What Effective Blended Learning Looks Like • What’S Hot in 2017
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TRANSFORMING EDUCATION THROUGH TECHNOLOGY thejournal.com Volume 44, No. 1 Volume | ALSO INSIDE • What Effective Blended Learning Looks Like • What’s Hot in 2017 January/February 2017 • Coding Comes of Age #296e92 r: 41 g: 110 b: 146 0117the_FINAL.indb 1 1/6/17 1:23 PM A district where school leaders smile… because teachers shine. Welcome to a Renaissance® in K12 education, a district where leaders know precisely what’s happening in their schools. Classrooms where teachers shine, guided by data insights that light the student growth path in every state. Attending one of the big 2017 expos? See us at FETC Jan. 25–27, booth #1235, and at TCEA Feb. 7–9, booth #1239. See a customized demo at www.renaissance.com/shine or call (888) 249-8690. ©Copyright 2016 Renaissance Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. (800) 338-4204 www.renaissance.com 139052.121916 Untitled-1 1 12/20/16 1:26 PM thejournal.com January/February 2017 | Volume 44, No. 1 18 COLUMNS 4 Editor’s Note The Outlook for 2017 12 Keynote Tech Can Close the Achievement Gap 33 Index 34 Ed Tech Insights The Digital Tools That Teachers Are Using Now Images from shutterstock.com Images from 6 FEATURES 6 2017 SALARY & JOB SATISFACTION SURVEY 18 What Effective Blended The results are in for our second-annual survey of IT pros working in Learning Looks Like K–12 schools and districts. For the most part, tech leaders are doing No two blended learning classrooms well in their professions and see a bright future for the industry. will look exactly alike — but here are By David Nagel some common elements for success 22 WHAT’S HOT IN 2017 28 Coding Comes of Age Coding is gradually making its way Education technologies are, by their nature, capricious. So it makes from club to curriculum, thanks largely sense to consider what could drive innovation among classrooms for to the nationwide science, technology, the new year. A panel of K-12 experts weighs in. engineering and mathematics (STEM) By Dian Schaffhauser phenomenon embraced by so many American schools. JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 | 3 0117the_FINAL.indb 3 1/6/17 1:23 PM Editor’sNote David Nagel, Editor-in-Chief thejournal.com The Outlook for 2017 January/February 2017 : Volume 44, No. 1 EDUCATION IS RESILIENT. launched a new newsletter this year (IM- Editorial Advisory Board Even while trepidation grows as federally MERSE K–12) to meet the demand for this Elisa Carlson driven change is once again about to slam increasingly hot topic! Director of Instruction, Curriculum and into education, optimism for the future Learn more about these and other#296e92 Innovation, Surrey Schools (British r: 41 remains high. There’s a strong current of growth categories from our panel ofg: experts 110 Columbia, Canada) b: 146 belief, particularly among educators and on page 22. Julie Evans school staff who are involved with technol- Chief Executive Officer, Project Tomorrow ogy, that, whatever else is going on, educa- Welcoming Our Latest Geoffrey H. Fletcher Board Member tion technology will see stability and solid Private Consultant On another positive note, I’m happy to growth in the coming years. Ann Flynn announce that we at THE Journal are EIn our latest survey of K–12 technology Director of Education Technology & State reconstituting our editorial advisory board staff and educators — which, incidentally, Association Services, National School in 2017. Boards Association was conducted in the wake The first official new of another wildly emotionally Phil Hardin member is Project Tomor- Director of Project IMPACT, charged presidential election row CEO Julie Evans. Iredell-Statesville School System (NC) — respondents were, with few Project Tomorrow is the or- exceptions, positive in their Christopher Harris ganization that produces the Coordinator, School Library System, outlook for the profession widely acclaimed Speak Up Genesee Valley Educational and about their position Survey, which helps further Partnership (NY) within their institutions. the cause of education and Cathy Hutchins A healthy majority (62 education technology by col- Principal, South Woods Elementary percent) expect strong or School, St. John’s County School lecting input about ed tech even unbridled growth for the District (FL) from hundreds of thousands of teachers, sector, with another 33 percent predicting Thomas C. Murray administrators, tech professionals, students continued stability. Most are also happy in State and District Digital Learning and parents each year and publishing reports their positions, and a vast majority expect Director, Alliance for Excellent Education that are freely available to all stakeholders. to stay right where they are at least for the Alice E. Owen (You may also have noticed the fruits next 12 months — and with higher salaries. Educational Consultant of this new relationship in the form of Be sure to read more in our second- Mark Stevens exclusive data published on the last page annual IT Salary & Job Satisfaction Survey, General Manager, NEA Academy of this publication.) starting on page 6. Donna Teuber Evans, who has been CEO of Project Team Leader for Technology Integration, Ed Tech Trends for 2017 Tomorrow since 1999, actually developed Richland School District Two (SC) In this issue we also look to the future of ed the Speak Up Survey herself — one of tech in terms of the technology categories many accomplishments in her decades-long themselves. What are the emerging or as- career in education and technology that has cending technologies for the coming year? been characterized by advocacy and a dedi- All things STEM and STEAM (STEM + cation to the mission of education. We’re arts) are on fire, from new next-generation proud to have her as a part of the board standards to coding to maker spaces. and, like our readers, look to the new year Augmented and virtual reality are also with a renewed sense of optimism! growing rapidly — in fact, we’ve even To continue the conversation, e-mail me at [email protected]. 4 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 0117the_FINAL.indb 4 1/6/17 1:23 PM At this price... You win! Spectrum is launching a new device charging cart. Built with the quality you expect from us, at an unbelievably low price. Jan 24-27 Feb 6-10 See it first · · · Orlando Austin Booth 1040 Booth 1229 I NNO VATIVE FURNITURE connecting you with technology ™ Learn more at spectrumfurniture.com Untitled-1 1 12/19/16 5:13 PM THE JOURNAL SALARY & JOB SATISFACTION 6 | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 0117the_FINAL.indb 6 1/6/17 1:24 PM FEATURE | Tech Trends The results are in for our second-annual survey of IT pros working in K–12 schools shutterstock.com and districts. For the most part, tech leaders are doing well in their professions and see a bright future for the industry. BY DAVID NAGEL JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 | 7 0117the_FINAL.indb 7 1/6/17 1:24 PM FEATURE | Tech Trends Salaries are up, and so is the level of optimism for the future among IT pros in K–12 education. According to THE Journal’s second-annual IT Salary & Job Satisfaction Survey, the overall average salary for IT leaders and workers grew about $2,000 year over year. The vast majority also told us they see nothing but healthy or even unbridled growth in the future for IT in academia. Salaries $61,195 this year. The average salary for with 2,000 to 2,999 students, the average IT The overall average salary for IT profession- K–12 software developers jumped more salary was $66,840 ($69,583 with teachers); als in education — excluding teachers who than $8,000 to $65,333. But systems analysis and in schools with 3,000 or more students, have a dual role in technology — came in at staff, which included analysts and senior the average was $78,831 ($77,725 with $65,742. (See figure 1 on page 10.) That’s analysts, left them both in the dust, jumping teachers factored in). roughly $2,000 higher than last year’s over- more than $14,000 to reach $56,000. (See all average. (If we include teachers who par- figure 2.) Job Satisfaction ticipated in the survey, the average comes There was a near-linear progression in Overall, this year’s participants indicated down a bit to $64,499, but still higher than overall unweighted average salaries based that they’re pretty satisfied with their last year’s overall average of $63,776.) on institution size, with smaller institutions careers. About 75 percent were either C-level leadership remains at the top of generally seeing lower salaries than large satisfied or very satisfied with their current the salary heap, averaging about $102,000 ones. The exception, as with last year’s positions. In particular, K–12 IT people are — up about $3,000 from last year. Other IT results, was the category of schools with happy with their: leaders, including directors, vice presidents, 2,000 to 2,999 students, in which salaries Physical comfort (83 percent satisfied managers and the like, came in second at came in lower than those of IT pros in or very satisfied); an average of $76,806, an increase of about smaller institutions. Co-workers (79 percent); $3,800 over last year’s reported average. Excluding salaries from respondents Hours (75 percent); Coming in third were database/business with “teacher” in their job description, the Commute (73 percent); intelligence staff at $75,449, a drop of about smallest schools (those with fewer than 500 Supervisor (71 percent); $1,000 from last year. students) had an average reported IT salary Equipment (71 percent); and The only grouped category (figure 2) to of $54,116 ($55,755 with teacher salaries Benefits (62 percent).