2009 Concurrent Sessions
Tuesday, April 28
9:45–10:45 a.m.
Connecting Curriculum to the "Real World"
Susan Reutter and Erika Llewellyn, Academy Park High School
The proposed session will feature an overview of the project completed by Susan's AP calculus students, including the framework for the project, standards, and 21st century skills,
assessments, sample student work, and teacher and student reflections. The session will also focus on making real-world connections to your content, extending learning outside the
walls of the classroom, and strategies for using your personal or local connections to accomplish these goals. Participants will be asked to brainstorm and discuss answers to the
following questions: How can you bring real-world connections into your own classroom? What resources do you already have?
Teachers Designing and Implementing Project-based Learning and Assessments
Mark Toci and Teachers, Centre Learning Community Charter School
Developing and implementing a project-based, technology-supported curriculum can be demanding and time consuming. Add in the assessment component and a teacher has quite a job on his
or her hands. Working with small groups, teachers from the CLC Charter School will share how they meet the challenge of creating and implementing a project-based curriculum, and
how they assess student progress. The CLC has been a one-to-one computing environment since it opened in 1998.
Creating a New Classroom Dynamic
James Gates, Ed Tech Consultant and PDE Mentor, CFF
In forty-five minutes, Gates will pretend to be a classroom teacher setting up some Web 2.0 tools for his class. From start to finish, he will take the attendee through the steps
needed to set up an RSS aggregator (designed to collect RSS feeds, including custom feeds), a custom search engine (for finding only the information you want and then subscribing to
it to stay current), a classroom wiki (complete with adding students and editing pages), a social bookmarking site (for collecting resources from the class), and more.
While stepping through this process Gates will discuss the power of these tools, why they are important skills for college-bound students, and elicit discussion from audience
about the creative uses of these tools that also address Pennsylvania and National Education Technology standards.
Learning with Primary Sources from the National Archives Videoconference
David Rosenbaum, National Archives and Records Administration; Stevie Kline, Intermediate Unit 1; and Joyce Mason, Canon-McMillan High School
The purpose of this videoconference session is to demonstrate how teaching with primary documents encourages a varied learning environment for teachers and students alike. Analysis of
documents, independent research, and group work become a gateway for research with historical records in ways that sharpen students' skills and enthusiasm.
By combining elements from the National Archives' two teacher-recommended videoconferencing lessons, "Introduction to the National Archives and Records Administration" and "The Constitution," Rosenbaum, Education Specialist, will help
students analyze primary sources such as FDR's "Date Which Will Live in Infamy" speech, photographs from the Civil War, and the canceled check for the purchase of Alaska.
Participants will analyze facsimiles of the U.S. Constitution and describe its importance in our lives today. Using document analysis worksheets created by the Archives, students will examine and analyze the patent
drawing for the original "Monopoly" game and a letter written to a U.S. President by an elementary student, and determine their relevance to the U.S. Constitution. Using FDR's "Date
Which Will Live in Infamy" speech, participants will evaluate the importance of revision and word choice in speeches.
The vast resources of our National Archives are available electronically at no cost to our citizens and schools. Rosenbaum is also available via videoconferencing to support teachers
and their students. Citizens no longer have to travel to Washington D.C. to experience the National Archives.
Authentic Instruction: Connecting Kids to the Community
Sam Bundy, DuBois Area High School
One aspect of Authentic Instruction is connecting students to the "world beyond the classroom." This presentation will provide information on how this connection is being made in the
DuBois Area School District along with tips and ideas on how it can be done in your community.
It's Not About The Board!
Scott Caulfield, Promethean Teaching and Learning Consultant
Smart, Polyvision, Interwrite, Mimeo, Promethean Activboard are all just boards—conduits if you will—to the teacher's computer. Boards don't engage students, nor do they provide
differentiated instruction, or formative assessment. Interactive whiteboards don't transform teaching and learning—teachers do; teachers who use powerful lesson creation and
curriculum delivery software like Activstudio. As an integral component of CFF, the Promethean Activclassroom transforms education, helping teachers overcome lack of planning time and
training issues, both common obstacles when learning new technologies. Attendees will get hands-on experience and see how other teachers use Promethean in their classrooms to improve
teaching and learning. Documentation will outline gains made in student achievement and standardized testing in Promethean Activclassrooms, including the most recent study conducted
by Dr. Bob Marzano.
The Suite Life of One-to-One Environments
Jason Nast, SMART Technologies
Come experience what a one-to-one classroom can be like with the help of the SMART Classroom Suite. You will see first-hand the power, integration, and usability of this latest
offering by SMART Technologies. The SMART Classroom Suite brings together SMART Sync classroom management software, SMART Notebook Student Edition, and SMART Response assessment
software in one package. You will get real classroom examples of how this software is being used by teachers and students in classrooms around the world. Come experience the Suite
life and give your student more time to learn with the SMART Classroom Suite.
Critical Conversations:
Part-Time, Full-Time, or 24/7 Access: Differences, Issues, and Myths
Paul Cohen, Rich Sterner, and Kyle Peck
(Part 1 of double session)
11:00 a.m.–noon
Web 2.0—Tools for the 21st Century Teacher
Bryan O'Black, South Fayette Township School District
Web 2.0 offers educators tools such as RSS technology, newsfeeds, and social bookmarking that are transforming the way information is gathered and shared in the 21st century
classroom. As components of the blogosphere and wiki environment, they are powerful technologies and essential in the educator's toolbox, used to differentiate instruction and engage
our students in the teaching and learning process. This presentation will explore the potential of using sites such as Bloglines, Blogger, and various podcasts/emerging technologies
to illustrate the value of instructing teachers and students by using these type of resources.
Student Technicians…An Untapped Resource!
Marty Petrosky, Shanksville-Stonycreek School District
What is the most untapped resource in school districts regarding technical support? STUDENTS! Learn how a Cohort 1 CFF school district satisfied the need for expanded IT support by
harnessing the technical abilities of students through the creation of a 'Student Technician Program.' Course specifics will be discussed in detail including general organization,
daily procedures, monitoring, grading, and record keeping, as well as ethics, student success, and a few caveats.
I Didn't Expect to be Chased by Giant Squid: How Online Discussions, Journals, and John Dewey got my Ninth Graders to Really Read
Rikki Carr, Northwestern High School District
At the end of their eighth grade year, my soon-to-be ninth grade students get notice that things are about to change. "WARNING: DO NOT DO A BOOK REPORT FOR YOUR SUMMER READING
PROJECT!" trumpets across the top of the handout—one of the very few pieces of paper students are handed in my class. By using and building my arsenal of open source (FREE) and cost
effective tools, such as Quia (an online site that allows you to build tests, review games, and surveys using your content—I haven't graded a vocabulary test in four years!), Moodle
(a course management system), the plethora of Mac iLife applications, and digital camcorders too numerous to mention, I have been able to create an innovative, exciting, and
user-friendly (to both teacher and student) curriculum.
As we read our first book, they are to break into partnerships and create a research vodcast about a mythological figure from another culture. All the elements of research must be
present, but instead of writing a paper or making a PowerPoint, they must record the story of their figure in their own words and include either original artwork or pictures (properly
cited, of course) from the Internet. They take every test online using Quia, every assignment begins with my saying: "now please open your laptops and go to our Moodle page," and
their vocabulary words are found and studied online. We create an online newsletter called "Strictly Fresh: For Freshmen, About Freshmen, By Freshmen," and an online visual dictionary
of the SAT Word of the Day series. As we read short stories, speeches, poems, and books, they take part in open-forum discussions that not only give every student a voice, but also
help to ensure that a student is not permitted to simply fade into the scenery; they must speak, and they must, in accordance with John Dewey, have an informed opinion. To cultivate
an informed opinion, my students must read—really read—the text that we are discussing. And they have risen to this challenge in ways that I had never even dreamed of.
Photo Story 3 in the Social Studies Classroom
Sam Bundy, DuBois Area High School
Photo Story 3 is a powerful visual presentation tool that can be used effectively in the classroom. This session will provide tips on how to integrate the software into a lesson as
well as examples on how it has been used in the Social Studies classroom.
A Snap Shot of the Web 2.0 Teacher
Sally Bair, Northern Lebanon School District
Ever wonder what tools teachers who've jumped on the Web 2.0 bandwagon are using and how they are using them? Join us as we take a quick tour of some of easiest of the easy and best
of the best. Conversation and sharing are welcome!
Increasing Higher Level Task Engagement Using Technology
Scott Garrigan, Independent Consultant
We know that higher-level skills are the route to satisfying future careers, and that higher-level skills are a more accurate barometer of learning than memorization of facts or
concepts. A student doesn't really understand an idea unless she can analyze it, compare it to others, synthesize new ideas using it, and apply it to a real-world problem. Some
teachers, however, use classroom laptops in more traditional ways, for example, involving the research and writing of a report. The research may be on an assigned topic that has no
intrinsic interest to the student, and the writing may be a report handed in to the teacher for a grade. This approach seems to differ little from using an encyclopedia or
Reader's Guide to research and preparing a report with a typewriter, as students did forty years ago. Many teachers who understand high-level learning know that students learn,
remember, and understand when they apply knowledge at higher levels. This session will explore approaches in math, science, social studies, and English to more deeply engage students
through laptop assignments and will include social learning, personally-meaningful assignments, intrinsic motivation, authentic problems, and the publishing of student work. None
of these approaches have additional costs, but your students will thank you for the opportunity to engage in tasks that are worthy of their best efforts. These tasks will develop
higher-level skills that will serve them for a lifetime.
Open Session to Explore SMART Technologies
Rebecca Lake and Jason Nast, SMART Technologies
Come and explore some of the new technologies that SMART is showcasing.
Critical Conversations:
Part-Time, Full-Time or 24/7 Access: Differences, Issues, and Myths
Paul Cohen, Rich Sterner, and Kyle Peck
(Part 2 of double session)
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Integrating Creativity and Innovation into Core Subject Areas (Using Technology)
Scott Garrigan, Independent Consultant
Creativity and innovation may be the final bastion of American economic power, and we may expect every good job to require these 21st century skills in our students' future. In fact,
unless a student can creatively apply knowledge, he or she doesn't really understand the material. But our core subjects typically don't emphasize the development of creativity or
innovation, even though that's the path to deep understanding. Creativity is firmly a part of creative writing, but that kind of writing is not valued by No Child Left Behind or PSSA
testing. Innovation should be a core element of science, but curricula tend to emphasize well-known facts and concepts rather than their creative applications. Social studies,
particularly history and economics, are treated as memorization of doctrine rather than innovative interpretations or creative applications to real issues. Math is treated as though
creativity and innovation don't exist, but the core of mathematics is inherently creative, and many real-world problems require creative applications of mathematics. This session will
demonstrate the magnitude of this "creativity and innovation gap" for our students, and it will offer activities for each core subject that help develop the creativity and innovation
that our students and our employers desperately need. Creativity is part of every discipline from computer science to business; it isn't just for the arts department. This session
puts into practice some of the ideas of Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat) and Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind).
Photo Story in a Social Studies Classroom
Adelaide T. Peters and Sarah Kinzel, Emmaus High School
This session will be a presentation and discussion of a Photo Story project that was run in a general American Studies II course. The students were tasked with choosing a theme of
focus from within the Great Depression time period and creating a short movie. Students were introduced to databases by the school librarian and were to find historical images using
those sources. The technology teacher and the CFF coach then showed the students the basic components of Photo Story. The classroom teacher organized the project and worked with the
students on a daily basis, calling in help from other teachers as necessity dictated. During the session there will be a discussion of the professional collaboration that occurred,
the nuts and bolts of the project, unforeseen difficulties and how they were tackled, planned revisions for next year, and time for attendees to share their experiences or ask
questions. Examples of student work will also be shown.
Developing and Implementing a School-wide Action Plan Using the Classrooms for the Future Initiative to build a One-to-One School
Jeff Rothenberger, Fred Griffiths, and Mary Hall, Warwick School District
Join Classroom for the Future instructional technology coaches and a classroom teacher as we share the story of the transformation of our school to achieve positive results with our
CFF funding. We will outline steps we are taking to develop and implement our action plan: everything from communication, staffing, selection and adaptation of Web 2.0 tools,
professional development, and pedagogical change. Examples of new pedagogy and students' mastery of their learning through application will be shared. This session will provide
participants with an overview of the changes needed to achieve school improvement and the necessary learning for the twenty-first century.
So You Have a One-to-One Environment—Now What? How To Build A Sustainable Future
John M. Gould, Ph.D., Drexel University
Do you expect the next twenty years to have less turmoil than the last twenty years? We hope not. Given the changes expected in technology, medicine, social interactions, the
environment, and the international scene, what kind of world might our students face? As educators we can't say for sure, but one thing we know is that with the anticipated
acceleration of events, our educational systems will be challenged to prepare students and staff to deal with them. It is not enough to plan for change; we must understand the change
process and how it affects people over time.
Your CFF environs and other reforms will not be sustainable unless you surface the present assumptions driving our schools! You are a creative educator who has been able to use
technology and the resources of CFF in imaginative ways to engage students and impact student achievement. But the fact is that, for most teachers, truly infusing technology into
daily instruction is still a difficult goal—even for motivated, talented teachers who really want to use technology to teach core subjects. Our old models are no longer appropriate
for a time when innovation and creativity are essential for the twenty-first century. Educators and students are living in a transitional period. It may take another decade to sort
these issues out.
Join John Gould as he looks at the essential question of this presentation: "What are educators to do in order to survive and thrive during this transitional period?" The focus of
this session is to develop skills to increase collective thinking, develop new patterns of relationships to create powerful instructional practices through technology, and envision
different delivery models of school as you feel tremendous pressures to adjust to an era of accountability and accelerating complexity. Understanding the skills to change perceptions
and envision new models for curricular information and of a school day will help school leaders, at all levels, to rethink and redesign sustainable learning environments for the
twenty-first century.
Two Years Later: How CFF and Technology has Changed a Small Rural School District
Tom Nelson, Southern Tioga School District
It has been a crazy journey, but amidst the frustrations of budgeting, staffing, infrastructure and other things, the Southern Tioga School District has made significant advances
using technology provided by the CFF grant to move into the twenty-first century. In this session we will take a close look at the transformation of a small rural school district
and how CFF brought the district closer together in times of change. The session will provide the attendees with an overview of what worked for us and what did not work for us. The
session will provide examples of successful technology use in all subjects towards improved student learning. A showcase of Web 2.0 best and worst use will be shared as well as an
outlook for our future with technology as a district. Attendees will leave this session with a better understanding of the "big picture" when thinking about using technology to teach
in the twenty-first century. Attendees new and experienced can expect to receive a plethora of proven ideas for implementing technology into all subjects of the school curriculum.
ALEKS and First in Math Online Programs
Mark Losey, Educational Technology Consultants, Inc; and Ed Catherman, Central I.U. 10
This session will explore ALEKS®, an individualized, online math tutoring serving as a full course or very strong
supplement for grades 5–12 and whose uses include remediation, enrichment, test prep, alt-ed, etc. and First in Math®, an innovative online program for grades 2–9 that includes the 24®GAME math series, basic fact mastery, test-prep, assessment, and
exciting competition. Research confirms improved performance and attitudes using these programs.
The Extraordinary Made Simple
Rebecca Lake, SMART Technologies
Join SMART Technologies and participate in an exciting workshop in making the extraordinary simple. SMART Technologies will be discussing the basic functionality of the SMART Board
interactive whiteboard. You will see new ideas of how the SMART Board and Notebook 10 software can improve learning outcomes, save time, and make learning fun. You will learn ways to
make your classroom teaching engaging using the interactive whiteboard with the content and resources at your fingertips.
Critical Conversations: Innovation and Accountability; Complementary or Contradictory?
David Warlick, The Landmark Project
3:45–4:45
Has the Classrooms for the Future Program Fostered 21st Century Skills among CFF Students?
Robin Clausen, Penn State; and Jeanne Vilberg, Ohio University
21st century skills have been widely defined as a set of skills that enable success in 21st century schools and the workplace. Such skills as group problem solving, collaboration,
creativity, and formal reasoning are said to enable success in what really matters to today's society. The CFF Evaluation Team (College of Education, Penn State) measures the
acquisition of 21st century skills among CFF students in two ways. First, the team conducts an independent evaluation of the attainment of 21st century skills among treatment (CFF
students) and control (non-CFF students) conditions. Beginning in the 2007–2008 academic year, this multi-year study aims to resolve the following research question: Have CFF students
developed a greater ability to perform tasks requiring 21st century skills than students in similar schools that do not offer one-to-one learning environments? By resolving this
issue, we can view the outcomes of a CFF reform agenda in regards to fostering 21st century skills among CFF students. The second way the CFF Evaluation Team measures the acquisition
of 21st century skills is through classroom observations conducted by trained observers statewide. By resolving the following—Is there a difference in the attention paid to 21st
century skills in CFF classrooms?—we can effectively demonstrate how these 21st century skills are treated in the CFF instructional environment. Through coupling an understanding of
how (and to what degree) teachers teach 21st century skills with an understanding of the outcomes of the learning of 21 century skills in these environments, we will better understand
the impact of the CFF reform agenda in this important area of teaching and learning.
IshowU Math 24/7
Luis C. Almeida, Waynesburg State University
This presentation will be about using a simulation technology tool to serve as a 24/7 coach for high school mathematics students. The presenter will demonstrate how animated
simulations can be used to assist teachers with teaching algebra by using a low-end computer application. Teachers will be able to develop math animations in minutes and share them
via DVD or Web format. This is an outstanding session for teachers and administrators who are looking for innovative ways to help troublesome mathematics students at a distance.
Another Project?!?!
Heather Ryder, Midd-West School District
With laptops, cameras, recorders, NETS*S, and 21st century skills pushing education forward, we (teachers) tend to find ourselves assigning more project-type assignments to our
students. Have you stepped back and reviewed your projects? It is really easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour of fun, but how can we make sure that the Hollywood fun is
effective in making students learn? Come and join the discussion and uncover important ingredients that need to be included for all projects, including the introduction of the
assignment, and rubrics.
We will use the NETS*S, 21st century skills and Bloom's Taxonomy to evaluate different projects used by teachers. The discussion will bring up the need to look beyond how pretty the
final product looks and really consider the steps and processes required by the students in order to create the final product.
How Students are Using Video in Project-based Learning
Middle school students and Mark Toci, CLC Charter School
For eleven years, CLC Charter School students have been provided with their own laptops and have access to a variety of digital and informational tools. During this
interactive session, CLC teachers and students will discuss and demonstrate how video is being used within the unique project-based learning environment of CLC.
Twenty-first Century Professional Development—Aligning PD with Teaching
Beth Rajan Sockman and Kathy Post, East Stroudsburg University
Shouldn't professional development emulate the way that we want teachers to teach? Unfortunately, PD is usually the opposite—lecture! In this interactive session you will do
professional development through the content areas; you will learn by doing. You will explore the meanings of differentiation by creating comics, wiki pages, and verbal stories, and
most importantly, experience a new PD method. The session will be most productive if you have a laptop.
Beyond CFF: Strategies for Growth and Sustainability
Peter J. Oyler, Education Development Executive, Apple, Inc
Without a doubt, the CFF initiative has proved to be an excellent way to engage students and enliven the classroom, but now that the project is nearing its last year, many school are
asking "where do we go from here?" Join Apple as we tackle this question through presentation and dialog in an effort to provide strategies to sustain and expand the program at the
local level. Topics for consideration include professional development, maintenance, curriculum, deployment and redeployment models, and financing.
EduPlatform: A Tool for the Job of Teaching
Ann Perry Malia, Nash Rocky Mountain Early College High School; and Giovanni Paoli, Instructional Technology Consultant, Dreyfous & Associates
Teachers at Rocky Mount Early College High School, a one-to-one computing school in North Carolina, have been able to successfully manage and teach in their wireless-networked
classroom thanks to a product called EduPlatform. Ann Malia, ECHS English teacher, will present the teachers' experiences before and after EduPlatform, while Giovanni Paoli,
Educational Consultant, will demonstrate key features in networked classroom management and will model the simple process of creating a digital lesson.
EduPlatform is an all-in-one solution to manage and teach in networked environments like one-to-one settings, computer labs (fixed or mobile), and computer centers found in libraries
and self-contained classrooms. With EduPlatform's Classroom Manager and Lesson Builder, teachers will be able to efficiently and effectively deliver instruction.
EduPlatform's Classroom Manager helps teachers maximize instructional time and provides them with the tools necessary to minimize common distractions associated with computer and
Internet access. With EduPlatform's Lesson Builder, teachers will be able to design lessons that adapt to each student's learning style. Teachers will be able to easily merge and
sequence a variety of digital resources specifically selected to attain the lesson's objectives. Once lessons are created they can be saved, shared, modified, and re-used. EduPlatform
is also fully bilingual (Spanish/English) and student-centered, and teachers, departments, schools, and districts will be able to build a lesson bank that can be aligned to the
state's standards and hosted at the district/school's Web site.
Critical Conversations: Creating a Culture of Innovation; What are the Conditions that Make this Possible?
Chris Lehman, Science Leadership Academy
5:00–6:00
Stoneware and Dell Deliver One-to-One Access
Anil Rao, Stoneware
Students, faculty, and administration are no longer dependent upon a particular machine or location to be able to access all computing resources. Stoneware's webNetwork delivers a
virtual Web desktop that securely delivers Windows, Web, and hosted applications. Users now have one place to go, with a single password, to access applications, files, and content.
webNetwork is a "cloud" technology that provides secure Web access to applications and data, from anywhere, using any device. Unlike any solution on the market, webNetwork allows
organizations to create their own "private" cloud that is hosted on site using their own servers and storage. Through the private cloud, organizations can provide users with access
all their Web, Windows, and hosted applications from both inside and outside the network with just an Internet connection and browser. webNetwork is the first product in the market to
deliver on the promise of cloud computing. Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies, webNetwork delivers today on all the advantages of cloud computing including centralized management,
scalable, secure, and zero client management. Without any custom development or extensive consulting engagements, webNetwork can help your organization begin its march to web
computing while integrating all of your existing Windows and legacy applications.
Teaching 21st Century Skills: A Case Study
Missy Beidelman and Fred McClain, Southern Huntingdon County High School
At Southern Huntingdon County High School, we received enough funding through CFF to outfit two carts with thirty computers each. We currently have five teachers (at least one in each
discipline) sharing the carts among eight of their classes. In this session, we will discuss each of our projects and share our frustrations and successes as well as showcase some of
our student work. We will discuss how we got started with our projects, where we are now, and where we are heading.
When we received the CFF grant, our goal was to incorporate technology into just a few classes. We were afraid to start off too big. We thought we could begin by having one class do a
project on local history, while a business math class used the computers to work with real-world applications. However, once students starting working with the equipment, they seemed
to be the driving force behind adding technology to more classes. Now we have two English classes making movies of students' own interpretations of books they've read. We have
geometry classes creating podcasts to use as review for tests. There are chemistry classes creating PowerPoint presentations and movies to discuss the periodic table and to record
labs of their experiments. Many of the classrooms involved are using Blackboard and Moodle to host wikis for students to create unique content for the class.
We are also looking to expand our focus on what technologies should be used in the classroom. We are piloting a program for student e-mail and are looking into the possibility of
using iPod touches and cell phones in the future in the classroom, as these are technologies that the students themselves would be able to provide.
Using CFF Technology as a Classroom and District Testing and Assessment Tool
Michael Marchionda, K–12 Testing and Assessment, Scantron
Because of CFF, students are learning using their laptops and other technologies. Now, teachers can assess and students take classroom tests using their laptops, providing immediate
data to teachers and students. Connected to both ExamView and netTrekker, Scantron's web-based assessment software includes an online classroom testing module that provides
easy-to-use test generation and automatic scoring. This session will show how a district can easily create an assessment system where teachers can give all classroom tests as well as
mid-term and final exams online for immediate scoring, saving time grading and providing more time to analyze student achievement. It will further leverage the CFF
investment, imbedding it in to your complete academic program.
Strategies for Designing Performance-Based Learning
Mark Toci, CLC Charter School
Mark Toci has been designing and implementing project-based, technology-supported curriculums in a variety of public school settings for over fifteen years. During this
interactive session, he will show examples of projects and share different strategies for developing and implementing long- and short-term projects.
Creating Screen Capture Videos with CamStudio
Sam Bundy, DuBois Area High School
Creating video lessons and posting them on the web can be a big help for students, especially those who have to miss school due to illness. This session will demonstrate how this can
be done using CamStudio, an open source software.
Dynamic Formative Assessment Strategies (in and out of the classroom) Using a 21st Century Learning Environment
Bob Longo and Wilkes Baugh, Studywiz Spark
Classroom teachers can now apply innovative teaching and learning strategies for all students by using rich, multicontent resources enabled by a leading software learning
platform. Various tools such as online tests, quizzes, assessments, polling, discussions, and chat rooms can elevate the ways that formative assessments are used with Web 2.0
technologies. Feedback from students can be gathered immediately and teachers can adapt their teaching approaches "on the fly" in order to achieve greater understanding and learning
success. By gaining data within the learning environment, teachers have the ability to personalize their teaching strategies for each student.
Examples will be demonstrated showing how various resources within this online learning environment can improve and enhance formative assessment results.
NOTE: Be sure to attend if you are interested in learning about a Pennsylvania-based research project using online learning environments and formative assessments. (Perhaps we can
recruit your school for the research study?)
Bring Money Back to your District and Reduce Dropout Rates . . . How to Implement a Cost Effective District Cyber or Alternative School
Patrick Hockey, Philipsburg-Osceola School District and Lisa Bowser, Plato Learning
Technology and Learning's "Technology Director of the Year," Patrick Hockey, from the Philipsburg-Osceola School District, will discuss how his district integrated online
distance learning and reduced dropouts by fifteen percent and brought money back into the district. This session will focus on strategies for creating and managing a cost
effective distance learning program within your district. It will provide information to help you create a comprehensive, technology-driven program designed to provide flexible,
one-to-one learning opportunities for a diverse set of learners.
Critical Conversations: Where Rubber Meets the Road: How Do We Develop 21st Century Skills?
Orrin Murray, Penn State
Wednesday, April 29
8:00–9:00 a.m.
Twenty-first Century Projects in CFF English and Social Studies
Jane Sutterlin, Deb Kerr, Sue Enck, Sue Anderson, Deb Poveromo, Elizabeth Delafield, and Marilyn Jones, State College Area School District
This panel will include high school English and Social Studies teachers from State College Area School District who are involved in the CFF state education reform initiative. The
teachers will share projects they do in their classes which involve 21st century skills and in which the technology is the tool and not the focus. The teachers will be available to
answer questions about their projects.
Getting To The Heart of IT With Web 2.0
Cheryl Capozzoli, Capital Area Intermediate Unit
This presentation will provide teachers, administrators, and educational technology leaders with a better understanding of Web 2.0 applications and their relevant place in many of
today's educational environments and instructional practices. Participants will learn how so many of these free Web-based tools are effective and valuable pieces of today's very large
educational jigsaw puzzle. Attendees will be provided with simple yet effective instructional technology strategies that offer support for all teaching practices and core content
areas. They will be exposed to ways in which Web 2.0 applications can support instruction if effectively integrated and utilized.
With so many misconceptions and misunderstandings, it is difficult for many who are involved in education to realize that exemplar instructional practices are enhanced through the
adoption of relevant and anytime, anywhere Web 2.0 tools. Participants will be opened to a whole new Web world as they are introduced to and provided with relevant real-world
strategies for infusing these online applications into their daily instructional practices. Time for play or exploration of the Web 2.0 applications will be provided. Participants
will be given the opportunity to collaborate and share their ideas about how they could effectively integrate some of these Web-based tools to increase student levels of engagement,
participation, collaboration, and communication as well as to enhance and differentiate their current instructional approaches. All ideas will be collected and provided as a digital
online clearinghouse for those who may still need assistance with thinking outside the instructional box. Through modeling, real-world connections, and project ancillaries, I hope to
increase levels of Web 2.0 awareness, understanding, capacity, and integration relevance for anyone with an interest or desire to leap into the twenty-first century and get to the
heart of effective IT practices with the wonderful world of Web 2.0.
One-to-One Learning: Transitioning Laptops from Carts to Backpacks
Bill Dolton, Lower Merion School District
Lower Merion School District representatives will discuss how they successfully transitioned from laptops in carts to laptops in backpacks at the first of two district high schools in
the fall of 2008.
Hear their vision and goals for 21st century learning—how constituent groups were prepared, funding was secured, staff development was planned, and logistical issues solved including
insurance, security, and battery consumption. Get the inside story of how smoothly the initiative is working this year. Learn how teachers are getting the most out of students taking
personal responsibility for their laptops. Find out how repairs, breakage, and even theft is handled effectively and efficiently. Learn about our new plans for implementing one-to-one
at our district's other high school this coming fall, and what has been learned, what will change, and the features that have most accounted for smooth success this year.
"The introduction of one-to-one laptop computers has certainly revolutionized education at Harriton High School." —from a student article in high school newspaper.
"The laptops have allowed teachers to integrate new technology into their lessons, such as wikispace assignments, or recording and uploading podcasts. Teachers never have to worry that there are not enough laptops in the laptop cart, or that students will not be able to complete an assignment because they did not have access to a computer. Study halls and free periods have become more productive, as students who would have previously had to wait until they got home to work on a paper now have all of their assignments at the tips of their fingers." —a high school teacher comment.
Share your own stories and plans in a wrap-up discussion so all can benefit from the free exchange of ideas and plans for doing one-to-one right!
Using Moodle to Deliver Teacher Professional Development
Ted Mannino, Elaine Bergstresser, Leeann Rhoades, and Lynnette Snyder, Cumberland Valley School District
In an effort to deliver essential professional development to Cumberland Valley School District teachers efficiently, effectively, and through the lens of 21st century skills, course
content, grounded in ISTE standards, was created using a Web-based Moodle learning environment and made available to the teachers to complete online in place of face-to-face meetings.
This session will explore the design and development process, implementation, assessment, and global impact of the project on methods of disseminating information to students, staff,
and administrations district-wide.
Crossing the Threshold to the Future of Learning
Mark Weston, Dell Inc.
As an education leader, you face many challenges. You want to enhance learning. You want to harness the power of technology. You want to do it all while facing budget constraints. It
is daunting. We get it. That is why, in this session we present a revolutionary solution that many districts around the country—including the Avon Community Schools—are implementing.
The solution reduces the costs of managing end-user computers, supports equal access to technology, and affords real-time and remote access to students, educators, and parents. It
involves shifting functionality from the device to the network or cloud via a webNetwork and NetBooks. Come learn how this powerful, yet affordable approach can change learning
forever.
Education for the 21st Century
Anita Rea, Associate Director of Training, Verizon
Critical Conversations: Assessment and Portfolios in 1:1 Schools: How Can 1:1 Access Enhance Self, Peer, and Teacher Reflections and Communication?
Glenn Johnson, Penn State
9:15–10:15
Making Math Meaningful—High School Math
Beth Rajan Sockman and Kathy Post, East Stroudsburg University
High school students cite math as difficult—a substantial reason for quitting school. As a result, teachers constantly race to meet students' needs while providing an environment
where students safely wrestle through the problem-solving. Daunting. This session will provide practical examples of the ways the Read/Write Web (Web 2.0) can help to make math
meaningful by adding creativity, interesting problem solving, and differentiation for high school math students.
Teaching Science in a Web 2.0 World
Oliver Dreon, Millersville Univeristy; Carla Zembal-Saul and Scott McDonald, Penn State
With the advent of Web 2.0 applications, science teachers have new opportunities for working with one another, communicating with the community, and educating students. The term Web
2.0 refers to a host of online resources and applications that allows users to not only retrieve information but also interact with one another and become contributing participants in
the Internet expanse. The Web has evolved from a series of static, isolated pages of information into a collaborative, social network of applications. This presentation provides
educators with an introduction to several Web 2.0 applications and how these tools can be used to promote student learning in the science classroom. With tools such as blogs, wikis,
and Google Documents, the Internet can now become an extension to the science classroom, where students can build understanding by communicating and collaborating with one another.
The presentation will offer real examples of Web 2.0 tools being used in classroom settings and will be structured to allow time for attendees to share curricular ideas with one
another.
From Our Corner of the 21st Century World: Some of the Year's Best Ideas Applied in the Classroom
Pat Yost, State College Area School District
As an instructional technology specialist, Pat Yost has the great fortune to hear about, advise on, assist with, and participate in a variety of instructional projects that
implement 21st century skills. She will share a collection of some of the best examples she has seen in the past year in the State College Area School District. Her examples
are drawn from a variety of content areas, and represent tools and strategies that can easily be replicated in almost any content area. Tools represented in the presentation include
iWeb, GarageBand, ComicLife, Google Apps, and Moodle. Best of all, these tools are free or cost little, and naturally support communication, collaboration, creativity, and
higher-order thinking.
Providing Computing Capacity in 1:1 School Environments
Ellen Holtz, CDW-G
CDW-G has provided computer solutions to the CFF Schools throughout Pennsylvania and will share their expertise.
Favorite Poem Project: Using Multimedia Software to Connect Students to Learning
Jon Tietz, Baldwin High School
Based on the popular "Favorite Poem Project" Web site, students make personal connections to poems by creating a video presentation of their favorite poem. In this project, students
had to select a poem that means something to them, explain what it means to them, and why, and then read the poem dramatically. The students had a choice of using a video editor or
Photo Story to present their project. The projects were then shared with the other classes through a wiki. Overall, the project was a success.
This project enhances students' learning by giving them the opportunity to creatively express their ideas using a variety of formats. These types of project can be beneficial in any
subject area and may include dramatic readings in English, reenactments in history, documentaries in science, how-to's in math, and real-life connections in any subject. Not only did
the students make a connection with a poem, but they also learned new technologies that will benefit them in the future.
The purpose of this session is to share ideas of how we can effectively use multimedia software to enhance student learning. Although we will discuss the benefits of doing a
project like this, we will also identify the pitfalls of engaging in such an endeavor. The session will not spend time demonstrating how to create a project with the software, but
only how it can be used in assessing the mastery of content by students.
Leveraging Challenged-Based Learning in the One-to-One Classroom
Peter J. Oyler, Education Development Executive, Apple, Inc
Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow–Today is a collaborative effort with the education
community to identify the essential design principles for the twenty-first century high school by focusing on the relationships that matter most: those between students, teachers, and
curriculum. The goal of ACOT2 is more targeted—to help high schools get closer to creating the kind of learning environment this generation of students needs, wants, and expects so
they will stay in school. To that end, this session will review the Challenge-Based Learning strategy and highlight its alignment to a one-to-one digital learning environment.
CFF Sustainability and Expansion in a World with Economic Woes and Stimulus Packages
Holly Jobe, PDE
This session with Holly Jobe, project manager for PDE's CFF project, will discuss how educators can sustain key elements of the CFF program such as vision, equipment renewal,
professional development, and technical support and maintain the all-important coach position in times of economic crisis. In addition to this and next year's federal stimulus monies
that will help, there are other options to consider. Join us for a discussion of how the momentum begun by CFF can be continued.
Critical Conversations: Enabling the New Classroom Conversation
Cole Camplese and Scott McDonald, Penn State
10:30–11:30
Inauguration 2009: Authentic Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls
Rob Nelson, Bill McRae, and Dave Jurkiewicz, Springfield School District
Ten Springfield students traveled to Washington D.C. for Inauguration week and commented on the (above) blog in order to provide first-hand accounts of this much-anticipated event.
These students interviewed their peers from all over the country and c streamed live video back from the event in Washington D.C. using a laptop and hand held video camera. This video
was intended to show a student perspective of the Inauguration and also provide a grassroots "on the ground" commentary. These students also conducted interviews of their peers who
have traveled to Washington D.C. from all over the country to witness the Inauguration. The video footage that these students collected will be used to develop a documentary of
the student perspective of the week
In addition to the ten students in Washington D.C., a crew of five government students and a group from the broadcast journalism and journalism classes took the stage at the National
Constitution Center in Philadelphia right before and right after the Inauguration Ceremony. These students interviewed visitors to the Constitution Center to gain their
perspective on the day.
The broadcast journalism students produced a set of short videos that could be used as reference materials during the week. These videos cover science, math, world languages, and
social studies, and provide ties to language arts. The videos will be archived on the Internet using free, easy-to-access resources. This integrated approach allowed us to involve up
to 300 students in this project.
The conference session will focus on the development of the project, including obtaining administrative and teacher buy-in. This discussion will include development of the technical
aspects of the project and how low-cost and free Web 2.0 tools allowed us to extend the reach beyond the classroom walls. In addition to these logistical considerations we will also
include the methods used to garner outside support and, more practically, the pitfalls that we encountered on the way to the end goal.
At the end of the project, we had a number of student-created videos that could be integrated into multiple content areas, and, as was observed by some of the news agencies covering
the project, the students gained an authentic experience in broadcast journalism and were able to make the connection between government and what seemed to be entirely dissociated
content areas.
We believe that this project firmly supports the statement that "Technology, in the right hands and in sufficient quantity, will transform education."
How Can the Practices of Creative Writers and Scientists Help us in 1:1 Programs?
Orrin Murray, Penn State
Many 1:1 programs have a strong emphasis on using technology to either teach or learn. Typically the learning perspective centers around using software applications or the Internet in
ways that mirror the ways in which subject matter is treated—largely balkanized with few interdisciplinary foci. The notion that a single student can interact with a single computer
over the course of their studies opens up possibilities for using technology that are mostly unattended by 1:1 programs. This session will focus on opportunities to extend the
leverage 1:1 programs can have on student learning.
I Differentiate. Do you?
Jill Stine, Achieve3000
How can you maximize gains for every student? By providing differentiated materials and assignments that are precisely matched to each student's instructional level. Truly
individualized instruction respects each student's abilities and is differentiated in material, product, and process. Go beyond small group instruction and learn how to apply best
practices in differentiation while keeping your entire class on the same page. Plus, discover an easy online solution that helps turn theory into practice.
Famous Inventions and Inventors: Using e-Organizers with Internet Research
John E. Glantz, Keystone Central School District
Following an introduction to famous scientists or famous inventions, students use their e-Organizer with free Internet resources to collect important data, organize their notes, and
ultimately assist them in creating a personalized two- to three-page report with a bibliography. For instructors, the use of sample reports, grading rubrics, artistic summaries, plus
student check sheets make the program easy to learn and use—even for teachers working with over 130 students per day. Critical thinking, mastery learning, teacher education, parental
involvement, plus life-long skill development are several outcomes of this instructional system.
Teachers find the classroom-tested e-Organizer not only enhances their instructional program but also improves their students' writing and artistic skills. The personal nature of the
reports helps to intrinsically motivate both students and teachers while grading rubrics allow teachers, students, and parents to be involved in the review process. Most important—a
paradigm shift takes place as students take control of their learning and teachers become facilitators of learning. Other e-Organizers that have currently been developed include
"Careers," "Chemical Compounds," "Human Diseases," "Science Method," and others.
Participants are provided sample e-Organizers and sample student reports based on famous scientists or inventions in order to discuss the use of these materials in their classroom.
Educating Educators
Steve Ruddy, G.H. Antrim School
One of the determining factors in the success of a one-to-one laptop initiative is teacher education. This workshop will highlight the qualities and characteristics of a successful
professional development effort, along with ideas on improving performance and cost factors related to your technology training program.
Developing a solid foundation in operating systems and software packages is key in preparing a teacher to thrive in a 21st century classroom. However, there is still much more to
teach in order for your one-to-one initiative to reach its full potential. We will discuss ways to determine what more is needed and explore multiple ways to disseminate that
additional knowledge to the faculty. Designing your training to include both the technical aspects of software use and grade-specific curricula will give teachers the confidence and
knowledge needed to make the most of a one-to-one environment.
This session will also delve into how factors outside of course content weigh on the effectiveness of professional development efforts. We will examine the importance of developing a
nurturing and collaborative environment to translating professional development efforts into technology-rich student educational experiences.
Classrooms for the Future: "Transmediation" in a Social Studies Context
David Fuentes and Linda Reeves, Penn State
This session focuses on enhancing social studies through the use of technology. We will share our experience as elementary social studies teacher educators at a large state university
where a partnership with Apple was developed with an end result being that ALL student teachers are now required to have a Notebook at all times. In turn, our team had to revisit our
course assignments to include a multitude of uses for our Mac users. In the process of revision, our team used various "transmediation" (Semali, 2001, In-Press) techniques. We found
these techniques to be valuable in meeting our objectives in the social studies with an emphasis on the use of technology.
What's This Talk About Data? Integrating Curriculum Mapping and Assessment Data to Improve Student Learning
Stephanie Gladfelter and Trish Goodyear, Performance Pathways, Inc./SunGard Public Sector K–12
Today's educators are presented with data from multiple sources, including curriculum maps and national, state, and local assessments. How can educators make sense of the information
from these different sources to improve student achievement? By making data-driven decisions, all educators—from classroom teachers and building principals to district administrators
and curriculum specialists—can dramatically improve student performance and create an environment that encourages optimism and increases opportunity. Join us as we discuss how
technology can save time and resources for all educators to get the data they need to help improve student achievement. Come ready to share your district's struggles and successes
with analyzing data and curriculum mapping while we discuss districts across Pennsylvania that are already living the vision of an integrated curriculum and assessment system working
together to build a data-informed culture.
Critical Conversations: Changes in Teaching Behavior in 1:1 Classrooms: How Much is Enough?
Holly Jobe, PDE
program of Penn State
This site is a product of Penn State Outreach Marketing and Communications.
Program questions? E-mail ConferenceInfo1@outreach.psu.edu
Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright © 2009 The Pennsylvania State University
Search: People | Departments | Penn State