The AI market is growing everyday, with more tools and programs being developed and added to the space to tackle some issue or hurdle you may be facing. However, most of the conversation around AI tools deals with in-the-classroom educational tools. How can AI tools help to make some of the more mundane administrative tasks less intrusive to give more time back to educators during (and outside of) the school day?

Here we speak with Santi Khairassame, founder and CEO of Project Recess, about how to discern the most efficient ways to employ AI tools in education, how these tools can help to save administrators time, and the best ways to implement AI with a critical eye.

Understanding What AI Actually Does

While many existing tools claim some sort of AI functionality already, having a critical outlook on any new ones you adopt can go a long way in finding what you need and protecting yourself from unwanted outcomes. As Khairassame says, the proliferation of AI tools has been a two-way street.

“One of the things we want folks to walk away with is to try to be as safe as possible when you’re using these tools,” Khairassame says. “You have to really think like a teacher, think like an educator. Be critical. Even now, more than ever, the idea of looking at things through a critical lens is so important because misinformation can be spread so quickly, especially with these tools. It’s a double-edged sword.”

Consequently, one of the best ways to protect yourself, school or district, students, and colleagues is to simply better educate yourself on the tech you intend on using.

The Human Side of AI

The idea of AI giving teachers and administrators time back during their days is a wonderful concept. But there is a real concern about AI taking over to the extent that work loses the human aspect.

“One thing that we really wanted to emphasize is let's not forget that we’re human beings,” says Khairassame. “We all have a voice. Our schools…have a mission, whether it’s the arts or STEM or what have you. We are trying to remind people that yeah, these things can write text for you, but don’t forget your own voice. Don’t forget who you are and what your school stands for. [It’s] very important to make sure that your voice is being heard and not sterile. Keep yourself in the loop. Keep humans in the loop.”

AI can help answer questions, brainstorm ideas, and set you on the right path with your thoughts, but making sure your voice and tone are present is just as important as it is to work efficiently.

Advice for Educators Looking to Take Advantage of AI

At this point, AI is everywhere, and if you want to effectively improve your school or district with AI tools, there are some things you can do to make that happen.

“There’s a new AI tool every week,” says Khairassame. “I recommend people remember that they can go to the source, meaning that a lot of these tools that are out there are wrappers wrapped around these existing large language models that exist, such as ChatGPT. “

It can be very easy to get sidetracked by shiny new technologies when you’re looking for a solution, so remember that many AI tools offer a solution that can be found in tools you may already have.

“For example, in New York City, it’s approved for them to use Microsoft Copilot,” says Khairassame. “I tell people to go straight to that. Whatever you can do with [another] tool, most likely, you can do it in Copilot. It might even have a better outcome.”

In terms of what types of AI tools to try, start with ones that have already been vetted.

“Use what your district has approved,” says Khairassame. “Because it’s typically going to be one of these larger, recognized companies. You don’t have to pay an extra subscription. You have access to it.”

Finally, know what problem you’re looking to solve when it comes to what kind of AI tool you want to add to your educational space. Doing the research, acknowledging a specific obstacle, and linking that obstacle to an AI solution can simplify your search. You might already have that tool available to you, saving yourself even more work.

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I have observed some embarrassing uses of AI without editing and personifying by fellow educational leaders. It’s a seductive trap. AI can produce what appears to be high-quality work, but when we look closer, there are serious red flags.

Educators need to balance harnessing AI's potential while preserving integrity of use to avoid concerns of ethical AI use. At the same time, we play a role in modeling for others how AI can enhance rather than undermine.

Challenges of Unedited AI Responses

Recently, I saw a well-intended email commendation sent by a supervisor to a teacher worthy of praise. The problem? It screamed, “I used AI, and didn’t change it.”

Understand that educational leaders should be embracing AI. I certainly do. Yet its remarkably imperfect productivity has the potential to stage uncomfortable call-outs, such as this example when the teacher approached me and said, “That was nice but weird.” That’s a perfect way to sum up AI production!

The integration of AI technology has revolutionized various aspects of education, from personalized learning tools to administrative efficiencies. However, the ethical use of AI-generated content remains a critical concern, particularly in academic settings where integrity and originality are paramount and where educational leaders should be modeling appropriate use.

Consider:

Educational Impact - Students may inadvertently adopt incorrect or incomplete information if AI responses are directly copied. This hinders their critical thinking and learning development.

Legal and Ethical Implications - Educational institutions must navigate the legal and ethical implications of using AI-generated content. Proper attribution and understanding of fair use policies are crucial to avoid legal repercussions.

Best AI Use Practices for Educational Leaders

In May of every school year, I, like many leaders, get barraged by requests to write letters of recommendation. In almost every case, I want to, but it is labor intensive. One of my first experiences tinkering with AI was when I entered non-identifiable resume content to produce a fast, more personified response.

I’m a fast writer but 10 letters at 20 minutes a pop is too great a cost, pulling me from other important duties and personal time with family. When I use AI and get a suggested letter, I then spend 3-5 minutes going back and fixing several important patterns of AI responses, and personalizing where appropriate.

Ultimately, spending 30-50 minutes for 10 letters versus 200 minutes is well worth the effort before copying, pasting, and sending.

For every input, especially when it’s directed at or about an individual (such as a letter of commendation or recommendation), you should take the time to edit the AI response.

Here are the guidelines I follow to ensure that I balance the efficiency (time saved) and qualitative responsiveness:

1. Use what I call “deliberate feedback” in the AI. One of the first signs that the letter of commendation by the supervisor was exclusively AI generated was that there was nothing in the output that separated out the individual being recognized. It was a generic message acknowledging her achievement. Absent was the “personification” needed in that response. Let’s explore two techniques to ensure personification in the content:

• Old school revision process. We teach students during the writing process how significant editing and revising is. We must follow the same rules with AI. That is, once you get the generated content, go back and manually personalize around the talking points. AI does a good job of organizing content, we must add the personal touch.
• Access deliberate feedback. When I wrote from resume content, I was feeding the AI deliberate information about the individual. This works the same with a method I shared about collecting survey feedback to organize results in a systematic and fast way–I feed the AI the deliberate information and then tell it to use this in the prompt. (“Based on this content, write me a letter of recommendation,” or “Based on these survey feedback responses, identify patterns and trends and make recommendations.”) You can be confident then that the AI response will be very accurate, versus the mistake of saying, “Write me a letter of commendation for a person who presented at a national conference.”

2. Avoid redundancies. AI is designed to please the user. That’s generally great but not when it repeats an explanation over and over again. You will notice this when asking it to respond to a prompt, as the AI will say the same thing, three slightly different ways. We don’t communicate like this in person, so remove the redundancies and stick to the point. Clarity is key.

3. Remove those weird words you don’t use that AI injects. My favorite AI word is “unwavering.” I don’t use that word. It sounds weird coming from my mouth, and there are a bunch of words like this that AI commonly uses. Remember that your voice matters when communicating the message. AI still sounds too mechanical, and even when it can learn your tone, it struggles with strange lexicon. Instead of “unwavering” and “tireless,” of which I have removed dozens of times each, I might simply say, “your dedication to,” or “your hard work.”

While AI offers tremendous benefits in education, its integration must be approached with caution and responsibility. Educational leaders play a major role in fostering a culture of academic integrity and ethical use of AI, and modeling the above matters.

By checking content responses, using deliberate feedback, personifying, and removing redundancies and strange AI wording, we can leverage the power of AI while safeguarding educational integrity, not just for us, but for everyone who looks to us for guidance.

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Technology has given the world so many opportunities to help ease our daily burdens and make once thought hard tasks doable with less effort. However, as technology continues to evolve, how does education keep up with the changing landscape and prepare students for the future?

Here we speak with Dr. Michael Nagler, Superintendent of Minneola USFD in New York, about his work in adopting technology early on, the importance of maintaining creative thinking skills to prepare students for the future, and how keeping open lines of communication has enabled students and teachers to have an input in the growth of their educational practices.

Nagler was recently recognized as Most Innovative Superintendent at a Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit with an Innovative Leader Award.

Adopting Technology Early

New forms of technology crop up almost on a daily basis, and many schools and districts make decisions on what hardware and software to add to their environment everyday. Nagler notes how early adoption primed his district to become known as a tech district and synonymous with innovation.

“More than 10 years ago, when the iPad came out, we embraced it,” says Nagler. “We had a pilot with a group of fifth graders the first year. Within two years, we were one-to-one. The entire district. And we’ve been known as a tech district based on that.”

Under Nagler, Mineola was one of the first school districts in New York to implement a comprehensive computer science curriculum starting in kindergarten, and he continues to encourage his schools to embrace technology in a thoughtful manner. “We do a ton of innovation,” he says. “But it’s a misnomer that we’ve centered around technology as the answer, whereas I think we use tech appropriately as a tool to try to push changes in teaching and learning.”

How has technology changed the educational approach?

“Direct instruction is a vestige of a long ago time,” Nagler says. “We need to engage kids a lot differently. If we use technology to help them be creative in how they do their work and explain what they know as an assessment form, the better we’re positioning kids for the next wave. AI is coming, and I think the more creative things we ask kids to do, the more we don’t have to worry about AI doing all the work.”

It can be easy to offload all of our processes onto AI programs that are created to handle these. However, it is important to note that the skills students will need in their professional lives are still relevant to be taught. Technology is important, but it cannot replace the human element.

Embracing Technology, Finding Balance

New innovations in education can help achieve a lot, but it can also provide too many options for students and teachers. Nagler says sticking with one form of technology for the district can help to keep students involved in the innovation process.

“We were very purposeful with the iPad,” Nagler says. “I think it’s a device you can use to create. If it’s not web-based, you’re not really doing much. That’s why we’re Apple Distinguished. There’s only 18 districts that earn that recognition. And the reason we leverage Apple products is because we want kids to create.”

But how do we keep kids in the spirit of learning even after leaving an educational environment? Nagler says maintaining a level of flexibility within the district is key to adapt to changes and obstacles along the way.

Nagler also embraces a driven sense of inclusion for teachers when it comes to making innovative advances within the school and the district. Having adequate input from educators can help to create an inclusive and understanding educational environment, even if it doesn’t make everyone completely happy.

“Everybody complains about something,” Nagler says. “That’s the nature of humans.”

How to Keep Your Technology Growth in Check

Dealing with issues stemming from technology in a school can create chaos without having a clear cut approach for obstacles, says Nagler. Not allowing technology to take over is also fundamental in providing a leveled educational experience. In addition, fostering the creativity in students through technology helps them stay ready for a future in technology. And, as Nagler adds, teacher inclusion is key.

“My philosophy is, it’s got to be teacher-driven,” Nagler says. “You have to pitch an idea that teachers can embrace and give them the ability to change it, to make it work for them. Teachers spend years studying to ply their craft, and we need to let them do that.”

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The greater conversation revolving around artificial intelligence takes place inside the classroom, centered on students. At Llano ISD in Texas, however, there was an effort to use AI as a way to help teachers take some of the load off of their plates so they would have more time to focus on teaching itself.

Maurie Beasley, Network Administrator at Llano ISD, talks about how AI has been used to assist teachers in their daily tasks to help save time and improve student/teacher relationships. Beasley was recently honored by Tech & Learning during a recent Regional Leadership Summit with an Innovative Leader Award for Innovative System Administrator.

How the AI Integration Began

One of the biggest booms in recent tech memory has been the incorporation of AI into almost everything we use nowadays. Once AI made its way into the mainstream, the possibilities for its use were endless.

“Our technology director has been here for 20 years, and he actually has a background in computer engineering. Full disclosure, he’s my husband. He keeps up with all the latest [tech developments],” says Beasley. “Maybe a little over two years ago, when OpenAI first released AI to the world, he was on it immediately. He was in the pilot program. He would play with it and ask it questions and really dig into the technical aspects of what it was capable of. He knew it would be a game changer.”

How did he begin using AI for the district?

“He started developing internal onboarding, similar to a chatbot, using AI,” says Beasley. “He had already started doing a chatbot before AI became a thing, and so we started really looking into taking it in.”

The number of daily administrative tasks a teacher has, such as putting in a work order, not only affects their interaction with their students but can take time away from what’s truly important. And from this obstacle and a deep curiosity in AI, Agnes was born.

Just Ask Agnes

Agnes is a chatbot that, through the addition of AI, has become a reliable way for teachers to offload some of the time-consuming administrative work within a day, giving them more time to focus on other tasks AI cannot perform.

“We were trying to get teachers to [ask Agnes] what their schedules were, whether they had class duty, what the phone number is for the payroll person,” Beasley says. “Especially for our new teachers, because our turnover rate is so high in education now that we really thought this would be great for new staff. That’s where it started.”

While helping teachers had its own benefits, moving the Agnes chatbot to the administrative level helped solve a new gamut of problems. Preparing documents that either took a large amount of time to complete or had to be outsourced (which added to the budget) was exactly why Agnes was created. And as more administrators have understood its purpose, more schools have been ready and willing to adopt it into their environment.

Beasley says that integrating AI into the district's operations has saved several hours of troubleshooting while also helping to make up for limited resources in a smaller district. As with any AI tool, there are concerns about safety and security, but Beasley points out that existing regulations covered AI in its usage and regulation.

How AI Can Help Your School at Higher Levels

Beasley says that the best way to introduce AI into a school, whether at the classroom level or the administrative level, is by prioritizing educator integration. Making sure that teachers and administrators know how to use AI tools can go a long way toward introducing them in the classroom while also helping to deal with tasks that take too much time away from educators on a daily basis. For example, there are AI tools that can help teachers create lesson plans, such as Diffit and EduaideAI, or ones that can assist with multiple tasks, such as MagicSchool.

Another way to help integrate AI into a school or district can be through a dedicated curriculum. Beasley notes that starting AI education is important due to the continued popularity of the medium and its swift adoption in the educational space. To assuage fears related to AI use, Beasley suggests following existing district technology use guidelines and ensuring that AI is used within closed systems to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive information.

• Regional Leadership Summit
• Innovative Leader Award

Keeping school devices running can be one of the most important tasks an IT technician can have. But, as Timothy Jaw states, it isn’t all about just focusing on the hands-on aspect with IT. Catering to the human side of IT can also go a long way in establishing and maintaining meaningful relationships within a school environment.

Jaw, Technology Coordinator at Warren Hills Regional School District in New Jersey, was recently honored with an Innovative Leader Award at a recent Tech & Learning Regional Leadership Summit for his IT work.

Your Call Is Very Important To Us

Dealing with customer service can be stressful for many, as it involves trying to resolve an issue or solve a problem that you cannot do on your own. Sometimes it requires you explaining an issue to another live individual, and this can result in varying outcomes based on a number of factors. Most importantly, you never know what kind of individual you will be dealing with and whether you’ll get your issue solved or not.

Jaw maintains that the way to make the customer service approach work in an educational setting is to begin by showing patience and understanding. Exhibiting qualities that mark excellent customer service can be very helpful when others look to you for answers to their technical questions. With the amount of tech we use in schools, just one device not working can derail an entire day. As Jaw puts it, showing empathy and compassion can go a long way.

“It starts with me, right?” Jaw says. “If I don’t conduct myself with that level of patience, customer service, empathy, and compassion that I expect the people that work in my department to exhibit, then it’s not going to work. The first step is starting with me and making sure that I’m doing that. From there, when I onboard people, we would go over our values, we talk about what’s important to us and try to come up with a shared set of values.”

Involving people who come to work in IT from the beginning mitigates potential pushbacks.

“It doesn’t take a lot of arm-twisting,” Jaw says. “If we are not there serving the people who work in the school community, what are we doing?”

Making Customer Service the Standard

Customer service normally invokes images of business, not education. However, as Jaw says when asked how other schools and IT departments can follow his lead to revamp their own offerings, it costs nothing to change a mindset.

“I would say that people are the most important thing,” Jaw says. “It’s just how we conduct ourselves, how we communicate, and how we operate that brings that success. It’s not due to a system. It’s not due to a product. It’s what we do on a day-to-day basis, who we are as people, and what we bring to the school community every day that makes the biggest difference. [If another school wanted to follow suit] that is what I see as having the biggest impact.”

But what happens if there is pushback to a customer service-oriented mindset?

“Everybody has different experiences and different personalities,” Jaw says. “I think that if we expect ourselves to have that level of understanding and patience and empathy toward the stakeholders that we serve in the school community, then we should have that toward each other as well. When there are people who are having a bad day or have something going on, I let my people know that I’ll take that call. I’ll help that person. I’ll make sure that it’s done the way that we want the department to be perceived in the school community. We have each other’s backs.”

Making the extra effort to help those in need, no matter what they may be dealing with, can help make an IT department go from a dreaded environment to the superheroes of the school.

• Regional Leadership Summit
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The Consortium for School Networking's new platform, dedicated to enriching K-12 education, uses tech resources to deepen the understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Helping districts recognize and celebrate the differences that create a richer learning environment, this invaluable tool fosters recruitment and retention of historically underrepresented groups. The CoSN DEI Clearinghouse of Resources features tech tools grounded in best practices. It is critical for school leaders to foster a true sense of belonging to encourage and inspire all students to consider the IT field as a future home for their talents.

As we know, representation is powerful. Students and educators in STEM and IT fields face diverse journeys along their educational path. Highlighting their success stories can inspire the next generation of future scientists and tech experts. CoSN's mission is to establish an IT pipeline through the provision of engaging content tailored to diverse learning styles, providing school leaders with an authentic and efficient resource for promoting diversity among both students and educators.

Using the Clearinghouse is easy, with categories broken down to quickly access according to specific needs. The Recruitment & Retention section offers retention strategies, recruitment techniques and resources for fostering a sense of belonging among employees with a link to a collection of workshops aimed at building an IT pipeline. The Educational Resources section not only offers curricular resources for diversity and inclusion but also a resource library, and links for examining your own self-bias. The DIversity & Inclusion section covers topics such as invisible disabilities, LGBTQ+ resources, systemic racism, accessibility, marginalized groups and global inclusion issues that support creating an inclusive workplace. 

This well curated gateway equips school leaders to be better informed and equipped to create a learning environment where all feel welcome and able to thrive. Want to take the next step in bringing a true sense of inclusion and belonging to your district? Consider attending a CoSN2024 DEI workshop—in person April 8-10 at the InterContinental Miami or through virtual attendance via  “The CoSN Experience”—complimentary to all in-person participants, and available for a fee for those who cannot make it to Miami.

Leading for Innovation: At Warp Speed

Learn how to drive innovation by enabling inclusive tech leadership in your district through the offerings of CoSN2024. The new landscape of K-12 technology has come light-years in the past few years. Modernize more than your digital ecosystems by exploring how to build strong and innovative leaders from all backgrounds in an era of tightened budgets and constrained resources. Diverse workshops, breakout sessions, spotlight speakers, and networking opportunities at summits and receptions provide numerous avenues to address the urgent and essential goal of fostering a more varied and inclusive educational environment for both students and educators.

Several workshops speak directly to DEI in K-12 education. Harnessing the Technology Integration Matrix to Promote Inclusive Technology Integration questions whether the transformational rise of AI and emerging technologies have truly led to meaningful change in the classroom. The session offers a journey through the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) framework to evaluate tech’s role in supporting critical thinking and student agency. This workshop will encourage participants to explore the pivotal aspects of tech use and examine the connection toward the wider challenge of achieving true digital equity. 

A second workshop, the Inclusive EdTech Leadership Summit, will provide an empowering gathering for underrepresented EdTech leaders and their mentors. This workshop, facilitated by Ken Shelton, M.A., will open doors to coaching, career advancement insights, and practical strategies, which attendees can immediately apply in their districts. This popular session will include networking opportunities with influential EdTech leaders. 

Breakout sessions such as Innovation Driven by Women (K-12 IT Leaders) will explore what initially drew women to the historically male-dominated field, how the shifting expectations affected their role post-pandemic, how they helped expand representation in the industry by working with Apple and Digital Promise, and what allyship looks like from a woman’s perspective. Technology, Education and Equality: Lens of a Student shares the perspective of a female high school student’s journey through technology, initiatives she has taken to reduce the gender gap, and the student perspective on legislation, tech, and equality.  

Additional events and receptions offer opportunities to network and collaborate on discussions to explore ways to promote inclusion and belonging within the EdTech arena. These include the Women in Technology Breakfast Summit, The Network Meet-Up: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Networking Event, Empowering Women Leaders to Overcome Challenges in Education, LGBTQ+ Reception, and Allyship for Underrepresented IT Leaders. By allowing time for personal networking and connecting with peers in the field who can offer resources, contacts, and experiences, these informal opportunities to expand one's network can result in lasting and meaningful partnerships.

Whether attending a collaborative and engaging CoSN2024 workshop (in-person or virtually) or by accessing the tools made available through the new CoSN DEI Clearinghouse of Resources, a dedication to bringing inclusivity, diversity, and belonging into the classroom is key toward ensuring a future filled with talented IT experts of all backgrounds.

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Technology is a more significant part of our classrooms than ever before. A leader who practices efficiency techniques often finds that they are more productive. The school day is often go-go-go and bustling with excitement, energy, and emotions. Most leaders arrive a couple of hours before students and staff and stay at least that long at the end of the day to tackle email, phone calls, and paperwork. 

The term “time management” is a misnomer. You cannot manage time; it is not possible. However, you can control the events and tasks in your role in relation to time. To do so, using digital resources will support your shift to becoming more efficient. Here are some of the tools I use as a school and district leader to be more efficient.

8 Efficiency Tools for School Administrators

Calendly is a scheduling tool that supports leaders in managing their appointments and meetings. Calendly lets individuals select their open times according to their availability. Since leaders can set your availability beforehand, you are in control of the day. Calendly will eliminate double bookings with scheduling that checks all your calendars. Calendly only shows available appointment times and adds scheduled events right onto your calendar. The goal is to eliminate the back-and-forth emailing when trying to schedule times. Using Calendly will ensure the ideal time slot for both parties.

Remind is an app/website that sends reminders for appointments, meetings, events, or any updates leaders set up. For example, leaders can use Remind to share about school announcements, upcoming events, or remind families when the next state assessment will be. Remind can be customized to reach out to families by grade or club. Remind even allows users to track stats and read receipts to see who received the message that was sent out. 

Slack is a channel-based messaging platform. Leaders can create Slack channels with a selected group of educators to allow for communications around an initiative, grade level updates, or any collaborative topics. In addition, leaders can communicate with staff via instant messaging and collaborate more effectively. Slack is an app; however, it can also be used as a web tool so teachers can receive and send messages from their desk computers or laptops.

Remember The Milk is a free cloud-based tool that lets leaders quickly document thoughts and organize it all for review later. Remember The Milk also allows users to schedule a task either as a one-time or a recurring one. Leaders will benefit from the organization tools as they create, categorize, prioritize tasks, make notes, and track numerous initiatives.

Evernote is a free cloud-based digital notebook that allows leaders to document notes and even have collaborative notes. Evernote enables leaders to manage various file formats into individual notebooks, such as text, contacts, tasks, and image files. Leaders can even attach audio and video files, and PDF documents.

Grammarly is a digital writing tool that can be used for newsletter emails and all communications. It scans documents and conveniently underlines any spelling, grammar, and usage issues. Grammarly will even check your writing work on any online text editor.

Trello is a virtual whiteboard on which leaders can create post-it-style notes and customize each depending on their project requirements. Leaders can have multiple boards for different projects and empower staff to manage the task or oversee the initiative. In addition, when an assigned individual completes a task, the digital note will move to a "completed" space. This can help create an “at a glance” graphic indication of your project’s progress.

SimpleMind is a platform that enables leaders to make digital mind maps. Leaders create editable mind maps that can be customized to fit their needs. The program allows users to have numerous maps to support all aspects of the role. In addition, leaders can improve their mind maps with photos, videos, or voice memos to make their ideas more understandable.

While long days might be part of the role, leaders have to adapt digital efficiency strategies to keep those long hours under control. In addition, being more efficient and feeling less stressed will allow leaders to do the things they want, get more accomplished, and relate more positively to others.

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Everybody has their own ideas about how to respond in a crisis, says K20Connect Senior Consultant Arati Nagaraj, and it’s important for a school board not only to provide forums where community members can air their concerns, but also to listen well. Nagaraj, who has been a Trustee of the Saratoga (CA) Union School District Board since 2010 and has served as Board President for two years, shared from her experience in her session “Community Engagement During a Crisis” at Tech & Learning’s Future-Proofing Your District Plan conference. 

Open communication builds a strong foundation of trust and also enables school board members to engage positively and correct any misperceptions, Nagaraj says. Part of a board’s responsibility is to have the big picture in view while the community sees only a sliver of that picture, but assuming positive intent on everyone’s part is key. “Our priority is the students and their learning, and we all want what’s best for them,” Nagaray said. 

Maintaining constructive and honest channels of communication with the community starts with A, B, C: Acknowledge, Bridge, and Convert. When someone states an opinion, for example, a board member can acknowledge it by using active listening and summarizing: “I heard you say that these old textbooks will never be replaced.” The next step is to bridge, by sharing the facts: “But the fact is, we’re in the midst of looking at options for replacement.” And finally, convert, by helping the person see a different point of view so they will join you on the journey: “Would you like to be part of the working group looking at this issue?” 

Nagaraj suggests five ways to solicit community input. The success of each of these methods depends on assuming positive intent and implementing this A, B, C approach as appropriate.

1. Forums 

Forums can be educational and informative; having a skilled moderator and a set agenda is key. Nagaraj suggests soliciting questions on notecards, which avoids rambling assertion of opinions and helps people to think through and frame their questions. Cards can then be sorted and given to the best person for each answer. Cards can also be kept as a helpful record of community concerns and to inform future district communication.

2. Board office hours

Regular open-door meetings build trust, Nagaraj says, and this approach has been successful in her district. “Community members may be intimidated by speaking at board meetings,” she said. “Constructive dialogue can happen during office hours, and sometimes issues can be solved before they even come up. No decisions are made—it’s a conversation, a time to share thoughts. It’s a very positive method of interaction and building trust.” 

Remember to send reminders including the date, time, location, and names of the board members who will be present. In Nagaraj’s district, these office hours are often on-site at a school. Having someone on hand in case crowd control is needed is a good precaution. 

Saratoga Union School District has developed this protocol to establish clear guidelines and expectations to avoid common pitfalls.

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3. Study groups and committees

During a crisis, these groups will be task-focused, and after the crisis is over, it’s important to evaluate, monitor, and plan—taking what’s been learned into consideration in order to be better prepared going forward.

4. Surveys 

Surveys are a great way of getting lots of information, Nagaraj says. Surveys can be used at different points during a crisis to get a “pulse check” on the community. 

5. Social media

“Social media is both a friend and a foe,” said Nagaraj. It’s imperative for school board members to be vigilant when it comes to social media, and not to engage in discussions. 

“Board members are the eyes and ears in the community, but it’s critical that they let the district be the disseminator of information,” Nagaraj said. When a board member becomes aware of inaccurate information being broadcast on social media, their role is to inform the superintendent so the district can respond properly with the facts. Board members then can share messages from the district—without personal comment.

Evaluation

Don’t overlook the evaluation of your engagement techniques, particularly after a crisis, to make sure you’re prepared as well as you can be for the future. Consider whether all voices are being heard, and if there’s a group that has not been engaged by your methods. 

A lot depends on your local situation, Nagaraj says, and different methods of engagement will work well in different communities and even with different constituencies within a community. Sharing community feedback and input at board meetings helps to ensure transparency and sends the clear message that community input is important and valued. 

“Community engagement is very important but can be very difficult to manage, and I’ve developed a thick skin over my ten years as a school board member,” Nagaraj said. “Respecting the community’s role in the system is absolutely essential to providing the best learning environment possible for our students.”

When a crisis hits, a school board needs to realign to focus on two priority areas in order to navigate the crisis effectively: health and safety and student learning, says K20Connect senior consultant Arati Nagaraj. This often means pressing pause on many of the district’s existing goals. 

Nagaraj, who has been a Trustee of the Saratoga (CA) Union School District Board since 2010 and has served as board president for two years, offered insights on how to achieve these priorities during her session “Setting Board Priorities During a Crisis” at Tech & Learning’s recent Future-Proofing Your District conference. 

Since staff is responding in real time during any crisis—and often under circumstances that change rapidly—a school board needs to be aligned with staff in a relationship of trust, says Nagaraj. This can only happen when: 1) channels of both internal and external communication remain open; 2) the board is united in the goals that have been set; and 3) the board gives the superintendent the authority to make decisions (this can be accomplished in the form of a resolution). A crisis is no time for micro-managing. 

Setting concrete and finite goals with measurable outcomes will help to remove distractions and focus stakeholders on what’s most important. For example, one priority might be that the superintendent ensures the well-being of students, so staff and teachers might ensure that there’s at least one touch point with every child (either online or on the phone) every week through the end of the school year. Another example of a goal with clear and measurable outcomes might be increasing the number of hours per day each student spends engaged in online learning.

Working Together

Although everyone on the planet has had to deal with the pandemic, there continues to be many unknowns and situations that are very localized. Establishing clear channels of communication to keep everyone up to date with accurate information and also being flexible enough to adapt as circumstances change, is critical. 

Since instruction doesn’t continue during most crises, the pandemic has presented new opportunities to boards to think through continuity of operations.

Other important considerations for board members during a crisis include setting up a regular cadence of meetings as needed, being engaged with the community, and encouraging and supporting one another, staff, teachers, parents, and students.

Nagaraj emphasizes that at the end of a crisis, after everyone has had a chance to exhale and reset, it’s critical to reflect on the work that’s been done and the lessons learned. This start-stop-reset model can be helpful, for example, as boards begin to think through the difficult questions and strategies around re-opening.

“We all have to figure this out together and chart the course ahead,” said Nagaraj. 

 Contact Arati Nagaraj at arati@k20connect.net 

The rapid shift to remote learning and the uncertainty of the upcoming fall 2020 K-12 semester leave many school finance questions unanswered. How will widespread unemployment and reduced tax revenues affect school budgets? Will budget priorities shift to support elearning tools? And when will school leaders make critical decisions about spending?

To answer these and other key education spending questions, Interactive Educational Systems Designs, Inc. (IESD), in partnership with MCH Strategic Data, has released a national education market study to share insight into priorities, timing of decision-making and challenges currently driving buying decisions in our country’s schools.  The report, K-12 Education and the Coronavirus Pandemic, includes input from 1,465 education leaders across the U.S., including more than 600 district administrators and more than 800 school principals.  

The study provides statistically significant quantitative data to support immediate and back-to-school planning and decisions for education businesses. The survey report includes recommendations based on IESD’s extensive experience in the education market. 

The study was designed to provide education businesses with reliable data and insights for developing product, marketing, and sales plans for the upcoming school year and beyond. 

Selected Key Findings

• With the vast majority of respondents (94.8%) indicating that their districts/schools switched to online teaching and learning to complete the 2019-2020 school year, respondents were asked about their 2020-2021 plans for 13 budget items. The most frequent response for each budget item was that they will spend about the same—ranging from 43.4% to 68.1%, depending on the budget item.
• When asked how they were spending the remainder of their 2019-2020 budget due to the coronavirus pandemic, almost half of the respondents (45.0%) said they are spending the remainder, but shifting spending to changing priorities.
• As for their timeframe for considering purchases for 2020-2021, a majority (57.0%) reported that they have already begun the decision process or will do so by the end of June. The remainder stated they are looking to make decisions over the summer or later in the fall. 

Additional Survey Topics Include:

• Use of video conferencing systems
• Use of free and fee-based supplemental programs and resources
• Who provides professional development and support for distance learning: in-house staff and education resource providers
• Challenges in switching to distance learning
• What customers want most from curriculum and education resource providers
• Instructional planning for 2020-2021

To order the K-12 Education and the Coronavirus Pandemic survey report, as well as data files with cross-tabs for organizations who want to do additional analysis, go to https://payhip.com/b/6MAr.   The cost is $199. Media may request highlights from the survey by emailing kati@kehcomm.com.

The impact of COVID-19 on the community of educational facility administrators is wide-reaching with long-term effects on operations, staff, and management. While teachers, principals, and curriculum directors are occupied with year-end academic decisions and shift to online learning platforms, facility administrators on mostly empty campuses across the country have been working on mitigation activities to keep their campus safe and provide support for distance learning.

To offer a platform where district administrators can connect to discuss these activities, the Education Market Association and The Amos Group, producer of SchoolBondFinder and SchoolBondNetwork, developed the online communications platform EDcommunity. It is a private, subscription-based service, closed to vendors and other third-party organizations.

“We wanted to give school facilities professionals, administrators, and their teams access to news and information for problem-solving and idea-sharing, and we understood their need for a safe place to have those interactions, “ said Chuck Amos, President and CEO of The Amos Group, in a recent radio broadcast.

“As part of our mission to create networks and content, we’re excited to extend participation to about 100,000 school facility professionals across the U.S. Everyone who signs up will be verified as school district employees when they create their complimentary accounts, making it easier than ever to join,” said Jim McGarry, President and CEO of the Education Market Association. 

EDcommunity also provides access to resources, publications, events, and other critical tools.

Fees for this private community are waived at least through September to support the need for communication and access to important information. Visit https://www.edmarket.org/edcommunity for more information.

AllHere, a platform created to improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism, announced its nationwide launch at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC). AllHere is web-, mobile-, and tablet-accessible, and integrates with district rostering and attendance systems.

According to recent research, 1 in 6 students miss three weeks or more of school per year. The graduation rate for these students is 28.6%, compared to 70% for students who miss 10 or fewer days of school per year. In large districts, the financial costs can be enormous: LAUSD lost $20 million in one year due to chronic absenteeism. Chronic absence is an early indicator of greater challenges a student may face, such as drug and alcohol use, suspension, expulsion, dropping out, teen pregnancy, and crime.

The AllHere platform includes:

• Diagnostic tools that allow leaders to align interventions with the root cause of chronic absences
• Data analytics and reports that provide metrics for district goal-setting and progress-reporting
• A library of intervention strategies to determine the services to best support the needs of each student
• Access to professional learning that offers best practice training and ongoing support 

Joanna Smith, Founder and CEO of AllHere, is one of a very small class of black women leading VC-funded tech firms in the U.S. today. After earning her bachelor's degree from Harvard, Smith worked as a middle school math teacher in Boston, where she faced so much chronic absenteeism that she was unable to be an effective teacher. After serving as an attendance and family engagement coordinator, Smith built the company from a shoestring budget and a spreadsheet into a fast-growing, 15-person startup that has secured nearly $4 million in capital.

Nominate yourself, a colleague, or a team for one of CoSN’s awards or recognition programs. Winners will be officially recognized in March at the 2020 Annual Conference in Washington, DC.

• District Team Leadership (Team): 4 CoSN2020 Conference Registrations, a $2,000 Honorarium, and a $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card
• National CTO of the Year (Withrow): 1 CoSN 2020 Conference Registration, a $1,000 honoriaum, and a $2,500 DonorsChoose.org gift card
• Digital Equity District Award: 4 CoSN2020 Conference Registrations, a $2,000 Honorarium, and a $5,000 DonorsChoose.org gift card
• Empowered Superintendent Award: 1 CoSN 2020 Conference Registration, a $1,000 honorarium, and a $2,500 DonorsChoose.org gift card

The deadline for nominations is November 19, 2019, at 11:59pmET. DonorsChoose giftcards are courtesy of our partner DonorsChoose.org.

This is often the time of the school year when school leaders begin to consider the strategic directions of their organizations. Often the strategic planning process begins with a bit of retrospection about the state of the organization and its challenges and successes. These meetings tend to engage the organization’s current staff. But this approach doesn’t always provide the necessary strategic variety for an organization to truly move forward. Strategic variety requires organizational curiosity. 

As Grace Hopper said, “the most dangerous phrase in the language is, ‘We’ve always done it this way.’” True strategic planning requires looking beyond the scope of what is being done currently to examine the underlying goals and objectives of the organization. A common example is the railroads in the 1950s, which didn’t consider trucking companies or airlines as significant competitors. They saw themselves as rail companies and not as transportation companies. In many ways, that kind of thinking reflects that of schools that see themselves as brick and mortar institutions and not necessarily as educational organizations in the broader sense. 

As we enter the strategic planning season, therefore, it’s important to look beyond comparisons to other schools in one’s conference or state and to look further—at Khan Academy, other virtual schools, and other organizations that educate children, like the Boy and Girl Scouts, public libraries, and the like. As educators look to develop gamification within courses, they need to be familiar with the MMOGs that capture the attention of many school-aged children. 

In addition to looking at other types of educational organizations, schools need to review their assumptions about financing. With the continued struggles of traditional tax revenue sources, public schools need to look for nontraditional revenue streams, such as grants and potential partnerships with other organizations.

The key to successful strategic planning in the future may be the development of organizational curiosity. Curious organizations see that new opportunities are positive challenges. They keep an open mind as they review options. They look for diverse opinions and perspectives. Governing has a good article about cultivating organizational curiosity in order to solve problems. Harvard Business Review also has a brief article about why organizational curiosity is important. TTA provides some ideas on how to develop a culture of curiosity within an organization. 

As we all brace ourselves to deal with the changing educational environment, remember that curiosity didn’t really kill the cat. 

Mobile County Public School System’s Instructional Technology department works to help administrators understand the technology integration process—from participation and modeling to evaluating the effectiveness of the integration process. 

As technology integration into the classroom has increased, monitoring the effectiveness of the integration process has become the major focus. Teachers are responsible for the effective integration of technology in the classroom and knowing if what they’ve chosen to integrate is having an impact on learning.  

While administrators are observing the integration process, many do not understand the technology tools that are being used in the classroom. MCPSS’s  Instructional Technology department offers professional development specifically designed to help administrators understand not only the technology tools being used in their schools but also how to evaluate the effectiveness of the integration process.

When is there time?

With the growing responsibilities that administrators have, it can be difficult to find the time to gain an understanding of the technology that teachers are integrating into their classrooms.  

However, just as teachers require professional development (PD) to learn how to integrate technology into the classroom, administrators need professional development as well. The MCPSS Instructional Technology department offers this training in three sessions, which gives the administrators time in between sessions to begin to apply what they’re learning and to formulate questions, before the following session, on what they experienced at their school.  

How does this work?

The Instructional Technology department developed a Professional Learning Unit (PLU) for administrators as a means of helping administrators and prospective administrators better understand the technology integration that’s taking place in their schools. This PLU consists of an introduction to technology apps and programs that the department had previously trained teachers to integrate into their classrooms.  

Administrators and prospective administrators participate in professional development one day per month for three months. In between each session, they survey their schools on what they’ve learned. Each of the three training sessions for administrators focuses on several technology tools that are being used in many of the schools in the district.  The administrators have the opportunity to see each tool in action, participate in an activity that involves them using the tool, and then document times they’ve seen that particular tool being used in a classroom or what they feel effective use of that tool should look like in their school.  

One administrator who participated in the professional development sessions said that this training method was “extremely informative, and I gained knowledge of apps that I was not previously aware of. Thank you so much for all that you have done to help us!” This administrator expressed that his lack of awareness of these technology tools had previously prevented him from evaluating effectively the teachers’ technology integration process.

Administrators participating in this PD also have job-embedded tasks to complete when they return to their schools so that they can put what they learned in their sessions into action. When they’ve completed the training, administrators will have submitted several artifacts showing what they’ve learned and how they’ll use what they’ve learned in their schools.

Evaluating Effectiveness

As part of the third training session, administrators learn about tools they can use to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology integration taking place in their school. They also have an opportunity to share best practices with other administrators from the time they’ve spent in classrooms observing technology use and evaluating its effectiveness. Administrators are introduced to what effective integration consists of, or “look-fors” in the classroom, to help them determine whether or not what they’re observing is effective integration. Last but not least, part of the evaluation process includes sharing with teachers what they’ve observed in the classroom and offering support in the form of technology PD that’s led by the administrator as a way to model what they’ve learned. 

Several administrators have participated in this PLU, and they’ve expressed their excitement and appreciation for the information they’ve received and for all that they’ve learned.  One administrator commented, “I am very appreciative of the implementation of this PLU. I have become more technologically savvy and now seek new ways to use technology in my school.”  Another administrator added, “This was actually fun and engaging and I walked away with something tangible that I feel will genuinely help our teachers.” 

This PLU has helped to bring administrators and teachers together in their efforts to integrate technology into their schools effectively. As a result, technology tools will have a greater impact on student learning. 

Dr. Ursula Martin is a district-level Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for Mobile County Public School System in Mobile, Alabama.

 eBOARDsolutions, Inc. and the Idaho School Boards Association (ISBA) announced a newly formed partnership today to make Simbli board management software available to all ISBA member school districts. Featuring six core integrated modules, Simbli brings together meetings, planning, policies, evaluations, documents, and communications into one board management software solution.   

Founded in 2007, eBOARDsolutions was originally developed to help the Georgia School Boards Association member boards increase their efficiency and effectiveness. Today, eBOARDsolutions flagship board governance software solution, Simbli is used by over 1,200 school boards, non-profits, and governments in 25 states and is proud to maintain a 99% annual renewal rate. The partnership with ISBA will provide more than 550 locally elected school board members and several hundred charter school board members throughout Idaho the option to subscribe to Simbli’s board management software solution. 

Swing Education, an on-demand marketplace for substitute teachers, has expanded its services to help schools and districts across Arizona connect with qualified educators using the company’s web-based platform. In addition to Arizona, Swing Education is now helping to address the substitute teacher shortage in California, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington, D.C.

Swing Education helps to relieve the burden of substitute teacher hiring and screening, as well as substitute teacher management, for schools and districts. Its web app, which schools use to connect with substitute teachers, features an interface that accommodates users of all kinds no matter their backgrounds, age levels, and tech savviness. 

To learn more about Swing Education, visit www.swingeducation.com.

Swing Education, an on-demand marketplace for substitute teachers, recently released a free eBook to help school and district leaders navigate teacher shortages impacting states nationwide. The eBook, “Your School’s Guide to Surviving the Teacher Shortage,” details the causes of teacher shortages, explores solutions, and outlines the necessary steps schools can take to help alleviate the issue.

The eBook is comprised of five chapters that cover a breakdown of supply and demand, why teachers leave the profession, what to do to retain teachers, creative ways to recruit teachers, and why growing a robust substitute pool can make a difference on student success. In addition, the eBook provides practical and concrete strategies that administrators and school business officials can implement in their own schools and districts.

To download “Your School’s Guide to Surviving the Teacher Shortage,” visit https://swingeducation.com/resources/your-schools-guide-to-surviving-the-teacher-shortage/.

"Small but mighty" is what I called my small rural Massachusetts school district when I recently presented to a leadership team that included district administrators, building administrators and community members. In the past three years, our district, with its previously limited instructional technology, has morphed into a digitally equitable learning environment for all students. Transforming a school district into a lean, mean technology-rich machine is no small feat, and it requires educational leaders to reexamine the critical roles they play in this metamorphosis. 

These five critical behavioral components will be essential if educational leaders want to drive sustainable edtech initiatives thoughtfully, collaboratively, and effectively towards "mighty."

1) Model 

Nothing tanks an initiative faster or ensures failure to reach district goals than the school community's perception that their administrators have the "do what I say not what I do' mentality.  Well-intentioned administrators purchase devices for classroom instruction or commit to district-wide software programs but continue to stay in their comfort zone by not learning or using the new technology themselves. Educational leaders need to model technology like they are Tyra Banks on the fashion week runway.  Attend and be present at teacher edtech trainings, communicate with staff and faculty using collaborative online documents, make it a practice to use a school-issued Chromebook or iPad during classroom walkthroughs and facilitate staff meetings using the newly adopted presentation tools. Educational leaders who are involved and engaged with technology initiatives can have a significant impact on school culture and on achieving district goals. 

2) Listen

So many district edtech initiatives suffer from the Oprah car syndrome where educational leaders are on the receiving end of "let's give every student an iPad" or "let's require all teachers to incorporate blended learning into their classroom instruction by the end of the first semester."  These well-intentioned decisions can be disastrous when the very people that are impacted by these decisions are not heard. Dust collects on classroom Chromebook carts, district-issued software programs only integrated into third-grade classrooms, and interactive whiteboards used as glorified projector screens. So, open up your ears wide like a cat outside a mouse hole and listen to ALL stakeholders. Just by walking through classes, meeting with curriculum leaders, creating student and parent focus groups and being a presence in the hallways during passing times will educate leaders on what types and levels of instructional technology are sustainable and critical for our students and teachers.

3) Recruit

When school districts hire teachers, who can text and "insta," it may be assumed that these new hires will be tech-savvy and drive technology initiatives. Sorry but you know what happens when you assume!  Hiring a teacher that will support and drive edtech initiatives at the classroom level should not and cannot be based on anything but their courage and willingness to try and sometimes fail at new things that reach all of our students.  Also, look both outside and inside the organization for innovative educators. Use the listening suggestion above to talk to students and teachers, and consistently walk through classrooms to "recruit" teacher leaders.  I guarantee that you will tap into fantastic teachers already being change agents for education in your buildings. 

4) Showcase 

Everyone needs five minutes of fame as it ignites and energizes us to continue to grow and succeed. As educational leaders, we are not in the "it's all about me" game. We are in our positions to lead, support and guide students and teachers. Take every opportunity to showcase the classroom teachers in your district, who every day, are driving the initiatives, improving student performance, creating an engaging curriculum and provide students with collaborative learning environments. Make it "all about us" by showcasing the dedicated educators and students at every school board meeting, parent open house, edtech event, faculty meetings, and even on social media posts. These are your rock stars who will sell out the show and leave the audience wanting more.

5) Outreach

When it comes to proposed edtech initiatives, it can be a challenge for educational leaders to provide the school board with concrete evidence of success. It feels like final Jeopardy when leaders are put upon to answer the question, “what other districts in the county are doing?”. What if your district is the first in the county to offer mobile hotspots, devices for home use for students, new learning management systems or even student data privacy policies. How do you answer that final jeopardy question? Be the leader not the follower of edtech initiatives. Reach out to edtech organizations such as CoSN and ISTE for resources and case studies, contact your Twitter PLN peeps for their stories of success and join forces with local colleges and universities to underscore the importance of supporting our students from pre-K - postgrad. Make your little (or big) piece of the world the exemplary for other districts to follow. 

Eileen Belastock, CETL (@EileenBelastock) is a Director of Academic Technology in Massachusetts.  

The round-the-clock security for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is provided by US Marshals. It cost $5.3 million in 2017, $6.8 million in 2018, and is forecast at $7.74 million for 2019. A charter school advocate unfamiliar with public schools, DeVos has been among President Trump’s most controversial cabinet choices. When American public schools are chronically underfunded, it makes sense to question this expenditure. 

https://tinyurl.com/ycygoj5e

A new survey tool is designed to give school leaders better insight into how their school’s use of time aligns with school-wide priorities. The School Time Assessment from UnlockingTime.org (an initiative of scheduling software developer Abl and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which launched this summer) has been piloted in a number of schools and districts, and is launching for free tomorrow to help schools better leverage their class schedules to support student outcomes.

[What’s New]

Riley Johnson, Principal of New Technology High School (a public school in California with a wall-to-wall Project-Based Learning model), has piloted the tool with his entire staff--including teachers, office staff, and classified instructional staff. The insights generated by the survey have enabled him to identify areas in the schedule where teacher professional development and student learning may be in conflict, and to explore alternate scheduling approaches to resolve those conflicts.

Two different pieces appeared in the Tech&Learning news feed last week that read like obituaries for Duluth, MN school district’s tech plans. The Duluth News Tribune puts it plainly: “That means that as millions of dollars in technology fails, it won't be replaced. What continues to operate will run well beyond recommended lifespans — and it's not just Smart Boards. Video security systems, computers, printers, projectors and classroom sound amplifiers installed as part of the Red Plan — approved in 2007 and completed in 2013 — are outdated.” Minnesota Public Radio education blogger Bob Collins weighs in: “Sure, we can suggest blackboards and chalk as a replacement, but kids aren’t going out to a blackboards-and-chalk world. So school districts — and taxpayers — are going to have to confront an unexpected reality of the digital age.” Talk about a cautionary tale! —Kevin Hogan, Content Director

[Principals as Digital Evangelists]

School bond dollars remain a vital component in helping schools realize their visions In 2017 alone, $46.6 billion in bonds were passed in the United States. But school leaders who have been through the process of trying to get a school bond passed in their community know that there’s no magic formula to ensure success. Many districts need to secure approval from communities where as few as 20 percent of the population are families with children in the district. How do you convince the other 80 percent of your voting community to approve school funding?

Below, author and former superintendent Don Lifto shares his tips for getting school bonds approved in challenging communities. [NOTE: Dr. Lifto will be sharing ideas like these and more at Tech & Learning's new event, “Making the Most of Your School Funding,” taking place in Austin on April 23-24, 2019 Click here to read more about the event and here to apply.] 

1. Do your homework: School district leaders need to do their research. What’s worked in other similar districts and how can you replicate these strategies? Connect with your colleagues in those districts to get their advice and feedback.

2. Know your voters: Understanding your community’s makeup of parents, pre-school families, alum, and past supporters, as well as data from commercial databases, can be powerful tools for planning, canvassing, targeting messages, and implementing get-out-the-vote strategies.

3. Demographic mapping: Use tools that allow you to merge census data, which includes registered voter and parent data, to better understand your district’s makeup.

4. Conduct a feasibility survey: What does your community value? How much are they willing to pay in higher taxes? A high-quality, random-sample phone survey, controlled to mirror the demographics of the district, helps align the ballot proposal with what a majority of voters will support. One of the most important questions to ask in your community survey is: “How would you rate the quality of the education in your public schools—excellent, good, fair, or poor?” It’s not surprising that when more than 17 percent of the public give their public schools fair or poor marks, the vast majority of school elections fail.

5. Drive your district story: Districts that share positive stories with local media and their communities throughout the year have a more positive impression with their voters. Develop an ongoing public relations campaign in which all communication-related messages are part of a comprehensive communication system planned and coordinated at the district level.

[A DISTRICT-LEVEL LOOK AT INNOVATION IN K–12]

6. Make the connections: How, specifically, will these dollars benefit your voting community? Districts need to make the connection between the purpose of the bond and the cost of the bond. Use focused messages for different audiences that emphasize the positive impact the school bond dollars will have. For example, invite local businesses in to show them the important career skills that students/future employees will learn through access to increased technology. Invite non-parents to come in as special guests for science fairs where they can see the positive outcome of their tax dollars in action.

7. Get your community involved: Invite local retired experts to mentor students in their areas of expertise. Partner with local businesses on internship opportunities. Engaging your community is an excellent way to get buy-in for your work.

8. Voters love gadgets: Communities like to be perceived as innovative and tech savvy. A recent study of Oklahoma bond campaigns, for example, found that elections were six times more likely to pass if they included an investment in technology. As you tell your district story throughout the year, focus on programs that showcase ways that your district is an innovative hub for technology.

9. Reflection: No matter what the outcome of the school bond election is, take time to understand and analyze what went right and what went wrong and integrate these lessons as you prepare for your next election. Ask questions like: Did parents participate in the school finance election? Why or why not? What can the next campaign learn from the participation of non-parent supporters? The answers to questions like these form the “lesson” for planners of your next election.

Don Lifto is a former Minnesota superintendent, the author of “School Finance Elections: A Comprehensive Planning Model for Success, 2nd Edition” and dozens of articles on referendum planning published in national journals. He is a consultant for schoolbondfinder.com, an online database that tracks K–12 bond-funded capital improvement projects in the US.

Global platform for specialist media, Future plc, parent company of Tech & Learning, today announces Zillah Byng-Thorne, Chief Executive has pledged her support of the Ascent CEO promise, an incentive which outlines actions required by organizations and companies to create an inclusive and equitable workplace.

This is the latest in an ongoing effort from Future to create a diverse and inclusive meritocracy, in order to foster a thriving, supportive company culture. Claire MacLellan, Managing Director of People & Culture at Future has also signed the pledge.

[The Big 3's War Over EDU: A Comparison of Apple, Google, and Microsoft]

The petition, put forth by PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association), highlights three main goals the participating company or organization promises to take:

1. We will make our workplaces and events open and trusting settings.
2. We will provide education on barriers to inclusivity, including unconscious bias.
3. We will share what we know, what we learn, and what needs improvement.

Zillah Byng-Thorne, CEO of Future says,

“The Ascent CEO Promise is a crucial and positive movement that aligns perfectly with our values and outlook at Future. I am proud to sign my name alongside many distinguished leaders working to empower those challenged by discrimination to find success.”

Over 85 senior executives have signed the petition since the PCMA announced it at IMEX Frankfurt on May 15-17.

For more information on the Ascent CEO Promise, visit https://www.pcma.org/ascent-ceo-promise/

Having a job may seem a lifetime away for a child, but by exposing them to different career paths, we can get them thinking about their life after high school and better prepare them for their lives after graduation.

Three years ago, we transformed Kankakee Public Schools’ general education track into the College and Career Academy, which is 100% focused on using PBL to prepare students for future jobs. We’ve introduced 16 different career paths to about 70% of our K–5 students using Defined STEM’s career wheel. Each grade has a designated career cluster they focus on, and as students move through the grades, they explore a wide variety of career opportunities.

In addition, we are one of 10 high school districts in Illinois that has started to move to competency-based learning. We’re also working to report on students’ mastery of skills with progress levels, rather than a traditional report card at the end of each semester. We started by marrying the traditional, content-driven course work with performance-based assessment. Rather than having teachers manage a whole group of 30+ students at once, PBL frees them to break classes into small groups and connect and talk in depth with each group.

As we make our way toward a completely mastery-based model, we are slowly ridding ourselves of traditional grade levels. Instead, we aim to categorize students by year one, year two, and so on. If a child can demonstrate mastery of a certain content area, they can move on in their work—even if they are technically a freshman. We have also increased dual-enrollment options, providing our junior and senior students opportunities to take local community college classes, which has played a significant role in giving our students a taste of real-world jobs once they have displayed mastery.

[15 Ideas to Ensure That Project Based Learning is Grounded in Content And Standards]

For example, we have a partnership with a local health clinic in the district where students interested in medical studies can learn necessary skills for a career in that field. We’ve also had local conferences where students interested in areas like PR and public speaking interview with workforce readiness programs and learn from employees about what it takes to succeed in a full-time job.

Since we implemented our PBL and competency-based model, data shows that in one year (2016 to 2017), reading comprehension scores increased 8% and math application increased 9%. We have also seen an increase in student engagement in all of our K–6 classes, and have continued to build partnerships with local businesses and industries that support students’ exploration and curiosity about future career options.

Felice Hybert is the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction at Kankakee School District. Follow her on Twitter @Find8Fences.

If you haven't heard, and it's likely you haven't, Microsoft launched a product called Teams in 2017 following the company's decision not to sink 8 billion dollars into the purchase of Slack. Instead, they decided to build out their Skype product and develop their own version of Slack. This is not good news for Slack. What it means is that institutions who already have O356 subscriptions will have access to Teams included in their subscription.However, when launched, Teams was a weak and buggy product. So Slack didn't have much to worry about. In the meantime, Facebook crept into the game as well offering a product called Workplace that looks, feels, and functions just like Facebook. No learning curve and it provides an intuitive ease of use. This meant companies like Walmart and Starbucks moved onto the platform as well as several non-profits and educational institutions who have access to the platform for free. But, the problems Facebook is facing in the news, and the fact that they won't guarantee free forever for education, makes Workplace a less desirable choice for some.

[Build Community & Bring The World Closer Together with Group Insights]

Which to choose? Slack, Workplace, or Teams?

So, what to choose if you're an education institution? Slack? Expensive. Workplace? Not free forever and legal issues. Teams? Buggy and weak.However, it seems Teams is making a move to get into the game and become a more serious contender. I had complained to teams project manager Mike Tholfsen that even after they fixed the bugs and got features running, one big reason I wold never recommend Teams is because you are unable to link to a post. This is an imperative feature that no group moderator would want to live without. The absence of this feature means there is no way, other than sifting through hundreds or thousands of messages, to refer to a post. Well, that issue has has finally been addressed putting teams back in the running.

The Verdict

Teams still needs a lot of work. For example, it tries too hard not to be like Facebook so names are listed with an impersonal last name before the first name. You have to scroll to the bottom of a thread to add a message. Messages are listed from oldest at top to newest at bottom. It is also missing the important polling feature. Yes, there is a clunky process to add on polls, but it should just be a part of the platform.That said, for companies who already pay for O365, and are looking for an internal communication platform, Teams is on its way to becoming a viable online community that also now has video and phone conference features embedded (can be scheduled or instant), the option to have topic-specific conversations (called channels), and the ability to instant message.

Your Turn

What do you think? Have you used Teams? If so, what did you think of it? Did you like it? If not, would you? Why or why not?

Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.

Dude Solutions, software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of operations management solutions, today unveiled a new corporate brand identity, logo and website in addition to the expansion of their online Dude Community.

[Catapult Learning Launches New Turnkey Stem Program]

With this rejuvenated brand strategy comes the decision to graduate the brand name SchoolDude. The company’s entire portfolio is now unified under the single name, Dude Solutions.

Dude Solutions will continue delivering new offerings and enhanced capabilities across its core product suites that encompass maintenance, technology, energy and events in addition to the recent introduction of its next generation Work & Asset™ solution. Connecting its clients is Dude Community, an interactive forum for product help, professional development, networking and sharing best practices.

LocateMySchool™, a web-based, interactive, software-as-a-service developed by Planware, a division of Educational Data Systems, now provides 24/7 access to important school boundary information, directions from an entered address, and contact info in one application.

[WHAT’S NEW: NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS]

LocateMySchool provides:

*Single platform offering access to colorful, layered school boundary maps and customized locations such as bus stops, crossing guards, daycare or after-school centers, and sports venues;

*Familiar Google Maps interface delivering walking, biking, or driving directions from any entered address within the district;

*Multi-language support and Google Translate features; and

*Live customer service and support.

Districts can also use LocateMySchool to provide a visual display of different or proposed boundary scenarios for presentation to boards, committees, parents, and the public for review.

For more information and pricing for LocateMySchool, visit EdData.com/LocateMySchool.

Whether you are an innovative educator or a student, in the 21st century, we’re all global learners who make global collaborations. This means being able to effectively interact with people whether they are in your classroom, district, or across the state, country, or world.

You do not want your meetings or calls to look like this:

When you do, there are some protocols to put in place. Here are practices administrators can model for teachers and teachers can model for students.

Here they are:

[8 Elements Found in Classrooms of Innovative Educators]

1) Digital agenda that includes the following...

* Stored in a known place (i.e. digital folder or notebook) and linked from the invitation

* Timed

*Indicate who speaks when

*Links to all presentations and materials

o All resources should be platform agnostic

* Attendance checklist for participants to indicate if they are in attendance or not

o Checklist defaults to absent. When they join, or in advance if they know they will attend, they can update to present

o This eliminates the need to waste time with a roll call

* Directions on how to join from the meeting from various devices i.e. mobile, PC, Mac, Chromebook

* Parking lot for off-agenda topics or if any item that lasts too long

* Section for notes

o Eliminates need for a separate email with notes. It’s all in one place.

*Check out tips for creating a great agenda here and here.

2) Assign roles

* Notetaker

*Remote participant monitor

o Brings chat items to attention of group

o Ensure those participating remotely have had an opportunity to provide input

o Watches to see who may want to interject and ensure voices of remote members are included

3) Outline participant protocols

* Ask participants to identify themselves when speaking

* Ask participants to direct questions to specific people

* Have a hand-raising protocol for both face-to-face and remote participants

*Ask remote participants to mute themselves, but if the meeting organizer has set participants on mute, they must remember to unmute someone who wants to speak using the hand-raising protocol

*Remind participants that should they put the call on hold, they should mute themselves so others are not subjected to background music or messages

* Do your best to eliminate background noise (wind, traffic) and distractions (i.e. children/animals)

Your Turn

What do you think? Have you encountered these problems? Are there any suggestions might work for you? Anything missing?

Lisa Nielsen writes for and speaks to audiences across the globe about learning innovatively and is frequently covered by local and national media for her views on “Passion (not data) Driven Learning,” "Thinking Outside the Ban" to harness the power of technology for learning, and using the power of social media to provide a voice to educators and students. Ms. Nielsen has worked for more than a decade in various capacities to support learning in real and innovative ways that will prepare students for success. In addition to her award-winning blog, The Innovative Educator, Ms. Nielsen’s writing is featured in places such as Huffington Post, Tech & Learning, ISTE Connects, ASCD Wholechild, MindShift, Leading & Learning, The Unplugged Mom, and is the author the book Teaching Generation Text.

Editor’s Note: Welcome to NewBay’s inaugural edition of Need to Know, where we explain complex topics and how they apply to each industry we serve, on our websites and in our magazines. Keep coming back for future topics, to include 5G, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and more.

“This will go down on your permanent record!” It’s a phrase that could strike fear into many a student. And if blockchain technology emerges as proponents hope, it could reshape the way institutions create, save, and distribute student information.

As it stands, “blockchain” may very well be the first edtech buzzword of 2018, quickly becoming that term that everybody hears about but nobody knows quite what it is. To help explain, Tech & Learning asked Steve Chen, Industry co-lead at the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology at the the University of California, Berkeley: “Think of it like a notary public. The data being entered—student transcripts, graduation confirmations, recommendations, etc.—will be verified digitally, instead of the paper-based systems that still exist today.”

See our full Need to Know for more facts about blockchain.

• Blockchain and Media [Multichannel News]
• Blockchain and Video Production [Creative Planet Network]
• Blockchain and Television [TV Technology]
• Blockchain and Radio [Radio World]
• Blockchain and AV [AVNetwork.com]
• Blockchain and Residential Integration [Residential Systems]
• Blockchain and Pro Audio [Pro Sound News]
• Blockchain and Retail [TWICE]

Facilitating technology-focused professional development days takes strategic planning, follow-through, and skills. Recently, Milford and East Bridgewater School Districts collaborated on district-wide digital learning days that provided successful and impactful learning experiences for staff. Here are some strategies that came out of that experience.

Get important stakeholders on board

It’s important to ensure that stakeholders such as the superintendent and even the school board are in the loop. Often those not in the classroom are quite impressed by the technology and the learning that’s happening. When teachers are sharing student successes using digital learning—on Twitter, by email to stakeholders, or directly at events—there will be increased support for such a full-day professional development opportunity. Once these stakeholders invest in active learning, you’ve cleared your first hurdle! Now, it’s on to our next, most important, group of investors in active learning: the educators.

Select a planning team

It’s easy for users of digital tools to pontificate about 21st-century skills and the importance of technology. However, a digital learning day should fit into a school’s mission and overall staff appraisal system. Having a wide range of talents and skill levels on your team will help create a well-rounded learning experience for your staff. This team will set the date, choose a venue, develop sessions, communicate updates to buildings, assist with publicizing, and be there when you just need to vent.

Ask for educator input

We want our educators to feel involved and invested in their own professional development. Have the planning team ask principals, teachers, and staff what they would like to see offered at this district digital learning PD day. They can gather this information through surveys, feedback at faculty meetings, informal conversations, or through an open invite to email the team about their experiences with digital learning. Take their suggestions into consideration and add a variety of other opportunities, including sessions not suggested, to ensure sufficient differentiation.

[Future Ready Schools® Releases New Blended Learning Guide for Districts]

Design the day

Once your education staff has provided some input, let the planning and designing begin!

Set goals: At the first team meeting, determine what you hope to achieve with the digital learning day. Start by aligning the conversations to the district goals to ensure your digital learning aligns with instructional expectations. As a team, explore how technology integration in teaching and learning fits within your district and supports your vision and mission.

Identify needs and sessions: Once the goals are established, the needs of the learners should be identified. What do they already know? How do they learn? What do they not even know that they need to learn? This information can be gathered with a pre-survey or pre-screening questionnaire. Let attendees know that their input will help your team design a program that best fits their needs. Matching sessions to needs and learning styles will allow for deeper learning on the day of the event.

Create the program: Discuss the design of sessions. Having a variety of formats will accommodate multiple styles of learning and interests. Some examples of session designs are:

• Workshops: In these traditional conference sessions, a presenter introduces and discusses an idea, shares something that has worked for him or her, or inspires the participants to try something new.
• Expanded hands-on sessions: In hands-on workshops, participants can dig deeply into a topic, try out new ideas, and create or develop something they can use in their schools.
• Panel discussions: A group of educators shares ideas or discusses a specific topic in front of participants and allows for Q&A.
• Poster sessions: A poster session gives an opportunity for educators or students to share their work and examples in an informal context. All of the posters are set up at once, and each presenter stands with their poster throughout the session to answer questions from attendees.
• “Round table” sessions: These are informal conversations centered around a specific topic or topics. This should not be a presentation but more of a conversation among educators with one moderator. The moderator provides leading questions to keep the conversation flowing.
• Flipped sessions: Just like a teacher can plan a flipped class, you can try a flipped PD session. Participants will need to sign up in advance so presenters can provide online resources for them to view beforehand. Participants should come to the session prepared to engage at an informed level.

Select a keynote speaker: Invite someone who will get people excited about the learning that is about to happen. A keynote speaker has the opportunity to take the staff on an intellectual and emotional journey that can propel them to a new place, help them see a new position, or set a positive tone for the day.

Select presenters that match the needs: Often, we look outside our own schools for the brightest, and most well-known presenters. However, you can find great talent right in your own districts. Nothing helps active learning spread more than when one teacher creates buzz around a certain lesson.

Promotion: Reach out to attendees, speakers, and prospective participants to get them excited about the event. For example, consider having presenters post promotional videos of their sessions to Flipgrid to get attendees excited about the program. Create a website, logo, and hashtag for your digital learning day and start promoting details about the event as early as possible.

Registration

Whether you’re using a paid service like Sched.org or a free service like Google Forms, registration should begin at least two months before the event. Consider setting a cap for various sessions if your space requires it. This will also encourage attendees to register early in order to get the sessions they want. Decide when you will close registration and send reminders to attendees letting them know about important deadlines.

Follow through

In preparation for your event, be sure to communicate the logistics such as parking, food options, wifi passwords, and attire. Plan clear signage for the venue so attendees and presenters can make their way around with ease. Be sure to ask presenters if they have any specific technical requirements and have tech support on hand. If you’re providing food, be sure to consider all dietary restrictions in your menu planning.

Day of event

Provide a day-of-event checklist. Here’s the one we used:

• Dress comfortably but appropriately: In general, match your manner of dress to that of your attendees —or go slightly more professional. Make sure to be comfortable because as members of the planning team, you will be running around making sure the day is running smoothly.
• Arrive early: Give yourself time to check last-minute arrangements and get yourself prepared for all sessions.
• Check room arrangements (and numbers): Make sure the set-up is ideal for the training style you want to use in each space and make sure there are extra chairs for any last-minute attendees.
• Check building temperature: Adjust it appropriately for the number of people who will be in the rooms and building.
• Check audiovisual hardware: Conduct one last run-through to make sure everything is still running smoothly and all pieces are where they need to be.
• Check sign-in forms: Make sure you have everything you need for participants to sign in for the day and for each session.
• Always have a backup person and equipment “just in case.”
• Remember to have fun. A day like this takes a lot of planning and personal time, so enjoy the learning, excitement, and energy that your team’s efforts made possible.

The best way to start to plan a digital learning day in your school district is to take the plunge and do it. We hope these strategies will support your planning, facilitation, and implementation of a successful day. When you implement these strategies, we would love to hear about it. Tweet us to share your successes.

Matthew X. Joseph, EdD (@MatthewXJoseph) is the director of digital learning and innovation at Milford (MA) Public Schools. Erin Fisher, MEd (@MrsErinFisher) is the tech integration specialist at East Bridgewater (MA) Public Schools.

CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking) today announced its 2018-2019 Board of Directors. CoSN elected its new board ahead of the organization’s 2018 Annual Conference, which begins Monday, March 12 in Washington, DC.The board includes 15 education and private sector leaders from across the United States who support CoSN’s membership and core mission. Each board officer and member serves three-year terms.

The 2018-2019 Board of Directors follows:

Officers

• Tom Ryan, Board Chair, and CISO of Santa Fe Schools and CEO of eLearn Institute, Albuquerque, NM
• Mike Jamerson, Treasurer and Immediate Past Chair, and Director of Technology, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation, Columbus, IN
• Pete Just, CETL, Chair-elect, and Chief Technology Officer, MSD of Wayne Township, Indianapolis, IN
• Donna Williamson, Secretary, and Technology Director, Mountain Brook City Board of Education, Birmingham, AL

Board Members

• Sheryl Abshire, Chief Technology Officer, Calcasieu Parish Public Schools, Lake Charles, LA
• Keith Bockwoldt, CETL, Director of Technology Services, Township High School District 214, Arlington Heights, IL
• Melissa Dodd, Chief Technology Officer, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco, CA
• Michael Flood, Vice President, Strategy, Kajeet Inc., Raleigh, NC Lillian Kellogg, Senior Vice President, Client Services, Education Networks of America, Nashville, TN
• Steve Langford, Chief Information Officer, Beaverton School District, Beaverton, OR
• Nicholas Mirisis, VP of Marketing, Dude Solutions, Cary, NC
• Lenny Schad, Chief Information Officer, Houston ISD, Houston, TX
• Melissa Tebbenkamp, CETL, Director of Instructional Technology, Raytown Quality Schools, Raytown, MO
• Jean Tower, Past Chair, Director of Media and Digital Learning, Needham Public Schools, Needham, MA
• Dr. Valerie Truesdale, CETL, Chief of Technology, Personalization and Engagement, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Charlotte, NC

A recent Tech & Learning survey of over 500 teachers, principals, and district administrators revealed noteworthy disparities between the realities of teachers assessment experiences inside their classrooms and the perceptions of principals and district administrators outside the classroom.

While a certain degree of disconnection is to be expected, particularly given the limited interaction and physical distance common between teachers and district administrators, some of the most striking differences in perception occurred between teachers and principals working together in close proximity.

These gaps in understanding, concerning everything from the type and volume of assessments being administered to the effort and time involved in creating and grading assessments and analyzing the data gathered, can be a challenge, but they offer an opportunity to bring expectations and performance in line with one another.

Click here to download the full white paper, Understanding the Classroom Assessment Gap: Eight Important Takeaways for Principals & Administrators

irislink.com■ Retail Price: $99

Quality and Effectiveness: Many states require districts to retain administrative records for a certain number of years. E-documents take up less physical space and are easier to access because they can be searched by key word or date created. If a document hasn’t been created electronically and needs to be scanned to be saved as an e-document, it must undergo optical character recognition (OCR), a process that translates dots in a scanned image into editable text characters, in order for that text to be searchable or editable.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is the leading application for scanning to PDF with OCR. A single license for Macintosh or Windows costs about $165 annually. Readiris Pro 16 (RP16) is an alternative application for scanning to PDF with OCR facility. RP16 is also available for both Macintosh and Windows, and a single license costs $99 and does not require an annual subscription.

Ease of Use: Downloading, installing, and launching the program is a simple process. RP16 works with the installed driver on the user’s scanner and automatically discovers the system’s scanner. Document scanning with RP16 is also very simple. Scanning presets, visible on the graphical user interface, can be used to export scanned documents as PDF, Microsoft Word, or Microsoft Excel files. Users can also export scanned output as ODT, RTF, EPUB, HTML, text, or audio files.

Creative Use of Technology: Program preferences include a default preprocessing setting to “smoothen color and grayscale images.” In addition, users can direct the program to process all documents as if they had a 300 DPI resolution. This option proves to be useful when processing images of unknown resolution. Other scanning options include “favor accuracy over speed,” “page analysis” (determining areas of text and images), and “page deskewing” (straightening crooked scans).

RP16 scans each page into zones—blue for graphics, orange for text, pink for tables. Users can delete zones, change zone type, and create new zones. RP16 works best with documents that are virtually all text and with complex documents with areas designated as “image” that OCR skips. RP16 for Windows offers more editing options than the Macintosh version does. While Acrobat allows both Mac and Windows users to edit selected text directly in PDF documents, only Windows users can do this with RP16—and only in a text corrector window, not directly on the document. RP16 for both Mac and Windows allows users to add, merge, delete, rotate, compress, and sign PDF documents, as well as to search for and locate document key words.

Suitability for Use in a School Environment: RP16 has several features to recommend its use in a school environment. The PC version lets users right-click on a file in Windows File Explorer and choose Readiris Pro 16 from the context-menu choices that appear. Mac users can also right-click a document and use Readiris to convert it to XLSX, PDF, or DOCX by selecting a file output option from the services pullout menu.

RP16 recognizes documents in 137 languages, including Cyrillic, Greek, Farsi, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese in addition to English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. That’s a huge plus for users who need to OCR foreign-language documents. RP16 also scans very quickly.

OVERALL RATING:

RP16 gives users much more control over scanning output than Acrobat does. Its OCR output quality will vary depending on the resolution and typeface of the text in the original document. Schools looking for robust OCR options should download the RP16 30-day evaluation to test-drive the product.

TOP FEATURES

● Uses the existing TWAIN scanner driver to scan a document, with many output options available, including audio and EPUB.
● Recognizes documents in 137 languages.
● One-time purchase—no need to renew the license each year.

“Don’t think outside the box. Think without a box.” That quote by opening panelist Chris Budzynski (@chrisbudzynski) really summed up much of what was discovered and discussed at the recent School CIO summit hosted by Tech & Learning magazine (@techlearning). These summits provide excellent opportunities to connect with other leaders across the country as well as provide resources and tools to help districts continue to lead and innovate. This post is a reflection of some of the things I discovered and a couple of wishful thoughts on things I hope we get to do in my district.

DESIGN TECH HIGH SCHOOL VISIT

Imagine if you found an abandoned warehouse and threw a bunch of tools, whiteboards, technology, and high school kids in it. What do you think might happen? The “DTech” high school is just that. Students don’t have a bell schedule or a series of classes to sit through. Instead, they are working on design projects that incorporate the core content areas as well as some serious soft skills that they’ll need in the future.

“Principal” Ken Montgomery took us through a tour of his facility and their day-today schedule. I put the word principal in quotes, because he’s really part principal, part passion-driven student advocate, and part crazy (in a good way). This school is based somewhat on the Stanford DSchool concept and has been built out of a partnership with local tech giant Oracle and its Education Foundation.

Although classes were over for the day when we walked up, I noticed quite a few students hanging out on a Friday, not ready to leave. What does that say about the school when kids are running to the weekend? I stopped to ask one of the students what they thought about the place and concept. He replied, “I love it.” When I asked him why he said, “The people. They love it here and they care about us and our learning. It shows.”

I think that quote could be shared about any great teacher, but it was clear that for this young man, the school provided him with an opportunity that he might not have received in a more traditional setting. The few students still milling about inside the building/warehouse were finishing a robotics project or studying Mandarin just….because. Next year, the students of DTech will move into a brand new innovative building on Oracle’s campus, but I really loved the messy feeling of this old warehouse. The imperfections and griminess left me with the impression that this building (and program) are very much loved.

OPENING PANEL ON BLENDED LEARNING

The following day, we were treated to an opening panel that featured three school leaders from very different places. Emily Garrison (@ emilyagarrison) from Palo Alto Unified School District was up first. Her school district is considered a “sister” school district of Eanes ISD, so I was curious to hear her thoughts on how to make things more blended for students. Their program began with one teacher several years ago and was built on the iNACOL framework for blended learning. While there were various models presented, from in-house to twilight (after-hours), the program’s growth and success was largely due to the focus on mindset and strong professional learning for staff. Their mantra for the program of “Time, place, path, and pace” helps guide students towards different opportunities for learning success.

Next up was Chris Budzynski, who I mentioned in the opening paragraph. Chris’s district, just outside of Chicago, has also purposefully grown a blended learning model where students have multiple periods a day to learn in a blended setting (usually first or last period). Additionally, with the opening of a new hospital near their high school, they partnered with the doctors in providing the first of its kind high school hospital internship program. A group of students spend part of their school day shadowing and helping staff in the hospital while still taking a full course load—an incredible opportunity to any young person thinking of working for the medical industry.

The final panelist was Bryant Wong from Summit Public Schools. Summit is a blended charter that has over 100 schools all over the country and is focused on both diversity and success after college. Its format provides a playlist of learning options for each student, creating a personalized approach for its learners. With help from Khan Academy and Facebook, Summit has been able to freely provide opportunities to kids that might not exist where they live. While I’m a fierce advocate for public schools, this charter seems to have its heart in the right place.

WORKING GROUPS

Besides site visits and hearing from innovative leaders in the K-12 space, the summit also provides time throughout the day to share best practices in working group meetings. I presented some of the ways we have tried to educate both parents and students on digital citizenship. In talking with the others in the group, Common Sense Media continues to be a national leader on the subject through their freely provided content.

For the second working group on learning spaces, I got to play the role of learner. One of the main presenters was Michael Morrison (@ mytakeontech) from Laguna Beach USD. He shared their “4CLE” project that focused on furniture, lighting, and color as part of a positive student learning environment. One thing that really stuck with me, besides the super-cool use of Hue bulbs to change classroom color digitally, was that they used a lot of flat screen TVs in their rooms. Many of the rooms had two or more TVs that Michael mentioned could cost around $150 (for a 32-inch screen)—an interesting idea and a break from the single expensive projector at the front of the room approach that we usually take in classrooms. The TVs all connect via a hub and teachers or students can project their work on the screens.

TAKE-AWAYS

It’s clear to me that there is a lot of good happening in education around the country, despite what some news articles may say. These school leaders shared many valuable resources and research in their efforts to help each student along their own personal learning journey. For me, I want to take back the idea of really examining our school schedule and the limitations it might be having on learning for some students. I know many of our kids excel at playing the “game of school” but for some, as witnessed by early success of our WHS Incubator class, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to student learning. Giving more of our students agency in their learning needs to continue to be a focus of ours as we travel into the second iteration of our 1:1 mobile device program and flexible furniture pilots.

Carl Hooker is the Director of Innovation and Digital Learning, Eanes I.S.D., the founder of “iPadpalooza,” and author of the Mobile Mindset series. Read more at Hooked on Innovation (hookedoninnovation.com).