Submitted by Doug Elmendorf
Principal, Chase Elementary
This post originally appeared in EdTechReview

While we have known, for years, that the dreaded Monday afternoon faculty meeting is a less than ideal environment for heavy duty staff development, we have still pretended that this is the only time that we can get everyone together to enhance the professional capacity of our teachers . . . until now. 

We decided to leverage the newness of our Lighthouse status to abolish the traditional faculty meeting – forever.  Chase was selected to be a Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) Lighthouse School, which means that during the 2014-2015 school-year it is one of the first schools in the system to receive individual digital learning devices for students; implement one-to-one personalized and blended learning; and create an innovative, comprehensive digital learning culture.

This year, we are also celebrating the 75th anniversary of our school.  I can only assume that, in every one of those 75 years, traditional faculty meetings were held at least once per month. As much as I like traditions, this is one that, quite frankly, needs to take the same exit as the desks in rows phenomenon that has long plagued our classrooms. We talk about differentiating, personalizing and customizing instruction but then demand that teachers of all stripes meet at the same time for the exact same amount of time on the same exact Monday every month.  Silly?  Exactly. 

At Chase, we use ½ day grade level planning sessions, a menu of before/after school PD sessions based on teacher identified needs, and instructional walkthroughs, among other differentiated environments, to deliver differentiated PD that takes teachers’ voices and choices into account. So, what about that one Monday per month??  We have filled the void with what we call the Digital Chasedown. Inspired by the ISTE Ignite sessions that have been popular at the annual conferences, the Digital Chasedown is a high impact, energetic session in which an individual has exactly 3 minutes to present a “cool tool” or best practice. The 3 minute time limit assures that only the most important information is shared and that many presenters can share during one session.  Teachers can then follow-up with the presenters if they are interested in learning more about the ideas for their instructional programs. 

So, on the day that I am writing this article, the following tools were presented in 21 minutes – plickers.com, wonderopolis.org, readingbear.org, animoto.com, musictheory.net, symbaloo.com, and nearpod.com. Of course, we played the “Feel-Good Classic Soul” Amazon.com Playlist in between each presentation (http://amzn.to/1uSQIGR) to keep the momentum going!  Sure beats the “Feel Bad Classic Lull” we’ve had in the past! 

While I enjoyed my nap times as a teacher in traditional faculty meetings, I am glad that on at least one Monday per month I am able to chase down the most exciting things happening in our school to help prepare our students for their lives in colleges and careers.

Submitted by Kelley McVicker
S.T.A.T. Teacher, Chase Elementary 

It all started with a text from my assistant principal.  She asked me if I knew any websites a fourth grade teacher and her students could visit in order to simulate a Twitter conversation.  Our fearless teacher, Ms. Smith, hit a roadblock when trying to set up Twitter accounts for her students.  The original plan was for students to participate in a Twitter conversation in order to summarize and discuss a chapter they were reading in ELA.  Unfortunately, an email address is required in order to create a Twitter account.  This posed a technological challenge much like some of the other unique challenges that we, as teachers in a Lighthouse School, experience on a daily basis.  At Chase, teachers have demonstrated great perseverance and determination as they work together to address these obstacles by developing creative solutions.    

As a member of this problem solving team, I logged onto my device and dove deep into the web to begin my search for a solution to our Twitter problem.  I was able to identify several websites that boasted mock Twitter simulations, but none that I thought significantly met the needs of the situation.  So, I sent an email to my trustworthy colleagues with whom I have had the pleasure to bond since Chase became a Lighthouse School.  The other Lighthouse School STAT teachers have become my “go to” resource when seeking immediate advice and effective resources.  Soon the emails, suggestions for websites, and actual lesson plans were flying back to me at optimum speed.  In less than a half hour, I had three solid ideas.  In a day’s time, I had an actual model lesson and links to examples!  We ended up creating a Twitter simulation using streaming mode in Padlet. 

Yes, piloting an ambitious initiative like the one represented in the Lighthouse Schools can pose daily challenges.  However, we have found that no challenge is insurmountable thanks to the growth mindset of our teachers and the amazing group of BCPS colleagues who work to solve problems in innovative ways.  Challenges are now viewed as opportunities for learning.  We realize that if we are not learning, then we are not growing, and neither are our students.  We are up to the challenge of making sure all of our students and teachers are learning and growing every day.

Congratulations to Fort Garrison Elementary 2nd grade teacher Stacy Crain for being named November's "Teachers Are Heroes" winner from  ABC2 and MECU! 

Watch the segment about Stacy, courtesy of WMAR, ABC2 News:

Submitted by David Proudfoot
Principal, Edmondson Heights Elementary

As we think about the transformation of teaching and learning, it is important to stop and celebrate the wins. At this point in our journey, we have taken time to acknowledge our work related to enhancing the learning environment so that it is more student-centered. During the first quarter of school, we focused on the physical space of the learning environment, specifically in looking at providing students with different types of spaces for learning, instructional resources, and evidence of student learning around the room. Our teachers have embraced the idea of creating environments that support student learning and have relentlessly demonstrate growth during the first 8 weeks of the school year.

In terms of the physical space, we started off the year by designing spaces that reflect student choice and flexibility for teaching and learning. It was a big deal for our students to be able to have a say in where they worked around the room. Pairing this work with our work developing content knowledge for Common Core Standards in reading and math has allowed for us to design student-centered learning spaces that deliberately support rigorous learning outcomes. We have been able to enhance the physical space in terms of providing visual resources that support student’s independent thinking and learning. When one walks in our classrooms now, they would see evidence of anchor charts and resources that contain teacher and student input. These visual resources serve as evidence that our teachers are using the curriculum with fidelity which allows for our students to have access to complex texts.

Also, one would also see evidence of small group instruction. Focusing on the physical space has allowed for us to discuss the ways that we are providing small group instruction each day to our students. The idea of space has set the stage for talking about small group areas as well as areas around the room (for students not meeting in the group) to engage in purposeful independent learning or application of skills. The space allows for our students to have choice and flexibility in where and how they work independently. 

Starting off our work with a focus on space has allowed for us to engage in conversations about learning in a non-threatening manner for the teacher. Examining the physical space allows for us to create an environment that drives what the teacher is doing and what the students are doing in a learner-centered environment. 

Our teachers have expressed an interest in supporting each other at this stage by providing feedback and celebrating each other’s work. In response, we have implemented instructional walk-throughs during grade level meetings. The purpose of the walk-throughs is for our teachers to visit the classrooms of their colleagues to collect evidence in how the physical space supports student-centered learning. We use the Learner-Centered Professional Development Tool to identify look-fors and set a purpose for the type of evidence that is being collected. The top part of the tool is folded back, so that the focus is on the physical space and what the students are doing. This practice supports the idea that Team Edmondson Heights is committed to walking the walk of being a professional learning community. 

As a member of Team Edmondson Heights Elementary, I am very proud and honored to work with learners that are committed to professional growth. Each day, our teachers are demonstrating that they are learning and applying knowledge to enhance the physical space of our classroom environments to support all of our learners. Quarter One has been a great chapter in our journey and we are very excited to see our momentum continue into Quarter Two! 

Submitted by Lisa Scherr
School Counselor, Church Lane Elementary

Who knew there could be so many feelings about devices? Since becoming a Lighthouse School, I have seen a range of feelings regarding all of our new technology.  SCARED, EXCITED, PROUD, NERVOUS, SURPRISED, EMBARRASSED, FRUSTRATED, DETERMINED are feelings I have seen in so many children and myself!  

While interpersonal communications are still a focus of my large group counseling, I am trying hard to incorporate technology into my lessons.  I have watched our students become skilled and captivated by these new methods of learning and find that I am thinking and trying to implement new ways of delivering skills.  Thanks to our  S.T.A.T. teacher, Jessica Whorton, and her Tech Tip Tuesdays, I’ve been able to incorporate apps like Padlet in my lessons.  While new things can be trying, learning new things always feels good – no matter how young or old.

Submitted by Robert Lesser
ESOL Teacher, Joppa View Elementary

We are approaching half a year of using 1:1 technology in Grades 1-3 at Joppa View, and it has been fascinating to be a part of such an ambitious and exciting adventure. As an ESOL teacher, I am excited to use the laptop/tablet devices in my small groups, to see how the differentiation and even more individualized instruction the devices offer can change my EL students’ perspectives on how much they control their own learning. It has been wonderful to be able to set websites before my students that host a plethora of e-books organized by category, and to have my students select the topic of the e-book to be read. Students have gone from surprise that they were being allowed to select the topic of the day’s reading to great eagerness to engage with their readings, and subsequent closer, higher-level reading. This is the power of a learner-centered classroom.

On top of this, the ability to use the devices to instantly define new vocabulary words, visually or verbally, not to mention instantly learn how to pronounce these words, is invaluable. I can’t pretend there aren’t hurdles ahead: I was talking with two second grade students today about whether they preferred using the devices to read the Wonders curriculum. One said she preferred reading the Wonders textbooks, because the devices sometimes didn’t work. The student was right: any technological change this ambitious is going to come with technical difficulties. The other student, however, said she preferred using the devices, because the ability to instantly define and pronounce words in the text made up for any technical problems. It was heartening to hear.

This is a major transition year in BCPS, and there is definitely more work to be done before all this new technology is running as efficiently as it can. Regardless, I am very excited about how much potential there is in placing this technology in the hands of our students, and am eager to see what happens next.

Submitted by Samantha Morris - 2nd Grade Student, Kerry Flanigan - Assistant Principal, & Tressa Norris - Library Media Specialists, Joppa View Elementary

Students in grades 1-3 at the Lighthouse Schools were given great power to resources, tools, and collaborative opportunities by receiving 1:1 digital devices this school year. But, as the old adage goes, "with great power comes great responsibility."  In this clip, Joppa View 2nd grader, Samantha Morris, discusses her responsibility to leave a positive digital footprint. 

Submitted by Kerry Flanigan
Assistant Principal, Joppa View Elementary

Teachers at Joppa View Elementary have transformed their classrooms into learner-centered environments. Several teachers took a moment to reflect on how these changes have affected their teaching style and students' learning.