“A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.”
– John Wooden
Over the past decade and especially in the last year and a half, DPS109 has been “going digital” as part of a 1:1 Transformation of teaching and learning practices – we are in 2015 so we are committed to educating like it’s 2015 and not 1915!
In support of this transformation we have invested time, dollars, resources, planning, training, and support for this transformation – not reformation – but transformation of teaching and learning leveraging modern techniques, research, tools, and culture in support of our mission: Engage, Inspire, Empower! Earlier this year I shared several blog posts outlining and describing many of the high level digital tools we have in support of our teachers and students. As part of this process I was fortunate to attend a national conversation on math achievement as a guest of Discovery Education.
Brief Report from National Education Leadership Event
District 109 Director for Learning and Assessment Services Amy Rubin and I went to Discovery Education World Headquarters for the release and review of math techbook as well as technology tool integration as part of a national conversation on math achievement. For more information, please visit: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/futurenow2015/math-techbook-launch/index.cfm.
We were guests of the Discovery Education Company and we were seated with the U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez who also gave the keynote address at the event. Beyond reviewing “technology”, Amy and I were part of a national discussion about math achievement and the importance of math education for all students, especially for our girls. This is consistent with findings and recommendations of the Superintendent’s Task Force for Middle Level Education STEM subcommittee recommendations from last year’s community engagement process. Our plan is to share our learnings with the math PLC’s (Professional Learning Communities, teams) at both middle schools as well as with the math committee and the leadership teams.
Amy and I also visited a Washington D.C. public school where blended learning and digital transformations using tools that include the Discovery science, math, and social studies tech books are the norm. The school is the Wheatley Education Center, a K-8 public neighborhood school. The true differentiation taking place in each classroom was impressive – at low, medium and high levels. There were classrooms with direct instruction, group work and individual work going on at the same time – stations across the grade levels. As you may know, DPS109 has available for use Discovery Education science tech book in grades 1-8 and social studies tech book in grades 6-8. In addition, for several years we have had access to Discovery Streaming with audio, video, imagery, encyclopedia, songs, etc. resources for all subject areas grades K-12. Additional training on site has begun and most recently at our DPS109 Teaching & Learning Conference, Discovery Education trainers led sessions with our teachers and administrators.
Amy and I also benefitted greatly from having the opportunity to interact with executives from Discovery as well as education leaders from US and Canadian states/provinces. We also met with educators from the United Kingdom; these multiple perspectives serve to enlighten us to the possibilities of technology, improved instruction or pedagogy and “crack the code” on how to effectively differentiate for all learners – especially at the higher achievement levels. This event was unique in that we interacted with teachers, students, leaders, and politicians at the highest levels for the purposes of leveraging business/government/and educational partnership in support of public education and economic growth. We did all this amidst a flurry (no pun intended) of weather related communications and decision making this week. All and all it was a whirlwind of intensity and learning and energizing partnerships on behalf of student learning, staff training and growth, and community and national pride!
