This blog focuses on the effective integration of technology in K-12 schools with special emphasis on Sonoma County. It offers ideas and resources to support purposeful use of technology in relation to the Common Core Standards and 21st century learning.
Author | Rick Phelan | Email | Follow on Twitter
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California High School Exit Exam Status
07.29.15
The California High School Exit Exam is in “limbo” for the 2015-16 school year. School leaders wonder if the mandated California proficiency test that has been in place for the last 10 years will still be a requirement. Uncertainty is present because the California Legislature is currently deliberating over a bill that would suspend administration of the high school exit examination for the next three years.
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Smarter Balanced Summative Assessment Final Reports
07.17.15
Final results for the 2015 Smarter Balanced Assessment will be released in late July/early August. Similar to class assignments and report cards, these assessments are one gauge of student progress, providing information to schools, teachers, and parents about how students performed against California’s challenging new goals for learning. Planning for the 2015-16 school year, educators are wise to include these results among other metrics. This blog post outlines areas of work that districts should consider in reaching out to administrative staff, teachers, and parents.
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2015 Horizon Report: Technology Trends for K-12 Education
07.14.15
Where is technology going in the next five years? The Horizon Report is a resource that can help schools anticipate the future. This annual report details the top emerging technologies, trends, and challenges that K-12 education will face in the next five years. The 2015 Horizon Report for K-12 was released a month ago. Here is a snapshot of the information it included.
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New Active Learning Environments in Petaluma City Schools
07.12.15
K-12 classrooms in Petaluma City Schools will look different when students and teachers start back to school in August. Furniture that had been in classrooms for 30 to 40 years has been taken away and sold. New kinds of desks and chairs have been put in place that promote active engaged learning. Wireless access points have been installed to support student use of one to one computers and tablets. This blog post describes the new learning spaces in Petaluma City Schools where classrooms elements complement new teaching styles.
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Personal Information & Privacy in the Information Age
06.30.15
The Internet is constantly evolving and there are many powerful and wonderful opportunities afforded through it. Working with children and adolescents, it is wise to cultivate an understanding of how the Internet operates and safe practices. An area for particular care and discretion centers on personal information and ways companies use information about us. This blog post examines information security and privacy from the standpoint of both operations and safe practices.
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Data Projectors or Flat Screen Televisions? Old Adobe’s Perspective
06.11.15
What is the best means of sharing computer displays for teaching and learning in 900 square foot classrooms? This was one of the questions in the minds of planning teams from the Old Adobe Union School District after passage of a school modernization bond in June 2012. The choices before school planners centered on differences between traditional classroom projectors and large flat screen television monitors. This blog post offers ideas from this district’s experiences.
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State Accountability Metrics in Transition
05.29.15
California is in transition with its K-12 public school accountability measures. The State Board of Education is currently reviewing ideas to replace the Academic Performance Index (API). Since work in schools in now largely based on Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP) outcomes, the goal is to align new accountability measures with the LCAP.
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Summer Coding and Robotics Activities for Kids
05.18.15
Sonoma County is fortunate to have a variety of excellent summer youth activities offered by many different organizations. Among the offerings it’s possible to find some great activities to help students learn about coding and robotics. This post highlights some of these activities with their sponsoring organization and contact information.
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SBAC Management & Preliminary Results Reporting Systems
05.11.15
The electronic element of the 2015 SBAC offers a number of benefits when compared to past paper-and-pencil assessments. One key benefit is more timely reporting capabilities. This blog post describes the reporting benefits of Smarter Balanced Assessments that are found in the test administration management and preliminary results reporting interfaces.
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2015 Sonoma County Robotics Challenge Results
05.04.15
Over 400 students from 31 schools participated in the 2015 Sonoma County Robotics Challenge on Saturday, May 2, at Elsie Allen High School. This year’s competition involved six events. A summary of each event is provided in this blog post, with results from the competition.
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