Matthew Lynch

Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

The 4 Biggest Ed Tech Stories of 2015

As expected, ed tech continued to be a hot topic of discussion in 2015. Because of its increased coverage, The Edvocate decided to create a list of the top 4 ed tech stories of 2015.

Are MOOCs the biggest ed tech story of 2015? With a steady stream of reporting that the price of college is quickly becoming too high for many Americans to afford, an alternative form of higher education seemed to be how some future students would learn. MOOCs, or massive open online classes, offer free lectures and web-based courses by some of the world’s best universities.

But according to NPR.com, MOOCs’ popularity never really took off. But because the courses are free and open to anyone with an internet connection, many believed that this type of offering would soon be the death of college.

Not so, or at least not yet.

According to a paper produced by Harvard and MIT on MOOC courses that both institutions offer, more than one million participants entered a HarvardX or MITx course between 2012 and 2014. While those numbers may seem high, it is important to remember that each course is free, though participants may choose to purchase a certificate of completion at the end.

The paper also found that nearly 40 percent of those surveyed who took one of the MOOC courses had a teaching background.

Overall, the study showed that MOOCs are growing at a steady pace but not enough to pose a serious or significant threat to brick and mortar institutions.
That doesn’t mean that these free courses will soon be de-funded or go away; this simply shows that more time is needed to figure out and cultivate their appeal.

MOOCs may still represent a new wave of how students will digest education in the future. Free may be good, but quality has to be attached to it. As long as institutions offering MOOCs continue to give valued information through these courses, our future workforce and economy may be better because of it.

Is online education affordable? According to U.S. News and World Report, online higher education options aren’t necessarily cheaper than the traditional brick-and-mortar schools.

The report attempted to “debunk” the myths surrounding the theory that online education may be a cheaper option for some students.
According to usnews.com, tuition costs for online courses, or degrees in some cases, are more expensive due to technology and faculty costs.

“Even if tuition for an online program looks appealingly low, students should be sure to look into whether they will be paying any additional fees, says Vickie Cook, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois—Springfield.”

Depending on the type of school the student chooses, the cost of attending varies. Selecting a private higher education institution that offers online programs will certainly trend higher than a public university with controlled costs.

It’s also worth mentioning that many for-profit schools offer online programs. The costs associated with these programs and schools will sometimes rival that of some of the country’s best schools.

The importance of researching the type of school a student wants to attend and what costs may come with attaining one’s degree will be paramount.
The U.S. News and World Report’s article also suggested that students qualify for student loans and Pell Grants even for an online education—a myth that needs to be busted.

Is course customization the future of instructional tech? In an ever-changing online environment, course customization may soon reign supreme. As online education continues to grow and evolve, so will demands on the industry and one area in which this is especially true is course design — or specifically, the creating of courses that fit each classroom just right and move away from the “one size fits all” approach to curriculum.

It’s why Blackboard Inc., the once-popular company that provides software solutions and tools for learning for higher education, high school, and k-12 classrooms, is up for sale.

According to Reuters.com, the company’s growth and revenue have slowed due to upstarts and changes in higher education.

Those “changes” are coming mainly in the way of customization options.

Recently, Odysseyware, an up-and-coming software company that provides curriculum for online institutions, announced alterations to its system that will make teaching and learning much more personal.

The company’s software will now allow educators to completely customize standard courses, giving them the ability to “rearrange, add, and delete content, including assignments…and search curriculum by topic and standard.”

There are more changes, like the creation of search engines that give educators the unique ability to search and save content as well. More than anything, this shows how nimble and proactive Odysseyware is being in the face of a rapidly evolving education environment. For students to reach their full academic potentials, teachers must tap resources that best fit each individual class structure and customization options facilitate this.

I believe the way teachers create lesson plans will look much different in 5 years than it does today, thanks in part to the upsurge of customization technology.

Obama to invest $3 billion in ed tech. President Obama announced nearly $3 billion in education technology commitments from various private technology companies and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), according to U.S. News & World Report. The resounding goal is to “close the technology gap in our schools.”

The Department of Agriculture will provide more than $10 million in distance-learning grants for rural schools, according to documents shared by the White House. The FCC committed $2 billion that will act as a down payment for providing high-speed broadband Internet access to 15,000 schools, fulfilling part of the President’s promise to expand broadband access and wireless Internet.

Among the donations is an investment of $1 billion’s worth of Microsoft products, according to the software company. Microsoft also pledged to deeply discount several of its digital devices for all K-12 public schools. In addition, the company has offered more than 12 million free copies of Microsoft Office to students at low-income schools.

Teachers will also receive professional development to guarantee they know how to properly use the technology in their classrooms. Verizon pledged to provide increased professional development opportunities for teachers, says Rose Stuckey Kirk, president of the Verizon Foundation.

In a statement, she told U.S. News, “One key result we found from training teachers on mobile technology in the classroom is that their students learn better problem-solving skills. These skills are essential for 21st-century-education and an ability to compete internationally.”

During the announcement, President Obama stated that the commitments would help “put the world and outer space at every child’s fingertips, whether they live in a big city or a quiet suburb or rural America.”

Can you think of any ed tech stories that we missed?

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Matthew Lynch, Teachers

Why You Should Join an Educational Association

Most new teachers will at some point consider joining an educational association. Educational associations not only provide support; they also provide continuing education for teachers. New teachers will soon find that most fellow teachers belong to the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), or the National Education Association (NEA), or both. The decision as to which one to join is usually guided by the school location and fellow teachers’ involvement. Two of the main benefits of membership are professional collaboration and mutual support. Dozens of professional organizations provide continuing support for teachers, from further training to collective bargaining for better working conditions. These organizations tend to create communities where teachers can get help and protection regarding teachers’ rights, expand teaching knowledge, receive teaching materials, and even relieve stress by connecting with other teachers.

The Internet is a wonderful resource for training materials and teaching resources as well. Check out the following links for information on:

Training materials:
– Education Week (www.edweek.org)
– Teacher Magazine (www.teachermagazine.org)

Activity ideas:
– Inspiring Teachers (www.inspiringteachers.com)

Connecting with other teachers:
– Education World (www.education-world.com)

Teaching organizations:
– The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (www.ascd.org)
– National Middle School Association (www.nmsa.org)
– National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org)
– National Association for Gifted Children (www.nagc.org)
– The Council for Exceptional Children (www.cec.sped.org)

Remember, with education, the more you know, the better you do! Don’t miss out on the opportunities to expand your knowledge and connection base that teaching associations provide!

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Matthew Lynch published in Equity, Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform

Why Inclusion of Special Needs Students Works

By Matthew Lynch

Students with mild disabilities are generally part of a regular classroom and some may spend short periods of time each day in a resource room receiving specialized education.  Referred to as “pull-out” programs, these programs have been under fire because they separate and label children, yet they do not produce the required improvements in the students’ academic performance.  In light of this, more mainstream classroom inclusion has become a popular choice for students with special needs.  With inclusion, the child is fully included in the regular class for the entire day.  A special education teacher works with the special needs children in the classroom, and all resources needed by the child are brought to the regular classroom. Inclusion has its share of nay-sayers however who voice concerns about the inclusion programs.  Teachers of regular classes have concerns, which include:

  • A lack of support services for students when they are moved into a regular classroom;
  • Lack of training for even the most experienced teachers when it comes to supporting and working with disabled students;
  • Limited content and field experiences in teacher education programs focused on learning disabilities;
  • Limited involvement of regular teachers during creation of the IEP;
  • Concerns expressed by parents of “regular” students in the inclusive classroom that their children would not get the attention they need.

Inclusion is directed at ensuring that students with disabilities are able to benefit from the best learning situations possible. Prior to change a made to NCLB in 2003, educational progress of children with disabilities was not tracked. In 2003, NCLB required that states include the achievement scores of 95 percent of all special education students in their annual progress reports. Hence another level of inclusion was instituted, one designed to ensure that special needs students were progressing. States were allowed to include accommodations for special needs students taking the test, such as extended test time, one-on-one testing, and helping students to write answers. Students with severe cognitive disabilities were also allowed to take an alternative test.

Despite concerns expressed by some teachers and parents about inclusion, evidence suggests that it works. Teachers have testified to the benefits that their students have received in terms of increased performance and comprehension.  Prior to testing these students, they fell by the wayside and there was no way to tell what they were learning or even if they were learning.  The exposure to the testing has given these students a place in the educational arena and exposure to more attention, opportunities and self-sufficiency.

There is another aspect to inclusion of students with special needs that is important too, and that is how it positively impacts mainstream peers. Rather than remove students who are different from classrooms, there is a blending of them and it teaches the mainstream students more about compassion, understanding and that every student learns in a different way. These are traits that cannot be taught from a book, but must be learned in the classroom through experience – and they are important.

I think the move to include more special needs students in daily classroom settings is a smart one, and the accompanying testing enforces it. Perhaps this generation of K-12 students will be the highest-achieving yet.

photo credit: zilverbat. via photopin cc

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Matthew Lynch published in Matthew Lynch, Policy & Reform, Teachers

Still Relevant: 3 School Library Systems Doing it Right

Despite many K-12 libraries finding themselves on the chopping block in the budget cuts of recent years, I believe this aspect of student learning is essential for academic and real-world success. Librarians, information associates, media center specialists – call them what you want, but these professionals are just as important to student success as homeroom teachers and administrators. I’ve written before about what K-12 libraries need to look like in the coming years to maintain relevancy. Today I want to look at three school library initiatives that are reaching students in the right way and cementing the libraries’ priority spot in their respective schools and districts.

Ogden School District, Utah

At the end of last school year, the Ogden School District laid off ALL teacher librarians as a drastic budget cut. An uproar from the parents, students and community at large ensued and resulted in seven of the original 20 returning to full-time spots. With something to prove, the returning librarians spent the summer developing a plan to help students become top-notch researchers in the digital age. This includes information technology training that puts the responsibility of learning into the hands of the students – and teaches them to dig a little deeper than a simple Google search for information.

Takeaway: Successful K-12 libraries will not simply house information; their staffs will teach students how to access that information for lifelong learning.

The Meadowbrook School of Weston, Massachusetts

In November, this elementary school library was honored by the American Library Association for its interdisciplinary learning track for third graders. The “Transforming Tales” program starts in the physical library, where third graders read fairy tales from across the globe. The students compare cultures through the fairy tales read and then take those comparisons back to social studies, music, art, math and P.E. classes. In the end, the third graders develop their own fairy tales in groups and incorporate building blocks, song, dance and drawing into their depiction. The end product is the result of cross-curricular learning but it all starts within the school library walls.

Takeaway: School libraries should be the common thread that ties all disciplines together for most effective K-12 student experiences.

New Augusta South Elementary School, Indianapolis

In May, this elementary school library was honored by the American Library Association as the National School Library Program of the Year. Headed by librarian Lauren Kniola, this open-access library facilitates student learning all day (not just during scheduled library visits) and also takes the lead on technology training for teachers. To help with student research, the school library has a link that maintains bookmarks of previous student’s research to help others find information more quickly. By welcoming students and teachers through the library doors, New Augusta South makes the library the hub of the school and encourages collaborative learning.

Takeaway: The resources of a K-12 library should be accessible to all students and teachers, all the time. This can be accomplished through open-access policies during school hours and virtual access to materials and research around the clock.

What all three of these library systems are doing right is avoiding isolation. By collaborating with other teachers and staff, these libraries are using their own resources most effectively and giving students the skills to succeed in research, technology and literacy well beyond their K-12 years. Instead of making information a commodity, these and other successful school libraries are viewing that information as a common right amongst students and educators – to the benefit of every individual at the school.

What other characteristics do you think make a successful K-12 library system?

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

2 Bold Moves Made By Pearson Education in 2015

Depending on your view of Pearson, described as “the world’s largest education company” by the Washington Post, any news about the company may serve as good or bad. Love it or hate it, Pearson is the top education company in the world. During 2015, Pearson made a series of bold moves, which are chronicled below.

Pearson picked education as its sole focus. In July, the Washington Post reported that Pearson was making a move to focus solely on education. “The company is selling its stake in the Financial Times to Nikkei Inc., a leading Japanese media organization, for $1.3 billion, a move that Pearson Chief Executive John Fallon said was precipitated by the changing journalism business model and by Pearson’s desire to focus entirely on education, according to Financial Times.”

Because credit-rating service Moody’s downgraded Pearson’s credit outlook to negative due to instability in the higher education arena, this move gave Pearson “nearly $1.5 billion in net proceeds;” providing the company the potential to improve its standing with Moody’s.

The article further stated that Pearson had lost a few “big testing contracts” in New York, Texas, and Florida. But the news wasn’t all bad for Pearson. The Post also reported that the education giant is the primary vendor for the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. It is also one of only two multi-state consortia charged with designing new Common Core specific exams — a task that comes with nearly $360 million in federal funds.

Many view Pearson as a monopoly because of its size and number of contracts it holds. But because of the recent losses, and news that it wants to reaffirm its standing within the education community, this may either signal the beginning of the end for Pearson or the start of something greater.

Pearson to spend $2.3 billion on education. It was announced in August that, after selling two media outlets for nearly $2 billion, Pearson had plans to spend over $2.3 billion on education across the globe. According NPR.org, Pearson’s chief executive John Fallon and North American CEO Don Kilburn plan to invest a considerable amount of money to strengthen its position as a global education leader.

“In recent years, we’ve developed an increasing focus on our biggest, most exciting opportunity — to help people make progress in their lives through learning … it’s become clear to me and the Pearson board that the scale of the challenge requires our undivided attention,” said Fallon.

The article further articulated the company’s position on education as it highlighted just how much Pearson spends on education annually. Pearson spends $1 trillion “each year on education—most of it public money” globally. That is an astonishing amount of money and an amount that most people are likely not aware of.

But Pearson has faced criticism as of late due to lost contracts and its relationship to Common Core. No matter to Pearson, though, as their plans will not change and they will just continue to roll out educational materials.

Kilburn said that the company plans to invest more into bringing education into underprivileged areas and continuing to develop public-private partnerships so that more students will have the ability to attend college. I sincerely hope that this is true and not just something said to generate good press.

This is, of course, just the start of the company’s strategy. But based on where Fallon and Kilburn want to take the organization, this certainly seems like a giant leap in the right direction.

What do you think of Pearson’s business moves in 2015?

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, list, Matthew Lynch

3 Disturbing Trends Made Prevalent By Technology

The Information Era has dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. Above all, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger.

From the accessibility of online learning to students who otherwise would struggle in traditional settings to assistive technology for students with autism, there are lots of great technologies that teachers need to keep track of to be effective.

However, it is not just important to know which piece of technology will assist in the education of students, but to watch out for certain disturbing trends that have arisen as a result of the availability of these new technologies. Here are just three of those trends:

  1. Texting and awful grammar in K-12 schools. Internet and cell phone cultures have brought a whole new meaning to American slang. Not only are kids these days speaking informally, but now those relaxed rules of grammar are sneaking into written words too.

The biggest problem with these digital avenues of composition, according to surveyed teachers, is the blurring of lines between formal and informal writing. Abbreviations are common, particularly on platforms like Twitter that have a 140-character limit. Most smartphones now have no limits on texting characters, but students that owned phones with the 160-character limits of just a few years ago have already formed short, abbreviated habits. In the digital realm, short and sweet is the key – even if a grammar, punctuation and writing formalities fall by the wayside. The same is not true of educational writing pursuits though, as K-12 writing instructors must prepare students for the demands of strong, professional writing in college and the workplace.

A report released by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that over 26 percent of college graduates have deficient writing skills. These findings were not based on graduation assessment exams, but compiled by interviewing actual employers. These employers said that many college-educated employees could not even accomplish the basic writing tasks of the job proficiently. How are these students earning college degrees if their writing is not up to par though? With the average U.S. student accruing $35,200 in college debt, it would seem learning the basics of writing, at least above a “deficient” level, would be a given takeaway.

A report released by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills found that over 26 percent of college graduates have deficient writing skills. These findings were not based on graduation assessment exams, but compiled by interviewing actual employers. These employers said that many college-educated employees could not even accomplish the basic writing tasks of the job proficiently. How are these students earning college degrees if their writing is not up to par though? With the average U.S. student accruing $35,200 in college debt, it would seem learning the basics of writing, at least above a “deficient” level, would be a given takeaway.

  1. Sexting and sexual harassment. Today, sexual harassment between students is even more widespread because of the viral nature of the internet and sexting. A photo that a young man sends his latest crush can quickly become fodder for a school-wide joke when it appears on a social media account or is texted to a large group of other students. It is also much harder for students to get away from harassment because their school lives follow them more closely than ever outside classroom hours, due to technology. It is also difficult to know where a school’s jurisdiction ends when it comes to harassment between students that takes place outside of school hours.

The problem of sexual harassment in schools is persistent.  Schools can act more responsibly on the issue by formulating proper and specific sexual harassment policies and providing special training programs for teachers, students and other administrative staff.  Seeking the support of parents is also beneficial. The challenges around implementing sexual harassment policies are made even more difficult because students shy away from reporting incidents, for fear of suffering additional consequences or being ridiculed.  The solution is to create a safe environment in the school so that such instances of harassments simply do not take place and the students feel secure, although this is often easier said than done.

  1. Cyber bullying. According to an article published on VoicED.org.uk, a poll of 2000 11-16 year olds found that almost three in five (57%) have done something ‘risky’ or anti-social while online. In addition, almost two in three (62%) said that they felt under pressure from peers to act in this way on the internet.

The activities described included saying negative things about other people, viewing unsuitable websites and, perhaps most worryingly, sharing unsuitable videos or pictures of themselves. Moreover, a fifth of those surveyed admitted to having pressured someone else to act in a negative way online (this rose to 32% in London).

Of the 2000 respondents, almost half (47%) said that they had viewed something on the internet that they did not think their parents would want them to view, whilst around one in seven (14%) said they had sent images of either themselves, or of someone else, that they did not think their parents would want them to send.

A tenth had signed up to online sites or services which were not meant to be viewed by their age group.

In terms of cyber-bullying, almost three quarters (72%) of respondents aged 14-16 had witnessed some form of online bullying, or had been subjected to it. While this is a bleak statistic, there are positive signs. Three quarters had blocked another user of an app or on a website, two thirds (68%) had supported someone else who had suffered cyber-bullying and 74% had ‘stood up for themselves’.

Classrooms are becoming more high-tech, and a lot of innovation has come from that. However, it is important to keep in mind how these new technologies influence disruptive behaviors.

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

Education Technologies and Concepts that Every Teacher Should Know: Part I

Click here to read all the posts in this series. 

The Information Era began some decades ago. Since its inception, though, it has dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. Above all, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger. Old-fashioned classrooms equipped only with books and chalkboards are long gone. In their place, we have new technologies and concepts such as Internet research, experience-based education, virtual learning, and online live assessments are being introduced to meet educational needs in the Information Era.

Throughout 2013 and during the first half of 2014, we have seen a lot of advancement in education technology designed for the classroom, and to be effective, teachers need to stay abreast of these new technologies and concepts. The summer is the perfect time for teachers to receive retooling in the area of education and several innovations and concepts are available to help teachers familiarize themselves with important concepts.

In this five-part series, I plan to discuss education technologies and concepts that every teacher should know about. Some are old, some are new, and some nascent, but they all have viable classroom uses. I’m interested to hear your thoughts on these technologies and concepts in the comment section as well.

BYOD. The first thing I want to discuss is a concept of technology that basically embraces mobile technology through the devices that students already own. As a kind of movement within education, BYOD has already gained momentum in many districts across the country, but should continue towards mass adoption within this calendar year. Places like Chesapeake Public Schools are already allowed to use privately owned electronic devices to access the wireless network on the school system’s filtered Internet. In Chesapeake, as in the other public and private schools where BYOD policies exist, students must sign a responsibility form that says they will only use the mobile device for academic enrichment while on school property. Students who bring their own devices into the classroom eliminate the initial costs and are also already comfortable with the technology. The downside is that not all students can readily afford such technology. Many must look for schools to develop technology financial assistance programs for families to help offset the full cost and maintenance of school-owned devices.

Customized learning experiences. Self-initiated and self-directed learning experiences are based upon the needs, preferences, and abilities of individual students. The traditional way to look at learning is via the creation and assignment of work by teachers in a one-size-fits-all approach for every classroom. Customized learning, however, allows students to direct focus on feedback techniques that provide strategies for improvement during the process, instead of waiting for a given test period see if the methods are working.

Considering pros and cons of this concept, we must not that customized, or personalized, learning is often met with hostility, especially as teachers must relinquish some classroom control for this trend to really work. On the flip side, though, customized learning has the potential to incorporate a variety of resources, such as virtual learning, to aid in the learning process while allowing teachers to moderate one-on-one learning experiences in practical ways. I think that the idea of handing control to students is frightening to some educators and administrators but once attempted, even on a small scale, it is easy to see the benefits of personalized learning.

Online learning. Virtual learning is certainly not new to the K-12 scene, but its increasing popularity is difficult to ignore. Once, only the world of distant learning embraced the process of online learning. Today, though, online learning is segmented and increasingly a part of a more traditional learning experience. It is no longer all or nothing. Distance learning has become mainstream and will continue to transform in-classroom learning in the coming year.

Virtual learning also makes it possible for parents, teachers and students to have access to information they may need regardless of their actual physical location. In essence, it expands the classroom and gives students more time and space to complete and comprehend their lessons.

In coming posts, we will look at more technologies and concepts that every teacher should know.

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Matthew Lynch published in Education Leadership, Matthew Lynch

Future Avenues and Directions for School District Central Office Reform

Direct indicators of student performance and achievement should be the focus, in order to better understand the link between student achievement and district central offices. For example, “teacher qualifications” such as expertise, certification, and experience are shown to have a large impact on student achievement, after home and family factors are considered.

Those seeking to reduce or eliminate the role of district central offices in school reform efforts often cite individual schools (such as charter schools) that move forward on reform efforts without help from a district office. Still, there are cases where central office logistical support is needed for ongoing success. Most schools, especially those with low-income populations, require outside help to improve instruction and achievement. This help can come from an external partner or the district office.

A Vision for Schools

The district (the school board, the superintendent, key staff, and influential stakeholders in the community) must be able to develop and articulate a vision and a set of practices that send a clear message of the mission of its schools . This message should be for educators, and also the community-at-large, and should create public understanding of the school system’s goals.

A clear vision provides the context for principals to make decisions supported by parents and the larger community. Parents and the larger community must also be included in the process. To support high schools in creating greater motivation of students through positive learning experiences, awareness must be developed among parents, businesses, and community leaders.

The school and the community should work together to help students see a connection between their studies and their future. Once schools understand why students are failing, districts may assist schools in defining how to address the problems using proven practices.

Ongoing Professional Development

Effective districts invest in learning of students, teachers, principals, district staff, superintendents, and school board members. Because many students enrolled in low-performing schools have trouble reading, these schools must first make literacy the centerpiece of professional development.

Districts should invest in preparing future school leaders, by identifying (early in their careers) talented teachers who have the potential to become principals. The district should develop a collaboration with a university or approved outside entity to provide these potential leaders with learning experiences.

Principals and leaders of low-performing schools need flexible resources and the ability to redirect resources toward school improvement design aligned with the districts’ strategic vision. Flexibility can help them improve the school’s climate, organization, and practices. Too many low-performing districts try to solve their problems by bringing in new superintendents every two to four years and removing principals from schools that do not meet goals. Without new policies, practices, resources, and additional operational flexibility these districts are unlikely to improve.

Cooperative and Collaborative Relationships

Districts must define schools’ core values for achieving identified goals. The cross-section of the community creating this educational vision must include views from less-educated and less-affluent residents, whose children make up a growing proportion of students. Also, developing cooperation with principals and school leadership teams helps create school environments that improve student outcomes.

States must assist every district in shaping a bold vision for improving schools. States can provide external consultants to work with districts in developing their district plan and involving the community in that process.

States should also ensure that principals have freedom to select their faculty, choices in allocating resources for school improvement, and authority to select professional development aligned with their school improvement plans. A system of incentives should be put in place to reward success.

Resources to Support Reform Efforts

Districts often have limited resources available for unrestricted use in supporting improved learning. Consequently, schools and principals have limited resources to help them raise student achievement.

Some schools receive revenues from parking passes, athletics ticket sales, vending machines, or other sources. In most cases schools lack the resources needed for significant changes. Generally, principals control about six percent of their school’s budget. Decentralized districts such as Chicago and New York City, have given principals discretion over 85 percent of their school’s budget. Schools under decentralized management were more likely to make decisions leading to improved learning outcomes.

Principals should be given a voice in budget decisions. A truly collaborative budget enables each principal to clearly explain his or her school’s unique needs, within the context of the district strategic plan. An environment of mutual understanding, respect, and ownership is created when principals and district leaders work together in this way.

 

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Matthew Lynch published in EdTech & Innovation, Matthew Lynch

More Time for Educating: Technology and Teaching Efficiency

The hours an educator spends in active teaching pursuits are just a small piece of the overall workload puzzle. Between developing lesson plans, reporting on student performance and keeping parents informed of student progress, a teacher’s job spills over into the hours when there are no students sitting at the desks.
Technology has been both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the teaching profession. On one hand, electronic reporting tools streamline some of the processes that go along with teaching; on the other hand, more work has been handed off to teachers because the technology exists to make it so. It seems that with each passing school year, another responsibility is placed on the shoulders of teachers who already have more than enough on their plates.

Overworked and Still Behind

A report published on TeachingQuality.org states that nearly 70 percent of teachers say that they simply do not have enough time to address all of their states’ curriculum frameworks, despite the fact that teachers work an average of 50 hours per week. Teacher surveys have also found that a reduction in teacher workload would increase retention, particularly in the first five years of a teaching career. Not only would teachers be happier if they had more time, but they are struggling to fit in their current requirements as it is.

The primary role of teachers is educate their students, yet they are often so bogged down in the paper-pushing that accompanies the job that their very purpose is compromised. So how can educators take advantage of existing technology to streamline their professions – and save themselves time in the process?

Alma: Free Student Information and Learning Systems

New technologies are emerging to combat these frustrations. Alma, a student information and learning management system, combines a wide range of reporting features that are typically only available in several fragmented systems – instead of a central location. Alma brings together lesson planning and curriculum management with student and classroom management to give teachers all the tools they need in one place and with one login – so they no longer have to master a dozen different tools to do their jobs.

Alma has clever shortcuts and time-savers throughout the system, so tasks that might take several clicks in other products can be done in one or two clicks in Alma. Built-in messaging and collaboration tools make easier and cut down on the time it takes for teachers to connect with parents, students and other educators. And Alma is cloud-based, which means it can be used from any internet-enabled device – cutting down on late nights in the classroom.

Alma is a “freemium” product, so its core services are offered for free, including school management, student records, backward curriculum development and gradebooks. Schools can upgrade the core package for a fee to include extras that may be helpful to their operations, like on-site support and emergency notifications. There is optional support for schools who would like the hands-on help, but it is not a requirement for schools that have the staff and ability to handle it on their own. Most schools will be able to set up the system in a day or less.

Alma’s customers include schools in 20 states and four countries.

The Teaching Benefits of Time-Saving Technology

As a former public school teacher, I wish I had access to the type of technology and reporting that Alma offers. I still remember thinking of the school bell at the end of my day as the signal of my “lunch break” and that there were still many hours of work ahead of me. Like other teachers, I did my work without complaint and did my best to ensure my students were learning what they needed to know before exiting my classroom doors for good. Still – between planning, reporting, communication with parents and actual teaching, it was nearly impossible to get it all done. So I feel the pain of today’s teachers, asked to do even more in an already-tight schedule.

Any tools that can free up teachers’ time to dedicate to actual teaching are ones that schools should seek out. There is no reason that the profession of teaching shouldn’t improve its efficiency as the technology becomes available, and Alma is a frontrunner in making this happen in K-12 schools across the country.

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Matthew Lynch published in Ask An Expert, Matthew Lynch

Ask An Expert: The State of the U. S. Educational System

Question: Dr. Lynch, at one point in time the United States K-12 educational system was considered to be the best in the world. However, currently we are not even ranked in the top ten. What are your thoughts on the matter and what can we do to get our K-12 educational system back on track. Anthony D.

Answer: Anthony, thank you for submitting such a timely question. The United States entered the 21st century as the world’s sole superpower. Our diplomatic strength, military might, financial resources, and technological innovation were, and continue to be, the envy of the world. However, in the crucial area of education, the U.S. lags behind many other developed countries. Although the U.S. spends more per student than almost any other country in the world, international exams have demonstrated that we consistently perform well behind countries such as South Korea, China, Japan, and Finland in the areas of reading and math.

The ramifications of this trend are considerable. China, Japan, and South Korea understand that well-educated workers are crucial for survival in the competitive global economy. Thus, they are placing enormous emphasis on education, ensuring that their students are given not only foundational reading and math skills, but also that they are able to think creatively and solve problems. Their youth are poised to take on and conquer the world. Educating, hiring, and retaining high-quality teachers are key to lasting reform. The teaching profession in America is undervalued, certainly in comparison with countries like Finland and South Korea.

The U.S., on the other hand, is losing the battle. School systems are using more money but have less to show for it. Test results, especially among the children from low socioeconomic backgrounds are dismal. America has extraordinary natural resources, a solid, functioning democracy, and an excellent infrastructure, but unless we can reform our educational system to produce students who are able to take advantage of new technologies and compete in the global economy, we will cede our position as world leader.

A number of recent books and films have brought this situation to the attention of the American public. What is needed now, though, is a plan to solve those problems: we need to learn to become supermen and women. The educational system involves seven major players: the federal government, district authorities, the community, parents and family, the school administration, teachers, and the students themselves. In order to reform our schools, we must look at each of these players, investigating the interactions among them, and offering suggestions for bolstering involvement and efficacy between them.

In areas where schools are successful, community involvement has proven to be a critical element. In low socioeconomic communities, there is often a sense that schools are separate entities, run by elite elements that have little connection to the community. Perhaps the starkest difference between students from low socioeconomic environments and those from wealthier environments is the amount of parental involvement in students’ education.

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), while admirable, has also proven fundamentally flawed. It is not producing the anticipated results, and has had the effect of forcing schools to teach to the exam, rather than fostering a love of learning among students. There is mounting evidence that the U. S. education system is failing our students. Appropriate engagement and direction by district authorities is crucial to creating a quality learning environment. Too often, cronyism, corruption, and misuse of resources diminish the influence of the district-level administration.

Society in general needs to understand that the lack of quality teachers, effective administration, and parental involvement are all factors that contribute to the current state of our educational system. The country must unite and work together to carry the responsibility of enriching and continuing America’s future via educational excellence. We must become supermen and superwomen.

 

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