Submitted by Ryan Novak
6th Grade Science Teacher, Pikesville Middle School 

I wanted to provide students with a means of individualized instruction where I could be a facilitator to each student, but all at the same time. By making my instruction more accessible through the use of the Office Mix add-on in Power Point, I feel I can meet the needs of all students and by engaging them in the instructional process.

The students began this lesson with an exploration activity about acceleration and velocity. As they completed the assignment, students were asked to combine their conceptual knowledge with mathematical modeling, so they watched and listened to the Office Mix (narrated with screen shots) Power Point to review these concepts. Students who needed more help had access to additional resources, and students who understood the ideas could skip on ahead.

Based on the data provided through questions answered by students using Kahoot, I divided students into small groups. One group worked with me while the other students engaged in resources from a list I provided based on their learning needs (Brain Pop w/ questions, Discovery Ed video w/ questions, or BBC interactive w/ questions). For their assessment, students had to apply and explain these concepts in a real world scenario.
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Use of these tech resources, especially the Office Mix Power Point,  promoted cognitive engagement as all students were getting what they needed, and I wasn’t holding anyone back as they were working at their own pace.

Submitted by Sydney Paules
Grade 7 Student, Pikesville Middle School 

 It has been over a year since I wrote my first reflection. A lot of things have changed with our computers because this is the second year my school has been a light house school, and I am now in the 7th grade. In science we use OneNote. OneNote is a computer program where notes and files can be shared with other users. My science teacher, Mr. Novak, also uses a tool called Office Mix Power Point. This is how he can guide us by recording himself giving instructions on his Power Points that we can download to really walk us through the material. In engineering we are not on our computers a lot. We are more into making and doing. We have built and soldered circuits, and have made skimmers. We do a lot of hands on work in this class. In math we use an online text book to do our homework so that we have instructions and questions right in front of us. We also use Khan Math Academy videos. This tool is used for when someone doesn’t understand a concept, so we have someone on our screens to explain it in more detail. In my social studies class we use the Discovery Education Social Studies Tech Book. It is also an online text book but it gives us resources like pictures, interactive maps, and videos. In general, most of my work documents are on the computer, and my classmates and I do work digitally. We use turn-ins on BCPS One to send the teacher our work. We use test and quizzes to take tests online which sometimes even grades the tests instantly. This year is really flying by-- I can’t wait to see what else we are going to do! 

Submitted by Jennifer Meltzer
Teacher Librarian, Pikesville High School

Students at Pikesville High School discuss how being a Lighthouse School has impacted their AP computer science course. 

Submitted by Ori Rattner
Grade 12 Student, Pikesville High School

Submitted by Nicole Calhoun  and Tressa Norris
S.T.A.T. Teacher, Joppa View Elementary

​The Windsor Mill Middle School Lighthouse School Stakeholders for 2016-2017 gathered in the Lighthouse Room to share their biggest takeaways from the beginning of the year as students in their second year of the 1:1 Learner-Centered Environment initiative. The main theme that emerged was the pros and cons of having a personal device every day in the classroom. The 7th grade students landed on different sides of the discussion. Donyah said he found it easier to keep track of papers and that he could figure out the work on paper on his own. Keontay noted that he preferred the device for keeping track of work, because sometimes he lost handouts teachers gave him. Andrew piped in that you could lose a device, too, just like you can lose paper. Darrel liked that work could be saved in one place on the device, but all of the students agreed that you had to save work in the right place and remember where you saved it. Issues with technology could also be frustrating, they agreed. Jordan added that his hand can get tired from writing with a pen or a pencil, but not from using the laptop. “It’s easy to type on the device.” Malik contributed another pro of the device. “We get a lot more support from BCPSOne. We can do all of our work there.” All of the students agreed on another point: they like having the power to do their own research on the Internet. Michael closed the discussion by raising an important issue. “Sometimes I find things online, and they don’t make sense. The news is fake, and it is hard to figure out what information is right and what is wrong."    

On November 2nd and 3rd, superintendents from all over the United States and professionals from the world of education and educational technology gathered in Baltimore County schools as part of the League of Innovative Schools 2016 Fall Meeting. BCPS co-hosted the event with Digital Promise. The purpose of the meeting was for school and educational leaders to collaborate on shared priorities in providing access and opportunity for all students. Windsor Mill Middle School was fortunate to be selected as one of two schools to highlight the STAT 1:1 Learner-Centered Environment initiative. Student participation was central to the success of the two-day event, and students at WMMS proudly served as BCPS Ambassadors to their guests. Students launched the event by welcoming visitors as they arrived by bus. Student Guides led small groups on Learning Walk tours of classrooms. Guide Khalil Davis said, “I like to meet new people, and today I had the chance to do that.” Selvin Gonzalez reflected that he was proud to show off Windsor Mill. “I could see on the faces of the visitors that they were amazed at what they saw.” To close the day, a Student Panel eloquently described their journey in a Lighthouse school to the audience of educators. Eighth grader Alesha Pryor said participating on the panel gave her an opportunity to hone her skills in speaking in front of a large audience, and for that she was grateful.   

​Mr. Park, 8th grade ELA teacher at Windsor Mill Middle School, opened the world of inquiry and technology to his students in the form of Genius Hour, a movement that provides students the opportunity to explore their interests and passions. Tech firm, Google, a leader in the movement, allows its employees to spend 20% of their time pursuing an idea that inspires them. More than half of their new products have been generated as a result of the practice. Gmail and Google news are just two examples of the fruits of Google’s Genius Hour. Google’s philosophy is simple: give people time to work on an idea that interests them, and productivity will go up.  Mr. Park brought the philosophy into his classroom by providing students the time and structure to pursue a question they had. Students delved into issues about mental and emotional health and race relations. Park videotaped students presenting the ‘first draft’ of their presentations and sent them the link, pairing it with a rubric for self-assessment. Using their personal videos, students critiqued their performances and reworked their projects and presentations as needed. The Genius Hour projects have has taken on a life of their own; Windsor Mill students will use the research discovered by a student on anger as the text for an upcoming school-wide Socratic Seminar.  

Submitted by Kristen Kirkpatrick 
College Algebra & Algebra 2, Chesapeake High School

I wanted to use targeted small group instruction to ensure that students mastered each of the objectives prior to their unit assessment. However, I had students in many different places. Some did their Homework and some did not, some knew how to study while others were lacking in study skills.
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So I planned a station rotation with each station addressing various learning modalities. I freed myself up for one on one conferences at a station, which could include direct instruction, Q&A, or a conversation about missing assignments. 

Since my students were in so many different places, they had a choice as to which station to go to, though I didn’t want student’s station hopping so I set the parameters of 5 stations and 15 minutes per station. 

The Homework assignment was integral to practice for the assessment, so I required students to go that station. If they did their Homework, it was a check, if they didn’t they still needed the material, I could address homework in the check in at station 6.
 
Here are pictures of the classroom setup… I am in the back pulling students for “check in”:

Submitted by Lauren Dellman
English 10-11, Chesapeake High School

​I wanted my students to clearly connect the work they were doing with standards and daily instructional outcomes written as “I Can” statements. 

I created a Skill Mastery Board which displays student work and aligned ELA standards. This connects student work to standards based instructional outcomes and allows them to monitor their own growth and take ownership of their progress.