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Maria the article is very interesting. I think it can benefit our district because our district is very short on funds.We get directives of turning of the light or computers when we are not using it so the district doesn't pay too much money. In all programs, our budget have drastically gotten cut in funds so maybe if we have a 4 day instead of 5 day we can save money. Also teachers would love this because it would give them a break so they won't get burned out with all the changes in our district. Imagine it can be a three day weekend :)

This is very interesting. As a teacher, I would like to move to this 4 day week schedule to enjoy a three day weekend every weekend; however, as a parent, if I were not employed by a school district and worked at a regular 5 business day week, then I would be upset at the inconvenience it causes. I would have to pay extra money for child care services as stated in this article. So although this 4-day school week has its pros its cons also have to be weighed out by those that would be affected. I guess a positive would be that it would create jobs in child care for the fifth day. As an educator, by day 5, I am out of gas. So I can see how working digently throughout the 4-day school week proves to be similar in test scores when compared to those of the 5-day school week.

Maria D. Martinez, this article poses an interesting thought about maybe going to this measure if budget cuts continue, but I don't think were headed that way. The 4-day school week seemed to have a positive effect with this Colorado school district because their state testing scores seemed to increased according to this article. On the downside, the district only saved $150,000 which isn't very much considering the amount of time and effect one day can have on education.  I think that the 4-day school week would be an interesting challenge that everyone will adjust to easily if there's a need to implement it.

I agree with the districts that implemented the 4-day school week in order to save on the operational costs. I believe that having a short week will motivate both students and teachers to work harder and more focused on the tasks needed to be completed knowing they will have a three day weekend to get ready for the next round of intensive work days. Difficult times call for difficult measures and thinking outside of traditional methods will allow us to meet the ever changing demands of a society struggling with an inconsistent and unpromising economy.

I did read the article and this is true that the school district did save a huge amount of income for having four day school weeks. However if you decide to have a four day school week somewhere along the line school districts still have to meet about 187 days of school, so we would be taking a risk of shorter summer vacation or shorter vacations. But hey looking at the data I am for it, but just shorter vacations.

There's been rumors that school districts here in the RGV would do this if the budget crisis got worse, but I have yet to see it happen. There are many other ways that the school districts can reduce costs, however if they did go into the 4-day school weeks and extended the school days, then I guess there would be no difference. Like the article states, it would mainly affect the parents because of child-care expenses, but maybe this would make parents value their childrens' education more, because unfortunately there are many parents that see school as free daycare and as long as they can leave their kids there 5 days a week while they are at work they don't care about anything else. Whatever it is that school districts decide to do to reduce costs will work only if they have a good plan in place along with a good backup plan.

I agree with Victoria. Viewing this article as a parent/teacher would have two different outcomes. We (the U.S.) are already behind in Education. We seem to be cutting funding in the area we are the most weak in; education. If we struggle with students learning the material in a 5 day school week and retaining the information over a two day weekend, how are we suppose to have them grasp and retain in 4 days? I don't believe having a 4 day work week will motivate teachers and students. I believe it'll make it worse. I vote NO.

Once in a while you will hear in the news how the students from the United States compare to those in other countries. The Center for Public Education wrote an article about how the amount of time of school affects our students. They compared top performing countries to the United States and they were unable to find a correlation between less school time and lower test scores. The article also states that some high performing countries have their students spend less time in the classroom than the United States. You can find this article at the following link: http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Organizing-a-school/Time-in-school-How-does-the-US-compare I know at my school district, teaching positions have not been filled because of the budget. Although the savings for a four-day week may be small it is still a savings. The parents that work will be having to look for daycare. Some of these parents are barely making it and this additional cost could be too much for their budget. There are many pros and cons from the four-day school week for the schools and parents. If the school has the funds then I would favor the school week to remain at five days.

Maria, an article worth looking into especially with all the cuts in all departments at our district. Within the district we have been trying to conserve energy but that will only go so far. The state has really reduced the budget for our district which makes it tough therefore, they should consider the 4 day work week. Students would love this as well as teachers. On the other hand, parents would probably say NO.

WOW!!! Kids would be estatic, but that would mean parents would have to look for babysitters. Since parents have to work because of the economy, it would be very difficult. But for those that are stay home parents it's a plus. Do you think it would really help the districts? How do parents feel about it? Here is another article about it. http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/articles/kids-try-to-fill-extra-day-off-with-4day-schook-we/

I think it is awesome that districts can think outside the box and find alternative ways to save money for the district and try so hard to keep their personnel without sacrificing the curriculum. I have been reading up on school districts that are saving money by eliminating bus routes. I think that is another great idea, not only to save money but it helps students, parents, grandparents get their daily exercise. Here is on of the articles that talks about it: http://www.activatenoblecounty.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=75:walking-school-bus-can-save-money-lengthen-lives&catid=3:latest&Itemid=16

Well, I think the idea of having a four-day week has its benefits. The district would help save money by eliminating hours of energy used in the classroom. That in itself could save thousands of dollars by the district. The money saved could be utilized in other areas. Here is a link to some creative ways other districts are utilizing to save money. http://www.mamapedia.com/article/creative-ways-to-cut-expenses-in-a-school-district

I am the librarian at our school and I have only been there a few moths. However, I think that our school has teachers that are experts in using SMART boards and other projectors and such along with many Web 2.0 tools, but we also have teachers than use minimal technology. As far as the why, I'm not sure about every teacher on campus, but a lot of the teachers I talk to don't use technology as much as they like because they feel pressed for time. They are desperately trying to plan lessons, evaluate students' work, and address the students' weaknesses. I think in order to move forward, MTT's need to mentor as many teachers as possible, the administration needs to think outside the box so that teachers have time to plan for technology integration. This link http://www.ejmste.com/v5n3/EURASIA_v5n3_Bingimlas.pdf is for an article that discusses the barriers to technology integration. It would be beneficial for teachers to read and discuss what is holding them back so we, as a campus, come up with a plan to ensure everyone gets on board.

I am a 5th grade teacher at Adame Elementary and Marc Prensky description of technology integration in education describes my campus. I agree with Adriana when she says that teachers are pressed for time, especially with the STAAR test. There is a total of three computer labs at my school that are rarely used for integrating technology with the curriculum. It seems that the only technology on our campus being used is tutorial programs to enhance test scores. In the four years that I have worked at my campus I don't think we are any closer to the movement of technology integration. Unfortunately, I blame the pressure brought upon our education system, which is test driven. During the President's State of the Union Address on Tuesday he stated, "In return, grant school flexibility: To teach with creativity and passion: To stop teaching to the test :"(West Seattle Herald, Jan. 29, 2012). I think Donna ISD is heading in the right direction with the MTT program. As an MTT I will need to start sharing my knowledge with the staff through staff development and show them how enthusiastic students are to learning when given the opportunity through technology. It worries me that my students will not be prepared for the 21st century if our education system continues to be test driven, rather than technology driven. The link http://www.westseattleherald.com/2012/01/27/news/local-educators-say-obamas-state-union-address-hi is the President's State of the Union Address.

I am one of the Math teachers in Donna high school and technology integration in our campus, atleast in our department, I could say that we are still a little behind. Technology is in place but integrating them in our day to day lessons is still missing. It may not be because we have no idea to inlcude them in our curriculum but I trully believe that some of our teachers still need to be reminded that technology integration should be considered as a tool to provide effective learning experience and success for our students, connecting with them in ways they are native to. And as "digital immigrants" that we are, change is still something to be accepted. "Everybody is talking about technology integration, but few practicing teachers profess to know exactly how to proceed. The fact is that real integration requires change. . . . However, what seems to be lacking is a model that teachers can use to guide them through the necessary changes they will need to make to be successful in integrating new technology into their classroom" (Johnson & Liu, 2000, p. 4). In regards to the question on where in the process we are in our campus i should say we are still in between stages "doing old thing in old ways" and "doing old things in new ways". I do have seen some movement in our technology integration for the past 2-3 years. Student terminals, smartboards, internet access for our students, clickers, are are just some of the technology tools that we are using but integrating them are still in the works I believe. As MTT mentors in the future, I trully believe that we should have the burden to share our ideas and teach our colleagues what we have learned and be an instrument of change, genuine change in our classrooms. http://www.techlearning.com/article/41670

This article neatly summed up many of the barriers facing true technology integration. Several issues resonated with my own experiences. As Elva and President Obama stated above, often teachers primary worry in the classroom is preparing students for state examinations. Third graders spend entire lessons learning how to analyze a multiple choice question and answer it! If students do poorly on a district wide test, teachers go into immediate action to fix the problem. This pressure comes from administration, school districts, and states. In the end, teachers need to produce good to excellent test scores or they end up losing their positions. It's not that teachers don't want to integrate the technology, but at the end of the day, their performance assessment will reflect more heavily upon how their students scored on a test and not how frequently the SmartBoard was utilized. That being said, fully embracing technology could greatly enhance test scores. It will take time. There will be big failures. There will also be big successes! According to Peter Kent's "SmartBoards: Interactive Whiteboards in the Classroom", "The catch phrase 'it is not the technology, it is the teacher' has never been so true as it is with interactive whiteboards. An even truer phrase however would be 'it is not just the teacher, it is the school'." Smartboards are just one example of technology that can be utilized in the classroom to increase test scores. However, whenever trying something new there will be failures. Teachers and their administration must understand that and be willing to reevaluate what they are doing. It takes our students multiple tries to master a new concept; we should allow ourselves the same time to master new technology. Works Cited: Kent, P. (2003). Smartboards: Interactive whiteboards in classrooms. In Retrieved from http://www.lhric.org/

I can definitely agree with Marc Presnsky's article when it comes to the barriers that prohibit technology integration to occur. I think the first step in moving forward with this concept is the teacher. Prensky writes, "..the teachers and administrators famously resist change." "...such shifting certainly initially means more work and pressure on educators, who already fell overburdened." I think with most teachers, it is fear that is hindering them from fully embracing technology. If teachers are not comfortable or are familiar with the integration of a Web 2.0 tool, then they will definitely not be comfortable teaching/integrating it into their classrooms. As far as my campus, Veterans Middle School, I believe some progress has occurred within the last 2-3 years, it has been a slow paced progress with one or two teachers slowly embracing it. This can be attributed part to Technology Trainings provided by the district as well as the Master of Technology Teacher Program that has been provided to the entire district. Those few teachers who have chosen to participate in the program are getting the skills and confidence, so they in turn will mentor other teachers. The only way to move forward is to collaboratively work as a District and as a campus with technology integration in mind. The following article/blog provides eight simple steps to help the classroom teacher integrate technology. "Implementing Effective Technological Change: What a Classroom Teacher Needs." April 2011 by Greg Swanson. http://edtechtoolbox.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-support-teachers.html

I am a BIM teacher and I guess it is easy for me to integrate technology because if I'm not using it then I am really not doing my job, because it is expected as a technology teacher. I have heard all kinds of barriers that teachers complain about, one is not enough computers or not enough training but in fact there is training and the bottom line is the change, some people find it hard to change but once they decide to give technology a try and they become consisted with using it the technology starts working for them or at least they will see it that way. Time will always be an issue and we are in education so we must make do with what we have and in our school just about everyone has a smart board and that is a step up from a regular chalk board which is an easy tech tool to engage students. The support must be there after the training because a teacher needs some one there to follow up on their training just to make sure they are implementing the technology correctly in their lessons and of course integrating other applications as well. (Dragula, 2005) Persistance and consistency is the key to integrating technology and not staying behind with the dinosaurs. Dragula, M.ED, J. (2005, April 1). How to Overcome Technology Integration Barriers. Retrieved from Tech & Learning: http://www.techlearning.com/article/42541

The campus has shown much improvement integrating technology into their curriculum. More teachers are becoming familiar with Web 2.0 tools, licensed software and diverse hardware devices. Teachers want to integrate technology however face many challenges such as time to learn the skills and to integrate them into their curriculum, technical support, funding, and software/hardware. Some teachers become discourage and impatient when they encounter technical difficulties; thus, classroom computers become unused. According to Great Schools, many schools are now providing each student a laptop to access classroom curriculum, elementary schools are utilizing blogging a vehicle to collaborate and improve writing skills. Many schools are now using Web 2.0 tools to engage students and enhance student learning. Implementing any change becomes beneficial if done properly. Integrating technology becomes possible when teachers are adequately trained, software and hardware are available, provided continuous support is provided and ample time is given to implement the skill Great Schools. Technology in the classroom: Fad or foundation for learning? Retrieved from: http://www.greatschools.org/students/media-kids/130-technology-in-the-classroom-fad-or-foundation-for-learning.gs

Since the implementation of the Master Teacher Technology Program (MTT) in our school district, I have seen a strengthened professional development in the use of technology for classroom instruction. The MMT program has been vital in creating networking connections with other teachers so that we are not working in isolation in the integration of technology. These small teacher groups are gradually moving forward to demonstrate technology integration in their classes to other teachers that are hesitant or fear it. We are learning from each other and becoming a buddy to someone else in our campuses. By networking, we overcome the fear of the unknown in technology usage and work with what we have in the classroom. Adaptation is critical, since most classroom teachers in our school district only have four computers for student usage, whiteboard, projector, and teacher instructional computer. Boss, S. (August 2008). Overcoming Technology Barriers: How to Innovate Without Extra Money or Support. Retrieved from www.edutopia.org: http://www.edutopia.org/technology-how-to-implement-classroom

My campus has shown improvement in the past couple of years. Every classroom has a document camera and a smart-board! Almost every class has about 4 class computers for the students to use. The computers are not just for programs now. The computers are used for so much more now. The students have the knowledge on how to use the internet as search engines for research. The students know how to use social networking, which sometimes is not a good idea, but they know how to use it. Some times the students know how to use the computers better than the teacher. But we are always learning because technology is always changing. This is awesome because the students get to be more involved and teachers see how the technology helps the students understand the subjects better! I don't agree with this quote from a Maine teacher "You can mourn the passing of handwriting if you must; the kids certainly won't. If they are writing better and more detailed papers, yes, there has been progress." I think that technology is great but sometimes because a computer has spell check students don't know how to spell. Handwriting should still be taught as well as grammar and spelling. Sometimes these subjects are left behind do to computers. I know that in the future handwriting may be obsolete due to technology but it shouldn't!!!! http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt

I have only been in my school for this first semester. I have not observed many teachers implementing technology in their lessons. Technology seems to be slowly creeping into our lessons. The use of document cameras and projectors are very popular, but the actual implementation with students is minimal. One of my colleagues mentioned that time is an issue, and it is. We are very focused on delivering and making sure our students understand all concepts taught that we often leave the creativity and inquiry out of our lesson plans. Nellie Deutsch mentions that educators are eager and motivated to implement technology into the classroom, but that there are many obstacles to overcome. I couldn't agree more, we need more time to practice and explore the technologies and programs that we wish for our students to use. http://www.nelliemuller.com/obstacles_to_technology_implementation.htm

Love the autonomy that these children have when using the ipods to listen to the video at their pace! The lesson is guided with the questions and they control the playing of the video. Everyone wins! Diana, I agree with your comment, it is often unfair how one school can offer so much, yet another in the same district cannot, and we are the ones to make sure we give our students the best. Many times we don't give our all because of the support we have, whether with infrastructure or to in bringing our visions to life. We must not forget that we have the BYOD option as well..we need to do whatever it takes to motivate learning.

I really like the way the school is using the technology in the classroom. Many schools are bringing in the itouch and iPad but are not showing the teachers how to use them and that is a sham. I really like that the students have controll of how they listen to the information they can pause or replay as many times they need until they understand without the embaracement of other knowing how long it took to get it.

It is great to see success with technology. It is disheartening to see how so many school get stuck in infrastructure problems such as what Ana was mentioning. Because of that, the teachers never get to flesh out the ideas they have for technology. Hopefully more success stories can motivate existing districts and campuses to make more investments to properly support BYOD and technology investments.

I love what Northside ISD is doing with technology. Districts need to start taking technology serious and realize that it is how most of our students learn these days. My little first graders learn so much from the technology that I use. I sometimes feel like I am doing something wrong on a day that I do not use technology.

Great video Heather! It's amazing to see what these iDevices are capable of in the right hands. I see iPods in a whole new light now. I especially liked the one where they're learning a math concept from the iPods. Students might be more interested in math if they are able to use technology to learn it.

Thank Goodness that I don't have to say anymore, "I wish I could do that in my case." I have a classroom set of 23 I-Pads with a cart to synchronize them all, and we do some really cool things on them in language arts. I really like the Wi system and its purpose from the video. I'm going to mention it on Tuesday at my digital classroom monthly meeting and see if they can do anything providing us with one. That might be wishful thinking.

Heather, After viewing the video, it is apparent that an additional computer lab is needed at our campus. Our district is currently using ours to implement a new mandatory 45 minute program. The alloted times for grade level 1-5 has taken away the ability to use it for other purposes. Writing grants for C.O.W. and Ipads is a necessity to ensure other applications are being utilized.

Are we preparing our students for the 21st century? Are we using Deeper learning by activating prior knowledge and experiences? Are the students internalizing information, researching, analyzing, generalizing material beyond the content?

I enjoyed this video. It showed how someone not from this country chose to educate himself and look into the laws for immigration because he went through the experience. I feel that if anyone saw this video it would push them to do more with their education. I believe that if elementary, middle school, and high school students saw this it would inspire them to care more for their education and purse higher education than a high school diploma.

We need to bring this reality into our classrooms, our students take too much for ganted, but it would be even more effective if we give them a real life driving question that involves our students helping immigrants like this one get the education they so desire. Through a pbl driven lesson, students will come up with solutions, thus helping them truly understand the problems of this particular students. Perhaps we can teach empathy as well.

I really like the video and what they were talking about and the determination it take to educate oneself. If everone on a campus could take the time out of there busy schedula and show this video to the students it would make a difference in how they see themselves and there education.

I enjoyed the video a lot. It is inspiring to see how students are engaged with a PBL lesson. Students were finding possible solutions to problems that pertain and are significant to them. If students feel that the problem affects them personally they will try their best to find answers to solve the problem. By using PBL students will also acquire the skills needed to be successful not only in college, but in life.

At my school district. Edinburg has a campus that helps students graduate from high school because of increasing drop out rates. Majority of students drop out because of numerous reasons, examples; pregnancy, parents, jobs, peer pressure, jail ect. School districts should open up a campus that help students graduate on credit recovery. Even getting a G.E.D is better than nothing, but yes I do agree the drop out rate has increased over the years.

It's so sad that lots of kiddos are dropping out. Many of them give up because they can't pass the state test and many of them just don't have the support at home. It's amazing how many students we are losing.

Ruth great article, its very shocking and sad to see the drop out rates in Texas alone, and to know that another 2.8 million students are going to dropout in the next 25 years. I would like to know how Texas compares to other states, even though we have more schools and larger population, do other states have a similar rate/avg as our state.

This article is so scary, why are we losing so many kids and why don't they see the tremendous challenge they have ahead without an education. I personally see some of my students that have fallen between the cracks and unfortunately I can make a prediction that he/she will probably choose the wrong path. It's really sad but I believe our education system doesn't allow us to teach anymore and therefore we have lost track of the purpose of learning. The majority of our students are economically disadvantage and it seems like school has become a burden because all we talk about is the importance of passing those test.

It's hard to fathom the drop-out rate of our students. From my observations, it's around the middle school level where students lose internal motivation. Many students already know the system and what grade level they have to make it to for their parents to be okay with. I believe it may be a mixture of their hormones and the choice of poor friends that lead them down the wrong path. As an educator, it's hard to motivate these students when we're up against their family telling them, don't worry, do what you want, I don't care. I'm not saying all parents...just a few of the parents who don't care themselves. If they don't care to better their lives, why should their kids? It's hard. We're faced with the parents who are receiving assistance and their kids know that all they have to do is get through 8th grade. After that, they too can stay at home and receive assistance.

Great article to read and digest in everyday that we send our kids to school to get an education. The drop-out rate speaks to the high volume of students that lack guidance and motivation to succeed in life. I am proud to be a part of a program at my campus that offers an alternative for students to regain their credits. The program we use is the A+Plus program where students are placed to a lab classroom environment and are given the opportunity to regain their credits. This program has helped our campus reduce the drop-out rate and increase graduation ratios. Thank you for the article. Blanca.

I do believe the use of broadband is an issue with our campus. There have been several activities I'd like to conduct with my students but am held back because of the use of broadband. I've been told, that whatever I'd like to try will slow the speed down. Well then, how about we purchase more bandwidth so we can conduct more activities online??

I would say that our internet access and speed in our district is good. I agree with what Christine Fox said, " Young children entering school nowadays are accustomed to digital learning devices and expect that level of technology in schools". We use large broadband access so much that it's now a necessity and not merely a luxury. Students are using laptops for audio podcasts, e-textbooks, and collaboration that it's important to have more broadband access in schools. This is a great article Lucero. Thank you for sharing.

Luckily, like Romel, I aslo work at the same school district and agree that the broadband connectivity is pretty quick. I have heard other educators' concerns regarding buffering during streaming on DiscoveryEducation,but I have not experienced that. Streaming videos and music does require large amounts of bandwidth and so if educators are planning on activities that require these, it will be a slow process :(

How would I rate our district internet speed? One word..SLOW!..This is my 5th year at my High School and even though we are getting more technology equipment for student and teacher use, the most common problem remains to be "internet connectivity. The campus refuses to purchase wireless devises that could help our student stay current with technology use due to lack of broadband support. The teachers cannot access the wireless technology on their own personal laptop, IPOD, IPHONEs because it slows down the internet connectivity for the rest of the school. This is a hugh problem and remain an issue that needs to be address by administration.

Well our district internet speed is extremely slow most of the time which does interrupt lesson presentations at times. Most of us have accustomed to bring our internet to speed up the process and eliminate firewalls. However, I do agree that it is an issue that needs to be addressed.

I know educators could teach so many new tools to their students if they were given the right tools, and internet speed is one that is lacking in our classrooms.

I recently had an opportunity see a presentation on project based learning at TABE and was surprised to see that administrators at schools here in the Valley were encouraging its use. From what I could tell, PBL was something that teachers were trying to incorporate. It's nice to know that administrators are jumping on board too instead of requiring teachers to "teach the test." It seems like all of the educators in the video are thrilled about PBL in the classroom. I would like to see that enthusiasm in more districts across the valley, especially mine.

PBLs are a reflection of real life. Groups consist of different personalities collaborating to reach the same goal. The driving question is one that solves a real life problem, and is also be presented to a live audience. Students will be responsible for their portion of work after they sign the contract. Teachers guide students, but don't getme wrong, careful planning must be done in order to implement this successfully. I agree with Lupita, we need to make our students more independent, especially at the foundation level (elementary and middle school). That has always been the objective in my classroom, and I can see the benefits five years later.

Yes! HCISD is setting the expections and following through with supporting and implementing Cadre 1 with 21 Century equipment. They are providing the resources and setting guidelines for a successful program.

This is a great help to other districts to see how Harlingen is using technology. Hopefully it can inspire others by your success. Do you think you could add links to the apps you are using into the description of the video?

Brian, in my class the students were using a Camtasia edited youtube video from School House Rock linked on Edmodo with a quiz, but aside from that, I'm not sure what the other teachers were using. I know another group of students were using Edmodo as well, but the math app where they were working on triangles of some sort, I really don't know. I'll ask the district's instructional technologist, she would probably know and I'll get back to you.

The goal of the 21st Century classroom should be to seamless integrate technology in the classroom to enhance and promote learning. You are certainly in the right path. Support ant training would be the next items to get in line to keep the technology working properly, and continue enhancing you lessons.

I wish my district would do something like this. We are on an IPAD for every student push right now but we are not producing lessons to go with the IPADs. I really like what you guys are doing in HCISD. Good Job!

Albert, Wow!!! That was an awesome video showcasing how technology can be used in the classroom. In regards, to your questions! I truly believe that Harlingen has taken the right path to prepare students for the real world.

Albert that is fantastic! I am sure that most teachers and students are very excited. In regards to your question, I would have to say yes and no. The creation of digital classrooms is definatley a step in the right directions, but it goes deeper. Teachers need to receive the proper training and then there needs to be some accountability (PDAS, etc.) to ensure that technology is being used to enhance instruction. I was recently in a meeting, where a veteran teacher continually pointed out the negatives in regards to technology: students are off task, distracted, not listening, not producing, etc. With this attitude, I believe that no matter how "digital" his classroom is, he will probably never take full advantage. I guess what I am trying to say is, the equipment is a huge step, but teacher "buy-in" can make or break the long-term success of the initiative.

Absolutely, Heather. There are so many teachers that are resistant to technology, just like there are many who aren't but are in need of the know how. That's why it's very important for us to model, support, and encourage those who can't to do, and those who don't to want.

Albert, I totaly agree. We have a big job ahead of us, but I am EXCITED to be part of it! Together we can all make a difference.

This is really great, HCISD is on their way to incorporating technology in the classroom. The students were really engaged and excited about learning using their IPADS. At my daughter's school they use the Edmoto to communicate with the teacher and parents and she is only in 3rd grade. The teachers are also creating tutorial videos on objectives using You Tube and the students can go into the district website to view them. I think schools are taking a leap into the technology and having the students use it more for their learning.

I really like the way HCISD is implementing technology tools and the "Layers of Learning" training, where administrators, principals, then librarians, and then teachers who were selected as the Digital Classrooms, are being trained, and will continue the layering until everyone is trained. Having administration understand the plan well is important. There is less of a chance that someone will have a gap of learning, and not implement the Technology initiative well. HCISD has thought this out well. In addition an elementary, middle school, and high school PBL Executive team was selected and trained through the summer. Now anyone who is a digital classroom teacher will go through that training. The tools, including mounted projectors with audio microphones, are not just placed in a classroom without the proper training. It is very exciting.

I agree with Ana regarding training and adminstrative support. I believe this IS the answer for the 21 century classroom.This is the direction we need to be moving or we and our students will be left behind, but with so many teachers apprehensive about using technology in their lessons, success of the digital classroom will require and abundance of on going training and support. Reading the description of Isable's daughter's classroom is wonderful!

Wow!!! Yes definitely, digital classrooms are the answer to the 21st century. We live in a digital world, kids are learning in a more interactive way. It's awesome to see when educators and administrators are open minded and are not afraid of using technology for the 21st century. It is true, allowing the students to use their own technology it teaches them to be responsible, to have a digital citizenship. Ofcourse all teachers have to be trained in order to implement these tools, a school doesn't transform into a digital school from one day to the other, it takes time and it's awesome to see Harlingen ISD is doing that. Adding more digital classrooms every year. Thanks for sharing video with us Albert!

I agree with Dara that teachers must be trained properly on the use the technology and how to implement Web 2.0 tools. Sometimes the trainings provided are to vague and are not enough to get the teachers comfortable in using the technology or software. Teachers need to be provided with the proper training in order to be able to teach the students how to use the technology.

I agree with technology in the classroom, I studied engineering, and it really makes a difference when you have hands on activities, and when you do research, or when you are working with a software that is relevant to what you are learning. The only question that I have is, why do they only offer these types of technologies to academies ? or to a few students at schools, why not having offer this learning in all classrooms at the school. I also believe that technology or this type of classrooms by themselves are nothing, there has to be a well trained teacher that is willing to work this way, instead of the traditional way teaching.

Great stuff Albert! Seems like HCISD is doing great things with technology in the classroom. I was wondering how much technology does the district provide and how much do the students bring into the class? How do you all monitor what the students can see when they bring their own device?

Albert sounds like Harlingen is doing some great things with technology. I would have to say that technology is a big part of the 21st century. If teachers and students are trained and educated properly, technology will motivate, inspire, and create critical thinkers.

Cesar you have some great questions that I would like to know the answers to myself.

Edna, in regards to your question. HCISD began a program called Cadre 1 where they would convert 20 classrooms throughout the district to digital classroom by giving those classroom teachers a cart with 11 IPads and headphones, 1 MacBook, an Apple TV, $50 worth of apps, and all the support necessary from a team of collaborating teachers, administrators, and even an instructional technologist. A few months in, they upgraded us to 22 ipads for those digital classrooms. Last Friday was the deadline for teachers to submit their applications for Cadre 2 next year where HCISD will be adding 64 more digital classrooms, and if I'm not mistaking, there will be 120 classrooms added in the 2014-2015 school year. This is where we are headed, and the success of the digital classrooms depends on consistently incorporating technology in our everyday routine. It's a new step, but it has made a world of difference in our classrooms with our students. Besides, it goes hand-in-hand with what we've been learning the last year and a half in the program.

In addition to all that HCISD is doing, all the Library Media Specialists were sent to Project Based Learning as well as technology training which we have as part of our annual training. This year we attended TCEA and brought back many new apps and ideas to implement in our classrooms. We are part of the layers of learning to help support our campus teachers. The Cadre I and II digital classrooms are well supported on their campus and by the district Technology department and technicians on campus, instructional technologist, Library Director and Library Media Specialists. I know a 5th grade teacher who teaches Math and Science at Stuart Elementary who has implemented the B.Y.O.D. initiative in her classroom. She used the district form ( found on our website) to send to her parents, and students are bringing in tablets, smart phones, and any other device that accesses the internet. The devices supplement the lesson which is standard based or driven, and the teacher facilitates the learning, and monitors their use. Many times students decide when they need the devices during the lesson, or how they will use them to share with the classroom. This teacher is now ready to apply for the digital classroom, and understands that the devices still supplement a well planned Standard based lesson, and that she must facilitate and progress monitoring daily. Cesar, the district has a strong firewall, and certain websites are blocked, but the teacher uses her username and password to get through the firewall if he or she deems the website appropriate. Teachers get 30 minute time increments. Most everything that students need is available to them. Anytime an inappropriate breach happens, the technician is alerted and will come to the classroom to let the teacher know. In this particular classroom, Edmodo is used as well as other district software for Math and Science. Another idea on the use of iPads: For poetry, I used my iPads to introduce Poems, and gave studen

Due to our lack of funds or low funds; it seems like a good concept. However, many things would have to be worked out before something like this could be implemented. Like taking into consideration that working with different devices will be a challenge because some may not be compatible with certain software. If implemented appropriately BYOD could work.

With the appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools and software, it can be done. But like Cora mentioned it is going to be a challenge to address all of the issues associated with so many plataforms being available to students. To get started, a definite must is bandwidth. Then moving forward in setting up a wireless access point that is locked.

My school has had a BYOD policy for the last year and a half. Well, actually they have had the students bring their own device but we really do not have a policy to go with it...yet. Many of our students bring their laptops and tablets to school but our network is HORRIBLE. The teachers can barely access the internet let alone the students. Our district says we will be getting a new network this summer (we will see), and then hopefully we can use more content on the internet. I love using what others have come up with and posted on the internet I just want to be able to get to it easily.

I agree with what you all are saying. In my school district they implemented the BYOD for our high school and 9th grade campus. The teachers received no type of training and were basically told when school started that we would be implementing it. We are having issues with internet access and supposedly our network is up to par. The teachers on our campus have mixed feelings because they feel alot of the students are just using their phone for texting or to get on social websites. Since students with phones can get on the internet without accessing the school's internet. The most importantly alot of teachers are having issues on how to use all these different devices. Since there are so many devices it is almost impossible to know how to use them all.

I think BOYD can be a good thing. It's not quite a good thing just yet. The district I am in created new guidelines for BYOD policies mid year last year. The reason I say it can be good thing is it's not really being implemented like I think the district thought it would. Even though we are well into the first year of the policy, students don't take advantage of it like they could. I do have a few students who bring a device almost daily to read from, but my own daughter, for instance, doesn't want to take hers out of fear of losing it. I think other share her fear; however, the fear the district had of students abusing the new BYOD policy never matierialized. In fact, it's as if less students bring devices now that they are allowed to than when it was against the rules. Figures. :)

I can definitely see BYOD as a possibility in the middle and high school setting, but as an elementary teacher, there would be more barriers than just network speeds and compatibility issues. Most elementary students wouldn't really have access to laptops, smartphones, or tablet computers. While they might be able to use these things at home, I doubt most parents would let their 9 year old bring the family $500 iPad to class everyday. Additionally, as others have said before, there would have to be a really solid policy put in place for the use of these devices to avoid the whole plan backfiring on educators. The internet can be a dangerous and scary place for those who don't know what they're doing as well as the obvious scenario of students just browsing facebook or something similar instead of completing an assignment.

Like many of you have pointed out, I too believe that there are lots of kinks that must be worked off before BYOD can be truly successful, but I also believe that the open-minded, willingness of the districts to integrate technology is a step in the right direction. Our district will be implementing BYOD and I am excited to see how it unfolds. I realize that teacher monitoring is crucial and planning will be key, but I think it will benefits the children in the long run,

I did not even know what BOYD was till I saw this video. It sounds pretty interesting. I believe that any teacher who is interested in technology will "buy" in to it. My only concern is what happens to those students who don't own any tech devices they can bring to school. At the school where I am at the students are from very low income families but then again somehow, someway they find money to own these things. Yet, there are parents who refuse to buy the expensive devises. What happens to those students?

I think that BYOD is a good thing, because the student is familiar with his/her technology device. Sometimes when I have to use the school laptops, they have different features that I need to ask questions. If I had brought my own laptop, I would have completed more work and been more comfortable using my own technology. I do agree with Juan, we do need appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools, hardware/software in order to incorporate BYOD in your school.

I think BYOD is a great thing, however, it's not that easy to get all parents on board, and I think it's even more difficult to get other teachers on board. Even one technology device is difficult for teachers who are not technologically inclined to prodide assistance in, and having many different devices can be overwhelming for those teachers. The concept is right on, however, there are some issues that need to be addressed first like teacher training and getting parent "buy in."

BYOD has been implemented at our campus with the upper grades. The students enjoyed bringing their own device and were eager to share their favorite applications. The teachers were surprised to see how many students owned their own devices.

BYOD is great idea in implementing technology in the curriculum..I think that will motivate students to learn more..at my district they'll be implementing BYOD this coming year and I'm very excited about it. I know the students will be taught to use their own device but the right way. They will be more involved with classroom discussions and participate more, since it'll be done with their own device.

I think we should take advantage of using modern technology such as Skype. These students were engaged and really enjoyed listening to this History author. This 21st century learning will give students opportunities to learn from others who are from all over the world

It is very important to incorporate technology to enhance lessons, not just for using a technology. We are begin thought with technology to enhance our learning, so why not use it with our students. Money and training are very important factors that do contribute to the lack of teacher buy in, but ultimately we need to use technology as much as we can to enhance our lessons.

I don't think that education technology like the one at Westlake High School should have to cost tens of thousands of dollars either. I agree with the comment in the article about having a projector and smartphone could basically accomplish the same thing. I believe training and motivating teachers to incorporate technology is the biggest barrier to technology integration.

Getting the attention of students is the first step to any successful lesson. Technology can do that. Maintaining the attention of students throughout an assignment or activity is just as important. Technology can do that. Evaluate the students' performance is the final factor of any lesson. Technology can do that. Is it worth the investment, of course. However, like it was previously mentioned, some people create walls around what they don't understand and try to keep students away from it. The benefits of technology should be worth the risk, if any there should be.

This is a great way to teach, being able to have all your students working interactively while you teach. I am still hoping we get some in our district. I feel this will really help my students get motivated in their reading which will eventually help their comprehension.

I enjoyed reading the article of Mcallen I.S.D using IPADs in their classrooms. I was a permanent sub at a middle school in McAllen and the middle school did not have IPADs but other campuses did for edcuational purposes. I heard students would log into edmodo for school assignments using their IPADs. However I also heard of numerous stories of students pawning the IPADs for money and parents being involved with the pawning scam. It's a huge risk to take investing in IPADS for students to use because of parents and students that might misuse the device.

I agree with Mr. E.J. Martinez, Principal of Stillman Middle School. Technology is a very powerful tool. If used properly in the classroom it can catapult participation, learning and creativity. It will give students the opportunity to access information and visit virtual places. The possibilities are endless and the sky is the limit.

WOW, thats great that Stillman were issued IPADS. IPADS or any other equipment such as KINDLE FIRE are very useful for our students in our district. Like it was mention before, technology is a powerful tool so our students need to have the access of any equipment that is out there for them. Great News!!!.

Its great to see that more and more schools are implementing technology into the classroom. It would be great if every district had enough money to issue out educational technology tools to the students (iPads, tablets, iPods) as an instructional resource in the classroom. Here is a link to how Weslaco is providing teachers training in technology to help 21st Century learners excel with the technology they're already used to: http://www.themonitor.com/mvtc/news/article_1f614f22-122c-11e2-83e4-001a4bcf6878.html

This is a great study on the positive effects of technology. I can see how it could have been so successful, like any other type of program or project, consistency is the key aspect. Any type of technology that is going to be introduced into the learning setting will be effective if the accountability and full cooperation is clearly stated prior to making the commitment. This is something I have seen as an educator that becomes an issue because as Title 1 districts I am sure funds are available for Ipads or any other tablet that might be more affordable but the way things are implemented is a big aspect of how productive you will be. Many times we begin something and not follow through, I think that implementing any time of tablet into the learning process in our school is a great way to enhance learning as long as we set goals to meet and accomplish. Great information thank you for sharing.

Marivel, I agree that districts and campuses have to be committed when introducing and executing the use of technology in the classroom. I believe errors in success occur when there's no consistency in using a technology in the classroom. Students are always more engaged. For example, this week, I did the story plot with my students in class and we retold the story of Prometheus using Toontastic ( I believe that's the name of the app) and my students were glued to the screen. It's a FREE app I encourage teachers to use. It provides the visual in the story students need so they can recall events in the story.

Learned alot from this study!! It's amazing how much influence technology has on students. When I read that 90% of the students who were using technology went to college compared to only 15% of the non-tech students, I was shocked. It puzzles me how many school districts are not willing to make the necessary expenses to attain this same achievement. The school drop-out rate is sky rocketing here in the valley. I posted a link to a Texas drop out report. Check it out! http://www.idra.org/Research/Attrition/

Thank you for sharing the FREE app on recalling events in a story. I will try it tomorrow and hope to have great results just like you. Thank you.

What do you all think as Texas educators about the proposal to reduce graduation requirements and standardized testing?

It is about time. It seems all we are doing is testing students or getting them ready to do testing. As a teacher i feel bombarded with test training and testing dates and as a parent I feel like what can I do to help my child be ready for all these testing days. Hopefully in the next few years we can backtrack and come up with other ways of assessing students (portfolios etc). My school was brought into a consortium that is opting out of some of the testing already (HB 1887). We are looking into other ways of assessing our students and hopefully this can become a standard for the state rather than just giving standardized tests.

I hope they move in that direction as well. It seems the teachers know what is best and they never really bother to ask them. When you think about it, 15 tests to graduate? Really? After all the other work they have to do in their school careers?

It is about time that someone is actually considering the student, meaningful learning, and long-term success. Testing and accountability have their place in education, but as it stands, testing is being used for all the wrong reasons. At the end of the day, educators are responsible for fostering and promoting life-long, successful learners. These changes may actually bring the passion back to teaching and learning!

I agree with the superintendent in this article, that all students learn at different paces, perform at certain levels with the same amount of time. ---"That's fundamentally flawed." because it does not leave room for differentiated instruction.

There is too much time being spent on testing. We should provide students with strong vocational programs that can provide a source or income for their future, whether they are college bound or not. Having a college education is great, but it they can't get that at lease they will have a skill that can help them earn a good living.

The 15 tests to graduate also doesn't include the tests that the students would need to take if they wish to go to a university or college. I'm thinking ACT, SAT, THEA or TASP as it was called when I was in high school. Oh and I think they have one called the accuplacer too. That gets closer to 20 tests!

Hi Gayle, I am glad you where able to post. I know you have been having trouble. In regards to your response, I agree that PBL are an excellent way to build depth-of-knowledge. Thinking is a skill that I believe needs to be modeled and taught. Students do not come into my classroom knowing how to think. Often times, they want me to think for them. If I continue to do this, I am doing a disservice to my students. I have to step back, release control, and allow them to take charge of their learning and PBLs are a great way to do this!

I was fortunate to be able to visit the Metro School of Design, where they teach 100% PBL, and it was very impressive to walk into the classrooms to be met with an child "ambassador" who welcomed us, and asked us what we would like to know about PBL, and then took us to each group where the "project manager" explained all the protocols and what stage they were in, etc. What is impressive is that these children were so confident, and knew the process as well as the content of what they were working on. I have worked with PBL with my students, and it is frustrating when they stumble, or make mistakes as they are going through the research and establishing their "need to knows" and "workshops". Lots of progress monitoring comes into play, and although the misconception is that the teacher does nothing, the teacher has to have a solid plan to be able to have a successful PBL. We interviewed a panel of students, and one mentioned that they "once had a PBL that was not fun because we did not get to present to anyone, just us" so having them solve a real problem or present to a live audience is very important to them. I do believe PBLs are effective, but will take time to implement successfully. We should start with mini PBLs and work our way up.

In response to Gayle: I too, have stumbled when implementing PBLs. I gave students the option of using technology, and at least two groups in each class chose a video. Because our children do not have any foundation in technology, they had many "need to knows" which in turn called for "workshops". It is difficult to teach everything at once in a 45 minute session once a week. I know that in the classroom, it would be different. I suggest we limit the options to two manageable products, and if technology is involved, get another adult to help with "workshops", such as a technology teacher or the librarian. We used iPads, and created a simple video which we are going to share with Apple TV. I will bring this back and create the videos after the STAAR testing, and use them to present to students next year. Subject was "Bullying and Cyberbullying"

I agree with Juan on this one. It would be hard to try PBL during the school year with STAAR looming over our heads. As much fun as it could be, it would be hard to convince administrators that PBL can solve our problems. With that being said, I would like to try PBL once we get through with STAAR.

I believe in PBL, but I also strongly believe in buy in. It's hard to have students follow this model in a non-self contained classroom, because PBL requires giving students more independence and ownership of their learning. In most classrooms students have learned to be spoon fed, because we think it's more effective and PBL feels almost unorthodox to many teachers including the students.

PBL's is a good experience for kids to go through. At first when we started doing PBL's for our MTT classes I hated them and didn't understand them. Luckily I had a great partner,Heather Luna, to guide me through them and see how they would benifit the students in our classroom. PBL's help the students see what is really happening in the real world and that there is more to life than video games.

Problem-based learning takes a lot of teacher planning. I really enjoyed the PBL lessons we created in Dr. Butler's database. We were able to see other PBLs created by other students and take some ideas from there into the classroom. PBL is becoming more popular and more school districts are buying into it. Students can collaborate and learn from each other. Students can take responsibility for their own learning while researching and coming up with a final product/project.

Project based learning plays such a pivotal role in helping the students truly understand new concepts. When technology becomes integrated as well, even more becomes possible. I recently came across the Museum of Math in NYC and am hoping to visit it this summer. There they have all kinds of projects integrating technology to teach Mathematics in a concrete instead of just abstract manner.

Juan, unfortunately, the end of the year after testing seems like the more realistic place for PBLs. In Port Isabel we are required to use CScope and it leaves very, very little time for anything else. I do have students browse through the PBLs I created for another class even though they aren't actually doing the projects. I am looking forward to being able to actualy implement them. Edna, I think PBLs would be more effective at the beginning of the year. As you said, Students would become used to the technique; however, the problem I have is a curriculum that doesn't allow time for PBLs. Adam, I have had the same issues with misconceptions. It's a quite unnerving to let them lose, so to speak, and be in charge of their own learning when I know what I am responsible for them to know and have seen the misconceptions. I think PBLs are wonderful, but not when time is so limited and I must see to it that they learn a particular concept in a given amount of time. April, My PIISD uses CScope too and I completey understand the time constraints and limitations. I do like SCope, but it leaves NO extra time. Lupita, You're not alone. I sounds like most of us have had a hard time fitting PBLs in for one reason or another. Jessica, Presenting in different formats is one of the many positives of PBLs. I agree with you that this is an important point when considering learning styles. Isabel, I've not been able to implement the PBLs we created, but I've been able to share the content of them with my students. You're right in that they do take planning - as well as the ability to let go which I have not mastered yet! :) Brian, The Museum of Math sounds amazing. What a great opportunity. The ability to teach math concepts in a more concrete way instead of such an abstract manner is key.

I like how each link showed what grade level it was for and there were so many to choose from too. The Building a school website was good and so is the Typing one its nice to have a varity in a keyboarding class.

I was able to explore the website it's really nice, I especially like how the learner can create a story and allow others to add or help continue the story.( invention at play ) Basically, by allowing the learner to invent and think critically it will open up the doors to life time learning. http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/ Try this website, it also has an enormous collection of Science lessons that use the method above to enhance critical thinking. It reflects on the studies done about how learning is ensured through exploration and creativity. It is a great website that follows something similar to the PBL model. The lessons pose a question and require being inventive and exploring possible solutions.

Zoom Inventors and Inventions is an interesting website for having your students discover who invented certain items. One interesting fact I learned is that the reflectors that we find on the edge of the road were originally called "cat's eye road reflector". This website states that the inventor came up with this invention because the reflection of a cat's eyes at the side of a road kept him from driving off a hill at night..

Yes, i just viewed this site on someone else's comment. I honestly enjoyed the one about building a school website. It appeared to be very user friendly and perfect for teachers transitioning into the use of technology.

This is a great website. I like that it has a collection of different websites tha have learning activities for students. I really liked the Dance Mat Typing website. It introduces and shows the students the correct way to type. thanks for sharing!