Teaching with Tech

TRANSFORMING EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

CTO ROUNDTABLE p. 16

GREAT MAKERSPACES p. 26

TEACHING WITH TECH: A LOVE (AND HATE) thejournal.com STORY ALSO INSIDE: The Changing Role of the CTO • Teachers and Tech: Time to Reevaluate Your Perception Volume 43, No. 5 Volume • Enhancing Audio: Beyond Amplification • What Makes a Great Makerspace? • 3 Years to Digital Transformation and Success September 2016 | #296e92 r: 41 g: 110 b: 146

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Untitled-1 1 7/27/16 11:04 AM thejournal.com SEPTEMBER 2016 | Volume 43, No. 5 shutterstock.com 34 COLUMNS 4 Editor’s Note T eachers and Tech: Time to Reevaluate Your Perception 33 Index 34 IT Trends 3 Years to Digital Transformation and Success

FEATURES 26 What Makes a Great Makerspace? As schools across the country are demonstrating, makerspaces aren’t just about technology. They’re about giving outlet to students’ creativity. Spaces can be as elaborate as sophisticated machine shops or 26 as simple as libraries converted to 6 TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY support hands-on learning. In our latest survey of more than 1,300 educators, respondents reveal 30 Enhancing Classroom an overwhelmingly positive outlook on the use of digital technologies in Audio: Beyond Amplification the classroom — with a few intense exceptions. Systems designed to improve By Dian Schaffhauser and David Nagel audibility in classrooms are changing. They used to be all 16 ROUNDTABLE: THE CHANGING ROLE OF about amplification. That’s still the single most critical component. THE CTO But systems are now also adding As technology has changed K–12 education, so has it changed the role lecture capture, emergency features, of the chief technology officer, a job title that just barely existed 15 years paging, monitoring and collaboration ago. Today’s CTO is not your grandfather’s infrastructure manager! capabilities to enhance not just By Leila Meyer sound, but student learning as well.

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0916THE.indb 3 7/27/16 2:01 PM Editor’sNote David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief

Teachers and Tech: Time to thejournal.com September 2016 : Volume 43, No. 5 Reevaluate Your Perception

WHEN IT COMES to tech initiatives, A whopping 92 percent said it’s made teachers are often portrayed as fearful at their teaching more effective, with about Editorial Advisory Board best, obstructionist at worst. the same percentage saying it has positively Elisa Carlson But it’s always (OK, mostly) seemed to impacted student learning. Director of Instruction, Curriculum and me teachers are not, in fact, fearful of or re- About 85 percent said tech has made#296e92 their Innovation, Surrey Schools (British r: 41 sistant to technology. In the last decade in job easier. And about 84 percent saidg: they 110 are Columbia, Canada) b: 146 which I’ve covered education, very confident or absolutely Geoffrey H. Fletcher the teachers I’ve dealt with confident in their ability to Private Consultant have always been enthusiastic use the technology tools they Ann Flynn and generally competent have at their disposal. Director of Education Technology & State Wwhen it comes to digital tools When asked, “Do you Association Services, National School Boards Association — or, if not competent, at believe technology will have least eager to learn. a positive role to play in Phil Hardin Director of Project IMPACT, That perception is borne education in the future?” 99 Iredell-Statesville School System (NC) out in our first-ever Teach- percent responded, “Yes.” Christopher Harris ing with Technology Survey, These are not obstruction- Coordinator, School Library System, where we asked teachers (more than 1,300 ists. These are educators who are eager, Genesee Valley Educational of whom participated) to tell us candidly, willing and enthusiastic about bringing tech Partnership (NY) anonymously — and without fear of reprisal to the teaching and learning process. Cathy Hutchins — what they actually think about the tech- In fact, what we heard from teachers is Principal, South Woods Elementary nologies they encounter in their daily lives. that education is not keeping up with rapid School, St. John’s County School The results were quite positive. advances in technology — the same mes- District (FL) Teachers not only use technology: They sage we often hear from those who accuse Thomas C. Murray like it; they get it; and they turn to each teachers of obstructionism! State and District Digital Learning other for support when they need it. Director, Alliance for Excellent Education Full results of the survey (8 1/2 pages of Take Heed Alice E. Owen Educational Consultant them!) start on page 6. But let me highlight Administrators and policymakers take note: some broad points. Teachers aren’t afraid of technology at all Mark Stevens General Manager, NEA Academy (well, except cell phones, which topped the Where Are the list of technologies educators wished would Donna Teuber Team Leader for Technology Integration, Obstructionists? die off — more on that topic on page 10). Richland School District Two (SC) First of all, an overwhelming majority (86 What they’re interested in is technology percent) said they think technology has had that helps them fulfill the mission of educa- an extremely positive or mostly positive tion, explore possibilities and take care of impact on education. their mundane processes (and busywork) Only 0.51 percent said technology has more efficiently. had a mostly negative or extremely negative In short, teachers get it. impact on education. (Around 13 percent This survey is the first in what is planned said it’s been mixed.) as an annual research project. And we’d Another large majority (about 80 per- love to hear from you about any additional cent) are confident or extremely confident questions you’d like to see in there! in leadership’s vision for technology in To continue the conversation, e-mail me their school. at [email protected].

4 | SEPTEMBER 2016

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Untitled-1 1 7/27/16 11:00 AM Teaching with Tech: A Love (AND HATE) Story

By Dian Schaffhauser and David Nagel Responses from the many educators who shared their opinions reveal an overwhelmingly positive outlook on the use of digital technologies in the classroom — with a few intense exceptions.

TEACHERS LOVE TECHNOLOGY. More than nine in 10 say that it has helped them teach and helped their students learn; almost nine in 10 are positive about its impact on education; and 85 percent believe it makes their jobs easier. Most would like their schools to run 1-to-1 programs, to ensure that every student had a computing device, thereby enabling them to flip their classes and introduce blended learning. However, they also hate technology; a lot of them wish their students’ personal mobile phones would just die out. Those results and others come from an online survey THE Journal recently ran to better understand this love (and sometimes hate) relationship educators have with technology in teaching. A total of 1,307 qualified respondents from K–12 schools across the country answered our multiple choice questions and also shared a lot of open-ended opinions

shutterstock.com about what works and doesn’t work for them in their classrooms, schools and districts.

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Who Responded ticipants. Science leads the way by a nose of the magazine having more readers in Because this survey was intended to un- followed in order by social studies, which those states; but it’s also likely that those derstand more about technology for teach- we defined broadly as including subjects educators tend to have more technology in ing, we targeted our questions around like geography, history and psychology; their classrooms, and therefore they have a those topics teachers could answer English; computer-related; math; career/ deeper investment in the subject of teach- better than anybody else in the school or technology education; and humanities. All ing with tech.

district. In fact, two-thirds of respondents THE SUBJECTS MOST FREQUENTLY (66 percent) said they were teachers. TAUGHT BY RESPONDENTS Perspective on Tech Another 9 percent were library and media Science 42% As you might expect, people who respond specialists. Everybody else — including Social studies 41% to the use of digital technology in the the ample number of individuals who English 29% classroom are generally upbeat about its work in school IT organizations — fell influence in schools. Nearly nine in 10 Computer 26% into the “other” category. respondents (86 percent) said they were ei- Math 24% Even though technology sometimes ther “extremely” or “mostly” positive about Career/technical education 17% comes across as a young person’s game, Humanities 11% OVERALL VIEW OF DIGITAL TECH our typical respondent has spent an IN EDUCATION average of 20 years in the field. Most (84 others received single-digit representation. Tech extremely positive 47% percent) work in public schools, teaching The average number of students for impact on education. in grades K–12. schools represented in our survey was Tech mostly positive 1,107; however, about two-thirds (65 per- 39% LENGTH OF TIME IN EDUCATION impact on education. cent) of respondents work in schools with Tech both positive and 0-2 years 2% fewer than 1,000 students. negative effects on ed in 13% 3-5 years 6% roughly equal measure. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN 5-10 years 12% Tech mostly had a nega- RESPONDENT INSTITUTIONS <1% 11-20 years 39% tive impact on education. 0-499 31% Tech extremely negative 21 or more years 41% <1% 500-999 31% impact on education. TYPE OF INSTITUTION 1,000-1,499 13% its impact on education. Those who felt the Public 84% 1,500-1,999 6% opposite came in at about half a percent. Private not-for-profit 14% 2,000-2,999 5% Respondents were highly affirmative Private for-profit 2% about how it has helped their work as teach- 3,000+ 14% ers. Eighty-five percent reported that tech- INSTITUTIONAL GRADE LEVELS Although we heard from people in nology has made their jobs easier to some Pre-K or younger <1% every state in the union, some parts of the degree. However, in this question a greater Elementary (grades K–6) 26% country showed greater representation number of people were more circumspect than others. This is probably the result about its challenges; 9 percent said that tech Secondary (grades 7–12) 43% has made their jobs harder. Combined elementary THE TOP 10 STATES REPRESENTED 18% and secondary school IN THE SURVEY Teachers smack in the middle of the more extreme points of view must be I work at the 7% Florida 12% district level remembered too. As one technology I work at multiple California 7% teacher at a middle school in Winder, GA campuses spanning 3% Texas 6% observed, “Moderation is key. With the em- both elementary and phasis on increasing technology, I feel we secondary schools New York 6% are losing other skills found in traditional Adult education 2% Ohio 5% methods.” She offered as an example the Although responses came from people North Carolina 4% case of students who use screen capture who teach in every nook and cranny of Illinois 4% or photos instead of writing notes. “Their education (Mandarin, home economics, ability to write legibly has definitely been Michigan 3% dance) and use technology to enhance impacted, but also their memory develop- what they do, a few categories emerged as Virginia 3% ment and long-term retention suffers.” This the top subjects taught by our survey par- Pennsylvania 3% tech teacher’s steady guidance: “A well

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HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS IMPACTED prefer a mix of face-to-face and online device. Another six in 10 (59 percent) do THE DIFFICULTY OF THE JOB OF TEACHING professional development. About a tenth not have that type of program going yet. (12 percent) would like to eliminate the An elementary teacher in Monett, It’s made my job much 40% easier. in-person PD altogether and go strictly to MO told THE Journal that she had been It’s made my job easier. 45% electronically delivered training. “blessed” with 1-to-1 since her second year To understand how supported these of teaching full time. This is now her 10th It hasn’t had much of an 6% impact either way. tech-positive educators felt, we asked them year of teaching. Her take: “I have seen it It’s made my job harder. 8% to tell us how confident they were about completely change the students’ mo- their administration’s vision for the use dalities of learning…. Technology in every It’s made my job much 1% harder. of tech in education. As many involved in student’s hands levels the playing field for new tech programs have learned, a sup- all.” Besides, she added, “In today’s world, balanced mix of technology and traditional portive leadership can make all the differ- a student who doesn’t understand technol- teaching methods will result in a more well ence in making a program successful. Our ogy will not make it far. We are equipping rounded student.” students to do tomorrow’s jobs — the ones Teachers are overwhelmingly happy TEACHER CONFIDENCE IN ADMINISTRATION’S that don’t even exist today!” VISION FOR THE USE OF TECH IN EDUCATION about how tech has helped their ability to However, a CTEC teacher at a Midlo- teach and their students’ ability to learn. Very confident 37% thian, VA high school was more reserved Nine in 10 people (92 percent) said it had Somewhat confident 42.5% in her enthusiasm. “The Chromebook 1-to-1 initiative at our school has led to Neutral 9.5% TECH’S IMPACT ON TEACHING increased cheating,” she reported. “Many EFFECTIVENESS Somewhat doubtful 9% documents are now ‘shared’ by students Technology has positively Very doubtful 2% with other students. It is too easy to use affected 92% my ability to teach. someone else’s work as your own. Very survey found that eight in 10 educators disappointed that technology has hin- Technology has not had an effect on the quality of my 7% were confident about leader vision; just one dered our learning experience and made teaching. in 10 (11 percent) was doubtful. cheating so easy.” Technology has negatively In order to understand how actual expe- affected <1% my ability to teach. Putting Technology in the rience with 1-to-1 programs influenced Hands of Students teachers’ opinions, we drilled into the TECH’S IMPACT ON STUDENT As you might predict, teachers who see numbers. Among educators who are high- LEARNING benefit in the use of tech in teaching favor ly supportive of 1-to-1, 47 percent work Technology has positively the idea of schools providing devices to all in schools that have such programs, and affected my students’ 91% students. More than half of respondents 53 percent are in schools without 1-to-1. learning. (52 percent) said they would “absolutely” Among the very few who are completely Technology hasn’t affected their learning one way or 6% support that idea. Another third (34 against it, only 21 percent are in schools the other. percent) said they’d support that but with with such programs, and 79 percent have Technology has negatively some reservations. Not all of those schools no 1-to-1. Those who are slightly less affected my students’ 3% have reached that point; only four in 10 certain in either direction hold similar learning. (41 percent) people said their schools have opinions. About a third of teachers (33 “positively” affected their ability to teach, some kind of 1-to-1 program going on in percent) who said they would support and a similar number (91 percent) said the some or all grades, where every student is 1-to-1 “with reservations” are in schools same about student learning. supplied with his or her own computing with 1-to-1. And a similar proportion (29 Educators have reached a point in their TEACHER SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS PROVIDING DEVICES TO ALL STUDENTS own learning where most (84 percent) Teaching in schools All results with 1-to-1 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PREFERENCES Yes, absolutely. 52% 60%

I prefer electronically Yes, with reservations. 34% 28% 12% delivered PD. I could go either way. 9% 8% I like a mixture of in-per- 84% son and electronic. No, with exceptions. 4% 3% I only like in-person PD. 4% No, absolutely not. 1% <1%

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0916THE.indb 8 7/27/16 2:01 PM Untitled-9 1 6/1/16 4:10 PM FEATURE | research

percent) of those who would vote mostly TEACHER SUPPORT FOR MOBILE PHONE phones into class — but with limitations. no are also in schools with 1-to-1. USAGE IN THE CLASSROOM And 41 percent would prefer to decline any

Overall, 60 percent of those in a 1-to-1 Yes 6% such activity. school absolutely favor giving every stu- Only 2 percent of schools have poli- Yes, with limitations 53% dent a computing device. When you add cies that encourage mobile phones. The in those who have some reservations, over No 41% majority of educators (69 percent) work for 88 percent are in favor of 1-to-1. On the schools where the phones are allowed but opposite end of the spectrum, among those CELL PHONE POLICIES with restrictions, such as not being able who are in 1-to-1 schools, just over half of to pull them out in the classroom. Those Cell phones are allowed 2% mobile phone policies also lay out specific and encouraged. SCHOOL HAS A 1-TO-1 PROGRAM penalties for students who break the rules; IN PLACE Cell phones are allowed 43% with some restrictions. the most typical one in 66 percent of Yes 41% Cell phones are allowed schools is confiscation of the offending 24.5% No 59% but not in the classroom. device; in 14 percent of campuses, students Cell phones are banned. 16% have to head to the principal’s office. 1 percent are absolutely against it. Even There is no formal policy; To understand overall what kind of when those who oppose it with reserva- it’s up to the individual 14.5% technology is seen as the most useful for tions are included, just over 3 percent don’t teacher. teaching and learning, we asked people think it’s a great idea. to assess the value of specific types of When it comes to bring-your-own-device PENALTIES FOR SMARTPHONE USAGE devices in the classroom. Laptops came or BYO-technology programs in schools, out on top in that ranking; 93 percent respondents are less enthusiastic, but Confiscation of device 66% of respondents said they consider those Trip to the principal’s most are willing to consider it. Fifty-nine 14% either “essential or “valuable.” Chrome - office percent said they’d favor to some extent books and workstations came in second A wag of the finger/stern 7% allowing students to provide their own talking-to and third, respectively. Smart watches devices for classroom learning. Twenty-one landed in last place on the list with 10 Suspension 6% TEACHER SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS percent of teachers judging them favor- PROVIDING THEIR OWN COMPUTING DEVICES No penalty 4% ably, and less than 1 percent finding Referral to law 1% them essential. Yes, absolutely. 22% enforcement

Yes, with reservations. 37% Expulsion 1% Technology and the I could go either way. 20% Penalty to student’s grade <1% Homework Gap in class No, with exceptions. 14% It used to be that schools struggled to

No, absolutely not. 7% THE VALUE OF SPECIFIC TYPES OF DEVICES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

SCHOOL HAS A BYOD/BYOT PROGRAM Essential Valuable So-so Not very valuable Detrimental IN PLACE Laptops 49% 43% 6% Yes 10% Chromebooks 36% 44% 15% 4% No 90% Workstations 32% 46% 18% 4% percent said no thanks to that idea. Only one in 10 respondents works in a school Media tablets 31% 56% 12% where students are “required” to provide All-in-one computers* 30% 47% 18% 4% their own computing devices. Detachable tablets 25% 51.5% 19% 4% Apparently, phones are on a plane far % % % % removed from other types of devices in the Virtual desktops/thin clients 13 39 36 10 classroom. Whereas 22 percent of respon- Mobile phones 11% 40% 29% 13% 7%

dents said they supported BYOD without E-readers 9% 46% 32% 12% reservations, only 6 percent said the same Smart watches % % % % when the technology was specifically a mo- 9 31.5 50 9 bile phone. Most people said they could get *Includes traditional desktops behind the idea of students bringing their

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0916THE.indb 10 7/27/16 2:01 PM address the “digital gap” — making sure that requires a computer, by law I [or the job will entail knowing how to “edit that all of their students could get their district] must supply the computer. And screencasts and manage websites and hands on computers outside of school. since our school and much of the district content,” but also teaching students “how Nowadays, the gap needs to encompass bans cell phones, that limits what I can do to take self-initiative and coach them of Internet access too. This “access gap” in class with formative assessment apps.” the importance of why they are learn- is widespread. Three in 10 students (31 As she noted, “Equity issues are huge at ing the topic they are learning.” Blended percent) lack adequate Internet access my school and in my district.” learning doesn’t require the teacher to be at home, according to those respondents “up to date on everything,” he said. But who ventured an estimate in the survey. Technology in the Classroom it will require having a “keen sense of Such access is important because it’s Although 84 percent of respondents said what works and how to use that with the hard for teachers to assign homework they prefer a blend of face-to-face and students to increase engagement and learn- requiring access to broadband when online modes for their own learning in pro- ing outcomes.” As he noted, teachers have almost a third of the class will have to fessional development, most of them work to become “partners with the students in hunt down another source of WiFi to their learning.” get their work done. Currently, only 8 TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS While blended has pickup in school, percent of schools or districts provide teachers aren’t quite as far along in flip- Exclusively face-to-face 66% broadband to students whose families ping their classes. Only 30 percent said Mixed online and 32% can’t afford it. A majority of teachers face-to-face they do some form of flipping, in which (57 percent) do assign homework that they ask their students to view videos or Fully online 2% requires the use of technology, but that some other digital matter online before doesn’t necessarily equate to assign- in non-blended classrooms. Only a third coming to school and then using class ments that require the Internet; it may be (32 percent) reported some form of online time for other activities, such as hands-on something students need to write, read instruction in their teaching environment. THE USE OF FLIPPED CLASSES or create on the computer. The rest are exclusively face-to-face. Yes, all of my classes The equity and access gaps pose seri- Yet, when we asked people directly, “Are 3.5% are flipped. ous challenges to a sixth grade teacher in you using a blended or hybrid model for Yes, some of my classes 27% Hillsboro, OR. “If I [assign] homework your classes?” the numbers came out dif- are flipped. No, but they will be PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE THE USE OF THE BLENDED OR HYBRID 8% INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME MODEL IN CLASS within the next year. No, but I’m exploring Yes, all of my classes 34.5% 0% <1% 20.8% the possibility. are blended. 1%–25% 5.8% No, none of my classes Yes, some of my classes 27% 36.9% are flipped. 26%–50% 14.5% are blended. No, but they will be and team projects or discussions. A larger 51%–75% 24.7% 7.6% within the next year. number — 43 percent — are exploring the 76%–99% 40% No, but I’m exploring possibility of flipping classes or expect to 18.7% the option. 100% 6.1% do so in the next year. No, none of my classes I don’t have even the vagu- 16% Overall, our respondents are putting 8.8% are blended. est idea. tech to use a lot in the classroom. Teachers ferently. There, 57 percent said they were. reported using tech for instructional pur- PERCENTAGE OF INSTITUTIONS THAT Another 27 percent said they would offer poses on average about 61 percent of the PROVIDE A WAY FOR STUDENTS TO GAIN INTERNET ACCESS AT HOME WHEN THEIR blended instruction in the next year or time. One in 10 people use it all the time. FAMILIES CAN’T AFFORD IT were exploring that option. PERCENTAGE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME As one CTEC teacher in Conroe, TX WHEN TECHNOLOGY IS USED Yes 8% explained, “All courses offered in public 0% <1% No 92% school need both online platforms and 1%–25% 12.5% face-to-face to offer the students a choice PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS WHO ASSIGN in how they learn.” 26%–50% 26% HOMEWORK THAT REQUIRES TECHNOLOGY Said another, this one a middle school 51%–75% 23.5%

Yes 57% teacher in Beaverton, OR, “In the future, 76%–99% 28% teachers will have to become what I’ve No 43% 100% 9.5% become: a curator of curriculum.” That

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HARDWARE IN USE IN TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS tainly aren’t on teachers’ “wishlists.”That compilation is led by 3D technology, In use now Will be in use within one year primarily 3D scanners and 3D printers, Not in use but on my wish list Not in use at all mentioned by 31 percent and 26 percent of respondents in that order. Virtual real- Traditional desktop computers or workstations ity gear comes in third, and detachable 80% 3% 2%15% Traditional laptops tablets, such as the Microsoft Surface or 77% 4% 3% 16% Lenovo Yoga, is fourth. Document camera On the software front, presentation ap- 71% 4% 6% 19% Cameras and other photographic equipment plications currently lead the pack in terms 71% 5% 10% 14% of usage in the classroom, closely followed Interactive whiteboard by word processing programs, gradebook 68% 4% 8% 19% Non-interactive projectors apps and online video services, such as 65% 2%3% 31% YouTube or Vimeo. In this category of Scanner/multi-function printer wishlist, animation software is No. 1, fol- 65% 4% 9% 22% Media tablets (iPad and Android tablets) lowed by 3D modeling software. 62% 7% 10% 22% The majority of teachers in the survey Chromebooks (60 percent) have shifted from using paper- 48% 7% 8% 37% Mobile phones based textbooks to using a mix of printed 43% 7% 7% 44% matter and digital content. Most of that Non-interactive, large-screen displays digital content is made up of open educa- 42% 3% 4% 51% Clickers/student response devices tional resources. Oftentimes, OER refers 40% 5% 12% 43% to a type of complete digital textbook Interactive projectors made available for free that can often be 36% 5% 15% 44% Die cutter modified and customized by the instructor 33% 3% 9% 56% for his or her class. In this case, we suspect Interactive, large-screen displays that most of the OER teachers are referenc- 29% 6% 18% 47% Scientific sensors and probes ing here consists of other kinds of learning 23% 5% 13% 59% content such as web 2.0 resources — and Robotics not just textbooks. 22% 7% 14% 57% E-readers (such as Amazon Fire) 21% 7% 13% 59% Getting Tech Help 3D printer A large majority of educators in this survey 20% 8% 26% 46% Detachable tablets (such as Microsoft Surface, HP Envy x2, Lenovo Yoga, etc.) are fairly confident about their tech abilities. 16% 5% 20% 59% A solid 84 percent said their tech skills are Graphics tablets (Wacom, etc.) “maxed out” or that they know enough to 9% 3% 13% 75% Tech-enabled lectern “get the job done” and adapt to new tech 6% 2% 14% 78% “quickly.” On the other end, a tiny num- 3D scanner ber of respondents (less than 3 percent) 5% 4% 31% 60% Tech-enabled student furnishings acknowledged that they have tech skills that 3% 3% 19% 74% are “below average” or even nonexistent. Virtual reality gear However, they weren’t so confident 3% 5% 23% 69% Smart watch of the tech abilities of their students. 2%2% 10% 86% Nearly half (47 percent) said students were only average in this area. Fewer The use of tech isn’t a luxury for educa- and response,” she explained. — 44 percent — said their students were tors. For example, one special education The five most common forms that in- either excellent or above average. teacher in a middle school in Scituate, MA structional tech hardware takes right now It isn’t just the tech abilities of students considers the use of technology in school are the traditional desktop computer or that concern teachers either. As a librarian “critical” for her students. “It gives them workstation, traditional laptops, document for a San Antonio, TX-based elementary increased access to the curriculum and cameras, other kinds of cameras and in- school acknowledged, “The longer I teach provides multiple means of engagement teractive whiteboards. However, those cer- with technology as a tool, the less equipped

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0916THE.indb 12 7/27/16 2:01 PM TEACHERS REPORTING ON THEIR SOFTWARE IN USE IN TEACHING ENVIRONMENTS OWN TECH ABILITIES

Absolutely confident. My 15% In use now Will be in use within one year skills are maxed out. Not in use but on my wish list Not in use at all Very confident. I get the job Presentation software (PowerPoint, Keynote, Prezi, etc.) done and adapt to new tech 69% 96% 2% quickly. Word processing My tech skills are adequate. 14% 95% 3% Gradebook I lack confidence. My tech 91% 2% 6% skills are below average, 2% Online video services (YouTube, Vimeo) and I’m a bit overwhelmed 90% 3% 5% by new technologies. Classroom management I’m extremely incompetent 69% 5% 5% 21% with technology. I need help <1% Collaboration/whiteboard software all the time. 67% 4% 7% 22% Games 65% 5% 7% 23% TEACHERS REPORTING ON THE TECH Subscription-based education streaming services ABILITIES OF THEIR STUDENTS 60% 5% 8% 27% Image editing Excellent 5% 60% 4% 10% 26% Learning management system Above average 39% 59% 6% 7% 28% Video editing Average 47% 56% 5% 9% 30% Below average 9% E-books % % % % 53 6 9 32 Failing <1% Social media services 51% 5% 7% 37% Lecture capture/screen capture ACCESS TO ADEQUATE SUPPORT AND 46% 6% 10% 38% TRAINING FOR TECHNOLOGY IN USE Audio editing/mixing 44% 6% 12% 38% Yes 63% Adaptive learning 34% 6% 12% 48% No 37% Animation software 34% 6% 17% 43% PREFERRED SOURCE FOR HELP E-portfolios WITH TECHNOLOGY 34% 11% 12.5% 42.5% 3D modeling Online search 37% 21% 6% 16% 57% Peers 23%

believes teachers are being told to “use it Help desk/IT department 17% TYPE OF TEXTBOOKS IN USE IN CLASSES with children far too soon in their develop- Instructional mental process — to their detriment. I do it 11% Paper 30% technologist because I am expected to do so.” Students 4% Electronic 10% If other teachers agree with that senti- User forums 3% Mixed 60% ment — that they’re “expected” to use tech in teaching — at least they feel supported to Vendor support <1% USE OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL some extent. In a salute to school leadership Product manual <1% RESOURCES IN CLASSES and IT organizations, two-thirds of respon- Other 3.5% Yes 80% dents (63 percent) said they have adequate

No 20% support and training for the tech they use. tech matters, school and district leaders But when help is needed, teachers don’t would do well to remember this advice children seem to be to use it. Their memo- necessarily turn to the help desk first. from a Baker County, FL eighth-grade ries seem to function less; they appear to The most frequent response was to do teacher: “Our school could greatly be lazier; and they expect the technology to an online search (37 percent) or turn to benefit from having a full-time technol- do everything for them, without any effort peers (23 percent). ogy trainer/coach. Our teachers have or thought on their part. It is horrifying.” However, in spite of working with an interest in incorporating technology While she was happy enough to use tech a corps of educators who possess an more often, but need help getting started to her “advantage,” she added that she overall readiness to perform self-help in and troubleshooting.”

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0916THE.indb 13 7/27/16 2:01 PM FEATURE | research ‘NO APP FOR THAT’: TEACHER What the Future Holds for TECHNOLOGIES CURRENTLY USED TECH Technology in Teaching IN EDUCATION THAT TEACHERS WISH Overwhelmingly, educators believe that WOULD DIE IN THE NEXT DECADE GRIPES tech will play a positive role in education 1. Personal cell phones/mobile phones/ If you’re in a gathering of teachers and mobile devices in the future. the conversation has gone quiet, just ask 2. Desktop computers TECHNOLOGY WILL PLAY A POSITIVE them what they think about the use of 3. Interactive boards ROLE IN EDUCATION IN THE FUTURE tech in the classroom. You’ll get an earful. 4. Printers “Education technology is a mess,” said Yes 99% 5. iPads one middle school teacher in Farmers No 1% 6. Non-interactive projectors Branch, TX. “It is in worse shape than 7. Internet limitations and outages the early days of electricity when AC However, the technologies that exist in 8. Wiring and cabling in any form and DC were competitive technologies. classrooms today won’t necessarily be the 9. Document cameras There is too little guidance, too little same ones that are around in 10 years. 10. Gradebooks understanding in administration, too Respondents were asked in an open-ended much buying new stuff without seeing how it will or can be used.” question to predict what education tech The two choices that blow all other sug- would die over the next decade. Desktop gestions out of the water were 3D anything “Technology in education is only as good as the amount of bandwidth/connectivity computers were mentioned by 38 per- — scanning, printing and design — and allows,” reminded another teacher cent of the 1,073 people who suggested augmented and virtual reality. These two from a Macclenny, FL middle school. anything at all. That type of tech won categories each received hundreds of “Inadequate bandwidth usually ends in hands-down by a margin of nearly 2-to-1 votes by teachers. frustration for educators.” compared to the next most popular vote: One substitute in Austin, TX recalled interactive whiteboards, referenced in 20 TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL BECOME one school where he has worked. IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION OVER “The school district bought tablets percent of the votes. THE NEXT DECADE with charging stations. There were 1. 3D anything — scanning, printing, exercises, games and links to some TECHNOLOGIES CURRENTLY USED design news sources, but there was no real IN EDUCATION THAT WILL BE DEAD attempt to get a curriculum on the AND GONE IN THE NEXT DECADE 2. Augmented and virtual reality tablets.” The result: Kids use the tablets 1. Desktop computers 3. M obile devices, especially tablets, “to look for pornographic images and 2. Interactive boards as well as laptops play games.” They use the charging 3. Clickers 4. Chromebooks stations to recharge their cell phones. 4. Non-interactive projectors 5. Interactive displays, projectors, As a “classic geek,” this teacher said 5. Document cameras screens, walls he wants “to believe the technology can fix educational problems. This is an 6. Laptops 6. Robots and robotics absurd superstition on my part. The best 7. Coding and computer science lessons 7. Overhead projectors technology in the world is not going to 8. Non-interactive displays 8. Learning management systems save your students when they ... have no 9. DVDs/DVRs/Disc players 9. Smart watches, smart wear desire to learn anything. When they are 10. CDs and CD players 10. C loud-based services, including not hostile, they are indifferent, without apps, storage, computing any curiosity.” He concluded, “There is MAKING But desktop computers only came in no app for that.” second when we asked people to specify But, like over-reaching predictions A high school teacher in Philadelphia which classroom tech they wished would that foretold the death of printing once wishes there were more “vision in the CONNECTIONS field of what technology can do for the die. The top choice there was the student e-mail became ubiquitous, schools classroom.” Right now, he pointed out, cellphone, mobile phone or mobile device. follow their own timetables in these “There is still a great deal of fear and Teaching with Technology Many of the same items show up on both matters, as a secondary school teacher pushback from educators, administrators lists, but people were also more creative in Dudley, NC pointed out. “Some items and parents on the use of technology in the classroom and even more so From grade school music class to a as they pondered what they’d kill off. For that I would say will be gone in the next regarding online/distance learning.” example, many suggested doing away with decade for businesses and home will still college lecture, Full Compass has the technology A library media specialist for a high Internet limitations (including web filter- be in use for schools. The same is true school in Washington said her “biggest that engages students at every level. ing) and outages as well as wiring and for ‘emerging’ technology. Some items frustration” is the teachers who “don’t cabling “in any form.” emerging now will not be emerging for care what students use as long as they And since respondents were dreaming schools [for another] 10 to 15 years.” just keep/look busy.” What she’d like is 800-356-5844 for teachers to “change their outcomes big, we also asked them to predict which She includes in that category items such and instruction so technology is used fullcompass.com emerging technologies would become im- as netbooks that surfaced more than a more as the great tool it is.” portant to education in the next decade. decade ago for personal use and are only Pro Audio • Video • Lighting • Musical Instruments

14 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Untitled-5 1 5/27/16 12:04 PM 0916THE.indb 14 7/27/16 2:01 PM now showing up in schools in an evolved form: the Chromebook. YOU MUST REMEMBER If there’s one conclusion we could reach by reading through the results of THIS: A NOTE TO SCHOOL this first tech-enabled teaching survey, we’d have to say that educators are a LEADERS hopeful bunch. Exclaimed one high Respondents in this survey on tech in teaching offered plenty of guidance for school school teacher in Tuscaloosa, AL, “I am leaders and district tech enthusiasts, most of it focused on teacher preparation and excited to see what the future will hold!!” budgetary constraints. Declared another who works in an alter- “We can have all the technology/hardware in the world,” said one tech director in a New native learning environment in Lonoke, Lenox, IL high school. “But unless teachers change the way they teach, it is of no use!” AR, “I think we have barely begun to tap A teacher at a Denver elementary school agreed with that assessment. “The difficulty into the possibilities that technology has with tech in education is realizing [it] will not automatically make you a better teacher.” As he observed, “It is simply another vehicle/modality of learning.” in store for the future.” A CTEC teacher in Woodland, CA wishes district leaders “would stop chasing the latest- and-greatest fads.” His advice: “Listen to the teaching faculty in the field before buying Dian Schaffhauser is senior contribut- what the sales reps are selling.” ing editor for THE Journal. She is a writer That opinion was seconded by an elementary school STEM teacher in Missoula, MT. who covers technology and business for “The technology we need costs more than our budgets allow. We are always scraping for a number of publications. more money, having fundraisers, writing grants, begging for donations, etc.” If American teachers “want to lead the world in educating our children,” she said, “we have to invest David Nagel is editor-in-chief of THE in them.” That includes investing in training teachers too by “giving them time to learn in a supportive environment.” Journal.

MAKING CONNECTIONS Teaching with Technology From grade school music class to a college lecture, Full Compass has the technology that engages students at every level.

800-356-5844 fullcompass.com

Pro Audio • Video • Lighting • Musical Instruments

SEPTEMBER 2016 | 15

Untitled-5 1 5/27/16 12:04 PM 0916THE.indb 15 7/27/16 2:01 PM THE CHANGING ROLE OF THE CTO

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0916THE.indb 16 7/27/16 2:01 PM FEATURE | IT Roundtable

As technology has changed K–12 education, so has it changed the role of the chief technology officer, a job title that just barely existed 15 years ago. Today’s CTO is not your grandfather’s infrastructure manager! BY MICHAEL HART

Technology is ubiquitous in today’s classroom, so we sometimes forget it ROLE OF was just a short while ago that not even teachers had their own computers, let alone their students, who now sometimes come to school with two or three electronic devices. THE Journal contributing writer Michael Hart spoke recently with four veteran chief technology officers who were present at almost the very THE CTO introduction of technology to K–12 education and asked them how their jobs have changed over the last 15 to 20 years.

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0916THE.indb 17 7/27/16 2:01 PM FEATURE | IT Roundtable

decision-making process com- Keith Krueger has been CEO of the pared to 10 or 20 years ago? Consortium for School Networking Madden: The stakes are much higher (CoSN) for the last 21 years. today.

KRUEGER Mark Finstrom has been CTO of Finstrom: Nine or 10 years ago, I wasn’t even on the cabinet. I was considered an Highline Public Schools in the Seattle operations person. It was not necessary area since 2006, but began his career in for me to be involved in decisions related educational technology 20 years ago. to instruction because the accountability was with the superintendent. Now, if I’m not at the table, they don’t know how to FINSTROM Kurt Madden has been CTO with the get to the data they’re looking for. They Fresno (CA) Unified School District for don’t know what systems are available for us to provide feedback. the last 10 years. Frankie Jackson: The primary differ- And while Frankie Jackson has only ence is that we now work with executive- MADDEN level leadership. Twenty years ago, technol- been CTO of the Cypress-Fairbanks ogy leaders were thought to be leaders of Independent School District near hardware and software, leaders of student Houston for the last three years, she has information systems. But since then, there’s been this gradual move to where been a CTO in Texas school districts now technology is the underlying foundation of all services. JACKSON since 1993. Krueger: It has changed dramatically, THE Journal: How has the role Mark Finstrom: It used to be that I dealt but it’s less about the title and more about of the chief technology officer in with buying and managing the hardware the scope of work. How do you help the K–12 education changed over the and software. And I provided services to professional learning department? How do last 20 years? the end user. That’s no longer the case. you help everybody do things in new and Everything we do is integrating one thing powerful ways? Keith Krueger: Twenty years ago, when with another thing. CoSN was started, there wasn’t a career THE Journal: How has technology path to what we now call a CTO. It was Krueger: Fifteen years ago, 80 percent of changed the lives of students and only about 15 years ago that we started your job was wires and boxes. Today, that’s teachers? using that as a generic term for the lead only about 30 percent of the job. Now, the person for technology in a school district. vast majority is understanding the educa- Jackson: Students are connected 24 tion environment and, increasingly, you hours a day. They have the ability to Kurt Madden: In the beginning it was have to have leadership and vision skills. collaborate and communicate all the all about wired networks and wired infra- time, to learn outside the classroom structure. There was no wireless. Now, Finstrom: It’s figuring out what 50 with instructional materials that are now it’s about moving things to the cloud. It’s different applications are we using and readily available. The classroom walls a lot more about facilitating collabora - how do I merge those together and the have come down, learning is available at tion and communication. data within those so that the teacher can anytime and anywhere. And it’s about analytics. Back then, you say, “Jimmy’s actually on par today.” Or, captured student data, but you didn’t spend “Wow, I’ve got some work to do because Madden: The biggest change for students much time providing it for reports. We do Jimmy is falling behind.” is having their own personal technology. more analytics of student and employee Ten years ago, almost no student had a data to improve student results, hiring re- THE Journal: What role does the smartphone. Today, even lower-income sults and to improve professional learning. CTO now play in the district-wide students have their own.

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0916THE.indb 18 7/27/16 2:01 PM Finstrom: We’ve gotten more into the Madden: In the classroom, most of Finstrom: Teachers are now as mobile as role of providing students with devices. our teachers do a mixed media thing. mobile can be, and they would love to be Students take the device home with them, The good ones are roaming around the even more mobile. Our goal is to untether

“THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT THE CTO IN THE PAST WAS THAT THEY WERE DR. NO. THEIR JOB WAS TO LOCK DOWN THE NETWORK AND TO CENTRALIZE THE DECISIONS FOR WHAT GOT ON THE NETWORK. NOW, THE VISION WE HAVE AS A PROFESSIONAL IS TO ENABLE A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT.” — Keith Krueger, CoSN

and they’re using it to do homework, to do classroom talking to students while the the teacher so that interaction doesn’t social media. Parents are using them too students are doing the work. Even those require them to sit down with a device. because it may be the only computer in teachers who stay stuck at the front of the household. It’s helping mom and dad the classroom, they have projectors and THE Journal: What was the big possibly to get a job. laptops utilizing rich media. challenge to CTOs in the past, and how does it compare to today?

Jackson: The great challenge in the past 10 Findings from the CoSN was moving PCs into every staff member’s hands. We weren’t even thinking about 2016 IT Leadership Survey student computers at that time. EACH YEAR, CoSN conducts a survey of technology leaders in K–12 education. Typi- Now we’re building an infrastructure cally, the survey paints a picture of how the field is changing and provides an overview to support everybody, not only to access of the challenges CTOs are facing, as well as their shifting priorities. devices provided by the district, but so The 2016 survey results were released in early May, and listed below are 10 key find- they can bring their own devices and con - ings of the survey. The complete survey is available for free at cosn.org/itsurvey. nect to the network. They’ve got phones, 1. Broadband and network capacity is the top priority for IT leaders, replacing assess- their own laptops, a district laptop. They ment readiness (which for the first year failed to make the top 3). may have a watch. We’re planning for wearable technology. 2. Privacy and security of student data is an increasing concern for IT leaders, with 64 percent saying they are more important than they were last year. Krueger: The biggest complaint about 3. Nearly 90 percent of respondents expect their instructional materials to be at least 50 the CTO in the past was that they were percent digital within the next three years. Dr. No. Their job was to lock down the 4. Virtually all responders (99 percent) expect to incorporate digital open educational network and to centralize the decisions resources (OER) over the next three years, with 45 percent expecting their digital for what got on the network. They have content to be at least 50 percent OER within that time frame. shifted, I think, from the lockdown-the- 5. Nearly 80 percent of IT leaders use online productivity tools — the largest use of network guy to let’s open up new kinds of cloud-based solutions in education. learning that is much more personalized. 6. District bans on student personal devices are a thing of the past — only 11 percent Now the vision we have as a professional have banning policies. is to enable a collaborative environment. We see leaders driving that conversation, 7. The path to IT leadership differs for women and men. The vast majority of women come from educational and instructional backgrounds (72 percent). The majority of helping people in curriculum understand men (54 percent) come from technology or technical backgrounds. what the possibilities are. 8. Racial diversity in IT leadership is lacking. Ninety percent of school IT leaders are Madden: The biggest challenge at the white. beginning was the plumbing, putting the 9. IT leaders have advanced education, with 75 percent earning some credit beyond infrastructure for the future in place. We their bachelor’s degree. knew so much of the content of the future 10. More than one-third of IT leaders plan to retire in the next six years. was going to come through the Internet or

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0916THE.indb 19 7/27/16 2:01 PM FEATURE | IT Roundtable

the network. So we immediately utilized today’s technology leaders don’t Madden: I wish somebody had told me E-rate and were able to put fiber optic have to worry about? how long it takes to get things done. I was lines to all our schools and then began to not used to the pace in public schools and do the wireless deployment. Finstrom: The CTO of the future has the tendency to maintain the status quo. Making sure there is enough access is to be a change agent, an innovator and You can’t just come in and change things still the biggest challenge. Moving to cloud a thinker. The one that is going to drive quickly. You’re a cruise ship that takes 3 structure is one of those shifts you want to change. We’re not going to be dealing with degree turns, not a jet airplane. make sure you do right. the data in future years because other people will know it well enough to be able Jackson: I started my career in mission Jackson: The other challenge is student to do it. We will be innovating instruc- operations at the Johnson Space Center. safety. It used to be that students sat in the tional practice. I came from a very technical career to classroom and teachers could keep their public education. I wish somebody had eye on them. Now, once you give them Krueger: We need to ask ourselves told me how far behind public education a device, they can spin off and request what we even mean by technology. I like was. I never thought a district in 1994 information on the Internet and we have to what one of the founders of Apple, Alan wouldn’t have a network. There was not be concerned about filtering content and Kay, said: “Technology is anything that the understanding that technology would appropriate, responsible usage. came after you were born.” Less and come to be so mission-critical. less the word technology will be in the THE Journal: When it comes to the CTO’s title. More and more it will be Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based skills required of a CTO, is there chief innovation officer. We’re going to freelance writer and the former executive any tension between technology see, as technology becomes less and less editor of THE Journal. and education? visible, innovation becomes more and more critical. Krueger: I wouldn’t exactly call it a What Does a tension. A lot of times people think that’s Jackson: Our entire business is based you’re the MIS [management information on the ability to connect. If e-mail goes CTO Do? systems] director. That isn’t the strategic down, we’re dead in the water. We just IN AN EFFORT to assist public school piece most districts want you to meet can’t work. As we move more applications districts, CoSN has established a though. You can contract out the techno- into the cloud, an absolute guarantee of “Framework of Essential Skills of the logical stuff, but you can’t contract out 100 percent connectivity will have to be K–12 CTO,” comprising three primary the leadership and understanding of the more of a priority. professional categories that attempt to educational environment. define the work of leaders in the educa- Madden: We’re really switching to it tion technology field. These categories Finstrom: If a technologist doesn’t act like being about information and less about encompass specific skill areas that an educator, they will drive the technology devices. You won’t have to worry about outline the responsibilities and knowl- edge needed to be a viable educational side of the house in an efficient manner for devices. You’ll be focused on the flow of technology leader. them and leave the education behind. I know communication and information. The 1. Leadership and vision there are people still in that old mindset. emphasis will be on how you can help Ethics and policy I’ve got a master’s in curriculum and people make better decisions. Strategic planning instruction. Being an educator has al- 2. Understanding the educational lowed me to probably be more “all in” THE Journal: What advice do you environment with the leadership team because I’m able wish somebody had given you Instructional focus and to address things we’re talking about. But when you first became a CTO? professional development I know peers who don’t have that back- Team building and staff ground are put into that role and, hope- Finstrom: Don’t be afraid of change. I Stakeholder focus fully, have learned enough through their wish a mentor would have said, “Just start 3. Managing technology and support resources interaction with teaching and learning to making things happen.” Information technology know how to respond on an educational It took me three years to get to the management point of view as well. point where change was something I Communication systems should initiate. Now I do it every day. It’s management THE Journal: What will the CTO of part of my job. Business management the future have to know and do that Data management

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0916THE.indb 20 7/27/16 2:01 PM Where you need us most.

thejournal.com

Untitled-10 1 12/14/15 3:47 PM student ConneCtivity and seCurity GameChangerChanger

5 Ways to Bridge the homeWork gap

n-campus connectivity is critical to connectivity to students at home or after higher education, corporate benefactors Oenhanced learning experiences, and school, here are five ways to tackle the and non-profits. Both initiatives won it received a major boost in 2014. The challenge of delivering internet access “digital inclusion leadership awards” last Federal Communications Commission outside the classroom. year from Next Century Cities. voted to increase funding for campus Extend school reach: While two-thirds Point people to free Wi-Fi: Some connectivity through its E-rate program of school districts (68 percent) told districts are compiling surveys of free by an additional $7.5 billion over five CoSN they lacked sufficient internet wireless access in the area to help people years. However, that funding didn’t bandwidth for the computing activities find places where they can do their work. address the problem of families without going on during the school day, that The Fairfax, VA “community internet high-speed internet in their homes. same bandwidth is barely tapped at access maps” compilation includes A February 2016 report on “Digital all when school closes for the day. An schools, libraries and local community Equity,” produced by the Consortium increasing number of school systems are and career centers. A similar effort in for School Networking (CoSN) and co- providing access to hotspots students Forsyth County, GA includes businesses sponsored by Dell and other organizations, can access after school hours. Rowan- as well—dentists and doctors, car dealers reports five million American households Salisbury Schools in North Carolina, for and restaurants—that have requested with school-age children lack broadband example, keeps its elementary schools inclusion on the list. connectivity. A “disproportionate number” open at least one afternoon each week as Promote low-cost access: of those families are low-income. wireless hotspots. Some go even farther. Connect2Compete (for families CoSN considers this situation a Kent School District in Washington of students who participate in the “critical problem.” Anywhere/anytime runs a “Student Technology, Access National School Lunch Program) learning can’t happen when students and Resources (STAR) Kiosk” program provides reduced pricing on “fast, lack reliable, high-speed connectivity. that sets up computer kiosks with Wi-Fi affordable internet” with no deposit, Likewise, as school and teacher signals at apartment complexes, church contract or fee related to installation communications with families are lobbies and other sites for students to pick or modem rental. EveryoneOn, which increasingly handled through on-line up and submit homework. runs the program, partners with major forms, this “homework gap,” as the Team up with local government and service providers including Cox and February report points out, is becoming colleges: Both Austin, TX and Davidson, Comcast. AT&T runs a similar program a “widening chasm into which parents/ NC have instituted programs to deliver for families participating in the U.S. guardians also fall.” devices and broadband to those needing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance If you’re in one of the 75 percent of them through “digital inclusion” projects. Program (SNAP). The FCC has also districts with no strategy for providing These are supported by city government, updated its Lifeline Support program. Its discounts now cover a landline or wireless service for eligible low- income households. Go for grants: Dozens of national organizations and hundreds of local groups offer funding for education initiatives. The National Education Association Foundation offers “student achievement grants” and the Foundation for Blended and Online Learning runs a teacher grant program. Both provide money to initiate student access programs. These and many other examples are listed in a database of possible funding sources compiled by education technology company Kajeet in its “Homework Gap Funding Sources” website.

Untitled-3 2 7/22/16 1:35 PM SponSored report | | |

#296e92 r: 41 g: 110 b: 146

prepare your sChool for a data BreaCh

“checklist” that covers how to identify and monitor personally identifiable information (PII) residing in school systems. It also spells out how to create a data breach response policy and how to actually respond to a breach. One major recommendation is to run privacy and information security training on a regular basis. To help with that, the kit includes practice materials to put people into the shoes of school leaders who need to respond to a data breach. The session is timed to run between an hour and two hours with teams of five to seven people working together. In the practice scenario, a teacher notifies the IT manager that course grades in the system have been changed. Apparently, somebody has logged into the gradebook with the teacher’s user name and password (kept on a sticky note) to thumb drive with personal than in smaller school systems. raise everybody’s scores. At the same A information is misplaced. More As the number of computing devices time, the logs indicate reports containing data is sent than requested. Server on campus dedicated to learning staff PII have been downloaded. vulnerabilities are discovered. An online increases, so too does the potential for Training participants must develop program is misused, unintentionally problems. While much of the network response plans that evolve as they exposing student information. A student security response typically focuses on receive additional information. The steals school data and keeps it on a flash putting systems in place to minimize scenario grows in seriousness to reflect drive. Those are just a few of the data exposure, less time is spent preparing for what happens in real life— PII posted breaches reported between January and the inevitable—the day when somebody to Facebook pages, news of the breach June 2016 at seven school districts, in your school community uncovers a leaked, and concerned parents calling according to information maintained by data breach. What do you do then? the school. the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Almost every state has some form Safeguarding PII is a multi-step In most of these cases, there was no of data breach notification laws. These process. It starts with the caliber of apparent harm done. There was only the require that you contact affected security systems you put in place, possibility of data theft. The district’s individuals and notify them about the but that certainly isn’t the end of the reputation was tainted. And funding that potential loss or access to their sensitive story. Schools must learn to minimize could have been invested in education information. However, they don’t the amount of personal information had to be redirected to forensic analysis necessarily provide strong guidance on they collect. They need to secure and and credit monitoring services. how to manage the details of that process, safeguard this information. When Accounts of those data breaches may particularly if you work in a school. transferring PII, it must automatically not surprise many IT education leaders. be encrypted or password-protected. According to a recent THE Journal survey, Practice Your Response And finally, the data must be disposed more than 1 in 10 schools (14 percent) That’s why the Privacy Technical of properly when it’s no longer needed. reported they had uncovered a data breach Assistance Center, an office in the U.S. Even with the best measures in place within the previous 12 months. Breaches Department of Education, has developed though, data breaches occur. When one were more likely to happen in districts its “data breach response training hits your district, practice can make your with 15,000 or more students (24 percent) kit.” The kit includes a data breach response perfect.

Untitled-3 3 7/22/16 1:35 PM SponSored report | | | Content filtering GameChangerChanger

#296e92 r: 41 g: 110 b: 146 Content filtering in the era of 1-to-1 ven though the Federal you’re evaluating web content filtering transports requests back to the district ECommunications Commission programs, consider adding new kinds of data center. The “tunnel all” mode routes bumped up funding through its E-rate capabilities to your evaluation rubric. traffic to and from the remote user program, one thing has not changed for over a VPN tunnel. However, among schools. If they’re pursuing discounts Extend Filtering Off-campus schools Godoy has consulted, the new related to internet access or internal The basic idea behind content filtering best practice (in use by 30 percent of connections, they still need to filter web solutions is to establish policies regarding respondents) is to use the client approach content as part of Children’s Internet the type of sites or URLs those with and filter directly from the cloud. Protection Act (CIPA) compliance. specific school roles can visit. Those Districts are used to running web filters roles include teacher, staff, and student. More Nimble Control to meet this requirement for computers When the user directs the browser to that Schools also need the ability to adjust at their campuses. In this era of 1-to-1 site or URL, a filtering engine checks the content filtering controls more rapidly. programs and flipped classrooms, where policies and either allows access to the Previously, says Godoy, schools used students are expected to continue their site or alerts the user that the site has been all-encompassing website blocking. “We online studies after class, schools are less blocked. The newest content filtering immediately saw the need to provide accustomed to ensuring devices taken applications deliver that same capability the ability to bypass those restrictions off campus are filtering web content as no matter where the device is located— for those times when teachers would well. In fact, in a recent THE Journal inside or outside the district network. like to study a specific topic and want survey 3 in 10 respondents (29 percent) SonicWALL is a frontrunner in this to bypass the traditional blocking.” For acknowledged they don’t filter district- category. There are two complementary the software to achieve that, it needs provided devices outside of school. products to address the dual nature of some kind of “challenge mechanism” Those school systems are putting on-campus and off-campus filtering. granted to specific users to let them themselves into a risky position, says SonicWALL Content Filtering Service access specific websites required for an Scott Grebe, who manages product (CFS), as part of an overall security assignment for a limited period of time. marketing for SonicWALL’s security appliance, is oriented to schools needing products. “Imagine you’re the principal automatic protection when devices are Proactive Response of a school. The last thing you want is to behind the school firewall. SonicWALL The innate ability of filtering programs to get a phone call from a very angry parent Content Filtering Client (CFC) helps discover web access patterns and identify saying, ‘You gave my child an internet- IT deliver web content filtering policies the user creating those patterns provides enabled device [without protection], and for roaming devices—the ones taken benefits beyond CIPA compliance. he/she took that device off-campus and home by students each day—from the These solutions can now alert staff when was able to access all the sites students cloud. Both support Windows, Mac and certain search patterns emerge, especially are not allowed to when at school. You Chrome OS devices. useful when those trends could point did nothing to protect my child.’” “We try to integrate them as much as to problems. If students are having a Your school’s content filtering possible so that the user experience is as hard time with bullying or depression, technology and strategy needs to adapt seamless as possible in order to eliminate for example, IT can be proactive about to new challenges brought about with the any boundaries from a functional alerting principals and counselors. As growth of 1-to-1 programs. The next time standpoint,” says Edgar Godoy, SonicWALL’s Godoy explains, “These SonicWALL, product management products can now help schools be in “ninja.” At the same time, IT can closer contact with the students.” maintain different policies that take effect for on-premises usage or for roaming. For more information on For example, student access to certain Dell networking solutions social networking or online chat sites for education, visit www.dell.com/k12/networking may be looser when they’re on a device at home versus in the classroom. For more information on Both approaches have benefits. That SonicWALL solutions for education, same THE Journal survey found among visit https://www.sonicwall.com/ those districts that filter web traffic solutions/education/ on school-owned devices off campus, 50 percent filter through a VPN that

Untitled-3 4 7/22/16 1:35 PM Untitled-3 5 7/22/16 1:35 PM STEAM EDUCATION John K. Waters

during the 2011-2012 school year when Dale Dougherty, the publisher of Make Magazine What Makes a Great and founder of the Maker Faire, approached him about an experimental maker education Makerspace? project. Shea ended up leading a class of As schools across the country are demonstrating, makerspaces about 30 young makers, who met at the magazine’s nearby headquarters twice a week. aren’t just about technology. They’re about giving outlet to Analy’s Project Make is now taught on students’ creativity. Spaces can be as elaborate as sophisticated campus and includes three sections open to machine shops or as simple as libraries converted to support 9th–12th graders. The program has emerged hands-on learning. as something of a model for hands-on learning. In fact, Shea worked with educators at Sonoma State University to develop a HE MAKER education movement has sparked a minor revolution in K–12 50-hour, first-of-its-kind Maker Certificate STEAM education. A growing number of schools and entire districts across Program, designed for people seeking to lead the country are implementing dedicated, in-school makerspaces — sometimes maker activities in schools, clubs, communi- called STEAM labs or fab labs — where students are encouraged to experiment, ty centers, libraries and other organizations. invent and tinker with a range of materials and technologies. But what constitutes In his new role — he was appointed an effective in-school makerspace? in July 2016 — Shea helps educators “A makerspace is more of a mindset than a toolset,” said Casey Shea, curriculum coor- throughout the county establish and expand dinator for maker education for the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE). “Many “making opportunities” in their schools and of the most successful makerspaces I’ve seen started with very little equipment and a lot of classrooms. He said he believes that “making shutterstock.com creativity. It’s a fundamental mistake to think that dropping a 3D printer into a room will and tinkering” and the philosophies behind turn it into a makerspace.” those activities are an essential part of the Shea has been involved with the maker education movement almost from its inception. formula for a true 21st century education. He was teaching math at Analy High School in Sebastapol, CA, north of San Francisco, “Making is definitely not a fad. One of the

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0916THE.indb 26 7/27/16 2:01 PM secrets to providing students with an effective in-school makerspace lies in keeping its fundamental purpose in mind, Shea said. “A successful in-school makerspace provides kids with a variety of tools and materials and the freedom to create,” he said. “It’s really that simple — and that challenging. There’s a lot of great technology out there finding its way into these spaces— laser cutters, 3D printers, robotics technologies and all kinds of computing components. But honestly, it doesn’t have to be equipped with high-tech digital manufacturing tools to be an effective makerspace; it can be stocked with glue guns and cardboard if students are engaged and using their hands and minds to create and solve problems.” Analy High’s in-school makerspace is a converted shop-class building with a concrete floor. It’s equipped with a laser en- graver and a vinyl cutter, among other high- tech equipment, as well as tools for wood and metal working. The space, which is also used to host classes for non-student members of the community, is well organized with labeled shelves and areas sectioned off for different types of projects. “The shop classes I took in a space like this were, more often than not, about following a set of plans, and you were assessed on how well you followed those plans,” Shea said. “There was a time when that approach made sense. But that’s not what this space is about today.” A makerspace can be a combination of woodshop, computer lab and art studio, so the space has to be flexible, Shea said. “When things are cooking in a makerspace, you might have 15 to 20 very different projects going at one time,” he said. “Students occupying the same space might be building everything from micro- controlled robots to hardwood furniture, drones to squishy circuits made with conductive Play-Doh. A lot depends on what materials and tools are available at the school. There’s a random element to all this; a local business might contribute some lumber or some Arduino microcontrollers. And things get repaired and repurposed in Students engage in activities ranging from 3D printing to sewing in the makerspace at Analy this environment. A successful makerspace High School. has the flexibility to accommodate all this.”

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0916THE.indb 27 7/27/16 2:01 PM STEAM EDUCATION

A High-End Makerspace for and something that I, myself, love, it has colors to make the space more inviting the Whole Community something more, too. It’s joyful, and it’s and lively,” they said. They also purchased As an example of an in-school makerspace noisy, and it’s full of love and laughter three daVinci Jr 3D printers and a variety designed from the ground up, Shea points and light and kids who are experimenting of mobile devices for each space, and a to Lane Tech College Preparatory High and playful with their learning.” 70-inch Promethean ActivPanel for each School in Chicago. It’s an environment of the Innovation Centers. “These panels rarely seen in high schools, where space Innovation Centers: help students to collaborate on projects, 3D repurposing is the norm. Cultivating Collaboration modeling and communication,” they said. The Lane Tech Innovation and Creation In the Brevard County Public School There’s no single way to design a great in- Lab is clean and open, and it’s equipped District in Florida, existing library media school makerspace, Shea said, but if there with four Epilog laser cutters, 10 MakerBot centers have been repurposed as 21st is a common element among spaces that and UP! 3D printers, six ShapeOko2 CNC century makerspaces, which the district is truly foster the maker mentality, it’s that mills, four Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutters, calling Innovation Centers. The spaces are collaboration piece. four MakerBot 3D Scanners, 30 Mac- organized to support things like computer “You don’t want to feel like you’re Book Pro Retina laptops, two 15-foot wall coding and robotics, 3D printing, electron- working alone in your garage,” he said. projectors, a mobile Smart Board, multiple ics and circuits, building and construction “In a well designed space, I can look over custom-designed workspaces with power and even “consumables.” Even with a somebody’s shoulder to see what they’re drops, collaboration spaces with HDTV grant from Northrup Grumman to launch working on, and that might trigger some- and laptop HDMI switching, a large variety a pilot Innovation Center project in six thing that fits into something I’m working of production and prototyping materials schools, the budget was tight, said Tech- on or thinking about. The space shouldn’t and “a variety of power and hand tools.” nology Integrator Pam Aulakh and Library be like a secret R&D lab. It’s more like an Media Resource teacher Gina Clark in a ongoing, transparent beta test. Open and Learning Commons: blog post. messy is better.” Where Librarians Support The space was furnished with inexpen- Maker Activities sive, adjustable tables with whiteboards John K. Waters is a freelance journalist Of course, an in-school makerspace doesn’t on top. “We picked simple chairs in bright and author based in Palo Alto, CA. have to be purpose-built to be effective. Nor does it have to be a place where woodchips are flying at one end while circuits are being soldered at the other. Traditional libraries, for example, are being used to implement maker education in a number of K–12 districts. The Castle Rock Middle School library, for example, is one of a number of school libraries in Colorado’s Douglas County School District redesigned to accommodate a makerspace. Called a Learning Commons, the space exists within the library, surrounded by shelves of books, and the maker classes are actually supported by the librarians. Curved tables encourage collaboration among the young students, who also have access to a 3D printer and lots of laptop computers. An estimated 50 libraries in the district have made, or are making, this change. “Now [the library] is a place where kids whose talents haven’t been tapped into before have a place to call home,” said Castle Rock librarian Yvonne Miller in a promotional video. “While still A section of the expansive makerspace at Analy High School in Sebastapol, CA. fostering a love of reading and books

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0916THE.indb 28 7/27/16 2:01 PM There’s an innovator in everyone, especially in 5th grade.

MakerBot connects educators to a community rich in content, with access to tools that are easy to deploy. With MakerBot, learning becomes more hands-on, transforming the young students of today into the innovators of tomorrow. Learn more by visiting www.makerbot.com.

Untitled-1 1 7/27/16 12:10 PM TECHNOLOGY FOR TEACHING Dennis Pierce

sophisticated in recent years. No longer just technologies that amplify the teacher’s voice so students can hear better, today’s classroom audio systems often can perform Enhancing Classroom multiple functions. Voice amplification is still as important as ever. Studies suggest that voice amplification Audio: Beyond systems can help improve student achievement and lower special education referral Amplification rates, while also leading to better classroom Systems designed to improve audibility in classrooms are management and fewer teacher sick days as a result of voice strain. And earlier this year, changing. They used to be all about amplification. That’s still researchers concluded that ambient noise the single most critical component. But systems are now also is more distracting to a child’s brain than adding lecture capture, emergency features, paging, monitoring an adult’s, hindering how students learn. In and collaboration capabilities to enhance not just sound, but fact, the ability to understand and process speech against competing background noise student learning as well. is a skill that doesn’t mature until adoles- cence, the researchers said. N LOUISIANA’S Calcasieu Parish Schools, a classroom audio system called But classroom audio systems have Flexcat is helping to support more collaborative learning. advanced beyond just voice amplification Teachers can project their voice to the entire class, enabling students to hear more to include additional features. For instance, effectively— but they also can listen in on up to six distinct clusters of students as the manufacturers such as Audio Enhancement, children work on projects in small groups. Teachers can monitor this group work Extron Electronics, FrontRow and others from a distance, giving students the opportunity to feel independent while still mak- have offered emergency alert capabilities ing teachers available to support those students, if needed. on their teacher microphone pendants for “What we have found as a result is much more engaged classrooms,” said Sheryl some time now. With this life safety feature, Abshire, the school system’s chief technology officer. “I’ve been to quite a few classrooms a teacher can notify the front office or other with the Flexcat system in them, and I’ve seen students working on different projects and staff members if there is a classroom emer- teachers being able to manage those classrooms in a way that I haven’t seen before.” gency with just the push of a button. The Flexcat system is one example of how classroom audio systems have become more Audio Enhancement and FrontRow

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0916THE.indb 30 7/27/16 2:01 PM sound systems also include lecture capture over-Ethernet connector that allows us grade class for some reason?” features, allowing teachers to record the to pull power not from the wall but from With Juno Connect, “I can go in through audio from a lesson and make it available our switch, which is on a battery backup the interface and just pick and choose from for students who want to hear it again as and has a secondary generator backup. So my map to dynamically change what rooms they are reviewing the concept — or for if the power goes out, we don’t lose that are in which paging zones,” he said. “Then, those who might have been absent from classroom audio or paging ability. The we’re not disturbing first-grade classrooms class that day. teacher still has her call button to call the that might be in quiet time with a page that Smart Technologies’ Smart Audio front office if there’s an emergency during says we’re serving ice cream in the cafeteria classroom amplification system integrates a power loss. It just seems like a better for all fifth graders.” with the company’s Smart Notebook tool, in my opinion.” software and is designed to work with a When Hoffman and his team were Enabling the ‘Magic’ Smart Board interactive whiteboard. Smart evaluating the Juno system, they filled a to Occur Notebook software has a Gallery feature room with a dozen or so adults and asked Calcasieu Parish was part of a development that comes with audio files a teacher can them to simulate a classroom environment team working with Lightspeed Technologies play through the Smart Audio system’s by talking loudly with each other. Hoffman to think about classroom audio in differ- speakers. The software also includes a then walked around the perimeter of the ent ways, Abshire said. The result of these Recorder tool that teachers can use to classroom while someone played the part efforts was the Flexcat system, which capture their voice or a student’s voice and of the teacher. includes a headset and microphone for the save the recording for use in future Smart “I was surprised,” he said. “I could hear teacher and a set of speaker pods placed Board lessons. the teacher’s voice much clearer as he strategically around a classroom. Lightspeed Technologies has made it spoke into the Juno microphone, compared If children are working in groups, doing easier for teachers to manage collaborative with just raising his voice. The projection project-based learning, the teacher can group work with its Flexcat audio sys- technology was able to penetrate the chatter listen in and comment on what each group tem. And both Audio Enhancement and of all the other people in the room.” is doing from wherever she is in the room FrontRow have developed products that in- Combining classroom audio and paging through these pods. “She can nudge them tegrate paging and classroom audio within in the district’s new school buildings will and monitor them,” Abshire said. “And the a single system. FrontRow’s Juno Connect save money because the district will not students can ask the teacher questions — so even allows teachers to control a classroom have to install a separate paging system. it’s a two-way communication system.” projector or record the audio from a lesson But it will bring some additional benefits as It’s possible for teachers to manage small- with simple voice commands. well, Hoffman said. group learning effectively without a system “If the teacher is speaking or is playing like Flexcat, she said. But this often requires Combining Classroom some other audio and a page happens in a lot of “running all over the place.” Audio and Paging our legacy classrooms, that paging speaker “Just when you’ve got your back turned In South Carolina’s Clover School has to be loud enough to overcome the on one group, somebody over here would District, several classrooms have been out- audio that’s already being pumped into the need something,” she said. “We have found fitted with the Juno Connect system to am- classroom,” he said. “With Juno Connect, this technology to be a transformative tool, plify teachers’ voices. But in the district’s the page takes over the audio.” So if there’s enabling teachers to do a better job at what two newest schools that are being built an emergency situation, the page “will be they’re already good at.” now, Juno Connect will be used for both crystal clear. That’s another feature that we She concluded: “The magic in the class- classroom audio and paging, said Matt liked: It’s cutting out the distractions and room is what happens in the interaction Hoffman, executive director of technology getting to the heart of the point.” between the teacher and the student. Tech- for the district — so there will be no need What’s more, with Juno Connect, system nology enables that magic to occur — and for a separate paging system. administrators can set up flexible paging the Flexcat system is a good example. It has “Our operations manager was very zones and can adjust these easily on the fly. empowered better teaching and learning in nervous about this endeavor at first,” Hoff- “With our legacy paging systems, after our classrooms. We feel like this is moving man said. “He’s an old-school phone guy the install is complete, you’re tied into X the whole concept of an engaged classroom who’s been in the industry for more than number of paging zones,” Hoffman said. forward in profound ways.” 30 years. One of his reservations was, what “I can page the 100 hall, or the 200 hall if the power goes out? How would you — or I can do an ‘all call.’ But what if my Dennis Pierce is a freelance writer with tell people, ‘The school is on fire and we school is so diverse that the 100 hall isn’t 17 years of experience covering educa- need to evacuate’? But Juno has a Power- just first grade; what if it also has a fifth- tion and technology.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | 31

0916THE.indb 31 7/27/16 2:01 PM TRANSFORMING EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Editor-in-Chief David Nagel Associate Editor Richard Chang

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0916the_mast-index-dn1-FINAL.indd 32 7/29/16 6:59 AM index

ADVERTISER/URL PAGE SCHOOL INDEX Audio Enhancement...... 30–31 Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) CDW-G...... 5 Analy High School (CA)...... 26–28 www.CDWG.com/cisco ...... 16–20, 34 Brevard County Public School District (FL)...... 28 daVinci`...... 28 Dell Software, Inc...... 22- 25 Calcasieu Parish Schools (LA)...... 30–31 Epilog Laser...... 28 www.dell.com/k12/networking Castle Rock Middle School (CO)...... 28 Extron Electronics...... 30 Clover School District (SC) ...... 31 Full Compass Systems...... 15 FrontRow...... 30–31 www.fullcompass.com Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Google...... 14 (TX)...... 16–20 MakerBot...... 29 Lightspeed Technologies ...... 31 Douglas County School District (CO)...... 28 www.Makerbot.com Make Magazine...... 26 Fresno Unified School District (CA)...... 16–20 NASPO ValuePoint...... 36 Maker Faire...... 26 Highline Public Schools (WA)...... 16–20 www.naspovaluepoint.org/getthepoint MakerBot...... 28 Lane Tech College Preparatory High School (IL).28 Net Support...... 2 Northrup Grumman...... 28 Sonoma County Office of Education (CA)...... 26 www.netsupport-inc.com Promethean...... 28 Sonoma State University (CA)...... 26 Silhouette...... 28 PikMyKid...... 9 www.PikMyKid.com Smart Technologies...... 28, 31 COMPANY INDEX THE Journal Platforms...... 21 This index is provided as a service. The publisher www.THEJournal.com 3D Printing Systems...... 28 assumes no liability for errors or omissions. THE Journal Subscription...... 35 Apple...... 14, 20, 28 www.THEJournal.com/subscribe Arduino...... 27 shutterstock.com

T/H/E JOURNAL (ISSN 0192-592x) is published 6 times POSTMASTER: Send address changes to T/H/E JOUR- The information in this magazine has not undergone any a year, Jan/Feb, Mar, Apr/May, Jun/Jul, Sep, and Nov NAL, 9201 Oakdale Avenue, Chatsworth, CA 91311. Cana- formal testing by 1105 Media, Inc. and is distributed by 1105 Media, Inc., 9201 Oakdale Avenue, Ste. 101, da Publications Mail Agreement No: 40612608. Return Un- without any warranty expressed or implied. Implementation Chatsworth, CA 91311. Complimentary subscriptions are deliverable Canadian Addresses to 9201 Oakdale Avenue, or use of any information contained herein is the reader’s sent to qualifying subscribers. Subscription inquiries, Chatsworth, CA 91311. © Copyright 2016 by 1105 Media, sole responsibility. While the information has been reviewed back issue requests, and address changes: Mail to: Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Reproductions for accuracy, there is no guarantee that the same or similar T/H/E JOURNAL, 9201 Oakdale Avenue, Chatsworth, CA in whole or part prohibited except by written permission. results may be achieved in all environments. Technical 91311, E-mail [email protected] or call (818) 814- Mail requests to “Permissions Editor,” c/o T/H/E JOURNAL, inaccuracies may result from printing errors and/or new 5223, fax number (818) 936-0267. 9201 Oakdale Ave., Ste. 101, Chatsworth, CA 91311. developments in the industry.

SEPTEMBER 2016 | 33

0916the_mast-index-dn1-FINAL.indd 33 7/29/16 7:00 AM IT TRENDS Marie Bjerede

3 Years to Digital Transformation and Success It takes about three years to go from “Please don’t make me do this” to “I could never go back the old way.” But what does the shutterstock.com transformation look like from start to finish and in between? Marie Bjerede of the Consortium for School Networking examines the various stages.

HE TRANSFORMATION to digital teaching and learning typically takes The district should continue ongoing pro- three years. What does this transformation look like in years 1, 2, 3 and beyond? fessional development and align resources It depends on what a district does to prepare before even beginning. De- with the new functions created by the digital pending on the size and culture of a district, it is common and appropriate to start leap. Old functions should be removed from planning for the digital leap 12 to 18 months in advance. the budget and the resources used to fund CoSN, the Consortium for School Networking, has developed a framework that critical new roles. outlines the conditions for transformation success. (See the June/July 2016 issue of THE YEAR 3: All teachers should be comfort- Journal.) The framework is accompanied by a rubric that identifies what each of these able and capable of using technology in a areas looks like at the following stages: considering, basic, emerging and transformational. student-centered classroom. There are often In many cases, the “basic” level can be considered “year 1” and the “transformational” 20 percent who can’t or won’t adapt to the level as “year 3.” However, some conditions must be in place much earlier in the process. change, and after three years, it may be time YEAR 0: Before beginning a digital leap, the planning process must result in a clear, for them to seek other opportunities. shared vision for teaching and learning supported by technology. Without a “true north” Infrastructure should be developed to for decision making, the day-to-day efforts of accelerating and leading the digital leap will support a growing network of demands for be scattered in different directions. capacity, reliability and number of devices. It is also important to have a brand for the initiative. It should have a name and a com- There should be efficient workflows for the pelling story that can be shared with parents, students, the community and the press. new systems. YEAR 1: Not only should there be a clear, shared vision in place, but schools must have Finally, the district must, at this point, autonomy in achieving it. To structure that autonomy, the district must establish initial have funding plans and approaches that as- goals, along with the metrics that allow schools to measure their progress. sure long-term sustainability. Year 1 is a critical time to ensure that professional development is in place. Not only do GOING FORWARD: Moving ahead from teachers need to gain familiarity with digital tools, they also need to learn how to use them year 3, the district will find that its vision will to support a student-centered classroom. Schools should encourage professional develop- evolve based on what it learns and the goals ment through various formats, including social media, blended learning and face-to-face or reached. It is important to continually reflect shoulder-to-shoulder coaching. on the vision and goals to keep them relevant. For year 1, infrastructure should support the initial rollout of devices to students. The Transformation is not an end-goal; it is FCC and ConnectEd program set a goal of 1 Mbps per student. Often, the first year is less an ongoing process. With the three-year resource-intensive as students and teachers are getting comfortable with the technology, but investment, schools can become learning there should be a plan to support full usage by year 3 and ongoing growth moving forward. organizations that are, in fact, platforms for YEAR 2: Teachers and students should be comfortable using technology and digital continual, ongoing transformation. tools regularly. At this point, it is critical to begin bringing innovation to the initiative. The Learn more about CoSN’s framework at best programs are developed not by merely following a prescriptive curriculum, but by cosn.org/schoolsuccess. teachers evolving their classroom practice to be more student-centric. To support prudent risk-taking and schools as learning organizations, the district and leader- Marie Bjerede is Principal, Mobile Learn- ship need to create an intrinsically motivating work and learning environment, providing princi- ing and Infrastructure, at CoSN — Consor- pals, teachers, students and staff with the opportunity for autonomy, mastery and meaning. tium for School Networking.

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