Case Studies in technologyand School Reform

Keystones Technology Integrators Summit

Dr. Diane Reed

Vice-President Mid-AtlanticCaseNEX, LLC

http://www.casenex.com

Case Studies: Capturing Complexity• Multimedia—video, audio, photos, text

• “Slices of life”

• Ancillary documents, data

• We don’t judge the schools we learn from them

• Stand alone or embedded in courses

• Download to your, Microsoft Zune or Apple IPod

Microsoft Partners in Learning

Public-Private Partnership

• Microsoft• CaseNEX• Pennsylvania Department of

Education

PA Partners in Learning Project

• Case Studies• Course Modules• Instructor Notes

PA Partners in Learning Resource Center

http://www.casenex.comclick on:

Microsoft Partners in Learning

Resource Center Contents• Access to the case studies

• Temporary home for cases moving to Microsoft and SAS

• Course modules

• CaseNEX Case Tutorials

• Which cases are right for your school?

If you want to get into our site

• http://www.casenex.com

• Login– username - casespa– Password – microsoft

• In the newsflash see this presentation

Reflective 5-Step Method for Case Study Analysis

USING THE FIVE-STEP CASE-ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY

The Case Study of Plymouth –Whitemarsh High School

Case Preview

Plymouth-Whitemarsh• With sixty percent of graduating students reading below

grade level, and Classrooms For the Future funding on the way, administrators at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School realized there was much more they could be doing to reach all the students in their school.

• Doing so meant implementing a diverse array of reforms, from boosting literacy to integrating technology to post-secondary preparation, and focusing on students reading below grade level as well as those “in the middle,” who, while they might graduate, might do so without any real plan for the future.

“

Issues

Issues

brainstorm Identify issues problems

dilemmas opportunities

Issues

• What challenges accompany comprehensive school reform?

• What else did you notice going on?

Issues

• Diversity?

• Literacy?

• Post secondary education?

Issues• Classrooms for the Future focus is Social Studies

– What problems and opportunities do the teachers encounter as they integrate technology into their classrooms?

Perspectives

Recognizing Perspectives

Values FeelingsSpecial

knowledge of the situation

Don’t judge them!!

Jump into their shoes!

Work in Groups

The teachers• The administrators recognized that they had to

develop teacher leaders -- why?

• Imagine the range of responses to this approach to reform.

• Why do some teachers feel they can’t “give up the chalk?”

Your Perspective

Share the ways your school trains and supports teachers who integrate technology into their classrooms.

Considering the perspectives of all teachers, what would it specifically take for some of your colleagues to “give up the chalk?”

“

Knowledge

Knowledge

Personal/practical Experience Theory/Research “Want to Know”?

Facts from the Case

The course modules have

readings

In your groups . . .

CaseNEX Virtual Library

• Click on Class Materials• Virtual Library• Readings (Search)• Find some KNOWLEDGE relevant to this case

study

Knowlege

• In general, what types of knowledge do teachers need in order to be able to integrate literacy skills in their content-area classes?

Knowledge

• Plymouth-Whitemarsh uses a coaching model for both the literacy and technology programs. What knowledge is necessary in order to make this model work?

“

Action

Actions

Apply knowledge Keep perspectives in mine

Describe the actions they could

take to improve the situation

What would you do if you were in

their shoes?Based upon what

you know

Action• The social studies teachers are integrating

technology in a variety of different ways. What actions should they and other school leaders take to disseminate their work to the rest of the faculty?

• What actions might the reading specialist take to help more teachers integrate effective literacy practices?

Develop an Action Plan• What would you put in place for

new teachers each year?

• What would you do to see that the program is sustained in the long run even when the grant funds stop?

ConsequencesWhat would

happen if these actions were

taken?Immediately? In 6 months?

In a year?Intended and unintended

consequences

Wrap up case . . . And report out. . . .

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WITH

CASES

Freedom Area Senior High School

• Teachers beginning to integrate technology –the beginning

• Three teachers at various levels of technology integration

• Provide starting points for discussions about technology

Teachers at Freedom High School

Mr. Wilson • English Teacher

Ms. Rolinson• English Teacher

Mr. Rosa• Math Teacher• Union President

Hatboro Horsham High School

Coaching Teachers TPCK

Facilitating Team Work

Technology supporting

teaching and learning

What do you think of this

lesson plan?

Challenge . .

• Come up with new ideas for professional development using the cases!

PA Partners in Learning Resource Center

http://www.casenex.comclick on:

Microsoft Partners in Learning

Microsoft Innovative Teachers Program

ITN

Research-based Model for Online Professional

Development

Research-BasedResearchers at UVA have demonstrated that, people who participate in CaseNEX are better able than non-participants to:

• Recognize educational issues, problems, and opportunities; • Take into account others’ values when designing educational

interventions; • Call up relevant professional knowledge when it is needed; • Forecast actions aimed at addressing particular problems; and • Assess the results of their actions.