Action+Plan2

Barriers:

 * Teachers don't want change because they are comfortable with what they are doing
 * Funding for the technology equipment and IT blockings
 * Need more time to teach the technology
 * Students off task
 * Teaching the guideline
 * Preparing them for the Terra Nova
 * Time crunch
 * Safe environment issue while on line
 * Teachers not interested in learning
 * Students without access to computers
 * Lack of creativity
 * Virtual labs on the net books, students don't take the lesson seriously
 * Oh gosh, more stuff for us to do
 * We don't have enough resources for a lot of the teachers to use
 * Time constraints
 * Hesitation to spend more time at home on school stuff
 * Time to sift through all the material
 * Administration not on board, lack of support when subs need to be brought in to plan the projects
 * Infringes on a teacher's time when a 2nd jobs are an issue
 * There are no monetary compensations for the time. Investment required
 * Lack of equipment software/hardware
 * Lack of teacher acceptance
 * Insufficient tech support
 * Do we have the money to support our technology
 * Internet constantly down
 * Inadequate time to complete
 * Lunch time meeting necessary/huge commitment
 * Plp needs time set aside
 * Not everyone willing to take the risk
 * Lack of comfort of some teachers with pedagogical change
 * Are we willing to wait for the change to happen
 * Is the wisdom of the shift accepted by all
 * Generational differences exist between teachers
 * How can we trust ourselves in changing the style of teaching to cover it all
 * Time is an issue
 * Parent’s expectations-are they being met
 * <span style="font-family: ArialMT,sans-serif;">Lack of sales pitch for parents/fellow teachers
 * <span style="font-family: ArialMT,sans-serif;">The core curriculum changes will take a lot of time to adjust to
 * <span style="font-family: ArialMT,sans-serif;">Principal must be on board to set aside time for learning
 * <span style="font-family: ArialMT,sans-serif;">Too many sites being blocked in school

Professional Development: 42 dots
Workshops and meetings: Who provides worksops opportunities Compensation for time either as presenter or learner How can we balance professional development opportunities with personal time If you accept the suggestions as an action plan how would you evaluate its effectiveness Web 2.0 Sharing Who decides what is the best tool for collaboration and management? Teacher training whole day option Learning from each other
 * Homegrown PD in small pieces over a period of time
 * Time needs to be given to inservicing staff and faculty so they are comfortable with PBL
 * Encourage teachers to attend free webinars from home
 * Have a team of teachers develop Project learning invited units that can then be used by teachers who feel that creating them is too overwhelming in place of the current guidelines
 * The "Haves" share with the "Have Nots" as far as experiences go. Implement "Technology cafe" during lunch period
 * Better teacher training to make them comfortable with change
 * Various training options: in person, online
 * Teacher staff development to alleviate fears of web 2.0 tools
 * More faculty training so they feel comfortable with change
 * What actions can be put into place to overcome the barriers mentioned? Ongoing education and professional development for teachers. Set the time aside for this. Use wikis, blogs, chats, etc. to communicate with teachers
 * Teach the teacher sessions using skype
 * Grade level weekly meetings
 * Incorporate 2.0 tools among the faculty; faculty blog will lead to classroom blog
 * Start a school wiki for support and collaboration
 * Faculty workshop/inservices Give ideas/examples and have teachers come up with ideas
 * Individuals can join online learning communities
 * Meetings centered only on technology (not other school issues)
 * Teacher acceptance? Solution: educate them
 * Give incentives to teachers that are taking the extra time and pushing those limits
 * Plan inservice days for teachers to teach and help each other
 * Meetings/short workshops after school to facilitate baby steps to technology
 * Talk to coworkers on ning
 * Webinars
 * Ning, google, keep learning
 * After school 30 mins, out by 4:00, Archived webinars, Virtual Academy
 * After school power hour
 * Webinars that can be accessed from home (teach the teacher sesssions)
 * Professional Ning
 * Local summer professional development on 2.0 tools
 * "Out by 4"
 * Web 2.0 sharing
 * More Teacher workshops on web 2.0
 * Small group instruction on new tech stuff. Too many in group questions don't get answered
 * Add more PD time
 * More Web 2.0 teacher training
 * Specific inservice that address the subject area and the technology and planning available
 * More professional development
 * Have an inservice day where we can meet with teachers from other schools to share ideas
 * Hold optional after school workshops that will allow teachers to explore ideas and share their own experiences of what does or doesn't work
 * Meetings/workshops
 * Ongoing professional development for teachers
 * More classes on learning new technology
 * Knowledge: more workshops/classes teaching different programs and how to incorporate into classrooms seamlessly
 * Having more teacher inservice
 * Bringing all faculty on board by implementing "out by 4" to share ideas
 * Start small
 * Provide more professional development opportunities for teachers
 * Mock lesson presentations to showcase technology
 * Learning from each other
 * Faculty breakfast
 * Sharing ideas and examples with other teachers
 * Pair up with other schools to share ideas
 * Differentiated PD for teachers, too easy for some too hard for others
 * "Show" the way. Demonstrate how it all works
 * Bring in support to help teachers become proficient in incorporating technology
 * Lack of chemistry; reach out to others and to fellow PEEPS
 * Each group leader can meet with other leaders to discuss how best to over come resistance
 * Teaching the teachers
 * Meeting with teachers from other schools (or skyping) to see what worked for them
 * Provide more opportunities for teacher training with concrete suggestions at appropriate grade levels for lesson planning
 * Schools can pair and share successes in grade levels
 * Teach staff and faculty members tools needed to do project based assignments in the classroom

Time: 62 dots
More time for what? Learning, planning, collaborating, PD, implementing, strategizing Are there guideleines/ways to get more free time? Change of curriculum Adjust schedule Integrating, collaborating, cooperation


 * Have teachers be able to share and work together. Send them out to an "expert" to observe in another classroom, principal model use, principal sub as teachers work together
 * Concentrate on one specific tool at a time
 * Plan our your day/week to allow yourself to have the time to focus on bettering your lessons
 * Technology experts to work with teachers and students during lessons
 * Use 21st century tools (google docs, wiki, ning etc) to share ideas at convenience of teacher
 * Set benchmarks that need to be achieved by specific times
 * Google model 80/20 time, 20% time to do projects and planning to take into classrooms
 * Time allotted for planning and implementing goals
 * Allow more time to play with resources so we can get comfortable
 * Give teachers time off for inservices or to visit other classrooms
 * Build in time in the schedule for collegial sharing of things, strategies that work and pitfalls to avoid
 * More time for planning units
 * Meetings/training mini sessions, joint classes teachers and students learn together
 * More time to collaborate on projects with students and other teachers
 * More PBL learning, scale, curriculum (less topics more in depth)
 * Collaboration with entire faculty, time spend on academics less outside involvement
 * Incorporation of standards into class curriculum boundaries
 * Make schedules more flexible
 * Less class time with more prep time, so teachers could plan units
 * Moving to common core will allow teachers more time to delve deeper
 * Cut curriculum requirements to manageable time lines with project based learning included
 * Principals need to hire subs for teachers willing to lead the project
 * Shorter school day; have one tech period/day for familiarity
 * Integrate a PD period into the daily schedule
 * Barrier: time to learn, bunch of time Plan: some creative way to collaborate with other schools to learn technology
 * Possible inservice opportunities to develop new lessons
 * Block schedules giving more time for classes and teacher collaboration
 * Investigate some flexible scheduling ideas to allow teachers to observe one another in house
 * Provide time for team teaching/planning in departmental situations (allow for cross curriculum projects PBL)
 * Summer workshops
 * Scheduling more time for teachers to share/collaborate
 * Designate 1 to 2 hours for researching learning
 * Rework schedules more time at lunch to work with groups together
 * Offer a sub once a month so the teacher can work with 2.0 tools
 * Professional time allotments paid time afterschool
 * Be offered compensation for time spent
 * Incorporate a schedule time period to work during faculty meetings
 * Designate time monthly faculty meeting weekly. Team teaching
 * The faculty needs more time during the school day to plan engaging activities for the students
 * More prep/planning: hard to plan with little time and too much on an already full plate
 * The faculty needs time to meet as a group to help each other with creativity
 * Grade group planning time
 * Work as a team. Time to do so is important
 * More time to integrate and prep for more project based lessons
 * Allow planning periods for teachers to work together in project based activities

Hardware/Infrastructure: 41 dots

 * Netbook cart
 * Many sites do not work due to blocking, find newer software
 * Use teacher's laptops then project to smartboard
 * Working tools
 * Money for full time tech person
 * Every student should have a laptop issued by the school or be allowed to bring in a personal one to alleviate the sharing or labs and carts
 * IT peeps to take care of the technical side
 * Hire tech person to assist students
 * Students are actually engaged and excited about learning when netbooks or computers are used
 * Laptops for all students, able to work on projects together from anywhere
 * Look for grants
 * Invest in infrastructure
 * A general recognition of how important technology is to student learning
 * Have teachers develop a "wish list" of what technology should be available or implemented
 * Internet/network access that is reliable all of the time
 * Frustration (equipment what needs to be taught and incorporation) Increase tech budget, more class curriculum projects, grade partners on same page
 * Have netbooks for every student and allow it to be taken home then given back at the end of the year
 * Students take laptops everywhere and have them in class everyday
 * Insurance for 1 on 1 laptops that go home with students
 * Every child should have a netbook for school use
 * 1:1 environment
 * Provide one on one
 * Tech specialist to insure computer reliability
 * Publish the need
 * Grant writing: MBA program master's research project
 * Reach out to schools, foundations, parish, twitter
 * Reach out to community for volunteers

Collaboration: 62 dots
What are some ways teachers can collaborate with one another that would benefit the faculty, students, and school community? The principal/admin has to give the faculty more blocks of time (hiring per diem subs) and collaborate with one another


 * Professional collaboration
 * Ask for help, post questions and learn how you can use technology in the lesson
 * Faculty ning
 * Share what works in a wiki
 * Barrier: 1 way and always did it. Action: encourage and talk, explore innovative partnership in teams teaching
 * Collaborate with your grade partners to integrate PBL
 * Round table planning time among teachers even in a ning format or a pecha kutcha
 * Faculty meetings should include a turn for each teacher to share a student learning activity that they have implemented in classroom
 * Cluster meetings with area schools grade to grade
 * More cluster meetings for common grades (3, 4, 5 etc) to share ideas
 * Give more time for collaboration
 * Teacher/teacher meetings for tech support
 * Collaboration actually real sharing: 1 teacher creates a unit, passes it on pay it forward to fill
 * Varied skills tech mentors, student teachers
 * If teachers can experience new technology with students both will gain more from the experience than each would alone
 * Professional Development
 * Shadow other use of tech in classrooms
 * As new "core curriculum" is introduced have those "comfortable" with PBL create mini lessons at inservice (across grade levels or have groups at faculty meetings create lessons together)
 * Collaboration among faculty getting them excited
 * More collaboration between classes to help with new tools middle school helping primary etc.
 * Student collaboration
 * Give all teachers PLP, stay positive
 * Allow for more time for teachers to plan/work together
 * More collaboration with technology teachers

Teachers: 27 dots
Will Act 48 Credits be available for sharing what we learn with faculty/other faculties? Will the end of the year evaluation be revamped to show teachers use of 21st century skills? Will there be extra prep time allotted to teachers ar some point so that they can surf the web and come up with ideas for the project based learning? Where is the time/money for teacher/teacher mentoring?


 * Merge schools and only keep on innovative teachers and administration
 * Uninterested teachers: your learning is a step closer to job security!
 * Allow teachers to be free and do what they think is best, not worrying about parents or administrator remarks
 * Fire all the teachers who are unwilling to "get on the buss" of 21st century learning
 * Seriously consider what teachers you want in your school...we don't live in the 20th century anymore
 * Hold teachers accountable in end of year evaluations
 * Fix faculty hesitation to expand knowledge, keep faculty accountable for their advancements. Journals/Lesson Plans/Student Work/Evaluations
 * Force faculty to change their ideas about Project Based Learning
 * Individuals can be committed to giving extra time to be effective
 * Teacher incentive:Act 48 Credits to stay after school
 * Teacher Incentive
 * $ More in teacher salary and expect the work day to end at 5pm not 3:45
 * Overcome barriers: Make a ten minute per day commitment
 * What actions allow teachers to have a wider access to the web, not as restricted
 * Practice Practice Practice
 * Innovative: Have teachers visit other schools or view projects on YouTube. Barrier: Fear of losing control
 * Teach us how to teach this way: By example. Don't present culminating events invite teachers to watch it happen
 * Bring 2nd and 3rd year PLP teachers to school to show how it works
 * Stop throwing change at us, lead is. If everyone has an experience like PLP we would be a very different group of educators
 * Peer mentors, people helping other people learn
 * Meet as a team with grade level once a week
 * Cultivate teach experts
 * What can individuals do? Share what they know with others, be generous. Teach the teachers
 * Partner teaching

Buy In: 41 dots
Floating tech teachers and tech coordinators Technology is put in the contract and teachers are trained Administrators should lead by example


 * Have teachers visit other classrooms or even other schools where these 2.0 tools are being used so they can see it in action
 * Enthusiastic PLP group along with principal has brought positive morale to the faculty and staff
 * Model a love of learning
 * Show teachers the validity of this type of learning using actual students and their work
 * Get on board or hop off! Tough love, baby
 * Encourage, mentor, tutor teachers who are unwilling to learn technology
 * Core group of enthusiastic teachers must create a sales pitch for parents/faculty
 * For teachers unwilling to get on board, get them fired up with a presentation of how it can be done
 * All faculty must be on board, receptive to change, make it fun!
 * Barrier: Willingness of faculty to embrace technology. This really has to come from administration. Start slow. Discontinue paper correspondence and go from there
 * Morale low because of work load
 * Teacher resistance. After school "out at 4" if you have a new technique to show
 * Jump in and don't hesitate to try new tools and don't be afraid to make mistakes
 * Invite parents to help and they will buy in
 * How do we convince parents to buy in?
 * Individuals talk talk talk administrators, pastors
 * Individuals can explore and experience
 * Barrier: Willingness to embrace technology. What is working is focusing on willing people
 * People not willing to use technology

Curriculum: 36 dots
Project Based online library Block scheduling or creative scheduling extended scheduling (class periods) Required collaboration Change assessments/report cards to fit looser curriculum/guidelines. Performance assessment as finals. Accept alternative assessments


 * More integration of subjects. Less departmentalization
 * Covering curriculum: take time to develop plans based on PBL, vary assessments
 * Incorporating standards into hands on lessons
 * Technology not separate
 * Technology will be incorporated into all subjects
 * Use all the resources in your school; special teachers, parents, technology etc
 * Integrate with all subjects on one theme
 * Students need some kind of factual base to work from, without how do they distinguish fact from fiction
 * More project based learning in the classroom
 * Start with one project that is across the curriculum or different grade levels (depends on size of school)
 * Digital citizenship incorporated into all aspects of curriculum
 * Curriculum has to be changed so there is time for students to work on projects and especially in focus so not as much material
 * Give more freedom with curriculum (cut it down)
 * Make it fun
 * More freedom to teach what the students are interested in. Less curriculum guidelines
 * Start using new tools and PBL from elementary school on
 * Give teachers day off to develop project. Give teachers continue days off to monitor projects
 * Teacher experiment
 * Share best projects
 * Model projects as examples for other teachers

Parents: 18 dots

 * Teaching parents about the changing landscape of education
 * Parent expectations: home and school meeting address "sell it", involve parents in process, use parents as resources
 * Have parent technology presentation of project based learning shown at H&S
 * Parents disagree, demonstrate the finished product
 * Idea inservice for parents regular 1 per month or visit classrooms
 * Communication needed between teachers, students and parents
 * Parental buy in is almost as important as teacher and admin buy in. Without the parents the wheel isn't complete
 * Fix: Parents. Engage parents in the beginning back to school, required parent info nights, etc
 * Have school district inservice parents so they understand what is new in education
 * Notify parents of changes so that complaints will not interfere with our progress
 * Meetings for parents to attend to better explain procedures/policies, demonstrate uses
 * Open access to internet with internet literacy teacher session to keep safe environment for teachers and students
 * Educate parents about how assessments and learning are changing. It's now how they learned. Therefore hopefully getting them to buy into PBL

Resources: 17 dots

 * Student feedback from past practices with ideas for improvement resources
 * Funds for tools needed to implement projects
 * More funding
 * All students should have netbooks
 * For those whose sites are blocked Arch of Phila should allow them to be unlocked
 * iPads for teachers
 * Netbooks for all students
 * Less blocking of software and more teaching students how to use resources available appropriately
 * Instructional coaches to aid in adoption and planning
 * Netbooks for each floor/classroom
 * Built in time not after school to plan across curriculum
 * Providing teachers with technology they need to plan lessons outside classroom
 * Fundraising earmarked for specific purpose
 * Laptops Kthru8 for all
 * We have a lot of technology to use
 * Innovative ideas: Create an environment of student learning providing student learning providing daily and hourly access to the world through projects, trips, and www experiences
 * Hire tech person to help faculty implement ideas
 * Money for subs to grade levels can meet and plan
 * Invite teachers over to your house for a night of playing with web 2.0 tools. "Wine and Web" night
 * Solicit community resources for field trips, "experts", donations
 * Continue to place tech information lesson plans etc on school ning where teachers have access
 * Internet isn't the only solution to engaging students. Allow them to be the teachers with whatever tools they would like to use
 * Every child has netbook, can go home with them
 * Funding: Host events such as an Alex's Lemonade Stand, car washes, etc and set aside for tech tools
 * Laptops or iPads for faculty and students
 * Invest in more resources available to the students and teachers
 * Have a tech person for just the school
 * Pay more and expect faculty to work 1 month during summer, planning PBL
 * Research grants to fund technological needs
 * Barrier: Funding. Seek grants from all arenas, fundraising nights at restaurants, challenging area businesses to donate money
 * More funding for technology given to the school

Lack of Knowledge: 23 dots

 * Mentoring with another teacher that may not be "tech savvy" or is resistant
 * Students taking project based learning seriously. Establish guidelines/rubrics ahead of time so they know that they are accountable for when starting projects
 * Barrier: Ignorance of faculty to learn tech skills: offer training sessions at faculty meetings
 * Don't fear failure, let students mentor teachers
 * Teacher comfort level with tech first, enforce through colleague communication
 * Sample PBL include tech element
 * Share students responses to integration of 2.0 tools
 * Teachers mentor less tech savvy teachers (one on one)
 * Creativity (lack of): Consult with other teachers who teach the same subjects as you from other schools/other states
 * Show benefits for students and teachers
 * Train by example
 * Most of our faculty is open to new ideas
 * Create student experts who can teach other students tools for collaborative learning
 * Tech needs/support: Utilize volunteer services for teacher ed/training. i.e. Mercy Vocational H.S.
 * Tech needs/support: PT to FT computer instructor and FT onsite tech (IT support)
 * Acceptance of web 2.0 tools
 * School should provide inservice to all teachers before netbooks are given to students

Policy: 6 dots

 * Increased accountability to administration for teacher attitude, classroom behavior and requirements to correct problematic behavior
 * Schedules must allow teachers the opportunity for student collaboration
 * Asking for student input
 * Allow students to bring handhelds
 * Schools shouldn't block the tools we need to teach in 21st century
 * Unblock everything (internet filter)
 * Fire or retire the teachers that refuse to adapt (last resort)
 * Not having to take Terra Nova for couple of years because scores may be too low
 * Mandates from administration. Invite principal in to see
 * Peer observations

What's Working: 1 dot

 * The outside technology works. The Google Docs, Discovery Streaming, Wikis etc. They work
 * Openly communicating ideas to other teachers in grades/departments to discuss what and how something works. Best practices
 * Enthusiasm among PLP team
 * Allowing PLP team to have full days to work and collaborate
 * Student interest in technology, ability to be connected
 * Internet is good to showcase how it works. Webinars. Virtual Academy
 * We have laptops for every student and many teachers are using them with students
 * Actually all kinds of different teaching methods are working
 * So far so good, teachers inservice maybe by students
 * All students have internet access at home
 * Work now. Engagement of faculty and staff
 * Be the 1st one to try it. When it works, brag. When it doesn't, try it again.

Shift: 18 dots

 * Get rid of libraries, make all schools with media centers and knowledgeable instructors
 * It is better to try and fail than never to try at all
 * Go for it. Don't wait for permission. Ask for forgiveness afterward. (They're good at forgiveness)
 * Have an administrator who buys into the plan. Change will come from the top down
 * Step out of their comfort zone. Try new things
 * Educate and include parents
 * Get rid of textbooks and chalk
 * Gaming
 * Eliminate an assembly each trimester and replace with assigned lesson to experiment with in the classroom
 * Actively engage themselves with web 2.0 tools and trying new technologies monthly within the class
 * Have technology extravaganza nights and invite parents 3 to 4 times during the year to experience how 21st century learning is relevent

Fear: 15 dots

 * Teacher Apprehension: Sharing of ideas, choosing one tool at a time
 * Teaching the teachers to be comfortable with the technology. Motto "baby steps first, then run"
 * Overcoming faculty reticence: team (mentor) teaching, pair a willing trained teacher with one who's less willing/capable of buying in to work a team approach to project learning
 * Fix:fear. Reroute power constraints allowing a collaboration of old and new school practices
 * Less fear, educate parents so they understand what we are trying to do
 * Be willing to experiment. It's okay for things to not go 100% right the first time
 * Parent workshops to help them overcome their fears and show them what their students are doing
 * Overwhelmed: Pick one piece of technology, learn it, and use it in the classroom. Then move on to the next tool
 * Just take one web tool to develop one project around.
 * Faculty workshops to give ideas to help them ease the transition to this new style of learning
 * Have a list of "safe sites" available for any research projects
 * Maintain positive attitude
 * Let students be part of learning, ask them for help. Principal model seeking help from other teachers, students. Stress learning not teachers as most important aspect. Reward risk taking with praise, gift cards, highlight in parent letter etc.
 * Don't be afraid to challenge or change the status quo. This applies to teachers, administrators and downtown
 * Individuals need to be willing to change. Without the buy in the process won't work

Recognition: 8 dots

 * What innovative ideas do you have for change? Have an Archdiocese technology contest involving both students and teachers. Make it appealing to all teachers. Assign mentor to teachers who resist
 * Promote, publish student's work on website or technology nights
 * Increase faculty wages...give them the compensation for and reason to take on what they see as more headaches
 * Give recognition for change by faculty
 * Broadcast (website, newsletter, parent bulletin) classroom successes
 * Offer incentives to teachers who score high on student surveys; dress down, lunch from restaurant, family cook dinner for them
 * Provide financial incentive to reward excellence in teaching. Seriously
 * Recognition of accomplishments
 * Focus on small steps and celebrate them

Admin/Leadership: 12 dots

 * More guidance from OCE
 * Free teachers for planning time
 * Administration not cooperating with ideas or projects you have: Find ways as a team to convince them otherwise to show that it is beneficial to student learning
 * Tell us why this will work
 * Ask ask ask for Money, Time, Blocked sites to be unblocked

Evaluation/Assessment: 22 dots

 * Creative assessments so students can do cross curricular problem based projects
 * Can change assessments to fit projects and not just paper and pen
 * Give time evaluation and feedback to teachers. Tell it like it is
 * Change grading so it fits better (A vs 95) or check plus or check minus
 * Fix: Accountability. Students graded on a different scale
 * Critical assessments of teachers and admin to keep moving forward
 * Find different ways to assess
 * Eliminate the need for X number of assessments and change type of assessments
 * Reformat report cards and no end of year assessments
 * Change final exams
 * Change the end of year assessments to allow teachers to assess skills they have taught not details from guidelines
 * Take pressure off end of year assessments from OCE and come up with more relevant ones to incorporate technology
 * Getting rid of standard assessments
 * Standards; look at guidelines and pair cross curricularly to meet needs but allow for more time with PBL
 * How to incorporate the guidelines. Integrate guidelines while planning
 * Eliminating so much content in the guidelines
 * Standards: have an overall audit of standards and realign them to foster this type of learning