2010 Integrated Technology Symposium

San Francisco
Monday – Wednesday, July 26-28, 2010
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Optional Add-On Day

Moving to 1:1: Visioning Laptops in Your School

CANCELLED Washington, DC/Northern Virginia
Thursday, June 24, 2010
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

San Francisco
Thursday, July 29, 2010
9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Note: The final slate of presentations and workshops may be revised prior to the Symposium.

Who: Principals, heads of school, division leaders, curriculum leaders, technology directors and anyone who seeks broad, cross-discipline exposure to best practices in technology integration. Educators from other 1:1 schools or institutions considering a 1:1 laptop environment will benefit greatly. Educators from lab or cart-based schools also will benefit from presentations designed to help vision future change. Information will be immediately applicable to grades 6-12 technology programs.

Cost: $750 (optional add-on day +$250)

Instructors: Led by Howard Levin, Director of Technology, The Urban School. See individual sessions listed below.

Overview: Spend three full days exploring models for designing, constructing and implementing technology-rich learning environments across the curriculum. Building off The Urban School's reputation as a national leader in seamlessly integrating digital tools and practices, this symposium delves into various transformative implementations, both school-wide and in all key secondary school department areas (math, science, history, language, arts, English). Presentations and hands-on workshops will emphasize strategies and techniques to enhance and extend student learning via increased collaboration, organization, information access, varied production and assessment.

Each morning begins with an inspiring presentation, followed by lively discussions with lead teachers from all academic disciplines (math, science, history, English, language and the arts) on the wide range of digital tools and practices employed in the classroom. Presentations include examples of student work, as well as new strategies of teacher preparation, class work and homework, using an array of new classroom tools.

Each afternoon will include a choice of hands-on workshops aimed at reinforcing and contextualizing morning presentations, as well as panel discussions and Q&A sessions with teachers, students and administrators on the use of digital tools and practices.

       
Morning Plenary Presentations
Faculty from The Urban School explore pedagogical ways digital tools support instruction with ample examples of student and teacher work. The actual schedule will be disseminated prior to the Symposium.

A Vision of Integrated Technology
Mark Salkind, Head of School
Mark shares a quick overview from the perspective of a head of school who led and witnessed the transition from traditional tools and practices to 21st century models over the course of more than 20 years. Mark emphasizes the need for time, patience, vision and collaborative implementation involving many constituents over many years to achieve goals to improve student learning.

Welcome to the World of Natural Technology Integration
Howard Levin, Director of Technology
Howard delivers a challenging alternative view of the realities of a ubiquitous access approach to digital tools, namely, 1:1 laptops. What happens in an environment of open access and collaborative support that de-emphasizes the specialness of technology? This short presentation will include examples of student and teacher work enabled by "untethering" from stand-alone labs.

Mathematics - Visual and Interactive!
Henri Picciotto, Math Faculty
Dedicated computers can add many dimensions to your program, including easy graphing and analysis of data, computer programming, interactive geometry in two and three dimensions, and new ways to visualize abstract concepts. This requires constant development of the curriculum and training of the faculty, but the payoff is improved access for different types of learners, and a much richer and more challenging program for all in almost every course. Various software titles to be explored include geometry and algebra with Cabri and Cabri 3D; algebra, statistics and chaos with Fathom; programming with Alice and Scratch.

Music and the Arts - Creativity and Production in a 1:1 World
Brandon Adams, Performing Arts Faculty
How do you integrate digital tools into a modern day arts education program? Technology access can enable students to produce work that is conceptually stronger, acquire artistic skills at a faster rate, and open the door to assignments that were not possible in the past. This lively session explores the impact of technology use in arts education with numerous examples drawn primarily from music. Brandon offers a broader investigation of new opportunities for incorporating modern tools into traditional mediums with a strong emphasis on the power of collaboration.

Science - Visualizing the Abstract in Science
Algis Sodonis, Science Faculty
Chemistry, biology and physics are often tough subjects for students who are still thinking on a concrete, non-abstract level. Computer simulations and modeling software help them to better understand molecular properties and interactions. Algis shares at a variety of computer simulations, including open-source modeling programs (like NetLogo or VirtualLaboratory) and web-hosted Java applets, which all students can experiment with, as well as dedicated programs used for viewing collectively by an entire class. Algis also explore some of the benefits and drawbacks to substituting wet labs with virtual experiments, and to using computer-based data probes.

English - Thinking and Writing in a 1:1 World
Larissa Parson, English Faculty
Larissa shares the pedagogical ideas behind Urban's use of digital tools to support and enhance student learning in English classes. The presentation includes several examples of student work from a variety of courses. She also shares communication practices among faculty members that lead to far greater professional collaboration. She concludes with an examination the use and efficacy of Web 2.0 and social media tools used to support student writing.

Language - Extending Oral and Aural Practice Within and Beyond the Classroom
Language Faculty
Many multimedia and tech resources are available in foreign language to integrate into your curriculum. Urban's language department has developed several best practice techniques that serve to enrich foreign language learning. Highlighted will be the department's ubiquitous use of rich audio and visual content with interactive white boards (SmartBoards) that can help transform foreign language instruction.

History - Authentic Doing: Telling Their Stories Oral History Project
Howard Levin, Director of Technology
What new opportunities emerge in a history class when all students have access to 21st century tools? How can these tools help alter the fundamental assumptions of what students can do far beyond learning discrete facts. This session highlights the school's ground-breaking digital oral history project where students conduct interviews of elders who witnessed key events of the 20th century (Holocaust survivors, concentration camp liberators, Japanese American relocation camp internees, San Francisco Fillmore District's African American relocation and civil rights struggles in Mississippi). All stories are published in full-text and full-video at www.tellingstories.org.

Tools to Support Learning  
Howard Levin, Director of Technology
Howard shares and demonstrates a plethora of examples of how new digital tools support student success in all academic areas including the use of voice-to-text and other alternatives methods for students to inquire, acquire, and demonstrate their knowledge and understanding.

Afternoon Concurrent Workshops  
Choose among a variety of sessions designed to provide hands-on exploration (no expertise required) or sessions exploring more deeply a specific topic of wide interest. The actual schedule will be disseminated prior to the Symposium.

Exploring Math Software - Hands-On
Henri Picciotto, Math Department Chair
Henri guides the group on using some of the software mentioned in his presentation above. This session is designed for all, not only math teachers and is aims to give school curriculum leaders some hands-on practice. The session concludes with discussion on how software can help reinforce deep understanding of complex abstract mathematics concepts. Shared laptops provided.

Interactive White Board Techniques - Math Emphasis - Hands-On
Math Department Faculty
Explore the many ways interactive white boards are used to both demonstrate and record an array of rich visual algebraic and geometric concepts that were impossible in the past. Get hands-on experience manipulating mathematical information both on the SmartBoard and on laptops. Shared laptops provided.

Interactive White Board Techniques – Science Emphasis - Hands-On
Science Faculty
Interactive whiteboards continue to transform teaching and learning of science at the Urban School by allowing for much more dynamic, visual and collaborative lesson planning which also helps make the presentation of complex and multi-step concepts more accessible and organized for students. No deep science understanding necessary, attendees will explore both the interactive board (SmartBoard) as well as the lesson creation software. Shared laptops provided.

Claymation Strategies in Science - Hands-On
Science Faculty
Simple clay animation techniques have spread throughout The Urban School's science curriculum attributable to the power this practice wields in helping to reinforce conceptual understanding about abstract visual ideas. Facilitators guides attendees to create their own animated movies using inexpensive firewire web-cameras and iStopMotion software. Follow-up discussion focuses on generating new ideas on the use of animation throughout today's curriculum both in and out of science. Shared laptops provided.

Digital Tools in Foreign Language Instruction - Hands-On
Lori Hébert, Language Faculty
Lori guides the group on using innovative digital practices used in Urban's language courses including the creation of voice recordings, electronic comic book style dialog, and Internet sites used to reinforce comprehension and pronunciation. The session concludes with discussion on when to choose digital vs. traditional methods to further student language literacy. Shared laptops provided.

Interactive White Board Techniques – Language Emphasis - Hands-On
Lori Hébert, Language Faculty
Explore a wide variety of practice using interactive whiteboards and related software to further learning in a highly interactive 21st century language class. Get your hands on a classroom SmartBoard to write, embed sounds and movies, and experience the benefits of using whiteboard software to organize, create and share lessons. The session concludes with discussion on the efficacy of distributing teacher board work to students as well as the use of archives to enhance teacher-to-teacher collaboration. Shared laptops provided.

Blogs, Wikis, Nings and other Social Media Tools in English Instruction - Hands-On
Larissa Parson, English Faculty
Spend hands-on time exploring a variety of web 2.0 interactive tools and practices that enhance student writing and thinking. Larissa guides attendees through a variety uses and concludes the session with a discussion on the ways in which new web-based tools can augment traditional practices.

Digital Music Tools and Practices - Hands-On
Brandon Adams, Performing Arts Faculty
Attendees experience a range of digital music tools including music notation and sequencing software. Discuss various strategies for using modern technologies to enhance music instruction. When are digital tools better to reinforce learning? When do traditional instruments reign supreme? No musical ability or experience expected. Shared laptops provided.

Building a Faculty for a 1:1 World - Discussion
Jonathan Howland, Dean of Faculty
What are the implications for instructional leadership as a school transitions from traditional to digitally enhanced classrooms? How can Professional Development be designed to support 21st Century learning?  This session – for Academic Deans, Department Chairs, Division Heads and other instructional leaders – broaches the challenges and opportunities schools face in developing a Faculty's capacity for teaching and learning with digital tools.

Technology Leadership in a 1:1 Laptop School - Discussion
Howard Levin, Director of Technology and Igor Zagatsky, Systems Administrator
This session provides a "birds-eye view" of The Urban School's laptop program, now in it's eighth year. Learn about the history of the program's development including public relations, faculty and student readiness, as well as policies and procedures in place to maximize learning and minimize student and teacher constraints. This session is designed for all school leaders from Heads to Tech Directors.

Beyond Resources and Decorations: Leading Edge Practices in the Digital Classroom - Discussion
Jonathan Howland, Dean of Faculty
As with conventional classrooms, the additional resources and decorations and visual atmosphere of the digital classroom may – or may not – constitute pedagogically helpful elements. This session presents several features of digital classrooms from a variety of disciplines that fundamentally enhance and extend student learning – not merely to demonstrate the validity of the practices but to delineate something of a standard by which digital learning tools and practices can and should be evaluated, developed and refined.

Technology Infrastructure in a 1:1 Laptop School - Discussion
 Igor Zagatsky, Systems Administrator
This session provides a "behind the scenes view" of The Urban School's network infrastructure used to support its laptop program. Learn about laptop software preparation, network and wireless access issues, backup, equipment maintenance and the unique technical problems of supporting a true 1:1 laptop program. This session is designed for the more technology-inclined school leaders.

Closing Plenary Sessions
Each day concludes with a whole group interactive session with ample time for questions and audience participation.

Realities of Teaching in a Laptop School
Teachers shares their reflections about how technology – and laptops in particular – change, enhance, complicate or compromise learning. Important distinctions are drawn between perceived changes and substantive developments in student learning related to the influx of laptops, interactive whiteboards and ubiquitous access to communication. The session concludes with some thoughts about what the "school of the future" demands of students and teachers.

Realities of a Laptop Student
Moderated by Charlotte Worsley, Assistant Head of Student Life
What do students do with ubiquitous access to today's technology tools? How does access to the internet and to each other impact their experiences in school? What advice do students have for educators? These Q&A sessions with both current students and recent graduates are often the highlight of these Symposia.

Reflections on the Symposium and Building Personal "Take-Aways"
Howard Levin, Director of Technology
Howard leads a highly interactive session that will incorporate live-feedback response systems to construct a shareable summary of Symposium learning and insights including live anonymous evaluation, shared notes, and individualized action-plans to help assure all attendees leave with tangible ideas for future implementations.

To register, please see our registration page.

Optional Add-on Workshop: Moving to 1:1 – Visioning Laptops in Your School
(limited participants in each location)

Instructors: Howard Levin, Director of Technology; Jonathan Howland, Dean of Faculty; and Igor Zagatsky, Systems Administrator, The Urban School

Overview: This optional fourth day invites a subset of Tech Symposium attendees to spend additional time more fully exploring the potentialities of implementing a 1:1 laptop program. What are the key questions that need to be asked in the exploration phase? Who are important constituents to bring into the process? What are the associated costs and benefits? What infrastructure is necessary to support a laptop program? What are options to fully support student and teacher technical needs? How does a Faculty develop digital practices in a coherent and manageable fashion? What have we learned along the way and what missteps can you avoid? The presenters will lead a combination of presentations, group discussions and targeted workshop planning time. The bulk of the day will be devoted to an open consultancy model where attendees will have time to begin their own planning process with constant access to expert advice. 
 
To register, please see our registration page.



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