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October 2014 Newsletter     

The mission of One-to-One Institute is to transform education by personalizing learning through universal access to technology.

Greetings!

It is hard to keep pace, let alone surge ahead, in the world of technologies.  At One-to-One Institute, we focus on serving and supporting those seeking to and implementing one to one programs while guiding their foundation development for what's around the corner.  Arguably, a school/district/state/country can well plan and organize while the next best tool and strategy is about to be launched.  We have all witnessed the revolving doors of tech devices....more lean, nimble, less expensive, cloud and/or device-based, consumption vs creation tools, etc.  How can we be current, prognosticate and implement simultaneously??

 

What to do when you are an organization with limited funds wanting to invest the best way to drive student outcomes?  A refresh cycle can't be every year.  Students outpace adults and the education system at the speed of light where new tools and techniques are concerned.  What we can do is harness the best practices, solutions and thinking that are transferable to a wide variety of scenarios in our schools.

 

The practices, cultural capital and inter and outer infrastructures are different in the various settings.  Using data to determine what works in garnering student achievement through the power of technologies needs to be memorialized, shared and become a work in progress in each setting.  Communities of practice are good avenues for this strategy.  Critical questions can drive the definition of best practices.  

 

For examples and to read more, click HERE!

 

Scaling Initiatives For Positive Student Impact

by Donna Teuber, Richland Two School District, SC

A recent blog post, "Looking at the Numbers in Education: What Scales, Anyway" by Alex Hernandez, intrigued me. In the post, Alex talks about the things that scale in education and wonders if those solutions actually help students learn. He notes that "scale" is not good or bad but that we should define what we mean when we talk about scale. NCLB, textbooks and homework have reached the largest scale in education but we know those things aren't having the biggest impact on student learning in our schools.


It's the schools and districts that are trying many solutions, using data, and then scaling those initiatives across the organization that are getting results. A 10x solution for a district may come from putting five 1% ideas together in a remix that has a big impact. So how do we scale the right solutions in our schools and use data wisely to inform next steps?

Here are a few suggestions to get started:

  1. Ask the "why" about what you're doing and focus on student learning while acknowledging from the beginning that no one solution will fix your challenges.
  2. Build a culture of innovation in your district to encourage teams to explore solutions to existing problems. Provide substitutes so that teams of teachers can get away for an extended time to collaborate.

Learn more at K12 Blueprint

On the Edtech Front...
Blended Learning - A District Perspective
by Gabe Guven, Elementary Principal
Valley Christian Schools  

 

I first encountered the One-to-One Institute and Dr. Gielniak just over two years ago through a colleague who invited him to visit our K-12 private school in the heart of Silicon Valley. From the moment I began interacting with Dr. G and his team, I knew that the partnership with One-to-One Institute could move us forward toward our overarching curricular goals. I initially balked at working with One-to-One, thinking they would advocate for so much screen time that our children would lose their ability to learn in a healthy, balanced fashion.

 

As we began the consultation process, I brought my questions, concerns, and ideas to the forefront. Through that process, the team at One-to-One Institute heard my concerns and affirmed them as normal. Together, we developed a customized approach to support our faculty where we are on our educational journey. The focal point became student learning rather than simply adopting technology. The blended learning approach to teacher professional development involved a series of webinars, online discussion boards, posting sample lessons, and face to face training.

 

To learn more about Valley Christian's experience, click HERE!

Have You Read These?
Quick Guide - Launching Your First 1:1 Program
by Amplify & One-to-One Institute

 

The One-to-One Institute (OTO) and Amplify have partnered to provide districts and schools with a short guide to launching your first 1:1 program. This guide is based on OTO's best practices and co-authored research, Project RED. It is not intended as a step-by-step instruction but rather as an overview of the key elements needed to develop a successful and sustainable 1:1 implementation.

 

Click image for details
The guide is divided into three action areas:
  • Get Ready - Foundational steps to get started.
  • Get Set - In-depth strategic and tactical development prior to rollout.
  • Go - Implementation components during the phases of rollout

Check out Upcoming Events at the right for a link to register for the upcoming webinar, highlighting this exciting work!
Make Learning Personal - The What, Who, WOW, Where, and Why
by Barbara Bray & Kathleen McClaskey
  
Click Image for Details

 

Through personalized learning, education as we know it is transformed as learners are empowered to take control of their own learning. This thorough and timely resource draws on Universal Design for Learning® principles to create a powerful shift in classroom dynamics by guiding learners to become self-directed, self-monitoring, and self-motivated.  You'll discover:
  • A system that includes tools and strategies to reduce barriers and maximize learning for all learners.
  • A clear explanation distinguishing personalized learning from differentiation and individualized instruction.
  • Teachers' personal stories of moving through the Stages of Personalized Learning Environments to transform teacher and learner roles and school culture.
  • Background information on developing a rationale on why to personalize learning.
  • Strategies to create the change that occurs with the culture shift that happens in classrooms and schools as you personalize learning
About One-to-One Institute

 

One-to-One Institute grew out of Michigan's successful, statewide one-to-one initiative, Freedom to Learn.  One-to-One Institute is a national non-profit committed to igniting 21st century education through the implementation of one-to-one technology in K-12 settings.  Our mission is to transform education. We believe that by personalizing learning through universal, uninterrupted access to technology students will take ownership of their learning and maximize their potential. 

 

One-to-One Institute offers professional learning, consultancy, expertise and hands-on experience in all aspects of developing learning environments that meaningfully integrate technology. Based on the latest research and our experience in hundreds of 1:1 environments, OTO has crafted a set of best practices for leadership, infrastructure and instruction to help ensure that your program is successful and sustainable.

 

In This Issue

Follow One-to-One
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One-to-One Institute Board of Directors

 

Dr. William A. Hamilton 

President

 

Dr. Brian A. McNulty

Vice President

 

Dr. Eileen Lento 

Secretary

 

Ms. Camille Jones 

Treasurer

 

Mr. Matt Williams 

Board Trustee

 

Upcoming Events & Presentations
One-to-One: Research Into Practice Webinar
 
November 12, 2014
 
This DynTek/One-to-One Institute webinar will cover the questions around why 1:1, the research around 1:1, critical components for implementation success, project management and how to get started!

Ready, Set, Go! Launching Your 1:1 Program
 
November 13, 2014
 
This Amplify/One-to-One Institute webinar will cover Project RED research, best practices and the education landscape, along with One-to-One Institute's Implementation Protocol.


Elizabeth Public Schools (NJ)    
Leadership Day!
 
November 14, 2014
 
One-to-One Institute will be facilitating conversations with district leadership around the development and implementation of a sustainable 1:1 program by engaging all key constituents in creating a vision for the personalization of learning through the seamless integration of content standards, curriculum, instruction and technology, second order change leadership, strategic planning and action, plus support and capacity development.
Ease Your Transition to 21st Century Learning in K-12 Webcast
 
November 18, 2014
  

Please join Cisco, Amplify, and 

CDWG for this complimentary 

webcast to understand the key 

success factors in building a 

solid foundation for truly digital 

learning and how to best 

overcome the complexities and 

challenges inherent in the 

process.

 

In this webcast, you'll learn:
* How to develop an instructional vision for your digital transition

* How to overcome key 

   technical challenges of 

   converting to a digital platform
* How to implement your 

   program in an impactful and 

   sustainable way
* How Cisco, Amplify, and 

   CDWG are working together 

   to impact education today

 

Don't miss this opportunity to see how to create a technology-supported instructional delivery system that seamlessly promotes

student engagement, 

personalizes learning, and 

prepares students to compete in the global economy.

 

Space is limited, so register today. 

http://goo.gl/Kf81QJ

 

Dougherty County (GA)     1-to-1 Teacher & Trainer Sessions
 
November 21-22, 2014
 
Dougherty County Public Schools is taking advantage of One-to-One Institute''s experience with hundreds of successful one-to-one programs and our knowledge of the Key Implementation Factors that we determined from Project RED's research!
One-to-One Institute | 517-978-0006 | alicias@1two1.org | http://www.one-to-oneinstitute.org
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