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.