Curriculum & Technology

Transforming Teaching and Learning Through High-Level

Thinking Skills

Charlottesville City SchoolsDecember 2012

Strategic Plan: Objective 1.2.1

By August 2013, revise GPS documents and non-core curriculum guides to ensure the inclusion of 21st century skills and higher-level thinking strategies (as defined by Costa’s Three-story Intellect, for example) in each unit of instruction.

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The Three-Story Intellect

Level 3Evaluate

Predict JudgeAssess Idealize Forecast

Level 2Compare Apply SolveAnalyze Reason InferExamine Contrast Explain

Level 1Label Identify DefineSpell Choose NameSelect Restate Match

The Work We've Done

• Last Springo Identified 21st century and

higher-level thinking skills to include in GPS documents.

• Last Summero Had curriculum writers in the

core content areas identify at least two high-level thinking strategies in each unit of study.

• This Fallo Introduced teachers to thinking

strategies in the GPS.

Challenging All Students

Teachers can differentiate

Content Process Product

According to a student’s

Readiness Interests Learning Profile

through a range of instructional strategies such as tiered assignments learning centers choice board complex instruction problem-based learning varied text flexible grouping independent study literature circles

Elementary English

• School Year 2011–2012o Researched materials that

Aligned with new English standards Supported 21st century skills Stressed Costa's high-level thinking strategies

• Spring 2012o Selected Benchmark Literacy for Tier 1 instructiono Matched curriculum and assessments to new

resources and Costa's levelso Increased teacher awareness of new resources

prior to implementation

Elementary English

• Fall 2012o Implemented new curriculum aligned with 2010

English standardso Trained all teachers on resource materials o Provided on-site coaching at schoolso Offered site-specific professional development

Secondary English

June 2012• Summer training on new resources

• Curriculum planning with the best turnout to date!

August–November 2012• Training on new resources (live, virtual, ongoing)• Increasing rigor in instruction and on assessments• Encouraging collaboration and communication• Increasingly integrating technology

Secondary English

Personal Portfolio

Dashboard

Direct FeedbackAssignment Tracking

Secondary English Rigor, Communication, and Collaboration:

Live & Virtual

Moodle Chat - Huckleberry Finn

Moodle Forum - The Scarlet Letter

Discussion - A Raisin in the Sun

Reading Groups - Something Upstairs

AVID one-pager "The Green Gulch"

Historical Thinking Skills

1. Chronological thinking

2. Historical comprehension

3. Historical analysis and interpretation

4. Historical research capabilities

5. Historical issues-analysis and decision-making

The Language of Mathematics

• Aligned GPS to new math content standards (2009) and added process standards

• Increased rigor with multiple choice questions

• Focused more on open-ended questions & performance taskso Math Olympiad questionso Quest boxes

o Technology Enhanced Itemso Exemplars

Math Exemplars - An Example

The Rigors of Science

Students…• Integrate math computations

and relationships into science.

• Use simulations and model building to understand abstract concepts.

• Focus on data analysis.

• Use Project 2061 to address misconceptions.

• Work cooperatively to practice and persist when solving science problems.

The Relevance of Science

• Partner with scientists in the community.o White coat ceremonyo UVA students and faculty

• Have meaningful, interdisciplinary field experiences.o Monticelloo Camp Albemarleo Buford garden

• See themselves as scientists.

Students think like a scientist as they…

How We Support Learners

• Students and teachers report improved tablet image — faster, more responsive

• Tablets received software & updates via SCMo Audio driverso Shockwave updateso Shortcuts for calibrationo Wireless repair

• Tablets received site-specific testing profiles that support test application requirementso IA, MAP, and TestNav

Tablet Issues from Help Desks (Oct. 1 – Dec. 3)

How We Support Staff

• MAP and IA testing issues reported from numerous sites

o Not limited to specific hardware or location

o Challenges were more global

o IT responses included Wireless assessments

On-site support

wireless network repairs and improvements

Image/profile updates for tablets to ensure acceptance of browser plugins from testing providers

How We Support Staff

• The work we are doing

o Established web-based help desk solution for better reporting and tracking of issues

o Provided Citrix Virtual Desktops setup to mirror programs available on Tablets

o Have loaner Tablets prepped and available to coordinators and teachers

o Offer ongoing evaluation and feedback via Blast committee, TACC meetings, and informal sessions

o Meet regularly with school and division leadership

How We Support Hardware

• Improved Tech support at schoolso Help desks are staffed during all school hours

• Established a Help Desk ticketing system for tracking issueso System is populated by Help Desk staff

• Completed Fujitsu self service agreement and training o Tablets are now repaired on-site

Instructional Technology Team

• The Teamo Division Coordinator and 5 ITRTs

• Their Skillso Instructional specialists

Explore, plan, implement effective teaching strategies

o Curriculum specialists Understand, integrate, link curriculum and standards; model and

co-teach lessons

o Resource specialists Provide instructional materials – websites, lessons, assessments

o Professional developers Provide on-demand support, demonstrations, hands-on training

Technology Integration

Our goal is to transform teaching and learning experiences by integrating technology seamlessly into instructional practices so that the technology becomes a transparent and integral tool to teach the core curriculum.

Curriculum and Technology

• Communicate

• Collaborate

• Organize

• Manage

• Research

• Practice

• Present

• Assess

• Reflect

• Invent

• Innovate

• Access information

Why Integrate?

• Improve student learning by creating richer lessons

• Increase rigor of academics and quality of learning

• Stimulate curiosity and interest

• Engage and motivate learners

• Improve how all students learn content

Why Integrate?

• Differentiate instruction

• Project-based learning

• Formative assessment with immediate feedback

• Communication

Employing technology provides a variety of new ways to learn, and in the process, fosters independent thinking, problem solving, and collaborative learning.

Walker 6th Grade

• 30% of teachers have a web presence

• Daily use

• Think Through Math

• socrative.com

• Online math games

• Research projects

• Blogs

• Writing assessment

Buford Middle School

• 93% of teachers have a web presence

• Photostory

• GIS/Mapping Tools

• TEIs

• Moodle Forum

• Reading comprehension tools

• www.freerice.com

• ST Math and Think Through Math

• Research

Charlottesville High School

• 90% of teachers have a web presence

• Blended learning in action

• Flipped classroom

• Comprehensive use and integration of tablets…

in every course for all content areas throughout classroom practices

*Exploring togetherWorking with graphing calculators

Hard at work

Reading at the iPod Cafe

Curriculum & Technology at Work

Probing scientists