1+-+Cathy+Higgins

Examples of Success

 * Local Educational Support Center Network (LESCN)**
 * six PD centers initially funded through Title IID in 2002
 * provide tech enhanced PD throughout the year
 * provide a mechanism to coordinate and host larger events with keynotes or training for multiple districts (e.g., NWEA and Performance Pathways)
 * no longer funded with Title IID direct grants but many ed tech grants use them and we promote their use as part of districts’ proposed grant activities
 * These PD centers now provide other programs, have more outreach to districts
 * see www.lescn.org

For example:
 * Online PD Program - eLearning for Educators – (OPEN NH)**
 * initially used PD centers to help promote this program and connect with F2F orientation for courses, now work directly with several districts championing value of the program
 * part of 10-state grant to develop capacity within each state for developing and facilitating online PD courses, partnered with EDC for training and Boston College for research and evaluation, 5 year program now in its last year
 * helped us familiarize more educators with online learning techniques
 * provided the mechanism for creating courses for DOE program work that can help overcome our limited staffing situation.
 * Course for Homeless Education Coordinators, co-developed by me and NH homeless ed coordinator. She now teaches the course.
 * TLC Online (tech leader cohort) is a 9-month program to establish a common language among teachers in schools all across the state, and to support them and their principals with new information, strategies, resources AND to help them develop their own PLN. We use Intel Thinking with Technology plus two special event conferences (spring and fall) and give them an iTouch for exploration.
 * School Policies for 21st Century Learning Environments is another course developed with DOE staff to meet need to address this aspect of digital citizenship.
 * Other courses with DOE staff now under discussion for ongoing TA to the field using online as primary delivery format


 * New state standards for student learning**
 * ICT Literacy Standards -- including requirement to use digital portfolios and integrate technology into all core content areas. Now have a draft set of common rubrics developed by team of educators and provided to districts to adopt as they wish. Many districts had wanted a common rubric, plus we needed to move toward a common means of assessing e-portfolios.
 * Extended Learning Opportunities -- helps push learning out of the building and into the lives of students, more real world, etc. Will help us change the model from "schools" to "schooling"
 * Distance learning standards in our state allow for great deal of flexibility. School boards develop their policies.


 * Open Source Solutions**
 * Several school districts in NH using Sakai and Moodle as Collaboration and Learning Environments (CLE) and Sakai OSP and Moodle with Mahara for student digital portfolios.
 * Sakai Consortium piloted by SAU53 now has a dozen school districts involved.
 * Moodle and Mahara Consortium has another dozen school districts involved.
 * Both groups are now discussing how to work together and create a statewide portal which would allow districts to use their Sakai or Moodle as well as bring in their curriculum and assessment data from the state’s current system with Performance Plus.


 * Online High School**
 * Several years ago we tried to establish a statewide online school but competing demands on NHDOE programs were a major barrier.
 * Online charter school provided solution, one school district savvy enough to make it happen by creating a charter school within their SAU. Now separate from that SAU – Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS). While this is not a NHDOE initiative, the DOE has been supportive, and the program provides a way for any NH student to enroll if they want online courses. Since it’s a charter school, there is no additional cost for students or their school.


 * Key Issues and Obstacles**


 * 1) Funding is always an issue, particularly now. Stimulus money helped provide an impetus for creating 21st century classrooms, focused on transforming grantee schools and evaluating with an external evaluator. But stimulus does not help us fill the resources holes in the majority of districts.
 * 2) Majority of teachers still reluctant to adopt major changes in teaching practices. Administrators need more knowledge and to know how to use new tools themselves. (TLC Admin cohort this year.)
 * 3) Administrators will need to be much more skilled at working with large volumes of data AND understanding how to use technology to institute major transformative steps needed.
 * 4) Still have significant silos of programs at state and local levels. One of our solutions is an upcoming Summit on Redesigning Educator Development for 21st Century Learners, which is designed to start a new dialogue from PreK to graduate school. Our goal is massive changes in our entire ed system.
 * 5) Silo effect evident in ways in which state education agencies see Presidents proposed program changes for ESEA reauthorization. This is an opportunity for major reorganization of how we do business, but it is seen simply as a cut. SETDA members see this as dangerous territory because they know that if DOEs don’t understand the strategic changes needed in the way they implement all programs at state level, we will lose ground with the years of progress.
 * 6) Ed tech can change every obstacle if we can allow ourselves to let go of the traditions and think farther outside the box.
 * Online learning – take your pick of replacing all F2F or supplementing it.
 * PD – use online PD and connections to professionals anywhere to enrich understanding and change practice.
 * Community connections – use tech to develop better two way communication, motivate students, and support searches for new solutions to community problems.
 * Learning customized to each student – ed tech can be customized and scaled up (ratio of teachers to students doesn’t always allow this to happen at intensity needed for each student to be truly successful, but technology can enable this)
 * New instructional patterns will better accommodate students’ skills and experiences outside of school, which are often much more engaging for them.


 * Resources:**
 * Sakai Consortium includes the following school districts: Pembroke, Allenstown, Epsom, Deerfield, Chichester, Contoocook Valley, Lebanon, Manchester… (see presentation notes to State Board at @http://www.ed.state.nh.us/education/board/minjan09.htm)
 * PerformancePLUS - @http://www.sungardps.com/performanceplus
 * Summit to Redefine Educator Development - www.redefineteacherednh.org (still under development but will give a good sense of event goals and agenda)