more like the real world because we are supposed to be preparing them for the real world, no, for the world that hasn’t happened yet. We should be preparing them for the jobs that haven’t been invented yet and for the technology they will invent. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked “And when am I going to use this when I grow up?” This question frustrates me, but I do my best to give multiple examples each and every single time. They tend to ask this question less when they are learning it with technology or with real world situations.

Students are more interested when they know this is something useful to learn. They pay more attention and are more involved in the learning process if they realize that learning this concept will make their life easier down the road. When they don’t get to explore those aspects of school (math is the worst) then they won’t really understand how it works, they won’t try because they won’t see the importance, and they will just memorize what they need to know for the test (if we are lucky).

Right now, what I see in my school, we are not preparing them for the future. We are teaching them that they shouldn’t try to figure things out for themselves, that they should just shut-up and do it the way the teacher tells you to do it, and the reason why it works is because the teacher said so. I am embarrassed to say that I work at a school that teaches this way.

Chapter 10 Rethinking Learning Environments and Spaces

Summarize the story of Clark Hall and reflect on your workplace or learning environment.  What are you thinking now after reading about Clark Hall? 

Summary: First they established a better/common vision: to build/launch the Clark Hall project. Then they needed to address the wireless Internet network problem. They “went from a two0lane highway to a two-thousand-lane highway” when they finally got the upgrade they needed. Then they started training the would-be staff. They went to a three day conference call Kip Camp at Ohio State University. It was like a social media/Web 2.0 boot camp for those in attendance. They also read Ian Juke’s book to learn about time management, collaboration, technology integration, and content delivery. They even had Ian Juke come to the district and give a presentation. Finally, they sent some teachers to a PBL conference and had them teach the rest what they learned.

Next, they had to build the building, but it wasn’t a normal school, it was a piece of art that allowed students to work together, learn, be taught, and collaborate with teachers and peers in multiple locations in comfortable furniture placed in warm and welcoming rooms. The students have reported to feel comfortable in the building. They feel like they are in college with the freedom and the responsibility that they have every day. The building’s environment spread to the other high school’s library.

They built in space in the first floor to lease out. The revenue from these spaces helped pay the mortgage off faster. They even had the YMCA give money to build a workout room that could be used by YMCA members in the evening and students during the day. Architecture students had the opportunity to help plan, design, and see the building process.

The school that I work at now does not do cross-curricular projects nor do they let the students collaborate much. The walls are bare unless the teacher decorates them, and the furniture provided by the district is uncomfortable, even for the teachers.

Grant Proposal

Toshiba Grants for Grades 6-12

http://www.grantsalert.com/grants/Foundations/1540/Toshiba-Grants-For-Grades-6---12

This grant is provided for a science or math teacher (or a group of teachers) that wants to do project based learning where they tape into the students' natural curiosity. It can be cross curricular or not (I think). I think I'm going to try and go with the STEM movement direction with this grant. I have connections at FSU and the NASA ERC that will make this go smoother for me, I think anyway. 

I was going to try and have the TI Initiative and the Grant Proposal go toward the same thing, but I don't think I can with this grant. They don't want an application to just be for tech, they want to help out with the other stuff to help make the PBL successful. They want innovative teachers.

The school that I am going to work at next year is trying to do more cross-curricular activities within the math and science departments. They are trying to do more STEM projects and I think that this grant would be a great asset for this cause.

The Power of Teacher Led Professional Development

The Power of Teacher Led Professional Development

Module 5 Discussion

Grant Proposal
After searching through many sites for grant ideas, I finally settled on Computers For Learning to focus my technology grant.  The school I am using for my TI Initiative, as well as the Grant Proposal, is sorely lacking in technology resources.  Unlike most of the schools in my area, this one does not even have SMARTboards in their classrooms.  There is one computer lab for the entire school (and no laptop lab at all), and most of the equipment is outdated.  Each individual classroom is also severely lacking in technology.  It is almost impossible to find working speakers or projectors for the class, and most teachers use their personal laptops to teach.  If the printer in the computer lab ceases to work, as it does frequently, then all production is halted.  I could not find an active grant for SMARTboards, however, I feel that adding computers to this school would be an excellent first step, and make the integration of technology much more smooth.

Chapter 9
I agree completely that schools should reflect real life.  Everything I have ever learned about teaching has said that students need to learn in the concept of the real world, that they need to be able to take what is taught and make it concrete based on what they know.  If students are not taught in relation to the real world, then it's difficult to make the information concrete.  Students also need to be able to function in the real world, and they prefer learning that relates to that.  They are increasingly more excited about being able to apply what they've learned, and become more engaged if they're able to do so.  At some point, students will leave school and take their knowledge with them, so it only makes sense to teach them in a way that reflects real life and prepares them for that moment.

Chapter 10
Clark Hall sounds like a wonderful learning environment.  The description giving of it, a building full of lounges and soft seating, sounds amazing, and I can imagine that it is an encouraging place for students to work.  The problems they faced in the beginning, with slow networks, banned sites, and slow laptops is something I've seen in many schools.  Networking problems make it very difficult to get anything accomplished when working with technology, and I believe it is a major contributor to the lack of technology integration often seen in schools.  What I like most about the learning environment established in Clark Hall, though, is that it seems to contribute to all forms of learning styles.  There is small group work being done, one-on-one instruction, and individual work.  This sort of freedom in instruction gives teachers more opportunities with their students, and helps to reach them better.

Mission Statements: More than Words

I absolutely agree that schools should be more reflective of and relevant to real life. In my observations, it seems that students are easier to engage when the content or context of a lesson connects to real life for them in some way. I’ve often pondered the enormous gaps between knowledge and application required for some of the jobs I’ve had, which ranged from catering to retail management before teaching, and the experiences we offer to kids in the K-12 system. In the real world, my jobs required collaborating, spontaneity, and synthesis to meet goals set by the companies I worked for. Sometimes, creative problem solving and experimentation came into play. These are things that don’t happen enough in a typical student’s environment. One article which changed how I think about learning was http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/10/24/teacher-spends-two-days-as-a-student-and-is-shocked-at-what-she-learned/. If our mission is to enable individual students to reach their full potential, the old ways aren’t going to do it.  After reading the article, I’ve been working harder to include more kinesthetic and collaborative activities into my instruction. I don’t want to be a top-down teacher. I want to be a facilitator. Currently my students are collaborating online to develop discussions based on the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy in relation the novel we are studying, and they are also creating interactive game-based vocabulary quizzes that we play together as a class. Sometimes, they write their group results on the dry erase boards all over the classroom if we don’t have tech access. They love moving around and working with different colors, and seeing each other’s ideas.

Reading about Clark Hall was like reading a dream or fairy tale. Stakeholders worked together to make meaningful community connections and overcome obstacles, so that a learning space designed to meet the needs of modern students could be built without burdening taxpayers. They decided to actually do what was needed to achieve the mission of the school. Everything about Clark Hall intrigues me. I love the idea of excellent wi-fi and flexible spaces with comfortable furniture to promote engagement. It’s hard to learn when the chair you are in hurts your backside, and physical comfort is overlooked in most public schools. I showed one of my classes some new types of furniture, such as the Node classroom, and they were in awe. Currently many of our classrooms are equipped with desks that are probably 20-30 years old, and are too small for most of our students. They also are not designed for laptop use, as they tip very easily. Although we do have class sets of laptops on the way, we are currently sharing a 24 unit mobile cart among 6 teachers who serve 100 students. There is also a stationary lab in the next wing over, but it is often being used by the upper grades. If our classroom laptops aren't ready to go before the end of the year, we will be blocked out of using tech for nearly a month due to testing.

As for my Grant Proposal, I’d like to tie it into my desire to incorporate Interactive Learning using a wireless short throw LCD projection system such as the Epson 595Wi. Currently we have 3 teachers trying to share one old Viewsonic projector, as ours have died, and we’d love to have a means for students to interact with information and visuals. Students would be able to work collaboratively and even use the technology to present artifacts of learning that they themselves created for others to interact with. It has been suggested by several people that I go with Donors Choose. The few teachers I know who have went with them did have their needs met in a timely fashion, and they recommended it without hesitation. I’m also considering grants from local corporate sources, such as Halliburton or WalMart. An upcoming meeting on implementation of our new laptops will give me the opportunity to speak with district and school level stakeholders, and tomorrow is Parent night, so I can talk to families then. And of course, I am always asking the students how we can serve them better. It’s a hectic time of year with testing around the bend, but it’s important to lay the groundwork so we can keep moving forward.

svonog - http://flickr.com/photos/svonog/432774995/

Module 5: Developing Resources and Grants (Tiffany)

Grant Resources

     We have a few approaches to scholarship at the Folklife Center, one of which are our archives, much of which is in the form of documents, rather than objects. We have different collections that represent different facets of folklore. We consider ourselves stewards of the collections, rather than owners. As such, anyone wishing to access any collection has the freedom to do so. However, the current state of our holdings makes this difficult. They are organized and stored appropriately, yet anyone without intimate knowledge of what is there, would be at a loss on what we have and how to go about getting it. 

     What I would like to see is a digitized and searchable database accessible to the public. We currently have a digital cataloging system, Past Perfect, that is really only meant to be part of our own recording system. An additional searchable database would provide access to anyone interested or in need of particular documents for research, without having to come to the center and hope that someone knowledgeable is there that day. I also think it's part of the first step in further integrating technology. One day I'd like to extend our published curriculum guide from textbook to online and interactive for K-12 students and teachers.

     Some institutions have their own databases, which is an option. There are also larger databases which organizations can become a part of as well. The National Endowment for the Humanities has several grant options that would be applicable for this undertaking. Mainly funding would be needed to fund training and for individuals physically doing the work in digitizing the holdings, although depending on technological requirements, some funding may be necessary for upgrades. 

Here are three grants that I found rather quickly, using the NEH Grant matching tool: 

Humanities Collections and Reference Resources 

Preservation and Access Education and Training 

Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections 

Chapter 9 Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning

     Should schools reflect real life? Absolutely. The school environment isn't, nor should it be, an isolated environment. A student's life shouldn't be compartmentalized into separate spheres, but ought to resemble a Venn diagram.With 21st century technology, this connectivity is even more apparent. I always herald back to the adage that learning, real learning that is, must be not only interesting but relevant. How can that be possible without it reflecting the rest of the world? Especially in creating lifelong learning and responsible citizenship.
     The use of the phrase, real life, is intriguing as it denotes that the school environment isn't real. Students are apart of the so called real world, so why not give them the opportunities to take part in it within the perimeters of the classroom.

     I found these quotes particularly salient (italics are use to emphasis what I found most notable):

". . .it is about providing learners with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to succeed in college, careers, and jobs that have not even been created yet" (p. 134). "This is accomplished by allowing students to use real-world tools to apply what they have learned and construct new knowledge" (p. 135).

     Life isn't stagnant, neither should our educational experiences. The future is largely unknown and ever changing. It makes sense for students to have a strong basis to be able adapt with whatever happens.  

Twitter

     As an aside but relevant, I wanted to provide a anecdote in reference to Twitter in this chapter and student usage. Without getting into too much detail while providing some background information, FSU (specifically in junction with the Folklife Center) is part of the Consortium of Appalachian Centers and participates yearly in the Appalachian Teaching Project which is a yearly product-based learning initiative which focuses on sustainability in the Appalachian region. I've participated twice, once as a student and this past year, as a mentor to this year's students. The project cumulates in a presentation in Washington, DC that is presented to other universities, as well as some Appalachian Regional Commission representatives, and members of the Appalachian Studies Association. 

     This year, it was decided that someone would live tweet the two day event and encouraged everyone to follow along. Which is what happened, with what appeared to be good results. However, it wasn't without backlash. At the subsequent meeting that occurred a couple weekends ago, many voiced disapproval that students were on their phones during the presentations, doing what they had been invited to do. It brings about a dialogue about creating more student involvement, while maintaining respect for the students presenting.  

     I've thought about it, contemplated if it was a generational divide. Generationally, I lay in between the two; I'm older than most of the students yet younger than most of the professors. I was taught to give whoever had the stage my undivided attention, yet I understand the urge to get people involved and interested.

Chapter 10 Rethinking Learning Environments and Spaces

     Clark Hall was an idea conceived from a common dilemma, over crowding of one high school. The simple solution would have been to build a second high school, an option that the community was against. By thinking outside the box, the concept of a building a learning environment to supplement the high school was created. What I loved is that it appears that once they started thinking beyond the norm, they kept reaching further and further beyond the typical four beige walls and rows of desks. I was surprised to read that they leased not only part of the building, but partials of land to businesses; as well as creating mutually beneficial community partnerships such as the one with the YMCA. Yet it appears to work, and work well. It also somewhat begins chopping away at that isolated mentality that the school experience as one that isn't "real world."

     I think that turning to the corporate world can be beneficial to schools. Not only through partnerships, but using them as examples. Corporations have spent billions researching and implementing what works and what doesn't in terms of training and productivity. It makes sense to tap into the corporate world as a resource besides partnerships and funding.

Teachers as Leaders Article

I wanted to share an article from NPR about one teacher's experience that goes well with what we've been discussing in regards to teachers and leaders. 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2015/03/27/395113707/stretching-one-great-teacher-across-many-classrooms

Module 5

MODULE 5

Technology Grant Ideas

         I’ve looked into a couple of grant ideas for technology.  “Computers for Learning” was one that I got started with, but my principal informed me my school doesn’t qualify for government donations of technology equipment.  (Not sure why, but I took her work for it.) Another one I looked at required some tax and financial information that I was not allowed access to. Therefore, my idea for a grant will be to use the website Donorschoose.com.  I’ve created an account, and will be asking for a Macbook laptop, Apple TV, and the necessary cables to update our very ancient presentation station in our distance-learning lab.  The desktop now in the lab is in the far corner of the stage area, and is set up on a moveable table that can’t be moved because of the computer cables.  It’s also at least 10 years old.  Much of our teacher training/professional development takes place in this lab, and often we can’t see the presenters because they are in the corner of the stage, or the technology isn’t adequate for what they would like to teach us.  The reason I’m asking for this equipment is to complement my technology initiative, which will be to provide professional development to the teachers of my school, showing them how to update and use their websites as a tool for student, parent, and community communication and instructional support.

School Should Reflect Real Life

         One of the statements in this chapter that stood out to me was “…many schools still treat education as an effort to prepare students for a world that no longer exists.”  It sums up a lot of how I feel about what’s happening in schools today with regard to technology use, or the lack thereof.  I think that if we would embrace the use of technology in the classroom, not only would we more accurately reflect the world the students live in, but we would also provide an environment where students can learn appropriate use of technology tools.

         The thing schools fear, when if comes to use of technology, is the vast freedom it offers students and what the immature mind will do with that freedom.  Some students will choose wrongly and cause pain and problems for themselves and others, but that’s not a reason to forbid the use of technology. Students walk out of the school building with assignments and projects that they then try to complete using their own technology tools, but with no guidance. They have to navigate the use of technology on their own. Quite a few parents don’t know what they’re students are doing, or don’t care.

         What schools can do is provide a place where students understand the boundaries and limits, and, when they cross them, deal with them in a way that guides, teaches, and changes their behavior. If we allowed them to use the technology on a regular basis, such as in a BYOD classroom, they would be in a place where they were being guided, directed, and protected in their freedom of use. They would learn the appropriate ways to use their phones and tablets to find resources and complete assignments or projects. “…we must move away from an industrial model of instruction and let go of control in order to meet the diverse needs of today’s learners.”

Clark Hall

           The story of Clark Hall was particularly interesting to me because I’m from Ohio, grew up in and taught in central Ohio, and I’m very familiar with the Gahanna Jefferson Schools, so the story seemed even that more compelling to me.  Clark Hall was developed by the school district because they needed more room.  The high school was too overcrowded, but they didn’t have the resources to build a whole new school, so they decided to add to the current campus.  The building they added was similar to an office building, and was even partially leased out to local businesses as a means of revenue.  They partnered with community organizations for some of their resources, and created an environment that is very much like a modern university or business.  The students and teachers use of technology is regular and pervasive, and teachers are encouraged not just to use technology in the classroom, but also to have the students study, learn, and create using the technology.  Reading about the school made me wish I could work in an environment like that!  It resembles the learning environment my daughter is now in at college, with the open spaces, study areas, wireless access across campus, and technology devices for everyone. 

           My current workplace only resembles Clark Hall, in a small way, in our school library.  It’s bright and open, with soft chairs, couches, rugs, and beanbags for students to sit on.  There are thirty computers set up around the room and in a small lab area in the back.  It is not really a dedicated library space, however.  There are two classes taught in there daily, as well as other teachers who bring their classes down to work on projects. But, only one class fits comfortably in the library at a time.  With about 140 sections of core classes taught in our building each day, the access to the library is very limited.  The rest of the building feels like a hospital to me.  They took all of the carpet out two years ago, and installed white tile in the whole building.  Most of the classroom walls are white, with a few being light blue.  Three years ago, one of the special education teachers painted her classroom bright orange and lime green and got into a great deal of trouble.  I could only hope for an environment like Clark Hall.  There would have to be a serious change of heart from higher up for us to have an overhaul like that.