Holy Rosary Ramblog

Oh Brenda ...

Dr. Helen Bochar, accompanied by a phalanx of principals and other Board people, visited our school on the 18th of March. Dr. Bochar is an educational diagnostician; she evaluates schools and systems and offers suggestions for improvement. What she wants schools to be reflects the Ministry view: Schools should be learning organizations that focus on developing higher order thinking skills in students. She advocates high expectations for all students.

Although she had suggestions for improvement, Dr. Bochar was pleased with what she observed at Holy Rosary. She saw us as being on the right road and well along it. She liked the environment of innovation and the obvious willingness of teachers to adjust on the spot to ideas that might improve their practise. We want to get better. We saw her visit as an opportunity to get better faster.

I write this under some duress as I have been told I have a second reader who, like the first, expects greater output that I have generated recently. I too will try to do better.

Smart Countries Smart Boards SMART Boards Smart Students

I attended a one day SMART workshop at Appleby College in Oakville on Saturday. The day began in the gym with 450 attendees, a full house. Applications closed early and a second session has been scheduled for April 5 I believe. The SMART people talked about how their products could leverage 21st century learning for students. There was a great deal of excitement in the room. After two hours we split into small groups for the rest of the day.

In case there are readers of this I don't know about, a SMART Board is an interactive whiteboard that is touch sensitive and projects the image of a computer's desktop. To get a flavour for this technology in its educational application, here is a link to an article that appeared in the London Free Press on Saturday:

Free Press Article

Tony Blair established the goal of getting a SMART Board into every classroom in Great Britain. That program has continued. Italy has a similar implementation underway.

The sessions I attended were exceptionally well done. Our presenter was brought in from Denver. She was knowledgeable in the area of Junior education, especially as it relates to the development of higher order thinking skills in children.

If there were an underlying theme it was that classrooms need to change in order to engage students and improve their learning. The world these kids will live in will be fundamentally different from the one for which schools were designed to educate them. If all one can do is read and write, he will not be able to compete.

Math is not everything, but ...

Since I  know I have a reader, I will try to post more regularly.  We have done many things in regard to mathematics at Holy Rosary in the last 18 months or so.  It is not everything we do, but it has become a de facto focus of the school's improvement plan.  The following is a current article from  the Technology and Learning  website. It includes several mathematics links you may find useful:

   

Technology=Math Success                  By Harry Grover Tuttle         February 15, 2008                  URL:                     http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.php?articleID=196605005                              from Technology & Learning There are plenty of online resources to help students solve math problems. Technology can support the study of math in a variety of ways. Below is a sampling of resources to benefit the math classroom.   Calculate profit and loss with ClassBrain's Lemonade Stand Game. Elementary Students enter an interactive mathematical environment when they use simulations such as ClassBrain's Lemonade Stand Game. Players begin with money, decide how much to spend and to charge, and how many glasses of lemonade they will make based on the weather forecast. The program tracks the students' earnings or losses. Kids can also solve problems based on what's going on in their own communities. The National Math Trail spearheads this practice for schools across the country. For example, at Hillcrest Elementary, in Ellsworth, WI, students base their math problems what's going on in their own village, including on their playground and at the local cheese-curd factory. Young students get help understanding abstract concepts when they visualize data using the National Council of Teachers of Math Illuminations Bar Grapher, which introduces students to its online graphing program where students can compare data and begin to transition to abstract representations. As elementary math teachers need worksheets for standards-practice, they can go to an online site such as Teachnology.com, where primary teachers can find worksheets on visual math for comparing groups and identifying differences. Middle School Sometimes middle school students need step-by-step scaffolding as they try to solve addition, division, or ratio word problems. As students do a ratio problem in Math Playground's Thinking Blocks, for example, they're provided with structured assistance with hints and moveable blocks. Middle school students, in small groups, become engaged in combined math/science problems they solve in 30 minutes. HotMath includes diverse math learning challenges in angles, symmetry, scale drawing, and balance algebra, for example. Students can demonstrate their understanding of shapes through the use of digital-concept map programs such as Inspiration. A teacher gives his students a concept map of shapes and shape categories (rhombus, square, equilateral, for instance). The students move the shapes around to show the relationships. Students learn real-life math as they collect information about recycling from the school cafeteria and share that information via videoconference with another class doing the same research. Each class reports on the numbers of students who bring lunch from home. Furthermore, they report on the amount of paper bags, plastic bags, paper napkins, plastic silverware, and food containers that are tossed. The classes share data, compare graphs, and figure out what it means in terms of school pollution, while considering strategies to reduce the cafeteria trash pollution. High School Math becomes physical for high school students when they use a science-motion-detector probe to create a linear algebra graph as they walk from one point to another. The students experiment with how to change the variables of distance and speed. They see the graph changing as they modify one of the variables, gaining real-time verification of their math knowledge. Students explore complex math based on their communities when they do a WebQuest such as Womick's A Functional Housing Market, in which students derive a linear regression from their data, answer questions on the average cost per square foot, land values, and then predict the cost of different homes. High school students can better understand how number theories relate to actual events by watching the Numb3rs TV show which the teacher can tape for the "number" segments. Some small math segments are also available on YouTube, by searching for Numb3rs. Sometimes math students know they need help, but they do not want to ask the teacher. They can go to S.0.S. Math, which has tutorials that often include practice lessons. If students want to check any math answers to see if their logic is correct, they can go to QuickMath, which instantly provides them with the answer. For example, if students are not sure about a "joining the fractions" problem, they go to the Algebra/Join Fractions section, type in their problem of 1/5 + 2/10 + 1/20, and see the answer of 9/20. If they don't have that answer, they can rework the problem. Through class Web sites, blogs or wikis, teachers can communicate the math standards, the goals needed to achieve the standards, homework assignments, projects, tests, and helpful Web sites for parents and students. The online site becomes an extension of the class. Harry Grover Tuttle, Ed.D., is a consultant.   Resources ClassBrain's Lemonade Stand Game National Math Trail National Council of Teachers of Math Illuminations Bar Grapher Teachnology.com Math Playground's Thinking Blocks HotMath Inspiration Software, Inc. Womick's A Functional Housing Market S.0.S. Math QuickMath

SMARTboards SMARTerkids

SMARTboards have been in our classrooms for a few months now. Teachers have become comfortable with them and they are now a natural part of the environment. I remember the first session we did introducing the SMARTboard. Jamie Majeski with all his cajoling was not able to get any of us up to try it. Although we have come a long way, we realize we have a long way to go. Without question the pace is quickening.

On Saturday a few of us are attending SMART's day-long professional development session at Appleby College in Oakville. There is great enthusiasm for this project. Mrs. Reurink's grade seven students did exceptionally well on their recent Integers test in mathematics. She attributes this result to the SMARTboard. It enabled integer processes to be modeled in several different semi-concrete ways. In addition students were able to interact with the board to aid in explaining their thinking.

None of us doubts the value of this technology. While the evidence is anecdotal at this point, we expect to see improvement in student achievement that can be linked to the SMARTboard and to the way it is a catalyst for change in classroom practise.

Better late than ...

It has been a while since I have written. Today my wife asked me for my blog address so I think it is time to get going again.

Tonight is our Christmas concert. We lost yesterday as a rehearsal day because of a major snow storm. All busses in the district were cancelled. Today we work feverishly to be ready for tonight! As far as I can tell, we will be ready.

Our technology initiative is proceeding nicely. Computers have been distributed to the classrooms and four SMARTBoards have been installed.  These interactive white boards are proving to be motivational for teachers and students alike.

From the office at Holy Rosary, I wish all of you a joy filled Christmas!

... but I can't understand it for you.

The best predictor of student success is parental involvement in the life of the school. This evening we have invited all of our parents and guardians to a dinner followed by a series of workshops. The workshops include Internet Safety, Bullying, and Supporting Literacy among others. Parents can select two.

This night came about as a result of the Education Ministry's "Parents Reaching Out" grant. Our School Council was successful in its application for a grant. The entire evening is free for our families. As with most things we do invitations were extended to the larger community as well.

There was a feeling on the council that our community would be better off if more families were more involved in the work the parent community does to support the school. Everyone is busy and it has never been a question of parents being obligated to participate beyond the extensive participation every parent does in making sure kids get to school on time prepared to learn. The people who take care of our students are wonderful people, all of them.

But the Council provides an opportunity to become involved in a different way, a way many of us have found to be deeply enriching. The data is clear about the importance of parent involvement. We hope that as a result of things like we are doing this evening, a few more choose to become involved in helping to develop school goals and to experience the joy of working as part of a team to realize them.

I can explain it to you...

Literacy continues to dominate our Board's professional development initiatives. The provincial government is behind most of them. The goal is to educate Ontario's students, all or most of them, so that they will be able to compete with students anywhere in the world.

This is  an important goal for public education. It is one that most of us would accept. The claims one hears about the progress toward achieving it demand a certain scepticism however. If the goal is important, the last thing we need are those who accept things uncritically, on the basis of authority for instance. There are those who say, for example, that while it is true that we are improving, the gap between where we are and where we need to be is widening. To those who say this, the missing piece is the use of digital technology to leverage quantum improvement.

New technology often presents a challenge. An example of this can be found here.

There is something happening here...

We are devoting a lot of time and money to upgrading the technology in our school. All of us agree that this is necessary. In order for our students to be educated for their world, they need technology and guidance about what to do with it. Computers themselves are at best a necessary condition for building a 21st century learning environment; they are not in themselves sufficient. The educational landscape is littered with failed implementations. No one sets out to fail; the job of reinventing education using technology as a lever is a lot more difficult than people think.

This is a critical point for us to consider. We are in the process of acquiring a critical mass of technology. Our wireless network is up and running. On Wednesday evening the school council approved the funding necessary for our mobile laptop lab. This lab has the potential to provide each of our students from grade 4 to 8 inclusive  with a laptop computer for two hours a day.  We purchased a new 24 port gigabit switch to replace our last hub. We are currently seeking funds to continue technology renewal for our jk to grade 3 students.

The computers and smart boards will provide pretty pictures. It will look like good things are happening in our classrooms. Unless we address further issues, however, it will amount to a new coat of paint on the outhouse. It is well to remember that the computer is a tool, though not just a tool. As a tool it is designed to do a job. So it is well to ask what is the problem for which this tool is necessary. If we use  computer technology to do yesterday's work, then we will have wasted our money. So we need to do other things, things we could not do without it. And we need our teachers and school community to understand that we should not be educating for compliance, but for respectful creative engagement. The skills our students need for their lives are different from the ones we needed for ours.

So with the technology comes the obligation to think about objectives. You can move a lot more earth with a backhoe than with a shovel. As a result of the efforts of a lot of people, we will soon be able to put our shovels away. :)

...and wants it down!

Our professional development went well this week. The eWorkshop from NCTM went from 7 PM until almost 9 PM. Despite the time there were seven of us in attendance. Now that we know how to set these up, with Marvin's help, we will do a second one on February 22. This one is for grades 6-8 and the topic is "Reasoning with Data and Probability." It begins at 4 PM in the library at Holy Rosary. We are advertising this one throughout Lambton County since the PD is both exceptional and cost effective.

Mr. Majeski, the Board's math consultant, began a series of sessions with our grade 7/8 class. We have borrowed a class set of graphing calculators, the ones our students will use in high school, and Mr. Majeski is educating them on their use. He got off to a great start yesterday. By the end our students will be comfortable with this powerful technology.

Have a great weekend everyone! Go Indianapolis!!

Something there is that doesn't love a wall...

Winter has certainly arrived! Every day is an adventure making the trek to and from Wyoming. I am finding myself paying close attention to the weather during the day and making sure we have workable plans for any eventuality.

We had a well attended Holy Rosary family outing at the SSEC on Saturday. There was skating on the main ice rink and then the Junior A game between Sarnia and Ottawa. Although Sarnia lost for the seventh time in a row, everyone seemed to have a good time. Several people asked me why I didn't skate prior to the game. The answer is that I learned my lesson last time, at our school skating trip to Petrolia before Christmas. :) Those who saw my sorry state after that did not need to ask this time.

We have worked ourselves into a position where we can begin to execute our technology initiatives in the school. Wireless access points have arrived and will be installed tomorrow. Thanks to our parent fundraisers, Holy Rosary will be a wireless school. This gives us great flexibility as we mobilize computers and other devices in the interest of student learning.

We have bought 8-port switches for the classrooms. Several computers will be placed in each of them, and students will be able to access them as a regular part of their day. As we are able to purchase wireless computers, these ones will begin moving out of the school.

While the technology is a necessary condition to achieving our educational objectives, it is not sufficient. You could have the best hardware and software available and not get anywhere with it. The additional piece is teacher professional development. With limited funds we have already done a lot in this area. But this week events are scheduled that will contribute to our effort to build capacity in the school.

Tuesday we will show a webcast from the Literacy Secretariat. The topic is: Kindergarten Matters. This will run from 4-5:30 PM. From 7-8:30 PM we are bringing in an eLearning opportunity produced by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. The topic is: Teaching the Algebra Strand in k-2. Our ability to deliver Professional Development is a consequence of having a fast Internet connection in the school. This along with wireless access and modern computers constitutes the necessary infrastructure to be able to think about 21st century learning.