https://devsummit.aspirationtech.org/index.php?title=Technology,_Community_and_K12_Education&feed=atom&action=historyTechnology, Community and K12 Education - Revision history2024-03-28T18:09:40ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.35.1https://devsummit.aspirationtech.org/index.php?title=Technology,_Community_and_K12_Education&diff=990&oldid=prevVivian: 1 revision imported2015-05-20T21:30:15Z<p>1 revision imported</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>Share your experiences and thoughts on the state of technology use and online community development in K-12 education. Particularly focused on work with teachers and principals but if you are interested in these issues for students, parents or other constituents, bring it on!<br />
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'''NOTES'''<br />
(the recording of this talk is 350MB, come see me if you want to grab it, or email me, tim@plumbob.org -great talk!)<br />
<br />
Steve (Facilitator)<br />
- working at Foundation 2001-2007 that was working with K12 orgs around country<br />
- got interested in OS and Ed & open communities<br />
- changing models to be more egalitarian<br />
- Dep of Ed Project: Brokers of Expertise<br />
- Build professional networks among teachers & resource repository<br />
-- resource publishing repository<br />
<br />
* Isabel - Brasil<br />
- starting project for "political" schools that educate teenagers and adults on social movements & political participation<br />
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* Tori<br />
- worked in education pre-K to university<br />
- recently - working in elementary schools teaching computers<br />
- used a lot of OS tech<br />
<br />
* Timmy<br />
- sub in Cupertino school district<br />
- advocating getting sub network onto a web system<br />
- stepping stone to more broadly get things onto web systems<br />
- work closely with teachers managing content<br />
<br />
* Hilary<br />
- Oakland public schools - tech support<br />
-- elementary schools<br />
-- most experience is getting donated computers set up to be used (mostly laptops)<br />
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*Resource: myecoach.org<br />
- based in Oakland<br />
- teachers work together: share projects<br />
<br />
* CA Board of Ed is building a single open platform<br />
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* Larry<br />
- Childcare Agency<br />
- Developed in-house app that is going to b OS<br />
- Looking into what resources are available for non-profit education<br />
<br />
* Mimi<br />
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* Dave<br />
- Chicago Technology Club<br />
- several projects with schools and universities<br />
- used to work with non-profit that used to <br />
<br />
* Nick<br />
- Open Planning<br />
- Tech / Media company for urban planning / OS for govt<br />
- initiave in education (GothamSchools.org) - practice around NYC schools districts<br />
- just hired 3 reporters to cover school beat<br />
- growing network of parent organizers<br />
- develop set of resources for teacher community<br />
- develop networks for civic action (education being one area)<br />
<br />
* Steve: Brasil has made huge stand on OS and education<br />
- Indiana has as well<br />
<br />
* There's been a lot of OS for students<br />
* But teacher resources has been mostly vendor-based<br />
<br />
* k12forge has administrative stuff<br />
* but no one is using it<br />
<br />
* Timmy: teachers need to use the technologies that are being pushed on their students to set an example<br />
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* Isabel <br />
- real problem with teachers being afraid of the technology<br />
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* Dave: most non-profits understand that they need to have a media / technology strategy<br />
- do schools think that way yet?<br />
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* Steve: alot of technology decisions are made at the district level<br />
- there has been some experimentation in Oakland with giving schools more freedom with money<br />
- but a lot of that ends up circling back to districts level for services<br />
<br />
Tori<br />
- MLTI - Maine Laptop Initiave<br />
- 6th and 7th-graders all get laptops (Macs)<br />
- was working in semi-autonomous school<br />
- gave every child in the school a laptop (32 kids)<br />
- schools decided if kids could take laptops home, used in classroom, etc<br />
- all the Macs had custom setup<br />
- biggest long-distance learning network <br />
<br />
Larry<br />
- k12forge<br />
- techsoup<br />
- k12ltsp (linux-server based system + thin clients - K12linuxterminalserverproject<br />
-- lets you run 100 stations on 1 server<br />
-- case studies on the site<br />
-- client doesn't do anything complex<br />
- Alameda County Computer Resource Center - recycling place<br />
-- take PCs + linux donate it back to schools<br />
- Open Textbook Project<br />
- Open Curriculum Project<br />
- Curriki<br />
<br />
Dave<br />
- Seen thin clients in D.C. - really cut down support costs<br />
- Maintenance tasks are simple<br />
- 90% of support issues go away<br />
- Companies ship the systems already set up<br />
<br />
* Install fests<br />
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* Mimi - How do teachers compile curriculums today<br />
* Steve - Depends on grade-level and subject area<br />
-- In CA - early grades: 2 curriculum material sets you can use, no choice<br />
-- You can supplement those materials<br />
-- Some districts are super-rigid, others are a bit more loose<br />
-- Rigid system good for getting initial boost, but has diminishing returns<br />
<br />
- Standards for each state<br />
- Those require instructions - but might be really vague / broad (e.g. Understand the ramifications of the Civil War)<br />
- State tests - this is the way to measure progress<br />
<br />
* Curriculum is pretty political<br />
<br />
* District has a lot of authority over curriculums<br />
- Really unusual to see lesson plan distributed outside of the school<br />
<br />
* Norfolk VA is a good model for giving schools autonomy - but within limits<br />
- Results are set by district, but the schools can decide how to meet goals<br />
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* How do we address making teachers not feel like the curriculum system is "punitive"?<br />
- Teachers never get fired<br />
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- How do you measure the success of curriculums without making teachers feel like they are putting themselves in a vulnerable place?<br />
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- When you make things digital, all of a sudden you can "measure" and evaluate teachers.<br />
- Edusoft system?<br />
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* Resource Limitations<br />
- Oakland principals still doing AOL dial up<br />
<br />
* IEP - Process for tracking individual students<br />
- but is only applied to special ed kids<br />
- also can't follow students across schools<br />
- NYC - is trying to do this (Aris)<br />
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- Student information systems space is owned by Pearson (publisher)<br />
-- assessment management systems<br />
-- student information systems (lunch, classes, guardians, etc - profiles)<br />
-- administrative systems<br />
-- data analysis systems (crunch numbers)<br />
-- budgeting systems<br />
<br />
- Couple of open standards<br />
-- Student Interop Framework - allows student data to move between systems <br />
-- not implemented<br />
<br />
- data isn't entered consistently<br />
- data warehouse isn't possible because data needs to be normalized<br />
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* State of CA - student information system project to standardize the process<br />
-- Teacher performance data is a huge union issue<br />
-- What is the purpose of this data? Are you just trying to build a case to fire me? (Lack of trust.)<br />
<br />
* ISSUE: # and Education<br />
- Teachers put up barriers to being measured<br />
- Students can't graduate if they don't pass the CA Exit Exam - but you go back into the system that failed you the first time around<br />
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Isabel: Brasil<br />
-- There are state schools and municipal schools<br />
-- Universities are run by central govt<br />
-- How often is OS chosen over proprietary solutions?<br />
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Steve: OS isn't used in education in America - but not statistically significant<br />
<br />
- Isabel: Linux Users Group is going into charter schools in SF to install systems<br />
- Larry: but mostly depends on whether there is local leadership to make it happen<br />
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Larry - working as a consultant<br />
- most people have mentality: Windows is what everybody uses (in business)<br />
- fear of lack of support for Linux<br />
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Tori - But switching between platforms isn't that big a deal<br />
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Larry - There are a lot of education grants - but have a lot of "marketing" strings. (HP, Microsoft, etc)<br />
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Steve - Govt agencies aren't really set up to use OS systems<br />
- spent 18 mos. to get money on the table to get agreement to move forward<br />
- how is an OS project going to compete with a vendor to "sell" the system<br />
- Request for Proposals system - Govt agencies are stuck in model where they "buy" systems<br />
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Dan - son is in 5th grade in Berkeley<br />
- teachers aren't tech savvy<br />
- kids are into games, not "computers"<br />
- what is the structure for "technology" volunteers<br />
<br />
Larry<br />
- computer classes had separate student / teacher editions<br />
<br />
* Resource: Steve - "Learn to Program" book - designed around Ruby<br />
* Resource: Logo is a great starter language (simple drawing app)<br />
* Resource: Tori - scratch.mit.edu<br />
-- gave it to the art teacher<br />
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* Isabel - in Brasil, a curriculum has been developed to build their own hardware from scratch<br />
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* Technology doesn't need to be a separate "class" in schools - kids really think of technology as a given in whatever they do<br />
-- How can teachers teach "traditional" subject matter and integrated "technology" into the curriculum<br />
<br />
* Mouse California - teaches kids re: problem solving + teamwork<br />
- upper elementary / middle school / hs<br />
- aim is to create student tech teams<br />
- Oakland, San Mateo, down the peninsula<br />
- teachers are teaching it as a elective class or afterschool program<br />
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More Resources<br />
- Computer Using Educators: cue.org<br />
- Tech Futures (Richmond, Contra Costa District) Ron Whittier<br />
-- Takes kids through whole curriculum of building software and deploying it<br />
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REPORT BACK<br />
- Shared a lot of resources - look on notes<br />
- Case studies of interesting things happening in different school districts across the country<br />
- Surprising barriers (top-down and bottom-up) to implementing new systems<br />
-- Hurdles of introducing OS into school systems<br />
- Problems with existing projects - data interop issues</div>Vivian