Prometheus Technology

Prometheus Boards or Smart Boards? We recently began the implementation of installing Prometheus Boards school wide. We have 15 of them on campus including 4-6 grades, the primary computer lab, special education classrooms and resource. In the next few months we will have them in second and third and have started conversations on how to implement kinder and first.

What we have found from the P Boards vs. the S Boards is that the P Boards are very durable and dont need to be recalibrated if bumped etc. If anyone has any other information please share.

The students use this technology daily and answer questions with clickers. The teacher can tell immediately if the students understand the concept being taught. The teacher has the ability to reteach a concept with a certain student if they get the answer incorrect.

Students appear engaged and have discussed how they like using this technology. The teaching possibilities are amazing and we are just in the beginning stages of using it to full capacity.

Fly on the wall!

This afternoon I sat watching my youngest son play an awesome game of football! He is the half back and almost scored the last touchdown of the season. As the game was long and went into overtime, I sat watching and listening to the conversations in the stands.
What I learned...
Parents were discussing why schools havent starting using iphones in classrooms. They discussed the signing of acceptable use policies and how it would have to be managed. They passed around phones with apps...for music etc. They discussed how schools couldnt afford to keep up with this tech and how they would support each child and purchase the needed apps etc.
I have blogged on this subject in the last few weeks and was pleasantly surprised to know parents are thinking this way as well.
So, I really think education is not a "broken" system! I think we are already reframing our organization and need to start giving our students, parents and teachers more credit than we have been giving them!
The future school I thought I would be designing already has the frame in place...we just need to extend this vision!
All students are capable of great things!

What is possible in education?

The fact is that education is going to be around. Our job is what are we going to do with it as leaders? With this project we can manipulate what it should look like in the future. We need to re-frame our thoughts making a shift in our thinking. I keep reflecting on building on prior knowledge. We know we arent being successful so how, who, when are we going to be willing to step up and make the change needed for the future of education.
This generation deserves more and I believe through the tech project we will come up with a variety of solutions.
Is this the rubber hitting the road?

Multitouch Desks

As I continue researching educational reform I am interested in classrooms of the future and how technology will be an integral part of moving students forward and bridging the educational gap. At Durham University in the UK they are researching "interactive multi-touch desks" in classrooms.

With budget constraints a program like this would have to be funded through some form of a grant and be a pilot until all aspects are worked out.

We could start thinking outside of the box...how about tapping into some of the technological resources we already have. For instance...students have cell phone, ipods and know how to navigate the technological terrain at a more proficient rate than many adults.

So, we dont have multi-touch desks at our fingertips today...but we do have access to technology. Are we doing our job as educators and tapping into all our resources? I think we should link what we have and figure out how to keep moving it forward!

Thinking, viewing, listening, speaking....tvls....tvls

Steller Colleagues,

First as far as The Executive Summary for Race to The Top...
December 2009 100 LEA's agreed to join
Accelerated initiative to drive growth (student achievement)
Best chance in educational reform
For workforce to fuel future innovations
Only through unprecedented collaboration between state and LEA's
All children reach potential
Jan 19, 2010 Deadline...

Monitoring Needs...
refine current rigorous standards
new support for teachers and principals
requires MOU

Perspective...
Chance for students and districts to survive and thrive in hypercompetitive global economy

First Round of money...
Awarded to Delaware and Tennessee
Cant appy for second round...

Application Process...5 Areas
Great Teachers and Leaders 138 points
State Success Factors 125 points
Standards and Assessments 70 points
General Selection Criteria 55 points
Turning Around Lowest Achieving Schools 50 points
Data Systems to Support Instruction 47 points

Only California, Texas, Florida and New York eligible for highest buckets of award

*Note, this info is from research and not my opinion. I will add as I understand the second phase of the application process and its deadlines.

*For your consideration...
1. Why do some states feel prepared to move forward with change and others not so much?
2. If we are agents of change, how should we react to this initiative?
3. We have to do something...