Tech & Learning March 2014

VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 8
TECHLEARNING.COM
IDEAS AND TOOLS FOR ED TECH LEADERS
MARCH 2014
$6
BIG DATA ISNT BAD

DIGITAL BADGES See page 23
Its just misunderstood.
THE FUTURE OF PD
PUT TO THE TEST
(See page 32)
LEGO EDUCATION STORYSTARTER

See page 18
To see more Tech & Learning scan the code or visit us online at: www.techlearning. com/mar14
WHY WE STILL NEED LIBRARIANS See page 10 for more.
The Total Common Core Solution

Learn more on
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focused alone together engaged relaxed observant focused innovative traditional brainstorm contemplative collaborative
Todays students demand choices, requiring libraries to offer a range of spaces to support the many ways they learn. Steelcase works with the worlds leading educational institutions to create multipurpose, high-performance destinations for all of the places learning happens. Find out more at steelcase.com/libraries
2013 Steelcase Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks used herein are the property of Steelcase Inc. or of their respective owners.
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CONTENTS
FEATURES
2 0
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THERES A BADGE FOR THAT
By Richard Ferdig and Kristine E. Pytash Digital badges have captured the imagination of many educators because they have proven to be an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes.
32
SCHOOL CIO: WHOS AFRAID OF BIG DATA?
By Dr. Steven Rubenstein Big data is overwhelming, but it can also furnish important information about individual students, schools, and districts. Here is how one district created a school system and culture to embrace data as a partner in learning.
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SCHOOL CIO: BACK OFFICE BUSINESS TECH TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE SOFT SKILLS
By Cathy Swan Should schools teach soft skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and critical thinking? Most colleges and workplaces believe the answer is yes. This article provides a variety of examples of tech tools that can help you teach and assess these skills.
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PRODUCTS
PUT TO THE TEST: T&L EDITORS TAKE SOME NEW PRODUCTS FOR A TEST DRIVE.
16 18 20 22 Digital Passport: Classroom Edition LEGO StoryStarter Curriculum Pack HotSeats Edustation ight simulator Adobe Creative Cloud
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WHATS NEW
Scan here to access the digital edition, which includes additional resources.
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DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS
38
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EDITORS DESK: GET ON WITH THE SHOWS NEWS & TRENDS This Aint Your 70s Snow Day Why We Still Need Librarians ConsideringNewLearning Spaces
Tech & Learning (ISSN-1053-6728) (USPS 695-590) is published monthly by NewBay Media, LLC 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Tech & Learning, PO Box 8746, Lowell, MA 01853 Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Copyright 2014 NewBay Media, LLC All Rights Reserved.
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EDITORS
note
MARCH 2014 | VOL. 34 NO. 8
Publisher: Allison Knapp aknapp@nbmedia.com; (650) 238-0318; Fax: (650) 238-0263 EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan khogan@nbmedia.com Managing Editor: Christine Weiser cweiser@nbmedia.com Editorial Intern: Clea Mahoney Senior Art Director: Nicole Cobban ncobban@nbmedia.com Associate Art Director: Walter Makarucha, Jr. Contributing Editors: Judy Salpeter, Gwen Solomon Custom Editorial Director: Gwen Solomon gwensol@earthlink.net SchoolCIO Editor: Ellen Ullman SchoolCIO@nbmedia.com ADVISORS David Warlick, Patrick Higgins, David Andrade, Dean Shareski, Kim Cofino, Darren Draper, Terry Freedman, Cheryl Oakes, Bob Sprankle, Lisa Thumann, Jen Wagner, Lisa Nielsen, Ben Grey, Michael Gorman, Henry Thiele, zge Karaog lu, Kevin Jarrett, Kyle Pace, Steven W. Anderson, Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, Vicki Windman, David Kapuler, Jenith Mishne, Joyce Valenza TECHLEARNING.COM Assistant Web Editor: Diana Restifo ADVERTISING SALES Business Development Manager: Katie Sullivan ksullivan@nbmedia.com MARKETING AND EVENTS Marketing Manager: Jared Stearns jstearns@nbmedia.com Director of Events: Diana Milbert diana@dmeventspro.com Production Manager: Nicole Spell nspell@nbmedia.com CIRCULATION Group Director, Audience Development: Meg Estevez mestevez@nbmedia.com LIST RENTAL (914) 925-2449; danny.grubert@lakegroupmedia.com REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONS Wrights Media: newbay@wrightsmedia.com; (877) 652-5295 EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES 28 East 28th Street, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10016 Phone: (212) 378-0400; Fax: (650) 238-0263 For general editorial correspondence: techlearning_editors@nbmedia.com NEWBAY MEDIA LLCCORPORATE President & CEO: Steve Palm Chief Financial Officer: Paul Mastronardi Vice President of Production & Manufacturing: Bill Amstutz bamstutz@nbmedia.com Vice President of Digital Media: Robert Aames Vice President of Audience Development: Denise Robbins drobbins@nbmedia.com Vice President of Content & Marketing: Anthony Savona NEWBAY MEDIA K-12 EDUCATION GROUP Executive Vice President/Group Publisher: Adam Goldstein Publisher: Allison Knapp Editorial Director: Kevin Hogan
GET ON WITH THE SHOWS

hat a way to start the year! The Tech & Learning team has been on the road and even across the pond these past few weeks, keeping up with what could be called edtechs show season. First up was our own Tech Forum in Long Beach, with an inspirational keynote by Dr. Alec Couros (couros.ca/cv/), and an insightful panel that included LA CIO Ron Chandler discussing that little iPad pilot you may have heard about. You can watch it yourself at our Livestream channel (www.livestream.com/techlearning). Then we spent a week in London for BETT, the granddaddy of edtech shows. More than 40,000 educators from across the planet shared best practices in panel sessions, which included one hosted by our UK advisor Terry Freedman. Meanwhile, in Philly, managing editor Christine Weiser was reporting on T&L advisor Chris Lehmanns Educon (educonphilly. org), which is a sort of Davos for edugeeks. Finally, we all gathered in Austin, TX, for the Texas Computer Education Association show and to celebrate our own Awards of Excellence. You can read about all of these events plus some takeaways from this years Florida BESIDES THE EMERGING Education Technology Conference on pages 14 and 15 MAKER MOVEMENT and online at techlearning.com. AND EDUCATION APP MARKET, I SAW NOTHING So whats the next Big Thing to come out of all MUCH NEW IN THE WAY these shows? Besides the emerging Maker Movement OF HARDWARE AND and education app market, I saw nothing much new SOFTWARE. WHAT in the way of hardware and software. What I did I DID FIND EXCITING nd exciting were the new and innovative ways that WERE THE NEW AND educators are learning to use current technologies. INNOVATIVE WAYS Next stopsSXSWedu back in Austin, TX and Tech THAT EDUCATORS Forum in Atlanta on March 28, featuring longtime ARE LEARNING School CIO advisor Carl Hooker as keynote speaker. TO USE CURRENT We look forward to seeing you online or in real time soon. TECHNOLOGIES.
Kevin Hogan Editorial Director khogan@nbmedia.com
Online Production Manager: Rob Granger Web Production Specialist: Ashley Vermillion Web Director: Ragan Whiteside SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION $29.95 per year in the U.S. $59.90 for two years. $39.95 in Canada and Mexico. $69.95 in all other countries. To subscribe: (888) 266-5828 or www.techlearning.com www.techlearning.com
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IF YOUR DATA NETWORK WAS A STUDENT, WHAT GRADE WOULD IT GET?

The fact is, many school communications networks are falling behind. Comcast Business Ethernet solutions keep you ahead because theyre built for education. communication infrastructure.
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NEWSANDTRENDS
THE LATEST NEWS & STATS AFFECTING THE K-12 EDTECH COMMUNITY
top10
WEB STORIES
BLOG BITS
We should be designing our instruction and teaching our students to use a wide selection of digital tools that best ts within their learning style. Rob Miller Part of being a strong leader is allowing yourself to trust others to do their best, even if their idea sounds a little crazy. Pernille Ripp If your school, and your school day, is not about students collaborating, connecting, and building knowledge and understandings together, why would anyone come? Scott McLeod
From techlearning.com
Making 1:1 Work

Ellen Ullman checked in with some 1:1 districts to get their insight into what makes these initiatives strong and how they can be sustained.
Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation

A review of the growth of the U.S. from the Revolutionary War until all the states were added in 1959.
New Study Says MOOCs Have Few Active Users

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education reveals some interesting ndings related to MOOCs.
Favorite Student Apps & Tools

At Tech Forum California, students from elementary through high school shared their favorite apps and tools.
Google Adds More to Play

Google Play for Education announced a new aspect of their content distribution strategydigital books.
Survey: Americans Concerned about Use of Students Personal Data

Common Sense Media released a survey showing adults are concerned about how students personal data may be used to market to them.
TOP TWEETS
@geraldaungst: Improvements coming to E-rate for libraries and schools. More funds, emphasis on broadband. http://aungst. me/1fIhsRJ @henrythiele: School on snow days? Thank technology - Chicago Tribune http://tinyurl.com/ o6uxksw @rroysden: Inquiry Driven: Ask questions we dont know the answers to! Dare kids to ask questions! @chrislehmann
6 Must-Have Evernote iPad Apps and Chrome Extensions

J Robinson lists additional extensions and tablet apps that make Evernote even more useful and versatile for the school leader and classroom teacher.
Send Them on Learning Missions

Shelly Terrell stopped giving her students homework and began to give them a choice of missions and challenges.
Product Review: Britannica Pathways: Science

MaryAnn Karre reviews this online, interactive approach to teaching the scientic method.
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Top 100 Sites and Apps of 2013

David Kapuler cites digital storytelling as one of the most prominent themes in this years list.
F I N D L I N K S AT W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 4
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NEWS AND TRENDS
THIS AINT YOUR 1970S SNOW DAY
Its been a rough winter for much of the country, but inclement weather doesnt mean the learning stops. Here are tools many schools used to keep lessons rolling anytime, anywhere: * Google Apps for Education: Had a small-group activity in mind for room 218, period 3? Set up a Google Doc and have students answer questions collaboratively from home. If you have a presentation all ready for a live class, throw it up to a shared class folder. * Twitter #Chats: Use push notications to send out reminders, reading links, or review questions for students. Use class hashtags to help students easily nd relevant info, or create a class Twitter account. Set up a live #chat when you are available to answer questions. * Google Forms: Google Forms can be turned into quizzes simply by asking content-specic questions. Or they can be designed more like a handout where students answer/practice/reect on topic areas you wanted to cover face to face. * G+ Communities: Create a G+ Community for just your class. This makes a group page where you can upload readings, videos, and links and have students comment on them. * Try a HangOut: Feeling like a live chat? Set up a Google Hangout on Air. The added benet is this records the discussion for later viewing. Jennifer LaMaster, CIO Advisor
SITE WE LIKE WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/
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Microsoft launched the Safer Online site to spread the word about online safety and encourage people to Do 1 Thing to help make the Internet a safer place.
T&L READER SURVEY
Never
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DOWNLOADED AN EDUCATION APP?
4%
In the past year
4%
In the past month
9%
Just today
33%
In the past week
50%
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NEWS AND TRENDS
WHY WE STILL NEED LIBRARIANS

In a recent report, Leading In and Beyond the Library, by digital learning and technology consultants Mary Ann Wolf and Rachel Jones, the following suggestions were made for policymakers and boards of education: * Envision the role of school librarians as extending beyond the physical space of the library and being more than the keepers of books and reference materials and consider the critical knowledge and skills that school librarians bring to the digital learning transition. * Consider how funding the role of the school librarian is also supporting teachers, students, and administrators in the digital learning transition. * Recognize how the library and the technology within the library are essential to providing students with access to the Internet and research and learning guidance and to leveling the playing eld for students without access to the Internet or devices at home, especially outside of regular school hours. This same report made the following suggestions for librarians: * Share how the collaboration, professional development, and instruction provided by the school librarian are integral to the digital learning transition. * Continue learning to be leaders in the digital learning transition and experts who can provide professional development, implement new tools and resources, and guide teachers, students, and administrators. * Lead and model the potential of the library itself as a hub of digital learning and the connection to rich and diverse content, and create a makerspace designed and positioned to meet the needs of students and teachers.
CONSIDERATIONS FOR NEW LEARNING SPACES
Steelcase recently released the white paper, TechnologyEmpowered Learning: Six Spatial Insights, which examined ways that technological advances have redefined the classroom and the design of learning environments. The report identified the following six insights to help educators consider spatial responses to tech integration: Person-to-person connections remain essential for successful learning. Technology is supporting richer face-to-face interactions and higher-level cognitive learning. Integrating technology into classrooms mandates flexibility and activity-based spatial planning. Spatial boundaries are loosening. Spaces must be designed to capture and stream information. High-tech and low-tech will coexist. For more details, visit techlearning.com/mar13
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RESOURCES FOR DIGITAL LITERACY

Tree Octopus Dog Island Free Forever spoof site Digital Literacies Venn Diagram
R E A D S H E L L E Y T E R R E L L S CO M P L E T E L I ST AT T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 3
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NEWS AND TRENDS
EVENT ROUND-UPS
The first two months of the year is a busy season for edtech events. From the TCEA to BETT to FETC, Tech&Learning was on the scene. Here are some of the best bits.
TOP 10 FETC 2014 TAKEAWAYS

Every student has the right to ask, Why are we doing this? and How does this relate to my future? If we cant answer these critical questions, its time to take a step back.
BY JODI SAMSINAK
Every teacher needs to leave a digital footprint. Our students should have access to our content 24/7. This isnt only for students, but for our stakeholders as well.
2 3
Nothing lasts forever, except your social media posts. Keep teaching digital citizenship.
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Collaboration is critical. Were no longer working in an environment where we can choose to work alone.
Social media is not a bad word. In the past, education and social media have not blended. At FETC, presenters showed us that they can and must go hand in hand. Social media is great, but its also great to turn it off. Wherever you are, be present. Set a time limit for yourself and your students.
Kids arent just texting anymore. Theyre taking picturesin your class! So why not let them take pictures and incorporate apps like Instagram into your curriculum? Before they write about the content, ask them to storyboard it with digital imagery. Our schools are still the place where kids use technology the least. If were preparing them for a tech future, then we better be preparing them by using the tools that theyll need for success in their future.
T&L CELEBRATES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE AT TCEA

A fine time was had by all at Tech&Learnings Awards of Excellence reception, which is held every year in conjunction with the Texas Computer Education Associations conference in Austin. More than 70 education technology products were recognized as winners. Honored software, hardware, network, and Web gear included innovative applications that break new ground as well as those that added significant enhancements to proven education tools. A panel of more than 30 educators, who tested more than 150 entries, chose the winners. We look forward to even more new great edtech coming out in 2014.
Its not what I learned at FETC (or at any conference), its who I connected with. Establishing, supporting, and growing your PLN is important. No app can replace a great teacher! Even at FETC, where I was surrounded by Google Glass, Tobii eye mobile (eye tracking mouse), sketchnoting, and other amazing apps, the overwhelming takeaway is that no technology will ever replace us.
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Jodi Samsinak, an IB English teacher at Ozark High School in Ozark, Missouri. Read Jodis full post at www.techlearning.com/mar14
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NEWS AND TRENDS
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING OPENS AT SCIENCE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

In January, Science Leadership Academy (SLA) and The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia announced a partnership with Dell that will make the school the first in the nation to deploy the Dell Chromebook 11 as part of its new Center of Excellence in Learning. This Center will go beyond a 1:1 Chromebook deployment. Thanks to more than $620,000 in grant money and education technology from Dell, the Center will also enable SLA to share its well-known model of inquiry-based learning with schools around the country through real-time and online professional development opportunities. The Center for Excellence at Science Leadership Academy is going to involve a number of different thingsnot the least of which is that we are moving our 1:1 program to the Dell Chromebook, says principal Chris Lehmann. What differentiates
this grant is that it not only brings technology to our school, but allows us to create the Center of Excellence. This funding will allow us to invite educators from all over the world to come see what we do. The technology is used in service of our inquiry-driven, project-based curriculum. This is a very specific kind of teaching and learning, and our hope is that this partnership will allow us to reach more educators and bring what we do at SLA to other districts.
BETT PANEL: MEASURING WHAT MATTERS

At the recent BETT show, Tech & Learning decided to take on the topic of Measuring What Matters: Soft Skills Made Visible at a Learn Live panel discussion. The panel included T&L U.K. advisor Terry Freedman of www. ictineducation.org, as well as professors, teachers, and consultants from the U.S. and England. The conversation revealed some interesting observations.
Margaret Cox, a professor who has done a lot of

research on assessment, said, It [is] crucial to build in time and opportunities for students to reflect on what they [have] learned. She also said, It [is] crucial to measure the right things, and she pointed out that students might have learned something completely different than what you, as the teacher, had intended for them to learn.
Sacha van Straten, a high school teacher from England, asked:

Why not use a Google Doc to capture a discussion and Google Analytics to track the conversations that take place there? Given that kids are learning socially, does assessment even matter?
Paul Hutton, a consultant from England, spoke about the joy

of programming, and talked about the excitement that kids experience when learning and technology come together: Skills like collaboration are not new at all, and our kids must learn how to fail.
Crispin Weston, a consultant from England, also questioned

our assessment practices: Are we measuring performance or capability? Examinations provide only a snapshot at a certain point in time. Overall, each member of the panel made excellent points. And while people may not have left with all the answers, at least they knew that they were not the only ones asking the questions!
Megan Power, a kindergarten teacher from the U.S., said,

Youngsters must be taught to be thinkers, and these so-called soft skills must be built into the curriculum. She also emphasized the need to provide children with opportunities to solve problems rather than slavishly following a textbook.
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NEWS AND TRENDS
FCC BOSS ON E-RATE REFORM

In his first blog post, FCC Commissioner Michael ORielly recently posted the following guideposts that he believes must be reflected in E-Rate reform: E-Rate must not increase costs for consumers. E-Rate must be refocused on broadband access. E-Rate matching requirements must be made consistent with other federal programs. E-Rate funding must leverage the private sector networks and services, not overbuild them. E-Rate funding should provide schools with the flexibility to choose the speeds that best meet their needs. E-Rate program administration must be revised.
R E A D T H E F U L L B LO G AT T E C H L E A R N I N G .CO M / M A R 1 3
CONVERSATIONS FROM THE TECH FORUM LIVESTREAM ARCHIVE
STUDY REVEALS PARENTS SEE ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR EDUCATIONAL MEDIA
A national survey of parents of children ages 2-10 by The Joan Ganz Cooney Center finds that more than half of parents believe that learning from mobile devices falls short compared to other platforms. Other key findings of the Learning at Home study include: * Two- to four-year-olds spend more time per day on educational media than any other age group: 1 hour 16 minutes for ages 2-4, 50 minutes for ages 5-7, and 42 minutes for ages 8-10. * Television continues to dominate, according to parents, with children spending an average of 42 minutes a day with educational TV compared to 5 minutes with educational content on mobile devices and computers. * Even among those who use educational content on each platform weekly, learning from mobile lags behind TV: 39 percent say their child has learned a lot about any subject from mobile compared to 52 percent for TV.
MOODBOARD/THINKSTOCK
1:1 & BYO Tips
Embracing
Common Core
Open Education Resources
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S E E M O R E AT W W W. L I V E ST R E A M .CO M / T EC H L E A R N I N G
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PRODUCTREVIEWS
TECH & LEARNING EDITORS TAKE SOME NEW PRODUCTS FOR A TEST DRIVE
DIGITAL PASSPORT: CLASSROOM EDITION

www.digitalpassport.org/educator-registrationRetail Price: iPad & Android app: $3.99
OVERALL RATING: Digital Passport is an essential app to use when teaching students the importance of online cybersafety.
By David Kapuler
igital Passport for iOS and Android is an expansion of the Web-based game that helps students in 3rd-5th grades learn skills around being safe, smart, and responsible online. Based on lessons from Common Sense Medias K-12 digital literacy and citizenship curriculum, Digital Passport uses games and videos to address online safety and security, cyberbullying, responsible cellphone use, safe searching, and respecting creative work. Students learn and advance through topic areas, collecting badges at their own pace, to ultimately earn their digital passports. Quality and Effectiveness: Not only is Digital Passport a good mobile app for learning online safety skills, its perfect for meeting CIPA needs. Because it is loaded onto their mobile devices, students learn appropriate online behavior at home and teachers can use it to ip their classrooms. The app includes an educational portal that allows educators to track and generate student reports to assess their learning and helps schools meet E-Rate and CIPA requirements.
TOP FEATURES
Importance and Subject Matter: The app focuses on online safety for students, which is a requirement of CIPA compliance. Educational Portal: Digital Passport allows educators to track student progress and generate reports. Innovative Use of Technology: The app combines videos and animated characters to create a fun environment for students to learn essential skills.
Ease of Use: Designed for kids in 3rd-5th grades, Digital Passport uses videos to explain the different elements of being a digitally responsible student. There are ve lessons for each student to take (communication, privacy, bullying, safe Web surng, and creative credit). These
lessons are broken up into three progressive stages to ensure that the students become more successful as they complete each stage and learn the corresponding lesson. There is also a helpful Web site and forum for parents and educators looking for help implementing Digital Passport in their classrooms. Creative Use of Technology: Digital Passport uses an inviting combination of video and cartoon animations to teach cybersafety. Suitability for Use in a School Environment: This app should be an essential tool for technology educators to use in their curricula. Its very easy to use, tracks student progress, and generates reports. Also, Digital Passport qualies for Apples Volume Purchasing Program, which allows for big discounts when purchasing apps in bulk.
FOR MORE OF THE LATEST PRODUCT RELEASES, VISIT US ONLINE AT TECHLEARNING.COM .
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ARE YOU MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Tell us how you lead by using technology in education. Enter yourself, or a colleague, in Tech & Learnings 2014 Leader of the Year Program.
Tech & Learning is once again honoring K-12 educators who use technology in innovative ways and whose ideas have made a signicant impact on their school community and beyond. We invite you to share your teaching, training, and managing success stories with our judges. Winners will be proled in T&Ls June Leadership issue, gain national recognition -- and will be honored at a gala celebration at ISTE 14 in Atlanta!
Visit www.techlearning.com/section/LeaderOfTheYear to enter
CONTEST OPENS MARCH 1, 2014
sponsored by
PRODUCT REVIEWS
STORYSTARTER CURRICULUM PACK

www.legoeducation.us/storystarterRetail Price: $237.95 (Classroom Pack)
By Kevin, Phineas, and Theodore Hogan
esigned for use in second through fth grades, LEGO Education StoryStarter is a handson learning tool that enhances students reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. One set contains enough elements to equip up to ve students with everything they need to start constructing their own stories. Quality and Effectiveness: Have LEGO bricks ever been cooler? The classic building toy can now be part of everyday classroom work and can even be tied to standards, thanks to the StoryStarter curriculum packages. The lesson plans, objectives, and rubrics are meant to guide teachers toward building physical, mental, and digital literacies, all while having fun. While not the perfect solution, StoryStarter comes close to fullling the promise of gamication. Ease of Use: Youd be hard pressed to nd a kid who is not comfortable with LEGO. The challenge comes with the additional element of working with StoryStarter. Students are led into conversation about creating characters and scenes and plots. They then create scenes using the specialized LEGO pieces.
teachers would describe as the LEGO Factorhundreds, if not thousands, of tiny plastic pieces that will inevitably nd the oor. The Core set does come with a tub designed to store the various pieces but our reviewers never seemed to get a handle on this concept. Creative Use of Technology: StoryStarter effectively bridges the tactile with the digital and creative fun with rigor and assessment. Logging on to the software is simple and the basic tools are intuitive. Our student reviewers took right to it, although they needed help transferring and editing images and text. All curriculum material is available as PDF and it is well written. The software is a true tool. Students werent so much playing on the computer as making stories. Suitability for Use in a School Environment: How effective these projects could be depends heavily upon class size and access to technology. LEGO bricks are great but messy. And keeping students on task could be a real challenge. The lesson plans and rubrics are descriptive and solid. As long as the teacher has a good grasp on multimedia skills and a keen imagination, StoryStarter should be a great addition to a classroom.
Heres where it gets tricky. Using a Web cam, digital camera, or smart device, students can then take images of their creations and import them into the software or application. Students then turn into desktop publishersusing a variety of graphic design tools, they are charged with creating dialogue, editing images, and learning The huge popularity of LEGO makes it an obvious draw for students to engage with in basic layout design. While this product is class. marketed for grades 2-5, we found our fth-grade reviewer more inclined to use the software, with The software tools are simple and intuitive, making the bridge between physical and digital the second grader more intent on just building play seamless. with LEGO bricks.
TOP FEATURES
Of course, we cant deny what most parents and
The curriculum materials are well written and easy to follow.
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The K-12 Blueprint offers resources for education leaders involved in planning and implementing technology initiatives. These include: Case studies from schools and districts involved in one-to-one and other technologysupported initiatives. Practical tips from K-12 leaders and practitioners. White papers, technology briefs and a variety of helpful publications from Intel, easily accessible in one place. PLUS: Toolkits available now including: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD); Educational Technology Policy; Planning for Digital Content; ICT Program Evaluation; and Common Core Standards Evaluation.
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PRODUCT REVIEWS
HOTSEAT CHASSIS EDUSTATION FLIGHT SIMULATOR

http://hotseatsim.comRetail Price: $3,395
By Frank Pileiro
otSeats Edustation ight simulator is a realistic and full-featured ight simulator that is designed to integrate into all areas of STEM education. It is one of several models sold by the company. This particular model is designed for middle and high school students. It is self-contained and mobile so it can be shared among teachers in a variety of subjects. Quality and Effectiveness: The Edustation is well built and easily moved. The controls are sturdy and when they are combined with the large screen and headphones, it is easy to get a real-life ight experience. The system is truly a plug-and-play model that gets you up and running quickly. Everything is self-contained, so you just need to plug it in, start up the computer, and open the software. Ease of Use: The real power behind this product lies in the software. It is powered by Lockheed Martins Prepare3D ight software. The teacher can set the software so it can be tailored to a variety of skill levels. You can save and load ights that allow you to start in the air or on the ground. The hands-on controls give you everything you need for ight and the onscreen cockpit is interactive and realistic. Like any new skill, there is a learning curve, but the software can be adjusted to accommodate an aspiring pilot up to the most seasoned aviator. One thing I really liked is that you can turn off the crashing mode so the plane just bounces off the ground and the user can continue the ight.
OVERALL RATING: HotSeat Chassis Edustation is a very innovative use of ight simulator technology that makes it fun to learn more about STEM subjects.
Creative Use of Technology: The Edustation simulator is a very innovative use of technology because of the realistic environments teachers can create (e.g., weather, terrain, and location) to teach STEM subjects at a variety of skill levels. Edustations can even be networked together to allow students to y in groups or formations. From small planes to large commercial jets, there are a variety of aircraft to challenge students. While in the cockpit, there are controls that allow you to look around and change your views so you can get a real-life experience. Students can actually learn how to y with the Edustation. HotSeat is also developing 30 STEM lab lessons for middle and high school students. Each lesson will be aligned to the Common Core standards and will be available in Fall 2014. Suitability for Use in a School Environment: The Edustation can t into a variety of curricular areas, especially math and science. The unit is portable and easy to set up and run. The cost for a single unit may be challenging for some districts, but its portability makes it easy to share. The students will be motivated and standing in line to use it.
TOP FEATURES
The realism of its flight simulation technology allows for flying in a variety of environments and locations. It touches on many areas of STEM education, which gives teachers the flexibility to use it for a variety of topics and subjects. The products portability and ease of use allow it to be shared by more than one classroom. This helps justify the cost for a single unit and reaches more students.
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| MA R C H 2014 | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
Dive de at ISTE 2 ep 014 attend a worksho p! ke Cant ma ta? n it to Atla begins tion Registra for ISTE March 6 remote Live, our nce. confere
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PRODUCT REVIEWS
www.adobe.com Retail Price: Pricing will differ from one institution to another based on its FTE count. For large-scale deployments in K-12 classrooms and computer labs, Adobe recommends that schools purchase Creative Cloud products under an Adobe Education Enterprise Agreement (EEA).
ADOBE CREATIVE CLOUD

By Carol S. Holzberg
n early summer 2013, Adobe revamped its product line by converting its desktop applications into a subscription-based online experience known as Creative Cloud (CC). All applications except for Acrobat were upgraded or enhanced. Adobe introduced a new service called Typekit, providing CC subscribers with access to a growing library of high-quality fonts to use in their Web projects. Adobe also unveiled a new social community called Behance, where members can show work in progress, get feedback, and share resources for use with applications like InDesign CC and Flash Professional CC. Quality and Effectiveness: If you purchase a CC product subscription, not only do you get a full working application installed on your computer, it also updates and upgrades each subscribed product as it becomes available. The previous version of Adobes Creative Suite 6 gave licensed users free access only to updates. Upgrades containing new features, were available for an additional fee.
Ease of Use: Most Adobe products share a similar look and feel, with common toolbars, drop-down menus, commands, panels, keyboard shortcuts, and tools like the eyedropper, smart guides, paste-in-place, and edit. Tools in one program may appear in several others. This means there is an increased comfort level and a decreased learning curve for users exploring each of the applications.
OVERALL RATING: Students who work in collaborative settings with real-world, industry standard applications such Creative Use of Technology: Enhancement and as Adobe Creative Cloud new features make Creative Cloud products more can integrate digital versatile than ever before. For example, Photoshop media and technology CC now features a shake reduction feature that helps tools into every project. sharpen an image by reducing the blur from handheld
camera motion. InDesign features a QR Code creator (Quick Response Code) that lets you create a graphic data code that can link to a Web hyperlink, plain text, text message, email or business card. It can also be resized, colored and edited without compromising quality. Adobe Illustrator CC comes with a Touch Type tool for more precise type manipulation of each letter in a text selection. There are too many features and enhancements to mention them all in this brief overview. Suffice it to say that the Adobe CC brush has touched all tools except for Acrobat. Suitability for Use in a School Environment: School personnel installing Adobe CC products on local computers should understand that an Education Enterprise Agreement governs product installation in new ways.
TOP FEATURES
Students work with the same industry standard tools that experts use. Updates and upgrades are free and available upon release. Creative activities produce output for mobile devices in addition to desktops, laptops, and print publications.
22
Theres a
Badge
For That
ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDAN LEACH
SPONSORED BY
By Richard Ferdig and Kristine Pytash

igital badges have captured the imagination of many educators, including those frustrated with current assessment techniques and practices. A more thorough explanation and history of digital badges is available through a report released last August by the Alliance for Excellent Education (http://all4ed.org/wpcontent/uploads/2013/09/DigitalBadges. pdf ) or through the Mozilla OpenBadges project (http://openbadges.org/). However, a simple denition for a digital badge is digital recognition for accomplishing a skill or acquiring knowledge after completing an activity (e.g., a course, module, or project). In the world of digital badges, there are those who create badges, those who attempt to achieve badges, those who recognize badges, and those who seek to know people who have obtained certain badges. Digital badges have arguably taken off in popularity given the increase in massive open courses that are often free and thus do not produce credits. In sum, digital badges have become an important way to demonstrate a shared understanding of accomplished outcomes. Though they may have capital in multiple domains, digital badges are often new to teachers and those who offer professional development. However, there are at least three key areas where digital badges have implications for teachers and their continuing education. 1.Digital Badges for Teacher Professional Development. Teachers and educators often preach the importance of personalization and individualization of content for students. However, professional development experiences for teachers are
ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDAN LEACH
24
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often one-size-ts-all excursions. By engaging teachers in conversations about digital badges, district professionals are empowering teachers to engage in conversations about what skills and knowledge they need and want. Additionally, when teachers earn badges, they become part of a community. They are recognized as members who have specic expertise, knowledge, and abilities. This is powerful as it recognizes teachers as professionals who can assess their current instructional needs and engage in learning that addresses those needs. 2.Digital Badges for Teacher Education. District personnel and teachers need to be aware that a conversation is happening at the university level, led by educators like Ian OByrne and Greg McVerry (http://wiobyrne.com/ and http://jgregorymcverry. com/). This conversation is focused on how teacher certication at the university, state, and national levels might begin to incorporate assessment through digital badges. At this stage, it is too early to suggest implications for professional development. However, school district personnel and teachers could begin to work with teacher educators to shape badge content and requirements. 3.Digital Badges for Instruction. Teachers are often introduced to badges in professional development as consumers of digital badges. However, teachers should begin considering how they could become producers of badges. One goal of this work is for teachers to consider how they could translate content and skills to badges as alternative forms of assessment for students. It is worth noting that teachers and district personnel need not investigate badges because they are the latest fad. Rather, badges
REVAMPING PD AND TEACHER EVALUATION IN MICHIGAN

Challenge: Swartz Creek (MI) Community Schools (SCCS) understood the potential to improve teachingand ultimately student outcomesthrough effective teacher evaluations that informed professional learning. To ensure such improvement-focused evaluations, district officials knew they needed a process that demonstrated administrators proficiency in conducting teaching observations. Equally important, they needed an individualized process to connect evaluation results with ongoing professional learning for teachers. Solution: To address this challenge, the district adopted the Teachscape Focus Observation Training and Assessment system and the Teachscape Reflect Observation and Evaluation Management system. With Teachscape Focus, administrators are trained to conduct accurate and consistent teaching observations based on Charlotte Danielsons Framework Swartz Creek Community Schools use teacher evaluations to improve teaching and student outcomes. for Teaching (FFT). Teachers are taught the framework based on which subjects are being evaluated. at SCCS participate in professional learning communities to reflect on Teachscape has helped us establish a common language around their practices and learn from one another. teaching practice using the FFT, says Adam Hartley, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at SCCS. This common Teachscape has allowed district leaders to evaluate its teachers more language, when used as an embedded part of the evaluation and effectively. By providing the necessary training and assessment, all professional learning processes, has been essential in creating a cycle administrators and teachers understand and use the same definitions of continuous improvement. and criteria for evaluating teaching, thus creating teacher engagement and inter-rater reliability across the district. And with an evaluUsing Teachscape Reflect, administrators conduct and manage ation process that is entirely online, observations are more efficient teacher evaluations and then work collaboratively with teachers on and evaluations are more transparent. Looking ahead, the district data-driven professional development based on the evaluations. plans to more heavily implement professional learning workshops Together, they discuss areas of strength and weakness and deterfocused on specific content areas. mine strategies for instructional improvement. In addition, teachers
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represent a movement for understanding how to use alternative assessment techniques. Experimenting with badges is not just for testing, but can also be used to improve instruction, motivate students, and better represent acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes. How can district personnel introduce this topic into their educational discussions? How can a teacher learn more about digital badges for professional development and for future integration into the K-12 classroom? There are three recommendations. 1.Develop a deeper understanding of digital badges. Teachers can begin by reading about badge implementation. For instance, this past summer, the city of Chicago launched a summer learning initiative with badges (http://www.macfound.org/ programs/digital-badges/). Connected Learning TV also hosted webinars and twitter chats about digital badges (http://connectedlearning.tv). Engaging in these professional conversations and reviewing these case studies can help district personnel and teachers develop a conceptual understanding of badges while also beginning to envision local possibilities. 2.Earn a badge. OpenBadges (http://openbadges.org/) has made it incredibly easy to earn your rst badge. A visitor to the site clicks on the word earn, takes a quiz, and earns a badge. From here, readers can explore an OpenBadges community to see others that are offering badges. 3.Create a badge. It is important to remember that digital badges are a way to visually represent quality and valuable learning. You can begin your badge creation with the following series of questions: * Have you explored existing badges? Is there someone who has already done the work you are trying to do so that you could
DEVELOPING A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR COMMON CORE IMPLEMENTATION

Challenge: Three years ago, when New York State adopted Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy and Mathematics, the Syracuse (NY) City School District (SCSD) needed to develop a strong, long-term platform for professional development around the Common Core implementation. The district saw the shift to Common Core State Standards as an opportunity with the potential to dramatically improve student achievement. They also knew that the success of educational change efforts hinged on a careful balance between supportive training and new practice demands.
Teachers in Syracuse receive additional training to help them deliver Common Core instruction.
District leaders envisioned an educator effectiveness system that would be based on a thoughtful, constructive use of tools, and they were determined to craft a reform plan that aligned support and evaluation systems to the demands of Common Core standards. They needed a road map to focus on key strategies and practices that would increase instructional rigor and the complexity of unit and lesson content. Solution: In 2012, the district partnered with Insight Education Group to develop customized instructional frameworks that support the teaching required by Common Core standards. They created a plan for the district to obtain meaningful feedback from instructional leaders and teachers, build confidence in the validity of the tools, and develop PD that would support Common Core standards. SCSD formed a task force, and the Insight Education Group guided the task force in analyzing existing instructional effectiveness documents against what was being done across the country to construct the teaching and learning framework and the building leadership framework and rubric. They built additional frameworks to support the work of instructional coaches, library media specialists, and other positions across the district. To ensure that teachers are evaluated equitably using the new frameworks and evaluation systems, Insight Education Group developed a certification process for principals, which was implemented prior to conducting high-stakes evaluations. Insight also facilitates monthly sessions for principals to watch video case studies and live co-observations. All teacher observers attend these sessions to increase their inter-rater reliability scores. School leaders also receive training on how to coach and develop both high- and low-performing teachers. Last, but not least, Insight Education Group provides PD for teachers to clarify and model the instructional practices described in the teaching and learning framework.
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| M A R C H 2014 | W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M
You have your library. Welcome to ours.

An LMS built for K12
With over a million dierent resources to incorporate into lesson plans, who can blame us for wanting to share our library with you. We have partners like NBC Learn and NROC, plus millions of active users, building a standards-aligned library for you to peruse and use. Find content to broaden a lesson or discover content to focus on new common core curriculum standards.
My Big Campus puts a collaborative but safe twist on the LMS, connecting students and teachers with resources that inspire and engage. In the My Big Campus community, schoolwork, blogs, discussions, research, PLCs, videos and more are always there for anytime, anywhere learning. Learn more at: lightspeedsystems.com/mbc
simply adapt and become part of a community rather than reinventing the wheel? What are you assessing? Will your digital badges align with particular standards and competencies? If so, this should be specifically addressed so learners know their learning objectives. This could also help make the badge more meaningful to the learner. How will you earn the badge? What are the criteria, artifacts, or work samples that will be produced in order to earn the badge? What are the specific steps learners would take as they create their work? How long do you anticipate that it will take for someone to complete the badge? How will you assess the work? Will you design and implement rubrics? Will this be a series of badges? If so, how do the badges build upon one another?
Is there a particular order in which the badges should be earned? Once these questions are answered, educators can explore where they will host their badges. There are numerous platforms that hosts badge systems, including OpenBadges (http://openbadges.org/), Achievery (http:// achievery.com/), P2PU (https://p2pu.org/ en/), and Credly (https://credly.com/). These communities can help district personnel and teachers create, develop, and manage digital badges, as well as create connections to other educators who might be pursing similar badges. These same platforms and communities can also assist with the actual design of the badges, including the log, the title, and the badge tags. The design is crucial because it is the visual representation of specific knowledge and skills. Educators can utilize Web sites such as Image Bot (http://www.flamingtext.com/ imagebot/editor) for the logo design or they can use their own image editing software. Once the design is
complete and the badge is uploaded, the badges can be earned and awarded. They can also be included in learning or content management systems. Combining professional development and digital badges could mean offering innovative content that leads to a badge as an achieved outcome. However, the focus and purpose of introducing the terms together is to reinforce the notion that those who conduct professional development also need to begin to consider the advantages of digital badges. In the end, it is pivotal for educators to grasp the potential of rewarding specicity of knowledge and skill acquisition through digital badges. Richard E. Ferdig is the Summit Professor of Learning Technologies, RCET, at Kent State University. Kristine E. Pytash is an assistant professor of literacy education at Kent State University.
DC PUBLIC SCHOOLS IMPROVES PD IN VARIOUS WAYS

Challenge: As part of its district-wide priority to deliver high-quality professional development, the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) wanted to help teachers increase the quality of students IEP goals. DCPS faced the challenge of rolling out an online IEP goal bank systemwide that could continuously train teachers on aligning IEP goals with Common Core standards. In addition, teachers who were hired after the school year started would not have had access to the robust trainings provided in August. Solution: To work on their IEP goals, DCPS partnered with Goalbook to develop a trainthe-trainer approach to rolling out PD designed to increase the quality and alignment to the Common Core standards for IEP goals for students with disabilities. The district has 10 trainers that can deliver ongoing PD using Goalbooks online repository to write student goals. For teachers hired after the school year starts, an online portal provides a customized version of Better Lesson (betterlesson.com), an online library of documents, presentations, full lessons, complete units, and courses that support the adoption of the Common Core standards and goals of the DCPS academic plan.
Through its social networking functionality, the site lets teachers grow professionally and make connections with fellow educators across the district and beyond. The portal also provides relevant, differentiated, high-quality PD, including mini-libraries of resources on how to teach effectively, video clips showing great teaching by DCPS teachers, and an extensive library of videos and articles that show effective teaching techniques.
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James
Planning lessons,
Mary
grading papers
Jennifer
and dodging spitballs have gone Google.

Thousands of schools have already gone Google, using Apps and Chromebooks for Education. Why not learn more?
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WHOS AFRAID OF BIG DATA?

You shouldnt be. Used properly, the numbers can improve education immensely.
By Dr. Steven Rubenstein
irst, a confession: I hate big data. There are too many factors inuencing results to show anything useful, I often protest. Results of high-stakes test scores dont measure my abilities as a teacher. My students abilities and readiness to learn vary randomly from class to class and year to year, so the data is skewed and unreliable. I know more about my students from daily observation than big data can teach me. Big data is overwhelming, and since Im untrained in statistics, I have no idea how to interpret it. Data can be used to prove whatever you want it to prove. I suspect that many teachers and administrators feel the way I do about our increasing reliance on big data. And yet Im endlessly fascinated by data. I teach AP Literature, and every year I pore through my students scores on the AP exam. I compare my students performance to that of my students in previous years. I compare their performance to their grades in class and their scores on practice tests. I look at how many students improved over the course of the year and whether that improvement was reected in the nal results. And I try to gure out if Ive really made a difference and what techniques and activities introduced in a particular year made an impact in the long run. I know that even though the data is sometimes mystifying and will never provide me with absolute certainty, it also supplies me with a good way to test my assumptions about my teaching, reect on my practices, and strategize about improvements I
might make. Big data also furnishes important information about individual students, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of particular schools and districts. In the future, well have ever more data points available for analysis and interpretation, and so it makes sense that we all start developing effective systems for maintaining, reporting, analyzing, and responding to our data. Our district is making great strides with our efforts to tame and use big data effectively, but, like all districts, we are learning as we go along. A key in the entire process is to create a culture where the stakeholdersteachers, administrators, counselors, parents, and studentsare all invested in maintaining a continuing meaningful
conversation about the data and its implications. To this end, districts need to create a strategy to address four parts of the process: collection, reporting, analysis, and plan of action. First, it is extremely important that it is easy for teachers and administrators to capture the data. Next, stakeholders must have easy access to the data, presented in a way that allows them to quickly spot trends and patterns. Finally, frequent opportunities need to be provided where stakeholders look at the data, reect on the implications, and then plan next-step approaches. The rst part, the collection of data, sounds easier than it actually turns out to be. A few years ago, we had a real problem in our district: we had a very expensive system to house all of our student scores and demographic data. However, few teachers were actually using the system. Despite many trainings and professional development sessions, many teachers did not take the time to import their benchmark assessments into the system nor did they run reports to show the efficacy of what we were doing. Our data was spotty and incomplete, and so not particularly useful. Why werent teachers using this fancy system? Simply put, it was a lot of extra work. Teachers had to export scores on benchmark assessments from their gradebooks, follow a complex procedure in the analytics tool to receive those scores, and then import the scores into the system. Worse yet, reports were difficult to produceone wrong selection in the report set-up, and no data would be returned. In additionand this may sound dumb, but I know that Im guilty tooteachers just didnt want to remember yet another user name and password to access one more Web site. Luckily, we had an excellent working relationship with JupiterEd, the company that
ILLUSTRATION BY COOLILLUSTRATIONS.COM
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Strategies for K-12 Technology Leaders

5 BEST PRACTICES TO CREATE A THRIVING DATA-DRIVEN CULTURE
Set meaningful long- and short-term goals. One of the first steps to creating a highperforming, data-driven culture is to set specific, meaningful year-long goals.
TEXAS DISTRICT USES REAL-TIME DATA TO DRIVE ENROLLMENT DECISIONS
2
NWISD instructors use data from maps to manage campus populations at new and existing schools. CHALLENGE: Since 2003, the student population at Northwest (TX) Independent School District (NWISD) has nearly tripled, averaging 1,200 new students each year. With such rapid growth, the district had to find a way to conduct real-time data analysis for academic needs, boundary planning, capacity analysis, and resource placement. To effectively address this, school leadership sought a more effective way to map out the boundaries and allocation of resources to meet student needs. SOLUTION: The district selected GuideK12, geovisual analytic software that visualizes student data on an interactive map to allow for real-time analysis. The dynamic nature of the software helps us streamline the planning processes for everything from academic needs, facilities, and boundaries to looking at wireless access points throughout the district for the next phase of our 1:1 program, says Dr. Edward Chevallier, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Being able to query our student data will allow faster, more effective decisions on aligning resources with the needs in the district, and [we can] better anticipate future needs to help us serve our community. By using GuideK12 to plan for the new building in 2015, the facilities, planning, and construction department was able to quickly and effectively map out multiple boundary scenarios. Seeing the data drastically improved the departments ability to efficiently manage attendance zones and campus populations at new and existing sites.
Make it easy to collect and analyze data. After the goals are set, close the intervention cycle by measuring student growth.
Uncover and address the causes of problems. Making observations about the data is often the first step in data analysis. One way to do this is with sentence starters, such as: I observed that Some patterns and trends I noticed were I am most interested in These sentence starters help teachers stay focused on what is happening instead of why it is happening, and build capacity to make insightful observations.
4 5
Allot sacred time for action planning. A key part of developing a data cycle that works is ensuring teachers have time designated specifically for analysis and action planning. Create a culture of collaboration, not compliance. In addition to weekly data meetings, teachers can use data in grade level collaborative meetings to better address student needs and share best practices across a grade level or subject area. School leaders can also use data to identify areas for staff coaching and professional development. Karina DiGirolamo is the Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Equitas Academy Elementary School in Los Angeles. Her school uses a Web-based system called Kickboard (www.kickboardforteachers.com).
supplied our gradebook system in our district a couple of years earlier. The company already had a strong student information system and had been thinking about introducing an analytics component. So we collaborated with them to produce a system that would meet not only our needs, but also the needs of other school systems across the country. The system now in place has many advantages over what weve used in the past. The analytics component is integrated with each teachers gradebook. With this system, teachers can simply connect an assignment or assessment with the analytics module by clicking a checkbox and then choosing the right analytics template.
Teachers dont have to duplicate information, and they can name their assignments and assessments anything they choose. At the same time, administrators receive the results of the state testing in an electronic format, which then can be imported into the system. In our district, were importing high school exit exam scores, annual state testing, CELDT scores, and even tness tests. The highest priority will always be the data thats used publicly to measure our schools performance against that of other schools and the data needed to measure our accreditation goals, but we have a real interest in gathering as much data as we can. Once the scores are stored in the system,
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HOW A DISTRICT USED DATA TO IMPROVE STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON ASSESSMENTS

CHALLENGE: In 2004, Calvert County (MD) Public Schools wanted to provide quick and easy access to student data to support informed decision-making across the district. Specifically, administrators needed to be able to access students historical performance on state tests and current progress on district assessments so educators could improve teaching and learning. So the district set out to find a system that would provide an integrated solution for assessment and data management. SOLUTION: The district began using the Web-based Performance Matters assessment and data management system in 2004 in every school, across all grade levels. With the Web-based system, administrators can combine historical data (including the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) and High School Assessment scores) with current data from more than 330 district benchmarks administered from pre-K through 12th grade. The district also includes students grades, attendance, SAT scores, DIBELS scores, and other data in the system. Since implementing Performance Matters, Calvert County elementary and middle schools have achieved steady gains on the there also needs to be an easy process to present that data in clean and comprehensible reports. With our system, teachers can run a variety of reports about their students performance. For example, they can compare student performance on summative versus formative assessments, see how their students measure up compared with other students in the school and in the district, and compare student performance from year to year. Because our data warehouse system is part of the gradebook, teachers can compare a host of data points to performance on their own assessments. Administrators can also view student scores and print reports that track trends and even compare schools and individual teachers. In our district, this feature has been helpful in providing support to the teachers who need to improve their methods and choose intervention programs for struggling students. A system to warehouse and report on data will be useless if nobody looks at that data. In our district we pride ourselves on a culture where we continually strive to improve, and conversations about our data are now an important part of that process. During every collaborationwhether it is a staff development day, a department meeting, or a grade-level planning sessionwe spend some time looking at and discussing the data. In order for our time working with data to be productive, all the stakeholders need to be invested Calvert County Public Schools can combine historical data with current data from more than 330district benchmarks. MSA. Before we began using Performance Matters, teachers didnt have data that showed exactly which objectives their students were struggling with or what their misperceptions were. But its the individual objectives and items that make a big difference in student performance, says says Matt Poteet, supervisor of the department of instructional and informational technology. suspect that ultimately all districts will need to create administrator positions for well-trained statisticians who would assume the role of data guru and guide. In the meantime, weve found it best to position our explorations of data around questions we all want answered. All the stakeholders should start by guring out what they need to know and then locating the right data and determining the best ways to examine that data to derive answers to our questions. How do we know if were effective? Are we reaching all the students? What methods work best? Tapping into the curiosity of teachers and other stakeholders (even students!) will make the data less threatening and provide us with opportunities to experiment with ways to improve. Once we develop a new plan of action, the process isnt over. We will later look at how our new approach worked, ask new questions, and continue to rene our methods. Because of our new abilities to gather data, were entering a brave new world where technology will give us great insight into student learning. Its important, therefore, that we create systems and protocols that foster a culture that is receptive to this new knowledge. Dr. Steven Rubenstein is the English Teacher & Technology TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) at the Beverly Hills Unied School District
in the process. While our district administrators ultimately create the game plan and give us directives, it is partly formulated as a result of collaboration with teachers and counselors. Its also critical for every district to recognize that there will be resistance to looking at data, but rather than steamrolling over what might be legitimate objections, it is important to address them head on, so that we all understand how our data might be useful in developing approaches to improving student achievement. We also need to address our natural conrmation bias when looking at data. Study after study shows that we pay attention to the evidence that supports our worldview, and we discount or ignore the evidence that challenges what we think we know. Often when we receive data that contradicts our views, we will nd ways to explain why the data is unreliable. It is precisely at those moments that we have to resist the urge to go on the defensive and instead attempt to learn from the data. We also need to provide everyone involved with better tools to understand the data we are receiving. When comparing scores, our new system does indicate whether differences are statistically signicant. However, we all need better training and guidance on understanding the more complex issues with determining the signicance of the data. In our district we havent completely solved this issue, but I
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BACK OFFICE
BUSINESS
CALIFORNIA MAKES STATEWIDE SELECTION FOR NEW MATH CURRICULUM
Challenge: The California State Board of Education needed to nd Common Core-aligned mathematics materials for K-8 students. Solution: Seven of Houghton Mifflin Harcourts Common Core-aligned programs, including California GO Math!, California Math in Focus 2015, and California Big Ideas Math were selected. Go Math! will provide support for students and professional development for teachers. California students will also have access to Personal Math Trainer Powered by Knewton, which will analyze each students progress and provide personalized paths to achieving learning goals.
TENNESSEE CHOOSES A STATEWIDE SIS VENDOR

Challenge: The Tennessee Department of Education was looking for a student information system (SIS) vendor for the state so that schools could easily collect, report, and manage student data and information. Solution: Follettwhich already manages student data for 63,500 students in Knox County Schools in Knoxville and Jefferson County Schools in Dandridgeis now an approved SIS vendor for the state. One of our goals was to create a better, more productive user experience while maintaining quality data, says Beau Stanley, team leader and student information specialist for Knox County Schools. With Aspens architecture, we can hide elds that arent relevant to the task at hand and dene rules for entering information, which helps us ensure data integrity.
BYOD GETS ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN NH

Challenge: Oyster River (NH) Cooperative School District needed to supplement district-owned mobile devices and move toward a 1:1 initiative. The goal was for every student to have access to a mobile device for connecting with online information and data that reinforce and build upon classroom teachings. Solution: By deploying a unied wired and wireless access network based on Arubas Mobile Virtual Enterprise (MOVE) architecture, the district can securely support BYOD devices and manage the same levels of network access for both BYOD and district-provided devices. After our review process, it became clear that only Aruba could handle the wide range of mobile devices on our network including tablets, notebooks, netbooks, and e-readersand securely on-board these devices, whether they were our own or brought into the schools by students, teachers, or guests, says IT Director Josh Olstad.
JACKSON PREP UPGRADES TO A WI-FI SOLUTION

Challenge: Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi was the rst school in its state to install a campus-wide wireless network in 1999-2000, but rapid advances in technology made frequent upgrades and replacements a challenge. It was time for the school to install a scalable Wi-Fi solution that could keep pace with the schools academic rigor. Solution: The school chose C Spires Education Revolution hosted Wi-Fi solution. The network features more than 100 access points throughout Jackson Preps campus and provides secure wireless Internet coverage in every corner of the school. The solution also guarantees simultaneous wireless connections for every student, allowing for immediate access to digital textbooks, library e-databases, reverse-learning podcasts, real-time lectures, and mobile applications.
PERSONALIZED AND BLENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND IN TEXAS

Challenge: Spring (TX) Independent School District wanted to nd a way to provide students with more personalized and blended learning opportunities. Solution: The district chose itslearning, a cloud-based learning management system that lets teachers differentiate and deliver instruction anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Statistics show that around 60% of colleges and universities use some form of blended learning, which requires students to take a more active role in managing their education, says Regina Owens, executive director for instructional engagement at Spring ISD. We felt there was more we could do to prepare our students for that type of learning community.
Students and teachers review a classroom assignment at Jackson Preps Tech Hub, a Wi-Fi equipped area where they can collaborate, print documents, and charge devices. Pictured, left to right, are Cara Lee Crawford, math instructor Tracie Mallard, Ellie Wells, Mae Mae Cook, Riley Kellum, Witt Lovelace, and Josh Pound.
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Dont miss the chance to join Tech & Learning magazine for a highend, information-packed one-day event designed especially for district and school administrators and technology leaders like you. This is your chance to network with others who care deeply about the future of education. Share your successes and address challenges in an engaging and intimate setting, and leave with practical tools and key contacts for continued rich communities of practice.
BREAKOUT SESSION TOPICS MAY INCLUDE:
Building a New Culture: Advice on Navigating Change Building-Level Leadership: The Role of the Visionary Principal Communication and Community-Building with Help from Social Media Creativity and Engagement in the Elementary Grades Google App Tips and Tricks Lessons from the Flipped Classroom Listen to the Students: The Ultimate Smackdown Professional Learning: One Size Doesnt Fit All Technology in the Early Grades The Flipped Classroom: Whats Next? The Ins and Outs of iAuthoring The Other Two Letters in STEM: Technology and Engineering, K-12 Walking the Walk: Transforming Learning in the Secondary Grades What Should We Buy? Picking the Devices that are Right for Your District
Tech Forum Boston: DIANA LAUFENBERG, Lead Teacher, Inquiry Schools, Philadelphia, PA
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TECH TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE SOFT SKILLS
By Cathy Swan
earch for soft skills in Google and youll nd 45,800,000 results. The rst screen includes business Web sites, Web sites listing job and interview skills, career developer Web sites, and an article from National Careers Service asking, What are the soft skills employers want? The U.S. Department of Labor links to a curriculum focused on teaching workforce readiness skills to youth ages 14-21 called Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering Soft Skills for Workplace Success. The course consists of six modules: communication, enthusiasm and attitude, teamwork, networking, problem-solving and critical thinking, and professionalism. The one link focusing on education is titled Should schools teach soft skills? Forty-ve million sites think we should. So where do you begin?
COLLABORATION, DISCUSSION, AND METACOGNITION: MOODLE

Right down the hall, Evan Remley and Bob Stevenson co-teach an American Studies class of 45 students where they use many of the interactive features built into Moodle to cultivate collaboration and facilitate meaningful discussion among students. These features include forums, peer revision tools, blogs, wikis, and the other functions of the read-and-write Web application. With continual use and timelined access to the feedback cycle, teachers and students can reect thoughtfully on their progress and set meaningful goals around content and processes. Most powerfully, Moodles 24/7 accessibility through email, apps, tablets, and smartphones helps students and their support networks take control of their own learning beyond the classroom. This powerful tool enables students to cultivate skills that, once mastered, they can use for a lifetime.
REFLECTION AND GOAL SETTING: GOOGLE DOCS AND SPREADSHEETS

Hannah Magnan and Susan Steidl, New Canaan High School English teachers in Connecticut, formulated a plan to teach students to reect more deeply and to appreciate reecting as an essential life skill. They ask students to submit work on a Google doc, which receives written feedback in the form of inserted comments from their teacher and peers. Students document and track this feedback on their own spreadsheets in Google Drive. NK DI HI After gathering enough evidence, each student EG /T OC O OT ERVO /ISTOCKPH evaluates the feedback, searches for patterns used to develop specic writing goals, submits plans for achieving those goals, and writes reections on each step of the implementation process. Since the entire process is done online, the individual student practices giving, receiving, and evaluating feedback from various sources on a variety of posted assignments. At the end of the process, students reect on their progress and decide whether they need more instruction, practice, or feedback on their current goal, or re-evaluate whether it is time to set a new goal. At the end of the course, student responses to the goal-setting process were overwhelmingly positive, specically due to the high level of autonomy, differentiation, and accountability the method afforded.
ST O CK
FUTURE THINKING, RISK-TAKING, COPING WITH FAILURE AND COLLABORATION WITH EXPERTS: DROPBOX, COOLWIKI, ONLINE DATABASES, AND DATA FROM EXPERT SITES
In a Bozeman, Montana, high school Lynn Powers is creating future thinkers engaged in the real work of adding and creating new knowledge in astrophysics. Students use CoolWiki and DropBox to share research, photos, and ndings with professors and experts at CalTech and Harvard. They use archived data from two telescopes to determine if stars are being formed in NGC281, also known as the Pac-Man Nebula, and work with an expert at CalTech to learn to program in Python to analyze these data and draw conclusions. They presented their ndings at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Washington D.C. in early January. John Barell, author and expert on inquiry and problem-based 21st century learning (morecuriousminds.com) said, These students are on the frontiers of new knowledge...their work ...contains elements that can be transferred to any S K AG IN classroom: reverence for and openness to SA TH
/ ND TO REW /ISTOCKPHO
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TO CK
making mistakes/failure, which means we try and try, take some risks, fail sometimes, learn and improve. These are soft skills that are crucial to any scientic endeavor.
GLOBAL AND CULTURAL COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING: GOOGLE DRIVE, PICASA, VOICETHREAD, SKYPE, FACEBOOK, AND TWITTER
The Center for Global Studies (CGS), a magnet school in Norwalk, Connecticut, under the directorship of Roz McCarthy, is focused on global understanding. Students at CGS are learning their second or third language and routinely communicate with their sister schools in Japan, China, and Arabic-speaking countries. They use Google Presentations to create projects, Picasa to share photos, Voicethread to allow a spoken exchange to be delivered in the target language, as well as Facebook and Twitter for social networking. Most projects are shared online with the sister schools and designed to demonstrate what it means to live in their respective countries . Some projects, like the Voicethreads, are collaboratively created with partners in the target culture. Once online sharing has occurred, there is often a Skype session where students can talk about the work. Speaking and communicating with other cultures requires a different set of norms; therefore students have an opportunity to learn what topics should and should not be discussed.
Above: Lynn Powers with her amateur astrophysicists, Madeline Kelly on the left and Hannah Cebulla on the right. Below: A Chinese student visits the Center for Global Studies magnet school in Norwalk CT via Skype.
CRITICAL THINKING, ORGANIZATION, TIME MANAGEMENT, AND INDEPENDENT THINKING: MENTOR MOB, SOCRATIVE, BLENDSPACE, GOOGLE VOICE, BLOGGER, YOUTUBE, AND TEACHER TUBE
MentorMob is an online playlist tool that is useful for teaching time management, personal organization, and independent thinking because kids can be given step-by-step guidance that can be accessed chronologically or randomly depending on
MO OD BO CK ARD/T HINKSTO
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TECH TOOLS FOR ASSESSING THE SOFT SKILLS

the students individual need. Students can also be asked to create a MentorMob le for their own work, breaking it down into manageable chunks and creating the steps needed to complete a project. Michelle Luhtala, librarian at New Canaan High School in Connnecticut, uses MentorMob to assess research skills as high school juniors begin work on a research paper. Luhtala measures research skills through a 20-question pre-assessment on Socrative.com that students take on mobile technology (their own or library-owned). Each classs overall performance on each question is compiled and published in MentorMob, and posted to the librarys instructional blog on Blogger, sorting the questions from lowest number of correct responses to highest. Teachers are also given individual student performance results in ranked order so they can quickly determine who might need the most support. Individual students receive their overall scores as well as the ability to self-remediate using MentorMobs playlist. Here they can access a step for each pre-assessment question that links to a miniinstructional module explaining the correct response using Google Deborah Olsen-MacDonald of Nathan Hale High School in Moodus, CT, works with a student Presentations, NCHS teacher-created YouTube videos, BlendSpace on an e-portfolio created in Google Sites. (another online playlist tool), Prezi (a presentation tool), and in one case, a simple screenshot. Students are also invited to text the library with their questions in Google Voice, which provides teachers with additional technology teacher, teaches a class called Information Technology, primarily data to inform future instruction. for freshmen. Our BIG P.A. is a project they created using Google Sites where each student creates a personal Web site to be used for collecting schoolwork, PERSONAL GOAL-SETTING: NAVIANCE listing personal interests and hobbies, showing extracurricular activities, In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Diane Tung, Director of and reecting on their growth over time and their work to fulll the districts Instructional Technology and Student Assessment learning expectations. Students continually add to the portfolio over the for the Diocese of Bridgeport, reports that course of their high school careers. Then, when they become seniors, they Naviance is being piloted at the middle school take a course called Senior Project in which they use their portfolios to level for student surveys and to help students demonstrate their readiness to earn a high school diploma by showing their write SMART goals. Naviance offers tools learning and growth over time. like the Gallup StrengthsExplorer that let students identify their strengths and ACCOUNTABILITY AND SELF-MONITORING: talents, such as achieving, caring, competing, RUBISTAR AND IRUBRICS condence, and relating, among others. Todays students expect a rubric for each assignment and they know how to Naviance helps match those students with use them. A skill that doesnt appear on a given rubric is, by default, not a skill C college and career options, and it also offers TR worth worrying about. As such, teachers should focus on creating rubrics that TO ILO KS KS/ HIN strategies for applying them not only to school, but T ISTOC / assess not only content, grammar, usage, and mechanics, but will also explicitly KPHOTO also to a future career and life. assess soft skills. You can write your own or go to Web sites like RubiStar or iRubric (accessible through Google Apps for Education) to see how others PERSONAL ARCHIVING, PRIORITIZING, AND assess these skills. Rubrics on these sites can be used as is or modied to FILTERING: E-PORTFOLIOS IN GOOGLE SITES AND suit your needs. You can also create and add your own rubrics to the shared DIGICATION database. A crucial aspect of student success planning is teaching students to Across our nation, state departments of education are creating new policies archive their work electronically so it can follow them as they move from that recognize the importance of soft skills. In Connecticut, for example, school to school or change districts. At Nathan Hale High School in Moodus, students in grades 6-12 are required to le a personal student success plan Connecticut, Deborah Olsen-MacDonald, business education and nance made up of goals in social, emotional, physical, and academic growth.
TODAYS STUDENTS EXPECT A RUBRIC FOR EACH ASSIGNMENT AND THEY KNOW HOW TO USE THEM. A SKILL THAT DOESNT APPEAR ON A GIVEN RUBRIC IS, BY DEFAULT, NOT A SKILL WORTH WORRYING ABOUT. AS SUCH, TEACHERS SHOULD FOCUS ON CREATING RUBRICS THAT WILL ALSO EXPLICITLY ASSESS SOFT SKILLS.
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special advertising supplement
Increasing Student Achievement with Adaptive Learning Technology

By Annie Galvin Teich The advancement of algorithm technology, which forms the base of adaptive learning technology, can make a profound impact on student achievement. Adaptive learning software has evolved to the point that it is now possible for student assessment and customized instruction to be delivered on an ongoing basis, aligned with learning standards while a student is actually using the software. This maximizes teacher effectiveness and optimizes student learning while it provides what is essentially personal tutoring for each student. To determine both the role of adaptive learning technology in instruction and the types of products currently in use in K-12 schools, Tech & Learning conducted the rst signicant survey of K-12 educators in the fall of 2013 on this topic. More than 3,000 educators responded providing solid benchmarks and dependable insight into the current use of adaptive technology in K-12 instruction. Approximately 40% of the educators responded that they use adaptive learning software in their schools. However, as these educators shared their experiences, it became evident that while they were clear on the ideal of adaptive learning software to deliver continuous, ongoing, customized learning based on student input in real time that their exposure to fully adaptive programs is actually limited. Most of the programs cited by these educators are only partially adaptive. So, the full promise of adaptive learnings impact on student achievement has yet to be fullled.
Increasing Student Achievement with Adaptive Learning Technology

Tech & Learning Survey Results
underwritten by
Some of the survey findings include:

Primary use of adaptive technology is in programs for reading and math
Intelligent Adaptive Learning

DreamBox Learnings pioneering Intelligent Adaptive Learning platform adapts in real time to every interaction a student makes, both within and between lessons. This advanced technology enables the seamless integration of instruction and assessment, during, and after each and every lesson to personalize the learning experience for each student.
70% of users cited intervention as the number one reason for use 40% of respondents use it for enrichment 49% use adaptive programs as supplemental curriculum 42% use it as core curriculum
Some of the obstacles to use are:

Lack of information Budget shortages Insufcient tech infrastructure Concern about excessive screen time for students Non-alignment to the Common Core standards The survey revealed a positive trend line of increased use over a three-year period. As high-speed broadband delivery to schools expands, so will the use of adaptive learning programs. The programs with the greatest opportunity to impact student achievement are those in which there is continual and ongoing assessment. This enables differentiated instruction as it provides student performance data on a continual basis.
The platform combines a rigorous, research-based, pedagogically-sound curriculum aligned to the Common Core and state standards that motivates students to persist and progress, leading to increased achievement.
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For a detailed copy of results from this benchmark survey, go to techlearning.com/adaptivelearningsurvey
WHATSNEW
TECH & LEARNING ROUNDS UP A SUMMARY OF NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS
Epson (www. epsonbrighterfutures.com) has introduced the PowerLite 570, 575W, 580, and 585W (pictured) ultra-short throw projectors, designed for the connected K-12 classroom. Offering a Moderator functionality that allows a network of up to 50 personal devices to connect to the projectors, teachers can wirelessly control which personal devices are displayed, with up to four student screens shown simultaneously. In addition, the new projectors feature two HDMI ports, one with MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) support for connecting multiple digital devices, including mobile phones, tablets, and other portable devices, for enriched high definition viewing capabilities.
Lenovo (www.lenovo.com) has announced the ThinkPad 11e series of laptops, designed for education and ruggedized for classroom performance. The devices are available in two form factorstraditional laptop or Lenovos Yoga multimode formand with the choice of Windows 8 or Chrome OS.
TabPilot (www.tabpilot.com) has launched the Breea series of tablets for wireless broadcasting to classroom projectors. The 9.7 Breea Freedom HD offers a high-definition screen and long battery life, as well as 16GB internal storage. The Android-based tablet is powered by a quad-core processor and offers 2048 X 1536 resolution. Paired with TabPilots Breea Freedom wireless receiver, teachers can use the tablet while moving around the classroom to share Web sites, presentations, videos, or other content with the class. TabPilot also offers a tablet stand that effectively turns the Breea Freedom HD into a portable, wireless document camera.
Trident Case (www.tridentcase.com) has partnered with Today I Can Do Anything to offer a new line of Today I Can Do Anythinginspired cases. With several models available for the iPhone 5 & 5s, plus one for the Samsung Galaxy S4, the line offers multiple levels of protection for a variety of devices. The new TICDA line includes Motivate Series, Encourage Series, and Inspire Series cases for the iPhone 5 & 5s, as well as an Inspire Series case for the Samsung Galaxy S4. The Inspire cases consist of a polycarbonate shell that provides lightweight protection.
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hardware
WHATS NEW
InFocus (www.infocus.com) has released the two-pound, seven-inch LightPro IN1146 mobile light-emitting-diode (LED) projector. It turns on and off instantly, without any warmup or cool-down time. Its quick to connect and displays content from laptops, tablets, and smartphones through a variety of connections, such as HDMI and VGA hookups, USB and SD card slots, or wirelessly through a USB Wi-Fi adapter. The LightPro IN1146 delivers 800 lumens of brightness and a 10,000:1 contrast ratio that shows detailed images and vivid colors. It is also rated for up to 30,000 hours of use.
Vernier Software & Technology (www.vernier.com) has launched the Go Wireless and NODE+ families of wireless sensors. Go Wireless Temp, the first product in the series, is a rugged, stainless steel temperature sensor that collects temperature data when used with an iOS device. The new sensor allows students to explore temperature in the environment and in systems such as fish tanks, greenhouses, thermal mugs, or heating and cooling devices. The NODE+ wireless sensors allow students to explore concepts in topics such as Earth science, environmental science, and physical science, using mobile devices. These sensors are compatible with Graphical Analysis for iPad and a collection of iOS and Android apps from Variable, Inc.
BenQ American (www.benq.us) has introduced the P Series line of professional installation projectors. Consisting of the PX9600 and PW9500, the P Series XGA and WXGA models deliver high brightness of 6,500 and 5,700 lumens, respectively, as well as crisp 2800:1 contrast ratios. Equipped with HQV image processing, the technology allows the devices to scale outputs, enabling the projectors to cast full resolutions that enhance both image details and overall picture quality.
Ergotron, Inc. (www.ergotron.com) offers a variety of education-specific mounting, mobility, and device management solutions. The portfolio includes technology-enabled classroom carts, sit-stand computer workstations, and charging carts and cabinets. The tablet charging carts for Apple, Android, Chromebook, and Windows-based tablets offer the ability to secure, charge, and sync up to 48 devices in a compact form, with smooth gliding casters for easy transport. The Tablet Management Station 16 is a space-saving tower that offers the means to sync and charge up to 16 Apple, Android, and ereader devices using wired USB connections.
SMART Technologies (www.smarttech.com) has released the SMART flex centralized computing platform, a combination of hardware and software that enables control of up to ten interactive displays with only one computer. The platform works by connecting the flex client hardware to one host PC. Each SMART flex hardware client is then connected to a SMART interactive display to allow multiple collaborative learning stations to run from the processing power of a single computer.
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WHATS NEW
hardware
ELMO USA (www.elmousa. com) has introduced the BOXi T-200 HD LED video projector. The 10.6ounce, 150-lumen DLP projector offers a small footprint of less than 4x6 inches, but produces sharp, bright, high contrast images as large as 68 inches diagonally. The BOXi T-200 features a single HDMI connection for video sources and incorporates a 1-watt mono speaker as well as a mini-stereo output jack for sending sound through an audio system, speakers, or headphones. The projector is also equipped with ELMOs short-throw lens, allowing it to create the fullsize picture at a distance of 52 inches from the screen.
Acer (www.acer.com) has released the Aspire S7 Ultrabooks, featuring WQHD IPS displays with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 in a 16:9 aspect ratio. IPS technology provides consistent and accurate color from viewing angles up to 178 degrees. At less than 12.9 mm, the S7 is the thinnest in the Ultrabook series. A dual-torque hinge keeps the display stable when used for touch control.
Kensington (www.kensington.com) has announced 14 new cases that provide drop and spill protection for iPad Air and iPad mini tablets. The new additions join the existing series of Kensington BlackBelt and SafeGrip (pictured) cases. The BlackBelt cases offer military-grade tablet protection in three degrees to cover a variety of needs. The SafeGrip cases are designed to provide a first line of defense for tablets used by children in the classroom environment. SafeGrip cases provide strong, cushioned protection and are built from non-toxic materials.
Dell (www.dell.com) has announced the latest release of the Dell KACE K2000 Deployment Appliance to further automate, accelerate, and simplify OS and application migrations. The Dell KACE K2000 v3.6 features advanced multicasting capabilities and a new task engine that makes it easier to capture and deploy system images across a range of tablets, laptops, and desktops.
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hardware
Belkin (www.belkin.com) has introduced two new products for classroom use: the Portable Stage (pictured) for tablet and smartphone presentations, and a new Secure Wired Keyboard for iPad and Samsung tablets. The Portable Stage allows teachers to transform a smartphone or tablet into a document camera. Users can capture live video and overlay text and labels, or highlight key points throughout the presentation. The Secure Wired Keyboard offers a durable, child-friendly structure and configuration, and eliminates the need for batteries.
WHATS NEW
Harmans JBL Professional (www.harman.com) has released the EON600 series of portable loudspeakers, delivering studio monitor quality sound in a portable PA system. The EON615 15-inch two-way loudspeaker features built-in, 1000-watt power amplification. An iOS and Android supported interface can be paired with the Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.0 for controlling master volume, adjusting the five-way, user-definable parametric EQ, and saving and recalling user presets.
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WHATS NEW
software & online

as well as productivity tools, to help administrators and teachers collaborate.
AEROHIVE MOBILITY SUITE
(www.aerohive.com) Aerohive Networks has released the Aerohive Mobility Suite, a cloud-enabled mobile device management solution. The Mobility Suite includes three main components: the Client Management application, the ID Manager application, and integration with mobile device management software partners AirWatch and JAMF Software. The Mobility Suite simplies enterprise networking and personalizes mobility for enterprises and IT staff by extending visibility and control over mobile devices to the edge of the network.
GOALBOOK TOOLKIT ELL CONTENT
CHANNEL ONE NEWS CURRICULUM
AIRWATCH SECURE CONTENT LOCKER
(www.air-watch.com) AirWatch has announced that its Secure Content Locker software now integrates with 33 additional content repositories across iOS, Android, and Windows devices. Secure Content Locker provides exible content storage, enterprise-grade security, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), le sync and share, editing, annotation, and analytics.
(www.channelone.com) Channel One, LLC, has announced a standards-based subscription offering to develop nonction literacy and critical thinking skills for students in grades 3-5 and 6-8. Channel One News curriculum is a three-part instructional routine that uses nonction video and text as a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary teaching resource. These student-centered activities integrate English language arts with core subject areas, like science, geography, and college and career readiness, and are supplemented with vocabulary, discussion questions, quiz questions, and information about the standards that align to the activities.
(www.goalbookapp.com) Goalbook has added English Language Learner (ELL) instructional resources to its repository of PK-12 academic and social emotional resources. Goalbooks Toolkit supports educators in the design of instructional objectives aligned to academic standards, and the new content is differentiated according to language development level, such as WIDA and the California ELD Standards.
MATH SHACK
FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
ALMA
(www.getalma.com) Alma offers an affordable alternative to traditional student information and learning management systems by consolidating school, classroom, and information management into one secure, cloud-based system. Almas core servicesincluding over 100 SIS/LMS features, gradebooks and parent/student portalsare available for free. Alma offers administrative features
(www.vs.net) Florida Virtual School (FLVS) has launched Anatomy & Physiology, a new mobile-ready science course. Students explore the human body through the eyes of field experts and clinicians, learning new terminology and the effects of diseases on the body. Students can access all course materials, interactivities, and assessments from their tablets or smartphones. The two-segment course includes multimedia videos, audiovisual presentations, interactive case studies, and virtual labs.
(www.shmoop.com) Shmoops Math Shack has been upgraded to enable teachers to assign quizzes with innite reps and drills. The library contains over 200 topics and concepts, to prepare students for the SAT and ACT. Teachers can schedule a time for individual students to complete personalized quizzes that focus on problem areas, or assign new quizzes with a mix of hard and warm-up question sets from the same topic. Once students complete their Math Shack quizzes, they can submit them to their teachers immediately.
NET TEXTS EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS
(www.net-texts.com) Net Texts has compiled collections of educational videos from the YouTube Education channel and providers such as the History Channel and PBS. The videos are organized by author, and tagged by subject and grade level. The
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video collection supports Net Texts OER Textbook Replacement Coursesa series of open educational resources with readymade courses for math, science, social studies, and English for grades 6-12. tool for enhanced student-teacher communication, day-planning functions to boost productivity, and more exibility to suit different learning styles. Its designed for the 21st-century classroom, with mobile usage in mind.
WHATS NEW
including blueprinting, item authoring and review, test generation, and test administration.
POWERUP WHAT WORKS
ODYSSEYWARE CTE COURSES
(www.odysseyware.com) Odysseyware has added two new Career and Technical Education courses to its portfolio: Introduction to STEM, and Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. Every course is designed by educators to help students acquire core academic skills. Additionally, the Odyssey student interface has been redesigned and features a new notes
PM UNIFY
(www.performancematters.com) Performance Matters has released its next generation assessment platform, PM UNIFY. The social platform lets educators develop and administer assessments from any location. UNIFY provides the capacity to assess students in all course areas, not just those tested by states. The platforms modular technology supports the end-toend process of assessment development,
(www.powerupwhatworks.org) PowerUp WHAT WORKS, developed by the Center for Technology Implementation at the American Institutes for Research, is a free professional learning Web site that offers teachers, PD facilitators, and administrators resources for helping studentsespecially those with disabilitiesmeet the Common Core State Standards. The focus is on linking evidence-based practices and technology in English language arts and math.
ON DEMAND
Check out the following resources from our partner sites:
software & online

PREY DEVICE-WIPE FOR ANDROID
standards, but administrators can add custom learning outcomes. (www.preyproject.com/education) PREY has released DeviceWipe for Android, offering Prey Pro users the ability to wipe all data from missing or stolen devices. Device Wipe identies and protects content on devices, such as student email and pictures, student or teacher information records, or district network access.
ARCHIVED WEBINARS
Sponsored by Canon
SCORANT CLASS MANAGER
Real Solutions for Todays Education Challenges Chromebooks as the Catalyst for Change in Edmonton Public Schools
Sponsored by Google for Education
Intel-Based Chromebooks in Education

Sponsored by Intel Education and K-12 Blueprint
RED HAT ACADEMY
Pathway to Mobile Learning: Secrets to Success

Sponsored by Lightspeed Systems Check techlearning.com for updates
AD INDEX
COMPANY Blackmagic Boxlight CDW-G Comcast Dreambox ELMO Mfg Corp Google HotSeat Intel K12 ISTE Jupiter Lightspeed Systems Microsoft Netsupport School Improvement Steelcase Stoneware T&L Leaders of the Year Tech Forum Vernier Writers Learning Systems PAGE 7 45 52 5 41 51 31 47 19 21 35 29 27 15 25 2 9 17 37 11 49
(www.redhat.com) Red Hat, Inc. has announced updates to Red Hat Academy, the companys open source education program that offers turnkey curriculum materials for educational programs in global secondary and higher education institutions. Red Hat Academy now includes an organized OpenStack offering, including a curriculum for instructors, textbooks, and labs. The upgrade also includes new tests and quizzes with performance tracking, and a new skills application lab system with self-checking performance feedback.
(www.scorant.com) Scorant has released its Class Manager course management software for K-12. Combining analytics with an easy-to-use application and mobile client, Scorant offers teachers and students a variety of capabilities, from course creation and syllabus management to attendance tracking. Students can see their current and past performance records, simulate major changes, and participate in all class activities. Scorant offers its solutions through traditional browsers as well as mobile apps available for both iOS and Android devices.
SPLASHTOP CLASSROOM
SCHOOLOGY
(www.schoology.com) The Schoology learning management system now offers the ability to measure student mastery of learning outcomes and standards. This enhancement to the Enterprise version of the software allows it to measure and quantify student learning over time using any learning object (such as quizzes and homework) that is aligned to outcomes. Schoology comes pre-loaded with state and Common Core
(www.splashtop.com) Splashtop has released Splashtop Classroom, enabling teachers to share their PC or Mac desktops or applications instantly with students. Once connected, students can view, control, and annotate lesson content from their mobile devices. Features include a PC or mac streamer, Splashtop center and a free app so students can join a session by taking a snap of the QR code. Initially available for the iPad, Chromebook and Windows or Mac using a Chrome browser, Splashtop plans to add support for iPhone, Android, and more devices.
SRA NUMBER WORLDS
(www.mheducation.com) McGraw-Hill Education has launched SRA Number Worlds, an intensive PreK-8, CCSS-aligned math intervention program.
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software & online

Number Worlds helps students learn critical math skills through exible options and provides support for students with varying intervention needs. It emphasizes project-based learning through both print and digital delivery. The programs digital teaching and learning platform offers interactive games, embedded activities, videos and animations, and planning tools to help teachers map out their lessons. for districts and allows students, teachers, and administrators to set up their own video libraries to share and collaborate on schoolwork. The accounts can be accessed across all mobile devices. Relay shows teachers how well students comprehend information through quizzing and analytics in every video.
WHATS NEW
this partnership, Triumph Learning customers can easily access CCIs resources and professional development services.
WANDOO PLANET
TECHSMITH RELAY
TRIUMPH LEARNING AND THE C2 COLLABORATIVE
(www.techsmith.com) TechSmith has released Relay, software that streamlines video creation and management for educators, allowing them to click one button to record, store, and distribute their class lecture content. Relay hosts the content
(www.triumphlearning.com) Triumph Learning has joined the C2 Collaborative, partnering with the Common Core Institute (CCI) and the Center for College & Career Readiness, to provide a variety of tools and professional services to support alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to College & Career Readiness requirements. Through
(www.evancedkids.com) Evanced Solutions has announced alimitedfeature test version of Wandoo Planet, a software platform that empowers kids to discover their interests and nd relevant books, music, and other content through a recommendation engine. Through the Wandoo Planet interest discovery game, players nd topics and activities that others have found to be interesting. They then decide if they love, like, or dislike what they see. Content related to the childs interests are captured in a mystical Wandoo tree that enables them to watch their interests grow over time.
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WHATS NEW
apps
Teachers can create and administer project-based assessments and provide their students with feedback on their work. literature titles. The content is available on Android tablets, Google Chromebooks, or online via the Play Books reader.
ACHIEVE3000 IPAD APP
(www.achieve3000.com) Achieve3000 has released a free app for the iPad, allowing students to build literacy skills on their tablets without the need for an Internet connection. All offline activity will sync automatically once an Internet connection resumes, allowing students to seamlessly transition across multiple devices. The app also features embedded audio, providing additional support for struggling learners and English language learners. For students with special needs, the app offers accessibility features such as VoiceOver, Speak Select, and Guided Access.
GOCLASS
(www.goclass.com) GoClass, LearningMate Solutions cloud-based teaching and learning application, now lets users sign into the app using their Google Accounts. The integration allows instructors and students, including Google Apps for Education users, to seamlessly log in to the application using their Google Accounts.
MOBENTO
GRAPHICAL ANALYSIS FOR ANDROID
(www.mobento.com) The K-12 video learning platform Mobento has introduced a new video player interface, as well as Android and iOS apps for viewing Mobentos free educational videos. Educators and students ages 12 and up can download the apps to their devices free of charge.
AIRWATCH TEACHER TOOLS
(www.air-watch.com) AirWatch has launched Teacher Tools to simplify managing mobile devices in the classroom. The iOS application offers features like All Eyes Up Front, Single Application Mode, and Clear Passcode, in an intuitive user interface. AirWatchs multi-tenant architecture allows for simple management across students, classrooms, schools, and districts. Teachers can associate each student with the assigned device and manage devices for different classes, groups of students, or individuals.
(www.vernier.com) Vernier has released Graphical Analysis for Android. The app allows students to wirelessly stream data from Verniers LabQuest 2 and from Logger Pro to an Android device and then analyze scientic data. Students can use the app with existing Vernier sensors to simultaneously collect and graph data from multiple sensors. Additionally, students can graph manually entered data, and access the same analysis and annotation features used for sensor-based data collection.
NETSUPPORT SCHOOL
(www.netsupportschool.com) The latest version of NetSupport School classroom management software enables teachers to collaborate with any mix of technology. NetSupport Student apps are now available for Android, Kindle, and iOS devices. The NetSupport School Student app for Android now offers thumbnail views of connected student tablets. Teachers can remotely launch Web sites on one or more student tablets and assign student rewards.
REACH FOR THE STARS: TOUCH, LOOK, LISTEN, LEARN

(www.sas.com) SAS has created an ebook on stellar evolution, for 10 to 12year-old students with visual impairments. Reach for the Stars: Touch, Look, Listen, Learn is currently being developed for the iPad and will be available on the App Store this summer. SAS is creating the ebook in partnership with Elena Sabbi, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute. Sabbi is the lead researcher on the latest Hubble image of 30 Doradus, nicknamed the Tarantula Nebula.
HMH AND GOOGLE PLAY FOR EDUCATION
EDUCLIPPER
(www.educlipper.net) eduClipper, the social learning platform for teachers and students to curate, create, and share educational content, is now available as an iPad app. The app allows users to build personalized learning portfolios that showcase personal achievement and academic growth.
(www.hmhco.com) Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has teamed up with Google to deliver K-12 core curriculum through Google Play for Education. Popular HMH titles such as GO Math! and Journeys Common Core are the rst available titles. The partnership will also feature many of HMHs curriculum-aligned
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EDUCATING TOMORROWS LEADERS REQUIRES TODAYS BEST TECHNOLOGY.
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Tech &amp; Learning March 2014

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VOLUME 34 / NUMBER 8

IDEAS AND TOOLS FOR ED TECH LEADERS

BIG DATA ISNT BAD

Its just misunderstood.

(See page 32)

LEGO EDUCATION STORYSTARTER

WHY WE STILL NEED LIBRARIANS See page 10 for more.

The Total Common Core Solution

the new library

THERES A BADGE FOR THAT

SCHOOL CIO: WHOS AFRAID OF BIG DATA?

DEPARTMENTS & COLUMNS

GET ON WITH THE SHOWS

Kevin Hogan Editorial Director khogan@nbmedia.com

IF YOUR DATA NETWORK WAS A STUDENT, WHAT GRADE WOULD IT GET?

Making 1:1 Work

Animated Atlas: Growth of a Nation

New Study Says MOOCs Have Few Active Users

Favorite Student Apps & Tools

Google Adds More to Play

Survey: Americans Concerned about Use of Students Personal Data

6 Must-Have Evernote iPad Apps and Chrome Extensions

Send Them on Learning Missions

Product Review: Britannica Pathways: Science

Top 100 Sites and Apps of 2013

Lenses and accessories shown are not included

Blackmagic Cinema Camera

Includes DaVinci Resolve Software

Learn more today www.blackmagicdesign.com/cinemacamera

NEWS AND TRENDS

THIS AINT YOUR 1970S SNOW DAY

SITE WE LIKE WWW.MICROSOFT.COM/

T&L READER SURVEY

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU DOWNLOADED AN EDUCATION APP?

In the past year

In the past month

In the past week

KP FOR MORE SU VH EO YS , V I S I T W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /AU G 1 3 CR ISTO

K STOC HINK TO/T

How did it get so late so soon?

NEWS AND TRENDS

WHY WE STILL NEED LIBRARIANS

CONSIDERATIONS FOR NEW LEARNING SPACES

RESOURCES FOR DIGITAL LITERACY

Data Collection for the Wireless Generation

Meet Go Wireless Temp from Vernier

For complete details go to www.vernier.com/gw-temp

Vernier Software & Technology | www.vernier.com | Toll Free: 888-VERNIER (888-837-6437)

NEWS AND TRENDS

TOP 10 FETC 2014 TAKEAWAYS

T&L CELEBRATES AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE AT TCEA

NEWS AND TRENDS

CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN LEARNING OPENS AT SCIENCE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

BETT PANEL: MEASURING WHAT MATTERS

Margaret Cox, a professor who has done a lot of

Sacha van Straten, a high school teacher from England, asked:

Paul Hutton, a consultant from England, spoke about the joy

Crispin Weston, a consultant from England, also questioned

Megan Power, a kindergarten teacher from the U.S., said,

NEWS AND TRENDS

FCC BOSS ON E-RATE REFORM

CONVERSATIONS FROM THE TECH FORUM LIVESTREAM ARCHIVE

1:1 & BYO Tips

Open Education Resources

Tech & Learning March 2014

Tech & Learning March 2014