Good Teaching can be Enhanced with New Technology

Providing further evidence of the tremendous opportunity to use technology to improve teaching and learning, the U.S. Department of Education today released an analysis of controlled studies comparing online and face-to-face instruction.

A systematic search of the research literature from 1996 through July 2008 identified over 1,000 empirical studies of online learning. Of these, 46 met the high bar for quality that was required for the studies to be included in the analysis. The meta analysis showed that "blended" instruction – combining elements of online and face-to-face instruction – had a larger advantage relative to purely face to face instruction or instruction conducted wholly online. The analysis also showed that the instruction conducted wholly on line was more effective in improving student achievement than the purely face to face instruction. In addition, the report noted that the blended conditions often included additional learning time and instructional elements not received by students in control conditions.

"This new report reinforces that effective teachers need to incorporate digital content into everyday classes and consider open-source learning management systems, which have proven cost effective in school districts and colleges nationwide," said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "We must take advantage of this historic opportunity to use American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to bring broadband access and online learning to more communities.

"To avoid being caught short when stimulus money runs out, school officials should use the short-term federal funding to make immediate upgrades to technology to enhance classroom instruction and to improve the tracking of student data," Duncan added. "Technology presents a huge opportunity that can be leveraged in rural communities and inner-city urban settings, particularly in subjects where there is a shortage of highly qualified teachers. At the same time, good teachers can utilize new technology to accelerate learning and provide extended learning opportunities for students."

Few rigorous research studies have been published on the effectiveness of online learning for K-12 students. The systematic search found just five experimental or controlled quasi-experimental studies comparing the learning effects of online versus face-to-face instruction for K-12 students. For this reason, caution is required in generalizing the study’s findings to the K-12 population because the results are for the most part based on studies in other settings, such as in medical, career, military training, and higher education.

"Studies of earlier generations of distance and online learning courses have concluded that they are usually as effective as classroom-based instruction," said Marshall "Mike" Smith, a Senior Counselor to the secretary. "The studies of more recent online instruction included in this meta-analysis found that, on average, online learning, at the post-secondary level, is not just as good as but more effective than conventional face-to-face instruction.."

The study was conducted by the Center for Technology and Learning, SRI International under contract to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Policy and Program Studies Service, which commissioned the study.

The full report can be found at http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html#edtech

Freedom Writers Foundation Teachers Equipped With Collaboration Tools

Although teachers collaborate on lesson plans and projects across schools and districts every day, the Freedom Writers Foundation has proven that the power of technology enables this across time zones and even various levels of technology familiarity. The Foundation brought together 150 teachers from across the United States and Canada to jointly compose their new book Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers, (Broadway Books, August 2009) with the help of donated tools and support from HP and Microsoft Corp. Today, in her keynote presentation at the National Educational Computing Conference, Erin Gruwell, founder of the Freedom Writers Foundation, will share the supporting, yet critical role, that technology played in easing the teacher/author collaboration, relationship building and ultimately impacting change.

Collaborating with technology

The Freedom Writers Teachers came together last summer as part of the Foundation's teacher-training program, spurred on by the success of Paramount Pictures' "Freedom Writers," starring Hilary Swank, based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary, by Gruwell and her students. The teachers, representing fresh approaches to "teaching hope" from all school settings and geographies, received the donated tools and training as they commenced writing their personal classroom stories featured in the new book.

Staying connected with the HP Mini and Microsoft Office OneNote 2007, allowed the teachers to access information, collaborate in real time, and communicate via e-mail, IM, and blogging with the integrated wireless technologies. Office OneNote 2007 (www.iheartonenote.com) is a "digital notebook" that provides people one place to gather notes, audio and visual information, powerful search to find what they are looking for quickly, and easy-to-use shared notebooks to manage information and work together more effectively.

"Given the immense inequity in skills and access to technology going into writing this book, we were worried true collaboration would be next to impossible," said Zachary Chase, a Freedom Writers Teacher. "Our new tools leveled the field for technophobic and technophilic teachers alike. We were able to work together across a common platform. I hope this unified and connected spirit comes through for everyone who reads Teaching Hope."

Applying technology lessons learned in the classroom

Beyond the book, some of the Freedom Writers Teachers are also using this technology in their classrooms and to share with colleagues across their districts. This next school term, Christine Neuner, a Freedom Writers Teacher, plans to use Office OneNote 2007 to give students a chance to send drafts of their works for peer-editing.

"I think it is imperative for the students to use such technology at the high school level because they will be using similar technology in post-secondary schools and training," said Neuner. "They will have to be technologically prepared for the workplace as well. Using OneNote is just another way for me to help prepare them for the future."

The HP Mini can change how K-12 children learn today and is the practical answer to one-to-one computing. Students can learn collaboration, problem solving and creative skills, which will prepare them for life after school. With the right technology, students learn to communicate effectively with multimedia and think critically as they decide how to present knowledge effectively - giving them a bigger voice in the world.

Teaching Hope: Stories from the Freedom Writers Teachers will be available for sale on August 18, 2009 wherever books are sold. Teaching Hope unites the voices of these Freedom Writer teachers, who share uplifting, devastating, and poignant stories from their classrooms, stories that provide insight into the struggles and triumphs of education in all of its forms. Mirroring an academic year, these dispatches from the front lines of education take us from the anticipation of the first day to the disillusionment, challenges, and triumphs of the school year. These are the voices of teachers who persevere in the face of intolerance, rigid administration, and countless other challenges, and continue to reach out and teach those who are deemed unteachable. Their stories inspire everyone to make a difference in the world around them.

About The Freedom Writers Foundation

The Freedom Writers Foundation provides educators with transformative methods to engage, enlighten and empower vulnerable, at-risk students to reach their full potential. For more information, please visit www.freedomwritersfoundation.org.

Economic Boost Expected From Teaching Creativity

"Maybe we could jump-start our economy" by infusing business know-how into art and design, a college president here suggests.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson, who heads Ringling College of Art and Design, notes that "every man-made object, from your coffee cup, to the chair you are sitting in, to the watch on your wrist, was created by an artist or designer. Product design, advertising design, interior design affect every single thing we do."

Writing in a college publication called "Creativity@Work," Dr. Thompson notes that his institution has created the nation's first four-year program to teach business to creative types. It's called The Business of Art and Design. Its lead faculty member, Dr. Wanda Chaves, says, "We're convinced this revolutionary new academic program will produce the business leaders of the future. It integrates the study of business and the study of studio art and design -- marrying the right and left brains into one practice."

She adds, "The art and design degree is in some ways the quintessential business degree. It's not just about creative businesses. It's about making any business more creative."

Ringling College is located at 2700 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota FL 34234. Web www.ringling.edu

Walden University and Tacoma Public Schools Announce Results of Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success

As school districts and states across the country seek practical and meaningful ways to measure teacher performance in the classroom, new findings from a previous study confirm the connection between graduates of Walden University's M.S. in Education program with a specialization in Elementary Reading and Literacy and student outcomes in reading fluency.

Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success, a study conducted by Arroyo Research Services in conjunction with Tacoma Public Schools, compared the reading fluency of students taught by Walden-master's educated teachers with those students taught by non-Walden-master's educated teachers. The study, sponsored by Walden University, evaluated three years of data, including test scores involving 35 teachers and 712 students.

"Our district was very interested in supporting the researchers at Walden University who contracted with Arroyo Research Services to study the link between Walden-master's educated reading teachers and the effects on increasing student performance," said Pat Cummings, director of Research and Planning with Tacoma Public Schools. "The study yielded a number of positive findings in early literacy performance of students being taught by Walden graduates. The research appears to help shed light on the link between good teaching and student learning, especially in the area of acquiring skills in early reading."

Key findings in the study showed:

* Students of Walden teachers had gains in reading fluency that were on average 4.8 words per minute, or 14% greater, than students of non-Walden-master's educated teachers.

* Gains were largest in first grade, where students of Walden teachers averaged 5.4 more words per minute than students of the non-Walden-master's educated teachers.

The positive impact Walden teachers had on student reading fluency translated into more efficient use of instructional time. The findings suggest the cumulative effect of having a Walden teacher in Grades 1 to 5 would show a combined gain in reading fluency of 11.6 words per minute. When translated into weeks of instruction, this gain is equivalent to a total of 10.6 weeks, or one-third of an entire school year.

"Student success is the ultimate demonstration of effective teaching, and the ultimate goal of Walden's education programs is fostering effective teachers. We believe studies such as this one illustrate the difference a Walden master's degree can make and the impact that Walden-educated teachers have in the classroom," said Victoria Reid, vice president of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Walden University, which was named in honor of Richard W. Riley, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education and a longtime advocate for teaching excellence.

Details of Linking Teacher Learning to Student Success are at www.WaldenU.edu/tacoma.

Deadline Under Two Weeks Away for Applications for $100,000 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation

The application deadline for the 2009 Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation is quickly approaching with submissions due July 1 at 3pm EDT. The Drucker Institute at Claremont Graduate University is encouraging interested nonprofits to complete their applications ASAP. All U.S.-based nonprofits are eligible for the award.

The first-place prize is $100,000. That's up from the $35,000 awarded in previous years, thanks to a generous grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. The second-place award is $7,500, and the third-place prize is $5,000.

The award application is available on the Drucker Institute website (http://www.druckerinstitute.com/).

Administered annually since 1991, the Drucker Award is granted to a social-sector organization that demonstrates Drucker's definition of innovation--change that creates a new dimension of performance. In addition, the judges look for programs that are highly effective and that have made a difference in the lives of the people they serve.

"Peter told us that the purpose of this prize is to find the innovators, whether small or large; to celebrate their example; and to inspire others," said Rick Wartzman, director of the Drucker Institute. "This is especially important this year as our flagging economy has left many nonprofits struggling financially while the needs that they're trying to meet are greater than ever."

The winners of this year's competition will be recognized at a gala dinner in Los Angeles later this fall. The dinner has been designated an official activity of the Drucker Centennial, which marks Peter Drucker's 100th birthday. (For more on the Centennial, please visit www.drucker100.com.)

Widely considered the father of modern management, Drucker not only consulted for major corporations, he advised the Girl Scouts of the USA, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and countless other social-sector organizations. He called the nonprofit "America's most distinctive institution."

The 2008 first-place Drucker Award winner, selected from more than 500 nonprofits that applied for the award, was KickStart International, a San Francisco-based organization. KickStart fights poverty in Africa by creating and selling simple tools that help poor entrepreneurs increase their income. Among its innovations is the MoneyMaker irrigation pump, which allows small-scale growers to produce high-value crops year-round and make the transition from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture.

The Gordie Foundation Announces Call For Entries For The 2009 Presidential Leadership Award

The Gordie Foundation and Outside The Classroom have announced the call for nominations for the 2009 Presidential Leadership Award. The $50,000 award recognizes a college or university president who has given freely of time and energy to create an environment where learning and campus life are not undermined by the misuse of alcohol.

The Gordie Foundation was founded by parents Leslie and Michael Lanahan after the loss of their son Gordie Bailey due to an alcohol overdose following a fraternity hazing incident. The Foundation’s sponsorship with Outside The Classroom to support this award will further expand their outreach efforts in informing students, parents, and educational institutions about the dangers of alcohol.

"Every year, a staggering 1,700 college students die of alcohol misuse, and nearly 100,000 more are victims of sexual assault as a result of heavy drinking," said Leslie Lanahan. "We are honored to recognize a strong leader with this award who can actively reduce these shocking statistics by changing the campus environment."

The recipient of the 2009 award will be honored at an award ceremony in Washington, D.C. with a $50,000 donation to his or her institution, and will be given the opportunity to promote environmental change on campuses nationwide via speaking engagements, published articles in higher education journals, and other initiatives. Dr. Jonathan Gibralter of Frostburg State University, the winner of the 2008 award, has demonstrated active leadership on the issue of high-risk drinking since his presidency began in 2006. His willingness to speak out on the issue has catapulted him into the spotlight as a model for college administrators who are fighting the dangerous culture of binge drinking on campuses.

"This is an ongoing battle, and one that must be started again with each new freshman class," said Gibralter. "This award and its ensuing attention has raised awareness and gained us credibility among our students and within our community, where we have the most work to do."

The recipient of the award will be selected by a review panel consisting of former university presidents, as well as representatives from the award development team, including; the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), American Council on Education (ACE), Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), NASPA, Outside The Classroom, The Gordie Foundation, and United Educators.

Nominations may be submitted by any professional staff member, either from the nominee's institution or from a different institution. Nominations for the 2009 Presidential Leadership Award will be accepted through June 30, 2009. To nominate an individual, please visit href="http://www.plaward.com/">www.PLAward.com.

Reading Keeps Summer from Turning Kids' Minds Into Jello

As another long summer away from school approaches, many parents are wondering how to keep their children busy doing something constructive. While certain T.V. shows and video games can be educational, nothing seems to beat good old fashioned reading. Or for very young children, being read to. Summer reading programs are a great way to provide children regular opportunities to read books, play writing games, and listen to stories. While children might be more focused on the fun and prizes involved, educators know that these sorts of programs help little kids get ready to read and big kids raise scores.

A study conducted by Jimmy Kim at Harvard's Center for Evaluation found that reading four or five books over the summer months had an impact on fall reading achievement comparable to attending summer school. (Kim) Another study concluded that, "children who read more than a half an hour per day during the summer had significantly higher reading comprehension gains by the fall compared with children who did not." In addition, the study showed that "children whose parents read to them at least twice a week over the summer also improved comprehension skills more than children whose parents did not." (Phillips and Chin)

Public libraries all over the country are busily gearing up for the 2009 summer reading program "Be Creative at your Library". The program is sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP), which is a grassroots consortium of states working together to provide high-quality summer reading program materials for children at the lowest cost possible for their public libraries. The CSLP began in 1987 in the state of Minnesota and has since grown to include libraries from virtually every state in the country.

"Be Creative at your Library" is not only a wonderful free program that promotes parent/child involvement, but also gives kids an opportunity to have fun while learning valuable skills. Program coordinators often incorporate puppet shows, crafts, skits, and other fun activities to help children interact with the characters they read about and make various subjects come alive for them in a meaningful way. There's even a theme song for "Be Creative at your Library", sung by the children's cartoon character Billy Gorilly. The song was produced by Flying Kitten Music whose unique songs, stories, and educational materials are prime examples of the creative learning tools parents and kids can discover through the library.

To find out the details about dates, times, and registration for this summer's program, call or visit your local library. And to learn more about effective and engaging children's educational materials visit these websites:

www.scholastic.com
www.billygorilly.com
www.pbskids.org