Preparing Tomorrow S Teachers to Use Technology

Pathways Project Preparing Tomorrow’s Teachers to Use Technology Advisory Council Meeting October 21, 2004, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. EST

Full Agenda posted at: http://www.k12science.org/pathways/advmtg_oct04.html

Participants: . Geoff Andrews, Polaris Career Center . Tim Best, Ohio Board of Regents (unable to attend) . Paul Bucci, Academy for Educational Development . Julie Cronin, Cuyahoga Community College . Lawrence Frase, George Mason University . Edward Friedman, Stevens Institute of Technology . Fern Khan, Bank Street College of Education . Joshua Koen, Stevens Institute of Technology . Ed Leach, League for Innovation in the Community College (10:30 – 11:30 am) . Susan Lowes, Institute for Learning Technologies, Columbia University . Beth McGrath, Stevens Institute of Technology . Mercedes McKay, Stevens Institute of Technology . Arthur Melmed, George Mason University . Marie Nock, Miami Dade College . Ray Ostos, Maricopa Community Colleges . Cheri St. Arnauld, Maricopa Community Colleges . Cheryl Williams, Corporation for Public Broadcasting

1. Introductions and Logistics of Call (10:00 – 10:15) . http://www.k12science.org/pathways/introductions.html . General Introductions from all conference call advisors

2. Questions for Advisors to Consider During Discussion BETH: The following is a list of questions for all advisors to consider throughout the conference call

1. What are recommendations to institutionalize and maximize the impact of the Pathways program among the participating institutions (three consortium colleges as well as 30 additional colleges that will be involved in Years 2 and 3)? o BETH: first year focus on development of Savvy Cyber Professor and RWLO materials 2. Given limited financial resources, how might we provide support and incentives to encourage active participation in an online learning community as the project expands to new institutions and new faculty?

3. What are the potential opportunities and obstacles that might affect the work and expansion of the Pathways project under either administration after November?

4. What is the biggest mistake we should try to avoid in Years 2 and 3?

3. Project Overview and Cohorts & Year of Entry (10:15-10:25) Beth McGrath . BETH: Everyone should click on the Project Overview link to review PowerPoint presentation: http://www.k12science.org/pathways/documents/PathwaysAdvisoryCounci lMtg1.pdf o BETH: Pathways project was the last PT3-funded project cohort o Review of overview, total funds, project partners, context (all listed in above PDF presentation) o Context: Pathways project developed out of the Alliance/Alliance+ project out of a realization that community college faculty who were instructing K-12 teachers in the use of unique and compelling materials could significantly benefit from instruction on how to use the same type of materials and approach. o Project Goal: Working with community college faculty who have preservice teachers in their classroom who will ultimately teach math/science. The premise is that teachers in the classroom will teach using the same way they learned to teach. o Overview: . Math, science, ed tech., and language arts courses in the community college. . Develop library of Real World Learning Objects (RWLOs): Concise, core instructional activities focused on discrete topics in higher education incorporating unique and compelling resources/activities that can be easily used in similar courses at other institutions.  Goal of project is to create 200 learning objects available to community colleges nationwide . Develop blended online/face-to-face course to instruct community college faculty how to use unique and compelling Internet-based resources with their students: Savvy Cyber Professor - 26 hour, eight session course o Review of Unique and Compelling focus o Project Timeline . Recruit faculty from community colleges : 30 additional community colleges will be asked to participate and nominate four faculty per school to complete the Savvy Cyber Professor program and develop RWLOs . Recruit in years 2 & 3 . No formal funds in project to pay recruited faculty. Community colleges will be charged a nominal fee to participate in the project during years 2 & 3 . BETH: Everyone should click on the Cohorts & Year of Entry link to review PowerPoint presentation: http://www.k12science.org/pathways/documents/Cohorts%20and%20Year %20of%20Entry.pdf o Diagram illustrating how many faculty, discipline, etc. to participate in all years of project

4. Savvy Cyber Professor Overview and Course Materials (10:25-10:45) . Mercedes McKay: Everyone should click on the Savvy Cyber Professor Overview link to review PowerPoint presentation about the Savvy Cyber Professor (SCP): http://www.k12science.org/pathways/documents/SCP_Overview.pdf o SCP Overview: All faculty that participate in the Savvy Cyber Professor course will develop RWLOs to be used in their courses o Goals: Learn and incorporate new strategies for teaching. Model new teaching strategies to preservice teachers o Review of Sessions (see SCP_Overview.pdf slide 4) . Session 1: longest session and conducted face-to-face in a computer lab with hands-on activities. . Next five sessions (2-6) instructed online using web portal software (eDesk and QuickPlace) . Last two sessions return to face-to-face mode in computer lab where participants have an opportunity to continue developing their RWLO and receive feedback from other participants. Last session is a showcase event with peers, college administrators, etc. . Online sessions (slide 6)  Approximately one per week  Each designed as a three-hour course  Discussion assignments  Facilitated by an online instructor . Mercedes McKay: Everyone should click on the Course Materials link to enter and view sample course materials at http://quickplace.polaris.edu/savvy_cyber_professor o Username: guest; Password: PT3 o Learning management system developed by Lotus: Quickplace . Polaris has site license for software and offered use for SCP course . In-kind contribution from Polaris, free, and adaptable for use in all colleges o MM: Click on “Sessions”: . List of all the sessions that were developed by all of the different participating agencies . Face-to-face sessions placed on Quickplace to maintain uniformity in presenting the materials . Click on “Session 2”: All of the specific instructions provided for participants to read through at their own pace, discussion questions and specific tasks posted  Example: Click on Task 2.2 (If a security warning pops up, click “OK”): step-by step instructions listed for each task  Discussion items posted for most items and can be viewed by clicking on discussion items under each task: Actual discussion area can be viewed when Quickplace is entered using actual participant account (Not guest)  Online evaluation also posted under each session o Other features of Quickplace . Library of documents . Calendar system where trainer can post class dates, assignment due dates, when discussion questions should be answered, etc. . Members section containing information about other participating course participants o A new Quickplace ‘course’ will be created for each implementation during the different training cohorts

9. Dissemination (12:00-12:15) Moved up earlier in the phone conference to accommodate Ed’s schedule. . Ed Leach: Discuss League for Innovation’s role in project o A monthly digital newsletter is published by the League with 30,000 recipients . Information can be entered into newsletter to promote project . RFP for first project recruitment will occur around Feb./March 2005 o ‘Bag-drop’ . Stevens will produce a flyer to be distributed via a “bag-drop” at NACCTEP conferences . Ed Leach will verify if distributing a flyer via ‘bag-drop’ at League conference is feasible. o Learning Center Courses . Will be offered at 2005 League CIT in Dallas . Purpose: Session 1 of Savvy Cyber Professor o Presentations at League conference . Will make presentations at 2005 Innovations conference o Monograph . Completed at conclusion of project o Web site

. BETH: Speak for role of ECS o Through ECS’ network and contacts, engage some community colleges with already developed programs and expertise

. Paul Bucci: o Academy for Educational Development working with Community Colleges in teacher education in TX, IL, NV, and KY

5. Real World Learning Object Examples (10:45-11:05)  Human Genetics and the Dominant Trait o Joshua Koen: Everyone should click on the Human Genetics and the Dominant Trait link to review a sample RWLO o RWLO is 30-45 minute activity using Internet in math, science, language arts, ed. tech to condense into a discrete unit suitable for a community college course o e-Desk is host for RWLOs o Human genetics RWLO based on K-12 Human Genetics collaborative project o Open project and eight folders appear (Overview, Learning Objectives, Procedure, Content Material, Assessment, Course Competencies, Supplementary Resources, Recommendations)

 Population Explosion o Julie Cronin: Everyone should click on the Population Explosion link to review a sample RWLO o Julie helped develop the Population Explosion RWLO, based on K- 12 curriculum unit, with eight full lessons for K-12 o Used two lessons of this project for her college-level Intermediate Algebra course and made that into her RWLOs o Overview—Population Explosion using an Exponential Function

6. Savvy Cyber Professor Session 4 (11:05-11:25) . Ray Ostos: Everyone should click on the Savvy Cyber Professor Session 4 link to review a sample SCP Session: http://quickplace.polaris.edu/savvy_cyber_professor o Click on the link for the Sessions --> Session 4 o Objectives: First item listed are the objectives for the session o Then the SCP session is divided into different sections with individual tasks under each session.

7. Project Evaluation (11:25-11:45) . Susan Lowes: Everyone should click on the Project Evaluation link to review a short power point presentation describing the evaluation: http://www.k12science.org/pathways/documents/PT3_eval_rev.mht o Slide 1: Two objectives o Slide 2: Focus o Slide 3: Major indicators of success o Slide 4: Impact on faculty o Slide 5: Journey Maps: look at (map) how participating community college faculty have progressed over time using resources in their classroom and changing pedagogy - sampling o Slide 6: Impact on P-12 teachers . Slide 7: Groups to include in evaluation . Slide 8: Data sources 1 – employ surveymonkey online service to view real-time feedback . Slide 9: Data sources 2: . Slide 10: Data sources 3: . Question regarding identification of preservice teacher students in community college courses

8. Next Tasks (11:45-12:00)  Beta Testing and Revisions o BETH: Currently finishing revisions of SCP materials and completed RWLOs. Dates identified for initial beta-testing of materials to be completed before end of 2004 winter semester o Changes and feedback to be incorporated in Jan-March 2005 prior to Cohort 1 at each participating community college which will begin in March/April  Implementation of Cohort 2 (at three partner colleges)  Recruitment/Implementation for Cohort 3 (12 new community colleges) o Use conferences as vehicles for promotion

10. Discussion and Advisor Feedback (12:15-1:00)  Discussion of topics from above  Feedback, Suggestions: Savvy Cyber Professor  Feedback, Suggestions: Real World Learning Objects  Recommendations for Recruitment of Cohorts 3 and 4  Other Funding Opportunities  Cheryl Williams: Question: Is the issue of access to robust Internet connections similar to public schools?  Marie Nock: classrooms are currently being equipped with computers/Internet; limited wireless; computer labs are available  Cheryl Williams: Suggestion – incorporate strategies for use in classrooms with limited technology access.

 Lawrence Frase: What is the learning approach for use in the project?  Beth McGrath: promoting constructivist approach is a focus of the learning objects; however, more direct instruction will be included  Recommend making use of visualization tools to accelerate learners’ time to go through SCP.  Look into learning centers developed by NSF

 Arthur Melmed: 1. Significant amount of work completed since January 2. Don’t underestimate the learning curve of how to interact with the materials 3. NCATE: positioned to evaluate how teachers are being trained at four year institutions: Some incentive structure is developed, such as an accreditation or credential for having completed the course . Cheri: When preservice students finish two years of community college, they may take the first part of their licensure exam . Cheryl: Have the National Education Technology Standards for teachers been used/referenced and/or been aligned for the SCP . Beth: Not explicitly but can be done 4. Arrange for cost analysis . How much does it cost to prepare a teacher? . Conduct a cost analysis of how much it costs for teachers to prepare . Lawrence Frase: learning can be accomplished by being constructivist, discovery, or direct instruction. Discovery was determined to be more effective and less time intensive in an article in Psychological Science research (volume 15, number 10, 2004)  Evaluation: compared to what? . Do these participants know more or less than others . Beth McGrath: This has not been a part of evaluation design.

 Paul Bucci o Build in a comparison component to the evaluation: . Example: Will implementing one RWLO in your classroom make a change compared to classes where no similar object is used? . Susan Lowes: Hesitant to include if “one” RWLO is used which will not significantly impact the way the classroom is conducted, compared to a teacher who may use a significant use of similar resources  Plan is to study the beta-cohort as they will be the only group to study for longer than a year. o Structure RFP for additional cohort . Identify the success characteristics at interested community colleges/interested faculty: ‘cherry-picking’ to later be evaluated to determine success characteristics . Beth McGrath: plan to work with NACCTEP and other organizations in this way o Consider demand side as well as supply side . Look for need: i.e. what is the community college faculty need for this training? . Training should begin by asking faculty what their needs are and how can they be met o Consider post implementation reflection after RWLO has been implemented in their classroom . Reconvening faculty after they’ve had an opportunity to implement their lesson . Develop learning communities

 Lawrence Frase o Real World Learning Objects vs. Real World Learning Tools o Focus on demonstrating the benefit of leaving SCP with access to the library of objects

 Cheryl Williams o Will the RWLOs be available for general use for any community college faculty once the program ends? o Beth McGrath: At this point, the RWLO library will be available after the project, possibly on a password protected basis; possibly for a fee; it is undetermined at this time. o Geoff Andrews: Two sets of RWLOs available. RWLOs available in Reference Library are peer reviewed and RWLO.org can be used as a development tool as long as Polaris can maintain it.

 What is the biggest mistake we should try to avoid in Years 2 and 3? o Lawrence Frase: Not to get too narrow – difference between constructivist or direct instruction o Cheryl Williams: Time and manage expectations o Paul Bucci: maintain a focus while dramatic scale-up of participants occur during newer cohorts; not be as concerned with numbers but a commitment to focus . Beth McGrath: This was anticipated and another grant was written but not approved to cover some of this extra time.

11. Scheduling Next Advisory Council Meeting  Beth McGrath: try to get together again in May/June 2005  Thank everyone for time, contributions to the project.