Innovate, Collaborate, Transformwith Learning Connections

Wet your APPetite with APPS

PolleverywhereSimple online voting APPlication to see live resultsVote by text, Twitter or webNearpodInteractive multimedia presentations on mobile devicesPlease download Nearpod APP from your APP Store (iOS

and Android)Reflector APPWirelessly mirror your iDevice to your screen through

any computer

Where to find me:

Twitter: #canedu13 Follow me: @adrossis

Wiki Spaces: http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/

Resources for this presentation: http://adrossis.wikispaces.com/E

COO+2013

Polleverywhere.com

Polleverywhere.com

What is Learning Connections?

Learning Connections (LC) is: Funded by a grant from the Ontario Ministry of

Education, Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat An online community driven by the collaboration of

school districts called District Champions District Champions Align their involvement with their district level plans Engage in sharing and collaborations with other district

champions Build capacity within their district with support from LC

Who is involved?

Blended Approach to Professional Learning

“Student learning depends on every teacher learning all the time.” (Fullan, 2007, p. 35)

Nearpod Demonstration

If you downloaded the Nearpod APP: Open the app on your device Click on “Student” then enter PIN: DMJHY

Using a browser on a computer: Go to the website: http://www.nearpod.com/ Click on “Join Session” at top right and enter PIN: DMJHY

Blended Approach to Professional LearningPersonalized Learning Learning Online Educational Speakers Collaboration and Learning Online Book Studies Pilot Applications Twitter APPdates21st Century Leadership ABEL Leadership Round Table Leadership Summit: APP That!

http://plp.abel.yorku.ca

Personalized LearningLearning Online – gain some APPtitude Scheduled Learning included:

Use Evernote Everywhere Collaborate in Google

OnDemand Learning included: Google Drive, WordPress, Moodle…

Educational Speakers – APPsolute must see! Variety of videos available Learn about exemplary practices presented by experts in their field

Collaboration and LearningOnline Book Studies Math Expressions

3 online asynchronous meetings Online activities and discussions

Pilot Applications Review and pilot new applications Coming soonTwitter APPdates Note-taking Cloud Storage Capture Student Thinking

21st Century LeadershipABEL Leadership Round Table Topics for discussion included:

Collaborate and Share with Apps App That! Are you Online?

Leadership Summit 2014: APP That! Planning for 2 days at York U Leaders in Education

Building Community and Sharing Best Practice

“Connected learning communities are designed to support the professional development goals their members have chosen to improve instruction and subsequently bring about increased growth and achievement for the 21st century learner.” (Nussbaum-Beach & Ritter Hall, 2012, p. 38)

Building Community and Sharing Best Practice

Face-to-face at York University Two conferences

Websites Access to the tools, resources and professional learning Share, collaborate and learn from each other

Monthly Online Meetings Synchronous to share, collaborate, and build community

Face-to-Face at York U

Fall LC District Champion Conference 38 participants from 11 school districts and Ministry Meet and greet to promote collaboration 2 opportunities for hands-on sessions Planning timeSpring LC District Champion Conference Coming May, 2014 Time to share work done throughout the year Planning time for 2014-2015 year

Websites

LC hosts two websites for members to access:http://www.learningconnections.on.ca/ Access to the tools and resources Link to professional learning site:

http://plp.abel.yorku.ca/http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/ Share projects, ask questions Learn from each other

Monthly On-line Meetings

Representatives from Champion Districts meet online Provide information regarding upcoming professional

learning Champions provide feedback to program office about

their needs Planning time for LC events

Sharing of best practices Each month 1-2 districts take 15 minutes to share Opportunity to ask questions and collaborate

Cross-District ProjectsNew this year! Proposals for projects with multiple districts Collaboration between LC Champions across Ontario Projects to promote the improvement of literacy and/or

numeracy instruction with the integration of technology Educators and students benefit from the cross district

collaboration

District iPad Minis

Collaborative project for LC Champions Capture district LC story through media and

sharing Photos and short video of district LC events Capture short interviews or reflections ABEL videographers to produce video for each

districtLearn to manage iDevices at a distance How to add apps How to share and collaborate How to engage teachers using iPads

Sample LC Projects“The integration of technology and pedagogy to maximize learning must meet four criteria. It must be irresistibly engaging; elegantly efficient (challenging but easy to use); technologically ubiquitous; and steeped in real-life problem solving.” (Fullan, 2013, p. 33)

http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/

Reflector App https://www.reflectorapp.com/

Cool features: You don’t need an Apple TV to project

your iDevice You can project multiple devices Inexpensive

Cautions: Use the trial version to check if it

works on your network

Rainbow DSB Integrate inquiry-based learning with literacy in

the grade 7-8 science classroom Based on Professional Learning Cycle using literacy

strategies from: “Adolescent Literacy Guide” Co-planning among teachers from different

schools

Near North DSB Professional learning for teachers for literacy and

numeracy instruction using D2L Coaching model to build capacity Plan and share their learning in an LC course in D2L

Simcoe County DSB Educators learn in their area Hubs through

collaborative inquiry Teachers propose inquiry projects to include several

schools to obtain release time and support Professional learning and sharing based on their

project

Limestone DSB Continue building on student understanding of

accountable talk Teaching and learning mathematics through

problem solving and math processes Professional learning throughout the year Create LC community in LDSB

Ottawa Catholic DSB Support tools to capture conversations, observations

and product Core LC teachers to host job-embedded classroom

observational sites for other teachers Professional learning to build capacity

Research in LC Partnered with Institute for Research in

Learning Technologies, York University research and evaluates the work of the

program 2011-2012: Learning Connections: Project

Year End Report 2012-2013: Learning Connection:

Developing Skills for the 21st Century 2013-2014: To be determined

Research for Improvement

2011-2012: LC Project Year End Report Changed format of monthly meetings to highlight 1-2

districts Provided comprehensive online space for sharing and

collaboration: http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/ Continued to provide two face to face conferences:

“Continue to provide the two face-to-face sessions. They really help to build capacity and collaboration across boards in Ontario. We really appreciate and look forward to those opportunities to meet and share with others.” (Wideman, 2012, p. 13)

Research for 21st Century Learning2012-2013: LC - Developing Skills for the 21st Century Provide a framework to align LC project proposals with

21st century learning skills Case study of 2 districts Preliminary review of past proposals:

“Most projects explicitly incorporated inquiry, expository, communicative, and collaborative skill dimensions in their pedagogical design and classroom implementations, and all made use of ICT in ways that required students to apply (and further develop) important ICT literacy skills.” (Wideman, 2013, p. 34)

For more information

Learning Connectionshttp://learningconnections.on.ca/

LC Collaboration http://lcchampions.abel.yorku.ca/

ABEL Program site http://abelearn.ca/

Resources Wideman, H. (2012). Learning connections: Project year-end

report 2011-2012. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, York University.

Wideman, H. (2013). Learning connections: Developing skills for the 21st century. Toronto, ON: Institute for Research on Learning Technologies, York University.

Nussbaum-Beach, S., & Ritter Hall, L. (2012). The Connected Educator: Learning and leading in a digital age. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

Fullan, M. (2013). Stratosphere: Integrating technology, pedagogy, and change knowledge. Toronto: Pearson Canada Inc.

Fullan, M. (2007). Change the terms for teacher learning. JSD The Learning Forward Journal, 28(3), 35-36. Retrieved from http://www.michaelfullan.ca/media/13396074650.pdf

Thank you!Anita