Tech Learning September 2016

VOLUME 37 / NUMBER 2
TECHLEARNING.COM
IDEAS AND TOOLS FOR ED TECH LEADERS
SEPTEMBER 2016
$6
DIGITAL
CURRICULA
HOW TO
MAKE IT
WORK
PAGE 20
To see more
Tech & Learning
scan the code
or visit us online
at: www.techlearning.
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Q&A
BIG IDEAS
See page 33 for more.
See page 16 for more.
LEARN THE NEW

ISTE STANDARDS
TWITTER CHATS
FOR KIDS
Say
to TELL.
Read it. Write it.

Say it. Hear it. TELL it!
Meet TELL, the Test of English Language Learning.

Its unlike any test youve seen, touched, or heard. TELL is a touchscreen-delivered, language proficiency
assessment for Grades K12. TELL lets English Language Learners (ELLs) answer questions out loud
with innovative speech recognition technology. ELLs watch exciting video clips and interact with pictures
and words. They listen, write, read, and speakall with no mark ups or grading by teachers. Scoring is
automatic and features longitudinal reporting to track student progression throughout the acceleration
program and parent reports available in Spanish and English.
Visit http://www.pearsontell.com/tell-me to learn more about TELL.
Copyright 2016 Pearson Education, Inc. or its affiliate(s). All rights reserved.LRNAS28993 07/16
CONTENTS
S E
FEATURES
20
DIGITAL CURRICULUM: TECH & CURRICULUM LEADERS IN

PARTNERSHIP
By Tara Smith
While digital resources offer unparalleled opportunities for
instruction and learning, the transition to a digital ecosystem
can also present challenges. Here are stories from schools
whose technology and curriculum leaders worked together to
achieve shared end goals.
30
20
40
STREAMLINING ACCESS: ONE DISTRICTS PIONEERING

EFFORTS
Maurice Draggon, director with curriculum, instruction, and
digital learning, discusses Orange County (FL) Public Schools
pioneering efforts to simplify and standardize the timeconsuming process of accessing instructional resources.
33
RAISING THE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS
34
LET THE LEARNING BEGIN
By Sascha Zuger
Jim Flanagan, ISTE Chief Learning Services Officer, chats
with T&L about the new ISTE Standards for Students.
By Ellen Ullman
Here are three stories about schools that are reinventing
rooms and spaces to accommodate many types of learning.
PRODUCTS
40
34
WHATS NEW:
NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS
DEPARTMENTS &
COLUMNS
4
EDITORS NOTE: BACK TO IT
TRENDING
Scan here to access

the digital edition,
which includes
additional resources.
16 BIG IDEAS: TWITTER CHATS

FOR STUDENTS; 3 THINGS TO
TRANSFORM & INNOVATE SCHOOLS
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| S E PT E M B E R 2 01 6
EDITORS
note
SEPTEMBER 2016
BACK TO IT
nother school year starts and with it new concerns

and hopes about the promise of education technology
get raised. For many years, conversation mostly
involved devices. Should there be computers in the
classroom? was an actual question.
As that answer is now evident in pretty much
everyones pocket or backpack, the next big issue is how best to use
those devices to the advantage of both students and teachers. Two
of Tech & Learnings SchoolCIO Summits tackled that topic this
year. In June, approximately 60 senior executives from districts
around the country met to define the issue of digital citizenryhow
to instill good behaviors amongst students, faculty, and the greater community. This month,
another group will convene in Baltimore to discuss an even greater conundrumdigital equity.
How do schools provide access to
both devices and high speed Internet
to every student, no matter how rich
or poor? And how do they deliver a
curriculum that enables students to
learn both on campus and at home?
FOR MANY YEARS,
Be sure to check online at
CONVERSATION MOSTLY
techlearning.com, where we will
INVOLVED DEVICES. SHOULD
be posting the results of these
THERE BE COMPUTERS IN THE
workgroups, along with links to
CLASSROOM? WAS AN ACTUAL
related webinars. We also encourage
QUESTION. AS THAT ANSWER
you to participate in the chatter in
IS NOW EVIDENT IN PRETTY
our discussion groups, Twitter feed,
MUCH EVERYONES POCKET OR
Facebook page, and our newest
BACKPACK, THE NEXT BIG ISSUE
presence on the EdWeb community
IS HOW BEST TO USE THOSE
(www.edweb.net/techlearning). Our
DEVICES TO THE ADVANTAGE OF
mission is to share your best practices
BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
and we need your input!
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| S E P TE MB E R 2016
| WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM
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NEWS
TRENDING
ANDTRENDS
THE LATEST NEWS & STATS AFFECTING THE K-12 EDTECH COMMUNITY
top10
WEB STORIES
From techlearning.com
Learning Outside the Box:

Creative Learning Spaces
Find out how creating an

engaging environment can help
develop critical thinkers and
motivate reluctant learners.
Infographics clearly show

the pros and cons, purposes,
advantages, and disadvantages
of each platform.
Tech & Learning Announces

Best of Show Winners
Which products will have the

most impact in the classroom?
See the list of winners of
this prestigious award.
The Future of PD: A

Collection of Best Practices
Send your students on a selfie

mission to meet others, explore
their surroundings, and reflect
on their learning goals.
Over 40 Amazing STEM

Resources
Discover dozens of STEM
resources for science, technology,
engineering, and math in this
extensive annotated list.
Back to School Selfie

Adventure for Your Students!
10 Principles for Edtech

Leaders
Be inspired to create, recapture,
or refresh your vision for all an
edtech leader can do and be.
Five Ways I Want to Improve

#GeniusHour
10
Help your students

research, organize, and
understand different
audiences for their work.
Augmented Reality, Virtual

Reality, and Wearables
Here are top tips for using
new technologies that provide
sensory learning and spark
curiosity and imagination.
F I N D L I N K S AT W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /S E P 1 6
| S E P TE M B E R 2016
I really hope this coding

movement isnt just a trend, but
rather a foreign language in
schools for the future.
Carl Hooker
There is a lot of work to be done
to help use social media in a
good way. We cant let negative
experiences prevent us from
engaging in these online spaces
with kids.
Jennifer Casa-Todd
Seymour [Papert]s dream isnt
dead because he is; instead, he has
left his work to us, his devotees, to
continue. It is now time for us to
step up to the plate.
Omoju Miller
This Trick Will Make You

Twitter-Famousand Why It
Matters
Become more effective
and efficientand possibly
even famoususing this
simple hashtag tip.
Learn how districts around the

country are providing 21stcentury PD thats personalized,
embedded, flexible, and even fun.
Digital Portfolios: Blogs

versus Seesaw
BLOG BITS
TOP
TWEETS
Andrew P. Marcinek @andycinek:
Follow #GoOpen to learn about
the great work educators are
engaged in to support equitable
access of open educational
resources #edchat
@techlearning: More students in
California take pottery classes
than coding Robert D. Atkinson,
President, ITIF #ITIFDNC
@EducationNext: Too often, when
we talk about #edtech, technology
takes the lead and instructional
models play a supporting role
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the harder the battle, the sweeter the victory
A better product designed, marketed,

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TRENDING
FIVE SHIFTS FOR MY

CLASSROOM IN 2016
SITE WE LIKE
FRESH FROM THE

WORLD: WHERE YOUR
FOOD COMES FROM
BY ADAM SCHOENBART
Here are five big ideas Ive been thinking about for
my classroomthe seeds of innovation I intend to
develop this year.
1. Rethinking Grades Im leaning towards a system
with more project-based work, where students set
their own goals and deadlines and self-assess and
peer-assess.
2. Portfolios, Publishing, and Growth This year,
I want students to document their own growth, reflection, and successesmaybe through
individual student blogs, class blogs, or a Google Sites portfolio.
3. Project-Based Learning Ive moved from direct instruction towards a student-centered
approach, but I want to create an environment where students can actively create and manage
meaningful learning experiences.
4. From Engagement to Empowerment I can keep my students engaged, but empowerment is
another story. I want my students to have the power to direct their learning, to want to have that
power, and to want to learn.
5. Failing Forward (no one left behind!) I want my students to embrace iteration, creation, and
growthand sometimes that means failure. I want a classroom culture where failure is never an
endpoint, growth and innovation are the norm, and everyone succeeds.
F O R T H E F U L L STO RY G O TO : H T T P : // W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /S E P 1 6
This interdisciplinary
program uses animation
to introduce students to
the history of many of our
favorite foods, as well as
how and where theyre
grown and processed and
how they get to us.
T&L READER SURVEY
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR

STUDENTS HAVE AN INTERNET
CONNECTION AT HOME?
20%
6080%
15%
4060%
2%
2040%
6%
Less than 20%
49%
8099%
F O R M O R E S U R V E YS , V I S I T W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /S E P 1 6
| S E P TE M B E R 2016
8%
All of them
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TRENDING
HAS FACEBOOK
SOLVED
PERSONALIZED
LEARNING?
Facebook has helped develop the Summit Personalized
Learning Platform, an online tool that the social media
giant built collaboratively with Summit Public Schools,
a nonprofit charter school network with headquarters in
Silicon Valley. The new Summit Personalized Learning
Platform reportedly allows students to select their own
projects and work at their own pace. The initiative began
with a partnership between Summit Schools and Facebook
Diane Tavenner
in 2014 and will expand this year to more than 100 new
schools. In a Facebook post, Diane Tavenner, CEO of Summit Public Schools, writes,
Bringing personalized learning to classrooms is hard work and people should expect
that it will take more than one year to see progress.
SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS SOCIAL

MEDIA USE AMONG TEACHERS
Front Row Education, Inc. recently asked 1,000 K8 teachers how theyre using social
media personally, professionally, and as a communication tool with parents and students.
Here are some of their key findings:
One in five use social media at least monthly to communicate with students or parents.
Google+ is the most widely used platform.
APPS OF THE
DAY FROM
TECHLEARNING.COM
App of the Day picks are selected from the
top edtech tools reviewed by Common
Sense Education.
Basic Math Explored in Simple Fun

App
The interactive games in Gracie &
Friends Lemonade Stand provide
practice with a focused learning
goaldividing multiple items or a
single item equally.
Photo App
Promotes Creative
Learning Across
Disciplines
With ChatterPix Kids, a creative and easyto-use app, elementary students can share
learning by making anything talk.
71% use Facebook daily for personal use, 33% use Google+,
32% use Pinterest, 27% use Instagram, and 18% use Twitter.
69% use Pinterest weekly for personal use, and 67% use
it weekly for professional purposes.
44% use Facebook weekly for professional purposes
(vs. 82% for personal use).
ISTOCK/
THINKSTOCK
17% of teachers in the West use Google+ daily for

professional use (vs. 28% in other regions).
10
Daily Pinterest use for professional purposes is highest in

the South (34%) and lowest in the Northeast (20%).
F O R M O R E G O TO : H T T P : // W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /S E P T E M B E R 1 6
| SE P TE M B ER 2016
Kids Learn Music Theory, History

While Earning Rewards
iTooch Music, a reference and review
tool for beginning to advanced
music students, features charming
visuals and challenging quizzes to
build solid musical knowledge.
YOUVE GONE FROM TEXTBOOKS TO TABLETS,

SO WHATS NEXT FOR YOUR NETWORK?
As more schools bring technology into the classroom, more
strain is put on their networks. Initiatives like one-to-one
learning require greater bandwidth, because if a schools
network lags, so will its students. Comcast Business oers
the high-performance network that modern educators need.
Scalable up to 10 Gbps, it is specically built to support the growing

data demands of digital learning. And with a lower price per
megabit, districts can enhance the education of their students while
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TRENDING
FIVE CYBERSECURITY
SAFEGUARDS FOR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
as school lunch menus, graduation
rates, and calendar information does
not need to be protected.
Here are five best practices for districts

trying to maintain a balance between
adhering to privacy regulations and
meeting demands for transparency as
they gather, share, and protect K12
information.
Use sophisticated passwords. A

surprising number of breaches of
school data have occurred because of
imperfect passwords. This is a simple
but often overlooked fix for protecting
critical information. All personnel and
vendors need to be trained in the
importance of using sophisticated
passwords.
Review FERPA compliance. Public

school districts are obligated to
notify students and parents annually
of their rights under FERPA, so a
basic review of complianceincluding
whether your district meets the
requirements of the accompanying
Protection of Pupil Rights
Amendmentcan help maintain good
data management habits. You can sign up for updates on both
Web sites.
Ensure secure storage. Because

districts increasingly store student
and personnel information on servers or in the cloud, its crucial to
find the safest data storage solution to meet your districts needs.
Prioritize data. Critical information, including personnel

and payroll records, student medical histories, and data that
contain information such as Social Security numbers, must be
carefully stored and securely protected. General information such
Schedule an audit. When should you have your districts

cybersecurity audited? Surprisingly, its when you think youve
done everything that needed doing. An audit can help determine
if your efforts have paid off and find any weaknesses before a
breach occurs.
SOURCE: FIVE CYBERSECURITY SAFEGUARDS FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM SUNGARD K12.
CLASS
TECH
TIPS
19 Tools for Tech-Savvy Teachers: Content, Assessment,
and Creation
This collection of tools will help you and your
students access and interact with content and ideas,
check understanding, share products, and more.
6 Annotation Apps for iPad Students
12 Apps and Web Sites for Super Readers
Annotation apps can capture

student thinking and help kids
review their work. These six are
perfect for a range of students
across the content areas.
From classic books to breaking

news stories and augmented reality
experiences, these iPad and Android
apps all support the development of
independent reading skills.
G E T M O R E C L A S S R O O M T E C H T I P S AT T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M
12
| SE P TE MB ER 2016
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and our exclusive typeSMART Technology that automatically
adapts the curriculum to student learning. Typing Agent is
committed to delivering the latest in keyboarding technology
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TRENDING
2016 FUTURE READY SCHOOLS:

DASHBOARD SUMMER SPRINT
FROM THE
T&L LIVE
LIBRARY
Since working through the Future Ready Schools

(FRS) dashboard is a huge commitment, the
FRS team is hosting a contest to help districts
sprint across the finish line. Finish all your gearlevel assessments by September 30, 2016, and
enter your district into a drawing to win $1000.
For more details go to: http://futureready.org/dashboardsprint2016/
EDUCATORS HUNGRY FOR

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING,
GREATER FAMILY ENGAGEMENT
ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
Houghton Mifflin Harcourts second annual

Educator Confidence Report examines
educator sentiment on a range of issues,
including technology use in classrooms,
professional learning opportunities, and
overall comfort and familiarity with digital
learning tools.
Privacy, Security, and Digital

Citizenship
Learn about defining and
understanding digital citizenship
and identity, using social media
to encourage responsible digital
citizenship, student data privacy,
and more.
Key takeaways from the report include:

reported a desire for more parent and
*58%
family engagement
spend their own money on
*84%
professional development
is the most popular social media tool educators use to communicate with
*Facebook
families (although district administrators have a slight preference for Twitter)
expressed less concern about teacher accountability requirements (50%)
*Educators
compared to last year (63%)
about meeting the requirements of Common Core/state standards assessments
*Concern
dropped 11 percentage points (from 58% to 47%)
are administering end-of-year state assessments in a digital format
*39%
teachers (10 or fewer years of experience) use social media to engage with students
*Newer
more often than more experienced educators
experienced teachers (11+ years) use tools such as digital whiteboards and online
*More
assessments with greater frequency than newer teachers.
F O R M O R E G O TO : H T T P : // W W W.T EC H L E A R N I N G .CO M /S E P 1 6
14
Creative Learning Spaces

Find budget-friendly tips, resources,
examples, and creative ideas for
rethinking and redesigning learning
spaces and evolving media centers.
Mobile Computing
Beyond the which hardware
conversation, educators share their
wisdom on best practices for learning
with 1:1 devices and BYOT/BYOD.
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BIG IDEAS
ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
was because the questions and lesson simply

werent there yet. Its sometimes tempting to
put the shiny and innovative first, but I had to
take a step back and reassess my lesson plan
to make sure that students and learning were
taking priority.
2. ENGAGING STUDENTS
WITH TWITTER
TWITTER CHATS FOR

STUDENTS: THREE
LESSONS AND
CHALLENGES
By Adam Schoenbart
ight now, as you read this, theres

likely a Twitter chat happening.
Educators are tweeting, learning, and
sharing ideas, leveraging the power
of social media. Dozens of these
conversations take place regularly,
every day of the week. When I participate in
them, these chats often challenge my thinking
and I discover new ideas and make meaningful
connections.
So I decided to give it a try in my classroom. If
its a valuable learning experience for educators,
we can extend the learning to our students, too.
We planned to discuss, through an outer circle of
Twitter conversation and an inner circle of faceto-face dialogue, the conclusion of a text we had
all read. These digital natives would surely jump
right in and see the exponential power of social
media. Or so I thought. But I was wrongat least
16
at first. Participation was forced, shallow, and

awkward. And I panicked.
After some reflection and some great
conversation with the students, we tried it again
and succeeded. Their in-person and online chats
were meaningful, powerful, and collaborative.
Once we found our grooveand our purpose
the Twitter chat was a great addition to our class.
It took work to get there, though. On the journey
to find success and real learning, I learned these
three lessons:
1. LEARNING FIRST
Why a Twitter chat? I liked the idea because
it was tech-forward and innovative, but I needed
to make sure that the Twitter chat was the best
activity, based on solid learning objectives. In
the middle of our first attempt I revised my
questions because they were too closed and
didnt lead to higher-level thinking. The students
werent engaged and participating enough, and it
My students quickly taught me that, for

them, Twitter isnt cool anymore. They had
moved on to Snapchat and Instagram, and
while many still had Twitter accounts, it took
work to help them appreciate its value. We
researched the power of Twitter for schools,
created professional accounts, learned
about digital footprints, and shared work
with a worldwide audience. Some students
are willing to try anything, but it took this
foundational work to engage many students
in the learning activities. Especially when
were trying something new, innovative, or
controversial, I think its essential for students
to understand its value.
3. QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

AND SPEED
There are times when educational Twitter
chats overwhelm me. Tweets come flying in so
quickly that its hard to keep up as a follower,
let alone as a participant. I completely
underestimated the value of wait time for this
activity. At first, I assigned a specific number
of Tweets per question for each student, but
I didnt allow enough time for students to
process, share, and interact. One solution
was to reduce the number of questions, which
meant that students answered the questions
more thoughtfully and took the time to
reflect on and interact with others responses.
Technology can make things more efficient,
but we all need time to think and process
especially our students.
In the end, the Twitter chat was a great
learning activity for my students. It built
on our work with social media and digital
citizenship, gave every student a voice
and audience, and led to more in-class
contributions than ever before. But just
because our students are digital natives
doesnt mean that theyre all ready to use
that technology and media in schools and
for learning. The success of the chat was a
reminder of the power of social media, but the
groundwork it required was a good reminder
to always put learning before technology.
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BIG IDEAS
ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK
WHEN TRANSFORMING
AND INNOVATING
YOUR SCHOOL SEEMS
HOPELESS: THREE
THINGS YOU CAN DO
By J. Robinson
ost of us face situations in which

success seems impossible or
improbable, and many of them
involve what Malcolm Gladwell
calls Goliaths from his book,
David and Goliath. These are
adversaries or adverse conditions that appear
to be insurmountable. In education, we often
find ourselves facing Goliaths and our initial
assessment is that we cant possibly succeed
because were out-manned, out-resourced, and
out-powered. But, according to Gladwell, all is
not lost. Our misconceptions about the situation
and about who really has the power lie at the
heart of the problem.
18
| SE P TE M B ER 2016
So what can we do? According to Gladwell,

we can do the following:
Rethink what an advantage is.
Conventional wisdom sometimes tells us
what is and what is not an advantage. For
example, a small school might seem to be at a
disadvantage because its not able to offer all the
extracurricular activities, classes, and programs
that much larger schools offer. Yet the smaller
school might have the advantage of being more
flexible and able to implement changes and
improvements more easily and quickly than
larger schools. Smaller schools with smaller
staffs can certainly be nimble and can often
react more quickly and gracefully to changing
conditions. Gladwell reminds us that we can turn
our apparent disadvantages into advantages.
Change the rules. We often feel hopeless

in the midst of situations where we face
adverse conditions and feel that loss is
imminent. This hopelessness comes from the
knowledge that, if we play by the rules in this
situation, were certain to lose. But who says
we have to play by these rules? Why cant we
change them, modify them, and approach the
adversity in an entirely new manner? In the
story of David and Goliath, David chose not
to engage the giant in a conventional manner
because he would have surely lost. Instead,
he fought unconventionally and in a way his
adversary wasnt expectingand he won.
Changing the rules means climbing out of the
box into which systems put us and reinventing
the game. When youre faced with a sure loss,
what do you have to lose?
Use what you have. When we face sure
defeat in adversarial situations we begin to
engage in what if thinking, such as, What if
we had more computers? or, What if we had
more money for teacher salaries? Sometimes,
though, in the face of adverse and adversarial
conditions and sure loss, we have to use what
we haveand often what we have and what we
control is more than we think. For example,
if you want a 1:1 computer program and cant
find funding to purchase computers for every
student, then use what you have. Perhaps
enough students have their own computers so
you can open your network for BYOD and only
need to purchase computers for those who
cant afford them. This accomplishes the goal
by using what you got.
Sure defeat isnt always a sure thing, as
Gladwell makes clear in his book, David and
Goliath. We can prevail in more situations
than we think by being willing to rethink our
advantages, change the rules, and use what
weve got.
THIS HOPELESSNESS COMES

FROM THE KNOWLEDGE THAT,
IF WE PLAY BY THE RULES IN
THIS SITUATION, WERE CERTAIN
TO LOSE. BUT WHO SAYS WE
HAVE TO PLAY BY THESE RULES?
WHY CANT WE CHANGE THEM,
MODIFY THEM, AND APPROACH
THE ADVERSITY IN AN
ENTIRELY NEW MANNER?
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Product Description: The Toshiba Portg Z20t-C2100ED

2-in-1 detachable PC is Toshibas ultrabook solution designed
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with a base configuration that includes an Intel Core
m3-6Y30 processor, 4 GB RAM, and a 128 GB SSD
drive. Wireless connectivity includes dual band AC
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Z20t comes with Windows 10 Pro National Academic
installed and a three-year warranty out of the box.
Quality and Effectiveness: The Portg Z20t is a well-conceived
ultrabook laptop that gives teachers and students the flexibility of both
a laptop and a 12.5 HD digitizer touch-screen tablet. With stereo
speakers and a quality digitizer pen, it is flexible in both configuration
and inputs. The spill-resistant LED backlit keyboard dock comes
equipped with full-size HDMI, RGB, 2-USB 3.0, and Gigabit NIC
ports. The dock also contains a 36 Wh battery that boosts battery life
from nine hours in tablet mode to a generous 17 hours.
classroom. The backlit touchscreen allows students to use either a

finger or the active digitizer pen so they have a choice for input. When
docked, the full-size backlit keyboard has both a generous touchpad
with gesture control as well as an Accupoint pointing device with left
and right mouse buttons.
Creative Use of Technology: The Toshiba Portg Z20t-C2100ED

has an array of features that give educators and students the options
they need to both create and consume content in a format that works
best for their needs. Like many ultrabooks, this unit is designed
with portability in mind. What makes the Z20t stand out is the
flexibility to configure the device either undocked or in multiple
docking configurations. The screen can be docked traditionally, or in
When undocked, the tablets generous-sized screen auto rotates for
reverse so it points away from the still-functioning
landscape and portrait modes. The front 2MP
keyboard, or it can be docked and laid flat so it can
FHD camera with microphone and the back 5MP
still be used as a tablet while taking advantage of
camera with autofocus and up to 1080p video
the extra battery power and full-sized ports in the
capture provide students and teachers with the tools
Design and flexible configuration to suit
keyboard.
for multimedia content creation. The tablet also
almost any users needs.
sports a well-secured emergency pen, micro HDMI,
Long battery life to give users plenty of
Suitability for Use in a School Environment:
microphone/headphone combination port, USB
up time to complete projects without
The Z20t is extremely well suited for a school
Type-C, and micro SD card reader ports.
interruption.
environmentin creative, scientific, or traditional
Generous-sized HD screen with Active
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Digitizer Pen and emergency pen stored
there, as are newer ports and features to keep it up
multiple configuration options, this ultrabook is
in display.
to date with emerging technologies.
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TOP FEATURES
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| S E PTE M B E R 2 01 6
19
DIGITAL CURRICULUM
Tech & Curriculum Leaders in Partnership
By Tara Smith
he constant transference between

teachers and learners makes this
the most exciting time in my 27
years in education, says Julie
Morrow, assistant superintendent
of curriculum and instruction in
the Rowan-Salisbury (NC) School System. While
digital resources offer unparalleled opportunities
for instruction and learning, the transition to a
digital ecosystem can also present challenges. Its
more important than ever that technology and
curriculum leaders work together with shared end
goals, and in the stories that follow, leaders who
have worked through some of these cutting-edge
issues share solutions that are helping them create
successful digital school cultures.
IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL

BEYOND THE ZIP CODE
St. Vrain Valley School District elementary students collaborate on iPads with their teacher.
The terrain of St. Vrain Valley (CO) School

District (SVVSD) is diversegeographically
and demographically. From the Continental
Divide to the plains, SVVSD operates 57
schools over 411 square miles in 13 different
communities. CTO Joe McBreen credits strong
district leadership and support for the success
of SVVSDs digital learning initiatives. Your
zip code should not determine your education
encapsulates the conviction behind an early
digital equity plan that levelled the playing
field for all students in every school across this
mountainous region.
McBreen describes SVVSDs long-term
edtech plan as a Venn diagram with overlapping
circles labelled obtain, train, and sustain.
OBTAIN
Superintendent Don Haddad and the Board

of Education knew that they had to make
St. Vrain Valley School District elementary students with iPads, ready to participate.
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20
| SE P TE MBE R 2016
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DIGITAL CURRICULUM
changes in order to be a world-class 21st-century
school system. But obtaining technology had
to be done in the context of a larger, thoughtful
framework. Haddad says hiring talented people,
like McBreen, who have in-depth knowledge of
both technology and instruction, was key, as was
expanding their bandwidth and establishing a
permanent funding stream.
While SVVSD benefited from winning
a Race to the Top grant, sustainable funding
was accomplished through a 2012 Mill Level
Override supported by voters. Community
support is critical, and a 33-member committee
made up of teachers, parents, administrators, and
others created the districts Learning Technology
Plan and review it biannually. Haddad
emphasizes that learning comes first, technology
second. If the left arm is technology, McBreen
says, the right arm is curriculum. And the
curriculum department has taken the lead in the
districts digital curriculum initiatives.
TRAIN
Extensive longitudinal PDincluding fulltime staff dedicated to training and an ongoing

two-year digital learning collaborative that
culminates in an action research project
which participating teachers then share with
colleagueshas also been an important part of
SVVSDs equitable digital deployment plan.
Last year the district also created a position
dedicated to digital curriculum support. This
specialist looks at all potential and current
curriculum and serves as a bridge between the
curriculum and IT departments and vendors.
This position is critical, Haddad and McBreen
say, for any district serious about pervasive
digital curriculum.
SUSTAIN
It can be tough, McBreen says, because

everyone wants tech now. But with a multi-year
Mountain Brook Assistant Principal Christy Christian and School Technology Coordinator Sharon Mumm
explore the prospects of introducing Google Exploration into Mountain Brook Elementary Schools.
rollout plan and a four-year device replacement
program, Haddad notes that each time they
scale up they increase their capacity for growth
while maintaining their focus on training and
sustainability. Outpacing capacity without
support, he says, results in a train wreck.
With a seventh-grade daughter in the district,
McBreen is particularly well placed to witness
the advantages of digital curriculum. She has
caring, dedicated teachers at school, and if she
hasnt quite absorbed a lesson she can remediate
at home because shes milliseconds away from
world-class experts. Its a winning combination.
WISE EDTECH VETERANS

Way back in 1993, Mountain Brook (AL)
Schools gathered community members, parents,
students, and staff to write a comprehensive
TOOLS THEY USE ST. VRAIN VALLEY

4 College Board
SpringBoard
4 Curriculum
Associates i-Ready
4 Discovery Education
Techbooks
22
4 Infinite Campus
4 Reading Plus
4 Lexia
4 Schoology
4 McGraw-Hill
ConnectED
4 SPRK Lightning
Lab
4 myON
4 HEAT LANrev
4 OverDrive
4 Think Through
Math
4 HMH Collections
ELA
4 Pearson digits and

ReadyGEN
4 Vista Higher
Learning
technology plan that called for computers

in every classroom, a full-time technology
coordinator/coach for every school, and a
district technology director. The foresight to
put personnel in place to provide guidance and
training for staff has been the backbone of our
success, technology director Donna Williamson
says. They also put the horse (a strong network
infrastructure) before the cartin this case, the
laptop cart. Twenty-three years of thoughtful
and instruction-focused updates, embedded PD,
and community engagement later, Mountain
Brook won the 2016 ISTE Distinguished District
Award.
EDUCATING EACH OTHER
Cultivating positive relationships based

on a common purpose is key for technology
and curriculum leaders working together,
Williamson says. When she meets with
curriculum leaders to determine technology
solutions, they focus on their purpose, which
is to provide an effective, challenging, and
engaging education for every student.
Cultivating an environment of respect for the
skills, experiences, and knowledge that the other
brings to the table is also key. Collaboration,
setting realistic expectations, and planning for
continuity and ongoing financial and technology
support as well as training are also important.
We educate each other, Williamson says.
Curriculum leaders discuss all digital materials
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DIGITAL CURRICULUM
with technology leaders before purchase and
technology leaders discuss curriculum needs
with curriculum leaders to determine upgrades,
devices, etc. Devices, she notes, are selected
based on digital materials selected during the
curriculum adoption process.
LEARNING FACILITATED THROUGH

RELATIONSHIPS AND CONTENT
When the district saw the need for additional

devices as tools for instruction, they researched
and identified top instructional needs. These
include:
Access to digital resources, including
online textbooks and assessment tools
Transforming the entire campus to a
learning space
Providing tools for collaboration
Increased instructional time through
additional devices and faster access
Less focus on using cell phones as
instructional tools
Management and filtering for a safer
learning environment
In response to these needs, and in
partnership with parents and a community
foundation, Mountain Brook created a
technology bundle last year for grades 912. The
bundle consists of a leased Dell Chromebook,
or companion device (so called because they
complement devices students have at home,
in libraries, etc.), support and repairs, filtering
using iBoss, management with Hapara, secure
wi-fi access, and software (GAFE and Microsoft
365) as well as digital textbooks and Canvas. The
district hopes, over time, to extend this effort to
other grades.
TOOLS THEY USE

MOUNTAIN BROOK
4 Canvas
4 Cisco Wireless 802.11ac
4 ClassLink
4 Dell 11 touchscreen
Chromebooks
4 Google Apps for Education
4 Hapara
4 iBoss
4 Microsoft 365
4 Various digital curriculum
resources (see mtnbrook.k12.
al.us/Page/11323)
24
Rowan-Salisbury high-school students engaged in technical writing.
Rowan-Salisbury students collaborate on a writing activity using their iPads.

The Chromebook selection process
illustrates Mountain Brooks collaborative and
curriculum-focused approacha committee
evaluated different devices by checking all the
districts instructional digital content on the
various platforms. Faculty train students on the
devices, and Williamson says there are plans
to educate parents about the devices and their
classroom usage.
After one year, 94 percent of students
report that they use their devices to upload
assignments, 83 percent used them to complete
online assessments, and 93 percent used them to
communicate and collaborate with students and
teachers online. As Williamson says, I would
say that is success!
JUST DO IT
On April 21, 2014, Rowan-Salisbury (NC)
School System (RSS) made the bold decision to
go 1:1. We were a low-performing district with
a high poverty rate and we knew we couldnt
wait to make drastic changes, says assistant
superintendent of curriculum and instruction
Julie Morrow.
Five weeks later, on the last day of school,
they distributed devices to teachers and
rolled out a new literacy framework that was
housed digitally. Morrow and Andrew Smith,
director of digital innovation, describe this as
an instructional paradigm shift that involves
technology. Some say that were crazy to move
as fast as we did, Morrow says, but sometimes
you have to plan and do at the same time.
Proven solutions
for student success.
Diagnostic and Monitoring
Whole Class and Small Group Instruction
CurriculumAssociates.com/Research
Personalized Learning
DIGITAL CURRICULUM
TOOLS THEY USE
ROWAN-SALISBURY
4 Achieve 3000
4 Discovery Education
Techbooks, Streaming Plus,
Assessment
4 iPads (K8)
4 MacBook Airs (912)
4 MathSpace
4 Schoology
THE HOW
RSS adopted a zero-based budgeting model,

invested in educating and raising awareness
in the community, and created a strategic plan
that Morrow describes as a living, breathing
document.
Investing in PD was important for the
success of such a rapid and drastic change in the
instructional environment, and there are tech
facilitators and literacy coaches in all of their 35
schools. The district also allocated significant
funds to send 160 teachers to ISTE one year
and 225 the next. At this years ISTE, RSS
received the Digital Content and Curriculum
Achievement Award for their digital citizenship
curriculum.
Another key to success was creating
Smiths position to, as he says with a laugh, sit
awkwardly between the two departments. Smith
sits in the tech department but goes to every
curriculum meeting, straddling the fence and
facilitating clear communication. Both Smith
and Morrow emphasize the importance of
allocating personnel to ensure that all the pieces
work together and the focus stays on why theyre
doing what theyre doing.
not two separate departments but a unified team.

They share knowledge and opinions and listen to
one another.
The technology enables these new paths to
learning and creating. Discovery has been a key
partner for RSS, and Smith also notes that one
of the strengths of Apple products is that they
can be used without the Internet. (RSS, like
other districts, continues to work on creative
connectivity solutions.)
Smith recalls the joy on the childrens faces
when they received their iPads. One student
smelled the cellophane wrapper, explaining, It
smells new. And I never smell new.
Morrow says the constant transference
between teachers and learners makes this the
most exciting time in her 27 years in education.
This is not a project or initiative, she says. Its
who we are.
TAKING DIVERSITY
TO A NEW LEVEL
The advantages of a differentiated digital
curriculum and unified LMS are obvious for
a district with 103,000 students speaking 147
different languages in 137 schools. But when
Gary Brantley assumed the position of CIO
at DeKalb County School District (DCSD) in
metro Atlanta five years ago, the district was on
the verge of losing its accreditation and there was
no clear vision for technology, no curriculum,
and everyone was complaining.
The first order of business was to invest
in building relationships and to develop a
shared vision, values, and strategic plan. Teams
of DCSD stakeholders dedicated countless

hours to discussing how they would educate
students. This question led to even deeper
conversations about rigor and, eventually, to an
ongoing initiative to completely rewrite their
curriculum to meet even more challenging
standards. This massive project, building on the
recommendations of an outside assessment and
involving over 1,500 educators, is called CIA2
(Curriculum Instruction Assessment). Now
students are driving instruction, Brantley says,
and developing the questions.
COMMUNICATING AND STREAMLINING
Once a week, key DCSD stakeholders from the

technology and curriculum departments meet
for half a day. Those around the table include all
TOOLS THEY USE

DEKALB COUNTY
4 BrainPOP
4 Code.org
4 GALILEO databases
4 itslearning
4 Khan Academy
4 LaunchPad
4 OER from CK12 and
PowerMyLearning
4 Office 365
4 Padcaster
4 Tableau
ONE VOICE
Morrow describes their Monday team meetings

as sacred. Their fruitful, organic conversations
are critical for planning and growth and for
maintaining a focus on creating learning
experiences that are CCRP (collaborative,
connected, relevant, and personalized). They
know from experience that, once deployment
gets underway, this why can get lost. Even the
choir needs rehearsal, Smith says. The choir
around the RSS table every Monday includes
Morrow and Smith as well as the director of
technology and the CFO. Other stakeholders are
brought in as needed.
Morrow emphasizes that this team speaks
with one voice advocating for the kids. She sees
26
A Hall County student uses live security camera footage and Adobe Creative Cloud
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It reaches the child where they are

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Principal Janice V. Tankson, Ph.D.
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To learn more about Thrive, visit mhethrive.com/TL
DIGITAL CURRICULUM
subject-area content coordinators, the CIO, the
deputy of curriculum and instruction, and the
director of PD, as well as media specialists and
key personnel from IT, special ed, and project
management. They focus on the learning aspect
of the initiativeand then they look at the tools
that will facilitate what they want to accomplish.
The discussions are lengthy, and sometimes
difficult, but Brantley emphasizes that its critical
to be on the same pageand to keep the focus on
learning.
DCSD has partnered with itslearning for
over a year and renamed their platform VERGE
(Venturing into Engagement, Rigor, Growth, and
Excellence). For a district this large and diverse,
having everything housed in one placefrom
submission and collaboration to formative
assessments and PDis imperative.
LOOKING FORWARD
The district also collaborated with higher ed

institutions, including Georgia Tech and Emory
University, as well as employers such as Google
and Microsoft, when writing their tech plan. This
research-based approach has enabled DCSD to
initiate changes that will better equip students
for whats next. Students in K12 are working
too independently, Brantley says, to be well
prepared for walls down work environments.
Computer labs set up in rows, for example,
make collaboration difficult, if not impossible.
DCSD has reconfigured their classrooms as well.
Brantley notes that furniture and design, down
to how and where students sit, are important
considerations in implementing digital
curriculum.
Personalized learning does not mean giving
someone a laptop, Brantley says. Its so much
bigger than just a device.
CROWDSOURCED AND
CURATED RESOURCES
Hall County (GA) School District
(HCSD), northeast of Atlanta, is a district
of 33 autonomous schools, says assistant
superintendent for technology Aaron Turpin.
The linchpin for their digital ecosystem is the
portal they built themselves, called LaunchPoint.
The app ensures interoperability and is
customized for each school, and potentially
grade level, but offers the same user experience
for their highly mobile population of 28,000
students.
One of the initiatives Turpin is most excited
about is the districts multi-year project to
crowdsource and curate resources for digital
28
| SE P TE M BE R 2016
Hall County (GA) built their portal for digital resources, called LaunchPoint.
curriculum in a repository embedded with
standards and best practices. In partnership
with Safari, teachers in different content areas
are working to curate the best OER and other
content. Last year, for example, all HCSD
math teachers in their professional learning
communities gathered the best math resources,
and this year science teachers are doing the
same.
Its important to be aware, Turpin says, of
the three different audiences for these digital
curriculum resources (students, parents, and
teachers). Everything needs to be easy for all
three audiences to access. Its also important,
he says, for schools to build big ideas for parents
who want to know what to use to help their
children at home.
BILINGUAL EDUCATORS
Hall Countys e-learning specialists are critical

for the districts successful transition to a
digital ecosystem moving forward in a common
direction. Theyre all former classroom teachers,
educators who speak both languages, Turpin
says. They look at what constitutes quality
instruction, but they also work with vendors
to ensure that all resources are LTI compliant.
These e-learning specialists spend a lot of time
behind the wall to make sure that everything
works together. It would be impossible, Turpin
says, for the tech and curriculum departments
to do all this alone.
Turpin urges districts considering

implementing digital curriculum to establish
a common vision and language. The word
personalized, for instance, has been hijacked,
he says. He advises starting with either teacherfacing or student-facing resources. Its tough,
it takes time, and you need buy-in, he says. But
its essential work because our students are not
competing against other US students for jobs,
but against those from other countries. We need
to maintain our vision to prepare students well.
TOOLS THEY USE

HALL COUNTY
4 Canvas
4 Defined STEM
4 Edgenuity
4 Google Drive/Apps for
Education
4 Learning.com
4 LearnZillion
4 Lots of OER Content
4 MasteryConnect
4 Newsela
4 PebbleGo!
4 SAFARI Montage
WhiteBoardScreen Series
W H I T E B O A R D & P R OJ E C T I O N S C R E E N
STREAMLINING ACCESS
One Districts Pioneering Efforts
s the ninth largest district in the

nation, Orange County (FL)
Public Schools is using its size for
good. Maurice Draggon, director
of curriculum, instruction, and
digital learning, shares his districts
story and their pioneering efforts to simplify
and standardize the time-consuming process
of accessing instructional resources by taking
advantage of the IMS Global OneRoster LTI
and Thin Common Cartridges. While Draggon
is the first to point out that theyre still striving
toward their end goal of personalized learning
that opens up vast opportunities for every one
of Orange Countys 190,000 students, theyre
moving ever closer and hoping to help pave the
way for other districts around the country as
well. Below, Draggon shares his districts story.
Orange County students access digital resources using LaunchPad.
IDENTIFYING NEEDS
In 2012 we began a digital curriculum pilot
with about 6,000 students in three elementary,
three middle, and one high school. We decided
then that curriculum, and not technology, would
drive our digital curriculum journey. Another
critical decision that helped to shape our digital
ecosystem was to substitute, where possible, the
digital form of the textbook for the paper-based
one. This meant that students and teachers
had to use their new 1:1 devices to access core
curriculum materials.
As we toured schools those first few weeks,
we witnessed how the lengthy log-in process
to access instructional materials from each
publishers Web site repeatedly took away from
instructional time. We realized that access to
digital resources through a single sign-on (SSO)
method and rostering was not a technology
imperative but an instructional onebecause
time wasted logging in was time not learning.
The different SSO and rostering
requirements of each publisher created further
unnecessary delays to access. I will never forget
the frustration we felt when, after working to
solve an issue with the enrollment file for one
publisher, we couldnt use the same solution
to solve a similar issue with another publisher
because they used different file formats. As
the number of digital resources grew, we knew
30
that the number of different file formats would

eventually overwhelm us and slow the resolution
of issues. We had to standardize the roster file
being sent to publishers.
So we looked for a system that would
provide easy access and also take advantage of
the IMS Global OneRoster LTI for SSO and
OneRoster CSVs for rostering. With a learning
object repository (LOR) already in place to
provide additional access to digital resources
outside of publishers Web sites, we also
strove to take advantage of IMS Global Thin
Common Cartridges to provide direct access to
instructional resources within our districts LOR.
We now have a district dashboard (ClassLinks
LaunchPad) for teachers and students to access
resources, as well as an OneRoster server to
provide access to rostering information for all the
major publishers. We also use our LOR (SAFARI
Montage) to provide additional access to Thin
Common Cartridge resources. Were actively
working with all of our partners to:
Transition access to their resources
to SSO and send them rostering
information through the OneRoster CSV
or API, and
Provide access to their digital resources
through a Thin Common Cartridge file in
our LOR.
CONTRACTS AND
COMMUNICATION
Moving publishers from their proprietary
file formats to the open OneRoster format
is one of the major challenges in building a
digital ecosystem. As weve worked with our
procurement department to add OneRoster
support requirements to new contracts, weve
also worked with existing publishers (as well as
those who contact the district to gauge interest
in their product) to encourage their support for
OneRoster.
Internally, weve worked to reduce the number
of teams making roster files and the number of
places from which that information is pulled. This
in turn simplifies the troubleshooting process and
shortens the time needed to solve access issues.
Were in constant contact with our IT partners and
often include them in meetings with publishers
so that were providing a united front to anyone
who wishes to do business with the district.
Importantly, weve also worked to communicate
the importance of rostering, SSO, and Thin
Common Cartridge to our curriculum leaders.
THIN COMMON CARTRIDGES

Recognizing that publishers have done a great
job of identifying some of the vetted instructional
resources that can meet standards, weve worked
STREAMLINING ACCESS
with them to provide Thin Common Cartridge
files for our LOR. Thin Common Cartridges are
files that give us access within our LOR to search
the publishers Web site for resourcesjust like
we would search resources that we own. When
we find a resource thats helpful, such as an
ebook or video tied to a standard, we can add
that resource to our collection of Web links,
SAFARI resources, and self-created files. When a
teacher clicks on the resource, the Thin Common
Cartridge connection between our LOR and the
publishers Web site allows seamless viewing
without the need to log in.
THE NEW WAY WE DO

BUSINESS
Weve now expanded the original pilot to
30 schools and were rolling out over 70,000
devices for the 20162017 school year. The
Digital Learning team, which began as part
of the Research, Accountability, and Grants
Department, has now joined the Curriculum
and Instruction Department to create a new
department: Curriculum, Instruction, and
Digital Learning. This shift reflects the fact that
integrating digital tools into the curriculum is

simply the new way we do business and is not
separate from our core curriculum work.
While publishers have started to provide
some, but not dramatic, discounts on their
digital (versus printed) resources, these savings
shouldnt be a driving factor for any conversion.
Long-term, going digital has to reflect what a
district eventually wants learning to look like in
their classrooms.
Its critically important for curriculum
and technology personnel to communicate so
everyone understands the real classroom and
learning implications of technology issues. If
an IT team, for example, makes a technology
decision that results in every student losing the
equivalent of one full instructional week a year
just trying to log in without SSO, that obviously
creates significant issues for instruction and
learning. While every curriculum leader doesnt
need to understand all the deep technical issues
around SSO, rostering, and Thin Common
Cartridges, they need to be part of discussions to
decide the speed, access, and quality of resources
they want students to have.
SCALED AND SUCCESSFUL

From the beginning of our digital curriculum
program, we made sure we didnt put procedures
in place in the seven schools that we couldnt
scale up to 30 or 180. Building a digital ecosystem
requires equally thoughtful attention to scale.
The best illustration of a successful
transition to digital curriculum I can think of
involves our LaunchPad implementation. The
first year, we averaged 11,000 log-ins a day to
access digital resources (not a big number in our
district). But as we focused on the instructional
impact of using Launchpad to quickly access
digital resources, we saw a jump to 11,000
log-ins within the first hour of our second year
of implementation. Our daily average on the
weekend is now around 11,000 log-ins with no
school in session!
TOOLS THEY USE

ORANGE COUNTY
4 LaunchPad by ClassLink
4 SAFARI Montage
What the Classroom Can Be.
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and develop the essential skills they need for success. Students
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Our technology and software empower both educators and
students in all forms of learning, enabling real understanding and
enhancing student achievement. Whether the approach is wholeclass learning, small-group collaboration, formative assessment, or
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RAISING THE STANDARDS

FOR STUDENTS
By Sascha Zuger
THE STANDARDS
ARE DESIGNED TO BE
MEASURABLE, BUT
NOT FOR HIGH-STAKES
ASSESSMENT. THAT
SAID, MY HOPE IS
THAT THE STANDARDS
CAN INFORM NEXT
GENERATION
ASSESSMENT
SYSTEMS TO INCLUDE
RECOGNITION OF
REAL PROJECT WORK,
NON-COGNITIVE
COMPETENCIES
AND HIGHER ORDER
THINKING SKILLS.
he 2016 ISTE Standards for

Students are broken down into
seven components; Empowered
Learner, Digital Citizen, Knowledge
Constructor, Innovative Designer,
Computational Thinker (new),
Creative Communicator, and Global
Collaborator. We chat with Jim Flanagan, ISTE
Chief Learning Services Officer and 25-year
veteran in the public and private K-12 sector,
about how the new standards can transform
learning in your classroom.
The 2016 ISTE Standards for Students
are designed to encourage exploration,
creativity and discovery. What sort of
timeline should schools strive for to reach
these edtech goals?
Our hope is that educators will review the
standards as soon as possible and start the
discussion of how they might begin first steps. (I
expect that many will want to include students in
the discussion, as well.)
How can the standards benefit teachers?
How does enhanced digital empowerment
add to learning in the classroom?
I hope teachers see the student standards as
a tool in their innovation discussions. (I also
hope it will spur them to contribute their ideas
to this years refresh of the ISTE Standards
for Teachers!)Beyond that, I believe the first
positive results will be increased student
empowerment followed by deeper student
learning and more in-depth, meaningful project
work.
How will the new Computational Thinker
category affect teachers? By setting the
standard for students to use Tech within
the classroom to achieve their goals, does
this do away with old school memorizing
content/committing concepts (equations,
formulas, etc.) to memory?
There is still a place for student practice that
builds automaticity, and brain research backs

that up. The question is, what is the best way
for eachstudent to develop skills that result
in deeper understanding and longer-term
retention?
We believe that CT is not just for the future
software engineers of the world, but a core
literacy. Every person should know how to read
to fully participate in society. In the same way,
to be engaged citizens every student should be
learning how computers solve problems and
analyze data. Theres tremendous cross-subject
potential in logic and problem-solving.
Do standardized tests and state protocols/
policies fall in line with these new
standards?
The standards are designed to be measurable,
but not for high-stakes assessment. That said,

my hope is that the standards can inform next
generation assessment systems to include
recognition of real project work, non-cognitive
competencies and higher order thinking skills.
Does ISTE offer any sort of support or
research materials to help educators as
they transition to a more developed digital
program within their school?
We offer a digital unpacking of the standards
on our Website (each with four indicators of
success), a free report on the refresh process
and the research behind the standards,
webinars, and a toolkit.ISTE is also developing
a series of digital learning pathways courses
starting with the Empowered Learner standard
this fall.
| S E PTE M B E R 2 01 6
33

By Ellen Ullman
e know makerspaces are

still growing in popularity,
but we were curious to hear
how schools are reinventing
rooms and spaces to
accommodate other types of
learning. Here are three such stories.
RE-DESIGN ON A DIME
The middle school Google Apps innovation
team at Richland (SC) School District Two
who call themselves the Google Geekswanted
to update the schools computer lab. The team
got access to a portable space and worked with
an art teacher to solicit donations and purchase
low-cost items. Students painted furniture,
repurposed tables and chairs, and turned it
into an attractive space. Its not necessary to
buy expensive things on wheels, says Donna
Teuber, director of technology integration and
innovation. Our library/media specialist put
casters on old tables and painted them with
whiteboard paint so we can write on them.
To tie in with curriculum, students researched
caster size and weight ratio.
As Richland Two moves to a blended
learning model, Teubers team hosts day-long
professional development classes to help
teachers see how blended learning calls for a
different environment. We tell them, You need
to decide what kind of learning you want and
then reconfigure the classroom to match that,
says Teuber.
The district also runs a three-hour learning
spaces workshop in which teachers use the
design thinking process, discuss extreme types
of users in their classes, and collaborate on ways
to design an environment that will meet their
needs. Many teachers split the room into various
zones, including a project zone with a big table,
an independent seating area, and a space for the
teacher to do small group instruction. Teachers
learn how to use bookcases, crates, and other
items in the class to separate the areas. Some
teachers use whiteboard markers right on the
student desks and then erase it. We encourage
that kind of low-cost creativity.
Teuber is looking forward to expanding
34
Richland students and teachers painted and repurposed items to create enticing learning environments.
TOOLS THEY USE RICHLAND

4 Discovery
Education
Streaming Plus
4 Edmodo
4 Epson
Interactive
Projects
4 Google Apps for
Education
4 Google Forms
Quizzes
4 Google
Classroom (LMS)
4 Hapara Teacher
Dashboard
4 iSafe
4 Kahoot
4 Khan Academy
4 Lenovo, Dell
and Samsung
Chromebooks
4 Pixton Comics
4 Plickers
4 PowerSchool
4 Remind101
4 SMARTBoards
4 Socrative
4 StoryBird
4 VoiceThread
4 Padlet
4 WeVideo
4 PearDeck
4 YouTube
Theres an innovator in everyone,

especially in 5th grade.
MakerBot connects educators to a community
rich in content, with access to tools that are easy
to deploy. With MakerBot, learning becomes more
hands-on, transforming the young students of
today into the innovators of tomorrow. Learn more
by visiting www.makerbot.com.
Fair Haven students tinker, build, and create with the latest technology in their Innovation Lab.
the innovation incubator this year and plans to
do redesign workshops on location. We want
teachers to see low-cost examples and realize
that they dont have to buy expensive items to
make this happen. We talk about getting couches
donated and how to search on Pinterest for
ideas.
2 CS & 2 ES: CODING,

CREATING, ENGINEERING, AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Fifth- and sixth-grade students in Fair
Haven (NJ) School District visit the 18-month-
old Innovation Lab once a week for a blended

learning course that covers the Labs pillars of
technology: computer science (basic coding,
app design), engineering, digital arts, and
entrepreneurship. The Lab, which is in a shared
spacehalf library/half makerspacepresents
the perfect opportunity for students to get
exposed to technology that will be important
for their future. If they dont know it exists,
then they cant get excited, says Innovation Lab
creator and edtech coach Chris Aviles.
Some of the highlights include creating their
own version of Pokmon GO in Unity, a video-
TOOLS THEY USE FAIR HAVEN

4 Arduino
4 Explain
Everything
4 Audacity
4 Beeline Reader
4 Black Menu for
Google
4 Blogger
4 Camtasia
4 Codecademy
4 Chrome
4 Dell
4 Dropbox
36
4 Fusion 360
4 Google Apps for
Education
4 iExplorer
4 Meteor
4 Pear Deck
4 Periscope
4 Poll Everywhere
4 Print Studio
4 Project Ignite
4 Raspberry Pi
4 MinecraftEDU
4 Schoology
4 MIT App
Inventor
4 Scratch
4 TinkerCad
4 Newsela
4 Unity
4 Overviewer
game-creation tool; taking apart bicycles and

other items donated by the community, both in
real time and virtually; podcasting; and making
animations and videos. Along the way, students
learn everything from Scratch and Minecraft to
3D design software.
Since its a blended program, theres a lot
of flexibility. Students choose what they want
to focus on, says Aviles. They can work in
teams or alone, and on any strand at any time.
Podcasting is really popular.
Last year, Aviles saw an opportunity.
Students just took their creations homeor
worse, left them behind in the Lab. He decided to
build Gizmos, a student-run digital school store
similar to Amazon, where students could sell
their products and learn about entrepreneurship
at the same time. Now, students can sell what
they make in the Innovation Lab and the money
goes back into the Lab. In June, they made their
first digital sale. A student designed Hogwarts in
Tinkercad, 3D-printed it, and sold it for $8. By
running a digital store, they learn how to handle
pricing, shipping, customer serviceall the soft
skills that makerspaces often do a poor job of
harnessing.
This summer, Fair Haven invested in
state-of-the-art laptops as part of a partnership
between Dell and the Innovation Lab. Aviles
plans to run the Innovation Lab like a startup
Full Color
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2016 CASIO AMERICA, INC. All Rights Reserved.
Casco Bay 10th-grade students learn about the latest happenings in augmented and virtual reality.
in which students will be employees and
stockholders who decide where to invest the
money they earn.
TOOLS THEY USE

CASCO BAY HIGH SCHOOL
4 Aurasma
PARTNERSHIPS ON LOCATION
For a few years, Casco Bay High School in
Portland, Maine, was perfectly content with
its makerspace. Then, thanks to some major
grant money and help from a Silicon Valley
entrepreneur who spends summers in Maine, the
school was able to upgrade its makerspace with
3D printers, 3D mills, and other state-of-the-art
technology. He helped us secure $30,000 in
grants, says Michael Hale, director of college,
career & citizenship + innovation. We were able
to create a DIY Marketplace where students are
making jewelry, signs for school offices, parts
for wind turbines that are tested in engineering
classes, and more.
Two years ago, Hale started the N+1
mentoring program, which connects students
with local community members who do coding,
engineering, and STEM design. Our students
are working with people who use technology that
is on the cutting edge, he says. Its important
for my students to have access to mentors who
can help them learn by leaps and bounds.
In the past, students interned at the Gulf of
38
4 Blender 3D creation suite

4 eBackpack
4 GCC Vinyl Printer
Maine Research Institute. This summer and
school year they are learning how to build video
games with their N+1 mentors at the University
of Southern Maines (USM) Innovation Lab. For
next year, Hale is trying to set up a program with
the Maine College of Art so that students can
work with a video game design professor who
does 3D modeling.
Hale continually tries to expand the learning
opportunities. His current initiatives are focused
on creative-process thinking, entrepreneurship,
and game design with the HTC Vive, Microsoft
Hololens, the Unity game design engine, and
Swift iOS coding. As he says, Its not just about
one class, one teacher, and the right equipment
in a static environment. Our students work with
state-of-the-art equipment and push things to
the edge.
4 GCC Mercury Laser Cutter

4 Google Apps for Education
4 HTC Vive VR Headgear
4 Infinite Campus
4 iPads; iPad minis
4 iWalkthrough
4 MacBook Pros; Mac Pros;
iMacs
4 Microsoft Hololens
Augmented Reality
HeadgearMDX-40A 3-D Mill
4 Makerbot 3D printers
4 Naviance
4 Swift
4 Teachscape
4 Unity
WHATSNEW
TECH & LEARNING ROUNDS UP A SUMMARY OF NEW TOOLS FOR SCHOOLS
Bretford (www.bretford.com) released several new

lines of furniture that embody the companys Whole
Student, Whole Room, Whole School education model. The Emoji
desks feature a simplified design so they can be rearranged and stacked
to fit together and move. Emoji chairs address the specific physical and
emotional needs of every age. Their features boost mood and create
a calming effect that builds and maintains a positive experience for
children, and a refined, performance-driven experience for adults.
EVER Cart is a store and charge cart that features the MiX Module
System, which involves customizable modules that can be continually
modified. The new EVER Cart can house two shelves with two MiX
Modules or three shelves with three MiX Modules to support between
20 and 45 devices. Shelves adjust from 10-inches for tablets and small
computers to 12-inches for larger laptops.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. (www.canon.com)

unveiled the REALiS 4K501ST Pro
AV LCOS Projector, which incorporates the
features of the current REALiS 4K500ST,
as well as an enhanced video interface that
offers two HDMI version 2.0 inputs with
HDCP 2.2 support. Other features include
native 4K resolution of 4096 x 2400, up
to 5000 lumens and Canons LCOS Technology with AISYS-enhancement for
high-brightness and detailed image reproduction. The REALiS 4K501ST also
offers a 4K lens and a collection of advanced image adjustment and professional
install setting features, including Marginal Focus which helps ensure content
projected on the peripheral portions of domed surfaces remains in focus. At only
39.6 pounds, this model also offers one of the most compact and lightweight
form factors of a high-brightness 4K projector.
Epson America, Inc. (www.epson.

com/ecotank) announced the newest
additions to its Supertank category of
EcoTank printers the WorkForce
ET-16500 wide-format model and
Expression ET-3600. The
printers deliver cartridge-free printing
with easy-to-fill supersized ink tanks
and up to two years of ink in the box.
They also come with built-in, easy-to-use
wireless and Wi-Fi Direct capabilities so
users can print directly from tablets and
smartphones across a range of operating
systems, as well as through Epson Connect
solutions.
Spectrum Industries, Inc. (www.

spectrumfurniture.com) redesigned its
Inspiration Lectern. Small, lightweight,
and versatile, the Inspiration Plus allows the
presenter to be seated and still have legroom
under the work surface. It can be ordered in
36 or 42 heights and can be specified in many
different configurations. New rounded edges,
sleek design, and color offerings finish out this
budget-friendly lectern.
40
hardware
Tripp Lite (www.tripplite.com) recently
introduced WorkWise solutions,
a line of height-adjustable desk tops,
bases, and desktop workstations that
help enhance efficiency and productivity
while allowing the user to stand for a
portion of the workday. These solutions
provide the flexibility to change the work surface height with just the press of a button
or one touch of a lever. Adjusting the height of the surface is also a simple way to
customize workspaces shared by multiple users. Desk tops are made in the USA from
environmentally-friendly recycled wood fibers certified by the Sustainable Forestry
Initiative, and all WorkWise products are compatible with Tripp Lite accessories,
including display mounts and a clamp-on surge protector with USB charging ports.
WHATS NEW
The DongleLockbox (www.

donglelockbox.com) makes it easy
for schools to secure software
locks on multiple computers. With
its programmable combination
lock and durable steel cable, the
DongleLockbox attaches to an
existing or added anchor to protect
valuable USB software locks from
being stolen. The DongleLockbox
can be found in education labs
using CAD/CAM software like
Mastercam, inspection software
like PC-DMIS, and music and video
editing software like Pro Tools, as
well as graphic design and printing
software, such as FlexiSIGN.
UBTECH Robotics (www.ubtrobot.com) released two new kits for the

JIMU Robot, the MeeBot Kit and the Animal Add-On Kit. The
JIMU Robot is an interactive robotic building block system that connects
in infinite ways and then moves to the program the user creates. Character
parts, connectors, and robotic servomotors snap together without tools.
Users can follow 3D animated instructions on the free JIMU Robot app to
build pre-designed characters using the pieces in the kit theyve purchased
or invent their own robotic creation. Once the JIMU Robot is built it can
be easily programmed using the intuitive PRP (Pose, Record, Playback)
technology for an endless sequence of actions. Or, users can choose preprogrammed movements from a library of life-like movements.
MG (www.mm-goi.com) released the Novi Portable Charging Station. The new

device can rapidly charge up to eight portable battery pods in only 2.5 hours.
The Novi Portable Charging Station replaces traditional mounted charging
stations and outlets, and consists of the Novi Dock and portable Novi Pods.
The Novi Dock is powered by an internal AC adapter with a removable 2-prong
cable that can be retrofitted for use in any country. The Novi Dock charges
each one of the Novi Pods on contact, without the need for any additional
cables. Charging is conducted at high speeds, and each portable battery fully
charges a phone of the same batter size in 1.5 hours. Once charged, each
lightweight pod can be removed and taken anywhere consumers need to charge
their mobile device.
| S E PTE M B E R 2 01 6
41
apps
ON DEMAND
Check out the following resources from
our partner sites:
GLOBILAB APP
WEBINARS
From STEM to STEAM: Bringing STEAM

learning to your school
Sponsored by littleBits
All students find success when

school leaders change instructional
conversations
3D CLASSROOM WIN 10 APP

(www.the3dclassroom.com)
Sensavis launched its first fully interactive
app. The 3D Classroom Win 10 app is a
visual learning tool aimed at teachers,
principals, and school leaders to help
motivate and engage students to achieve
better results and understanding of
complex subjects. With interactive and
realistic visualizations, users are able to
navigate through six subject modules:
biology, geography, physics, chemistry,
mathematics, and engineering. The app
aims to make complex subjects easier to
understand with each module adaptable to
suit the individual students or class needs.
Sponsored by Waggle
Save Time and Increase Efficiency with

Intelligent Grading
Sponsored By Canon
How to Protect Against a SaaS Data

Disaster at Your School
Sponsored by Spanning
District Shares Best Practices for Mobile

Device Management
Sponsored by Lightspeed Systems
Choose the Right Adaptive Math

Software a Buyers Guide
Sponsored by dreambox learning
Check techlearning.com for updates
APPLETREE
(www.goappletree.com)
Appletree is
a new, free
communication
tool that partners teachers with parents
and engages them in their childs classroom
life. Formerly known as BuzzMob, the
newly released Appletree gives elementary
school educators a complete toolbox of
features to help them establish a consistent
line of communication with busy parents,
including class-wide updates, direct
messaging, progress reports, and a fully
integrated calendar. Appletree features
also include private and group messaging,
interactive volunteer invites, instant
updates with photos and videos, and
emergency alerts. Teachers can easily send
from their handheld device or desktop, and
parents receive the information however
they prefer: in the Appletree app, via email,
or SMS.
AD INDEX
COMPANY
Boxlight
PAGE
32
Casio
37
CDW-G
52
Comcast Business
Curriculum Associates
Dreambox Learning
11
25
5
Elite Screen
29
Full Compass
43
GoGuardian
Intel K12 Blueprint
31
Lightspeed Systems
17
MakerBot
35
McGraw Hill Education
27
NetSupport
15
OverDrive Education
21
Pearson Education
PowerGistics
2
7
(www.globisens.net)
Boxlight and
Globisens
unveiled the
GlobiLab
app for
Chromebook
laptops. GlobiLab software communicates
wirelessly with Labdisc multi-sensor
compact devices, allowing for full setup
and control of the devices. Graphical and
meter displays present data in real time,
enabling students to quickly measure their
world and analyze data samples. GlobiLab
also merges the latest sensor, Internet, and
satellite technologies so that students can
plot measurement data over a Google map,
allowing them to map local pollution or
weather conditions and compare their data
with other schools.
THERMAL ANALYSIS FOR

FLIR ONE APP
(www.vernier.com)
Vernier Software & Technology developed
a free iOS app to enable students to study
thermal energy concepts by analyzing
images and video captured with the FLIR
ONE Thermal Camera for iOS. Using the
Thermal Analysis for FLIR ONE app,
as well as new investigations created by
Vernier, students can measure temperature
changes on the skin, illustrate convection,
track heating due to friction, compare heat
conduction in different materials, analyze
the transparency of materials in infrared
versus visible light, and more.
Tab Pilot
47
Tech & Learning Live
51
Typing Agent
13
42
| S E P T E MB E R 2 01 6
software & online

ALMA TECHNOLOGIES
COURSEWORK API
(www.alma-technologies.com)
Alma
Technologies,
Inc. has
expanded its
integration
with Google
Classroom to include the new Coursework
API. Alma is a student information system
and learning management system that
allows districts, schools, and teachers to
use Google Classroom from the initial set
up of classes to managing assignments to
reporting grades, without ever entering
data twice. The partnership combines
Googles free toolset for teachers and
students with Almas all-in-one district
platform .
BUILD ENGLISH FAST
(www.scilearn.com)
Scientific Learning
Corp. released
its neurosciencedesigned Build
English Fast, a
combination of Fast ForWord and Reading
Assistant, to help ELLs accelerate their
English language acquisition. Using the
principles of neuroplasticity, Build English
Fast addresses three critical steps for
English language proficiency. It prepares
the brain to hear the sounds of English;
then it provides individualized, intensive
practice in English vocabulary, grammar,
and reading skills; and finally it uses
advanced speech recognition technology
to give students the opportunity to practice
speaking and reading aloud, while receiving
real-time corrective feedback.
CLASSFLOW MARKETPLACE
(www.classflow.com)
ClassFlow announced a new feature that
allows teachers to earn extra cash during
the upcoming
school year. The
new ClassFlow
Marketplace is an
open community
where teachers
can buy and sell original teaching resources
such as digital lessons, unit plans,
assessments, teaching guides, worksheets,
and more. All teaching resources purchased
in the ClassFlow Marketplace can be
delivered to students in the classroom,
at home, or on-the-go using ClassFlows
free delivery features. To get started
earning extra cash on the new ClassFlow
Marketplace, teachers can upload their
original digital content, set a price, and
receive funds when their materials are
purchased.
CLASSWORKS AND ACT

ASPIRE ALLIANCE
(www.classworks.com)
Classworks
fully integrates
ACT Aspires
assessment
results, giving teachers an efficient tool
to individualize learning while also
reducing the testing burden in classrooms.
Classworks integrates ACT Aspires
assessment results and delivers customized
lessons for students based on that data,
eliminating the need for an additional
assessment. Students can instantly engage
in Classworks skills-based instruction
matched to their needs. Teachers have the
flexibility to customize the instructional
path for each student.
DUDE SOLUTIONS MDM

SOLUTION
(www.dudesolutions.com)
Schooldude
and parent
company Dude Solutions, Inc. recently
unveiled its Mobile Device Management
WHATS NEW
(MDM) solution, designed to help

education IT administrators better
monitor, manage, and support all mobile
devices on their network, including the
ability to simply and remotely manage
device policies, supervise device usage,
and control application distribution. With
the ability to establish separate policies
for BYOD and corporate IT assets, Dude
Solutions MDM offering enables IT
personnel to create, define, and manage
groups of devices, apps, and profiles specific
to their educational institutions policies.
EDGENUITY GRADEBOOK
AND DIGITAL LEARNING
ACCREDITATION
(www.edgenuity.com)
Edgenuity
launched
a new
Gradebook tool that enables teachers to
monitor student engagement, progress,
and achievement in real time. Edgenuitys
data capabilities allow teachers in blended
learning classrooms to view a range of
details about each students work at a
glance. Additionally, the tool allows
teachers to view key metrics for all students
at once. Edgenuity also achieved Digital
Learning Accreditation from AdvancED,
an international community of education
professionals consisting of over 34,000
schools and school systems across 72
countries.
EDTECH PRIVACY
EVALUATION PLATFORM
(http://privacy.graphite.org)
Common Sense
Education, in
collaboration with
over 70 schools and districts nationwide,
launched its K-12 Edtech Privacy
Evaluation Platform to support educators
in their effort to make informed decisions
about the educational software being used

| S E PTE M B E R 2 01 6
43
WHATS NEW
software & online
on campuses throughout the country. The

platform provides accurate and up-to-date
evaluations of the security practices of the
most commonly used edtech apps.
EVO SEL 2.0
(www.apperson.com)
Apperson
announced
updates to its
Evo Social &
Emotional
(SEL) online assessment tool. Evo SEL
2.0 introduces a new look, streamlined
functions for both administrators and
educators, and improved efficiency, making
it easier to screen students for social and
emotional competencies. Evo SEL 2.0
allows administrators to assign and control
the assessments and lock and unlock what
educators can see. It graphically shows
all educators levels of completion of the
assigned assessments. A new workflow
screen makes it easy for educators to see
what is required of them and when these
requirements are due.
FOLLETT PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT SERIES
(www.follettlearning.com)
Follett recently
launched a new
Professional
Development
series for
educators to help
them make the most of Follett technology
and products through hands-on experience
and real-life examples. The series, available
now to PreK-12 school districts, supports
the implementation of national and
statewide programs and teaches educators
how to help students build key 21st-century
skills. The on-site courses range from three
to six hours, are targeted for a broad range
of educators, and cover a full range of topics
in educational technology.
44
HMH FIELD TRIPS FOR

GOOGLE EXPEDITIONS
(www.hmhco.com)
Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt (HMH)
launched the first
HMH Field Trips for
Google Expeditions
for students grades K-12. HMHs offering
currently includes four field trips aligned
to select HMH science and social studies
curriculum, which are now available via
the Google Expeditions Android app.
More than 20 additional HMH Field
Trips, as well as iOS availability of the
Expeditions app, are planned for release
over the coming months. As a Google
content partner, HMH has developed
field trips that go hand-in-hand with
HMH curriculum. Relevant programs
will contain free teacher guides for HMH
customers, including student activities and
lesson plans, which will enable educators to
integrate the virtual field trips seamlessly
into their classrooms.
KURZWEIL K3000
(www.kurzweiledu.com)
Kurzweil Education
announced new
features for its k3000
class of software
across all platforms. The new additions
will simplify the user experience, deliver
offline access, and provide more reading/
study tools. New voices, editing tools, and
dictionaries give students more options for
decoding content. The k3000 line also now
offers Google Drive support, PNG support,
and zone editing improvements.
MINDPLAY LITERACY
UNIVERSAL SCREENER
(www.mindplay.com)
MindPlays research- and evidence-based
online program includes a K-12 Universal
Screener that analyzes gaps or deficiencies
in reading that
may indicate
dyslexia. The
Universal
Screener diagnoses literacy difficulties in
students up through 12th grade, and creates
a customized learning pathway through the
MindPlay curriculum. MindPlay Literacy
is adaptive, guiding learners through
prescriptive lessons and re-teaching skills
with fresh explanations and lessons until
mastery is achieved.
MYON 3.3
(www.myon.com)
myON announced new additions to its
literacy toolkit and newly designed literacy
environment, myON 3.3. The expanded
literacy toolkit gives educators the freedom
to create full assignments complete with
book lists, writing prompts, and checklists

all within the myON platform. Students
can now write essays, journal entries, and
receive real-time feedback from teachers
and their peers. New graphic organizers
include KWL charts, Venn diagrams, and
knowledge maps helping students and
teachers take a deeper dive into the text. In
addition, on-demand Lexile assessments
guide teachers to assign specific students a
Lexile benchmark quiz regardless of when
the last Lexile measurement was taken
in order to better facilitate a benchmark
assessment for teachers to accurately track
students literacy growth.
ONCAMPUS
(www.k12.blackbaud.com/oncampus)
Blackbaud announced that its onCampus
LMS is Learning Tools Interoperability
software & online

(LTI) certified,
giving users the
capability to plug into external tools that
pass through content, roster and gradebook
information in a standardized way. By
leveraging onCampus LTI certification,
Blackbaud integrates with Microsoft
OneNote Class Notebook to streamline
user experience and save time for
educators. Through these LTI capabilities,
Class Notebook can add to a variety of
onCampus Topics to help create and share
relevant and engaging resources within the
classroom and throughout a school.
ORMIBOARD
(www.exou.com)
Exo U launched
Ormiboard, a firstof-its-kind frontof-class visual creation and collaboration
tool. Ormiboard lets teachers and students

build lessons, activities, and interactive
games for use in any classroom that has
displays and/or mobile devices. Ormiboard
users create sessions where everyone
can watch and participate in the lessons.
Teachers can fully integrate Ormiboard
with Google Classroom, Google Drive,
Dropbox, Evernote, and similar services.
With browser-driven publishing, lessons are
assigned links and can be sent to students
using Google Classroom. Ormiboard comes
in two editions: Go and Pro. The Go edition
is designed for teachers and is accessed
via Web browser, and is available as a
subscription. The Pro edition, designed for
schools and districts, is an installed software
with a perpetual license. It enables complete
device integration and collaborative sharing
over existing networks via local WIFI (no
internet access required).
WHATS NEW
PERFORMANCE MATTERS
PLATFORM
(www.performancematters.com)
Performance Matters
recently announced
its next-generation
Performance Matters Platform. The
new platform merges the Truenorthlogic
professional growth platform with the
Performance Matters assessment and
analytics platform. Now, educators can
access professional growth tools and
student assessment tools with powerful,
integrated analytics capabilities in one
platform.
PERSISTENCE TECHNOLOGY
IN MICROSOFT SURFACE 3
(www.absolute.com)
Absolute recently announced that
Microsoft will enable Persistence
MAKING
CONNECTIONS
Teaching with Technology
SEPTEMBER IS MIC MONTH!
Visit fullcompass.com/micmonth
to check out the great deals!
800 - 356 - 5844

fullcompass.com
Pro Audio Video Lighting

Musical Instruments
W W W . T E C H L E A R N I N G . C O M | S E PT E M B E R 2 01 6
45
software & online
WHATS NEW
technology in Microsoft Surface 3 devices.

Once activated, Microsoft customers
around the world will benefit from the
security and data risk management
capabilities, allowing IT to maintain a
reliable two-way connection with all
devices, regardless of user or location.
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT FOR
DREMEL IDEA BUILDER
(http://3dprinter.dremel.com/education)
PD Learning
Network
(PDLN)
announced a
partnership
with Dremel to provide badge certified
K-12 teacher professional development for
the Dremel Idea Builder printer. Access to
a PDLN badge certification training course
accompanies the purchase of every Dremel
Idea Builder 3D40-EDU kit. Courses
include videos, articles, lesson plans,
school case studies, and hands-on learning
opportunities that provide a pathway to
help educators master implementation of
3D printing in instruction.
SAFARI MONTAGE
INTEGRATION WITH
GOOGLE
(www.safarimontage.com)
SAFARI Montage
announced
integration with
Google Drive,
Google Apps for
Education, and
Google Classroom to provide SAFARI

Montage Learning Object Repository
(LOR) users with Single Sign-On access to
their Google learning tools and resources
from their LOR dashboard. Educators
can easily search and upload Google Drive
resources from the LOR and share SAFARI
Montage learning objects, playlists, and
lessons to Google Classroom. Additionally,
LOR users can perform a federated search
of their Google Drive from SAFARI
Montage; upload, auto-convert, and
add Google files to playlists and digital
lessons; and continue to collaborate on
shared Google files while accessing Google
resources through the LOR.
SMITHSONIAN LEARNING
LAB
(www.learninglab.si.edu)
The Smithsonian
Center for Learning
and Digital Access
introduced the
Smithsonian Learning
Lab, an online toolkit
that enables users to
find, customize, and share digital museum
resources with others. The Learning Lab
offers free digital access to more than a
million diverse resources from across the
Smithsonian along with simple-to-use
tools to organize, augment, and personalize
these assets. As users build and publish
the resource collections and activities they
have created, the Learning Lab becomes a
more collaborative community.
TABPILOT MDM
(www.tabpilot.com)
TabPilot recently announced the
availability of free mobile device
management for macOS computers in
schools. Schools that choose TabPilot
to manage their iPads can now add their
macOS devices to TabPilot at no additional
charge, up to the number of iOS licenses
owned. The macOS

features offer
DEP enrollment
(including
configuring hidden
administrator account setup), device
inventory, and app distribution. The
system already supports the beta of macOS
Sierra. Additional features, including new
restrictions, will be added in the upcoming
school year and included at no charge.
TRUENORTHLOGIC
OBSERVATION
(www.performancematters.com/
observation)
Performance
Matters released
Truenorthlogic
Observation, an
intuitive, online solution for conducting
classroom observations, collecting
evidence, and sharing feedback. It gives
K-12 districts the tools to configure,
customize, and streamline the observation
process, eliminating the need for paperdriven processes. With Truenorthlogic
Observation, districts can design
observation templates that match existing
observation instruments, rubrics and
ratings scales, and highlight desired
teaching practices. School leaders can
easily schedule formal observations or
classroom walkthroughs, or start one on
demand.
TURNITIN REVISION
ASSISTANT
(www.turnitin.com)
Turnitin announced a multi-year extension
of its work with the College Board that
will connect its formative writing tools to
College Board programs like SpringBoard
in an effort to expand and promote
productive student writing practice. The
addition of Turnitins writing instruction
technology, Revision Assistant, will give
46
software & online
students more ways to practice and receive

instruction that will help them develop the
knowledge, skills, and understanding that
are critical to college and career success.
WAGGLE
(www.gogetwaggle.com)
Wagglethe
adaptive
practice
platform that adapts the learning
environment after every student

interactionannounced updates to
its student and teacher dashboards, in
addition to enhanced implementation
services. Waggle will also be rolling out
Google Single Sign-On (SSO) this fall.
Waggle redesigned the Teacher Dashboard
to make it even easier for teachers to access
information they can use immediately.
Additionally, Waggle added a content
discovery tool, making content easily
searchable by domains/strand. In an effort
to give students more insight into their
performance, Waggle has also recently
released a new Student Dashboard.
Another new addition is Waggle Professors,
all former educators that deliver a variety
of impactful workshops to provide teachers
with best practices in digital learning and
prepare them to use Waggles adaptive
practice system with their students.
WHATS NEW
WALKABOUTS BY ACTIVED
(www.activedinc.com)
Walkabouts by
ActivEd helps teachers
create movement-rich
Pre-K through
second grade
lessons. Educators
can create and
execute dynamic lessons with the intuitive
platform in just a few clicks, a standardsbased activity is created and correlated
in real-time to the users specific state
standards. Lessons can then be played
using existing classroom infrastructure,
such as typical computer and digital
whiteboard combinations. Other product
features highlighted include integrated
tools for assessment and coordinated
Walksheet PDFs that help facilitate more
active, embodied learning offline.

| S E PTE M B E R 2 01 6
47
BACK-TO-SCHOOL PRODUCT SHOWCASE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION PRESENTED BY TECH & LEARNING
AceReader
Edmentums Study Island
AceReader is a powerful instructional

web application designed to improve
students reading rates, fluency and
comprehension. Its not a how to read
program, rather a how to read better
program. Students will learn how to be
more efficient silent readers by breaking
through the barrier of reading wordby-word to reading groups of words at
a time with improved speed, fluency
and comprehension. It includes a wide
variety of leveled and themed reading
comprehension tests, eye pacing
drills and fun eye exercise games. The
program will auto-adjust the training
activities for each student based on
their skill level. There is also a powerful
interface for Teachers and Admins
they can manage student accounts and
monitor students progress. The Pre and
Post testing system makes it easy to
track overall progress for each student.
For more information visit www.
acereader.com or call 1-800-223-7323,
ext. 2.
Edmentums Study Island is a robust

formative classroom solution that not
only prepares students for end-of-year
assessments but also gives teachers
a way to individualize instruction,
pinpoint student difficulties, and
monitor student progress. Our highimpact, high-value K-12 English
language arts, math, science, and social
studies learning programs are built
specifically from your state standards
and provide practice, immediate
feedback, and built-in remediation to
improve students performance in core
skill areas. Paired with an intuitive, realtime data dashboard, educators can
easily track progress and differentiate
instruction to continually drive student
achievement.
Boxlight
Boxlights P12 line of projectors provides
four different solutions for bringing
interactive technology to the classroom:
standard, laser, laser HD, and laser ultrawide projectors. This series provides
schools and districts with the ability
to create large-scale collaborative and
interactive learning spaces at a lower
cost than comparably sized flat-panel
displays. In addition, the projectors save
time and resources with no lamps to
change and a 20-year laser life span.
All projectors come equipped with the
award-winning MimioStudio software
and multiple MimioMobile connections.
VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM/BUYERSGUIDE
48
EMX-I-AMP
The EMX-I-AMP is a 4K HDMI Audio
Extractor with EDID management and
a built-in 50 watt audio amplifier for
direct connection of 8 ohm speakers.
The device also provides separate
analog audio input for connection of
line-level mics or other audio inputs.
Volume control from the front panel,
RS-232, IP or external digital rotary
pot (encoder). A second RS232 port
controls auxiliary devices or stores On/
Off commands for TV/projectors power.
Stand-alone control system or add on to
existing system.
http://www.hallresearch.com/page/
Products/EMX-I-AMP
BUYERS GUIDE
Filewave
Founded in 1992, FileWave provides
education, enterprise, and government
institutions from around the world with
multi-platform endpoint management
software to assist IT teams throughout
the entire lifecycle process of imaging,
deployment, management and
maintenance.
FileWaves all-in-one, highly scalable
solution solves the many challenges
of managing a diverse and growing
population of users, devices, and
content by ensuring organizations have
a comprehensive solution that supports
both client (desktop) and mobile
devices across Mac, Windows, iOS and
Android.
GoGuardian is an industry leader

providing digital learning solutions for
K-12 schools. We create software that
helps schools keep students safer online,
better engage with students, and exercise
more control over how technology is
used. All GoGuardian software is easy
to implement and manage across entire
districts, and convenient to access
through a single user-friendly dashboard.
We currently serve over 3 million
students across 5 continents.
Kids Discover Online is an online reading

platform offering over 1,000 high quality
science and social studies resources, at
three different reading levels. Individual
teachers, schools, and districts can
subscribe to the platform, which is webbased and works on any device. The
library is comprised of over 150 Units,
which cover larger subjects such as the
Constitution, Ancient Greece, Matter,
Ecology, and Cells. Content is presented
in a highly visual layout and includes
interactive elements such as short
questions, custom animations, and multistep diagrams.
Kids Discover Online offers several
features that make planning lessons
easier and more convenient for
educators, including the ability to deliver
differentiated content by assigning
personal reading levels to each student
in the same class. The platform offers
a feature called Discover Mode, a visual
concept map that demonstrates the
linkages and relationships between the
various Units comprising the library, as
well as a fully customizable assessments
tool for creating, distributing, and grading
assessments.
i-Ready
Powergistics
Built to address the rigor of the new

standards, helps students make real
gains. i-Ready collects a broad spectrum
of rich data on student abilities that
identify areas where a student is
struggling, measure growth across a
students career, support teacher-led
differentiated instruction, and provide
a personalized instructional path in a
single online solution. Learn more at
www.i-Ready.com/Tour.
16-Shelf Short Locking Wall Tower

The newly designed 16-shelf tower has
been shortened to better accommodate
elementary classrooms. Weve shortened
our popular 16-shelf tower by 7 with the
tallest shelf standing at 54 to allow
100% student deployment for all ages,
including elementary students. Keeping
with the same open concept design, small
footprint, and unique cord management,
the short 16-shelf wall mounted tower is
making teachers lives easier while saving
classroom space. The vertical design
keeps devices organized, compact, and
easy-to-access with an open concept
so each stored device can quickly and
easily be inventoried. With 100% student
management, students learn responsibility
and independence while teachers save
countless hours managing their transition
and teaching time without worrying
about device deployment.
Go Guardian
This has been the best money I have spent
on my takehome 1:1 Chromebooks.
Eddy, Public School Director of Technology
Kids Discover Online: An

Educational Discovery Tool for
the Modern Classroom
| S E PT E M B E R 2 01 6
49
BUYERS GUIDE
MackinVIA
NetSupport School
MackinVIA is an eResource digital content

management system created to provide
schools with easy access to their collection
of eBooks, digital audiobooks, online
databases, approved web links and videos,
and more. It was intricately designed
by Mackin from the ground up, with the
needs of students, teachers, librarians and
administrators in mind. With a single login
available on desktop and mobile devices,
users can view, utilize, and manage all of
the schools digital resources whenever
and wherever they want in the library, in
the classroom, and on-the-go
NetSupport School maximizes the

use of classroom technology by
allowing instructors to observe and
interact with students computers
while continuously evaluating
students progress. A unique feature
set including quiz and multi-media
testing tools, application and internet
controls, audio monitoring, and
a technician console that allows
remote support & problem resolution.
NetSupport School combines support
for multiple environments including
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
and Chrome environments to offer a
true any platform BYOD classroom.
Nepris
hello , education.
meet industry.
Connect virtual industry experts into your classroom.
As a rural district it is not often possible to connect our classrooms with

diverse industry professionals. Nepris has made it a reality.
DR. KIM ALEXANDER,
Roscoe ISD
Nepris connects teachers and students with

the right industry experts virtually, bringing
real-world relevance to daily lesson plans
without ever leaving the classroom. Our
core mission: Make industry interactions part
of the everyday classroom experience by
engaging students in STEAM conversations
that motivate, excite, and empower.
Nepris came out of a real need from
educators, industry leaders, professionals,
and community partners alike to reduce
the barriers between industry and
education. We are introducing classrooms
to industry professionals and experiences
that truly inspire, while providing an
easy and effective way for companies to
extend education outreach and allow their
employees to make a real, life-long impact
on students, everyday.
NetSupport DNA
NetSupport DNA is an IT asset
management solution designed to provide
complete visibility and support for all
school or district IT assets. In addition to
all the traditional features school leaders
expect from an ITAM solution, including
HW/SW Inventory, SW Distribution,
Software License Management, and more,
NetSupport DNA combines these with
a range of unique safeguarding features
designed to offer students protection
against any adverse external influences.
NetSupport DNA is easy to install, provides
the tools to discover PCs and deploys
agents onto them that monitor the network
to automatically warn when new PCs or
SNMP devices (such as printers, routers, or
switches) are added.
VISIT US ONLINE AT WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM/BUYERSGUIDE
50
Yup Technologies
Yup is Americas leading provider
of 1:1 support for students both
in and out of the classroom. Yup
partners with schools to provide
subsidized, 24/7 homework help
and test prep from highly qualified
tutors at the touch of a button.
Backed by Stanford University,
our teaching pedagogy focuses
on (1) getting students engaged,
(2), building student confidence,
and (3) developing conceptual
understanding. Sessions are
conducted over our secure, messagebased mobile app so students can
reach a tutor as easily as they can
Snapchat. Our tutors include teachers
from top prep schools, and graduate
students from elite colleges like
Stanford and Princeton. Over half-amillion students use Yup today and
as a Back-to-School offer, we will be
conducting free pilots at schools like
yours. We are committed to closing
the achievement gap by providing
subsidized access to Title I schools.
If interested in a free pilot, email
michael@yup.com or visit www.yup.
com/schools.
JOIN THE COUNTRYS
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TECHNOLOGY PROFESSIONALS
REGISTR
AT
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JOIN US ON
THE 2016 TOUR
Dont miss the chance to join Tech & Learning magazine for a
high-end, information-packed one-day event designed especially
for district and school administrators and technology leaders like
you. This is your chance to network with others who care deeply
about the future of education. Share your successes and address
challenges in an engaging and intimate setting, and leave with
practical tools and key contacts for continued rich communities
of practice.
Princeton October 21, 2016

Texas November 3, 2016
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
BREAKOUT SESSION TOPICS MAY INCLUDE:

Building a New Culture: Advice on Navigating Change
Building-Level Leadership: The Role of the Visionary Principal
Communication and Community-Building with Help from
Social Media
Creativity and Engagement in the Elementary Grades
Google App Tips and Tricks
Lessons from the Flipped Classroom
Listen to the Students: The Ultimate Smackdown
Professional Learning: One Size Doesnt Fit All
Technology in the Early Grades
The Flipped Classroom: Whats Next?
The Ins and Outs of iAuthoring
The Other Two Letters in STEM: Technology and
Engineering, K-12
Walking the Walk: Transforming Learning in the
Secondary Grades
What Should We Buy? Picking the Devices that are Right for Your District
Tech & Learning Live @ Princeton

Andrew Marcinek @andycinek
Chief Open Education Advisor for the
US Department of Education
Tech & Learning Live @ Texas

Bob Moore, Chief Technology Officer
of Dallas ISD
Visit each events program page to view the

days complete agenda.
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At CDWG, we can help you support todays needs and

tomorrows dreams with a robust network for connected
classrooms. Well evaluate your environment and help you find
a solution that brings you the bandwidth you need for mobile
devices, digital learning, streaming education and more.
Learn more at CDWG.com/cisco
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VOLUME 37 / NUMBER 2

IDEAS AND TOOLS FOR ED TECH LEADERS

See page 33 for more.

See page 16 for more.

LEARN THE NEW

Read it. Write it.

Meet TELL, the Test of English Language Learning.

Visit http://www.pearsontell.com/tell-me to learn more about TELL.

DIGITAL CURRICULUM: TECH & CURRICULUM LEADERS IN

STREAMLINING ACCESS: ONE DISTRICTS PIONEERING

RAISING THE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

LET THE LEARNING BEGIN

EDITORS NOTE: BACK TO IT

Scan here to access

16 BIG IDEAS: TWITTER CHATS

nother school year starts and with it new concerns

Publisher: Allison Knapp aknapp@nbmedia.com;

Math minds on the rise.

Learning Outside the Box:

Find out how creating an

Infographics clearly show

Tech & Learning Announces

Which products will have the

The Future of PD: A

Send your students on a selfie

Over 40 Amazing STEM

Back to School Selfie

10 Principles for Edtech

Five Ways I Want to Improve

Help your students

Augmented Reality, Virtual

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Annotation apps can capture