Submitted by Mike Cooney
5th Grade Teacher, Mays Chapel Elementary School

One misconception that we often hear about students using computers is that the 1:1 devices take away from the important social and emotional learning usually found in elementary school. The idea is that children who are sitting in front of a computer all day are isolating themselves within a digital world.

At Mays Chapel, I have found that the opposite is true. Collaboration is happening more often than ever. Students can often be found sitting close together, devices open, talking about what they have learned.

The STAT program has never been solely about the devices. It has never been about giving the students a computer and having them work independently for the majority of their school day. STAT is about the transformation of teaching and learning. It’s about making learning more accessible to students. It’s about giving students choices. It’s about preparing them for the future by making them problem solvers and creators. When students have these choices and opportunities, they are actually more likely to want to share their ideas with others.

Samantha Amato, a third grade teacher at Mays Chapel, notices the effect that her devices have on her students’ interest and engagement. “Seeing their work in a digital format gives students and audience and makes the work more authentic, so they are more likely to want to collaborate on a project because of the pride they have in their work.” As a result, human interaction and collaborative connections are not replaced by technology; they are fostered by it.

So how do students at Mays Chapel communicate and share their ideas? Several traditional cooperative learning techniques are used and enhanced by the opportunities the technology provides.

Jigsaw method: In my classroom, for example, there might be a time when the students are working in a group on something, such as a research project. Each group member might be responsible for a different aspect of the research. Using tools like OneNote for notes, students can then bring their devices to easily share what they have learned to their collaborative group. The devices make this easier because of their compactness; anything they would want to show their partners or classmates is right in front of them. Switching back and forth from notes to resources allows the students to share how they got their information for clarification.

Collaborating in person with devices: Mrs. Amato often has her students working in small groups with each child on his or her own device. “One student might have a text resource open, while another student has the product they are working on open on a separate device.” While students all have their own devices, occasionally it is easier for students to use one centralized computer to gather or record information. This allows the students to become more familiar with tools and resources that they might not be ready to use independently.

Using tech tools to collaborate: If you were to ask any teacher at Mays Chapel which tools he or she uses the most in the classroom, the answers would not consist of computer games. Instead, the most common tech tools we use encourage collaboration and communication: Padlet, Kidblog, OneNote’s collaborative space, just to name a few. The technology makes sharing easier with tools like these that update in real time as students compose and edit responses. After the students share their ideas online, face to face whole group and small group discussions are often used to further share and refine the ideas that were shared online, giving the students more opportunity to communicate with each other.

When the technology is placed in the hands of every student and teacher, we as teachers must give the students even more opportunities to work together. Our students are realizing that tech tools do not replace quality teaching and learning; they enhance it. 

Submitted by Amy Felton
S.T.A.T. Teacher, Pikesville Middle School

As the focus this year includes infusing 21st century skills into teaching and learning, Pikesville Middle School teachers used collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and higher-order instructional feedback to work through a series of tasks in order to “break out” of a locked box during a faculty professional development. Table teams were presented with a number of items, some of which were red herrings or dead ends, which included a QR code, professional learning books and resources about 21st century skills, a flash drive that housed a numbered map of the school, and a black light. Among other tasks, teachers had to work together to fill in the blanks about effective feedback and determine examples and non-examples of collaboration. Following the fun, teachers reflected on ways they effectively used 21st century skills and how they can implement these skills in their classroom, and then they posted their responses on a Padlet. One teacher offered the following insight: “This learning experience was a great way for teachers to revisit what it takes to work effectively in a group. In order to be successful we had to speak and listen effectively, delegate responsibilities, and keep time in mind. We also had to be mindful of others’ needs. These are the skills we have to teach our students.”

The activity and tasks were borrowed and modified from a Breakout Edu session run by the Office of Digital Learning for STAT teachers in September. Much appreciation goes to the outstanding training that STAT teachers are receiving this year!

Submitted by Morgan Robb
3rd Grade Student, Fort Garrison Elementary

Having devices in my class this year has been a blast! I have not just been learning reading, writing, math, and other subjects but it has expanded my knowledge of computers.

Another thing that I really like is that we get more choices. For example, when I read, I get the options of TumbleBook, eBooks, or just read a regular paper book. Personally, I like a paper book better because you do not get as many choices on eBook or TumbleBook.

Another thing we get to choose is how we write. My favorite is being able to type on Microsoft Word instead of writing on paper. It has helped me get my work done faster and it does not hurt my hand as much as writing on a piece of paper. Also, EduTyping has helped me improve my typing skills, which makes typing on Microsoft Word even easier!

In math, we get to use virtual manipulatives. It has helped me a lot because I used to not enjoy math because it was very tricky and it was confusing for me. Now, I am much better at math and more confident than I was before, all because the virtual manipulatives really helped me learn math better.

I know this might all sound perfect and everything always goes how it is supposed to go, but it really doesn’t. However, my teacher said this year’s theme is flexibility. This is the first year with computers and everyone is trying to figure out how to use them. Even teachers! When things do not go the way we want it to, we always find a way to fix it. We keep trying!

Submitted by Amy Hirsch
Professional Development Specialist, Discovery Education

Editor's Note: As part of BCPS's partnership with Discovery Education, professional development specialists from Discovery work in Lighthouse Schools several days each month to plan, co-teach, and coach teachers to create learner-centered environments and integrate digital content to enhance instruction. Amy is assigned to work with staff at Fort Garrison and Mays Chapel Elementary Schools. 

When I first started to learn about BCPS Lighthouse Schools and attend the Lighthouse meetings, I really had no idea what to expect from the teachers and administration. Within ten minutes of meeting the staff of the Lighthouse Schools I’d be working with I was blown away. Each and every single one was excited for the change and transition in front of them. However, this isn’t what really stood out to me. It was the fact that when I talked to the teachers, principals, STAT teachers, counselors, resource teachers, everyone, they always brought it back to the students. This is, in my opinion, what makes a Lighthouse School. 

This enthusiasm and love for students has been infused into the teachers’ transition into the new era of teaching. Now why didn’t I just write one-to-one? Well sure, the technology is a big part of this transition, but by now we all know it is a tool that is part of the transformation. However, without the pedagogy and change in the way we teach, will a true change occur? This is the exact transformation I am witnessing in the lighthouse schools. The teachers way of viewing and building their lessons has gone from the "teacher talks for 45 minutes" into a student-centered world in which the teacher has become the facilitator of rich, deep, and relevant classroom discussions. Leading students to come up with answers on their own through collaboration, small group lessons centered on their individual needs, and independent research in which the student is driving their own learning. What does that mean for the students? Engagement, drive to learn, ownership over their work, confidence, encouragement, enhancement in their overall learning…I could go on and on.

Just yesterday, one of the teachers I've been working with since the end of last school year asked me to help her create three choices for her students to use for an assessment. We created three options that the students could pick from: Wixie, BoardBuilder and the tried and true, paper and pencil. What was the end result of giving students these options? The students were able to pick the option in which they felt the most confident in and could clearly express their knowledge and guess what, each child met standard and had a complete understanding of the objective.

I was working with another teacher on a culminating task he was creating for his students that would take place in November. When we started to discuss the month’s plan, he mentioned that he would be creating a rubric for the students to use as a guide when creating their projects. I asked him why he was creating the rubric and he looked at me like I was crazy. Then I asked it again, “Why are YOU the one who is creating rubric?” This is when the light went on behind his eyes and there it was, the transformation. His reply the second time, “I should have the students help me to create the rubric! This way they will have a better understanding of what the expectations are as well as what they need to do for each category in order to achieve the highest point value.” Bingo!

Transformation doesn’t happen overnight, and at times, it can feel like it’s going at a snail’s pace but these teachers, they are doing it right and at a shockingly fast pace! It is only October! I can only imagine what the future has in store. These students have a bright future in front of them, and as always, the Lighthouse Schools are there helping to light the way. 

Submitted by Katie Schmidt
5th Grade Teacher, Rodgers Forge Elementary

Fifth grade teacher Katie Lark of Rodgers Forge Elementary School reflects on how her year started off a bit differently and shares how the students have responded to a slightly new way of learning.

Submitted by Maralee Clark
Principal, New Northwest Area ES (under construction)
This post originally appeared in TLC with Team Clark

Our Groundbreaking Ceremony is tomorrow! It will be a fabulous opportunity to thank everyone who contributed along the way to make sure our community has a PreKindergarten through Grade 5 elementary school to relieve the overcrowding in the northwest area of Baltimore County. Since our new community school building is designed with student-centered learning environments supporting our 1:1 personalized digital learning initiative, I had the opportunity to visit a school district in North Carolina that successfully navigated their way through digital transformation. Mooresville Graded School District’s Summer Connection was inspiring for me on so many levels. Sheer joy radiated from every MGSD staff member as I walked in the door, participated in learning sessions and chatted with their teachers. The MGSD administrators and teachers are role models for their district’s slogan “Every Child Every Day!” that is emblazoned on staff shirts proudly worn on a regular basis. Their wisdom and willingness to share their digital conversion journey has helped me to focus on what really matters – building relationships with students. Fostering innovation by setting the tone for student choice and student voice will create the cultural shift naturally. 

Mooresville’s website is www.mgsd.k12.nc.us. Use your twitter account to check out #mgsd14 and @MGSDschools.