Week 1: Intro to Change

Making change in education is much more than just having cool technologies.  It involves identifying a need, building a vision, engaging the population, building capacity and creating a learning culture that will evaluate and develop itself as it grows to fulfil the vision.

But how do we to this?  What is the process of leading change in education? What does it take to develop a vision and engage your population?  How do you build capacity?  What does it take to nurture the culture?

This class will examine those questions.  We will explore the forces that change leaders must consider and then see how they fit in the educational realm. 

Use the Force(s)
To begin, I would like you to begin by reading introducing yourself to change through James Ellsworth's book, Surviving Change.  Here is a FREE Eric version (.pdf) of the book that you can use for this course.  If you prefer the printed version (it IS a good book to have if you are interested in making change in your school), you can print the .pdf version or purchase it from Amazon for about $10. 

Read the Forward, Intro and Chapters 1 & 2.  This will provide you with a good basis for our initial class session.

I have removed the videos from this week's assignment.  We will watch them for next week.

This July session should be a wonderful 4 weeks.  

Let's make some change!!

Z

Week 4: What Does the Research Say?

You have been developing your own change plan that will involve integrating technology into an existing system to make it more efficient and effective.  This involves building a vision and making it happen. 

As a case study, you read From Fear to Facebook. You have read various articles by Michael Fullan to develop a background in Change Knowledge. This past week, you read about some elements that can be barriers to change.  

This week, I would like you to read a research article that delves into the success of using technology for school improvement.  The researchers, Levin and Schrum, engaged in hundreds of interviews, focus groups and hours of observation in classrooms to learn about how successful educators make change.

Using Systems Thinking to Leverage Technology for School Improvement: Lessons Learned from Award-Winning Secondary Schools/Districts

Put this all together.  Further refine your plan for making change in an existing system. 
Next week we will explore the system that you might use to develop your plan and ultimately use it to create your final project for this class.

Image: The Alternate Economy

Week 3: Continuing to Make Change

Change has a number of aspects to it.

Addressing First- and Second-Order Barriers to Change:  Strategies for Technology Integration
Peggy Ertmer

Why Teachers Must Become Change Agents.
Michael Fullan

The 10 Questions Every Change Agent Must Answer
Bill Taylor

Week 2: Making Change Your Own

Reading From Fear to Facebook provides a wealth of shared experiences concerning change in schools. Levinson's experiences are useful in providing examples of how the process of change works and the challenges that come to pass.

We read Fullen's 8 Forces for Leaders of Change which provided the drivers for creating effective and lasting change.

While Fullen talks about the forces of Leaders of Change in a broader sense, Donald Ely has written about the more specific aspects that affect change in Education.   Read about Ely's Conditions of Change on this website.  It is a good compilation of his work.  You will find a single page that provides to overall review of the work and then each of the 8 aspects are listed in the left column.

Your assignment is to apply these steps of change to a technological change that you would like to see in your school (either where you teach or where you are a student.) This could be one that you would like to initiate or one that your school is already trying to implement and you are analyzing it to see if it has been effectively approached.  This could include using a specific digital tool or a piece of hardware.

1. Describe the technological change that you would like to see.
2. Describe the positive (or negative) impact that you would anticipate using it would have.
3. Proceed through each of Ely's 8 conditions of change and explain how your vision of how the change would address it.  (e.g., Sufficient Knowledge and Skills - explain what needs to be learned and how you would organize teaching it.)
4. Success can be generated by following previously successful examples. For each of the 8 conditions, cite where in From Fear to Facebook (or other references that you know) this was tried and it was successful.

This will be posted in a discussion group on UNI eLearning.  Please read the rest of the postings and provide thoughtful feedback.

Module #5: Funding Your 1-to-1 Program

OK, you have your 1-to-1 program planning underway. You have identified how you want to improve learning through digitized curriculum. You have learned how to TPACK your subjects.

Now it is time to finance your program. You know something about budgeting, but knowing how to organize your finances may not be enough. You may need to find the funding to make your plans come to life. This means that you will need to "pound the pavement" to find funders. This will involve grant writing.

Grant writing is not a mystery.  You have a need and you have developed a solution.  The only thing that you need is funding and time to bring the solution to reality.   This is a process that you need to follow.

The Process:
Dr. Gary Carnow is a successful grant writer (and Technology Director for the Pasadena Unified School District in California). He identifies a 12-Step Approach to Grantseeking:

1. Identify needs in terms of students, staff and program.
2. Develop a proposal (a solution concept or program or set of activities to meet the identified needs).
3. Identify and/or search for a funding source
4. Determine the likelihood of funding.
5. Develop a preliminary "swiss cheese" proposal (a written proposal with lots of holes)
6. Get the supervisor's "go" or "no go".
7. Involve in-house participants
8. Write a proposal
9. Review and modify the proposal
10. Obtain all the required signatures
11. Submit the proposal
12. Wait for Funding decision. If yes --> Get to work.   If no --> Ask for feedback and start again.

Let's Get a Grant
Before we begin the process of Grant Writing, it is useful to review grants that have been successful. Review 4 or 5 of the grant proposals below. Try to find one that aligns with the type of proposal you will most likely want to create. Review them with your group.  Identify what you think are the reasons that these were successful.

Examples of Successful Education-Oriented Grant Proposals
Here is a list of some successful grant proposals. It is always useful to observe success and then use it for inspiration.  Refer to our Diigo page as well.  As you explore the world for successful proposals, be sure to Diigo Bookmark them with "unitc grants proposal example"  You may want to include grade level or topic as well, but these need to be the minimum.

• 21st Century Community Learning Center - Kingsport, TN
• Carol M. White Physical Education Program (PEP) - Hammon, OK
• Improving Literacy Through School Libraries - Chandler, AZ
• More Sample Proposals from schoolgrants.org
• Scholastic Sample Grant

Learning about Grant Writing
We will progress through the Scholastic.com Grant Seminar.  It has 6 lessons. Follow this progress and use the additional resources as they are included.  Go to the Scholastic site and complete each of these steps.  Each grant writing group will be expected to complete the "Homework Assignment" at the end of each of these lessons.

• Getting Started - Developing an Idea.
• Developing the Need Statement - What is it that you are trying to address?
• Developing Project Activities - What do you plan to do to address these needs?
• The Grant Budget - How much will everything cost?
• Evaluating Your Proposal - You will need to be able to evaluate and assess the success of your project.  Explain how you will accomplish this.
• Putting It All Together - Turn it into a final proposal to be submitted.

Assignment:  Your whole assignment is explained on the Grant Writing Assignment page.

Your group will be expected to

1. Complete and submit all of the homework assignments in the Scholastic Grant Seminar.
2. Identify funding sources for you to use.
3. Select a target source and review its Request For Proposal (RFP).
4. Write a final proposal specifically designed to fit the selected RFP. 

 Go Out There and Find Some Funding!!!!

Module #4: TPaCKin' for a Wild Learning Trip

Used w/permission from tpack.org - rights free

Learning is about more than content or pedagogy or technology.  It involves the uniting of these forces to create a learning experience where content knowledge is presented through technology using a pedagogy that best fits the subject matter.

As if this wasn't enough to boggle an educator's mind, the context within which it is being taught must also be considered.  It is this context that determines relevancy to the student.

This is called TPaCK. TPaCK stands for

• Technology
• Pedagogy
• Content Knowledge

Understanding the Premise: This approach derives from Lee Shulman's work in the 80s when he introduced the notion of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK).  Shulman (1986) says "pedagogical content knowledge is of special interest because it identifies the distinctive bodies of knowledge for teaching. It represents the blending of content and pedagogy into an understanding of how particular topics, problems, or issues are organized, represented, and adapted to the diverse interests and abilities of learners, and presented for instruction" (p. 8).

Pedagogic Content Knowledge by Dr. B -   A good way to learn about PCK is through Dr. Bilash's website. Review her work and watch her two short videos to see the connection between Pedagogy and Content Knowledge.  This may seem simple, but acknowledging the differences in the way a teacher understands content compared to a content expert is revealing.

Adding Technology to the PaCK: Acknowledging the connection between pedagogy and content knowledge, it is time to consider the medium through which this adapted content is presented/experienced. This medium is technology in the broadest sense of the word.  It doesn't have to "plug in." The best way to experience a Van Gogh painting is in the Musee de Orsay museum in Paris. If you happen to be visiting Paris sometime soon, that might be possible. If your future plans involve staying around the house a little more, then there are other avenues available to you. This is where you can use various forms of technology to fill the bill. You could enjoy Van Gogh's The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise through a Post-Impressionism book,  a Jigsaw Puzzle,  a 360-degree Panorama inside the church,
a tour of the church and town, Wikipedia, even through a unique java-blend.

Whatever technology you select, it is the intersection of Pedagogy, Content Knowledge and Technology within a Context that will carry the message for the learner. It will determine the topic's relevance to the learner and ultimately learners interest in remembering and using the new information.   

The key to the TPaCK method is examining the intersections between the domains. This would include Pedagogy-Content (PC), Technology-Content Knowledge (TC) and Technology-Pedagogy (TP). The most important point is the intersection of all of the domains TPC which we find at the middle of a 3-circle venn diagram.

This Low-Tech video explanation by RoyceKimmons is quite informative. He uses the 3-circle venn diagram to explain the relations of these domains.
 

 Here are a couple of other videos to help reinforce the concept.

• Who Could Be a Good Teacher?
• TPACK Framework 
• Defines this as a Wicked Problem. (Read Jeff Conklin's ideas) 

The best place to find out about TPaCK is at tpack.org   This is an ever-growing website that contains a plethora of possible resources.

Are You Looking for The Source?
Thinking Creatively: Teachers as designers of Content, Technology and Pedagogy by Mishra and Koehler at SITE 08.  This is part 1 of a 3-part sequence of YouTube videos that describe the TPaCK from its creators.

Applying TPaCK to Digital Content
This theory is just great, but what about practical application?  I can't get my head around how to make this happen in my classroom.  I understand that I must teach World War II events using a pedagogy that is relevant to my population of students and that it should be conveyed using technology that is meaningful and engaging with my students.  But is there a formula?

Probably not!

Activity Types
There are, however, Activity Types that have been developed by a group of researchers including Judi Harris, Mark Hofer, Denise Schmidt and Ann Thompson. Activity Types are conceptual planning tools that assist educators in organizing and creating curriculum-based learning activities. Each activity type captures what is most essential about the structure of a particular kind of learning action as it relates to what students do when engaged in that particular learning-related activity (e.g., group discussion; role play; fieldtrip). They have been organized by placing them in taxonomies.


TPACK Taxonomies
Dr. Judi Harris and Mark Hofer wrote a series of articles about using their subject-based taxonomies for TPACKING classroom projects Learning and Leading with Technology.  (It is actually pgs 22 - 34.)

Harris, J., & Hofer, M. (2009). “Grounded” technology integration: Planning with curriculum-based learning activity types. Learning & Leading With Technology, 37(2), 22-25.

You can find a succinct table of the Activity Types arranged by Format of Expression in an article entitled:

Instructional Planning Activity Types as Vehicles for Curriculum-Based TPACK Development (.pdf)
 
More Specifically: The hierarchies used for 7 different subject areas are found on the William and Mary School of Education Activity Types wiki.  

Refer back to our assignment sheet to see how these will be used in completing Module 4.

Here are some examples of how has been done with a few lessons:

Using TPaCK to Teach Grammar in Middle School
 

Refining Your Thought Process for Developing a TPACK Lesson
Creating a TPACK Lesson may not be as simple as a typical lesson plan.  Here is an instructional document entitled 5 Steps to Lesson Planning Using TPACK (tinyurl.com/5stepsTPACK).
Before you begin developing your lesson plan using the lesson plan format identified in TPACK Assignment Instructions, Read the 5 Steps document COMPLETELY.  Reading the 8 Corresponding Continua is EXCEPTIONALLY important to understand the process.  This is a document written by Harris and Hoefer and it is quite useful in explaining the process.

Visit our WikiBook: TPACKing for a Wonderful Educational Trip 
It contains all of the wonderful work completed by the Tech Coordinating groups.

Adding Your Assignment to Our WikiBook
We will review how to add your material to our WikiBook but here are a few links to important instructions and an 8-minute video that will take you through the editing process.  The video can get geeky at times, but it has some real gems of information.

Help: Editing wikibooks.   The Wikibook instructions about how to create and develop wikibooks.
Basic Writing/Editing.   More Wikibook instructions for creating your Wikibook.



Happy Traveling through TPACK.

Z

Module #3 - Planning Your 1-to-1 Project

You have the exciting opportunity to begin planning your semester-long project. 

You are organizing your team by creating/selecting/fabricating a school that you will call yours for the rest of the semester.  As indicated, this can be one that really exists or is a compilation of schools from each of your members.

You need to deal with the demographics and other attributes of the school.  One of the things you need to do is to assess your school's readiness for engaging in a 1-to-1 computing initiative.  While it is difficult to find a simple survey to take to explore a school's preparedness, Hewlett-Packard created a guidebook entitled 1:1 Computing: A Guidebook to Help You Make the Right Decisions

Read through this  guidebook to see how you would evaluate your school. There are rubrics and descriptions.  Use these resources to identify your school's strong and weak areas as you begin the process.

You are welcome to use another system for assessing your school's readiness.  Have you found anything?

Happy Planning.