The above slide is from our DPI Kenan Project.  These are results from Grayson Wheatley’s survey of 5,000 middle school students. Only 1/2 of the students could correctly answer this place value question.   Mathematics Researcher Kathy Richardson says, “if your students are having problems in algebra, fix it in K-2.”   This viewpoint has been the foundation of our work. 

I have to say my biggest A-HA is how well our project group gels.  From our relationship with our mentor, Barbara, to the team dynamic among Alex, Christina, and myself, everything just works.  Honestly, I went into the experience a little concerned about how four driven, strong-willed women might be a clash of minds/opinions.  However, it’s been incredible to see what we are creating together.  We have a common concern for the climate of mathematics education and assessment in our schools, and more importantly, we share a common vision on how we can impact change.   Even though we have different opinions on project aspects (and may I add, great educational discussions around those differences) we come together and find ways to collaborate purposefully around our shared vision.  I think this is the key to making our project tick.

My next A-HA is that while everyone seems to be talking about the wrap-up of their externships, we are just really beginning.  Don’t get me wrong, we have done a lot of work and have laid our framework, but the busiest part of our fellowship will be during this school year.  So much of our DPI expectations revolve around actual student use of the formative assessments we are working on, and another part is talking to district leads, teachers, and researchers about these assessments.  So, ready, set, go, our team is about to start new school years and go full tilt on our project!

Photo Fun:       

Had the pleasure of meeting our State Superintendent, June Atkinson! The Fellows at yesterday’s DPI Summer Institute got to see her in action listening to and encouraging teachers. We also had lunch with her as she specifically wanted to hear about the Kenan Fellowships taking place this year and was highly interested in/supportive of all of our projects!  

This week’s prompt asks us to think on the Common Core/NC Essential Standards and whether they help or impede the integration of technology in classrooms.  Quite the timing of this prompt, considering the CC itself seems up in the air with yesterday’s press release from our Lieutenant Governor:  http://www.ltgov.state.nc.us/News/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?newsItemid=1161.

The ASCD Smartbrief is a collection of educational news highlights from across the country.  I highly recommend signing up for it, as it is a non-intrusive daily or weekly email (http://www.ascd.org/ProfileRegistration.aspx?signup=smartbrief) that keeps you updated on the educational climate.  This article was highlighted in the Smartbrief:  http://www.mlive.com/education/index.ssf/2013/06/common_core_standards_funding.html.

If states that are leading our Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium are “pausing” their implementation and assessing of the Common Core, does that mean we really have a Common Core?  I think it’s safe to assume that the 2014-15  SBAC assessments are null and void if those states leading the development are not adopting the standards.  And if the letter from our Lieutenant Governor is any indicator of what may happen next in North Carolina, then we may also want to prepare for a “pause.”  Who knows what standards we would align to then? Maybe back to even MORE basics?  Include caligraphy with the cursive?    http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/02/22/2699836/bill-would-require-nc-schools.html

Our fellowship revolves around using formative math assessments to improve instruction in K-2 classrooms.   The specific system of assessments we are developing professional development around is Kathy Richardson’s Assessing Math Concepts (AMC).   I use this assessment and instructional approach daily in my work as a math interventionist and math lead teacher for Orange County Schools, and now my goal is to get others to see the value in this hands-on, student-centered instructional approach.

The biggest challenge I see our group facing is the “how” of getting our professional development work distributed.  As we were working at the DPI offices this week, the disconnectedness between the different departments struck me.  Departments are in close proximity, yet seem to be far off with communication.  Even in regards to our Kenan Fellowships at DPI, to my knowledge, our departments don’t cross-communicate about what we are working on.  For my group’s math project, how it is distributed may depend on what the assessment  department wants to do with it, or on what the Home Base department wants to do with it. In the mean time, we keep working with the rigor and belief that what we are doing is best for student learning and that others will see the value in this project and ensure it is distributed.  And of course, if they don’t, we’ll become door-to-door Kenan Fellows pitching our PD 🙂

• Different devices/operating systems/tools:  I think it is important to cover standards and to make sure the “what” of teaching is similar from classroom to classroom,  but I believe it is just as important to keep the “how” of teaching open and up to the educator.  This should be the same with the technology.  How we choose to embed it and which tools we choose to use will be different depending on our teaching style.  Because of the differences in our choices, it can lead to us figuring things out on our own. We used to have tech support staff in our district at every building who could support our choices and exploration with technology, but that is not the case any longer.   Even when districts/schools mandate certain technology programs and devices, the manner of which teachers use them are so varied. Often, we are not supported with district PD when new technology tools are introduced, so we’re left again to self-explore or get PD from our colleagues.    

• Bandwidth:  We now have up and running 1:1 laptops for all 6th-12th graders in our district, laptops for all staff, iPad Minis for K-2 teachers for the reading 3D initiative, multiple laptop carts, computer labs, iPod Touches, and other devices that are throughout the district.  All of these devices operating at the same time throughout the school-day is slowing our server and causing interruption in device use.  The district keeps increasing our bandwidth, but we are also increasing the amount of devices each year.  We run into connection problems and must always be ready for back-up to our 1:1 lessons. This becomes frustrating for teachers new to 1:1 and they feel way create the lessons if they know they need a back-up anyway? 

• Uncertainty:  We rolled out the the 1:1 laptops for 6th through 12th graders last year, with the knowledge that this year the initiative would roll out for 3rd-5th graders.  Then, eventually devices would roll out for K-2 for a full district 1:1 implementation.  However, when the 1:1 rolled out for 6th-12th graders, many teachers were left with questions and felt unsupported and confused about how to use huge gift/tool effectively.   Instead of rolling things out little by little with tons of support and teachers using one another to watch spotlight lessons and classrooms, everything pushed out all at once and very close to the beginning of the school year.    Now, it is time for 3rd-5th graders to get their devices for the school year starting in August, but we are left with many questions:  who will support device usage and maintenance?  are students getting laptops or tablets?  will they keep  their devices at school? and, are they even getting devices this year now that we’re so late into summer and still haven’t heard anything?  I believe that uncertainty in schools and districts is the greatest hinderance to teachers leveraging technology in their classrooms.

My reflections on the week at NCCAT come in two forms:  1. overarching questions/thoughts that I left with regarding technology and teaching  and  2. absolutely ridiculous laughable moments.  Ultimately, both forms tie into finding balance in life.   As I read over others’ blog posts, that seems to be a common theme.

The first part of my reflection-  Questions sparked about technology’s place in the classroom:

• We say we need to limit technology and not overwhelm our classrooms with it, but I am reminded of a definition of technology that was shared with us during the brown bag mystery lesson, “technology is anything that makes things better.”  Is this the definition most teachers use in their classrooms?  How might my/our classrooms change if we used this as our definition?
• As much as we need to strike a balance of electronic devices in the classroom, electronics played a pretty big role in my natural experience on the Nantahala. During rafting, pictures were snapped left and right, and I’m really happy to have those shots to share with others who weren’t on the river with me.   After rafting, our group wanted a picture with our guide, so I took it on my phone then proceeded to email it to group members and post it to Facebook to tag them.  As much as I love taking away the electronics and soaking in the environment around me, I was also quick to jump back into my technology the minute I was done rafting. I guess it was hard not to jump back in when the first stop after disinfecting vests is the company photo booth.  Even when we want to disconnect, we are somewhat pushed into connecting. Perhaps a good discussion to bring up with students and get their thoughts on it?
• How do I relay to my students the importance of striking the balance- of turning it all off and connecting to the world naturally versus using the tools we have to make the world more connected?

The next part- Absolutely ridiculous highlights:   

• Finding out that there is mayonaise in pimento cheese. I hate mayonaise, but I love pimento cheese. Mind blown. 
• Calling our rafting team Zach and the Viking Princesses and having the honor of being named captain (self-appointed).
• Another huge honor- winning the Potty Mouth award.  My mom is proud of this major prize (can’t help but think that this type of prize falls in line with the “major award” from A Christmas Story).
• Being given some seedless watermelon.
• These moments of connections and camaraderie made me realize the value and importance of NCCAT.  NCCAT provides a place where teachers can be, well teachers, but also a place where we can be ourselves.  We’ve all been in situations where it’s hard to slip out of teacher mode and stop talking about our classrooms, but I feel like NCCAT helped us strike a balance.  And anyway, when we did slip back into teacher mode and start talking about students/classrooms,  there was someone else there to listen to the story, connect to it, and laugh with you about it.  This type of time is invaluable.