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Partnership for Powerful Learning Pilot Project

Forest Hills School District

Cincinnati, OH
 Table of Contents

Section 1: Partnership for Powerful Learning: A Snapshot

yc Historical Background
yc Overview of Partnership for Powerful Learning
yc Beliefs and Vision of Learning
yc Partnership for Powerful Learning Overarching Goal
yc ½ssential Guiding Questions
yc ½valuation Framework for PPL

Section 2: Compelling Case for Change

Section 3: Pilot Project Timeline

Section 4: Pilot Project Structure

Section 5: Project Impact

Section 6: Project Index

 Section 1: Partnership for Powerful Learning-A Snapshot

Historical Background

2005-2006
Board of Education requests that a committee be formed to study 1:1 laptop programs.

2006-2007
The 1:1 technology committee presents a proposal to the Board of Education in support of a
program to prepare teachers for a future 1:1 laptop initiative. The T.A.B.L.E.T. Project is
approved with an official launch of August 2006.

2007-2008
Board of Education asks for a proposal outlining a 1:1 laptop initiative. Proposal is cost
prohibitive and no action is carried forth.

April 2009
The Board of Education requests another program that would move us towards a 1:1
environment. Access 21 Project is presented to the Board of Education; a hybrid program, the
school would increase the number of devices currently available at the high schools, as well as
allow for the use of personal devices.

Overview of Partnership for Powerful Learning

Pilot project: Used to undertake research to verify that the core ideas are functional and
feasible before going further.

The Board of Education again requests an updated plan for moving the Forest Hills School
District towards greater access to technology. In April, 2010, Board approved ͞The Partnership
for Powerful Learning Project͟. A six-month action-research pilot project slated to begin
sometime in January 2011, all seventh grade students will be permitted to use their personally
owned netbook, notebook, or tablet pc throughout the school day. The overall goal of this
project is to increase access to technology to better understand how we can use these tools to
customize learning to the particular needs and abilities of individual students. What follows will
provide a comprehensive view of the work being done to ensure the success of this project.
 Beliefs and Vision of Learning

We Believe...

yc all students can learn and deserve an education that respects their individual
learning strengths, interests, and developmental needs
yc core academic subjects remain the foundation of a comprehensive education and
are more important than ever
yc to achieve success, our students will need to develop new skills and attain
proficiency in different areas than in the past
yc we must increase access to technology to bridge rigorous academic standards and
21st century skills

Characteristics of Learning in the 21st Century:

yc personalized learning
yc student-driven
yc focused on essential understandings
yc multiple literacies including financial, global, environmental, digital, multi-cultural and
visual
yc 24/7, inside and outside of school
yc global collaboration
yc authentic assessments/audiences
yc authentic and relevant
yc real-world tools, resources and methodologies, creating multiple paths to learning
yc a rich continuum of teaching and learning strategies
yc rich content with a 21st Century context
yc networkeded
yc participatory
yc creative and critical thinking

Compiled by FHSD Staff

 Partnership for Powerful Learning Overarching Goal

To Increase computer access to better educate students for a technology- rich world.

Big Ideas/½nduring Understandings

1c This is a world marked by increasing change, evolving technologies, and the phenomenal
growth of information. How we educate must reflect how our students learn and the world in
which our students will emerge.

yc 21st Century learning environments are systems that organize the condition in which
humans learn best ʹ systems that accommodate the unique learning needs of every
learner and support the positive human relationships needed for effective learning.

½ssential Questions Guiding Our Work

1.) How has the world changed, and what does this mean for education?
2.) How is 21st Century learning different from learning in the 20th Century and what does it
look like?
3.) What is high quality teaching and learning?
4.) What does the classroom look like in the 21st Century?
5.) What supports are necessary for teachers and students to grow in an increasingly digital
world?
 ½valuation Framework for the Partnership for Powerful Learning Project

Critical Features of the Pilot

Technology Used

What are the technologies used in the 1:1 initiative? Technology refers to the hardware
platform and operating system, the software, peripheral devices (e.g., printers), and the
network(s), if any.

How do the impacts of 1:1 initiatives depend on or vary according to the technologies used?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of different technologies, as reflected in answers to
research questions about implementation, intermediate outcomes, and ultimate outcomes?

Implementation Plan

What are the characteristics of the implementation plan? These include: the preparation of
administrators, teachers, parents, and students; insurance concerns; policies for permissible
use of the computers; timetables; et cetera.

Goals and Objectives

What are the goals and objectives of the 1:1 initiative?

Are data collected to measure achievement of the various goals and objectives?

Interactions and Intermediate Outcomes

Teaching and Instruction

Impacts on teaching and instruction

What is the impact on teaching behaviors, the curriculum, and instructional practices?

1.)c For what sorts of tasks do teachers use technology, and in what subjects?
2.) For what sorts of tasks are students asked to use technology, and in what subjects?
3.)c How often and for how long do teachers and their students use technology?
4.)c How does classroom culture change (e.g., relationships between teacher and students)?

Acceptable Evidence:
yc Teacher survey
yc Teacher walk-through observations
yc 21st Centurized Lesson
yc Teacher Focus Groups
yc Computer usage data
 1.)c Do teachers have the technical skills they need to use technology effectively? Are they
engaged in professional development to learn needed skills and strategies?

Acceptable Evidence
yc Teacher Survey
yc †agel PD Plan
yc Graduate Credit/CEUs

2.)c What is the impact on teachers͛ interactions with one another and on teacher
communities? Are teachers sharing what they are learning?

Acceptable Evidence
yc †ing
yc Content Area Team Minutes
yc Interdisciplinary Team Minutes

3.)c What are the most promising instructional applications of technology (e.g., specific
pieces of software, or specific Web sites) used within this pilot project?

Acceptable Evidence
yc Tool survey
yc Evaluation of Schoology
yc Evaluation of Toolbox

School Leaders

a.c How have the roles of school leaders changed?

Acceptable Evidence
yc Interviews with District and †agel leaders
yc Focus Groups
yc Evaluation of Toolbox

2.) How do different types of leadership affect the impacts?

Acceptable Evidence
yc Interviews with District and †agel leaders
yc Focus Groups
yc Evaluation of Toolbox
Infrastructure and Support

1.)c How are schools and systems organizing to provide technical assistance and technical
support?

Acceptable Evidence

2.)c What kind of access do teachers and students have to receiving support?

Acceptable Evidence

3.)c What types of digital content are made available to teachers and students?

Schools and Systems

1.)c What is the impact on school culture?

2.)c What is the impact on districts and states? (E.g., have policies, processes, or priorities
changed in schools, districts, or states?)

School Community Relations

1.)c How has the project changed the role of the student in his or her home and community?

2.)c What is the impact of 1-to-1 initiatives on parents and the community?

Costs and Funding

1.)c What is the total cost?

2.)c What are the major cost elements?

3.)c What are the sources of funds?

Ultimate Outcomes

Students and Their Learning

Impacts on students and learning

yc What are the impacts on students͛ 21st Century skills, such as their fluency with
information technology?
àc Acceptable evidence
c Chart with 21st Century skills-evaluate
c Technology survey
 àc Learning Experiences

yc What are the impacts on students͛ engagement with school, their motivation and
attendance? What are the impacts on students͛ responsibility for their own learning?
àc Acceptable Evidence
àc Survey of feelings about school, motivation
àc Attendance records
àc Use of school portal, tool belt, portfolio
àc Involvement in pilot project (student voice, student sandbox)
àc Learning Experiences

yc Do students collaborate and construct knowledge in different ways when they use
computing devices in a 1:1 environment? Does the availability of technology change
what can be learned or when it can be learned?

àc Acceptable Evidence
àc Record of ways students collaborate and construct knowledge-pre and post
àc Documentation of learning happening during and after school
àc Documentation of students reaching out to other students and professionals
àc Learning Experiences

yc What types of representations of knowledge do students and teachers use when they
make use of digital computing devices in specified ways (e.g., using specific software)?
àc Content Creation tools
àc Communication tools
àc Collaboration tools
àc Information Management tools

The Digital Divide

yc What is the impact on equity of access to technology and information (the digital
divide)?

Economic

yc What are the impacts on school finances? Parent finances?

his comes from another document but I really like it. Can we figure out a place for it, possibly
rewriting it to fit our project? I͛ve worked a bit more with the Ultimate Outcomes. CSH
 Timeline

August ͚10-December ͚10

yc Teacher Professional Development (June-May)

yc †etwork Infrastructure (September-December)
yc Parent/Student Device Meeting (October)
yc Parent Meeting Web 2.0 Expo
yc Student Bootcamps (January)
yc Planning for management of devices and security (August-December)

January ͚11-May ͚11

yc Official launch of project-7th grade students bring in devices

yc Evaluation of Project (May)

For more information about the Partnership for Powerful Learning, visit our wiki:
http://fhsdppl.wetpaint.com
 Section 2 : The Compelling Case for Change

According to the 2010 †ational Technology Education Plan:

Many students͛ lives today are filled with technology that gives them mobile access to
information and resources 24/7, enables them to create multimedia content and share it with
the world, and allows them to participate in online social networks where people from all over
the world share ideas, collaborate, and learn new things. Outside school, students are free to
pursue their passions in their own way and at their own pace. The opportunities are limitless,
borderless, and instantaneous.

The challenge for our education system is to leverage the learning sciences and modern
technology to create engaging, relevant, and personalized learning experiences for all learners
that mirror students͛ daily lives and the reality of their futures. In contrast to traditional
classroom instruction, this requires that we put students at the center and empower them to
take control of their own learning by providing flexibility on several dimensions. A core set of
standards-based concepts and competencies should form the basis of what all students should
learn, but beyond that students and educators should have options for engaging in learning:
large groups, small groups, and work tailored to individual goals, needs, interests, and prior
experience of each learner. By supporting student learning in areas that are of real concern or
particular interest to them, personalized learning adds to its relevance, inspiring higher levels of
motivation and achievement.

In addition, technology provides access to more learning resources than are available in
classrooms and connections to a wider set of ͞educators,͟ including teachers, parents, experts,
and mentors outside the classroom. On-demand learning is now within reach, supporting
learning that is life-long and life-wide (Bransford et al., 2006).
 Section 3: Partnership for Powerful Learning Project Structure

Nagel Professional Development Plan

2010-2011

Setting the Scene:

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One of the primary responsibilities of education in today͛s world is to ensure that students are
prepared for a future where the "four classroom walls and impermeable boundaries have
disappeared forever, replaced by global interdependencies and complex systems that require
flexibility, responsiveness, and imagination." (Jacobsen) To help us re-envision what we do in
our schools in order to prepare our students for this changing world, our work for the 2010-
2011 school year will be focused on the following:

Content

I.c Developing Your Professional Learning Community (August-September)

Understanding the importance of personal learning is the first step towards

understanding the shifts occurring in education. We hope to create a ͞hothouse͟
where great ideas begin, new methods of learning are shared and communities are
rooted.

yc PLCs
yc CoPs
yc PL†s

II.c A Flattening World: ½stablishing the Compelling Case for Change (September)

We will focus on promoting the knowledge, skills and sense of urgency for 21st
Century teaching and learning. Some of the forces we will explore include͙

yc Globalization
yc Off-shoring
yc Glocalization
 III.c What do you mean 21st Century Skills? (October)

Using what we learned about the flattening world, we͛ll take a look at the skills
needed to succeed in the 21st Century and attempt to clarify the differences
between 20th Century and 21st Century skills.

yc Partnership for 21st Century Skills

yc Engauge
yc ISTE †ETS

IV.c 20th Century Classrooms vs. 21st Century Classrooms (October)

We will sharpen our focus of the role of teacher and learner in the 21st Century
classroom. What are the characteristics of a 21st Century learning environment?

V.c Ëe-envisioning Learning at Nagel in the 21st Century (November-May)

Finally, this phase will dig deeply into 21st Century lesson planning. What do
Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions have to do with good teaching?
How do we leverage 21st Century tools to support and enhance student learning?
How will we reach beyond the four classroom walls to foster collaborative learning
networks?

yc TPCK
yc Shirkey͛s Share, Cooperate, Collaborate, Collective Action
yc Project-Based Learning/Challenge-Based Learning
yc UbD, differentiation, Bloom͛s Taxonomy
yc Assessment c
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Structure

Cultivate a professional learning community (†ing, Twitter, Diigo, Skype, f2f meetings)
yc Practice social learning
yc Hands-on immersion in a 21st Century learning environment

Provide for sustained practice and anytime learning (†ing, Twitter, Diigo, Skype)
yc Workshops that take place over time
yc Peer support sessions to plan the implementation of new strategies in the classroom
yc Access to expert databases & multimedia throughout the year for self-directed
professional development

Model Inquiry Learning

yc Staff investigate what is personally relevant to their individual professional contexts
Provide Coaching (†atasha, Cary, Ellie, Trisha)
yc Trained facilitators create a supportive, collegial atmosphere
yc Optimize participation with feedback, encouragement, and redirection as needed

Model Effective Collaboration (†atasha, Cary, Ellie, Trisha)

yc Reflective dialogue
yc Web 2.0 tools
yc Knowledge building

Develop Theoretical & Practical Understanding (†atasha, Cary, Ellie, Sheryl)

yc Changes in teaching practices needed to engage 21st Century learners
yc How professional learning communities function
yc Educators learn actively-the same ways they are expected to work with students
 Assessment/Action Ëesearch

Assessment of selected 21st century skills will be integrated with core subjects through a digital
portfolio. Additionally, we will collect perception survey data from students, parents and staff
and conduct building walk-through observations to evaluate student and teacher use.

Given that technology tools are critical for educating today͛s student, we will be successful
when we find answers to our essential questions that help us to determine added professional
development needs, supports needed for students, staff, and parents and when we find
additional means to increase access for students.

Success will mean †agel has been able to maintain an effective environment, climate and
culture that support teaching and learning. Success will mean we have expanded our ability to
be academically challenging, developmentally responsive, and socially equitable based on the
Schools to Watch Rubric.

Information we gather from this pilot will be used to plan the next steps for 8th grade students
and teachers as well as the high schools so that these students will have increased access to the
tools throughout the remainder of their career in Forest Hills.
 Nagel Technology Action Ëesearch Project

Consultant: Dr. Carla C. Johnson, University of Cincinnati

Purpose: To support the integration of laptops within †agel Middle School 7th
grade classrooms and determine if the added technology enhances
student utilization of 21st Century Skills (Partnership for 21st Century
Skills, www.p21.org).

Research: 1. Collect data before and during technology infusion on

classroom characteristics (observations), student interest and
use of technology (survey, focus groups), teacher attitudes
toward and use of technology (observations and interviews).

2. Take a closer look at Team 7-2 who will receive additional

support (coaching) to purposefully teach and integrate 21st
Century Learning Skills into Encore year-long project. Phase
One students will work on teacher driven themed issue and
will learn skills in context of a problem. Phase Two (after
spring break) students will work in groups on their own
identified issue grounded in their local communities and will
utilize 21st Century Skills to develop a solution to the problem.
Culminating Event ʹ students will share presentations of their
projects and products, deliverables with the public.

Product: 1. Data on the success of the technology integration project.

2. Development of peer leaders within the school (7-2) who can
facilitate growth of other teachers/teams in the next academic
year.
3. Pioneering a focus on 21st Century Skills at †agel ʹ changing
the way we ͞do͟ education to better prepare students for the
careers of tomorrow.
Pilot Project Structure

Pilot Project Timeline

Ëesources
 IST½ N½TS-Students

I. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes
using technology. Students:
A. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.
B. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
C. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
D. identify trends and forecast possibilities.

II. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to
support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
A. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and
media.
B. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
C. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
D. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

III. Ëesearch and Information Fluency

Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
A. plan strategies to guide inquiry.
B. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and
media.
C. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
D. process data and report results.

IV. Critical Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making

Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make
informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:
A. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.
B. plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.
C. collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
D. use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

V. Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical
behavior. Students:
A. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
B. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.
C. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
D. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

VI. Technology Operations and Concepts

Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:
A. understand and use technology systems.
B. select and use applications effectively and productively.
C. troubleshoot systems and applications.
D. transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.
 IST½ N½TS for Teachers
Effective teachers model and apply the †ational Educational Technology Standards for Students (†ETSͻS) as they
design, implement, and assess learning experiences to engage students and improve learning; enrich professional
practice; and provide positive models for students, colleagues, and the community. All teachers should meet the
following standards and performance indicators. Teachers:

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences
that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:
a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students͛ conceptual understanding
and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in
face-to-face and virtual environments

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning ½xperiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating
contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes identified in the †ETSͻS. Teachers:
a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student
learning and creativity
b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual
curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and
assessing their own progress
c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students͛ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and
abilities using digital tools and resources
d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and
technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and
digital society. Teachers:
a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and
situations
b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support
student success and innovation
c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-
age media and formats
d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use
information resources to support research and learning

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Ëesponsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit
legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:
a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect
for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to
appropriate digital tools and resources
c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and
information
d. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of
other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools

5. ½ngage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their
school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and
resources. Teachers:
a. participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve
student learning
b. exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and
community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
c. evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of
existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
d. contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and
community

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