Innovation – it’s about the learning! #Engage109

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela

Innovation in the Deerfield Public Schools is all about learning and all about teaching. Innovation is supported by outstanding leadership, visionary governance, world class resources and forward thinking facilities and tools. The District’s leap into a “1:1” Transformative Learning Environment is all about learning – it’s not about technology. Technology accelerates pedagogy/instruction. Technology 11088336_896764333721325_6206112643057760180_ntools are not new … they are not “21st” century … they are what they are and they are embedded in our life our society and in our DNA! Innovation is what makes learning and teaching fun! Innovation is change and innovation is challenge. In 2013 we started the Innovation Grant program and 40 of our teachers were awarded the 1:1 classroom supports as pilot trailblazers, their stories are shared online (click here). During the 2014-15 school year (this current school year) we started a concept called Innovation Grant II: Classroom of the Future … Today This will be an evolving initiative with multiple application points (i.e. science labs, STEM/CMA, library facility study (information commons approach), full day kindergarten classes, etc.)

In support of this new innovation initiative we have sent teachers, administrators, and parent leaders across the state and region and nation to view, see, experience and interact with engaging learning

New student friendly furniture!
New student friendly furniture!

spaces. From SMART labs with Creative Learning Systems (our partner for STEM and CMA labs at the middle schools) to Steelcase University, to DIRTT, cooperatives with architects, other schools, Twitter, etc. we are learning about modern, forward thinking “next steps” in how we can engage, inspire, and empower each and every learner each and every day!

The first prototype/model classrooms are the new Next Generation Science Lab/Classrooms at Shepard Middle School; the first Innovation Grant II Classroom of the future model K-5, is at Kipling Elementary School in 3rd Grade. In the District 109 staff newsletter an article posted by iCoaches Michelle Primack and Taylor Meredith shared about their school’s innovative learning space:

“The Classroom of the Future is at Kipling Today! After spring break, students in Larissa Thurman’s 3rd grade students walked into their classroom and received a big surprise! Their classroom had been transformed into a “Classroom of the Future.” The old, stationary furniture that was once in the classroom, was replaced by modern, moveable pieces of furniture that often serve several purposes. Bretford Furnishings provided mobile tables whose tabletops function as white boards in which students can write and present on. Additionally, C.O.T.G, a local Chicago company, provided two interactive white boards with touch technology that can be moved around the space. All participants are very

flexible tables/learning spaces/stations
flexible tables/learning spaces/stations

excited about the new classroom. One student said, “I like the tables better then desks because you have more space. I love the chairs because you can move around to where you want to work.” When Larissa sent information to her classroom parents about the exciting changes, one parent responded with, “ I think it’s a great idea exploring “the space” within a classroom. I personally did not like to sit at a committed desk in a uniformed fashion for long periods of time.” Larissa is thrilled about her new classroom configuration and said, “ The room is more free and allows for student collaboration. There are no restrictions and the environment works for students.” As our district looks into transforming the learning environment for the future, this classroom was chosen to be our district pilot of a classroom of the future because Larissa was one of the 1:1 Chromebook pilot teachers last year. She has always been very open to students moving around the space in her classroom to work in the environment that is most conducive to their learning. Please come and check out “The Classroom of the Future”!

Our purposes in education – Our passion for learning

“A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
– Confucius

A major emphasis in public education is accountability and ROI (Return on Investment). Unlike a business, we do not have “profit margins” and tangible, concrete “returns on our investments” so to speak. We do have test scores, teacher evaluation, climate and culture surveys, satisfaction surveys, observational data, high school performance and rankings and other measures or metrics about how well we are doing and in what areas we need to concentrate.
roi

Often in education our ROI comes back to us years later – notes, cards, calls and visits from former students. Or in the real estate rankings of the local school district – i.e. great schools=high property values and sustained property values. Or/and in the job market, economy, etc. The Return On Investment from the 1957 “Sputnik” situation for example can be tied to America’s landing on the Moon in 1969.
Picture1
The Return on Investment for all of the current, modern day 1:1 Transformative Learning Environments may not show for a few years in terms of jobs/careers that do not exist today but will exist in 3, 5, 10, 20 years.

How then do we make decisions in the present knowing that we are impacting the future – a future which is changing almost by the mili-second? Well, we study research, trends, data, case studies, practices in neighboring areas, states, nations. We engage in Twitter, professional development, graduate studies, etc. We also make decisions based upon what we did that worked (for example when I was a teacher, I did x, y, z – and this is how it worked!).

decisionmaking
Among other reasons we also look to the future, and we look at common culture videos like the one I’m sharing below and like others shared in this blog and from other leaders. Using and leveraging technology tools in support of excellent teaching and effective pedagogy works for student and adult learners. Teaching students how to solve problems, work together, communicate, write, read, listen, speak, learn math, science, history, geography, philosophy, arts, music, physical education and health – all of this is amplified and accelerated by with and through technology tools, connectivity, high expectations and student voice and choice in demonstrating learning. These are challenging yet exciting times in education.

And as Horace Mann is quoted as saying in the mid 19th Century: “A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron.” We aim to Engage, Inspire, Empower each and every student – each and every day! Please check out the video for some re-affirmations as to why it is different today than it was in the past and it’s incumbent upon us all to prepare our nation’s students for their future – not for our past!

A “Did You Know” Remix video – 2014 – always worth watching and contemplating!

Community support, engagement, outreach – in the news

“We cannot hold a torch to light another’s path without brightening our own.”
– Ben Sweetland

When it takes a village, our village supports published in the Deerfield Review on 9/24/2014

In District 109, we are so fortunate to have individual community members and organizations that strongly support our schools. This school year, the community connection has been stronger than ever. Here are a few examples:

Parent Organizations: On September 16, digital media expert Dr. Devorah Heitner led a parent education program “Raising Digital Natives in a 1:1 World.” (The program will run again on September 30 at Caruso at 7:00pm.) The program was funded by all of the parent organizations that serve our schools: Deerfield Parent Network, Deerfield Education Foundation, and the six District 109 Parent Teacher Organizations.

Response to Surveys: The District relies on honest, thoughtful input from community members to make decisions. This year, we are asking for a great deal of input from staff, students, parents – and all have responded! At the start of the year, we conducted a staff culture survey; results show that, overall, District 109 is a great place to work! We currently are conducting a baseline survey on the impact of technology on teaching and learning; we will survey parents, staff and students again in the spring to measure our growth as we fully implement our 1:1 transformative environment. In a few weeks, we will conduct a thorough climate survey of parents, staff, students and community members. In addition, we launched Let’s Talk! for anyone, anytime, to share ideas, thoughts, complaints, compliments, or questions. The District’s promise for all of the time stakeholders are giving is transparency and response. We will share what we learn, and we will act on what we hear.

Volunteers: We actively seek community involvement to help make decisions about facilities, curriculum, and organization. Last year, the 140-member Superintendent’s Task Force for Middle Level Education laid out recommendations for changes. The Social Emotional Group recommendations are implemented in part through Rachel’s Challenge, a new social-emotional program launching this fall; the STEM and Exploratory groups’ work is evident in the state-of-the-art STEM, communication media arts, and science laboratories. The District is currently seeking community members to share their expertise with students by joining the District 109 Volunteer Pool. Teachers will call on volunteers to join in teaching their students. Community members can sign up at http://tinyurl.com/109volunteer.

Activism: Many District 109 residents take time to educate themselves about the legislation that impacts schools and students. Current legislation that has passed the Illinois Senate (Senate Bill 16, or SB16) will move to the Illinois House in November. If passed, SB16 will have a tremendous impact on the financial status of our District. Our schools would lose more than 50% of the state funding we currently receive, or $1.3 million a year. We know that many community members already have educated themselves about SB16 and have contacted their legislators to express their opinion.

In District 109, we believe that the public school should be the hub of the community. While in other communities may have different priorities, here in Deerfield, we see proof, every day, that education and the children in our schools are the focus.
Engage, Inspire, Empower

Supporting instruction aligned with the Common Core and 1:1

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
– Warren G. Bennis

This year we prepare for many changes. This year we prepare for the best year ever! This year we are asking our teachers to do A LOT – new curriculum maps, new instructional practices, transformation with the 1:1 learning environment initiative, new middle school exploratories, implementation of STEM/Communication Media Arts, new science programming … to name a few!

This is another in a series of how we are supporting teachers this year in the anticipation of transformative public education in DPS109!

These tools are being shared in no particular order – the point/aim/goal is to share, celebrate, communicate, and publicize the many leaders and the many tools that will enable others to act – challenge the process, inspire a shared vision – and support improved teaching and learning! While company information and logos are shared it is not our intention to use this as “advertising” – we are simply sharing with whom we are partnering to support our mission. The name(s) of the people leading these services is/are provided – feel free to contact them with any questions or comments about the tools.

Many of these web based subscriptions will allow for 24/7 – school/home access! The possibilities are endless for our learning as we truly become a COMMUNITY of learners.

(Scott Schwartz) Star Walk Kids Media:

At StarWalk KidsMedia we are committed to serving a community of educators who are trying to instill their students with 21st Century digital literacy skills. In order to achieve this, we have created a library designed to support educators who are looking for high quality, well-written trade books, particularly nonfiction books, to support Common Core (CCSS) Reading and Writing strategies. The StarWalk Kids collection is tightly curated for excellence, showcasing the work of award-winning authors and illustrators that educators know and trust. Familiar and respected names in the StarWalk Kids catalog include not only Seymour Simon, but also David Adler, Doug Cushman, Diane deGroat, Johanna Hurwitz, Kathleen Krull, Newbery Honor author Kathryn Lasky, Stan Mack, Caldecott-winner Emily Arnold McCully, Doreen Rappaport, Hudson Talbott, New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award winner Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and more. The collection is approximately 60% nonfiction, and covers Pre-K through 8th Grade.
Each eBook in the collection has been expertly adapted and professionally narrated in preparation for digital streaming via the best-in-class, proprietary StarWalk Reader™, and all titles are accompanied by a “Teaching Links” document developed by nationally known literacy expert and StarWalk Kids Director of Education Linda Hoyt. The Teaching Links match each eBook to relevant CCSS standards, and provide suggestions for CCSS-appropriate teaching activities and further inquiry.

(Eileen Brett and Tracy Hoyt) CoreStand:

What is CoreStand?

CoreStand is a teacher-driven professional ecosystem that’s devoted to
collaboration around best practice and career readiness. Created by teachers (in Evanston) for teachers, CoreStand’s mission is to equip and empower educators to actively shape how standards movements like the Common Core are implemented in classrooms across the country.

What are some of the resources and tools now available to you?

Virtual Learning Communities (VLCs). These are teacher-led groups devoted to collaboration and professional dialogue, and now you have the ability to create your own and invite others to join. As easy to use as email, you can start discussions, post documents, embed videos and photos…all with the click of a button. VLCs streamline and extend face-to-face collaboration around anything: vertical alignment, school wide initiatives, best practice strategies, etc. To see a short video on how they work, click here:

http://www.corestand.com/video-tutorials/virtual-learning-communities-vlc-tutorial/

Evidence and Evaluation “Vaults”. You can also use VLCs as a way to gather evidence as part of your evaluation cycle. Doing so provides an easy, streamlined way to organize and archive work, annotate lessons, and save successes for the future.

Reference Guide Library. We’ve unpacked the CCSS into over 5,000 student-friendly “I can…” learning targets for E/LA, math, and literacy in social science/history and science/technology, grades K-12. Once logged in, click on “Reference Guides” in the beige strap at the top to access these digital and print-friendly resources:

http://www.corestand.com/what-are-the-core-standards/reference-guides/

Unlimited Downloads. Visit our “Lessons & More” page and use either our yellow search field or our “Browse By Category” tool to find CCSS-aligned lessons, units and activities uploaded by our School Share Network members. For example, here’s a link to a popular line of argumentation modules produced by the CoreStand team:

http://www.corestand.com/lessons-and-more/products/?s=con-text

The tools mentioned above are embedded within a robust ecosystem of resources. Because of this, you’ll have access to the resources and tools we offer our free members, too: our blogs, best practice videos, our Standards By Grade posters, and our CoreWeekly newsletter (it contains literacy templates tied to current event articles…sign up for it on the Lessons & More page).

Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at team@corestand.com

(Anthony McConnell) School City:

Schoolcity is an assessment system and learning management system that will allow us access to nearly 100,000 common core aligned assessment items. This system can be used to create everything from quick formative assessments to large scale district benchmarks. Assessments can be administered online and students will have access to a variety of resources such as LearnZillion and Kahn Academy. Student data can be viewed by performance on assessments or by specific standard over any time frame. This system is designed for assessment for instruction and will be a key resource for us as we move to standards based learning and reporting.

http://www.schoolcity.com/

inquiry.