Designing Our Future Technology Planning North Platte High
School December 5 th, 2008
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The rest of the quote We must be the change we wish to see in
the world. We must risk more than others see as safe, care more
than others think is wise, dream more than others think is
practical, and expect more than others think is possible. Mahatma
Gandhi
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Designing Our Future I believe in you. I believe in us. I
believe in this community. I believe we can become a world class
school district. We will have to work together differently. We will
make mistakes, hopefully some interesting ones that will teach us a
great deal! We must take the long view, the standard being
improvement and not perfection! We will need each other in this
work.
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Bugs from Nebraska
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Where Did the Bugs Go?
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Designing Our Future The waves of change we are encountering
are enormous!
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Designing Our Future The Seven Da Vincian Principles Curiosit
Dimostrazione Sensazione Sfumato Arte/Scienza Corporalita
Connessione Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
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Curiosit An insatiably curious approach to life and an
unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
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Dimostrazione A commitment to test knowledge through
experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from
mistakes.
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Sensazione The continual refinement of the senses, especially
sight, as the means to enliven experience.
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Sfumato Literal meaning = Going up in smoke. A willingness to
embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
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Arte/Scienza The development of the balance between science and
art, logic and imagination. Thinking with your whole brain.
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Corporalita The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness,
and poise.
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Connessione A recognition of and appreciation for the
interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Thinking in terms
of systems.
Designing Our Future Things that we must do: Create the
professional culture that permits us to improve and transform
classroom practice in safety Agree that growing as professionals is
our job!
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Designing Our Future Ongoing Expectations Systematically
improve instruction for all students K-12 by implementing the
components of powerful teaching and learning, which include active
inquiry, in- depth learning, and performance assessment. Integrate
the use of digital resources into the daily learning experience of
all learners. Create small personalized learning environments for
all students, especially secondary students, where every student is
known well by other students and adults. Create the necessary
supports within the district and community that will result in a
system of schools where each school successfully meets these
expectations.
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Technology Integration Efforts Instructional Improvement
Efforts 21 st Century Classrooms for Every Learner
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Designing Our Future What do we know about improving teaching
and learning? [Improving student motivation: Personalization]
Students are growing up more alone and coming to school more
emotionally needy. When asked, they say that most of their teachers
dont respect them and having teachers who know and respect me is
what makes the greatest difference in their learning. Many are also
less motivated by traditional incentives (fear and respect for
authority) to learn than in the past. Schools where all students
achieve at high levels have addressed this problem in a number of
ways. The common thread, however, is that they have ensured that
all students have powerful relationships with caring adults who are
concerned and knowledgeable about their learning.
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Designing Our Future Student Engagement If you show me how to
cling to that which is real to me, while teaching me a way into the
larger society; then and only then will I drop my defenses and my
hostilities, and sing your praises and help you to make the desert
bear fruit. Ralph Ellison
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Designing Our Future You do, I watchI do, you watch Active
teaching/learning continuum
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Designing Our Future Why do we need to do this work? Honest
Assessment of Our Reality Vision for the Future of Schools Setting
the Course (for 4 years) Providing the Resources Sustaining the
Effort Accounting for Results
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Designing Our Future The purpose of the day is to work together
to create a technology plan that anticipates the future. The
innovation dance in our context. Do not filter your thinking
initially We will aggregate multiple visions We will then make
sense of the patterns we see in those visions Finally, we will
develop the fiscal dimension and its ramifications for practical
planning and design steps
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Designing Our Future Integrating digital technology tools into
the everyday learning program of our schools is simultaneously a
primary component and then an indicator of a disruptive strategy to
support instructional improvement efforts.
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Designing Our Future Shared Commitments We believe in treating
all members of the North Platte community with dignity and respect.
We will demonstrate this belief by: Valuing all individuals and
celebrating diversity. Taking a stand in favor of respectful
conduct. Being positive and appropriate in what we say and do.
Helping people see how individual actions impact the entire
community. Creating supportive relationships that foster a sense of
belonging. We believe in taking care of our great school. We will
demonstrate this belief by: Taking care of the buildings and
grounds. Promoting a safe atmosphere that is conducive to thinking,
sharing, and learning. Celebrating the accomplishments of students
and staff. We believe in producing quality work. We will
demonstrate this belief by: Thoughtfully participating by showing
up physically and mentally and engaging in the work at hand. Coming
prepared, working hard, and using class time well. Challenging
ourselves by stretching beyond where we are. Improving by being
reflective, seeking feedback and revising our work. Collaborating
with others to improve our work and understanding, while
maintaining personal integrity.
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Designing Our Future Respect and Responsibility In high
achieving schools, the environment is authoritative, safe, ethical,
and studious. The staff teaches, models, and expects responsible
behavior and relationships are based on mutual respect.
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Designing Our Future Personalized In high achieving schools,
the school is designed to promote powerful, sustained student
relationships with adults where every student has an adult advocate
and a personal plan for progress. It is vital that schools are
small, intimate units of no more than 600 students (less than 400
strongly recommended) so that staff and students can work closely
together.
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Designing Our Future High Expectations In high achieving
schools, all staff members are dedicated to helping every student
achieve state and local standards; all students are engaged in an
ambitious and rigorous course of study; and all students leave
school prepared for success in work, further education and
responsible citizenship.
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Designing Our Future Common Focus In high achieving schools,
the staff and students are focused on a few important goals. The
school has adopted a consistent research-based instructional
approach based on shared beliefs about teaching and learning. The
use of time, tools, materials, and professional development
activities are aligned with instruction.
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Designing Our Future High Expectations In high achieving
schools, all staff members are dedicated to helping every student
achieve state and local standards; all students are engaged in an
ambitious and rigorous course of study; and all students leave
school prepared for success in work, further education and
responsible citizenship.
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Designing Our Future Personalized In high achieving schools,
the school is designed to promote powerful, sustained student
relationships with adults where every student has an adult advocate
and a personal plan for progress. It is vital that schools are
small, intimate units of no more than 600 students (less than 400
strongly recommended) so that staff and students can work closely
together.
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Designing Our Future Performance Based In high achieving
schools, students are promoted to the next instructional level only
when they have achieved competency. Students receive additional
time and assistance when needed to achieve this competency.
Data-driven decisions shape a dynamic structure and schedule.
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Designing Our Future Technology as a Tool In high achieving
schools, teachers, students, families and administrators have
access to well supported technology resources. These tools are
ubiquitous throughout the school and are essential to the learning
opportunities delivered in the school and beyond.
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Designing Our Future Time to Collaborate In high achieving
schools, staff has time to collaborate and develop skills and plans
to meet the needs of all students. Parents are recognized as
partners in education. Partnerships are developed with businesses
in order to create relevance and work-based opportunities and with
institutions of higher education to improve teacher preparation and
induction.
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Designing Our Future Respect and Responsibility In high
achieving schools, the environment is authoritative, safe, ethical,
and studious. The staff teaches, models, and expects responsible
behavior and relationships are based on mutual respect.
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Designing Our Future Active Inquiry: Students are engaged in
active participation, exploration, and research; activities draw
out perceptions and develop understanding; students are encouraged
to make decision about their learning; and teachers utilize the
diverse experiences of students to build effective learning
experiences.
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Designing Our Future In-depth Learning: The focus is
competence, not coverage. Students struggle with complex problems,
explore core concepts to develop deep understanding, and apply
knowledge in real world contexts.
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Designing Our Future Performance Assessment: Clear expectations
define what students should know and be able to do; students
produce quality work products and present to real audiences;
student work shows evidence of understanding, not just recall;
assessment tasks allow students to exhibit higher-order thinking;
and teachers and students set learning goals and monitor
progress.
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Essential Principles 1.The individual learner is at the center
of the learning environment 2.Learning tasks define the use of
technology. 3.Learners have immediate access to relevant digital
resources 4.Individual and group learning plans are supported by
formative and summary data 5.Inquiry, simulation, modeling and
experimentation are supported by appropriate technologies
6.Learners are supported in their development as media literate
critical thinkers 7.Organizational structures are aligned to
support the first six principles.
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Success Criteria 1.Challenging and relevant learning projects
are universally evident in classrooms. 2.A spectrum of learning
strategies, materials and practices are visible determinants of
technology use. 3.Learning is multi-level (learner to learner,
across all communities) and global in reach as demonstrated by the
nature of the learning projects in process. 4.Learners will have
dedicated mobile computing devices and the resources to support
their learning. 5.Powerful uses of digital technologies will be
evidenced through improved academic outcomes, expressive and
productive student and school projects; including community
development activities.
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Designing Our Future What are the challenges of this work?
Context of Current Reality Personal Limitations Professional
Limitations School Design Limitations Uncertainties: Community
Knowledge and Support Economic Reality/School Funding Our Ability
to Imagine, Change and Grow
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Designing Our Future
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What is the problem we are hoping to solve? How do we actually
integrate digital tools into our current school design in a way
that transforms learning opportunities for our students and
supports us in the redesign of our schools for the future? What do
we need to know and be able to do in order to solve this problem?
Designing Our Future
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A prerequisite for getting agreement is having a common
language and a shared framing of the problem. -from Disrupting
Class by Clayton Christensen
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Designing Our Future How will we problem solve???
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Designing Our future What we choose to do or not to do with our
students is consequential! (This is a good news/bad news thing) How
we organize learning in our schools matters. This is where
technology integration becomes essential to our design work.
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Designing Our Future We will build on our existing assets as we
work our way forward. Developmental, sustainable change Some what
ifs.???!! WiMax and 1-1 learning appliances (computers)
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Designing Our Future
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Acknowledgement Da Vincian Principles were from Michael J.
Gelbs book: How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci (Dell Trade
Paperbacks, 1998)
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Essential Text The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best
Schools Dont Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need and
What We Can Do About It -by Tony Wagner
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Essential Text Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will
Change the Way the World Learns -by Clayton M. Christensen
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My Impressions All schools and programs visited This
presentation is based on observations from our classrooms,
conversations with classroom teachers, support staff, central
administrators, principals, community members, Board members,
students and parents over the past 4 months.