Wethersfield High School

1. Wethersfield High School • Four-year, public high school that serves grades 9 through 12. • Mission: • to prepare all students to make a positive and meaningful contribution • to society. • this effort is made in a safe, healthy and respectful environment • conducive to optimal teaching and learning. • focus placed on creating a positive work ethic among students and the • development of positive relationships. • all staff members and resources at WHS are dedicated and committed • to student achievement and well-being.

2. Wethersfield High School • Students must earn 22.5 credits for graduation. • Student population is approximately 1200, 22% representing various • minority groups. • Specialized programs are structured to serve the needs of all students • with unique educational needs: CREC hearing impaired, ELL, ALS and • ADP programs. • Understanding by Design (UbD) framework utilized by all departments in • designing curriculum units, performance assessments and instruction. • CAPT results from 2007-2011 show WHS consistently scored above state • average in all four measured disciplines.

3. Wethersfield High School • Futuring • Provides powerful insights into the opportunities and possibilities that • might exist in the uncertain future. • Thinking critically, creatively and analytically about these • uncertainties, organizations can devise strategies and “rehearse” • responses to what might arise. • A long-term vision can be determined, planning for the future can • dictate current and future decision making. • Educational relevance • Educational leaders must develop innovative responses to future • challenges and anticipate future influences. • Curriculum design, delivery and assessment must adapt to meet the • changing needs of the student that will enter the future society.

4. Wethersfield High School • Scenario building • stimulates strategic thinking, creativity and foresight. • allows for critical decisions to be made, appropriate organizational • adjustments and methods for utilizing future innovations to be developed. • Scanning • process of gathering and analyzing information to identify potential • opportunities, challenges, and innovations that will affect an organization. • “S-T-E-E-P” factors- The following factors must be considered in • developing a vision of the future: (Microsoft, 2009) • S= Social • T= Technological • E= Economical • E = Environmental • P= Political • Microsoft Corporation. (2009). Scenarios for education. [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from • http://www.is-toolkit.com/workshop/scenario BuildingVisionUsingScenarios.pdf

5. Wethersfield High School • Educational Technology trends • The ubiquity of powerful and versatile mobile technologies. • Mobile devices can make learning more interesting, engaging, • interactive, collaborative and individualized. • With technology integration comes the growing necessity for • professional development in technology literacy and pedagogical • knowledge. • It is necessary to ensure that teachers have the “space and • support to become confident pedagogical innovators with • new technology” (Becta, 2008). • Becta. (2008). Analysis of emerging trends affecting the use of technology in education. 14, 1-39. Retrieved from http://www.becta.org.uk

6. Wethersfield High School • Economic and Public Policy trends • The Elementary and Secondary Education Act(ESEA) reauthorization as proposed • by the Obama administration plans for much needed reform to the No Child Left • Behind Act (NCLB). • Under the proposal, funds will be allocated for the “creation of high-quality • educational digital content; grants to states to develop and improve their capacity • to use technology to improve instruction” (U.S. Department of Education, 2011). • TEF, the economic policy of ‘Tax structures, Economic development policies, and • Funding for schools’ (National Education Association). • The economic structures currently in place benefit the rich and offer subsidies to big • businesses, resulting in inadequate educational funds. • National Education Association. (nd). TEF: This is a balanced approach to Tax, Economic development, and • Education funding policies to create a bright economic future for ourselves and our children. Retrieved from http://www.nea.org/home/36580.htm • U.S. Department of Education . (2011). A Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Retrieved from • http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/blueprint/publication_pg3.html#part3

7. Wethersfield High School • Vision of 2017 for Wethersfield High School • 1:1 student to mobile device ratio. • All teachers will utilize mobile devices for instruction, access to Internet based resources, individualized learning and assessment. • Smart Projectors, Smart Boards or Apple TV in all classrooms to allow teachers to share presentations, Internet based media, interactive activities and student work. • All teachers will maintain a blog and/or social media outlet. • School will maintain an online classroom management system. • Digital textbooks and an extensive digital library powered by Overdrive. • These innovations will create an active, stimulating and engaging learning environment that allows students to control their learning.

8. Wethersfield High School • Rationale for Vision • Current teaching methods will not suffice to prepare student for the lives they will lead in the twenty-first century. • Schools “must learn how to effectively use technology in a way that gives students more control of the learning process” (Project Tomorrow, 2009, p.6). • Mobile technology combined with the wealth of Internet based resources provide opportunities for the personalization of learning. • Changing demands of workplace skills require schools to focus on developing active learners. • We must take advantage of the capacities of the ‘digital natives’ that fill our classrooms. • Research shows that students desire and expect an educational environment infused with technology. • Project Tomorrow. (2009). Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update. Retrieved from http:// www.mivu.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=gCiahuCHWPY%3D&tabid=373

9. Wethersfield High School • Opportunities for enhanced learning • Students will be interested and engaged in classroom learning activities • Student motivation to continue learning through the collection of online resources available for every course. • Learning will become student-centered, allowing each learner more personal control over the way that they manage and explore resources. • Teachers will have the freedom to develop innovative and creative learning environments. • Differentiated instruction and support based on each student’s individual strengths and weaknesses. • Communication and interaction between and among students, instructors and parents would be enhanced.

10. Wethersfield High School • Challenges to technology integration • Funding will determine the extent of technology that can be purchased and maintained. • Technology must be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities and those who are economically disadvantaged. • Necessity for professional development in technology literacy and pedagogical knowledge. • Distractions and disruptions caused by Internet access and text messaging are the major detriments. • Academic fraud (texting answers, photographing tests) through the features of these devises.

11. Wethersfield High School • If Vision is not realized • Wethersfield High School “risks missing the transformative and innovative opportunities” (Open Educational Technology, 2008, p.3). • Students will not experience the responsibility and intrinsic motivation of learning that is student-centered. • The school will not foster the capacities that graduates need to be successful in the twenty-first century.  • Open Educational Technology: The Collective Advancement of Education through Open Technology, Open Content, and Open Knowledge. (2008). Retrieved from http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/ opening-education

12. Wethersfield High School • Initial Steps • District technology personnel must plan visits to school districts that have been successful in utilizing mobile technologies and online learning solutions. • Speaking with experienced personnel in these districts can provide critical advice to assist in the integration. • Must develop a time-table for systematically purchasing mobile devices, developing the proper infrastructure and employing adequate technology support. • Professional training and specific time must be allocated to develop the digital literacy skills and knowledge. • District must research and select an online classroom management system that will most effectively align with the curriculum structure.