What did I learn from my experience at the South Carolina Regional NWEA Conference? First, MAP test data does give good data on how well students are doing in school. Second, MAP test data shows teachers and administrators what students need to work on to achieve more in school. While MAP test data is good for individual students, it could have a potential of overwhelming teachers. Individual student growth plans are a good idea but putting those plans into practice could overwhelm the one tool in the classroom which will not be added, a classroom teacher.
So how do decision makers help out teachers? One way many schools have taken is RIT Band Classes. This means grouping students into classes based on RIT score levels. Teachers will be working with children of similar abilities and deficiencies. This would help tailor lesson plans to promote academic growth. Another means would have prepackaged lesson plans and activities prepared for teachers to use with students of different RIT Ranges.
Technology can help teachers work with kids of different RIT Ranges. Services such as Compass Learning provide lessons and activities on computers. The problem with this solution is the lack of technology infrastructure. More computers are needed in individual classrooms so some students can work on individual lessons while teachers can work with smaller groups or individual students. One educational tool with great potential is the use of gaming. Gaming allows students to learn at his or her own pace. Students must learn or master a skill to accomplish a task before moving on to the next task. If you don't believe it, just watch kids play games on Play Station or X-Box. Another benefit to gaming is how students will collaborate to solve problems or share information to help each other achieve the next level. Again this would be a great benefit to teachers who could use help in working with students. Also, this teaches students to become life-long learners, a skill that will be needed in the workplace of today.
Unless computers can get into classrooms, this opportunity to increase student achievement will be lost and the task will become harder.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Yesterday was the second and final day of the South Carolina NWEA Conference in Hilton Head Island. I attended two breakout sessions to round out my conference experience. The first breakout was on Academic Audits done by Sandra Chavez. The second was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy or its online instructional tool to help clients implement MAP testing and later use data the tests yield to make informed educational decisions.
Beaufor County was the first school district to use Academic Audit in helping boost academic achievment of students. Academic Audit is based on the research of Dr. Lauri Bassi of McBassi & Company. Dr. Bassi's theory is that investments in human capital will produce meaninful returns on that investments. Too many organizations look at labor and the training of labor as a cost that reduces bottom line profits. However, Dr. Bassi demonstrated that organizations that invest in continued training of employees and reducing the barriers that hinder employee productivity, while reducing profits in the short term, will increase productivity and organizational profits. For a school district, student achievement is considered the profit of such an organization. Surveys are conducted on how well employees believe they can perform their job at various schools. The data is then grouped and shared with school principals and district administrators. With the data, leaders can work on making changes that allow increased productivity and eventually increased student achievement. As a side note, I have used Dr. Bassi's work in my economics classes. In my opinion she has rewritten the factors of production for the new service/information based economy of the 21st Century.
The second breakout session was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy. Knowledge Academy are mostly online tutorials to help client schools conduct MAP testing then use the data the tests generate. This is a great idea but unfortunately it is also, unwittingly, a well kept secret at NWEA. A recommendation I made was to make links to Knowledge Academy more prominate on the Association's website, www.nwea.org. Hopefully, they will take this suggestion and run with it. Such information would have helped me greatly when I was trying to set up and run MAP testing back in August and September of 2006.
Beaufor County was the first school district to use Academic Audit in helping boost academic achievment of students. Academic Audit is based on the research of Dr. Lauri Bassi of McBassi & Company. Dr. Bassi's theory is that investments in human capital will produce meaninful returns on that investments. Too many organizations look at labor and the training of labor as a cost that reduces bottom line profits. However, Dr. Bassi demonstrated that organizations that invest in continued training of employees and reducing the barriers that hinder employee productivity, while reducing profits in the short term, will increase productivity and organizational profits. For a school district, student achievement is considered the profit of such an organization. Surveys are conducted on how well employees believe they can perform their job at various schools. The data is then grouped and shared with school principals and district administrators. With the data, leaders can work on making changes that allow increased productivity and eventually increased student achievement. As a side note, I have used Dr. Bassi's work in my economics classes. In my opinion she has rewritten the factors of production for the new service/information based economy of the 21st Century.
The second breakout session was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy. Knowledge Academy are mostly online tutorials to help client schools conduct MAP testing then use the data the tests generate. This is a great idea but unfortunately it is also, unwittingly, a well kept secret at NWEA. A recommendation I made was to make links to Knowledge Academy more prominate on the Association's website, www.nwea.org. Hopefully, they will take this suggestion and run with it. Such information would have helped me greatly when I was trying to set up and run MAP testing back in August and September of 2006.
Yesterday was the second and final day of the South Carolina NWEA Conference in Hilton Head Island. I attended two breakout sessions to round out my conference experience. The first breakout was on Academic Audits done by Sandra Chavez. The second was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy or its online instructional tool to help clients implement MAP testing and later use data the tests yield to make informed educational decisions.
Beaufor County was the first school district to use Academic Audit in helping boost academic achievment of students. Academic Audit is based on the research of Dr. Lauri Bassi of McBassi & Company. Dr. Bassi's theory is that investments in human capital will produce meaninful returns on that investments. Too many organizations look at labor and the training of labor as a cost that reduces bottom line profits. However, Dr. Bassi demonstrated that organizations that invest in continued training of employees and reducing the barriers that hinder employee productivity, while reducing profits in the short term, will increase productivity and organizational profits. For a school district, student achievement is considered the profit of such an organization. Surveys are conducted on how well employees believe they can perform their job at various schools. The data is then grouped and shared with school principals and district administrators. With the data, leaders can work on making changes that allow increased productivity and eventually increased student achievement. As a side note, I have used Dr. Bassi's work in my economics classes. In my opinion she has rewritten the factors of production for the new service/information based economy of the 21st Century.
The second breakout session was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy. Knowledge Academy are mostly online tutorials to help client schools conduct MAP testing then use the data the tests generate. This is a great idea but unfortunately it is also, unwittingly, a well kept secret at NWEA. A recommendation I made was to make links to Knowledge Academy more prominate on the Association's website, www.nwea.org. Hopefully, they will take this suggestion and run with it. Such information would have helped me greatly when I was trying to set up and run MAP testing back in August and September of 2006.
Beaufor County was the first school district to use Academic Audit in helping boost academic achievment of students. Academic Audit is based on the research of Dr. Lauri Bassi of McBassi & Company. Dr. Bassi's theory is that investments in human capital will produce meaninful returns on that investments. Too many organizations look at labor and the training of labor as a cost that reduces bottom line profits. However, Dr. Bassi demonstrated that organizations that invest in continued training of employees and reducing the barriers that hinder employee productivity, while reducing profits in the short term, will increase productivity and organizational profits. For a school district, student achievement is considered the profit of such an organization. Surveys are conducted on how well employees believe they can perform their job at various schools. The data is then grouped and shared with school principals and district administrators. With the data, leaders can work on making changes that allow increased productivity and eventually increased student achievement. As a side note, I have used Dr. Bassi's work in my economics classes. In my opinion she has rewritten the factors of production for the new service/information based economy of the 21st Century.
The second breakout session was about NWEA's Knowledge Academy. Knowledge Academy are mostly online tutorials to help client schools conduct MAP testing then use the data the tests generate. This is a great idea but unfortunately it is also, unwittingly, a well kept secret at NWEA. A recommendation I made was to make links to Knowledge Academy more prominate on the Association's website, www.nwea.org. Hopefully, they will take this suggestion and run with it. Such information would have helped me greatly when I was trying to set up and run MAP testing back in August and September of 2006.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Intel to package tools for collaboration
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Think of it as Wikipedia for the workplace. Intel Corp., the world's largest computer chip maker, now wants to provide businesses with software to create blogging, wiki and news feed services to connect employees on collaborative projects.
Today I attended the first day of the South Carolina Regional NWEA Conference in Hilton Head Island. The day started with a breakfast meeting with my principal and our reigning teacher of the year, a self described Mad Scientist. She may be mad but she is an excellent teacher. We poured over the breakout session offerings and determined who should go where during the day. Naturally, it did not work.My first session about using Compass Learning in relation to MAP test data. Compass learning is an interesting product because it creates lessons for students based on what RIT scores the student achieved. While a noble product, I have two problems with it. First, we just don't have the infrastructure to support it. For it to be most effective I estimate each math and language classrooms would need at least 5 computers each with students, with means, would have to work at home for it to work effectively. Second, since we don't have the infrastructure, we can't justify the cost it would be to implement Compass Learning.
The second breakout session was almost an answer to a prayer. NWEA Vice President Michael Patterson demoed a beta version of a new reporting system. I really hope it will allow people to search for data easier than the current report system. The current report website makes it difficult to find data needed to make decisions. At least NWEA is admitting there is a problem and is working on a solution. The only thing that concerns me is why it is taking so long to roll it out. I understand NWEA wants the system to work but it should not take a committee of school districts across the country to work on it. Oh well! It takes Microsoft forever to release new versions of it software and operating systems after they are announced to. Maybe its a Northwest thing.
The final breakout session was how Myrtle Beach Intermediate School uses Descartes data to boost instruction. One of the things I saw that was interesting was how the data could be used to determine teacher assignments based on how well students do on MAP tests. Also, they would identify how some groups could have done better if a little more emphasis had been placed in the right place. Finally, it showed how teachers who use data effectively could help students achieve higher test scores.
The day ended with me interviewing Tim Blaine, Regional Manager for NWEA, for an episode of Teacher Bytes. It was a good interview and Tim did a great job. I am going to hold off on publishing the cast until I know if I can get NWEA President Alan Olson to be on the show. After talking with Mr. Olson's assistant, Debbie, I hope we can get together. Debbie was a big help along with Tim in helping me with the podcast and I am grateful for their efforts.
Tomorrow will be the third and last day of the conference and I am about to plan the breakout sessions I hope to attend. One session I certainly plan on attending is the Human Capital Scorecard. The main presenter in this session is Dr. Laurie Bassi of McBassi & Company. I participated in a workshop with her when Bluffton High first opened up and I was impressed with her work on getting organizations to develop human capital as an investment. She graciously allowed me to use some of her writings in my Pre-AP Economics class I taught at Bluffton High.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Thoughts from the field.
Recently I had an interesting situation happen at McCracken which highlight how things are changing in technology.
One language arts teacher who has trouble meeting technology objectives recently complained that she would like to integrate technology in teaching the writing process but either it never works or she can never get computer lab time when she requests it. This teacher tells me she must have word processors and printers to give students feedback on paper. Another language arts teacher asked me for lab time so her class could work on the writing process. However, she wanted advice and help on creating blogs for her students to do their writing. Her hope was for other people to write responses to her students giving constructive criticism on what they wrote.
Unfortunately, there was no computer lab time available. I did ask both teachers if they had polled their respective students on how many had computers with Internet access at home. The first told me she did not have to ask but that she knew most of her students did not have access. The second teacher admitted she had not but asked her students for a show of hands of who had computer access. Over three-quarters of the class rose their hands. She also asked how many had done any blogging on the Internet and over half the class rose their hands this time.
So we had a situation in which two teachers with the same lesson plan and each wanting access to our computer labs but were unable to get it. One teacher did not even want to consider another alternative but only wanted to complain the technology did not work. The second teacher was willing to amend her lesson plan to use the technology resources available. Students with Internet access at home would work at home. Those who did not have Internet access at home would take turns at the computer in class. All the teacher had to do was extend the deadline date.
The moral of this story is for those teachers who see the technology as a means to an end instead of end of a means will successfully integrate technology in the classroom. Also, they will teach their students how to be resourceful in accomplishing a task. Unfortunately, teachers who only use technology for the sake of saying they use technology and then when things are not perfect complain the technology does not work are doing students a disservice.
Recently I had an interesting situation happen at McCracken which highlight how things are changing in technology.
One language arts teacher who has trouble meeting technology objectives recently complained that she would like to integrate technology in teaching the writing process but either it never works or she can never get computer lab time when she requests it. This teacher tells me she must have word processors and printers to give students feedback on paper. Another language arts teacher asked me for lab time so her class could work on the writing process. However, she wanted advice and help on creating blogs for her students to do their writing. Her hope was for other people to write responses to her students giving constructive criticism on what they wrote.
Unfortunately, there was no computer lab time available. I did ask both teachers if they had polled their respective students on how many had computers with Internet access at home. The first told me she did not have to ask but that she knew most of her students did not have access. The second teacher admitted she had not but asked her students for a show of hands of who had computer access. Over three-quarters of the class rose their hands. She also asked how many had done any blogging on the Internet and over half the class rose their hands this time.
So we had a situation in which two teachers with the same lesson plan and each wanting access to our computer labs but were unable to get it. One teacher did not even want to consider another alternative but only wanted to complain the technology did not work. The second teacher was willing to amend her lesson plan to use the technology resources available. Students with Internet access at home would work at home. Those who did not have Internet access at home would take turns at the computer in class. All the teacher had to do was extend the deadline date.
The moral of this story is for those teachers who see the technology as a means to an end instead of end of a means will successfully integrate technology in the classroom. Also, they will teach their students how to be resourceful in accomplishing a task. Unfortunately, teachers who only use technology for the sake of saying they use technology and then when things are not perfect complain the technology does not work are doing students a disservice.
I guess it is time I create some show notes to go along with the podcasts.
Show Notes for Eposide 5: DELC
Here is the website for South Carolina ETV: http://www.scetv.org/
Here is the website for Distance Education Learning Centers in the SCETV network with a great video on how DELC's operate: http://www.myetv.org/education/delc/index.cfm
Here is the website for the Beaufort County DELC: http://www.myetv.org/education/delc/beaufort/index.cfm
Rob Lewis's Office phone #843-525-4239
Rob Lewis's e-mail: rlewis@scetv.org
Show Notes for Eposide 5: DELC
Here is the website for South Carolina ETV: http://www.scetv.org/
Here is the website for Distance Education Learning Centers in the SCETV network with a great video on how DELC's operate: http://www.myetv.org/education/delc/index.cfm
Here is the website for the Beaufort County DELC: http://www.myetv.org/education/delc/beaufort/index.cfm
Rob Lewis's Office phone #843-525-4239
Rob Lewis's e-mail: rlewis@scetv.org
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