The Power of School…….

                       Remember report card day? It was such a big deal, almost like picture day.  There was a different feeling at the breakfast table. Sometimes it was excitement, sometimes anxiety, and sometimes just plain fear! You kind of had an idea but there were always some surprises- “What do you mean I got a C in history?”  Oh wait, how about forgetting to bring back the empty envelope with your parents’ signature so the teacher can insert your next quarter’s report card in it? You might as well have been lynched!

            Fast forward to 2011- my childrens’ district moved the grading system (and other features) completely online! Power School- during the summer parents were emailed a log-in and password for each child. There, we were able to access the homeroom information, daily schedule and even the bus stop details. It was great! No more running home to the mailbox to find out the school year’s fate.  Access your phone and bam! There it is-

Power School is an online system that tracks assignments, absences, grades, progress reports and even report cards.  It also houses our contact and emergency information.  We have 24/7 access to our children’s work.  Is this good? Is it detrimental? In alignment with Schrum (2009), this type of technology enhances our children’s learning process.  In line with our vision of a 21^st century learner, Power School gives the kids power and a sense of accountability.  Personally speaking, my children are very aware of its existence, coming home from school to log in to view a grade from a previously taken test or completed assignment.  There is a sense of responsibility to perform well with the results being more “public.”

            From a parents’ perspective, I can see, on a continuous basis, how my children are performing.  From an accountability perspective, I feel a responsibility to keep up with their grades with the accessibility staring me in the face. It was much easier, in my parent’s day, to have this sense of “unawareness” regarding my grades, only focusing on the end result (the report card). At that point, isn’t it a little too late? Incorporating technology into this aspect of education, I feel, is key.  As educators, we all want the learning process to be a collaborative effort, including students, teachers and parents in the process.  If/when parents are proactive, this is a recipe for success!

Some videos about Power School:

http://www.pearsonschoolsystems.com/products/powerschool/videos/

*Some seem to like it…

Mollie (10 year old- 5^th grade)- “I like it because you can constantly see how your grades are going and you can see all of your participation and homework grades.”

Greg (parent and financial planner)- “The children should be motivated to improve based on the fact they can see their cumulative grade.”

*While others , not so much!

Griffin (12 years old, 7^th grader) “Grades, my parents checking it- If I get a bad grade, I automatically know my parents will find out about it, when I get home from the bus, my parents will ask me why I got it.”

This and That......

This was an interesting week for me, both in the readings and my life and trying to connect the two.  As much of the readings were about leadership and ways to foster technology in the classrooms, which is being supported by those in leadership roles, it got me thinking about the two very different functions I serve as part of the Graduate School of Education.  First, in my work as co-director of the Center for Literacy Development, a huge component is onsite professional development.  We hire consultants to go into schools to provide workshops and coaching opportunities to teachers.  Technology, specifically the use of Smart Boards and creating classroom websites, are two topics that are requested often.  It is interesting to hear the feedback from the presenters and how different the levels of interest can be when the school leaders are there and those who are absent.  It always seems to be a more positive experience for the consultants and teachers involved when they see and feel the support of their leaders.  I can remember a few occasions when the consultants were with a group of teachers that had no clue why they were there. Often times, saying they were given a smart board or required to have a class wiki but given no direction.  The best experiences have been where we construct a PD plan where teachers work with consultants in their own classrooms, consultants observe and then they co-teach for the most effective results.  Doing this with technology would be great to produce effective learners of technology (the teachers, that is....)

When I wear my other GSE "hat," I am teaching an undergraduate level course.  There are 7 sections of the same course, Introduction to Education. The students who take this course are about to apply to the GSE.  One of the GSE professor's took the course "under her wing" in order to make the 7 sections as consistent as possible.  The assignments and resources are the same but it is up to each instructor to individualize their own course.  Taken this class (Intro to Digital Tools) simultaneously with teaching Intro to Education, as well as being a part of the  Partnership for 21st Century Skills at my previous position, I am always looking for ways to incorporate technology and promote critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity. I find that the less I lecture (hardly ever) , the more the students are involved in their readings and other class materials.  When they work collaboratively in text discussions, they capitalize on theirs' and their classmates' prior experiences and knowledge which enhance the experience all around. I also began to incorporate online chat rooms where the students post and respond much like we do in this class and other EdD classes.  I have grouped them according to what they have an interest in teaching so it seems to be paying off.  By creating a community of learners where their learning is made public and highly accountable, I find that they are much more effective at connecting to the readings, which is evident in their assignments.

You make a Better Door than a Window.......

 So, I was teaching in my undergraduate class this past Wednesday.  The students had an assignment on the board that they needed to see in order to complete.  I was standing to the side, but blocking one young lady who asked me to move(politely, of course) .  My immediate response was, "I guess I make a better door than a window."  We giggled and class went on and I forgot about the comment.... until I watched Will Richardson's video.  Of special interest to me, was the point Mr. Richardson makes about the challenge, we as educators, have in moving towards making our work  and our students' work transparent.  Technology is an effective vehicle in enhancing this very important notion.  When we are required to make our lives and work public, we grow more accountable.  Mr. Richardson was talking about how we need to help teachers become more transparent, how transparency will engage more and move the learning process along a successful continuum.

  I try and do this in two ways.  One being in my undergrad course.  As a requirement, the students are responsible for writing response papers to our readings over the course of the semester.  I have also required them to react to each others papers online (similar to this course).  I have grouped them in discussion groups based on what they are interested in teaching (grade levels, content area, special education).  Through the online discussions, their work becomes transparent.  They have rich dialogue with others who share the same career goals and I can read their increased knowledge and exposure to their classmates' knowledge and prior experiences.

The second way is with the Center for Literacy Development.  I often times throw out a question in a chat room after we have all been together for a meeting.  For example, if we all took part in a writing workshop with Carl Anderson, I may throw out the following in the center's online chat room: What types of writing conferencing are you doing with your students? In what ways are similar and/or differ from what we heard from Carl Anderson? After hearing Carl, what one change are you going to make in your classroom?

This allows the session to continue, even though, we are no longer in the same physical space.  We often complain, as educators, that we have too much to cover and not enough time.  We always wish we could have more time to "get deeper into this" or "hear more from the students about that."  Online tools such as blogs, wikis, discussion tools, allow us to continue the learning while inviting the students to share (make visible and be accountable) what they have learned.

p.s. favorite quote of Mr. Richardson.... " Blogs are not just a publishing tool, they are a CONNECTION tool!"

Book It.... Online

The idea of blogging is extremely prevalent to the guiding principles of the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills and meeting the needs of today’s learners. In line with Richardson (2010), blogging is an excellent forum for students to collaborate in an authentic, purposeful manner. I can remember working in groups as a student myself.  Yes, we were encouraged to communicate, collaborate, think critically and creatively, yet there was only so much we could do.  While it seemed (and probably was) cutting edge back then (mid 80’s), if we look at collaborative work now with increased technology, one cannot compare.  Richardson discusses how blogging clearly falls under a constructivist approach to learning and teaching.  What better way than for students to create their own learning environment, under the guidelines of a teacher, for their purposes?  The use of blogs can enhance the classroom across every content area; ie, problem solving in math, social studies debates, language arts book discussions and the list goes on.  In order to keep students relevant in this information age, blogging has proven to be an excellent avenue to help achieve this goal. 

Although I am not currently in a classroom, my mind goes to an online book club. I guess since I studied Reading during my master’s work, the area fascinates me and with the constant talk of how reading should be taught in every subject, not in isolated Language Arts classes, I think that a Book Club Blog would be ideal! Think about when you are in school and you can’t think of anything to say because you have a hard time thinking “on the spot.” If the teacher created a Book Club Blog, the students can reflect whenever the thought comes to mind. I mean between laptops, ipads, smartphones, kids are always fingertips away from access.  The blog can cut across math, language arts, history, Spanish, French, etc. Let’s not forget physical education. How about the students blog about fitness and the initiative to fight childhood obesity and promote good health! The possibilities are endless and just another idea to prove the importance of technology.