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"...offers a college preparatory program that focuses on a liberal arts program. The curriculum is designed to accelerate students into college courses at the University of Toledo, beginning with the freshman school year. Students take two years of English, up to three years of mathematics and science and two years of social studies at the high school level. All other courses, including electives and foreign language are taken at the University of Toledo. Students can earn up to 60 college credits during the four-year high school experience. College-level courses and required textbooks are provided at no cost to students. College courses qualify for dual credits, allowing them to be counted for high school and college credits."

(Right-click and open links in new tab.) Thinking about the Semester Online program that is just rolling out I wonder what we could do in Vermont with elements of this school in Toledo in combination with an online component. Vermont does have a Dual Enrollment program, but it is no where nearly as comprehensive as this. And, students still have to pay for a vast majority of their classes. It would seem that a high school would actually come out ahead by paying for college courses rather than for high school faculty to teach a less rigorous...and noncredit earning course.

Ranked 17th out of 3500 schools in Ohio... Even more significant given that the district it is in ranked 708th out of 937 districts.

"To encourage student thinking about the overall structure of a course right from the start, why not include a concept map or mind map in the syllabus? When I looked at Linda's work (in the two references listed below) she actually advocates what she calls a "graphic syllabus," described as a "flowchart, graphic organizer, or diagram of the schedule and organization of course topics, sometimes with tests, assignments, and major activities included."

Interesting article. Back when I had "classes" the first day was dedicated to working through a modified version of a Chalk Talk. This gave me a really good sense of where students were at in their understanding and it gave them the opportunity to see how each lesson/concept would be part of the "big picture" of the class. I also would wrap up the semester with the exact same lesson. Huge opportunity for leaving them with a sense of accomplishment and final chance for them to see the pieces in a larger context.

This is my second MOOC; I am already addicted to learning this way. I have been taking ideas on how to move the platform for advisory discussions onto a Google+ Community.

I am completely energized by the MOOC experience. One of my seniors tried it: a human physiology course out of Yale. She was overwhelmed, but grateful to experience the caliber of a "university" course. She ended up dropping after a few months. The pace and rigor were beyond her horizons, but she tried it. We had a conversation about when is it okay to fail. She was finally in a place where she hit the wall. How many of our students hit the wall when they are in a college and paying for it? How many discover only too late that they are in the wrong major?

I can't wait to hear about your experience at our meeting. (Maybe with the extra time I have on my hands now I will give one a try...I've signed up for two, but never got started.) You have my gears spinning about MOOCs and the VTed community. First, I wonder how many schools would be willing to allow students, with oversight and guidance, to participate in a MOOC for credit? Second, what could a Rowland led VTed School Transformation MOOC look like? I see different fellows leading separate sections, sharing ideas and school transformation experiences with class participants who in turn share their own thoughts, inspirations, and challenges. Could have real potential to bring voices together from across the state.

Here's a brief description of a 3-credit UVM course to be offered this summer with links to the 2nd Annual Rowland Conference on School Transformation. This intensive, one-week institute will bring together leaders of school transformation in Vermont schools and connect current transformation initiatives from around the state with the latest research. You can choose the time and location by enrolling at UVM's Summer U here (choose EDLP from the drop-down menu): http://learn.uvm.edu/courselistsummer/index.php EDLP 380 (61346) Jun. 18-22 at Rutland H.S. with Adam Rosenberg EDLP 380 (61348) Jul. 30-Aug.3 at UVM with Mike Martin

"The reality is that a quarter of all students currently enrolled at colleges and universities are taking at least one course online, and one-in-ten is enrolled in a degree program that is delivered entirely online." So, the question is "How are we as educators in Vermont preparing our students to be successful in college if we are not exposing them to online and/or blended learning experiences in high school?"

Leading School Transformation (EDLP 380) is a graduate-level course that brings together educators who are leading transformation efforts in Vermont schools. The course will build on the Rowland Foundation Transformation Conference at the University of Vermont through professional dialogue, personal refelection, and related readings. EDLP 380 will help participants develop school-based projects based on the latest research related to school transformation. Participants will read The Big Picture by Dennis Littky and Drive by Daniel Pink and develop strategies to lead change at their schools.

"New York City is experimenting with new tools and tactics with its Innovation Zone, a devoted unit for trying out new approaches to learning and sharing best practices with like-minded educators." "Schools across the system are trying out different learning approaches, including blended learning, online courses and project-based teaching. As with the most lofty aspirations of educators, the iZone's goals are to personalize learning, provide real-world experience, change the ways staff and students view their roles and take advantage of the vast number of tools available to students and teachers."

"This is the workspace for an online course Introduction to E-Portfolios in K-12 Schools, developed by Dr. Helen Barrett."

"'The tests we rely on so heavily really don't measure creative thinking and they don't measure common sense thinking, wisdom, ethics, work ethic - they don't measure your character,' Sternberg said. In his view, students go to college to develop into active and engaged citizens. If colleges kept that ultimate goal in mind in their admissions process, it would send a message to high schools about the skills that universities value and want to see in prospective students."

"Science Leadership Academy (SLA), a public magnet high school in Philadelphia is a fairly young school, just eight years old. But in that short time, it's developed a reputation around the country as a shining example of the merits of inquiry-based learning approach. Colleges sometimes have a difficult time understanding the school's approach to developing autonomous, critical thinkers. For example, SLA doesn't offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, because making students take a summative test at the end of the year is antithetical to the concept of allowing students to guide their own learning based on interest and collaborative work - and just as importantly, the value of the incremental learning process."

On the Minerva Project... "In fact, in the first year the students will take four courses: Multi-modal Communication, Complex Systems, Empirical Systems, and Computational Sciences. The intention is for traditionally separate subjects to be integrated if they involve complimentary skills. COMPETENCY-BASED UNIVERSITIES As the Minerva experiment develops, some existing universities are taking steps to award college credit based on skills learned, not the amount of time they've been enrolled."

"... research and others' research in these settings has convinced me, beyond any doubt, that the natural drives and abilities of young people to learn are fully sufficient to motivate their entire education. When they want or need help from others, they ask for it. We don't have to force people to learn; all we need to do is provide them the freedom and opportunities to do so."

Interesting, and for lots of reasons of course. In the EDLP course this summer, we noted the similar architectural styles of two of our schools, as seen in presentation photos. Then someone (Mike M.?) mentioned that some schools and prisons from a particular era had the same architects. I'd love to discover more about that. The metaphorical implications are too loaded.

"You can't become fluent in half an hour," Mr. Duroux said. "But you can go back home with a clearer sense that each language goes with a different culture, which goes with a different idea of the world itself. Not to be naïve, but trying to connect with different languages and cultures is a way to change your perspective on the world as a whole."

"The perceived 'soft' service component actually raises the learning challenge in a course. Service-learning students must not only master academic material as in traditional courses, but also learn how to learn from unstructured and ill-structured community experiences..."

"The model, now in practice or under consideration in states including Louisiana, Michigan, Arizona and Utah, allows students to build a custom curriculum by selecting from hundreds of classes offered by public institutions and private vendors. A teenager in Louisiana, for instance, might study algebra online with a private tutor, business in a local entrepreneur's living room, literature at a community college and test prep with the national firm Princeton Review - with taxpayers picking up the tab for it all."

With little to no oversight this would be a disaster. But, what if...

What if there were a regional "school" that oversaw these External Learning Opportunities and Diplomas with Certificates of Focus? A student would be assigned to a Mentor Teacher who would help to: Design a plan to graduation...and beyond, Give prior approval and determine assessments of learning experiences, Provide awareness and approve formal online opportunities such as VTVLC, VHS, Aventa Learning/K12, Provide awareness and approve formal online and traditional courses through Dual Enrollment at CVV and other local colleges, Connect students to local Internships, Apprenticeships, Connect students to programs such as TIPS, Medquest, etc., Guide students in inquiry-based Independent Studies, Guide students in developing and implementing Service-Learning projects, Bringing together like-minded students, community members, employers, educators together around specific college and career goals, and the list could go on. This could be a big draw for all students. This is could be a way to provide a highly individualized learning experience for students. With the right framework it could be amazing.

Look on pages 25-26 for a brief description of a Danish folk high school course "Take the Future." In it, Mette Hojland describes how her class looks at a 'spiritual, individual, and global perspective'; she also talks about a rubric that she has for developing the sense of self-and it's not reductive!

"What if students instead came to each course or classroom with a digital backpack of data about their learning levels, preferences, motivations, and personal accomplishments? How would this improve each teacher's ability to tailor learning to meet the needs of individual students? What if parents and students could easily access their child's records to share the information with afterschool providers? How would all of the personalization this affords add up to deeper learning and improved college and career readiness?"

The experience of using portfolios in the past may lead to some push back from veteran educators. Reframing ePortfolios as tools to help them might be a good way to begin a process of an indiscernible evolution rather than attempting to implement sudden change. ~jf

"What do teachers wish they knew about new students? In what environment do they learn best? Are they meeting the standards in key areas like math, reading and writing? What goals have they identified for themselves? What level of support do they have at home? Do they participate in any community programs or organizations? Do they do best when working alone or with peers? What are their outside interests that I can use to motivate learning? Is there anything in their learning history that I should flag for follow-up or special attention? What did other teachers note about their strengths and challenges?"

"Here are five of the key leadership lessons that you can take away from Captain Kirk as you pilot your own organization into unknown futures."

Kobayashi Maru? I was never very good with languages in school. Does that translate to No Child Left Behind?

In our educational leadership analogy, yes! However, while being the ultimate no-win scenario, I think NCLB has still encouraged leaders to innovate and improve learning in their schools by holding them accountable and providing funding for improvement.

No lecture in the classroom The FIZZ Lecture professional development program trains teachers to create and publish a series of video lectures in order to make the content of their course completely transparent. "Why I flipped my classroom" - Math Teacher, Katie Gimbar

Why: 1. Flipping the Classroom for Accountability 2. Is this Recreating the Wheel? 3. Better Than A Front Row Seat 4. "Why it has to be me!" - Model Teacher, Katie Gimbar 5. Using Classroom Time to Differentiate 6. Self-paced, Differentiated and Collaborative 7. The Research Behind Flipping the Classroom with FIZZ How: 1. Buying the Lecture Boards 2. Writing on and Cleaning the Boards 3. Camera and Tripod 4. Condensing the Content to 6 Boards DOWNLOAD > FIZZ Lecture Planning.doc 5. Sliding the Boards 6. Setting up the Camera and Tripod 7. FIZZ Lecture: The Fine Print 8. Uploading and Posting Screencast tutorials on using Google Docs: Why use Google Docs? Part 1. Uploading Videos to Google Docs Part 2. Creating a Simple Web Page (click here for the template) Part 3. Sharing the URL with Your Students

"Here are 5 reasons why we are making student blogging and portfolio development a high priority."1. Positive digital footprints2. Communicating with digital tools3. Transparency for parents and family4. New ways of thinking about Web tools5. Effective digital citizenship++Their world view is changing

It would be interesting to see a group of teachers collaborate over the course of a semester in having each of their students create their own blog. This collaboration wouldn't require common planning / interdisciplinary assignments, but having a common theme to connect the content would make sense.

Research by Richard Light, the author and Harvard University scholar, and others indicates that when students are asked to write for one another, they write more effectively. This is perhaps counterintuitive. Wouldn't students do their best work for those grading their work? But students aren't eager to be seen as poor writers by their peers, so they step up their game when writing for other students. Also, they know that their peers don't understand the course content as well as their instructors do, so they tend to provide better explanations when writing for peers.