ISAS 2012 Academy 1 Day 3: Ames Research Center

The students' day began even earlier today to make it through the Boise Airport (BOI) in time for the eight o' clock flight to San Jose. After sack breakfasts in the resident hall hobby, loading onto the charter bus, and making it successfully through security, everyone was on their way to NASA Ames. ISAS even had one student traveling by plane for his first time. The group arrived in San Jose around 9:00 PST, dropped their luggage off at The Quality Inn & Suites and let their quest at NASA Ames begin.

The students started the visit at the Ames Visitor Center, where the students were able to view different displays such as moon rocks brought to Earth by Apollo 11 and an interactive lecture on the universe. Other students, as well as staff, were in the gift shop buying items both for themselves and for their family members back home. 

After the students had viewed all of the exhibits, both students and staff were guided into Ames by Tom Clausen, Director of Education, and arrived at the cafeteria on base: MegaBites. The students were able to luncheon amongst soldiers and NASA scientists as well as visit a secondary gift shop.

Directly after lunch, the students were divided into two groups. Green Team and White Team comprised Team A while Blue and Red made up Team B. Each group headed towards two separate buildings: the Crew Vehicle Systems Research Facility and the Aviation Systems Division.

In the Crew-Vehicle Systems Research Facility (CVSRF)  the students were allowed to enter two different flight simulators used by NASA to study how pilots operate while flying. The students thoroughly enjoyed not only going into these simulators but seeing them in action while “flying” around the Bay Area. Students and NASA directors smiled and chatted happily as the students had the opportunity to experience what very few individuals are even allowed to see, let alone touch. 

In the Aviation Systems Division, the students were shown the simulated Los Angeles (LAX) Airport, from the perspective of the control tower, and were impressed by the ability of the tower to see all the runways on the other side of the simulated airport. The students were also impressed by how life-like the snow, rain, and fog simulations were in the tower. Even more realistic was a simulated voyage they witnessed from LA to the surface of Mars. The simulation was able to put into better perspective what conditions the students would have to prepare for once their “team” got to the surface of the red planet.

Afterward, the students were taken to a different building were they met Natalie Batalha from San Jose State University. Natalie lectured the students on the Kepler telescope project and its mission of searching for other Earth-sized planets outside of our solar system. Many students, and staff, had great questions about the use of the Doppler Effect in order to search for planets and whether said planets were gaseous or solid. This lecture was given in an auditorium comprised of not only our Idaho students, but of many students ranging from high school to upperclassmen college students, from all of the United States.

The next even today was one of the highest anticipated events of the trip. The students were taken to the breath-taking 80x120 wind tunnel. This wind tunnel, the largest in the world, is 80 feet high by 120 feet wide and it has been where NASA has tested many objects such as: shuttle parachutes, shuttle models, and even an F-18 Blue Angels jet. The students also found out that many of the chutes tested in the wind tunnel were also dropped over their own state of Idaho during further testing. The students were also allowed to go into the wind tunnel as well as witness how the wind tunnel functioned both by itself and with the attached 40x80 wind tunnel.  Students and staff then had group photos taken professionally and got the choice between either taking some time to relax and play volleyball, or go see a robotics demonstration.

It was then time for a catered dinner followed by a question and answer session with several of NASA Ames' top scientists; Chris McKay, middle school teacher Dana Blackman, Brian Day, Brad Bebout, Nathalie Cabrol, Natalie Batalha and Mark Kliss. The students were able to ask everything from ideas for their portion of the trip to Mars research, to college plans, to any other space questions. A lot of what was discussed was inspired by Natalie Bathala's earlier lecture to the students on the Kepler mission. The hour passed by quickly and the students were asking questions back to back and raising their hands high, in hopes they'd be the next person called on. By the end of the hour, the students were still engaged, and so were the scientists. Conversations started between various scientists and students about individual college concerns. Some asked personal question about confusion in what to major in. Other discussed college admission issues and how to over come that. By far, however, the biggest conversational topic was about how they, as students, could eventually come and intern or work for NASA.

Regardless of all of the wonderful lessons the students learned today, one of the other great things to watch was the students coming together as not only peers, but as friends. Walking between students jokes were being told. The nose-goes game had developed into a humorous activity and students laughed about project ideas, college admissions and standardized tests. Today not only helped inspire future careers, but also gave many students new friends that understand their same love of math and science.

At the end of the day, the students went back to the hotel tired and happy. They each grabbed their room key, found out their roommate for the night and fell asleep with no problems.

These blogs will continue to be uploaded daily, once the students have completed their final activities each night. A more "live" version of the days' events are being uploaded onto the ISAS Summer Academy Facebook group and page, as well as to Twitter at #ISAS_Academy. The students are eager to continue exploring Ames Research Center and have another busy day ahead of them.  

-- Heidi Hughes, Jaime Guevara -- 

ISAS 2012 Academy 1 Day 2

Six forty-five seemed to come too early this morning, for many. Albeit a handful of students who got up even earlier to go running, the students came groggily from their dorms and slouched on the lobby couches in Keiser Hall waiting to go to breakfast at the Boise River Cafe. However, after filling up on waffles, bacon and sausage, eggs and a cornucopia of other food, the students trekked through campus to the Boise State Engineering Building excited to listen to aerospace engineer, Jason Budinoff, from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.

Jason and the students discussed what responsibilities would be expected from the four teams. These groups (Red, Green, Blue, and White) split up the Mars mission into several separate areas: Mission Integration, Getting There, Living There, and Working There. After hearing the upcoming week's requirements, the students became more intrigued and lively, especially after Mr. Budinoff included stories about his experience with NASA.

Students set out to outline their mission by prioritizing their areas and collaborating with the other teams

The guidelines for the students' mission were purposefully vague: go to the Poles (on Mars), stay for 30 days, and come back. Jason Budinoff challenged the students to debate the question, “How do we change this vague idea into a full-blown mission?” After discussion, the students split up into teams to debate further the goals of their teams and to develop the mission outline into a detailed mission plan. They then grouped back together, and presented their research to the entire Academy. They also had the opportunity to share their findings with Jason Budinoff where he was able to critique their work.

After a couple hours of planning and preparation, students were greeted by student support coordinator, Leandra Aburusa for a tour of the Boise State College of Engineering. Each group split up to see four aspects. These included: The C-MEMS lab, the System Integration Lab, a chance to ride a segway, and the Microscopy lab. In each lab both undergraduate and graduate students showed what they were working on and explained the purpose of the lab. 

Dr. Don Plumlee educates the students on ceramic circuits at the CMEMS Lab in Boise State

Everyone took a short lunch break, then the students returned to the engineering building to listen to, and ask questions from Superintendent Luna. Amongst the questions for students were ones such as, “How long have you been superintendent and are you going to run for reelection?” and a “Did you go to college for something science or math related” and "What made you want to live in Idaho?" He was able to explain the importance and strength of the ISAS program to the students as well, and share the significance and rarity of the program..

Following Superintendent Luna, Amy MollBSU Dean of the College of Engineering and Tony Roark, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Boise State spoke to the students. The students were encouraged to ask questions about different types of degrees & minors offered at the College of Engineering.  Questions asked included, “What do you think is the toughest challenge about college classes?” with a quick retort from Dr. Moll of “Show up for class” and Dr. Roark voting, “time management”. Another student asked what to do if you can't figure out which degree you'd major in if you have multiple subjects you're interested in. Dr. Roark highly encouraged talking to advisors, along with Dr. Moll mentioning that it's important to recognize that certain subjects might go together better than you would anticipate. “There may be more connection than you might think”. “What's your favorite thing about teaching at a university?” another student asked. Both deans quickly agreed on “the students”. A lot of the questions were about getting into BSU research programs, engineering co-ops, and other ISAS themed questions.

Students then split to work in their teams even further in order to meet their deadlines. After working for an hour, the students were then able to listen to a presentation about rockets by Corey Morasch, engineer from Micron. He and the students discussed what it took to make a rocket fly straight while watching videos of larger rockets that Corey Morasch and the club he's involved in, Tripoli Idaho, have previously shot off. The students sat on the edge of their chairs in the lecture hall as they watched the videos of the rockets shooting up from the desert and then spiraling down around 13,000 feet to the ground. One rocket video showed the launch of one of Corey and Tripoli Idaho's rockets that went higher than 100,000 feet. "If a couple of amateurs can launch rockets that go that high", Corey said, "then you guys can do anything". He was complimented by Jennifer Christiano from Ponderosa Aero Club, who came to speak on the history of aviation, and the impact of the American spirit. Students then got another hour to work on their mission to Mars projects.

To get to Mars requires a lot of work, and here the students demonstrate some of their plans on how to achieve their goal.

As the evening started and the day began to end, the students were also visited by Woody Sobey from the Discovery Center of Idaho. He educated the students about what is and is not a robot and how to create an autonomous system. Being such a complicated system, Woody let the students know that they were about to cram a week’s worth of material into about a three hour time slot. The students immediately rolled up their sleeves and dived into working on the robots. Many different students took charge and displayed impressive leadership skills when organizing the robots. They all impressively worked hard to make their robots listen to different programs and follow a rigid set of instructions

By the end of, today, day two, the students have already gelled as a functioning mission control. They are even beginning to express how well the teams have been coming together.

However, with the day winding down, the students are beginning to prepare themselves for the exciting trip to NASA Ames Research Center during day three and four of the ISAS Summer Academy. These blogs will continue to be uploaded daily, once the students have completed their final activities each night. A more "live" version of the days' events are being uploaded onto the ISAS Summer Academy Facebook group and page, as well as to Twitter at #ISAS_Academy. The students have established themselves as mission control and are now ready for the trip to Ames Research Center.

--Heidi Hughes, Jaime Guevara--

2012 ISAS Academy 1 - Day 1

Welcome to the 2012 Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Summer Academy blog and media channel. These daily blogs will be posted on the Department of Education website, keeping parents, students, and others informed about the program's activities. The blogs are written by the three following individuals.

My name is Heidi Hughes and I am a blogger for the ISAS program. I recently transferred from a south Idaho college to Lewis Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho and continuing my studies in Communications with a minor in Political Science. This is my first year with ISAS Summer Academy. I recently completed a communication based internship at the Idaho State Senate and am excited to take what I learned there and use it in the blog here.

My name is Jaime Guevara; I am also a blogger for the ISAS program and am attending Boise State for Mechanical Engineering. I am happy to continue being one of the first bloggers for the ISAS Summer Academy and hope that parents will be pleased, not just with the daily blogs, but with the program their children are involved with during this key week in their lives.

The Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Summer Academy is a weeklong academic workshop that engages and challenges high school juniors to utilize the knowledge they have gained in their classrooms and apply this knowledge in real life scenarios. The students, while residing and working out of Boise State University, will also undertake a trip to NASA Ames Research Centerin Mountain View, California where they will be exposed to the many different STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) careers available to them. While partaking in activities that encourage thought and problem solving skills, the students will also have the opportunity to interact with scientists working in their field on real life projects.

By 2:00 PM, the students had checked into the Academy and were led by their mentors and Director Peter Kavouras to The Discovery Center of Idaho. Here, the students were able to mingle further and had an opportunity to experience many of the different exhibits the center had to offer. Some students even shared what they were excited about. Furthermore they were welcomed personally by Janine Boire, Executive Director of the Discovery Center of Idaho.

Students gather in their teams for the first time

After spending time throughout the center, the students congregated into the front room to disperse into their separate teams: Green, Red, White, and Blue. The teams discussed the Academy rules and chose team leaders. In order to encourage the students to interact outside of their teams, name tags were passed out randomly, requiring the students to become better acquainted with one another. Students laughed as they introduced one another and clearly began to come together as a stronger unit. They will definitely need that cohesion in order to successfully design a manned-mission to Mars.

 The first task that they were faced with was to construct a lunar “egg-drop” carrier. The purpose of this activity was for the students to demonstrate their teamwork and ingenuity by constructing a method that allowed an egg to be dropped from a cherry picker and for it to gently float down without the egg cracking. The ingenuity aspect came from being able to use the supplies they were given such as: rulers, foam, and a plastic bag.

Students building the "parachute" for their carriers

The final event of the night was a project called the "Table Tennis Triathlon". This activity was arbitrated by Woody Sobey, Education Director for the Discovery Center of Idaho, and who was also key in setting up the triathlon. For this project, the students had to use supplies given to them to create simple machines to perform the functions of a catapult, cantilever, and rocket. Each of these different machines must carry with it a table tennis ball and at the same time fulfill certain requirements. Each event was scored and the team with  greatest overall score was declared the winner.

Teams are seen here working on their cantilevers

 

 Overall, the first day of the new Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars Summer Academy was very successful, engaging, and fun for students and mentors alike. These blogs will be uploaded daily, and once the students have completed their final activities every night. A more "live" version of the days' events are being uploaded onto the ISAS: Idaho Science and Aerospace Scholars' facebook page. The students have had the chance to meet, and greet with their peers, and are now ready for the oncoming events of the week.

--  Heidi Hughes and Jaime Guevara--

EduStat 2012 - Day One Case Studies

In addition to prominent to keynote speakers, EduStat also featured experienced educators from around the state of Idaho and the country who shared their perspectives in Case Studies. Attendees chose from among a number of these Case Studies to attend during the second half of the conference each day. Here are two Case Studies from Day One:

Mrs. Fowler-Mack and Dr. Brown share their reform efforts in Cleveland.

“Cleveland’s Plans for Transforming Schools,” Christine Fowler-Mack and Dr. Russ Brown

Dr. Russ Brown and Christine Fowler Mack traveled to Boise to share their work in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Dr. Brown is the Deputy Chief of Organizational Accountability for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. He is a published author, formal children’s mental health professional, and former university researcher working to embed the use of data in goal setting, progress monitoring, and decision making at all levels of the academic process.

Mrs. Fowler-Mack has experience as a Superintendent and as Chief of Staff of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. She currently works as the Chief of Innovative Schools and Programs in Ohio’s second-largest school district and is at the forefront of some of Ohio’s most ambitious school reform efforts. She has won several distinguished awards for her leadership ability, and her focus has been aggressive systemic and legislative change intended to ensure the academic success of every child in Cleveland.

The presenters started with an assessment of the past as a foil for their vision of the future.

Cleveland had been struggling with a low graduation rate and uninspiring test scores, and feedback from the community made it clear that students were not prepared for the workforce when they graduated. While there were signs of some positive growth, that growth was much too slow.

Additionally, Cleveland’s school buildings were not being used efficiently. Some schools were considerably underpopulated, while others were at or near capacity.

So Cleveland took action, implementing broad, high-level reforms to bring much needed change. The city took a proactive stance. It began actively seeking great teaching talent and instituted performance-based accountability for all schools. Cleveland also eliminated seniority as the sole determinant in any employment or assignment decisions.

The city took a look at its schools and resolved to grow the number of high-performing district and charter schools and close and replace failing schools. As a result, it closed sixteen buildings due to poor performance and lackluster enrollment. It then gave the remaining schools more autonomy. The schools were divided into groups. Higher performing schools now get more autonomy; struggling schools work with the active support of the Central Office. It has also facilitated district-charter partnerships.

The focus of the Central Office has evolved as well, moving from a more compliance-based role to one that focuses on service. The administration now focuses on key support and governance roles and gives schools more authority. The Central Office also spends more time visiting schools and learning and supporting school’s needs. Its employees are dispatched into districts to maintain a connection with what’s happening in the schools.

To ensure transparency, reformers created the Cleveland Transformation Alliance to ensure accountability for all public schools in the city. The Alliance is composed of representatives of parents, community members, business leaders, civic organizations, and the Board of Education, and the goal is to promote clear and ongoing conversations about education in Cleveland. The Alliance serves as a watchdog and helps keep everyone focused.

Cleveland has also started two “new tech” high schools to respond to reports that students were not ready for the workforce. New tech high schools are 1:1 programs. Students work in project groups to address relevant issues that keep them engaged in school and connect them with the community. These schools have already had a very promising impact on student outcomes.

For  Fowler-Mack and Brown, the challenge is to find ways to accelerate the positive changes they are already seeing. The goal is to graduate students prepared to enter college without remediation.  

Mrs. Chavez interacts with Mr. Gural as they discuss a math problem in real-time over the IEN.

“Distance Learning over the Idaho Education Network: Not Your Average Online Class,” Dave Gural and Michelle Chavez

Idaho educators Dave Gural (who retired this year) and Michelle Chavez took time to share with EduStat attendees their methods and experiences teaching real-time synchronous courses over the Idaho Education Network (IEN).

Mrs. Chavez has been a teacher at Weiser High School for 17 years, where she has taught a range of English and Literature classes, including dual-credit classes and IEN classes. She has been teaching over the IEN since its inception. Mrs. Chavez also serves in several leadership roles and has earned several prominent awards, including Teacher of the Year at Weiser High School and the 2012 International Society for Key Women Educators Award. She has a passion for human rights. Mrs. Chavez teaches a Holocaust Literature course, and her permanent Holocaust exhibit is on display at the Snake River Heritage Museum in Weiser, Idaho.

Mr. Gural began teaching in 1969 and has taught continuously for 43 years, with experience at all levels of mathematics at the junior and senior high school levels. He has been the calculus teacher at Eagle High School for the last nine years. His classes include Calculus I and II, both for Concurrent Credit through Boise State. The Eagle High Calculus program is currently the only program approved by BSU for Concurrent Credit in Calculus II. Mr. Gural has twice been honored with Teacher of the Year distinctions, once in Washington and once at Eagle High School. He is one of the pioneers of the IEN in Idaho.

Mr. Gural and Mrs. Chavez demonstrated the power of the IEN and the promise of high quality remote learning that it delivers on. Mrs. Chavez was physically present in the room, while Mr. Gural  joined in synchronously via the IEN. It was great to hear from these experienced teachers, and to see the doors digital learning has already opened in the state of Idaho.

Mr. Gural demonstrated the impressive technology setup in his classroom. A screen in the front of the classroom and a screen in the back allow the students in the classroom to see and hear one another and Mr. Gural. Students can raise their hands to ask questions in real time or interact with students in other classrooms.

With one touch of a button, Mr. Gural can toggle between multiple cameras and camera views, giving students a view of his desk from multiple angles, as well as a view of the blackboard as he works. But those are just some of Mr. Gural’s options. Switching views from his document camera (think digital overhead projector) where he works on scratch paper, to his computer screen that allows him to write digitally, or to any one of the devices he has connected to the feed (graphing calculators, an iPad with an app that lets him graph 3D maps, etc.) is just as easy. It’s surprising, really, just how versatile the system is.

Mr. Gural uses his document camera so students can follow along as he works on scratch paper. In the top right of the screen, Mr. Gural and his class can see themselves and one another.

Mrs. Chavez shared how she interacts with her remote classroom—just the same as she does with her physical classrooms. Mrs. Chavez teaches her Holocaust course over the IEN. A proctor in the remote classroom supervises students and ensures everything is working as it should. Mrs. Chavez shared that she has not had student behavioral issues.

Both teachers were enthusiastic about their IEN experiences, with Mr. Gural, who retired this year after 43 years of teaching, obtaining permission from Eagle High School to proudly demonstrate the classroom where he has honed his digital learning craft.

EduStat 2012 - Aaron Sams and the Flipped Classroom

Aaron Sams shares with the conference from San Diego, interacting with the crowd live via the IEN.

Our second keynote speaker of Day 1 of Edustat, Aaron Sams, gave an energetic presentation on his extensive experience with the flipped classroom concept. He joined and addressed the conference from San Diego, speaking to the crowd via synchronous video over the IEN.

Aaron has been an educator since 2000 and currently teaches Chemistry and AP Chemistry in a Colorado high school. Learn more about Aaron. He was eager to share his approach and connect with other educators. Write him an email (aaron@flippedclass.com), follow him on Twitter (@chemicalsams), or  take a look at his blog (http://chemicalsams.blogspot.com).

Sams is a high school teacher, but sees the value of the flipped classroom model at many grade levels.

The biggest question of the flipped classroom model is: What is the most valuable use of classroom time? The answer, says Sams, is not what it used to be. Students used to go to school because that is where they had the most access to knowledge. Most of that information came from their teacher. Today, students have access to information around the clock, and resources abound. Simple lectures and worksheets do not capture a physical teacher’s value. Students can now access lecture information at home, then process that information and learn how to apply and use it in the classroom.

In this way, content delivery happens during down time, and a teacher adds value through face-to-face interaction with students. The flipped classroom often overlaps the blended learning model.

By archiving lessons and having students watch them at home, Sams is able to allow students to work at their own paces. But that instruction does not just have to happen at home, and it does not have to be delivered solely via video. Students can work through content at their own pace in the classroom as well, receiving special attention from the instructor when they have questions.

An instructional management makes it possible for students to work at different paces. The system allows Sams to generate random tests that prevent students from cheating or copying answers from their peers.

The flipped classroom is not a one-size-fits-all approach, and it often looks different for different educators in different subjects and grade levels. Sams offered examples from economics to p.e. to demonstrate the flexibility of the flipped classroom model.

Sams also took the opportunity to address several misconceptions.

Misconception #1 is that the flipped classroom relies on video. In a lot of ways, the flipped classroom is not all that different from we have always expected from students in some subjects—for instance, reading at home in a literature class, then discussion with a teacher in the classroom. The flipped classroom works exceptionally well with a video format, but it is not limited by it.

Misconception #2 is that flipped learning creates a digital divide. Sams hasn’t found this to be true. For students how lack the internet, he has the lessons available on flash drives. For those without computers, he burns DVDs. Other students simply do the work in class.

Misconception #3 is that flipped learning propagates bad teaching (lectures). Sams and some of the examples he cites address this in several ways. They didn’t always choose lectures. Sometimes they drew from current events. They used other resources. They created engaging videos and played characters. In one example, two characters explain the lesson. One is the expert and one is clueless. The format allows for engaging banter and a question and answer format between the two characters.

For an easy association, Sams offered a relatable example from his own experience. His snowblower broke down. So he searched the internet, found a step-by-step repair video on YouTube, and fixed his snowblower. Kids do the same all the time. Why not apply that model to education? Watch the video, then practice in a classroom with the guidance and supervision of an expert—the teacher.

And that’s the value of the flipped classroom. It’s a new tool that maximizes the value of the teacher. As Sal Khan suggested during his visit to Boise, the flipped classroom only makes the teacher more important.  It’s not magic. It can’t replace teachers. But it can maximize the benefit of a teacher in the classroom.

The model even allows for what Adora Svitak advocated earlier in the day. Sams offers the example of mathtrain.tv, where students create math content videos to instruct their peers. Students love to teacher and share. It helps them learn better, and it motivates them because they know they have an audience.

As a concept, the flipped classroom harnesses new tools of technology to empower students and teachers in the classroom. 

Mr. Sams offered the following resources for those interested in learning more about the flipped classroom: 

http://flippedclass.com
http://flippedlearning.com
http://flipped-learning.com
http://flippedlearning.eduvision.tv

A Great Start to EduStat 2012!

Today’s EduStat University 2012 conference kicked off this morning at 7:30 a.m., when educators began to fill the large conference room of The Riverside Hotel in Garden City. Several hundred teachers from around the state of Idaho came together this morning to be a part of Idaho’s first educator conference focused on increasing student achievement through a 21st Century, technology-rich, data-driven practice.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna opened the conference, thanking educators for playing a role in the education renaissance that is happening around the nation—a renaissance Idaho, with its forward-thinking Students Come First laws, is helping to lead. Yet, even as Idaho takes a leading role in education reform and technology integration, our state has been lucky to have a number of successful examples from around the country on which to base our approach. Representatives from those successful programs, including Jeff Mao, Learning Technology Policy Director for the state of Maine—which has been implementing a 1:1 program at the state level for the last decade—have come to EduStat University 2012 to share their insights with Idaho educators.

Idaho’s Students Come First reforms were passed to support the needs of students—modernizing the classroom to engage and provide Idaho’s students with the skills they need to find success in postsecondary education and the workplace without the need for remediation. It was fitting then, that, to set the tone for EduStat, today’s first keynote presenter was a student.

All eyes on Adora Svitak as she addresses the EduStat Conference.

 Adora Svitak: "The New Kid(s) on the Block: Youth Digital Culture and Implications for Student Voice in Education

Adora Svitak is a gifted young student who decided at age seven that she wanted to write a book. With the enthusiastic support of her parents, she was first published at the age of 12. She has been a champion of literacy and delivered the speech, “What Adults Can Learn from Kids” at the prestigious TED Conference. Read more about Adora here: http://studentscomefirst.org/speakerSvitak.htm.

At EduStat this morning, Adora shared her insights about digital youth culture and her excitement about some of the changes that have already begun here in Idaho. “I think this is a really awesome time to be both a student and a teacher,” shared Svitak. “This is a world that excites me immensely.”

Adora Svitak explained that change in our schools requires not only creative forward thinking but also an understanding of youth digital culture. By understanding how students today express and interact with each other, teachers can harness student enthusiasm. We see viral memes and creative advertising—everyone is trying to reach kids—so why isn’t education doing the same.

Adora suggests that students today (as they probably always have) love an audience. An audience gives students a purpose for their creation. Whether it is creating an engaging video or presentation or simply writing a report, sharing that work gives students a sense of pride and purpose. Using tools like social media, Adora has connected with her classmates in groups created to support classes she is taking.

Svitak also encouraged project-based learning. Digital tools make it easy for students to creatively engage in projects. It also gives them a platform to share with and teach their peers. Svitak herself has posted videos to YouTube. Students are unlocking these tools outside of the classroom, why create “blue tape zones” that prevent students from the same benefits in the classroom, asks Svitak.

Svitak wants to see technology in the classroom, pointing out that laptops allow student both a venue for content delivery and a means for content creation. And she encourages educators to let students experiment, advocating a “touch the stove” approach that lets students learn on their own and circumvents the attraction that students often have towards items that are forbidden.

Adora finished her presentation by recommending that we reconsider our learning environments. In one slide, Svitak drew chuckles by showing several images, one of which looked like a high school hallway. The others looked like a cathedral and a library. With a voice vote, the attendees concluded that the first image looked most like a school environment only to find out that it was a prison. Svitak encouraged educators not to imprison learning but to open the digital doors to a broader world of learning.

Adora shares a laugh with Supt. Luna after her presentation.

IDAHO TEACHERS TO LEARN FROM LOCAL, NATIONAL LEADERS ON CREATING THE 21ST CENTURY CLASSROOM

Hundreds of Idaho teachers and principals will visit Boise this week to learn from local and national leaders about how to create the 21st Century Classroom to keep students engaged and improve academic achievement.

EduStat University 2012 will bring together Idaho educators working hard to increase student outcomes through a 21st Century, technology-rich, data-driven practice.

More than 300 teachers and principals from across Idaho are scheduled to attend. The event will be held at The Riverside Hotel in Boise on June 26-27, 2012. The Idaho State Department of Education has partnered with Schoolnet, the statewide instructional management system, to host EduStat, which is funded through a grant from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation.

EduStat is aligned with Students Come First, which passed in 2011, and will help Idaho’s teachers and principals as they work to implement these reform laws at the building level.

Presenters include Idaho teachers who are using digital learning to raise student achievement and educators from New Plymouth School District who successfully created and implemented pay-for-performance nearly 10 years ago.

In addition, EduStat will feature nationally known speakers, such as chemistry teacher Aaron Sams who uses a “flipped” classroom to engage students every day, Jeff Mao who has led the implementation of the 1:1 laptop initiative in the state of Maine, and Adora Svitak, an innovative 14-year-old with brilliant ideas about what adults can learn from children.

Here are some of the highlights of EduStat University 2012:

Tuesday, June 26:

• 8:30 a.m.: Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna will kick off EduStat with opening remarks. 
• 9:30 a.m.: 14-year-old Adora Svitak will give a student’s perspective on technology and education with a keynote address, “The New Kid(s) on the Block”: Youth Digital Culture and Implications for Student Voice in Education.”
• 10:45 a.m.: Aaron Sams, a chemistry teacher from Colorado is a dynamic speaker who will describe how he uses advanced technology in a “flipped” classroom setting to improve student achievement and make sure all students are engaged every day.
• 2:15 p.m.: Idaho teachers and administrators from New Plymouth School District will present on their successful pay-for-performance plan during a breakout session. (They will present again at 3:30 p.m.)
• 2:15 p.m.: Idaho classroom teachers Dave Gural (Eagle High) and Michelle Chavez (Weiser High) will describe how they use digital learning over the Idaho Education Network to engage Idaho students and improve student achievement in breakout sessions. (They will present again at 3:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, June 27:

• 8:45 a.m.: Jeff Mao will give a keynote address on how the state of Maine successfully implemented a 1:1 laptop initiative in grades 7 and 8.
• 10:00 a.m.: Greg Green, a principal from Michigan, will describe how he turned student achievement in his school around using classroom technology to engage students every day and show them relevance in what they were learning.

All keynote addresses during EduStat University 2012 will be streamed live online at http://www.idahoptv.org/leglive/.

To view the full schedule for EduStat University 2012, visit http://www.studentscomefirst.org/edustat.htm.