Using Google To Transform a School

This is our presentation from Nashville, Tennessee:



Also, here is our Professional Development Google Site, with presentations we've making.

Small Learning Communities

I went to a meeting down at Tweed today to discuss Small Learning Communities. The city is thinking about expanding Small Learning Community work to a handful of middle schools next year, and and exploratory panel wanted to hear from several principals who are at different stages of this work.

Two years ago, our school divided into teams for the first time. This year, we began to deepen the work of the teams. We saw the beginnings of inter-disciplinary planning and saw our math and ELA content teams form common assessments, rubrics and criteria.

Many schools have "teams" in name only. At 339, our teams function at a high level, yet we still are eager to continue to delve into academic rigor, differentiation and student engagement. I hope that the city decides to invest in a cadre of middle schools that can examine the work of small learning communities. SLC's can transform middle school practice, and we would love to participate.

Quality Review

Last week, we had our School Quality Review for two full days, directly following Memorial Day. I'm happy to report that we jumped TWO levels, from "Underdeveloped" to "Proficient". We've made a lot of progress, and the Quality Review allowed us to demonstrate some of our best work so far.

We spent time at the end of the week debriefing the feedback we received (still in informal form) and reflecting with our staff. It was great to celebrate the progress we've made with our hard-working teachers and support staff. I think our staff realizes that the Quality Review process examines the efforts and perceptions of all stakeholders at the school. This is what makes the process so valuable.

Everyone was able to point to important lessons learned from the Quality Review process, as well as make some helpful suggestions for next year. People were proud to hear that our reviewer had identified our school as having one of the best instructional technology programs she'd seen.

Here is the Google presentation David Prinstein created based on our SQR feedback:

339 and Google

On Friday, May 23rd, we presented to Empowerment schools down at Google's NYC Headquarters. The city is looking to expand the use of Google Apps into hundreds of schools, and we were invited to present on our practices this year.

Here's our Google presentation we gave at the Google headquarters:



You can also click here to see our presentation published to a full screen.

1000 Words

What was the feeling when the Wright Brothers' first plane lifted off the ground? How did a brand new way of travel, of seeing the world make them feel? How scary was it? How rewarding?

Many days, I feel like we're lifting off...

Kitty Hawk on Webster Avenue.

Today's Lesson Was a Hit!

Ms. Wolk and I have been working with Class 602 on The Giver. Today's lesson focused on how character mood changes depending on their circumstances.

We started by gmailing students a link to a "How do you feel today?" chart, and matched that with a "How do you feel today?" quiz. For the quiz, we used a Google form:



The student quiz results went automatically from the form into a Google spreadsheet:



From there, we modeled how to quote the book and identify character mood in a Google Document.

Finally, we broke the kids into groups so they could use body language to show how Jonas's mood might change over the course of a chapter.

More Than A Team

To Our CIS 339 Tech Tigers:

I write this letter to you from a downtown D train. I just left the gym where I watched you come within three points of our first playoff victory. I’m still jittery from the final few seconds, watching the last three-pointer come down heart-breakingly close to the rim. When I got to the sidewalk outside that school, it seemed impossibly sunny for such a sad day. But as I made my way toward the subway, my sadness faded, and I had to smile.

I had to smile because of what I saw today. So many things for you to be proud of. Your heart. Your effort. Your teamwork. For four quarters, you passed the ball selflessly. You called out to help each other against presses and picks. You didn’t boast when your shots dropped or brood when they didn’t. And you worked. Even during halftime, when the other team rested, you ran drills on the court. By the end, as the opponents were gasping for air, you were still grasping for one more shot, one last shot. In a hostile gym in a foreign part of the Bronx, you gave your best, and that counts.

I had to smile because of your sportsmanship. When other players muttered things, or taunted, you stayed focused on basketball. When the ref blew a call, you kept your cool. When Mr. E pulled you out, or called your name, you knew it was about becoming a better player, a better team. You put your head down and you kept working. When your teammates made mistakes, you clapped it up, showing that what mattered was the future, not the past. And when the final scoreboard wasn’t tilted in your favor, you congratulated the other guys and walked off as men, with your heads high. You had your dignity, a true sign of a winner.

I had to smile because of what you’ve taught us all. That your reputation with teachers and school staff matter when you’re a student-athlete. That books come before ball. You’ve shown that kids from all races and backgrounds and learning styles can come together for a common purpose. You’ve put the team first, and you’ve gone to battle for each other. You lead by example, by teaching each other, by holding each other accountable, by having fun with each other. As a team you are stronger than the individuals, stronger than even you may realize.

I had to smile because of Mr. E, your outstanding coach, a born leader. Demanding the most of you. Expecting the best. Preparing relentlessly. Building pride. Mr. E and you, a group of committed student-athletes, establishing a respected sports program. I see diligent, mature and bright young men ready to take on high school and the world beyond Webster Avenue. There are many, many reasons for us all to smile.

Thank you for all that you have done, for how you have grown, and for the way you will continue to set a positive example by your actions. On and off the court, you have blazed the trail for future Tech Tigers.


Truly yours,


Jason Levy
Principal, CIS 339

Get On The Bus

There was a "Making a Difference" story on NBC nightly news about an amazing program that was started in Arkansas. Rural students who commute an hour each way now have Linux computers, thanks to Vanderbilt's Billy Hudson.

Hudson's idea was to wire a "magic school bus" for Internet access, and then provide students with Linux-based laptops. Now, two hours each day become powerful learning opportunities. The students are called Aspirnauts.

For too many students without adequate technology in their schools, education has become an endless bus trip through a rural area. At its best it might be pretty and safe. But at its worst, it can be mind-numbingly boring and non-productive.

This is one more example of why we need to all get on the bus.

Day 1 in Los Angeles

Update on Asus EEEs

Just a status report on where we are with the EEE's:

Our original order was denied by the DOE, as this new product is Linux-based and due to its newness, has no track record. Fortunately, Peter LaBarca and Steve Vigilante were kind enough to let Jesse Spevack, Christina Jenkins and myself pitch the idea of allowing us to purchase these machines for a 6th grade pilot. Needless to say, after hearing Jesse passionately demonstrating how a 1-to-1 environment will narrow the digital divide, DIIT agreed to give it a shot! It is great to work in a system that encourages a can-do spirit for teachers, principals and schools.

The Asuses (sp?) arrive on Tuesday the 26th! Jesse already has a unit ready to go, and is excited to launch cloud computing with his kids. I can't wait to see what happens.

In case you want to know how to pronounce the laptop in question, you can watch this video.

Saturday at Educon 2.0

This is being called an "unconference" and is planned to be a series of 'conversations.' The traditional professional development workshop involves one presenter (expert) and several attendees (learners). Apparently the "unconference" means that everyone is learning from everyone, and the goal is to stimulate thought and action through discussion.

Here are the sessions being offered:

Session 1 - Saturday

• Influence without authority: Finding Common Ground to Frame Innovation and Change
• The C.E.S. 10 Common Principles and the 2.0 School
• Advisory: The Soul of School
• Little Green Schoolhouse (or School 4.0)
• SLA's Use of Moodle as a Classroom Tool
• Professional Development Using Social Software
• Meaningful Mentoring: The Individualized Learning Plan
• Harness Visual Learning for Critical Thinking, Writing, Presenting and Thinking

Session 2 - Saturday

• Personal Learning Networks and the Demands of Schooling
• Claiming What We Imagine
• Learning to Teach: First Year in a Progressive School
• Tearing Down the Walls: Practicing What We Preach
• Online Collaboration 101: Using Twitter and Skype
• Promoting Open, Reflective Teaching and Learning in Elementary MST
• Public Partnership: The Science Leadership Academy and The Franklin Institute
• We're All Student Teachers

Session 3 - Saturday

• What does good teaching with computers look like?
• Extreme Makeover Edition: How to Pimp Your Library
• New Media Literacies for the 21st Century
• Knowledge in a One-Size-Fits-All Classroom
• Building School 2.0--New Tools and Dewey's Dream
• Authentic Learning
• Engineering: The Constructivist Curriculum
• Student Empowerment: Constitution High School's Government

Arrival at Educon

Pat Wagner, David Prinstein and I are here! Thanks to David 's Garmin, we arrived at the Educon 2.0 Conference here in Philadelphia just past noon. We will spend the afternoon visiting classrooms and meeting with teachers at Chris Lehman's Science Leadership Academy. Tomorrow, we attend workshops and then on Sunday we present.

One Laptop

Do you remember the scene from "Cast Away" when Tom Hanks's character is frantically trying to create fire? Exhausted and desperate, he gamely scrapes two pieces of wood together, enduring blisters and cuts, hoping for a lone spark.

We've found our spark. Maybe.

Enter the Asus EEE Micro Notebook. From what I understand, this is a Linux-based machine, stripped down for Internet utility. Since our school is looking to move to the Web 2.0 world, this machine sounded promising to Jesse Spevack, one of our Team Leaders. He brought it to my attention a couple of weeks ago. We ordered one model, to "play" with.

It arrived on Friday. Our tech team gathered around in Jesse's room at the end of the day. Dan Ackerman (technology AP) keyed in the wireless codes and we were online.

In the palm of our hand, we held a $300 sparkplug with a 5-inch wide keyboard. Seeing the Internet on the scaled down monitor, holding the small-yet-sturdy machine in my hands, I felt like we were about to ignite our school. Maybe we'd found an affordable option to get us the 1-to-1 environment we needed to realize our School 2.0 vision.

We sent Jesse off for the weekend with the assignment to test the EEE. I'm hoping that it makes for a viable classroom tool. If so, we'll pilot with a couple of class sets, get teachers developing 2.0 classrooms and push our technology model.

Time will tell, but this Linux laptop might light our way.

Flowers in Bloom

I realized after Veronica dropped me at Bush Airport in Houston this morning that I’d forgotten to take a picture. Come to think of it, I’d forgotten to take one of Sonia yesterday after breakfast. How could I have forgotten? I hadn’t seen either of them in years, but my digital camera stayed in my backpack. Could conversation have been too good? Maybe I couldn’t get over the fact that while I used to drive kids home (in my Toyota pick-up truck, not a ‘best practice’), I had just watched Sonia motor out of a restaurant parking lot, and was now belted into Veronica’s passenger seat.

As teachers, we invest heavily in our students, never sure what will become of them. Sometimes we’re fortunate enough to hear good news from--or about--our former students. Occasionally the news we hear isn’t so good. Often there’s no news at all, and we’re left to hope the educational seeds we’d planted blossomed after our time together.

I was lucky to teach kids like Sonia and Veronica (both are 22 now) and lucky to have kept in touch (not as often as I’d have liked, though). I was their teacher for two years in the mid-90’s at Macario Garcia Elementary School in Houston. No, they weren’t held over. I’d asked to loop with my 4th grade class through 5th grade. I’d wanted to take an active role in the middle school admissions process. Veronica and Sonia both tested into T.H. Rogers, perhaps the top middle school in H.I.S.D. It was a long bus ride from the North Side to Rogers, but the middle school alternatives near Garcia Elementary made it a clear choice for the girls and their families.

Years later, it is clear how valuable that middle school experience was in shaping these two young women. Sonia graduated from college in May, and is working fulltime for a State legislator. Veronica is wrapping up her B.A. and is thinking about starting her own business. Both are strongly considering graduate school.

I’m not naïve to think that the rest of my former students are as accomplished. However, I’m convinced that for Veronica and Sonia, their common middle school experience was crucial. Even all these years later, each of my former students independently mentioned T.H. Rogers when I saw them this weekend. That school clearly had a major influence on their preparation for high school and beyond.

There is no doubt that we shepherd our students through the more challenging years of their lives. Have you ever met someone who said: “Gee, I really miss middle school. Life was great for me at that point!” Neither have I. Yet at the same time, these are incredibly critical years. The middle school years are when adolescents develop their intellects, their scholarly habits and their resiliency. Prepared and informed, they’ll be poised to take high school by storm. Under-equipped and unguided, they’ll face an uphill climb when they leave our school.

Seeing my former students in Houston—and hearing their unprompted thoughts about middle school—sparked me to re-commit to the work I’m currently doing. I envision CIS 339 teachers re-connecting with their current students in several years, hearing wonderful stories about college classes and new jobs. I promise that it’s worth all the time, the struggle and the (unreturned) love. Not too many adolescents are going to tell you while you work with them how much they appreciate you. It just isn’t cool. But years later, when you hear “Thank you” and see the success stories? Planting seeds is hard work; blooming flowers are a pleasure to marvel at.

Maybe I didn’t take pictures of the “kids” this weekend because I already have my pictures that I love already playing through my mind from time to time…Sonia stumping me with a question from the back row…Veronica smiling after catching a touchdown during intramural football.

We didn’t use digital cameras back then, but those images are the clearest ones I have.

How This Blog Started

On Thursday at 7:45 AM, we were motoring around Houston in a Marriott Van. I had my backpack stuffed with all the tech essentials: laptop, charger, Blackberry, Sprint PCS broadband card, digital camera...

And then I realized that I had a complete blogger's kit. I didn't just have the technical hardware. Thanks to our Aussie consultant Pat Wagner's PD launch, I'd been trained on the online blogging tools. I thought about how Pat had commented (more than once) about the benefits of modeling Web 2.0 tools. I remembered how another D.O.E. colleague had looked at me in August, shaken her head and said:

"You should be blogging."

A few snaps of the camera and some maneuvers through blogger.com and...voila! One paragraph and a pic from our AM van trip were posted, and we were on our way. My first thought was to share our experiences with our own school community. How could we create a bridge back to the school and involve everyone in our professional development excursion?

Usually blogs serve to share our thoughts and experiences with the whole world. But I think my first series of entries will connect our conference team with the CIS 339 world. The concept of "blog audience" will be an interesting one over time, and I'm curious to see how my posts will differ depending on intended audience.

Suggestions?

Hello CIS 339! Greetings from Houston!

I have a request for our math teachers, who meet today for content area planning:

We are meeting at lunch to decide on which workshops to attend this afternoon. But we would like to get some suggestions from our math teachers at the school for Friday's workshops. Are there any workshop titles that are particularly interesting to you? We could assign one of our NCTM team members to go and then report back.

Please check out the Houston NCTM site and then download the "program book." It is linked under the "Sessions" header.

You can post comments to this entry. List the name of the workshop we should check out and a reason! Thanks for your ideas.

FYI- The intended grade level audience for each workshop offering is in parentheses ( )

First Morning in H-Town

Our team is here for the NCTM Conference! We are going to start all day workshops within the hour. We're in the shuttle right now, heading from one hotel to another. Our next hotel is 8 blocks from the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Some pix from the shuttle van!