After brainstorming ways to peer coach, two virtual charter school teachers use their affinity for distance learning tech and podcasting to reach fellow educators around the country.  

Who: Michael Hernandez, Film/Broadcast Journalism/Photography Teacher (Grades 9-12)

Where: Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, CA

What: Getting a Read on Students through Digital Storytelling

I first started dabbling with ebooks in my cinema class a few years ago the kids were like, "Why are we making books when this is a film class?" I would explain, this is film production, what we're really here to do is tell stories and find unique ways to do so. I had them create experimental videos as part of the unit and put them together to create their own book. They had to think of a collection of these videos and how they would pull together to make a story that was cohesive and more interactive, offering a little bit different way for the audience to connect with the story. 

One student had taken a creative writing class so he had been writing poetry. He used his poetry as a voiceover in his experimental video. So within the book, he had text and some of the text had links to the video he created. It made it really dynamic for his readers and got the kids to really think differently about how they tell stories. I saw it not only as enhancing the final product but a challenge to how they think about my curriculum. 

Positive Results

This sort of storytelling made them brainstorm unique ways they can convey their knowledge and information. It's something I think is missing in some classrooms -- giving kids opportunities to show what they know in ways that might suit them best. Not everyone is good at tests, not everyone is good at writing essays. While those are important things to know, it’s nice that we offer opportunities for students to create authentic projects they can share with the world. When I see what they create, the way they express their thoughts, it tells the story of the students themselves. I am reading the student and their experience in a way I don’t often get to while sitting in the classroom.

The Biggest Challenge

A lot of school districts use Chrome books, but that restricts to students to…basically typing. It kind of defeats the purpose of tech in the classroom. You have to pay extra to do anything. Pay extra for video editing, extra for a video camera. People making buying decisions don't think about those the wealth of free tech they are missing out on when they opt for Chrome. With all of the myths that are out there about the evils of screen time, perhaps we miss the tech benefits in being openminded about embracing their phones and using them for good. It behooves all of us as educators to embrace these tools that are already in their hands, so we can teach kids how to use them properly and productively.  

Finding Funding

I don't get funding directly from the school, all of our tech works from parent donations. But most high school kids have smart phones and there is a lot of free software. Teachers shouldn’t be dissuaded based on budget, most of our students have iPhones -- you can use iMovie and it's free. You can use Adobe Spark or Pages, it's free.

Pro Tips

Consider the value in not only the content and knowledge exhibition, but in how that proof of learning is shared. One of the big things that I get to teach are real world projects. My kids make projects that impact them and their peers. Projects that make them think and feel differently. They don't make dumpster projects that go in the trash once they get the grade.

Tech Tools

• iMac 
• Macs
• iPhones
• Apples Suite
• Finalcut Pro
• Pages
• Adobe Rush
• Adobe Spark Post
• Instagram
• Twitter
• Book Creator- Chrome

Connect with Me

The newscast my students produce is seen by audience members around the world. You can see their work by following them on Instagram @mustangmorningnews 

Fasetto's The Forum™ app allows instructors to share their screen to every student’s smartphone, tablet and laptop so every desk is a "front-row seat" to the lesson. 

“Multiple studies show that student performance, participation, retention and understanding can vary greatly dependent on their seat position in a classroom or lecture hall,” said Dan Bruck, Chief Marketing Officer at Fasetto. “More specifically, research revealed students who sit in rows further-back or off-to-the-side do not perform as well or interact as much as a student who sits directly in the front or middle rows.” 

Forum is a presentation solution that can help equalize the seating disparity in classrooms, where every student can clearly see the presentation, download associated materials, ask questions of the lecturer discreetly and directly, using the device they carry every day. Teachers can quiz their classrooms with varying formats and view student responses in real-time. 

To learn more, watch the video below. Forum was just honored as a Gold Winner in Best Apps of the Year for Educational Institutions by the Golden Bridge Awards.

Technology in education, like most other areas of education, has fads, buzzwords, and trends that come and go often. There have been many predictions in the past regarding the future of technology in schools. This list contains a variety of trends that did not meet expectations, but also did not completely flop. The primary focus is on K-12 education, but there will be a few exceptions that apply to education at all levels and in general.

1. Virtual Reality (VR) & Augmented Reality (AR)
   It still seems that the price tag still remains a major barrier of entry for Virtual Reality. Once this barrier is breached, then the issue becomes finding sufficient appropriate learning materials that use the virtual reality components in an efficient and effective educational manner. Augmented reality has become more widespread due to lower barriers of entry, but many implementations of AR could be seen as a simple short-term use gimmick. On top of the barriers of entry, there are also reported issues of headaches and motion sickness which make the selection of VR/AR less desirable to some. While there surely are many people that successfully use both AR and VR in their classrooms, it will likely take further improvements in the technology, more development of appropriate educational programs that can be used on a VR/AR platform, and a lower price point to make this trend reach its full potential.
   
2. Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD)
   The idea of having students bring their own devices to school is a very polarizing issue.  Some think it is a great idea to have students connect their education to their personal devices since they spend a lot of time on them anyway.  Others would say that it is a terrible idea, since the school may not be able to adequately monitor exactly what the students are doing on their devices since they are not school-issued and maintained.  Part of the reason why this may have not caught on to a higher degree could be because of the issue of what to do with students that do not own their own device, or whose parents do not permit them to take their devices to school.  This adds another layer of required management.  Some schools may collect old devices and enable them to be used by students without their own devices, or schools may purchase several loaner devices, but doing so undermines the concept of BYOD to a certain degree.  This is a trend/prediction that could go either way.  Schools could make a push to gather and repurpose used devices for students that do not have the ability to bring their own device.  On the other hand, schools could all together ban the use of personal devices (specifically as it relates to the educational experience) and only allow for school-owned devices to be used in schools.
   
3. Interactive Whiteboards
   This is a trend that I feel has already hit its peak and will begin to fade.  For many students in a 1:1 device environment, the need to have a central presentation location seems to be diminishing.  The expense of purchasing and maintaining the equipment can be high, compared to programs that can allow one computer to share a screen with a class of students on their own devices.  The fate of this trend seems largely tied to a variety of other trends in education that place priority on individualized learning over large group lecture-style learning.
   
4. Computer Labs
   While still somewhere in the middle, this seems to be a trend that is on its way down.  1:1 devices, inexpensive laptops, tablets, BYOD, and other related tech trends all seem to point towards the end of single-purpose computer labs.  While there is certainly still a need for students to learn computer skills, a dedicated lab of computer seems like it will soon no longer be the place.  Students may be able to get a better learning experience in any learning space with their own device and a teacher guiding them through productivity apps, computer science, and/or basic functions of a computer.  There will certainly be exceptions to this.  Rather than eliminating the space altogether, these spaces seem to be prime for morphing into STEM labs and maker spaces.  
   
5. Wearables
   I have predicted it in the past as an upcoming tech trend in education.  But its not quite there yet.  This can include a huge variety of tech-enhanced items including smartwatches, enhanced virtual glasses, and assistive technology for individuals with disabilities.  There still remains relatively high price points for these devices, and many are small and have the potential to be easily lost or damaged by students.  These issues seem to be preventing wearables from becoming a bigger trend in educational technology than they have been so far.  I still feel that this category has great potential to become a major tech trend in education in the future.

Dr. Lahullier is the Coordinator of Technology Services for the Rochelle Park (NJ) School District.

BenQ will feature its latest display solutions for higher education institutions at EDUCAUSE, Oct. 14-17, at the McCormick Place West in Chicago. In Booth 319, the higher-ed IT community will see a portfolio of classroom solutions including the RP Series interactive flat panels (IFP), Blue Core laser projectors and InstaShow wireless presentation systems.

Part of the BenQ family of RP Series IFPs, the cloud-enabled RP7501K is a 75" 4K UHD display designed for education. 

Features include: 

• User-friendly interface
• Advanced fine IR touch technology.
• Smart Eye-Care technology
• Germ-resistant screen that kills most germs accumulating on screen surfaces 
• Integrated with Saffi voice assistant technology, allowing teachers to  control and access display capabilities through voice commands
• Wirelessly stream visual, audio files and full HD quality videos from any PC or mobile

For IT and AV managers, the IFP is bundled with cloud-based management tools including BenQ DMS local device information and management software, apps and an Over-the-Air Update feature for simple campus-wide device management.

BenQ has a full lineup of Blue Core laser projectors designed to fit any learning environment. The LK953ST Blue Core laser projector offers features such as:

• 4K UHD and produces 
• 3840 x 2160 resolution with 8.3 million distinct pixels for each frame 
• Generates 5,000 lumens of laser-powered brightness for 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation
• 0.47" single-DMD DLP technology to deliver clarity and detail
• Pixel Enhancer 4K motion-adaptive edge enhancement
• Integrated with network control and management systems, including Extron, Crestron, AMX and PJ-Link for network control via LAN
• Supports RS-232 for long-distance installations up to 50 feet.

At the show, BenQ will demonstrate the WDC10 HDMI and the WDC10C UBC-C models of its InstaShow wireless presentation system, which allows multiple presenters to lead from any device. Features include:

• Designed to host up to 16 presenters at a time and is interoperable with any OS or hardware platform
• Data security through WPA2-PSK protection with AES 128-bit encryption
• Supports smooth, low-latency full HD 1080p video and 16-bit stereo audio wireless streaming capability to any display device
• For instructors, freedom to move around the room
• For IT and technology managers, doesn't impact the network and keeps data protected

More information on the full line of BenQ products is available at https://business-display.BenQ.com/.

Formative

Superb real-time assessment tool a fit for BYOD, 1-to-1 

Pros: Flexible features make creating simple or detailed assessments a snap, and the ability to see student responses in real time helps teachers meet students where they are.

Cons: Assignments are tailored to individual use and lack opportunities for peer collaboration.

Bottom Line: Cleverly designed for teachers, Formative offers a flexible and attractive solution for gathering a variety of student response types and offering individualized feedback.

Read more here.

Site of the Week picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best edtech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

CoSN today released the organization’s long-standing K-12 IT Leadership Survey Report.

According to this year’s findings, cybersecurity is the number one priority for school system technology administrators, and the top challenges facing IT leaders are lack of budget resources, the need for more professional development and removing department silos within their districts. There is also overwhelming consensus among technology leaders that closing the “Homework Gap” is a concern. 

The report was conducted through the support of the Ed-Fi Alliance and in partnership with Forecast5 Analytics and MDR. CoSN issued the new findings at the start of the organization’s 2019 Annual Conference, April 1-4 in Portland, OR. 

The top 10 key findings from the report follow:

1. Cybersecurity is the top priority for IT leaders today.
2. The top three challenges faced by IT leaders for the past three years have remained the same: Budget, Professional Development and Breaking Down Department Silos.
3. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) strategies are declining in popularity. They are used by only 16 percent of school districts — likely as a result of lower cost devices being introduced to the market.
4. Virtually all IT leaders (95 percent) agree that addressing the Homework Gap is a concern for their district. This is a significant change. Last year, 30 percent of leaders indicated digital equity was not an important issue for their district.
5. Print is not dead. Past predictions have been overly optimistic. For 67 percent of districts, print still comprises at least half of their instructional materials.
6. There is some progress on all areas of interoperability, but only Single Sign-On (SSO) has been fully implemented in more than a quarter of school systems.
7. This survey identifies a number of ways in which IT leaders are looking to be more relevant to teachers and learning, with 75 percent of IT leaders saying it is important to be more responsive to educator IT needs in the classroom.
8. The largest percentage of IT leaders continue to have education backgrounds (40 percent), followed by those with technical backgrounds (35 percent), a growing number from business/management backgrounds (20 percent) and other fields accounting for 3 percent of respondents. 
9. Lack of ethnic and racial diversity in school district IT leadership remains a serious problem in most school systems with no progress since last year. 
10. The percentage of women in school district IT leadership roles has declined in recent years, with 28 percent in leadership roles this year compared to 36 percent in 2016. 

There are times in a school year when we are able to try things out with students with less risk (meaning failure is ok). For me, one of those times is often found at the end of the school year and final exams are finished for the content goals and objectives are complete, it’s at these times I like to try out something new.

Recently, I asked my students to bring whatever devices they had access to from their homes to school if their parents would allow it. Being 7th graders I wasn’t too sure how many of the students would be allowed but nearly 70% came back to school with the devices. So we set out to employ BYOD (bring your own devices) with augmented reality.

I started by asking the students to download several apps including Merge Cubes’ Galactic Explorer and Google Expeditions. I realized employing students own devices in an activity of this nature would bring to the surface very quickly any problems one might have with multiple (different) types of devices and operating systems. My student phones ranged from iPhone 5, 6, 6s, 7, 8 and 10 to HTC, Samsung, Pixels etc… Admittedly there was a lot of troubleshooting going on in my classroom during this augmented reality and virtual reality experience. I found that with my own Pixel to lead with Google Expeditions I needed to go into airplane mode so that my students with various devices could join. I also realized a key problem: that several students did not have an updated AR Kit (iOS) for AR Core (Android) which would allow them to really engage In the augmented reality experiences being offered.

NOTE: Having class-set of common devices (like an iPad cart) can allow you to quickly troubleshoot and set up for more successful engagement.

Merge Cube’s Galactic Explorer

Galactic Explorer by Merge VR allows students to very quickly experience augmented reality in very impressive ways. This is a target based form of augmented reality meaning the Merge Cube needs to be in the sight of the phone’s camera in order to initiate the augmented reality experience. Galactic Explorer is an experience that shows students the solar system. Students can rotate the cubes and rotate their phones to see different celestial bodies from different perspectives and view an information pop-up about the planet they were viewing. I recorded a little bit of the experience my classroom and when I re-watched it I was excited to hear my students say “Oh, wow!” as they saw the different celestial bodies pop-out of the Merge Cube for the very first time. All I could think about was how cool it would be to have student created oral reports in a science class based on the solar system since students in Merge Cube are also able to record their experience so they could have a video of themselves talking about a planet while they hold it in their hand.

Google Expeditions

Google Expeditions has traditionally been a virtual reality platform that allows teachers to lead students on 360-experiences with content from all over the world. Most recently Google has released an update with Expedition’s that allows for augmented reality views of new content. In this AR experience, teachers can use targets around their classroom to lead students in the exploration of 3D, computer-generated models. All while leveraging one of the most powerful aspects of Google Expeditions… the shared experience. A whole class can have a conversation about what they’re all seeing together.

In my most recent use of Google Expeditions AR experiences, I brought my students outside and connected all of our devices together through a wireless router.* Outside, my students examined Leonardo da Vinci’s machines. I was struck by how the context of our learning really contributed to what they were seeing, meaning that my students were able to see natural resources everywhere trees, dirt, sand, grass, etc… and then look at da Vinci’s three-dimensional computer-generated models that were created Buy DaVinci using this very same natural resources. What struck me is that students were given an in-the-moment experience that was related to their immediate surroundings and allowed for them to retain a sense of mindfulness and awareness of the environment in which the great Renaissance Inventor, Leonardo da Vinci, was able to invent over 500 years ago.

Helping students to understand the power of technology, that many have access to, is a step towards preparing students for their future. While not every student has access yet, we can be assured that costs will come down and power will go up… see Moore’s Law. I believe an ancillary, teachable moment, in classroom experience I have described here, is perseverance… Yes, it needs to be taught. Yes it’s ok if students see us fail and troubleshoot. They need to know adults do have to figure stuff out and sometimes we are not as put together as we may appear.

*NOTE: I’m using a wireless router to connect to devices not through the internet but through a Wi-Fi connection. We often use the word Wi-Fi as a synonym for internet when actually Wi-Fi is a communication tool similar to Bluetooth that allows devices to communicate with each other. So using an old router and a phone charger with a brick I’m able to have our Devices connected by Wi-Fi. 

cross posted at micahshippee.com

Micah Shippee, PhD is an out-of-the-box-doer, a social studies teacher, and a technology trainer. He works to bridge the gap between research and practice in the educational sector. Micah explores ways to improve motivation in the classroom and seeks to leverage emergent technology to achieve educational goals. As an innovative "ideas" person, Micah likes to think, and act, outside the box. Micah is motivated and energetic, taking a creative approach towards achieving goals. As an Educational Consultant, and Keynote Speaker, he focuses on the adoption of emergent technology through the development of an innovative learning culture. Micah believe that innovativeness is the pedagogy of the future.

Join us to learn how to plan and execute an instructional technology strategy that supports your digital learning needs. Whether you have 1:1 iPads, Chromebooks, BYOD or are still deciding on devices, Christie Boen, Instructional Technology Coach and District Librarian at Bend-La Pine School District, will help you create a content and technology plan for success in the classroom and library using ebooks and audiobooks. Discover how to prioritize goals and implement a strategy to meet the reading needs of your students and maintain critical efficiencies and measures for your educators. Watch the on-demand webinar here.

About the Speakers:

CHRISTIE BOEN - Christie Boen is the Instructional Technology Coach and District Librarian at Bend-La Pine School District in Oregon.

MELISSA HIGEY - Melissa is an account manager at OverDrive and enjoys working with school partners all over the northwestern US.

Imagine taking students for a walk around the solar system during their lesson. Creating more immersive visual experiences with new types of instruction models, such as lesson capture, are possible when digital devices such as document cameras, student devices, and audio equipment are networked with interactive projector displays.

This eBook details how today’s projection software can be used cost-effectively, including:

• Take notes and then send work back to the projector—no PC required.
• Connect up to 50 devices, with built-in moderator features.
• Project web pages to enhance high-quality images on the big screen.
• Share, manage, and annotate displayed content easily and intuitively.

Click here to read the full white paper.

As they go “all-in” on digital learning, schools are demanding more from their networks. The shift to personalized and inquiry-based learning not only engages students more effectively, it depends on efficient technology. First as consumers and then as educators, schools are committing to mobile technology as their preferred method of digital interaction.

More complex systems are now required to support two to three devices per student or staff member. Security cameras, HVAC systems, and other IoT devices also need to reside on the network. A single network may need to support hundreds or thousands of devices. Every device is a potential entry point to the network, so robust security is critical. Streaming content and simultaneous testing put heavy demands on a network that needs to supply high-density connectivity so that the technology is seamless, dependable, and invisible.

Many schools and districts need to do massive upgrades to support today’s classroom demands and build capacity to handle the future. Each district has unique sets of goals and aspirations for their students, so networks must be flexible enough to provide the technology needs for seamless, 24/7, comprehensive connectivity that fosters student collaboration, engagement, and other 21 Century skills.

Watch the webinar: Inventing the Future: Mobile-First Learning

To design and implement the kinds of wireless/wired infrastructures needed today, districts need a strategic partner who can help them achieve their vision of preparing their students for college or career. It’s not just a question of more technology, emerging learning environments require technology that supports mobile, student-driven collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and communication.

Because the needs of schools and districts are different from those of businesses, the best kind of strategic partner is one that has experience in helping K-12 schools and districts achieve their goals. Security and efficiency are important, of course, but supporting instruction and learning goals for individual classrooms, schools, or districts has unique challenges. Redesigning schools to facilitate collaboration means that instead of traditional classrooms, schools are focused on creating flexible learning spaces that can accommodate small or large groups of students working together on learning projects.

Aruba provides a range of network solutions for K-12 schools and districts. Experienced with working with educators and administrators, Aruba understands the unique challenges of building secure and reliable networks that handle the demands of streaming digital curriculum and thousands of mobile devices, whether they are school owned or BYOD.

Learn more about Aruba’s K-12 experience working with districts through these resources:

Case Study: Enable a half-million simultaneous Wi-Fi connections for school & community

Providing mobility connectivity throughout 15 million square feet of facilities makes enterprise Wi-Fi a top priority for Frankie Jackson, CTO of Houston’s Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District.

Solution Brief: Reliable classroom Wi-Fi that won’t interrupt learning

It’s evident that today’s #GenMobile students are showing up in classrooms knowing more about technology than previous generations. They’ve grown up tech-savvy and prefer to do everything on mobile devices. For them, untethered digital learning is fundamental for future success.

Leveraging E-rate to help students stay ahead of the curve

Today’s students learn about the world and their social life on mobile devices. Bringing that experience to school by allowing them to easily access content and learning tools on a similar mobile device just makes sense.

This article was sponsored by Casio Corporation.

So now that each student has their own device at their desk we don’t have to worry as much about the teachers display at the front of the room, right? Wrong. Teachers still need to display text, graphics and/or full-motion video in their lesson plans at the front of the classroom to increase the student's chance of grasping and learning the course material.

One solution is to install flat panel displays and take advantage of the improved graphics provided by the new high resolution models. But although the graphics are indeed awesome, many school lesson plans consist mostly of text, and even with the larger flat panels (50” – 70”), text can be difficult to read from the back of the room, therefore this solution only works well in small classrooms. Larger flat panels are available up to 110”, but these are much more expensive and with any flat panel display your maintenance costs increase as you need two people for installation and for repairs when needed.

The most popular solution for delivering course content to the front of the classroom is still a large screen and a projector. Projectors and screens are affordable, they give you the needed large display area so you can show text that is large enough for everyone to see, and projector technology has improved over the years. Whether you choose a DLP projector or an LCD projector, the dramatic enhancements in color purity achieved over the last few years have significantly improved the color reproduction and the projected images look brighter than ever.

Unfortunately traditional lamp based projectors are a maintenance nightmare. The biggest projector complaints heard from schools are about the lamps. Lamp brightness decays over time and the displays get dim and hard to see, they also take a long time to warm up and then they run hot, and of course there are the high costs for replacing the lamps.

Newer projector technologies may be a better solution. With the introduction of solid state projectors (using Lasers and LEDs instead of lamps) pictures are crisper, images are clearer, they maintain brightness for much longer, and they are easier to maintain. By using a solid-state light source instead of a lamp in the projector most of the complaints that schools have about projectors are eliminated. Having a LampFree projector means no lamps to replace, no filters to replace, less down time, and lower maintenance costs. Also since there are no Mercury lamps, concerns for the proper disposal of used Mercury lamps and Mercury pollution are eliminated.

Yes, the initial purchase prices of LampFree projectors do tend to be more expensive than the prices of comparable lamp based projectors, but when purchasing projectors you cannot only look at the initial purchase price but need to look at the total cost of ownership (TCO). TCO includes all the costs that you will actually pay over the life of your projector. TCO not only includes the purchase cost, but also the cost of using your projector, such as energy, repair and maintenance costs. When you add up the original purchase price, the cost of replacement lamps, replacement filters, labor costs, and higher energy usage, LampFree projectors cost much less over the 20,000 hour life of your projector.

Reliability is also an important factor and while lamps on traditional lamp projectors lose brightness between 1,000 and 3,000 hours, many LampFree projectors have an impressive lifespan of up to 20,000 hours. That means a LampFree projector in your classroom could last over 15 years, based on six hours of use a day during a 180-day school year without ever having to replace a lamp or a filter. For a school with projectors in every classroom, that’s a significant savings.

So the best (and the most cost effective) solution for your front of the classroom display may be a LampFree projector projecting a large image onto your wall or your large screen. The LampFree projectors are easy to use, affordable, and produce large, bright, high quality images to help keep your students engaged.

Case Study: Rules of Engagement

How an award-winning California school district sustains a culture of innovation.

A quiet revolution has been taking place in American schools. “We have gone to a student-centered, project-based teaching model, with teachers no longer ‘on stage’ or students sitting in rows, like in a factory,” says Phil Harding, Technology Integration Specialist at Val Verde Unified School District in Perris, California

Case Study: Don't Leave Them Flat

Washington State public school district buys innovative classroom displays from Casio.

From a technology department’s perspective, flat panel displays seem perfect for a classroom. They’re bright, crisp, and they last for years with little or no maintenance. Yet looks can be deceiving.

Case Study: Personalized Instruction

Savings from LampFree projection helps California district fund innovative instructional program.

Four years ago, Dawn Kale, Director of Information Technology at Poway Unified School District outside San Diego, decided to try something new – LampFree projectors from Casio. “The maintenance of our projectors had become overwhelming for our technicians,” she recalls. “The cleaning of filters, the replacement of lamps, and the cost of the lamps, as well as the poor quality of the images we were getting, made it a priority to find something new.”