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digital learning trends
CTO/CIOEducational TrendsLeadership

Digital Learning Trends

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

The Speak Up 2016 survey results are starting to come in, and they’re showing some interesting trends in digital learning. Below are the seven concepts that are bubbling up to the top right now.

Trend #1

No surprise here. Superintendents are reporting that funding, bridging the achievement gap, and staff morale are their top concerns. These are the same concerns that have topped their list for the past six years. However, the level of concern on these topics has increased this year.

With the attacks from the media recently on the teaching profession, it’s certainly understandable why staff morale is low. And with reduced funding at both the state and national levels, there is even more reason for teachers to be unhappy right now. The achievement gap, despite the best efforts of our educators, seems to be growing as the digital divide across our country grows.

Trend #2

There is some good news, however. Campus leaders are reporting that data-informed instruction, social media communications, and online assessments are making a difference with today’s students. Other technology enhancements that seem to have a positive ROI include videos, simulations and animations within instruction; cloud-based applications and tools; student access to mobile devices in school; and online professional development for teachers. These might be good trends to investigate for your district this next school year. (If you need help planning for and implementing any of these, TCEA can help. Just email Dr. Bruce Ellis to get started.)

Trend #3

Online videos and online games top the list of digital content being used in the classroom now, with online curriculum and online textbooks following closely behind. The key takeaway from this result is that school districts (and their technology staff) must be planning for and providing greater bandwidth and more WiFi access as the need for online learning continues to grow. This is a trend that will only continue to grow over time.

Trend #4

Student use of devices shows some interesting changes. 58 percent of high school students and 25 percent of middle school students are now bringing their own devices to school for classwork. But how they choose to use those devices on their own is different from how their teachers are directing them to use them. When teachers direct, students use them to:

  • Do Internet research (81%)
  • Play educational games (60%)
  • Take online tests (50%)
  • Read online articles (37%)
  • Use online textbooks (32%)
  • Watch teacher-created videos (29%)

But when self-directed, those same devices are used by the students to:

  • Check grades (74%)
  • Look up class information (54%)
  • Email teachers (41%)
  • Receive reminders (39%)
  • Take notes (39%)
  • Take photos of assignments (29%)

This seems to indicate that the learners are using the technology for more productivity uses on their own, which may mean that they have internalized and adopted them more completely than their teachers. This would be a good discussion topic for future educator inservices.

Trend #5

This is a continuation of the previous trend, which shows that the four main groups surveyed (teachers, administrators, parents, and students) all remain on different pages when technology use for learning is discussed. According to the report, “Few teachers say they regularly assign Internet-dependent homework, more principals think Internet-dependent homework is being assigned, but students say they regularly use the Internet to help with homework.”

Trend #6

The report shows that social media is playing a larger role in learning for all surveyed.

  • In 2011, 50 percent of students in grades 6-12 said they could not access social media tools at school. In 2016, only 38 percent of students had the same complaint.
  • Nearly half (45 percent) of teachers said that they pinned a lesson on Pinterest in the past year and 19 percent use Twitter to follow education experts or fellow educators.
  • Eight of ten school principals say they are using social media to communicate with parents and students – 61 percent said it has a positive impact.

There continues to be a divide between social media used by students (Instagram and Snapchat) and that used by adults (Facebook). But 44 percent of students do say that social media is a must-have for their learning.

Trend #7

Parents more than ever prefer receiving a personal email from their child’s school. Face-to-face meetings and text messages were a distant second, as you can see from the chart below.

digital learning tools

From a report by Project Tomorrow

The results of this extensive survey with its longitudinal data should be shared and discussed at district leadership meetings and professional development sessions in every district. What are your students telling you?

 

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working too much
Leadership

One Simple Trick If You’re Working Too Much

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

It seems to be a constant struggle to keep my working hours within a reasonable limit. If I’m not careful, I can easily put in extra hours every week trying to manage small projects, catch up on my to-do list, and plan for the next week. For some people, working longer hours can be seen as a badge of honor. Whether that mindset fits you or not, research says that putting in more hours doesn’t necessarily translate into being more productive. So I’d like to share the one trick I’ve learned to help limit the overtime I put in.

What’s the Trick?

working too muchIt’s actually pretty simple. Schedule something after work hours that requires you to leave at your scheduled time. It’s funny that anytime my kids have an activity that I have to be at after work or I have an appointment with someone right after the end of the day, I manage to be more productive. Knowing that I cannot stay late or have “extra time” to get things done forces me to push through distractions and be more focused on the tasks I have in front of me. Even if you don’t have a legitimate appointment to put on your calendar, still “schedule” something so that when you look at it, you are reinforcing the expectation that you cannot stay late. This could be something as simple as watching Wheel of Fortune that comes on an hour after the time you should be leaving work. You could also schedule time to get caught up on some enjoyable reading, a date night with your spouse, or taking a walk around the neighborhood to get some exercise in.

Or Try the Pomodoro Technique

pomodoro imageIf you find you need a little bit more structure so that you can end your day without staying late, consider using the Pomodoro technique. There are free Pomodoro timers for Chrome, iOS, and Android that you can download. Worst case scenario, you can put the tasks you need to do on your calendar so that throughout the day you have structure of what you are to work on. If you do this, though, don’t leave out a little time here or there to reward yourself for staying focused and working through as planned.

If you have tried this trick, let us know how it works for you in the comments below. Also, we’d love to hear your tricks or tips that help you reign in your work schedule to a reasonable amount.

 

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clock and wall sign displaying "MakerSpace"
LeadershipLibrariesRoboticsSTEM/STEAM

Pursuing the Makerspace Will-o’-the-Wisp

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“One of the challenges for ed tech folks to bring about change is knowing how to do it,” I said to Steve Dembo (@teach42) when he visited Austin, Tx for the TCEA TEC-SIG spring meeting. It was a conclusion I had come to after many years as an ed tech advocate. For those seeking to pursue the school makerspace will-o’-the-wisp eldritch light, overcoming this challenge is critical. This blog entry discusses this question in the context of school makerspaces.

A Question of Trust

True leaders know how to build relationships that engender trust, trust that eases the bumps and bruises of walking forward in the unknown dark. Most educational technology folks focus on the benefits of the technology as their main selling point, yet this can be insufficient. Adopting a maker attitude and building makerspaces in schools and libraries seems obvious. Yet the challenge isn’t the technology. It’s the human relationships that support any change effort. Without trust in the technologist, no technology can succeed.

Tip #1 – Build Relationships

“You have to meet with people before the big decision is made,” said one colleague years ago. “You need to introduce the ideas and information so that people have time to think about it, one on one.” This tip for relationship building is to start having conversations that genuinely show concern for the needs of others. As trust builds and as you get a sense for how others think (and feel), you can start introducing some of the core ideas of the maker movement.

Makers may be defined “as people who design and make things because they find it intrinsically rewarding to make, tinker, problem-solve, discover, and share what they have learned” (Kalil, 2013). Your school and district leaders, librarians, and teachers must understand this isn’t about the technology, but is rather about cultivating a maker attitude in themselves and students.

Tip #2 – Avoid Oversimplifying What a Makerspace Is

With that definition in mind, it may still be possible to focus on the tools and technology. That is, on Raspberry Pi vs Arduino, 3D printing vs bead-making, drones vs cardboard creations. Or it may be all of the above. As Lee Martin points out in The Promise of the Maker Movement for Education, if the focus is on the technologies and tools, then you’re missing the point. Martin goes on to point out:

…the history of the adoption of computers in schools suggests a lurking danger: a seductive, but fatally flawed conceptualization of the Maker Movement that assumes its power lies primarily in its revolutionary tool set, that these tools hold the power to catalyze transformations in education.

Tip #3 – Establish a Budget

Once you have built trust with district and/or campus leaders and gathered the as yet untrained support of librarians, you will need to establish a budget. When setting up a makerspace budget, consider what kind of space your stakeholders will find easiest to begin with and that has minimal budget impact. It’s much better to have a low-budget success than a high-cost failure stalled by expensive technology. For example, when rolling out Raspberry Pi for a summer camp, I failed to take into account the time required to setup the devices and all the necessary extras (e.g. WiFi USB dongle, cables, and stuff) needed for a student do-able activity. Worse, the cost of all the additional items killed the initiative its first year because supplies were not available from our usual vendors.

If you lack purchasing authority, you may need to pursue crowd-sourced funding options such as Kickstarter and DonorsChoose. View some suggestions and tips online.

Tip #4 – Approve the Right Vendors

Even with a budget in place, you may find yourself at a temporary impasse as your standard vendors may not have what your makerspace needs. You may need to contact sole source vendors to obtain necessary sole source letters and W9 forms to be able to do business with them. You may also want to find a convenient reseller. The reseller is someone you do have an open purchase order with that can order what you need from vendors not on your district approved list. This can be a real time-saver.

Tip #5 – Create Your Own Buzz

Aside from staying in constant contact with stakeholders who have supported you, you will also want to amplify the voices of teachers and students who have become makers. Several ways to accomplish that include:

  • Conduct a weekly podcast featuring pictures/videos of student creations, no matter how cheesy they may seem at first blush. Part of your work is documenting the growth of makers in your community, so tweet, Instagram, and Facebook pictures and videos. You can schedule tweets in advance to ensure their maker attitude is on display seven days a week. Find out how here.
  • Create tiered levels of experience that align to the skill level and age level of young makers. This can ensure your makers are always learning and growing towards something.
  • Build up your stock of resources and setup supply lines within your academic community. This way, you will have a ready supply of cardboard and other raw materials for less techcentric activities. This will also lower your overall cost.
  • Develop a community of mentors for both staff and students. Actively encourage mentoring and differentiate between levels of experience. You want to build depth of the community, and you can accomplish that by implementing badging for various aspects.
  • Invite leaders to give making a try, and include students with parents. Spend time sharing the importance of cultivating a maker attitude up front, and align everything you say and do to that.

Final Thoughts

Remember that just as you are building a maker community in your space, you need to be an active participant in other maker communities. As your learners are nurtured, so must you be committed to receiving and learning with others. Some people to start following and connecting with include:

 

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3 people snapping a picture of a pizza
Leadership

Engaging Millennial Educators

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

A school district executive director approached me and asked, “Do you have any suggestions for engaging millennials in the workplace?” The problem involves getting the younger generation (teachers) to work well with the older generation of baby boomers (principals). In this blog entry, we’ll explore how baby boomers in schools can better connect with the younger educators they supervise. That’s important because 50 percent of the 2020 global workforce will be composed of millennials.

engaging

Here are a few steps to follow to deepen understanding and engagement between these two different generational groups.

Step 1: Problem Engagement

Here’s a scenario that can help introduce you or the principals you mentor to the challenge of working with millennial educators on staff:

The campus principal you mentor, Martin, shared that he’s having a problem with two of his newer team members, Jen and Dave. They want to start various new Kickstarter campaigns to address the lack of funding, always seem to be asking for feedback on their work, and want to use social media tools to celebrate what’s happening in their classrooms. Not that any of this is necessarily bad, but other teachers are starting to be annoyed at their insistence. Jen and Dave keep wanting to do things their own way.

Gather several principals in a group to discuss this scenario. Ask them to identify strategies they would use to improve how this youngest generation of staff members can share a productive and happy work environment with older generations.

Step 2: Share Five Tips for Engaging Millennials in the Workplace

Let’s explore five needs millennials have and share some tips that may help with engaging them.

  1. Provide opportunities:
    • Need: Millennials prefer to work remotely when possible.
    • Tip: Create an office environment that allows staff to team and work across teams. Also, relax rules about off-campus meetings.
  2. Build digital spaces for your team.
    • Need: Millennials need to be able to connect with their team members.
    • Tip: Consider adopting a social media platform like Slack or Voxer to facilitate on-the-go connections. Encourage the use of Facebook or Instagram for building a school image. Be sure to remind all staff of responsible use agreements.
  3. Meet often.
    • Need: Millennials seek feedback and recognition on a regular basis. They also pursue continuous learning opportunities.
    • Tip: Set regular, brief meetings, and mentor your team members so they can engage in continuous learning.
  4. Develop your staff.
    • Need: Millennials seek career advancement.
    • Tip: Make connections between professional learning/development and the real life work the millennials are doing.
  5. Be open to social change.
    • Need: Millennials seek to make a social impact. “Millennials don’t just want to read the news anymore. They want to know what they can do about it,” says Ian Somerhalder (actor and entrepreneur).
    • Tip: Present problems and invite millennials to identify solutions that will address those problems (e.g. food drives, organizing school donation programs). Use technology to organize solutions and foster collaboration.

Step 3: Start a Book Study

Start a book study for principals focusing on engaging this generation in the workplace. Here are three powerful titles to get you started:

After sharing tips, invite principals to rethink their approach to the scenario posed. What would they do now that they are better informed?

Final Thought

Develop a culture of trust, collaboration, and innovation on your campus. The culture should maximize professional learning opportunities and model teaching and teamwork for all generations, not just millennials. Don’t be afraid to connect and grow with your team.

Want to learn more about how baby boomers and millennials can work better together? Attend the Productivity Tools for Administrators workshop on Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Austin. The one-day learning experience is guaranteed to provide you a wealth of hands-on activities to ensure you walk away with the tips and techniques you need to do more in less time. Register here.

 

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Slack
LeadershipOnline Tools and Apps

Slack for Better Communication

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Have you heard of Slack for fast, anytime/anywhere team communications? It may be the email substitute you have always wanted.  Let’s take a look at what it can offer you and your staff.

What Is Slack?

Slack is a free, real-time messaging, archiving/search tool in use by 5.8 million weekly active users.  It uses channels to organize conversations, which are then threaded together. You can create any channels you might need, which means you could have one for each grade level or department, one for planning social events, one for the technology department, etc. If a channel is no longer needed, you can leave it or delete it. Because the channels are threaded, anyone who joins a channel after the conversation has already begun can still read what  has been happening. And you can add documents, video, audio, graphics, and URLs to any Slack message, which makes it perfect for sharing information quickly.

In addition, Slack can be used to instantly message individuals as well as groups. And there is a free app available so that you can check for communications from any device. With a little practice, Slack can quickly take the place of a host of other apps and programs for communications, calendars, and reminders, enabling everyone to be more productive and save time. The TCEA staff have used Slack for the past year, and really love it!slack

Here are some self-reported improvements from Slack users:

  • 32 percent boost in productivity
  • 50 percent fewer emails
  • Informal idea sharing nurtures creativity

Let’s explore some tips for using this tool. Find out more via their Help Center.

Slack for Better Communication

Tips to keep in mind:

Tip #1: Establish clear guidelines for Slack communications.
While Slack may feel like the casual instant messaging you do with Facebook Messenger, staff need to remember it is work-related and that workplace policies apply. It might be helpful to remind them of this periodically. In addition, you may want to add a channel just for the sharing of fun things (such as a local restaurant having a special or a cute kitten video). Staff members can opt in or out of this channel as they wish.
Tip #2: Take advantage of hashtags, stars, and app add-ons.
Add-ins like BusyBot can be added to Slack to create to-do lists and engage in task management. You can also add reaction emojis to heighten interaction without the need for tapping in a message, which can be a real time-saver.
Tip #3: Create channels to house topic-specific conversations.
You can use channels for open conversations focused around a specific topic. Channels are searchable and archived, unlike direct messages to other team members.
Tip #4: Format Slack communications with simple keyboard hacks.
Want to *bold* or _italicize_ a word in Slack chat? Place asterisks to bold and underscores to italicize. Quote content by placing a less than symbol (<) in front of it.
Tip #5: Set reminders in Slack.
Type /remind me [at/in] [some time] to [do something]. For example, /remind me 04/12/2017 10:36AM to take a break results in this message from slackbot [10:35 AM] Only visible to you
:thumbsup: I will remind you to “take a break” at 10:36AM today. Cancel · View existing reminders

There are many other great tips available online.

Slack Add-ins

You can extend the program’s functionality with various app integrations. Some ways to facilitate better communications include:

  • slack

    Slack Video Conference with Appear.in Room

    Blend a variety of video conferencing  options. Stay in touch with video with one of these add-ins:

    • Appear.in: Provides for eight call participants, and you can use the /appear slash command to start a video conference in your channel, making it easy for others to join the call.
    • Google Hangouts: Start a Hangout with /hangout in any channel to get a link to share with others.  A Slack control panel will appear and you can invite other Slack team members to the video conference.
    • VideoLink2.Me: This offers audio/video conferences with file and screen sharing directly in your web browser. It supports six or more people, depending on the users’ internet bandwidth and connection speed. Use the /videolink slash command to create a conference room and share its link to your channel.
  • Drop files from cloud storage providers into the Slack chat. Here are a few that Slack supports:
    • Google Drive: Install this integration to create Google Docs and import any type of file from Google Drive without leaving your conversations in Slack.
    • Dropbox: This integration will import Dropbox files into Slack so you can share your work, get feedback, and collaborate with your team.
    • Box: This integration will import Box files into Slack. Imported files are searchable and shareable in Slack, but will continue to be stored in your Box account. Imported files will be automatically updated when the corresponding Box file is updated.

Learn More

Want to learn more about how Slack can simplify your work flow and assist your team in becoming more productive? Be sure to attend the Productivity Tools for Administrators workshop on Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Austin. Register here.

 

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showcase
AndroidiOS Tips and TricksLeadershipProfessional Learning

Showcase Your School’s Success

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Tell It! Tag It! Share It!” exhorted the #TxEdTuesday Twitter chat organizers. The goal? To capture and share what great things are happening in Texas K-12 public schools. Share it with whom? Legislators at the Texas Capitol Building in Austin, Texas, of course! Your motivation, however, may be a little more simple. Your desire may be simply to celebrate the awesome teaching and learning happening in your classroom, your school, and/or your district. In this blog entry, let’s explore three ways to achieve the mission of #TxEdTuesday with free tools you have on your mobile phone.

Note: This is another in an ongoing series on productivity tools for leaders and do-ers. Check back often to see more!

A Framework for Showcasing Success in Schools

Let’s take a look at the framework suggested by #TxEdTuesday and adapt it for our use in our own school or organization.

TELL IT
See: Tell the great things happening in your schools. Use pictures and videos.
Adapt: Use pictures, video, and audio you capture via interviews, snapshots, and vidcasts with students and teachers.
TAG IT
See: Tag your TX reps and senators. Use #TxEdTuesday
Adapt: Use the school hashtag when tweeting/Facebooking, and share that hashtag on all print publications, including t-shirts and baseball caps. Share the school hashtag at PTA meetings. Help people see the hashtag and understand they don’t need a Twitter account in order to follow it.
SHARE IT
See: Re-tweet and share stories from other great public schools.
Adapt: Encourage all campus staff, news organizations (in tandem with your district public relations team) to re-share tweets with the hashtag. Use Tweetdeck to quickly schedule tweets throughout the day featuring great content!

We can easily adapt this model for use in our schools. Even better, students, parents, and teachers can adapt the model. Let’s explore how.

#1 – Tell It!

Remember show-and-tell in school? I do. I was always a bit nervous about what to share with others in front of the class. The pressure of the audience kept my presentations short and to the point. Brevity in virtual show-and-tell efforts remains a welcome guideline to keep in mind. Here are some tips:

  • Use your mobile phone’s camera app to capture pictures and video clips. You probably use this already for personal stuff; take advantage of the native camera app for school success, too. If you want more sophisticated tools, read this blog entry featuring iOS and Android apps with photo tips.
  • Use Shadow Puppet EDU (iOS) or StoryMaker 2 (Android) to arrange your photos and videos. These apps allows you to add audio narration and background music, if you want. Keep it peppy and upbeat.
  • Set up a free blog like Dr. Tim Tyson did for Mabry Middle School that allows you to create an archive of all the great stories you’re sharing.
  • Create infographics using free, web-based tools featuring your school. Or ask students to create them!

Want to get more sophisticated? Consider one of these digital storytelling apps!

#2 – Tag It!

Go global with your sharing, and your school community will get the message. Aim just for your community, and you will certainly go unheard and unseen. And that would be a shame given the great things students and staff are about. Nothing is so exciting as seeing an international or national retweet of something your students are doing. In addition to inviting others to share using the campus hashtag, here are some quick tips:

      • Keep your hashtag short and to the point. Use Twitter Search to make sure your hashtag hasn’t been used by others.
      • Keep tweets brief: “Check out my students’ writing! #mycampusname” with a picture of student writing.
      • Check out the Participate.com chat hashtags and add one or two that will illustrate points. If your students are engaged in #coding or #STEM, then be sure to add the pound symbol (#) in front of those words.

#3 – Share It!

“I have other things to do every day. I just don’t have time to hunt down and showcase what students and staff are doing!” Be careful you don’t fall into the “I don’t have time!” trap and despair. Seeking and showcasing spectacular student work isn’t just your mission. Every staff member, student, and parent is responsible. Invite them to join you. Model appropriate hashtag usage. Consider these tips:

        • Take pictures throughout the day or week, then arrange them into a slideshow with music (easy to do with ShadowPuppet EDU on iOS). This will be shared as a video.
        • When including videos, post them to your school’s YouTube channel (use YouTube Capture app on iOS to make that easy), a Seesaw class blog, or Shadow Puppet EDU site if possible.
        • Only have time once a week? Take pictures from the previous week, then use Tweetdeck to schedule them in advance, one or two per day. This can eliminate the pressure of always being “on” with social media.

Showcase Your School

In his book, Digital Leadership, Eric Scheninger shares the story of Dr. Spike Cook. Dr. Cook moved from printed newsletters sent home several times a week to a regularly-updated online blog. Blog entries featured images, video, text, and more. These blog entries make it easy to share content and create a digital archive organized in reverse chronological order. You need only update the blog once a week, but capturing and showcasing amazing learning at your school, well, that’s a rewarding venture for leaders and do-ers!

Need help showcasing your school’s work? Ask a TCEA Director of Professional Development to help you get started! Reach out to Dr. Bruce Ellis (@drbruceellis or via email to bellis@tcea.org) or fill out a logistics form.

Find Out More

Want to learn other ways to save time and be more productive at work? Attend the Productivity Tools for Administrators on Thursday, June 15, 2017 in Austin. The one-day learning experience is guaranteed to provide you a wealth of hands-on activities to ensure you walk away with the tips and techniques you need to do more in less time. Register here.

 

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capacity
CTO/CIOLeadership

Three Things to Remember When Building Capacity in Staff

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Whether you are working with a small number of staff that report to you or a larger group that you supervise, building capacity is an important skill. You may need to work on building capacity in a particular staff member due to a changing job environment. Or, building capacity may need to be done because your department is receiving additional work but without the addition of positions to take on the additional work. Here are three things to keep in mind when trying to build capacity in your staff.

Set Them Up for Success

capacityTaking on new skills and the learning curve that goes along with it may be a frightening and/or frustrating task for your staff members. When possible, always try to set them up for success. They may not know how to break the skill down into manageable pieces, for example, so you may need to help model that aloud. Depending on the skill, you may also need to provide additional resources or training to help them become confident and successful. Put yourself in their position and consider what might be helpful in order to stretch…without breaking.

Have a Dialogue

capacityTalk to your staff about the additional tasks and the need to grow and take on new skills. Having an open discussion can alleviate some of the fear that comes from encountering something new, different, or unknown. When possible, ask questions to find out what they think. They may have a completely different understanding based on their past experiences (or lack thereof). Open dialogue should not be constrained to a single staff meeting however; encourage the conversation to continue. Let your staff know that you want to hear their ideas. Though you may have no control over the growth that needs to take place, you do have a great deal of influence on how well they develop capacity to meet that need.

Set Realistic Expectations

capacityWhen talking with a friend about building capacity in his team, he mentioned that he has a few people that can juggle six or seven major things, and he has one person that can only juggle four. No matter how much he wants the four-task-juggler to grow into a five-task-juggler, he realizes that it just isn’t going to happen. And the best thing he can do is recognize it and use it to both his and his staff member’s advantage. In doing so, he needs to set realistic expectations for each individual staff member. Just because you and I find certain tasks easy to juggle doesn’t mean that a another staff member will obtain the skill with ease. If we think back over our experiences, we probably had much more time (and resources) to build capacity in that area. With that in mind, consider how you can adjust expectations, but still arrive at the required destination.

The goal in building capacity in your staff is that you all come to work with the same (if not more) joy than what you had previously. If you will take into account these three tips, you’ll avoid many of the pitfalls that can end the joy and introduce despair.

 

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3 adults sitting at a table with devices
BYODCTO/CIOLeadership

Strategizing Your BYOT Implementation, Part 2

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Note: This is the second in a continuing series, Strategizing Your BYOT Implementation.  Be sure to read other blog entries relevant to BYOD.

“Mobile learning is all about changing instruction. Because if the instruction doesn’t change, allowing the kids to bring their own device will do nothing,” shared Lenny Schad, Katy ISD Chief Technology Officer. Another approach, once you’ve explored BYOT from various stakeholder roles, is to review the checklist below and ask, How am I going to get there from here? Make this as specific as you can for YOUR role on campus.

Seven Question BYOT Checklist

Item Question to Ponder Taking Action
1. Have you defined and aligned the goals for the BYOT program to the Campus Improvement Plan and district mission? Tip: Connect BYOT use to differentiated instruction, the district’s mission, and specific instructional strategies in your CIP.
2. Have you outlined expectations for teachers and students about using Google Suites for Education (e.g. Classroom) or Microsoft Classroom to create online, virtual classrooms? Tip: Encourage teachers to spend some classroom time answering questions from students on specifically how they will use the technologies in class.
3. Have you decided what to do when students and/or staff bring too many devices that slow down the network (one BYOT device per person is recommended)? Tip: Let students know they can only connect one wireless device to the network and why.
4. How will teachers be supported on campus–not just through district professional development–to transform classroom learning activities from being paper focused to electronic to eliminate the need for printing (for example, students can’t print from BYOT devices)? Tip: Use the Classroom Learning Activity Rubric.
5. How will you share BYOT program goals, define expectations, show students what they can do with the device, help students connect to the wireless network, and address concerns from stakeholders? Tip: Encourage teachers to attend online webinars they can participate in from their classroom or home; have frequent parent communications; share with staff what is appropriate to say about BYOT. Instead of, “Why isn’t this working?” encourage them to say “We’re working together to learn how to best take advantage of BYOT in the classroom.”
6. How will campus leaders and teachers respond to questions of equity (e.g. I can’t afford to buy my child a device)? Tip: Share that the campus has devices available for students who can’t or don’t want to bring their own school. The more BYOT is practiced, the more school devices are available for those with the greatest need.
7. How should I answer questions from staff/students/parents about which devices to use? Tip: Refer to the BYOT Mobile Device Chart online at the bottom of this blog entry.

 

As you have seen, the focus of these crucial conversations involves flushing out tough questions in advance, clearly laying out answers to anticipated questions so that all stakeholders know what’s up, and constantly asking “What questions am I not asking that will enhance instruction now that we have these devices available?”

BYOT Mobile Device Chart

Wondering which mobile device does what and how it can be useful for teaching and learning? This chart attempts to map out that information. While it would be impossible to map out ALL devices, this chart does select some of the more popular, affordable mobile devices and their potential uses in the classroom. Please note that mention of a device in this chart does not constitute a product endorsement; these are offered for informational and/or reference purposes only. All data is subject to change. The 5-star rating is as follows:

  • 5 star = BYOT Exceptional – mobile creativity, storage, and sharing device (e.g. WiFi iPad/Nexus allows for Google Drive/MS OneDrive, cloud storage options, video/image editing and creation, GoogleDocs/Office 365 accessibility, etc.)
  • 4 star = Great – allows for wide range of creative apps (e.g. pictures, short video clips, texting) and wireless sharing (WiFi) only limited by account options and apps. Devices include iPod Touch, iPhone, laptops, netbooks)
  • 3 star = Fair – allows for some use (e.g. allows for research via Internet, pictures, video). WiFi access
  • 2 star = Acceptable – usable for specific purposes (content consumption) only (e.g. eReader without Internet or apps) and WiFi
  • 1 star = Limited – Not appropriate for BYOT classroom use (e.g. may lack WiFi support, difficult to get media on or off device, gaming options).

Note: Here is the Mobile Device Chart in MS Word or PDF version for modification and/or printing.

Device

Features

Rating

Netbooks/Laptops
Windows/Mac Laptop
approx >= $230. Find out more at your local retail or computer store
  • WiFi access
  • Local hard drive storage and Google Drive/ MS OneDrive Access
  • Various creativity programs including Office suites
  • Requires anti-virus/anti-malware
  • Built-in webcam
  • Web browsing
 *****
Google Chromebook approx >= $249
  • WiFi access
  • Local hard drive (small) storage and Google Drive/ MS OneDrive Access
  • Various creativity programs including Office suites
  • Built-in webcam
  • Web browsing
 *****

Tablets
Microsoft Surface Pro 3-5
  • WiFi access
  • Local hard drive storage and Google Drive/ MS OneDrive Access
  • Various creativity programs including Office suites
  • Requires anti-virus/anti-malware
  • Built-in webcam
  • Web browsing
 *****
Apple iPad
approx >= $330 minimum
  • iTunes App Store
  • WiFi access
  • Google Drive/ MS OneDrive Access
  • Wide variety of creativity apps, including Office apps
  • Video/Still image camera(s)
  • Email/Social media
  • Web browsing
  • Bluetooth compatibility for external keyboard
 *****
Android Tablets (>=$200)

Examples:
  • Android tablet with access to Google Play apps
  • Google Drive Access
  • Office apps
  • Video/Still image camera
  • Email/Social media
  • Web browsing
  • Bluetooth compatibility for external keyboard
  • eBooks via Barnes and Noble and Amazon
  • Handheld (7inch)
 *****
Apple iPod Touch
(>=$200)
  • WiFi
  • iTunes App Store
  • Google Drive Access
  • Office apps
  • Video/Still image camera
  • Email/Social media
  • Web browsing
  • eBooks via Barnes and Noble and Amazon
  • Handheld (4.3 in x 2.4 in)
 **

SmartPhones
Apple iPhone
  • WiFi
  • iTunes App Store
  • Google Drive Access
  • Office apps
  • Video/Still image camera
  • Email/Social media
  • Web browsing
  • eBooks via Barnes and Noble and Amazon
  • Handheld (4.3 in x 2.4 in)
 ****
Android Phone
  • WiFi
  • Google Play Store
  • Google Drive Access
  • Office apps
  • Video/Still image camera, depending on model
  • Email/Social media
  • Web browsing
  • eBooks via Barnes and Noble and Amazon
  • Handheld
 ****

eBook Readers
Barnes and Noble Nook (Samsung tablet) approx >= $99
  • WiFi
  • No creation or sharing features
  • Touch screen
  • MP3 player
  • eBook formats supported: PDF, EPUB, eReader, PDB, JPG, GIF, PNG
 **
Kindle Fire 
approx >= $69
  • WiFi
  • No creation or sharing features
  • Touch screen
  • MP3 player
  • eBook formats supported: Kindle Format 8 (AZW3), Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, unprotected MOBI, PRC natively
 **

Other Devices
Nintendo DSi approx >= $100
  • WiFi
  • Photo/Video
  • Touch screen with stylus
  • Not appropriate for BYOT
 *
Gaming consoles
  • Not appropriate for BYOT
 *

 

References

Walker, Michael. (3/12/12). 6 Steps for Increasing Student Access with BYOD

 

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Strategizing Your BYOT Implementation, Part 1

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Have you stopped, taken a breath, and thought about what BYOT means for YOU and your teachers, students, and parents? That’s a question that is screaming its way into the rarified atmosphere of public schools, like a cataclysmic meteor smashing tidy learning and technology plans. Still, many schools are now coming to terms, one way or another, with bring your own technology (BYOT).

Bring your own technology intrigues many and frightens others. As a result of that fear and concern, campus leadership teams are compelled to craft a strategy to implement BYOT successfully.

Planning Ahead

This two-part article offers two approaches you can use as part of a strategy session for campus leaders:

      1. BYOT Scenario: In this problem-based learning scenario, explore BYOT issues from your particular role. You will develop a solution in a face-to-face session.
      2. Seven Question Checklist: You will use this checklist to self reflect as a group as to whether you have addressed some key ideas. Links are provided to help you access appropriate resources.

Before exploring these two approaches, consider the inevitability of BYOT in schools.

The Inevitability of BYOT

“BYOT- it happens no matter what; it’s only called BYOT,” shares ed tech specialist Josh Davis, “when your curriculum takes advantage of it.”

Some statistics to keep in mind:

  1. Young adults tend to have higher-than-average levels of smartphone ownership regardless of income or educational attainment. (Source)
  2. More Hispanic (49 percent) and African-American (42 percent) middle school students are using their smartphones for homework than Caucasian students (36 percent). (Source)
  3. Smartphone use for homework also crosses income levels, with 29 percent of the students from the lowest-income households reporting smartphone usage to do their homework assignments.(Source)
  4. More than one in three middle school students are using mobile devices to complete homework, and more of those who use these devices for learning in the classroom express a strong interest in science, technology, and math than those who do not, according to a new national survey.  (Source)
  5. Nationwide,  55 percent of middle and high school students, as well as 25 percent of elementary students, own a mobile device (e.g. cell phone).
  6. Teens in the lowest income category are most likely to use their phones, instead of computers, to go online.

Approach #1 – BYOT Scenario

“Effective leadership without consistent, clear communication does not exist,” shares one district technology director. The scenario below is intended to tease out differing perspectives on BYOT. It will help you reflect on the issues that arise when implementing BYOT:

In a few weeks, students like John and Maria at a 5A high school will be bringing their own technology to school. While some teachers like Jennifer are excited about the possibilities—mainly, those that have taken the time to learn how to use the Read/Write Web to collaborate, create, and connect in alignment with academic goals—others like Rick are afraid things will not work as well. Rick is comfortable with students working with pencils and paper, not using their own devices. He is concerned about what they might do on them when he isn’t looking.

James, the campus principal, recognizes the need for a campus strategy towards BYOT. He’s worried that teachers will fail to take advantage of BYOT in their lessons and its use will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. “Failure,” he points out with a smile, “isn’t an option in our small community.”  This is a fact the district technology department and district leadership are well aware of as well. The Classroom Learning Activity Rubric is one instrument that’s been offered to help teachers employ strategies that take advantage of technology in the classroom.

Parents like Ms. Jones (involved in the PTA) are wondering, “How will the school communicate with me about this and will there be a consistent message from campus leaders? Will that message match what teachers are saying and doing in the classroom when students misbehave?” So much is at stake, jobs are on the line, high stakes accountability is in play. At a time when technology is everywhere, teaching, learning, and leading with technology has real consequences.

As you reflect on this scenario, ask yourself some questions, such as the ones below:

  • What hunches (intuitive guesses) do you have about this scenario?
  • What do we know for certain about the problem?
  • What questions can we ask that will get us the information we need to help the protagonist solve the problem?
  • Who are the stakeholders in this scenario and what solutions do we need to develop for their particular situation?

Pick a stakeholder role–teacher, campus leader, technology department, student, parent—that you have some affinity with and then try to develop a solution. Consider using a KWHL chart like the one below to get you started. While the example is a great beginning point, it’s not intended to be all-inclusive of the conversations embedded in the role of campus leader.

Stakeholder Role: Campus Leader

What Do I Know? What Do I Want to Know? How Will I Find Information? What Have I Learned?
    1. BYOT is a certainty
    2. Not all teachers have the training to take advantage of BYOT
    3. Parents expect consistent messages about this initiative from all staff
    4. I’m not sure why we’re doing this myself.
    5. This is a high-profile project that can’t fail. Digital citizenship is key to successful behavior for students.
 What is expected of me as a campus leader?

How can I better support classroom teachers and encourage them to use BYOT?

How can BYOT enhance instruction rather than become a self-fulfilling prophecy?

How do I hold teachers accountable for what they are doing or not doing?

 The District should have a BYOT Support site with online resources focusing on facilitating online learning. The site should also include a webinar schedule, along with micro-credentialing or badges teachers can earn.

End of Part 1

In Part 2, we’ll explore some specific tips. Be sure to check back tomorrow!

 

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Surviving a Leadership Transition

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Miguel,” a dear friend and colleague asked me, “Have you read the new superintendent’s book?” At my blank stare and smile, she pointed to the Simon Sinek book in her hand entitled, Leaders Eat Last. I felt my hackles rise due to my instinctive dislike of mis-applied lessons from other fields.

“All it takes is all you got, Marine!” I said in a deeper voice, referencing the military story Sinek uses to start the book. Nearby colleagues gave us quick smiles. “Isn’t that the book that is about building a circle of trust, like in Meet the Parents?”

As a technology director, your success often depends on how well you interact with the all-powerful person in the superintendent’s office. These seven tips will help you construct the elements of a positive conversation. Yet, ultimately, these tips alone will not be enough. You will need one final tip that takes a lifetime to develop, and you may not be up to it. Still, you must resolve to obtain it if you wish to remain a technology director after the superintendent who hired you leaves.

Change Is in Your Leader’s Future

Having worked in multiple school districts, I’ve seen the reins of power change hands multiple times. Superintendents change quite frequently these days–every 3.6 years as of 2010 according to one report, which cites that as an improvement from 2.5 years in 1999. “One of the key elements in running a successful district is stability. So if you have a revolving door, it’s counterproductive, and there’s never a chance to establish reforms or create programs that make a difference. Even a three-year period of time is inadequate.” (Source). In my time, I’ve seen several types of leaders and witnessed the transition.

Seven Tips for Surviving Leadership in Transition

Check out these seven tips for surviving leadership in transition:

  1. Establish a baseline for improvement based on researched needs. In other words, it’s not YOUR initiative or idea, it’s what the district needs. Tools like Dr. Chris Moersch’s Levels of Teaching Innovation (LOTI), H.E.A.T. framework, as well as Brightbytes’ Clarity, can provide you with critical data.
  2. Have an outside firm do a technology assessment of your technology infrastructure and network. Nothing changes leadership’s mind as much as when someone else outside your department says things need to change. In fact, if you’re smart, you will initiate an assessment from an assessor you trust and anticipate the areas of growth. (By the way, did you know that TCEA can help you with a technology assessment?)
  3. Build infrastructure that will support instructional efforts. Is your district 100 percent wireless? If it’s 100 percent wireless, does each campus enjoy wireless LAN controllers that support increased bandwidth? Have you placed sufficient wireless access points in classrooms, libraries, cafeterias, and other key meeting locations? These are only some of the questions you need to take into account.
  4. Be transparent and visible about what you’re doing to address the district’s needs. As much as possible, share what is happening, especially when you or your team is goofing up or moving slowly. You should have a key performance indicator (KPI) dashboard, even if it’s just a web page reflecting Helpdesk stats in a Google Sheet.
  5. Conduct webinars with anyone who will listen and/or attend. Offer free professional learning on a variety of topics, and partner with other stakeholders. That way, they will sing your praises about your technical support and expertise.
  6. Send out those old-fashioned print newsletters with links to more information on your website. As great as technology is, you have to accept the fact that MOST of your customers in K-12 schools haven’t stepped up to learn what students must know.
  7. Recruit teachers and students to present to the school board. Whenever you can, get other people in front of the school board and leadership to share what a great job you are doing supporting their success.

A Final Tip

“Those who hope to open a store must also be prepared to smile,” goes the old saying. This is a good mantra to remember if you’re going to work at Central Office. You must be prepared to smile and build relationships, even with those you do not like. Building relationships with district stakeholders, and, in particular, the superintendent and cabinet, remains paramount. Forget it at your peril.

 

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