Welcome to 2009 - 2010
Vision
Create a District where parents want to send
their children, students want to learn,
teachers want to teach, and employees want
to work.
Expectations
Focus
Budget
st
21
Century
Learners . . .
Are We Ready?
Presented by Malcolm Thomas
Superintendent,
Escambia School District
mthomas@escambia.k12.fl.us
st
21
Century…
Learner?
Worker?
Citizen?
Imagine
Rip Van Winkle awakens in the
21st century after a
hundred- year snooze and is,
of course, utterly
bewildered
by what he sees.
Men and women dash
about, talking to small
metal devices
pinned to their ears.
Young people sit at
home on sofas,
moving miniature
athletes around on
electronic
screens
Older folk defy
death and disability
with metronomes
in their chests and
with knees made of
metal and plastic.
Airports,
hospitals,
shopping malls…
every place Rip
goes just baffles
him
But when he finally
walks into a
classroom, the old
man knows exactly
where he is.
"This is a school," he
declares. "We used to
have these back in
1909. Only now the
blackboards are
white."
circa. 1909
circa. 1949
circa. 2009
If we teach today's students as
we taught yesterday's,
How
do
you
we rob them of tomorrow."
design
for the
John Dewey
future when you
can’t predict
tomorrow?
st
21
the
century
learner
What will it take?
vision
connection
implementation
part 1
vision
the only constant is change
“We are currently preparing
students for jobs that
don’t yet exist, using
technologies that haven’t
been invented, in order to
solve problems we don’t
even know are problems
yet.”
Karl Fisch
Fisch, K. (2006). Did You Know/Shift Happens…
Always on
Develop a
vision
Stay relevant in a
Changing world
an eye on the future
Digital
Digital
Digital
Immigrant
Pioneer
Native
21st Century Skills Needed
Image © 2004 Partnership for 21st Century Skills - Source: http://21stcenturyskills.org/
effective learners
independent learners
effective
communicators & creators
effective global
collaborators
part 2
connection
It’s about the
conversations
building bridges
and relationships
constructing new
understandings
energize
part 3
implementation
leadership
defined expectations
transparency
communication
embedded
into the curriculum
deepen
understanding
moving from
cooperation
to
collaboration
The Collaboration Continuum:
Building Interdependence Through Partnership
Cooperation
Helping when a question is asked
Coordination
Planning when a lesson or an activity
happens which supports core curriculum
Collaboration
“a prolonged and
interdependent relationship”
Interdependence
Isolation
• Finding a website or a book for a
teacher upon request.
• Showing a teacher how to use a
digital camera or book a laptop cart
upon request.
• Introducing the document cameras
to a team when asked.
• Setting up a learning space with
appropriate resources to “kick off” a
unit.
• Teaching a “one-off” lesson that fits
with the curriculum.
• Planning a unit to coincide with
core curriculum which is
independently taught by specialist.
• Sharing goals
• Carefully defined roles in the process
• Comprehensive co-planning
•Co-planning units that will be team
taught.
• Team-teaching units which
authentically embed both curricular
goals.
• Units which are team-taught are coassessed.
Collaboration has the highest impact on student achievement.
Collaboration is “2 (or more) equal partners who create a project or unit of study based on
content standards in one or more content areas, a unit that will be team-designed, teamtaught, and team-evaluated.”
Research from Todd, Ross: http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/~cissl/research/ohio.html
The Collaboration Cycle:
Building Independence Through Partnership
Frequent & consistent
collaborative planning,
learning and assessment:
Classroom teacher and
technology facilitator work
as full partners in the
planning, learning (teaming
in the classroom) and
assessment process.
Occasional conversations:
Technology facilitator
offers helpful advice and
tips to classroom teacher
as s/he tackles new
projects at their own
pace. Classroom teacher
actively assists other team
members in use of
technology.
Consistent Professional
Development Opportunities: after
school walk-in sessions 3 days per
week, curriculum planning at the
team level, individual assistance as
needed, advice and tips offered to
teachers and teams as appropriate
to curricular needs.
Pre-assessment of skills, readiness & interest
Regular collaborative
planning, learning and
assessment:
Classroom teacher asks
technology facilitator for
assistance in planning,
learning (teaming in the
classroom) and
assessment as needed.
Occasional collaborative
planning, learning and
assessment:
Classroom teacher works
with technology facilitator
outside of class time to
plan and implement
projects. Occasional
teaming in the classroom,
as needed.
Post-assessment, graduated expert, teacher mentor
Kim Cofino: http://mscofino.edublogs.org/2008/08/28/going-full-circle/
built-in
support
an integrated
support team
resources
at the ready
the right
tools for the job
Change is the law of life. And those who look to
the past or present are certain to miss the future.
John F. Kennedy