Technology_Computer+Science+and+Programming+2009


 * TOPICS**
 * How should the class be different/same
 * impact of brain
 * change in pedagogical approach
 * what are your plans for the future
 * From the physical standpoint
 * Curriculum
 * Traditional education and how 21st century skills fit in
 * role of hands-on and project based ed
 * types of facilities
 * online learning
 * How can schools and dept. manage change? What has worked well? Who has what role? What support do we need?
 * Professional development to support new objectives
 * How to ID learning styles
 * Reach diverse students and differentiated learning
 * Standards: change? depth vs. breadth, interdisciplineary> real world solving problems>project based
 * Mobile devices: 1 to 1, supplement, etc.
 * Robotics
 * Question: upper level programming, how to start it?
 * How to find staff for upper level computer courses.
 * IPod
 * robotics
 * Evaluating Change
 * curriculum review

Emphasis from think tank to action tank meet needs of girls in classes and anticipate change 1. What does it mean to educate girls in the 21st century? 2. What have you done to embrace 21st century skills
 * DISCUSSION #1**
 * what should be the same and what do we need to change
 * prep. for careers that do not exist
 * Patrick: professional development is impt. Accessible/fun for teachers! He feeds them: 3 times for 1 week in the summer. They realize they need the tools for them classrooms to run efficiently. It takes time for them to trust you. It brings a better, free environment to the classroom. How can the kids choose the best application to learn? If they can get out of the kids way; they do not need to know how to do it all. Ask kids to help operate machinery/technology.. role during year: He has a tech team with 17 girls who help him. There within 5 minutes. Time is very impt. or the teacher moves on. We should brainstorm on what the 21st centruy classroom looks like? We do not dream enough. We are good, but how do we take that dream to faculty.
 * What does this classroom look like? What are some attainable goals.
 * [|Horizon report] t. Our school is interested in where to go next. Emergent technology committee. Personal learning networks. Compacting skills and leaving time for kids to pursue their interest. Potential would be a 1 to 1 school with individualized learning. You are in charge of your own learning.
 * Problem is control over teachers. They have to meet standards and cover certain things. Writing a paper may not be the authentic type of learning girls want to do anymore. Skills are important, but then let it go. Don't have the regular schedule: just have 2 weeks of an inter-curriculum cultural fair
 * Of course you can't leave writing out of curriculum.
 * Teachers do not want to lose control.
 * Kids need technology to support their school-wide enrichment. We do not do
 * Individualized professional development is best but exhausting. Help them to develop their skills.
 * some teachers have made their special interest group and let the IS people know what their needs are. They are driving what training they need.
 * Again: use students as helpers. they take pride in it. Helps students apply their interests in tech.
 * Student centered approach to enrichment projects.
 * Chris: have a laptop school. Much of the lack of buy-in was it can do so much and was frightening. A way to create buy-in: every year a group will be given a certain program or app to have training.
 * Another idea: bring in their home digital camera and teaching i-photo to them. If you use it in your own life, you will be more comfortable.
 * Develop personal technology goals. Some were personal interests.
 * Web 2.0 and they could learn 2 skills; they really knew what web 2.0 could allow them to do. then the teacher tells IS what they want to be able to do, and wha the teacher could use to do it.
 * Web 2.0 extends the classroom beyond the walls so the push to "cover everything" is not as critical. Break down walls of classroom.
 * Question: One of the challenges is "how do you get the faculty to embrace change?"
 * A teacher uses vodcasts for AP chem. Group suggested he use a wiki or blog to help students discuss problems while they are listening/watching at home.
 * Tony: Culturally driven by technology from top down. Reinforce at every opportunity for collaborative learning. Stop by every teacher: what are you teaching. Let me bring you something. A book ends up a twitter project. She thought it was technology but it ended up supporting her teaching. Is it supported from the top down? Give them love/food/bribery.
 * ***How often do your teachers share the interesting things in your classroom?**
 * At every meeting, there is some form of technology shared. Even games are U-streamed (?). Everyone does it because you need it at work. They get an email about PREZI, and 3 teachers are out the door wanting to learn it.
 * Ultimate Goal: can we develop recommendations for the group as a whole. In small groups also. How can we answer some of those tougher questions.
 * Ultimate Goal: can we develop recommendations for the group as a whole. In small groups also. How can we answer some of those tougher questions.

To deal with these big issues, we created sub committees within our faculty/technology committee. They will develop recommendations. that was tech. people are not making all the big decisions.

3 sub groups for discussion: 1. Ipod or other moblie devices 2. Robotics and programming 3. hardware and whether to move in a different directions

New question: how is your tech dept configured. Group #2 Robotics Lower School Programming readiness? Programming scope and sequence

3-D Makerbot plastic printer design and make your own plastic products, lego pieces? etc. [|Plastic Printer-] • [|BeeBots] • [|3D Googol Choo Choo] • [|Starlogo] • [|Sketchup] • [|BOE Bot] just p-basic • [|Parallax] no building bridge between GUI and P Basic • [|Alice 3-D] make a game and will show the Java behind it. 11th and 12th graders. 9th grade uses Alice for a bit. There is a great manual and great online support. A great teacher resource book. Make 30 second movie on a scene from a book they are making. [|Scratch] [|Institute of play]

If the girls want to o into Biotechnology they need to know about real programming. C++ Online courses? How can you offer real programming for girls who already are taking so many other AP programs? Making sure they are exposed. Room for them to do the actual programming. Building the resilience. Not giving up. More that one solution. ** NCGS technology study on robots and girls.

Group #3: Hardware etc. Tony: Programming will be outdated - it will be all drag and drop modules. Started robotics with a parent and competed in the Legos program which ultimately turned the girls off. Now is a club of 12 girls sponsored by a GA Tech student. From legos to servos (sp?) to cameras. Programming the Pleo dinasaurs also. Have an informal after school Coco programming for IPODs. Basic object-oriented programming. This has created marketing attention but he is not certain of the value. I would like to have a programming track but not sure what it looks like. Ipods in most departments. May have 1 to 1 IPOD next year. they also have mac-books on lease in a 3-year cycle. force of motion, elements (interactive periodic table) lots of video on eyepods, response ware to move outside of STEM. Apple is focusing on IPOD because of the doc connector. Response ware is a big thing for us = turning point technology. Works over wifi on your laptop. Works on the ipod for polling software. keyboard helps with complex questions and text back complex answers. Teacher can response to a single person if necessary.
 * Jessica: interesting Robotics program incorportating math, science and Social studies. Flexible scheduling

What is the added value of using ipods and macs? What are the tangible benefits? Tony: engagement factor is tremendous!!!! they enjoy the polling. IPOD apps. Software is largely free. All are tied to a single itunes account so it will be 99 cents. Cost is minimal. How do we move it outside of STEM? Language teachers use voice thread, listen to IPOD at home. It is the DEVICE is highly engaging. Has a camera and video.

Patrick: We Take it into performing arts: download electronic instruments on the ipod = isomble. is GPS enabled. tony: When they are in london they use this to tweet and map and put into google earth as they go. Veneer Probes: makes a connector

Anticipate the future classroom: just a mobile device with other ways to do the keyboard and projector. We need to be prepared to make that next step.

Online school for girls: theoretical math online - hard to do with out a tablet - this is a major gap in the Apple ecosystem. Big question: to individualize and meet student's needs but at what point do you say they don't need to purchase 3-ring binders. We need to stride toward organizing, communicating than we are now. We are finding that the students are coming in and the teachers are learning to harness them. The teachers have to get out of the way and the student/teacher can use the best tool to help you learn. e.g., can I do with my paper with film? They don't block facebook, etc. to teach the children to manage their time. At this school they self-monitor facebook, etc. They teach the girls how to responsibly use their technology. Student-centered learning is where we want to be. This would give them complete openness to let them decide how best to learn.

another place: 3 years of carts before they get their notebooks.

You might want to get whatever the teacher needs: perhaps get tablet PCs in departments that need it. It is not about the hardware but rather what we are trying to achieve and which platform to use.

ARD on the MAC = spyware for PCs.

Moving beyond notetaking internet browsing device.

Craig's school uses "Final site" (?) = website with an academic manager. More scaled down than blackboard. Pulled from the scheduling database also. Because it was new, the teachers re-evaluated how they used this space. anyone using moodle or haiku (spelling?)

th grade tech class short 30 second animation from their English book on Alice 3D**

BACK ALL TOGETHER FROM SUBGROUPS**: See separate notes. Sequence of robotics from younger students to C++ and Java. Gobot, Lego Mindstorm software to program robots. What is the future of programming? You can hire a website which does it for you. 2 angles: (1) mass appeal (2) hight level science majors who need hard-core programming. Resource: design tech course in lower school like an intro to engineering (3rd graders)** e-toys **free download. Different schools and how to use cross curricularly:** > Scratch 4th and 3rd are in love with it. Jenny Patrick: no longer have tech department; it is all project based. he does moodle and the online newspaper ? Several have the school newspaper only online How many of your schools have been talking about what the classroom of the future looks like? What are the best tools as we move forward. Is there a buy-in in your institution. Has there been an outcome in your school? Tony = more student centered model with iphones. Has anyone identified them? It really starts with that. Daniel Pink "whole new mind" **learning communities. it is working very well. 6-12. High school adapts well. Top down.sustainable opportunities for collaboration and this type of discussion. Built in to how our schools operate institutionally. Look at ways we can suggest schools approach that. How to make the most of the opportunities. where to place emphasis: mapping? platforms? face-to-face collaboration. available tools Girls learn differently than we do. How do you get the teachers to commit? Yes they are passing the AP, but are we doing the best for them?
 * Sketch-up to draw atoms in 3-D
 * Alice 3-d
 * Googol choo choo
 * be bots
 * star logo
 * How can you get your school to change pedigogically
 * Daniel Pink's conceptual age. There is no way to hold on to all the info. You need to offload it. You need to find the info and put it together in a useable way. = critical thinking, team work, collaboration, good info. sources. You need a good connection with the librarian.
 * less teaching and isolation. More whole-school. Many teachers are resistant. students call the teachers by the wrong name = good thing. Find the tech teacher in art class, etc. She started with the teachers that were more willing like the librarian. Be pushy to the teachers: what are you studying? We map out who is involved in what and time-line it for the year.
 * Does it involve curriculum maps? Yes, by grade. Vertical curriculum maps within depts. across K-12. Rubicon atlas = fantastic vehicle but noline used it because of no leadership. teachers were not maintaining it. Teachers must be forced to update Rubicon. As an alternative you can use google doc maps.
 * Everyone needs to know what is happening and they do it on paper given to dept. heads.
 * Searchable curriculum database and align with other schools to get schools together!!
 * Suggestion that if Rubicon were fun to use, teachers would use it.
 * How do you add facebook and excitement into curriculum maps.
 * maps need to be at the lesson plan level, which is where the fun is
 * map forward combined with lesson planning instead of doing it after the fact.
 * If they get the same concept in 2 - 3 classes, they have it. Overlay the same topic in several classrooms.
 * grade level meetings should discuss what they are working on that week
 * read

Ask girls if, when they get to college, did the traditional means prepare them well? What about after college? The kids that aren't doing well may not want to talk about it. Patrick: They are happy about writing, etc., but feel short-changed in sciences.

How do we get our schools to buy project-based in-depth learning? some younger are more resistant than older. Colleges are not teaching teachers how to use technology in classroom.

It needs to be top down, ultimately.

Each division devised a technology survey. Each coordinator developed their own. No pressure - no evaluation. the result was triple the effort in tech. so they can put it on their survey. What have you as a teacher done, and what have the students done. Done through** google survey**. Has had a huge impact so they can have things to put down on their survey. Grade book? Calendar? "if you have any questions or equipment issues, or want me to help you with anything, let me know.

SUMMARY: WHAT DO WE WANT TO SPEND OUR TIME WITH TOMORROW? 1. Recommendations about what discussions and pedagogical changes need to occur? 2. Recommendations and strategies about the Idea of inter-departmental discussions and collaboration. Some of our schools have great models. Sustainable opportunities for this type of discussion: more regular, more transparent, tying in with goals. Discussions need to be a regular part of meetings. 3. Recommendation for assement/planning for necessary professional development.

How is social networking used: wiki, blog, Ning, summer reading wiki (hightly academic). It seems to be mostly English**

Need a combo of face to face and online Eye contact and gesture imitation help learning Use an avatar for eye to eye and gesture imitation Sometimes we need clay or flashcards or chalk - not tech. BLOGGING; required in a course. Thought after teaching and respond to each other's blogs with the teachers redirect
 * FINAL MEETING NOTES****

is a good blogging site Make a list of good apps with their uses for this site Take an online course as a way to do professional development!!! Set up an online unit for teachers to complete!!!! This gets them involved and learning. Do it for STEM With H1N1 you could continue the school Put NXT videos from utube on sensors, etc. also show them how to find the video Be sure kids have atomic learning password Screen flow on the MAC better than jing Best way to educate our girls with available resources Teachers experience online or blended ed Ownership of a discipline by department to be sure certain applications are covered: e.g., language arts covers Word, science covers Excel, ect.

Empowering students: students become self learning and life-long learners. How do we empower them to do that. Balance between teaching tech as a class or teaching it within another class Create an up-front rubric for their PowerPoint: an excellent project will have.... have a column to rate theirs Tech arts = photoshop and In-design for 7th graders. then they can use it for everything. St. mary's no tech classes, all integration. Teachers stay during the

Online computer program: Typing Pal online is what they use. Integration: the teacher doesn't have to learn it first. They can stay in the class and learn it at the same time. Example: You can get the project done in a few days or weeks instead of seeing them in tech class 2x a week.

The tech coordinator has to help out the teacher and here is my idea. Be there for them. Give them ideas.

TECH TEAM: this is how it evolved: Hey do you want to know something about tech? They were rolling out the laptops. Asked for people who wanted to learn out networking and computing. Filled out a survery. Who can work over the summer. Unpacked machine, imaged, distributed, learned everything. They walk around helping other teachers and what else can they learn. They have an online home help with each of them taking a shift. the problem is assigned to a kid or a tech person. They come to a free time. They keep notes on all the tickets and whether out they fixed the problem. The teachers response to the student leadership role: 1. if a teacher has a tech kid in their class, they are thrilled 2. self-confidence for child is amazing; many of them didn't have a "place" in the school. 3. Some have the confidence to give presentations in front of the school. 4. In the dorm they come back saying they help the entire dorm. "I am trained to help - can I help"

Does anyone do gaming? Gaming club: game star mechanic. You must have the computing power in your machine. [|Make your own flexbook/texbook]