ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FALL 2008 PAGE 1 Instructional Technology STTI Mini Bytes • 1,200 staff in high schools returned skills survey! • During the summer 45 STTI classes were attended by 436 staff members! • Summer courses were held at the Congress Avenue facility with a new popular course being YouTube/TeacherTube. • This Fall 93 STTI courses have been scheduled through December 2008. Secondary School Instructional Technology Training Going Strong The Department of Instructional Technology has been busy implementing the Secondary Technology Training Initiative (STTI). As you may remember, this Initiative is the result of a grant awarded to the Rochester City School District and East Irondequoit Central School District, and is designed to help teachers integrate technology into their instruction. Out of over 1800 staff, more than 1200 have returned the Pre-training Skills Inventory, and more than 1000 have completed the Technology Use Survey. We are still collecting that data, and will resurvey for a comparison in the Spring, after trainings have been in place for several months. During the summer, STTI scheduled 45 classes, attended by 436 people. All classes were held at one of the Congress Avenue Facility’s computer labs, and ranged from introductory Windows classes to a hands-on Flash tutorial. The YouTube/TeacherTube course, proved very popular, with 37 people attending two classes. The Fall brought a major push for technology training to the schools, with many classes scheduled through December. A training calendar of well over 100 classes now being offered at secondary sites is in place, and updates are emailed to all schools biweekly. A second list of classes will be available in late December and will feature over 200 classes designed to train teachers on specific applications to integrate technology with curricula. The new classes in development, are using ELA and math Subject Matter Experts (SME) as developers. SME’s were identified using survey results and recommendations from various sources, including building specialists. While many of these classes are intended to help teachers integrate technology into math and ELA classes, other disciplines can benefit from these classes as well. A SMART Board distribution tied to training is well underway in all high schools. This initiative targets ELA and Math classes in grades 7 – 9. The program goals are to bring just -in-time training to these teachers. Training will take place throughout the district. This is the first rollout of the new technology and training, but not the last. We are now planning for a potential summer phase and an addi- tional Fall phase for 2009.
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ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FALL 2008
PAGE 1
Instructional TechnologySTTI Mini Bytes
• 1,200 staff in high schools returned skills survey!• During the summer 45 STTI classes were attended by 436 staff members!• Summer courses were held at the Congress Avenue facility with a new
popular course being YouTube/TeacherTube. • This Fall 93 STTI courses have been scheduled through December 2008.
Secondary School Instructional Technology Training Going Strong The Department of Instructional
Technology has been busy implementing the Secondary Technology Training Initiative (STTI). As you may remember, this Initiative is the result of a grant awarded to the Rochester City School District and East Irondequoit Central School District, and is designed to help teachers integrate technology into their instruction.
Out of over 1800 staff, more than 1200 have returned the Pre-training Skills Inventory, and more than 1000 have completed the Technology Use Survey. We are still collecting that data, and will resurvey for a comparison in the Spring, after trainings have been in place for several months.
During the summer, STTI scheduled 45 classes, attended by 436 people. All classes were held at one of the Congress Avenue Facility’s computer labs, and ranged from introductory Windows classes to a hands-on Flash tutorial. The YouTube/TeacherTube course, proved very popular, with 37 people attending two classes.
The Fall brought a major push for technology training to the schools, with many classes scheduled through December. A training calendar of well over 100 classes now being offered at secondary sites is in place, and updates are emailed to all schools biweekly. A second list of classes will be available in late December and will feature over 200 classes designed to train
teachers on specific applications to integrate technology with curricula.
The new classes in development, are using ELA and math Subject Matter Experts (SME) as developers. SME’s were identified using survey results and recommendations from various sources, including building specialists. While many of these classes are intended to help teachers integrate technology into math and ELA classes, other disciplines can benefit from these classes as well.
A SMART Board distribution tied to training is well underway in all high schools. This initiative targets ELA and Math classes in grades 7 – 9. The program goals are to bring just-in-time training to these teachers. Training will take place throughout the district. This is the first rollout of the new technology and training, but not the last. We are now planning for a potential summer phase and an addi-tional Fall phase for 2009.
ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FALL 2008
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Last year, the RCSD participated in an online formative math assessment from CTB/McGraw-Hill (Acuity) in grades 3 – 8. This online assessment is mandatory for students who participate in the Extended Learning and Intervention Program (ELI) in grades 3 – 8. Acuity will continue to be voluntary for any student not participating in grades 3 – 8 ELI. The first administration window is September 8 through October 31, 2008. The RCSD Department of Instructional Technology will work with your building’s math and AIS specialists to help in the administration of this online assessment.
In addition, the former DRA system will not be used this year. We have adapted a new data collection system that is less time-consuming, more efficient, and more effective in yielding the data needed to inform instruction and measure success.
Instead, teachers will administer the DRA and fill out the assessment booklet. Then, the information can be transferred to a scannable bubble sheet pre-slugged for teachers. The pre-slugged student information will be student’s first/last name, ID, school, grade, room, DOB and assessment period. This bubble sheet will allow us to keep a performance metric on DRA that can be used to track performance for the regular school year, ELI, and summer school. We will be working collaboratively to make all formative data, including DRA, Acuity, and SRI, and The Curriculum Developer timely and easily accessed.
Benchmark Math Testing Roll Out and New DRA Collection System Unveiled
School Technology Contacts Help Ensure Technology Integration in Schools Every high school and elementary school in the Rochester City School District has a staff member as a technology contact with the Instructional Technology Department. The contacts are the conduit between the IT department and the schools, attending a monthly meeting with members of the IT department, and other specialists when needed. High school contacts and elementary contacts meet separately to discuss issues that are pertinent to their level. During the meetings, sharing of information and reporting from the schools take place. A major component of the contacts program is the turnkey training. Contacts are responsible to share what they have learned with the staff in their building. Recent issues and topics have included: Riverdeep server software, student grade-level technology expectations, laptop cart and computer
lab maintenance, technology integration, devel-opment of tech committees in schools, and building-specific problems in the schools.
Tech contacts meet to discuss issues at Hart Street Instructional Technology computer lab.
Laura Barstow of John Marshall High School has been designated a 2008 Tech & Learning Leader of the Year for her work with the media program at JMHS. She ad-dressed the Tech&Learning conference in Seattle in October. Congratulations, Laura!
ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FALL 2008
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Lexia software is being used by Schools 1, 2, 4, 14, 15, 16, 19, 25, 35, 36, 39, 42, 43, 45, 46, 50, 52, 57 and 58. There are three programs: Early, Primary and Strategies. Each provides explicit, systematic and structured practice in phonological awareness, phonics skills and decoding that supports gains in reading fluency and comprehension.
In August, we began using a new version of Lexia software. The teacher administrative software has significantly improved. Teachers can log on to the Lexia admin site from any computer with internet access, allowing teachers to make assign-ments or review reports from home or school. The student software experience is the same. Students log in using the same user name and password as Compass, KidBiz and Acuity. The user name is the last 6 digits of the student ID#, and their password is the student’s initials plus their year of birth. To facilitate this new login, teachers were provided with labels listing teacher name, student name, user name and password. The IT department is working to have consistent logins for all software programs. More than 160 teachers learned to edit their classes and make assignments based on student needs.
Reports can be viewed on the admin home page. Class usage, class progress and class skills reports are part of the combined report on each teacher’s admin home page. Student reports are imbedded in the class
report. Student usage, progress and skills reports can also be run separately.
There is a detailed skills report that is appropriate for AIS documentation.A Lexia/AIS class was taught in conjunction with the Department of Extended Learning and Intervention. Teachers learn to correlate Lexia programs/skills with NYS targeted goals. A sample AIS plan is provided and teachers receive assistance in writing their individual AIS plans. Joan Matzner, from the Instructional Technology Department and Deb Nicowski, from the Department of Extended Learning and Intervention, co-teach this course. A Lexia Administrators meeting was held in October. Administrators have access to reports for their school and can monitor usage and progress. Each school has a Lexia contact that is instrumental in assisting students and teachers in using Lexia. The contacts have learned the new Lexia admin program and have discussed ways to integrate and support Lexia at after school meetings. Joan Matzner is the RCSD Lexia trainer. She is available for site visits to assist teachers and students in implementing Lexia and to review reports with teachers and administrators.
New Version of Lexia Software Significantly Improved
Monroe High School teacher Liza Steffen along with IT teacher Randy Schenk will be
presenting at this year’s New York State Computer and Technology Education
(NYSCATE) meeting. Their presentation is titled Giving ESOL Students a Voice with
Podcasting. Liza and Randy have been working with Liza’s ESOL students at Monroe High School. The next issue of this newsletter will have a full rundown of the NYSCATE meet-ing. You can listen to some of the podcasts at
http://web.mac.com/monroe.esol.steffen/ Susan Masser presenting at
previous NYSCATE meeting. Randy Schenk with students
Coordinating Director of Instructional TechnologyTim Cliby, Ed.D.
Associate Director for Benchmark TestingGlen VanDerwater
Instructional Technology Resource Teachers: Kevin Lydon Susan Massar Joan MatznerRich Olsen
Mark PowersRandy Schenk
User Support Instructor Mitchel Hansinger
Staff Spotlight
Glen VanDerwater
Glen VanDerwater is the Associate Director of Benchmark Testing. Glen works closely with members of the IT department and the Math and the ELA departments on the RCSD benchmark testing program. Glen believes that through electronic formative assessments (i.e. CTB Math) we can inform all shareholders on student progress and accurately prescribe a learning path for students to ensure success.
Glen has been with the RCSD for over 15 years. He previously taught at # 19 School for eight years and later became an Assistant Principal at #12 School and Edison Tech. Glen joined the IT department in 2006 to oversee the benchmark testing program.
Outside of work he is very involved with his family and golfing. Glen and his wife Diane have four children. His stepdaughter Danielle is a kindergarten teacher at #1 School, his stepdaughter Joy is a cosmetologist and his stepson is serving in the U.S. Marines. Glen says his 2 year old daughter keeps him busy and happy. Glen admits to an addiction to golf which has paid off with a single digit handicap and many interesting experiences. Fore!
SharePoint Works for You! SharePoint provides document storage and human collaboration capabilities via an easy-to-use web page interface. As more and more people discover the usefulness of SharePoint, its popularity has exploded. The Department of Instructional Technology has scheduled additional SharePoint classes to meet the growing demand. The series of three classes takes you from the basics all the way to SharePoint Administration. Some of the skills students gain include: learning how to effectively use your SharePoint My Site, storing, sharing, and accessing files from anywhere in the district, and learning how to manage your school or department site. The descriptions below provide details for each of the three courses:
1) SharePoint Overview This one-hour session provides information about the District's SharePoint Portal and its main areas. You will learn how to set up and use My Site, your personal workspace, and how to upload, organize, and edit documents. (1 Hour; Prerequisite: None)
2) SharePoint Content Management This hands-on course teaches you the skills needed to create and maintain SharePoint libraries and lists. You also learn how to use zones and web parts to customize SharePoint. (2 Hours; Prerequisite: Overview)
3) SharePoint Administration This course teaches you the skills needed to administer school sites, team sites, document workspaces, and meeting workspaces. You also learn to grant and revoke permissions for SharePoint sites and workspaces. (3 Hours; Prerequisite: Content Management)
Come take a SharePoint class and learn how to save time and maximize your communication and collaboration initiatives!
