Cohort_Topics


 * Note: It is the agreement of each member district of this collaborative that responses to the discussions be posted on this wiki page and to not use the discussion feature for this cohort activity.**

Why do some people criticize the interactive whiteboard by saying it turns the teacher into a "sage-on-the-stage on steroids"? If this criticism is justified, what can be done to make it a more effective tool?
 * __First Topic:__** (suggested reading = Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards article by Robert Marzano)

Included in discussion: [] Group #1 discussion: [|topic-ges-rrisd.jpg]
 * __RRISD__**


 * __Pflugerville ISD__** - Teacher training documentation


 * February 10 - 11, 2010 - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm**

T3 participants attended one Promethean Introductory Meeting for 90 minutes either February 10 or February 11, 2010. (see Wiki sign in/up table)

T3 participants attended TCEA Conference on February 10 -11 and participated in 8 hours of break-out session training each day.


 * February 17-18 and February 24-25, 2010 - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm**

Training embedded Marzano Article Discussion Each teacher received 6 hours of training divided into 2 - 3 hour sessions. These sessions were a combination of initial skills using the board and software and a discussion of Marzano's strategies.

Flipcharts created in training were student centered and focused on one of the Marzano strategies. Teachers created this flipchart to use first day of implementation.

Below is the training schedule for T3 teachers. Each teacher was assigned to one of three groups.

Group 1 - 8 - 11 am Group 2 - 2 - 5 pm
 * Feb. 17**

Group 3 - 8 - 11 am
 * Feb. 18**

Group 2 - 2 - 5 pm
 * Feb. 24**

Group 1 - 8 - 11 am Group 3 - 2 - 5 pm
 * Feb. 25**


 * __April Cohort__**

__April 19 - 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm__

__April 20 - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm__

__**Agenda**__ Registering and Naming the classroom set of ActivExpressions Creating questions and launching the questioning system Exporting voting and student responses results to Excel Collaborative work time to create flipcharts for 1st day of use. Troubleshooting: Resetting the board and the USB connections

__**May Cohort**__

__**Agenda**__ Learning.com orientation and platform training Collaborative work time to create flipchart for May and or August 1st day of school
 * User log in/password distribution
 * User self-assessment assignments
 * Introduction to AhaMath! and AhaScience!, and
 * Create a Class
 * Add Students
 * Assign students assignments
 * Introduction to "My Curriculum" that assists teachers in designing lessons aligned to PISD Curriculum Bundles

__**Administrator Training**__

5 District Administrators from Pflugerville ISD attended the summer Texas ASCD 21st Century Learning Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Kathy Hickock Emily Beaird Beth Cooper John Thomas Kathryn Ives

The 3-day conference was led by the Alan November Learning Team. Day 1 of the conference included a large group presentation with Alan November. The following 2 days were small group, hands-on, web-based work sessions with experts from Alan November Learning Team.

Focus of the 3-day conference included the following strands and curriculum redesign within those strands.

__Strands__:

21st Century Skills on Web ◦ Critical Thinking ◦ Problem Solving ◦ Global Collaboration/Communication ◦ Creativity and Innovation ◦ Information Literacy ◦ Technology Literacy ◦ Entrepreneurship Literacy

Align Technology to Curriculum Through Rigorous and Motivating Assignments in Core Areas ◦ English, Language Arts ◦ Mathematics ◦ Science ◦ Social Studies

Collaborative Tools for Sustainable Improvement ◦ Building On-line Communities ◦ Professional - Social Networking ◦ Continue Learning and Knowledge On-line