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D E EN R Y E T G T C N E How Social Media, Apps and OLO N H Other Technologies are EC T Changing Education
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Rising standards. Emerging technology. Increased learner diversity. It’s time to break through traditional classroom walls and envision a world where learning is happening everywhere, on any device. Pearson teams with educators to deliver new personalized ways of learning through effective, scalable assessment, instructional tools, services, and technologies that help students and educators achieve their own definitions of success.
Contact your South Carolina Pearson professional: Tyler Garrett - 803-606-5933 Tyler.Garrett@pearson.com
Steve Watson - 843-810-4738 Steve.Watson@pearson.com
William Crespo - 703-431-4997 William.Crespo@pearson.com
SCASA STAFF Molly Spearman Executive Director Beth Phibbs Associate Director Hannah Pittman Director of Professional Development Jay Welch Director of Finance and Technology Jessica Morgan Coordinator of Membership, Managing Editor April Griffin Coordinator of Member Recognition and Student Services
SCASA BOARD Dr. Christina Melton President Dr. Scott Turner President-Elect
AdministrA P A L M E T T O
FEATURES
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Just Tell Me Why! • By Erik Lowry, Ph.D.
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Teaching Viewed Through a Lens • By Stephen Driscoll
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I Used to Think, but Now I Know… • By Laura McKillop
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Bridging STEM and Literacy with Mobile Learning • By Terri Dew
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Using Social Media and Technology to Prepare the Next Generation Learner for Testing • By Kevin Cox, Ed.S.
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Creating a Safer Campus Through Anonymous Alerts • By David Riegel
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Colonial Life: 75 Years
Dr. Rose Wilder Past President Dr. Russell Booker Dr. David Mathis Mr. Robbie Binnicker Mr. Ozzie Ahl Mr. Steve Garrett Ms. Carole Ingram Ms. Ingrid Dukes Mr. Norris Williams Mrs. Denise Barth Dr. Charlene Stokes Mr. Phillip Jackson Mrs. Sandy Andrews Mrs. Nancy Verburg Dr. Marthena Grate Morant Dr. Arlene Bakutes Mr. Bill Briggman Mrs. Katinia Davis Dr. Julie Fowler Dr. Lemuel Watson Mr. Chuck Saylors Mrs. Molly Spearman The Palmetto Administrator is published annually by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, 121 Westpark Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210, (803) 798-8380 http://www.scasa.org. Send address changes to jessica@scasa.org. Advertising information and contributors’ information are available online. Publication Policy: Articles should be written in an informal, conversational style, where treatment of the topic is interesting, insightful and based on the writer’s experience. The editor encourages the use of charts, photos and other artwork. To be considered for publication, articles should be submitted electronically, preferably in MSWord, using one-inch margins. The cover page should show the author’s name, position and complete contact information. The article’s working title and a one or two sentence summary should appear on the title page.
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AWARDS 6
2014 SCASA Retirees
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Palmetto’s Finest Schools
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2014-15 SCASA “Of the Year” Award Winners
DEPARTMENTS 2
A Message From The Executive Director • By Molly Spearman
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A Message From The President• By Christina Melton, Ph.D.
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2014 SCASA Division Presidents
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PHOTO CONTEST
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SCASA BUSINESS AFFILIATES
Submit article proposals or completed articles for consideration to the Managing Editor, Jessica Morgan, jessica@scasa.org. Articles submitted to Palmetto Administrator may be edited for style, content, and space before publication. Articles may not be reproduced without consent of the publisher.
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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
By Molly Spearman Being an educator and school administrator is a wonderful calling and offers many connections every day: connections to students, parents, academics, athletics, community partners, policy-makers, and the list goes on. With so many associations, it is easy to be over-connected and energy-drained. It is crucial to keep life in balance. Connect with your mind, body, and spirit to make sure you’re living life to its fullest. We must take time to invigorate our minds, exercise our bodies, and renew our spirit. All of this will help us manage and make the most of all of our connections. It is important for you, as individuals, to stay committed to your professional organization. It is also important that we, as a group of administrators, remain connected throughout the Palmetto State. There is greater influence in numbers, and, with a connected voice of over 3,700 members, we are lucky to have experienced tremendous growth over the past four years. I want to thank you for being a member of our association. Enjoy this issue of Palmetto Administrator and have a productive and well-connected school year!
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Congratulations Hannah Pittman! SCASA, Director of Professional Development
Help Move Education Forward! C
We are very proud to congratulate our own Hannah Pittman on the completion the Certified Association Executive Program (CAE) of ASAE. The CAE designation is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and identify association professionals who demonstrate the knowledge essential to the practice of association management. Founded in 1960, the CAE program stands as a mark of excellence and has evolved to reflect what it takes to manage an association in today’s challenging climate. The CAE program was accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies in 2010. Hannah was recently recognized at the ASAE Conference in Nashville, TN for earning the certification. Way to go Hannah!
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PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • WINTER 2014 FALL 2014
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There are many dedicated elected officials who stand up for public education. We need to stand behind them with our voices and financial support. Donate to the LEAP Action Committee by going to www.scasa.org and click Donate or mail your check made payable to LEAP to 121 Westpark Boulevard, Columbia, SC 29210.
Thank you for supporting public education!
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT By Christina Melton, Ph.D. Welcome to the 2014-2015 school year! Our year ahead promises to bring new change that will affect our work: new standards, new assessments, a new teacher evaluation model, a new principal evaluation model, a new funding system, and a new state superintendent of education to name a few! With so many changes on the horizon, I would like to highlight two areas where SCASA has made a commitment to fulfil our association’s mission, which is to advocate for a worldwide education for the children of South Carolina and to provide leadership development for its members. Leadership Development encompasses a variety of activities to support the professional growth of our members. Many of you were able to attend our annual i3, Innovative Ideas Institute, centered around the theme of “Get Connected”. The keynote speakers, breakout sessions, vendors, and networking opportunity all supported this overarching theme to assist us as leaders of public education across South Carolina. Once again I would like to thank the i3 Committee, the chair, Margaret Spivey and the SCASA Staff for their commitment to offering quality leadership development for our membership. In addition to i3, SCASA also offers other leadership development opportunities which include the assistant principal webinar series, school law webinar series, SCASA Leadership Academy, and Seminar Series focused on TransformSC schools. Visit the SCASA website at www.scasa.org for more information on these and other opportunities. The second commitment of our association is the commitment to practice Advocacy. Our SCASA Board with our membership’s approval defines advocacy as: • SCASA represents the interest of students and administrators at the highest level of state government, actively pursuing decisions which are most beneficial for education. • SCASA also tracks the issues that have a direct effect on public education and on the daily operation of schools and school districts. Further details can be found on our website at www.scasa.org : This edition of Palmetto Administrator is an example of our SCASA incorporates both leadership development with advocacy to support the two primary goals of our association. Get Connected: How Social Media, Apps, and Other Technologies are Changing Education. With this change in our profession do you feel being connected is as 2M2H (too much to handle)? In an Education’s Week blog by Matthew Lynch (January 2014), entitled: Four Ways Digital Technology Has Changed K-12 Learning, Lynch simplified a volume of information into 4 practical examples. For the purpose of this article, I have included his four ways then posed questions for your consideration as a leader: 1. Collaboration: Whether you are a school administrator or a district administrator how have you noticed collaboration connect students to students? Students to teachers? Teachers to administrators? Administrators to administrators? 2. Information Gathering: Gone are the days of reliance on the Dewey Decimal System. Information is gathered in new, technology-driven ways. How do you gather information? How do those around you gather information? How are you connected to others who are gathering information? 3. Remote Learning: With a surge in online learning programs both PK-12 and post secondary, remote learning has forever changed education. How can you as a leader become or stay connected to ensure that remote learning can be an option for students and teachers? How could remote learning impact your work as an administrator? 4. Teacher prep: Our teachers experience and comfort using technology stretches across a spectrum. As a leader, how can you support teachers as they prepare for lessons? Do the practices in your system support teachers
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using resources such as Pinterest? Is there a system to vet resources in your system? If not, how can you as a leader connect the needs of your teachers with resources that can assist their work?
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According to Lynch (2014), “Digital technology has taken the world by storm—particularly in the past decade. It makes sense that this trend would have an impact on K-12 learning because there is nothing in modern American society that digital technology has not touched. While the names of the mobile applications and computer programs may change, there are some foundational ways that technology has already changed the face of education forever.” This edition of Palmetto Administrator highlights each of these four ways: collaboration, information gathering, remote learning and teacher prep. Many of the stories you read in the edition will be similar to your environment. In order for us to “Get Connected”, let’s continue to share with each other the daily celebrations we too often take for granted. Through sharing with others, not only are we connected, but we begin to broaden our perspective while supporting growth of each other. As I shared at the i3 conference when I assumed this position as President, one of my favorite quotes is “Be the change that you wish to see in the world” by Mahatma Gandhi. I extend the challenge to each reader for us to commit to be the change to positively impact public education across the state of South Carolina. Get connected with SCASA to share your stories @SCASANews or get connected with me @chrimelt. We have talented teachers, motivated leaders, and a changing public education scene around us, “Get Connected” and #Let’sBeTheChange together.
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FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR
5
Congratulations 2014 Retirees who are SCASA Members
Name
Institution
Title
# of Years in Education
Henry Adair
Westside High School
Principal
41 years
Cheryl Banks
Pee Dee Elementary School
Principal
31 1/2 years
Robert Bohnstengel
James Island Charter High School
Principal
39 years
Beverly Boone
Forestbrook Elementary School
Assistant Principal
36 years
Allie Brooks
Florence Public School District 1
Superintendent
44 years
Stephen Burger
Stiles Point Elementary School
Principal
44 years
Dawn Busa
Anderson SchoolDistrict 2
Assistant Superintendent
33 years
May Caesar
Lee County Alternative School
Principal
37 years
Johnny Calder
Forestbrook Elementary School
Principal
35 years
Glen Carson
Spartanburg School District 4
Assistant Superintendent
36 years
Cheryl Caution-Parker
Richland County School District 2
Deputy Superintendent
34 years
Steve Chamness
Hillcrest High School
Principal
43 years
Meda Cobb
SC Department of Juvenile Justice
Superintendent
42 years
Anne Copelan
Seven Oaks Elementary School
Principal
26 years
Merry Cox
League Academy
Principal
33 years
Peggy Crouch
Lexington District 1 Technology Center
Assistant Director
36 years
Linda Cunningham
Blythewood High School
Assistant Principal
35 years
Deborah Davis
Kershaw County Schools
Director of Special Services
37 years
Mona Fleming
Mt Lebanon Elementay School
Principal
35 1/2 years
Michael Fleming
Dacusville Elementary School
Principal
33 years
Karl Fulmer
Lexington-Richland School District 5
Chief Financial Officer
45 years
Daniel Fulton
Blacksburg High School
Assistant Principal
35 years
Richard Gaines
Anderson District 5 Technology Center
Director
41 years
John Gardner
Kershaw County Schools
Director of Professional Development
31 years
Donna Goodwin
Sandhills Elementary School
Principal
33 years
Michelle Green
Orangeburg County School District 3
Principal
30 years
Emilie Hagan
Berkeley County Schools
Director of Testing & Data Reporting
40 years
Diane Harwell
USC- Columbia
Clinical Professor
49 years
Mary Beth Heath
St. James Elementary School
Principal
31 1/2 years
Donna Hooks
Burgess Elementary School
Principal
36 years
Virginia Horton
North Myrtle Beach Middle School
Principal
26 years
Jacqueline Jamison
Orangeburg County School District 5
Executive Director of Academics
24 years
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PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
s ion
s
s
s
Sandra Jones-Izzard
Buford Elementary School
Principal
34 years
Bonnie Knight
Anderson School District 2
Director of Instruction
37 years
Maureen Kriese
Horry County Schools
Director of Special Services
41 years
Janie Langley
Macedonia Middle School
Principal
41 years
Sandra Lindsay
USC- Columbia
Clinical Professor
41 years
Michael Lucas
Oconee County School District
Superintendent
36 years
Tony Lunsford
Sneed Middle School
Principal
37 years
Percy Mack
Richland County School District 1
Superintendent
47 years
Mark Mansell
Bluffton Elementary School
Assistant Principal
24 years
Patrick Mark
Greenville County Schools
Assistant to the Superintendent
44 years
Connie McClain
Spartanburg School District 4
Director of Special Services
40 years
Issac McClinton
Crestwood High School
Principal
31 years
Pearly Milton
Greenwood School District 50
Director of Elementary Education
32 years
Mark Modica
College Park Elementary School
Assistant Principal
30 years
Jerry Montjoy
Dorchester School District 4
Superintendent
40 years
June Moorehead
River Oaks Elementary School
Principal
35 years
Elaine Morgan
Beaufort County Schools
Director of Data Services
40 years
Leonard Nelson
Andrews High School
Assistant Principal
33 years
Scott Newman
Lexington School District 2
Director of Student Services
34 years
Herman Norman
Myrtle Beach Middle School
Assistant Principal
34 years
William Norton, Jr.
McColl Elementary School
Principal
41 years
Mary Ellen Parks
Beaufort County Schools
Dir of Academic Intervention, Elementary
15 years
Anne Pillow
Chapin High School
Assistant Principal for Instruction
41 years
Roger Richburg
Hodges Elementary School
Principal
31 years
Jeff Riddle
Horry County Schools
Chief Officer-Fiscal Services
34 years
Robert Riley
Greenwood School District 50
Director of Transportation
27 years
Patricia Ross
Greenwood School District 50
Assistant Superintendent of Instruction
17 years
Margaret Rushton
Beaufort County Schools
Arts Coordinator
19 years
Keith Russell
Hillcrest Middle School
Principal
47 years
Cathy Shaw
Anderson District 5 Career Campus
Principal
32 years
Brenda Shealy
Chapin High School
Assistant Principal
34 years
Virginia Simmons
Horry County Adult Education
Director
40 years
Johnnie Smith
Richard Carroll Elementary School
Principal
44 years
Lerah Smith-Lee
Charleston County Schools
Executive Dir of Early Childhood
23 years
John Spagnolia
Cainhoy Elementary School
Principal
30 years
Jacky Stamps
McCants Middle School
Principal
43 years
Paula Stephens
Meadowfield Elementary School
Principal
34 years
Thomas Stokes
Houston Elementary School
Principal
46 years
Margaret Thomason
A.J. Whittenburg Elementary School
Principal
44 years
Richard Warner
York District 4
Director of Instructional Technology
30 years
Kathy Whitmire
Orchard Park Elementary School
Principal
40 years
Steve Wicker
Mid-Carolina High School
Assistant Principal
37 years
Kim Williams
Lexington School District 1
Director of Human Resources
33 years
Jane Wyatt
Caughman Road Elementary School
Principal
35 years
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR
7
Division Superintendents’ Division
Secondary Principals’ Division
District Superintendents
Principals and assistant principals of high schools
Dr. Russell Booker Spartanburg District 7
Steve Garrett Walhalla High School Oconee County Schools
Middle Level Principals’ Division Principals and assistant principals of middle schools.
Norris Williams Dutchman Creek Middle School York District 3
E
P
Presidents Elementary Principals’ Division
Adult Education Division
Principals and assistant principals of
State, district and school level
elementary schools
directors of adult education
Phillip Jackson Kingsbury Elementary School Sumter County Schools
Christy Henderson Lexington District Two
Career & Technology Education Administrators’ Division District and school-level leaders of career and technology education
Brooks Smith Aiken County Career & Technology Center Aiken County Schools
Division Presidents Continued Education Deans’ Division
Education Specialists’ Division
Higher education deans
Directors of special ed, technology,
and professors
guidance, business, information, etc.
Dr. Lemuel Watson University of South Carolina
Dr. Katinia Davis Richland District 2
Instructional Leaders’ Division
Personnel Division
Assistant and Deputy Superintendents
State and district level
for Instruction and other district
personnel/HR administrators
instructional leaders
Dr. Sheila Quinn York District 2
Bill Briggman Charleston County Schools
Know instantly what she needs. Teachers don’t have a shortage of data; they have a shortage of time. STAR 360™ offers a new performance dashboard that provides comprehensive insight into students’ performance and a clear picture of their needs. Now teachers can spend less time with student data—and more time with students. To learn more, call (800) 338-4204 or visit www.renaissance.com
Just Tell Me Why! How do we get students to believe, other than telling them that it will be on the test, that what we teach is important? By Erik Lowry, Ph.D. Curiosity The three-letter word we humans often ask when we are told to do something is “why?”. Why do we ask why? This short, simple threeletter word is anything but simple. This may be the most complex word in our language. Remember the curious young child who always asked, “But why?” over and over again? Were you one of those kids who wanted to know the answer for everything or why everything was the way it is? Where did that desire go as we grew into adulthood? Perhaps we have simply found the answers to many of our childhood questions, or perhaps we do not have the energy to sustain that level of curiosity, or perhaps it’s a little of both. I propose that we still have this desire, it is simply more refined. As teachers, we have refined the reasons for why we teach topics. These reasons could derive from a common agreement that students must attend school and succeed in school so they can become productive citizens. This makes sense to us as adults, but does it always make sense to students? Are students in elementary or middle school really thinking about how they need to become productive citizens of our society? I would say no, and I would argue that a great way to deal with our students’ desire to know why school is important would be to ensure we share with them the relevance and purpose of the work they must complete in school.
A Need to Know Webster (n.d.) defines relevance as “the relation to the matter at hand” (p.1). Purpose is defined as “the reason something is done or used” (p.1). How does this
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apply to teaching? To answer this question, let’s first focus on human behavior in general. Do humans like doing something because they are forced to do it without knowing why? While many would agree there are somethings in life that have to be done, the answer would be that we normally like to know why we are doing something. Let’s use taxes as an example. We pay taxes because we have to. If we were told that we have to pay taxes, but we will not get to see where the money will be spent, most would be skeptical. We would not be satisfied with the purpose of paying taxes, and it would not be relevant to us. However, when we pay taxes, we generally understand that the money we pay goes for things that sustain/ improve the community and country. I am not saying we always agree with the ways the money is spent or how much we have to pay, but there is generally a purpose given for it and an effort is normally made to make it relevant to us. If this effort of making the tax purposeful and relevant to us was not made, we would most likely argue against it.
Because It Will Be on the Test So, how does this apply to teaching? Kember was one of the authors of a study that interviewed undergraduate students and their motivation in class. Kember et al. (2011) wrote, “the interviewees found that teaching abstract theory alone was demotivating. Relevance could be established through: showing how theory can be applied in practice” (p.1).When I talk with pre-service and in-service teachers about this, most pre-service teachers quickly respond that relevance and purpose is important for a lesson. They say this because this is required to be in their lesson plan
assignments. However, for in-service teachers, relevance and purpose is generally not written in their lesson plans. This is not surprising or necessarily a cause for concern. After all, in-service teachers generally do not have to detail these types of actions in their lesson plans. We can assume in-service teachers know this is important and will include relevance and purpose as a part of their normal teaching routine. Right? Well, my experiences as a former teacher, administrator and parent of three school aged children is that the normal routine does not always include a discussion about how the topic has relevance and purpose for the students. My own children have complained that certain assignments they have to do are meaningless or, as they would say, “a waste of time.” Why do students question some of the assignments they have to do? Are they just being rebellious and that is just the way it is? Could there be other reasons for this that we as teachers could address? I contend that there are ways we can deal with this, but there are obstacles that we must overcome. One obstacle would be that some teachers feel there is not adequate time to cover the material and, at the same time, explain why it is important. With the high stakes testing that occurs at the end of the year, every minute is critical. Another obstacle could be that teachers are simply following their wellestablished routines, which do not include discussions and activities that promote the topic’s relevance and purpose. Being a former middle school math teacher and having had to deal with the pressures of high stakes testing, I can certainly can sympathize and relate to the time pressures that teachers face. While I sympathize and relate to that issue, I would argue that including relevance and purpose discussions/activities could certainly improve student motivation during the lesson. Keller (1987) writes, “Before they can be motivated to learn, they will have to believe that the instruction is related to
personal goals or motives” (p. 1). If you agree that students need to understand how the topics they learn in school are relevant to them, what should we as k-12 teachers and university faculty do? First, we need to determine what the relevance and purpose is for the lesson, don’t we? I have found that this is not always easy. To determine the relevance and purpose, we need to avoid the “Because you have to!” purpose, or the “Because it is on the test!” purpose. These statements are not very motivating to students or adults. Let’s go back to our taxes example. How would we like it if our government officials told us we have to pay taxes because the government said so? I doubt most of us would accept that and we would rebel against that notion. Are our students any different? If we cannot provide genuine relevance and purpose for the work our students are doing, they may also become rebellious.
Building Genuine Relationships So, let’s avoid telling students that it is relevant to their lives because it will be on the test. Let’s focus on going deeper than that and sharing with our students the genuine reasons for why it is important. I admit that this is not always easy. Some topics do not easily lend themselves to genuine relevance and purpose. When this happens to us as teachers and we are not sure about the relevance and purpose for a topic we are teaching, don’t stress about it. Simply ask the students why they think they need to learn the material and how the material is relevant to their lives. This genuine discussion will help build relationships between us and our students. We need to take time to talk with them about why school is important and relevant. This will show our students that we care about what they think. They will appreciate this and will work hard for us, even if they think some assignments are a waste of time. Again, don’t be afraid to be honest with our students and ask them for help in these areas. This genuine honesty will be appreciated by our students. While we may not want to admit it, sometimes the students will have better answers than we do.
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 13
References
About the Author Erik Lowry, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Education Francis Marion University PO Box 100547 Florence, SC 29505 elowry@fmarion.edu 843-661-1523 (phone) 843-661-4647 (Fax) Background: Prior to FMU, I served as an Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources, a Middle School Principal, Assistant Principal, a Middle Level Math teacher and an Elementary Teacher.
Keller, J. (1987, October 1). Strategies for stimulating the motivation to learn. Wiley Online Library. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ pfi.4160260802/abstract Kember, D., Ho, A., & Hong, C. (2011, July 1). The importance of establishing relevance in motivating student learning. The importance of establishing relevance in motivating student learning. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://alh.sagepub.com/content/9/3/249.short Purpose. (n.d.).Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purpose Relevance. (n.d.).Merriam-Webster. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ relevance
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Teaching Viewed Through a Lens By Stephen Driscoll
E
xcellent photography has a great deal in common with excellent teaching. Excellence in photography requires the photographer, the artist, to constantly readjust or alter his shutter speed depending on the movement or placement of the subject. A masterful photographer is comfortable with the depiction of any subject matter, for the artistry is in the ultimate composition, not what is framed within the lens. The photographer who is an artist is constantly experimenting with backdrops, lighting, new techniques, changes in technology, and materials and equipment, all with the notion that perfection in the craft can never be achieved, but that pursuing perfection enhances every portrait, every sitting, every shot. Superior work in photography is separated from the adequate or acceptable work in the field by dint of the effort exerted by the individual behind the camera.
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Quality is the direct result of diligence to the craft and the knowledge that the final product is the culmination of planning, arranging, researching, experimenting, learning from past mistakes, and hours and hours of followup work in a dark room with only the photographer’s imagination and creativity as guides for future projects. To be sure, a superb photo is often the result of a stock formula that works every time in photography. It is no accident. As in every art form, there are certain prescriptive devices that, when followed, yield a consistent product that is recognized as significant and worthwhile within the field. There is a consistency of excellence that the public comes to associate with a studio that marks the photographer with a reputation other photographers can only envy. The true masterpieces of photography, however, are not every day occurrences. They tend to happen when unusual circumstances present
themselves and the photographer is ready to capitalize on his ingenuity and is willing to take a chance on what he believes will be something unique. Ultimately, it is this quest for uniqueness, for the quintessential image on film, which drives the photographer to experiment and challenge the conventional boundaries of his profession. How remarkably similar excellence in teaching is to excellence in photography! The masterful teacher knows when to advance the pace of instruction or slow it down to accommodate the “shutter speed” of the subject. All who pose are comfortable with the teacher of excellence for they know that all students offer the teacher the “blank film” on which to imprint a lasting and positive image. Superior work in teaching, as in photography, is predicated on the artists constantly considering new methods, modalities, and techniques in which to frame the knowledge base, skills, standards, and concepts that are vital to the learning picture. Excellent work in teaching is separated from the passable because of the teacher’s ability to go beyond what is acceptable, to provoke and stimulate learners into picturing new vistas and paradigms to pursue. As in photography, this relentless pursuit of perfection in teaching causes the artist to search and work towards the unique means that will enable him to capture the perfect portfolio. This search may find the artist teacher expanding his own knowledge base or spending many solitary hours with only his imagination and creativity as a guide. It may require a complete rethinking of the process to be used to capture the essence of the objective. It certainly may mean that the excellent teacher may have to stand alone as others within the profession choose to stand still and be satisfied with the routine, the “stock footage” that provides secure comfort levels, but never advance beyond the bounds of the ordinary. The excellent teacher will be constantly readjusting the lens in which he sees his profession, his craft, for he knows not even the landscape remains static in his field. Experimentation, risk-taking, and regard for the total composition of the pictorial, as in photography, will be the characteristics of quality teaching orchestrated by the artist teacher. Portraits endure and have a value that transcends time because they happen to have a quality about them that goes beyond the subject within the frame. Often,
who the person is in a memorable photograph is less important than the emotion, spirit, or essence that was captured on film. The sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square at the end of WWII or the accordion player crying at the funeral of FDR are iconic examples. The photograph assumes a life and reputation of its own, and all who view it recognize it for its technical quality and creative excellence. It establishes itself as a benchmark for others. It is a hallmark. Exceptional teaching certainly has these same attributes. To the student, excellent teachers are memorable, for they allow the learner, all learners, to experience a full range of the senses and make the learning process only coincidental to the teacher. Excellent teaching imbues learning with a life of its own that also transcends time and allows all who take part in the process to appreciate its technical attributes and revel in its creative stimulation. It is fulfilling and the learner emerges with a sense of being, a self-realization that is forever. Excellent teaching becomes the litmus test for how all other instruction is judged and in this instance becomes the actual paragon for all teaching. It changes the learner for all time. Excellent teaching, like a legendary photograph, endures and stands up to the test of time. It serves as a reminder to all who experience it and imparts a lasting image in the mind of the viewer that is forever enriched for having been part of the teaching-learning portrait. Teaching, like photography, must be viewed as an art form. It flourishes with practice, captures the hearts and minds of the creative, has broad popular appeal, and is edified by those who truly care. And like other art forms, it is often taken for granted and underappreciated by the very public it serves. Such is the fate of much art. Its true worth and value only emerges on reflection, and its appreciation is only realized long after the “artist” teacher has completed his work and is no more. Such is life, such is art.
About the Author Steve Driscoll is a former middle and high school teacher who later became a principal. He is currently involved in a number of initiatives within the South Carolina Department of Education as an Education Associate with the Office of School Leadership.
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I Used to Think, but Now I Know… By Lora McKillop
I
used to think that blended learning was a quick mix of instruction and the use of technology like the smart board and a desktop computer program. But now I know it is so much more. It is integrating technology in a way that has never been thought of before now—weaving it seamlessly into daily instruction so that it becomes a part of our students’ daily learning, and giving them the ability to use it to showcase what they know. Technology is only as good as how it is used. It is not an effective way to utilize technology by simply teaching how you’ve always taught while substituting with a new tool. As a classroom teacher, I used tools like Microsoft Photo Story to have students create projects, and I used the smart board to create interactive quizzes. The technology I used enhanced learning in my classroom, but it did not transform it the way it can now, with new tools such as the iPad and programs that have been created in the past three years. These amazing forms of technology are altering our ideas of teaching and learning! Our ultimate goal with technology should be redefinition, allowing our students access for the creation of new tasks. This expands our goals for students and the educational environment we provide for them. When I became an instructional coach I looked at how technology was being used in our building; I had a wider scope than just inside my own classroom walls. Then I began to research how technology could be utilized more effectively. I also received an iPad through the district and began to do my own hand-on learning. In the past three years, I have learned that blended learning is a practice we have begun to put to work, and our students are thriving! Meaningful opportunities for students to use technology that is redefining our educational environment at our school and our learning experiences engage and excite our students on a whole new level. Our instructional coaches and teachers work very hard to brainstorm, collaborate, and plan lessons and units that are redefining teaching and learning. Students are
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using tools and applications such as Socrative, Edmodo, Today’s Meet, QR codes, Subtext, Haiku Deck, Keynote, Educreations, iMovie, and Kahoot, just to name a few. Students are exploring new forms of multimedia to help them dig deeper and participate in cooperative learning, creating products that have never been possible before.
Blended learning allows for more individualized and small group instruction. Students can use technology to work on differentiated material at a self-paced speed or create a product to showcase research or a mastered skill. The use of technology also allows for some students to work on their own while teachers meet with small groups for guided instruction. Students are more engaged and are able to receive real time feedback from the teacher if they are in a small group. Students who are working on a computer or in another small group with an iPad during this time are also participating in valuable and authentic learning. We are noticing that our students are exceling and enthusiastic about learning. Just the other day, I heard a student exclaim, “You can ask me. I am an expert on weather!” Blended learning is not just a focus on the influx of technology; it also supports a more in-depth collaboration between students, students and community members, long distance learning, and partnerships. This year, our school partnered with the Spartanburg Writing
Project, the director of which came and worked with our first grade teachers and students. They crafted lessons to captivate students using a variety of multimedia platforms, books, and technology to teach students how to write in various genres such as narratives and literary non-fiction. They conducted interviews of their peers about what they wanted to be when they grow up and used the iPad to video the interview process and then created a final product of the written interview and illustrations using an app called Life Cards. One of our first grade teachers and our literacy coach are presenting this at the USC Upstate technology symposium. Our third grade students researched and collaborated to learn about different nations and cultures. They were so excited to share what they learned that they had their very own culture fair and then shared their knowledge by preparing lesson plans and teaching first grade classrooms the information. They also did research on civil rights and crafted videos to showcase what they learned. When the class viewed each other’s videos, they took notes so they could give their peers feedback about their video to help them grow as a speaker. Kindergarten invited an arborist to help them discover why a tree on their playground died and turned that wondering into a full-blown, project-based learning experience. Second grade used technology to learn about severe weather and create their very own weather forecasts as a newscaster. Fourth grade assigned specific explorers to groups of students who then conducted research and created video presentations to present to the class. During the presentations, all students that weren’t presenting took notes to learn about each explorer. The students became
the teachers! These are just a few examples of how our students and teachers are embracing technology and blended learning. A new strategy that our teachers were introduced to by our literacy coach and have utilized this year is from the title of this article. Instead of using a KWL they are using the “I used to think, but now I know” concept. This has been so inspiring. As I walk down the hallways and see masterpieces that display those words, I stop to read how our students’ thinking has changed over the course of learning. I am truly amazed. Blended learning has allowed our students to change their thinking more than ever before. They are becoming 21st century learners! We still have room to grow to improve our model of blended learning and maximize every outlet possible, but we are on the move. It is a blessing to work in a field where I have the opportunity to learn something new every day.
About the Author Lora McKillop 105 Pinebrook Dr. Boiling Springs, SC 29316 864-809-5263 Assistant Principal, Carlisle-Foster’s Grove Elementary, Spartanburg District 2 I have been in the field of education for twelve years. I have taught in the classroom, been an instructional coach, and am currently an administrator.
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Bridging STEM and Literacy with Mobile Learning By Terrie R. Dew
Mobile devices permeate our lives. Whether it is the doctor diagnosing patients and recording notes on medical charts kept on his iPad, the toddler mesmerized by an app to learn the alphabet during a long airplane flight, or the teens sitting together in a room communicating through texting, mobile devices are standard gear for today’s society. How might teachers capitalize on this fast growing and readily available technology to support student learning?
A
s technology improves, education is modifying to find ways to best use available technologies to support learning. Schools are using portable learning devices (such as iPads, laptops, tablet PCs, PDAs, and smartphones) along with wireless networks to extend the teaching and learning done in traditional classrooms. Mobile learning provides new avenues for interaction between students and teachers, as well as opportunities to connect with learners across the world.
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According to the Horizon 2013 Technology Outlook for STEM Education report, mobile learning allows “scientists to share their findings,” provides “students with learning experiences and practice activities,” and allows students to “do field work, create rich media, collect and analyze data for experiments.” In 2012, 87 teachers in ten middle schools across the state of South Carolina launched an experiment to enhance their mathematics and science teaching with disciplinary literacy strategies. As participants in the Inquiring Minds: Reading to Learn and Innovate in Mathematics and Science (IQ-MS) research project, they have focused on incorporating purposeful reading, meaningful writing, and productive dialogue into their daily classroom instruction. Through the support of district-based technology initiatives, teachers in several IQ-MS project schools have found innovative ways to bridge STEM and literacy with mobile learning. In these classrooms, students use tablets, iPads, and smartphones
to research information for the mathematics and science topics of the day, record their thinking through apps that capture written work as well as dialogue, and email the results to their teachers. The innovative teachers at the IQ-MS project middle schools are not only fusing literacy into their STEM instruction, but also are experimenting with engaging tomorrow’s learners with the world through available mobile technologies.
Disciplinary Literacy in the STEM Classroom Although disciplinary literacy has increased in stature since the adoption of the Common Core State Standards in 2010, effective mathematics and science educators have long known that processing content through literacy strategies increases student conceptual understanding and engagement. Disciplinary literacy is defined by Shanahan and Shanahan (2008) as advanced literacy instruction embedded within content areas. This sort of instruction engages learners with content in ways that mirror what scientists and mathematicians do to inquire and gain understanding in their disciplines. The ability to read purposefully, engage in productive dialogue, and write in meaningful ways is essential to make sense of the complexities of the disciplines (Beauchamp & McCallum, 2010).
The SAMR Model of Technology Integration The SAMR (Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition) model was designed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura (2009) to help educators integrate technology into classroom experiences. According to the SAMR model, there are four types of technology integration that happen in the classroom. Substitution and augmentation, identified as “enhancements” to instruction, replace instruction with technology but do not significantly change the task provided to students. When technology is used as a “substitution,” there is no functional change in the task, and the technology is used as a direct substitute for non-technology based tasks. For example, when a teacher uses a Smartboard to project a PowerPoint of notes and information that would have been written on the board in the past, the teacher is at the substitution level of technology integration. Likewise, when students access online textbooks to read content and take notes or do exercises on paper, they are experiencing technology integration at the substitution level. One question to determine whether your technology integration is at the substitution level is, “Could this task be done without technology?”.
When classroom tasks are at the augmentation level, technology also serves as a direct substitute (as in the substitution level) but with functional improvement. For example, the teacher in the previous example may integrate video, graphics, etc. into the PowerPoint to augment instruction with technology. Students with online textbooks may use note-taking apps to highlight and make notes directly on the provided text. Using a word processor with spell check is also an example of augmentation with technology. The other two types of technology integration, modification and redefinition, are identified by Puentedura as “transformations” to instruction. At these levels, the original tasks are transformed by the technology in the classroom. At the modification level, the task is significantly redesigned to increase student learning. For example, students may create collaborative notes based on their reading instead of individual notes, or provide peer feedback through online sharing and discussion. Instructional tasks at the redefinition level allow students to learn in ways that were previously inconceivable without technology. For example, students may create multimedia projects to demonstrate their learning, or collaborate with students in other schools using Skype or Google hangouts. According to Becky Hinson, instructional coach at Green Sea Floyds Middle School in Horry County, “Our teachers have participated in extensive professional development this year with our district Digital Integration Specialist to move beyond the Substitution / Augmentation stages in our implementation of Personalized Digital Learning. While there is a place for each level of the model, only when the Modification and Redefinition stages are included does the technology become a powerful learning tool. We have students who have created digital portfolios in iMovie. The students collected their work from January (when the devices were issued) to the end of school, edited their work, and added voice-over descriptions. The students say that they are willing to invest more time and effort in a project when they know that the work will have an audience beyond their classroom teacher.“
Substitution: Using Tablet PCs to Understand Mathematics Vocabulary At the Middle School of Pacolet in Spartanburg School District 3 in Spartanburg, SC, IQ-MS research project teachers are integrating STEM and literacy with the
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support of the district’s 1:1 tablet PC initiative. Algebra teacher Casey Davis uses concept mapping to assess student understanding of mathematics vocabulary, as well as to help students connect vocabulary terms together. Concept maps show relationships between ideas or concepts, and the connections made help students remember vocabulary terms more readily than when words are taught in isolation. Recently, Mrs. Davis has been innovating her use of concept mapping by integrating the tablet PC into her students’ vocabulary work through an online concept mapping tool developed by Northwest Missouri State University. (http://www.nwmissouri.edu/library/courses/ research/conceptMap.html). Effective use of tools like this one, developed by educators in other states and countries, is possible because of Mrs. Davis’ access to mobile learning tools. Each student in her classroom has access to a tablet PC and is able to create their own online concept map for the vocabulary being studied in mathematics class.
peer reviewer using Google Docs and Google Drive for feedback. According to Mrs. Liddle, “Allowing students to research reliable sources through online journal collections has proven to increase their interest and motivation. These students are being allowed to develop their own ideas based on expert theories and the data that is provided by research. Through this assignment, our 8th graders gained exposure to professional scientific writing examples, and began to develop the skills necessary for understanding and communicating in a manner that demonstrates understanding, a skill required by the anchor standards of the Common Core. It was wonderful to see students grow as readersand writers, and gain knowledge of theory through the process of the assignment.”
Augmentation and Modification: Using Google Tools to Explore Scientific Theories At Sandhills Middle School in Lexington School District 4 in Swansea, SC, Denise Liddle utilizes a variety of Google tools to support the integration of STEM and literacy in her classroom. According to IQ-MS support specialist Margaret Lorimer, her use of Chrome Books, Google Docs, and Google Drive allowed for differentiated learning for the approximately 140 eighth grade students in Mrs. Liddle’s classroom as they studied theories that surround the mass extinction of dinosaurs. Mobile learning provides students Students in Casey Davis’s mathematics class at the Middle School of Pacolet access to the most recent scientific thinking publicly share their learning on Titanpad. around the topic of study and affords students opportunities for in-the-moment peer feedback on the work they are doing. Augmentation and Modification: Using Tablet For the project, titled “Dino Debate,” students were PCs for Collaborative Learning provided with two current theories regarding the mass At the Middle School of Pacolet in Spartanburg School extinction of dinosaurs. Students selected one of the District 3, mathematics and science teachers seek creative two theories and used Internet sources to research ways to encourage collaboration among students. their selected theory. Each student developed a written Math teacher Casey Davis uses Titanpad for students argument based on the evidence found during their to share their Most Important Points from the lesson. research and recorded their written arguments using Most Important Point (MIP) is a meaningful writing Chrome Books. Each student’s written, evidencestrategy used at the end of a lesson to quickly assess based paper was shared with the teacher and with a
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student understanding of a topic. By using TitanPad to collect student MIPs, Mrs. Davis is able to quickly assess understanding, as well as provide students an opportunity to learn from the learning of others in the classroom. Science teacher Angie Greer recently used student tablet PCs to pre-assess student understanding through Agree/Disagree Statements. Agree/Disagree Statements, which are used as a pre-learning or prereading activity to activate thinking about a topic and support purposeful reading. Students are provided with several fact-based statements and select whether they agree with the statement or disagree with the statement. After this pre-assessment, students in Mrs. Greer’s classroom used their tablet PCs to research each statement and compare their initial thinking to evidence collected online. Students post learning from the lesson on the class Edmodo page in the form of “I used to think… but now I know” statements. I used to think…but now I know is a meaningful writing strategy that requires students to analyze their knowledge before and after a lesson and write a comparative statement to formalize which parts of the lesson have been new learning for them.
what students are learning and applying. Application of concepts, via playlists of approved sites, have allowed my students to work at their own pace and for their specific need, while gaining real-world connections. The application and differentiation possibilities are endless.”
Modification and Redefinition:Using iPads to Support Writing and Dialogue in Mathematics and Science At Green Sea Floyds Middle-High School in Horry County Schools in Green Sea, SC, mathematics and science teachers are embracing the use of iPads provided through the district’s 1:1 initiative to support instruction in their classrooms. According to Kim Poston, IQMS Support Specialist, the school’s goal is “to become paperless” with student work submitted through mobile technology, graded by the teacher, and returned electronically. Using iPads, students in all mathematics and science classrooms are engaging in meaningful writing. Formative assessments that used to be collected on slips of paper as “tickets out the door” are now submitted to teachers via Edmodo or email. Students use iPads to research information about mathematics and science content for use in project-based tasks and assessments. In Derek Martin’s mathematics classroom, he begins class by alerting students to the class Edmodo page for their “problem of the day.” Students collaborate to solve the problem, using mobile tools to research as needed. At the end of class, students use apps such as ShowMe or Educreations to record their explanations for their solution using video and audio. At the end of class, students either post their work on the class Edmodo page or email their work directly to Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin is able to provide feedback to students via technology, as well as both hear and see student thinking in the recorded work and explanations.
Students in Angie Greer’s science class at the Middle School of Pacolet record I Used to Think…But Now I Know statements on the class Edmodo page.
According to Cathy Ward, seventh grade mathematics teacher at the Middle School of Pacolet, “The 1:1 mobile learning initiative provides a remarkable bridge between
Supporting Classroom Integration of Mobile Technology
Administrative support for the use of mobile technology in the classroom is vital to the success of teacher modifications to instruction. One common challenge for teachers as they integrate mobile learning into their instruction is the ability to design authentic learning opportunities. A second challenge for
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A student in Derek Martin’s mathematics class at Green Sea Floyds Middle School uses an iPad to record his thinking about the problem of the day.
teachers is the need to redefine their role as “teacher” in the classroom. In a classroom embracing mobile technology, the teacher’s role transitions from the “keeper of knowledge” to the “facilitator of learning.” Wholegroup professional development and on-site instructional coaching provide support for teachers as they transition to instructional facilitators in the mathematics and science classrooms. A critical challenge with 1:1 initiatives in the classroom is student responsibility for their issued tablet PCs and iPads. For example, students often arrive at school without their tablet PC or iPad (similar to arriving without a textbook!), or forget to recharge their mobile device. In addition, adequate wireless bandwidth during online activities is also a growing concern for these schools. At Green Sea Floyds Middle School, teachers and administrators have addressed this issue by collecting student iPads at the end of each day and storing them on school-based charging stations in each homeroom, instead
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of students taking tablets home to recharge. By keeping iPads on school property to recharge each evening, teachers may be confident that each student will have access to an iPad for instruction each day.
Conclusion
Teachers in the IQ-MS Research Project are innovating mathematics and science instruction through purposeful reading, meaningful writing, and productive dialogue. These pioneers are also finding ways to effectively use mobile technology to support student learning in their classrooms. According to external evaluator Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS), “Based on collection and analysis of data from a wide range of measures, the IQ-MS has been shown to be exerting a greater than expected impact on reform-based classroom practice in math and science classrooms of treatment schools after one year. This promising evidence serves as incentive to continue the efforts of the IQ-MS
leadership in supporting instructional practices that foster engagement of students in purposeful reading, meaningful writing, and productive dialogue.” Through the collaborative support of district administration, school administration, and the S2TEM Centers SC, educators in the ten IQ-MS research sites are making a difference for student learning.
References Beauchamp, A. & McCallum, R. (2010, July). Planning instruction that will result in increased proficiency in science: A framework for understanding the role that academic language, critical thinking and language play in science classrooms. Session presented at summer leadership institute of the National Science Educators Leadership Association, Flagstaff, AZ. Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Martín, S (2013). Technology Outlook for STEM+ Education 2013-2018: An NMC Horizon Project Sector Analysis. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium. Shanahan, T. and Shanahan, C. (2008). Teaching Disciplinary Literacy to Adolescents: Rethinking Content Area Literacy. Harvard Educational Review, Vol 78, pp. 40-59. Puentedura, R.(2009). As We May Teach: Educational Technology, From Theory Into Practice (online). https:// itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/as-we-may-teach-educational/ id380294705?mt=10 [accessed 05 May 2014]
About the IQ-MS Project
research project designed to measure the impact of disciplinary literacy on mathematics and science instruction. The Inquiring Minds: Reading to Learn and Innovate in Mathematics and Science research project is made possible by a grant from Boeing South Carolina, with matching funding from BMW Manufacturing Co. and the state of South Carolina. For more information about the IQ-MS project, please visit www.s2temsc.org/ researchprojects. The author thanks the teachers, schools, and districts participating in the IQ-MS Research Project for providing the examples shared in the article, as well as the S2TEM Centers SC staff for their support.
About the Author Terrie R. Dew 820 Groce Meadow Road Taylors, SC 29687 864-414-3575 Education Specialist, S2TEM Centers SC Terrie Dew is a former high school mathematics teacher and is national board certified in Adolescent and Young Adulthood Mathematics. Terrie Dew has worked for S2TEM Centers SC since 2001 and is currently the project manager for the IQ-MS Research Project, as well as a training associate for the Center for Cognitive Coaching.
Inquiring Minds: Reading to Learn and Innovate in Mathematics and Science (IQ-MS) is a three-year
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Using Social Media and Technology to Prepare the Next Generation Learner for Testing By Kevin M. Cox, Ed.S.
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ike most high schools, Broome High School is looking for tools and strategies to help our students on the High School Assessment Program (HSAP) test. Our current 1:1 mobile technology initiative, along with test prep and other educational computer programs, allows us a unique way to enhance the students’ preparation for the test. The goals of this project were to: • Engage our students and prepare them for the HSAP test. • Provide feedback to the faculty on standards and indicators in which the students were struggling. • Improve our passing rate for first-time participants. In the spring of 2013 as part of our Technology Transforming Teaching (T3) initiative , all teachers at Broome High School received a Dell Ultrabook. During the summer of 2013, teachers participated in 20-30 hours of staff development regarding integrating mobile technology into the curriculum. In the fall of 2013, students were issued a Dell Latitude 10 tablet. These tablets were to be incorporated into the daily lives of our teachers and students. After one semester with the Dell Latitude 10, a decision was made to switch to the Dell Venue 11 Pro, the major difference between the two being that the Venue 11 Pro had a detachable keyboard. In the fall of 2013, Broome High School also purchased a subscription to “USATestprep.” This web-based service provides test prep in many areas. According to the company’s website, “USATestprep, Inc. is recognized as a leader in online review for high school, middle school, and elementary standardized testing.” This system allowed BHS to provide practice tied to standards and indicators in multiple areas. The area in which I specifically focused was the HSAP. USATestprep provided practice opportunities tied to the standards and indicators for English/Language Arts and mathematics. Another tool widely in use is “Edmodo,” web-based application that allows students and teachers to stay connected. It is a secure, manageable networking site that allows students and teachers to collaborate. Based on our HSAP scores, I was looking for a school-wide, systematic initiative to engage the first-time
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sophomores in reviewing for the test. As you can see from chart 1, our HSAP scores for students passing both subtests, while on the rise, could be better. Taking a cue from the popular Suzanne Collins novel “The Hunger Games,” I devised the BHS “HSAP Hunger Games.” The rules of the games were: • For 10 weeks students would have access to a ten-
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question quiz which related to a standard covered on the HSAP test. Five weeks were assigned for English/Language Arts. Five weeks were assigned for mathematics. The weeks would alternate. The first week was English/Language Arts; the second week was mathematics, and this patter repeated for the duration. Monday of each week a new assignment was posted in USATestprep. Students had to be in a 10th grade C.E.C.I.L (Centurions Encouraging Centurions In Learning). Students had to be first time HSAP participants, except if students were in a 10th grade C.E.C.I.L. and had not passed a specific part of the HSAP. Students in this category could participate during those specific weeks. For example, if a student had not passed the English/Language Arts
subtest, that student could participate during the 5 weeks of ELA review. • Students had three days to complete the assignment. • Students scoring 80% or better would have their names entered into the drawing for the prizes. • For each 10% above 80% students would have their names entered multiple times (90% would equal three entries and 100% would equal five entries). • If a student did not score 80% or better, that student was offered an additional assignment. If the additional assignment was completed, the score for the week was adjusted to 80% and the student’s name entered into the drawing. • Students could only win once. Unlike the setup in the “Hunger Games,” students were encouraged to do their best to have multiple entries into the drawing. The incentives for participating were: 1. Gaining practice before the test. 2. Increasing the chances of passing both parts on the first attempt. 3. Winning one of the prizes. The prizes offered were Ultimate Movie Pack, purchased from Regal Cinemas. The Ultimate Movie Pack included two tickets and a $10.00 concessions gift card. Prior to the beginning of the “games,” the “class” was created in USA Testprep. This required a list of tenth grade students who would be first-time test takers and a list of tenth grade students who needed to pass one subtest. As you can see from figure 1, to create a class one simply clicks the “create a class” link. Next, the class must be named. The name chosen was “HSAP Games.” The class must be associated with a particular test. In this case, both the HSAP English/ Language Arts test and mathematics test were chosen.
Figure 1
Step three involved adding the students to the class. USATestprep contained a roster of all our students. From the tenth grade rosters, the eligible students were added to the class.
Figure 2
The next step was to create the assignments. Ten assignments were created. Assignments were named based on the test, either English/Language Arts or mathematics. All assignments were labeled as practice. All assignments were questions to give the students practice with answering HSAP questions. Other options could include vocabulary assignments, crossword puzzles, or skill work. All answers were multiple-choice. Other options could have been short answer or free response. The difficulty level for each question was selected to be random. Other options would have been beginner or advanced. The choice to randomize the difficulty allowed for all students to have success and be challenged. No question set was too hard or too easy for the group. The standard chosen reflected the English/ Language Arts standards. These standards are: • Reading: Understanding and Using Literary Texts. • Reading: Understanding and Using Informational Texts. • Reading: Building Vocabulary. • Writing: Developing Written Communication. • Research: Applying the Skills of Inquiry and Oral Communication. For each standard, the practice included questions from “All Indicators Within Standard.” Figure 3 shows the set up page for the first ELA standard: “Reading: Understanding and Using Literary Texts.” Next, a start date and an end date for each assignment was entered. The start date was the Monday of the week and the end date was the Wednesday of the week. Each student was allowed one attempt, although
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Figure 3
this could be set to allow for multiple attempts. No minimum score was required based on the rules of the game. If students did not meet the 80% threshold, they were given another assignment. Students were not allowed to retest missed questions. Figure 4 shows the setup for this step. All ten assignments were created at one time. This step took approximately one and a half hours. Once the students were placed in the class and the assignments created, it was time for the “reaping.” All tenth grade
a code, which they could use to join the group. By joining the group, the students had access to teachers who also joined the group and could answer specific questions. The students were able to receive feedback from each practice. Each student who scored below 80% was given individualized feedback on the questions they missed. As USATestprep provided explanations for all missed questions, these were copied and sent to the student. Students would receive feedback on each question missed. The feedback could be sent via Edmodo to the student as an attachment. This made communication with each student very easy. In addition, if the student did not receive 80% or better, along with the feedback, they were notified that their alternate assignment was ready. The typical message to the student would read: “Your week two score has been received. As it was below 80% an alternate assignment has been created in USATestprep. Once this assignment is completed, your week two score will be adjusted and your name entered into the drawing. An explanation to the questions missed is attached. ‘Good luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.’” Edmodo also allowed for the posting of additional examples. If all students were struggling with a particular indicator, a question specific to that indicator was posted for the group to see. This post would also include the correct answer and the accompanying explanation. Figure 5 shows an example of this. For the alternate assignment, an item analysis was completed on the practice. If a student missed questions that dealt with predominately one indicator, their alternate assignment would be based on only that
Figure 4
C.E.C.I.L. groups were invited to the auditorium. There they were presented with the rules of the games and invited to participate. This was purely voluntary as the students had to do these assignments outside of class, although several teachers did allow students class time to work on the assignments. Students were given their login identification and password for the USATestprep site. In addition to creating the class in USATestprep, a group was created in Edmodo. The students were given
28 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
Figure 5
indicator. This gave the student practice in the areas in which they had the most difficulty. Using USATestprep allowed each student to receive differentiated assignments geared to the area in which they needed the most practice. For the additional assignments students were allowed to have multiple tries at answering the questions as this
Week eight’s standard was Measurement and Geometry – Problem solving. The indicators missed, in order from highest to lowest were— (5.b) Volume and surface area – Use formulas to find volume and surface area of 3 – dimensional objects (e.g., prisms, pyramids, cylinders) (5.a) Perimeter and area – Find the perimeter and area of 2 dimensional figures (5.e) units of measure – Convert and use appropriate units of measure (customary and metric) (5.c) Volume of irregular figures – approximate and find volumes and areas for irregular figures (5.d) dimensional analysis – Use dimensional analysis to convert units and check measurement computations. Figure 6 - Kevin Cox
was to provide additional practice outside the rules of the game. Not only was feedback provided to the students, feedback was also provided to the teachers in the English and math departments. Each week the indicators were rank-ordered from most missed to least missed. This information was then shared with the teacher. Figure 6 shows the information the math department received concerning week eight. Preparing all the questions, setting up the classes, looking at the results, and providing feedback was administered by one person. While this seems like an overwhelming burden, it was manageable as only 20% of the class participated. If more had participated, it would be very easy to share responsibilities with others. USATestprep allow for more than one teacher to have access to the information. As HSAP scores will not be received until summer, the conclusion about this project’s effectiveness, in terms of scores, will not be known. As the State of South Carolina no longer requires the HSAP for high school graduation, ways are being looked at to adapt this project in the
future. This project may be adapted to help students with end-of-course exams or with college entrance exams. The key to the success of this project, besides the technology, was a willingness to step up and make this project happen.
About the Author Kevin M. Cox, Ed.S. 208 Thornhill Drive Spartanburg, SC 29301 Present professional position: Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, Gettys D. Broome High School Bachelor of Science –Biology USC, Upstate; M.Ed. and Ed.S., Converse College, Graduate work at Clemson University. 24 years of experience.
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 29
Serving the SC K-12 market with quality ID systems and excellent service since 1981
Creating a Safer Campus Through Anonymous Alerts By David Riegel
Irmo High School unveiled and piloted a new application that allows students to anonymously report trouble and bullying on campus.
E
arlier this year, a fight between two senior girls broke out right in front of the main entrance of my school. Because my office is closest to the front entrance, I was called to the scene and I raced out the front doors. To my dismay, I found the two screaming girls separated by a parent who had arrived on the scene as she was visiting our attendance office. Later we discovered that the girls had been arguing with one another throughout the day. These young ladies created an embarrassing disruption right on the front porch of our house… but what was worse was that these two senior students with good grades and no discipline history to speak of were about to be suspended for a fight that could have been avoided had any adult in the building been aware that trouble was brewing.
32 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
After this incident, I felt helpless, as many school leaders do in the aftermath of fights. I asked myself, where had we gone wrong as a school, and how could we have prevented this? To get some answers, I formed a group of students and staff to advise me on how we could work together proactively to prevent fights, bullying, and confrontations on our campus, so that we could create an atmosphere of peace and respect while also keeping our kids in school and away from expulsion hearings. With some staff volunteers, we put together a task force and called it the Conflict Avoidance Group (CAG). After they met for the first time, they came to me with a technological solution. The group’s staff leader, Christine Caldwell, had found an app called Anonymous Alerts that the group felt students would embrace as a way to prevent problems. I was intrigued by her suggestion, and,
together with our Technology Integration Specialist Heather Boudreaux, we began to investigate and learn more about this product. Since our district was implementing one-to-one technology with studentissued iPads, using an app was a natural fit. In a thirty-minute video call with founder and president Greg Bender, my administrative team and I began to learn how Anonymous Alerts works. Using a school code we would provide the students, they would download the app from the app store onto their schoolissued iPad Minis. Once the app was downloaded, students could use it to anonymously report trouble of any kind:bullying, cyberbullying, theft, harm to self, potential fights, or any other kind of trouble we could think of. Users would use a series of drop-down menus in which they would identify themselves as student, parent, staff, or other user. They would identify the kind of trouble they were reporting and to whom they wanted the alert to be sent to: SROs, administration, guidance, or all of the above. They also identified where it took place. Finally there was a text box for the user to describe the problem. The app also gave users the option to receive a reply. Anonymous Alerts forwarded the response on to the user, so that anonymity was maintained for the student user of the app. We also learned to our delight that we would be the first school in South Carolina to use Anonymous Alerts. Since we pride ourselves on being leaders and innovators, this was a tremendous benefit! As a school, we had the ability to customize the drop-down menus and options. For example, one of the Anonymous Alerts default “trouble” options was “bomb threat”. My team decided to remove this option, since we didn’t want students using the app to make a bomb threat! After a little discussion, we decided on customizations that were appropriate for Irmo High School. We also configured the program to send an email to all counselors, SROs, and administrators, as well as a text message to those of us with district cell phones. As principal, my phone receives a text message every time a student in my building uses Anonymous Alerts to report trouble… within a matter of moments from the user’s initial report, I can make sure that someone on my staff is responding. That is powerful, and responsive. Since it was late February we decided that the timing was perfect to pilot the app for the last two or three months of school and see how it worked. Once again, we went back to our Conflict Avoidance Group for suggestions on how we could roll the app out and explain it to students. They suggested we pull classes into the media
center and help students download the app, and train them how to use it. They also said that it would work best if students from our CAG led the demonstrations themselves. Once we had put together a schedule and taken care of the paperwork to pay for the product, we were ready to go. In late March/early April our students started coming in one or two classes at a time to download the app and receive training on its use. Our CAG students led the training themselves, uniformed in special t-shirts that we purchased for them. The student leaders explained how the app would work, how to load it on the iPad or the students’ own phones, and how the app would make our school safer. On the school end, our APs and SROs were trained in the software’s management and use. For us, each alert was charted in a spreadsheet where an AP or SRO could make notes on the outcome of the investigation and flag it as closed once they were done. This allowed our staff to keep track of our data and our follow up on the incidents. They also learned how to reply to the anonymous sender in order to get more information or to follow up. Also, we worked with our tech department to make sure that the web version of Anonymous Alerts was present on our school website. This allowed parents to be users of the service also, or anyone who needed to make a report without having their iPad available. So how did it go? Initially, some students thought it was fun to make silly reports. And some were pretty outrageous. “I saw Mr. Riegel bringing a nuclear bomb to school.” Students were so anxious to use the new technology, whether they
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 33
appeared to be some students milling around waiting for a fight to get started... But it never did, thanks to the tip we had received. It wasn’t long before word spread about what we were doing for our students. All three local TV stations in the Midlands were out at Irmo High School to do stories on the Anonymous Alerts app. Our student body president,Olivia Stokes, also a member of the Conflict Avoidance Group, was a magnificent spokesperson for our school, explaining on camera why our school was doing this, and why students supported it. We had flipped the story from fights on the front step of our school to how Irmo was making students safer through innovative solutions. By the end of the school year, the app had shown its value. The reports we were able to generate showed that bullying and cyberbullying were the number one problems reported. That was followed by the catch-all category of “other,” followed by fighting. Figure 1 illustrates the variety of trouble concerns that were reported via the app. This chart also illustrates the range of incidents that the app was programmed into our drop down menus. Once the novelty wore off, most of the alerts we received were legitimate and actionable. Figure 2 shows the number of reports that were deemed legitimate by our staff who investigated. What did we learn during the end-of-the-year pilot?
had trouble to report or not, they just made things up! This lasted for a few days and then started to die down. By the end of the school year, our internal statistics showed that 79% of the reports we received were credible. Within a matter of days, we had reports that were actionable. In the first week, we had a report of a student doing harm to herself, which was investigated, and parents were notified. We also had a report of a student carrying marijuana—a report which turned out to be true and led to disciplinary action. Significantly, we had a report of a weapon (a knife) in a student’s possession. Again, this turned out to be accurate. We were happy to see some immediate results from the student use of the product. We also discovered a quiet, deeply troubled student who had been making extremely violent threats via Twitter. Thanks to the tip from a student using Anonymous Alerts, we were able to notify his parents and get him some help, while also ensuring the safety of the rest of our student body. Since our goal was to prevent fights, we were really anxious to see results on that front, and we were able to prevent at least two potential fights as a result of the app. In one case, the names of two students were reported, and administrators were able to call them in to prevent trouble. In another case, we were alerted that a fight was planned for the student parking lot after school. Again, our administrative team and SROs were able to respond and get to the Students Olivia Stokes, Kyle Outlaw, and Brianna Brown explain how to use scene immediately. Sure enough, there Anonymous Alerts.
34 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
First of all, we found that having students lead the training sessions was critical. Our students were able to explain in their own words that Anonymous Alerts was not a “snitch app,” and that the point was not to get anyone in trouble but to keep our school safe. We also learned not to stress out about the false reports. If we investigated and a report turned out to be false, it wasn’t a big deal. It is better to be safe than sorry. Another unanticipated problem with the reports is that students were often not clear in explaining the problem. When we release the app next school year, we will have lessons on specificity. The app unveiled a problem with our students’ writing ability! They were vague about the problem at times, saying things like “I’m being bullied on the bus,” without any information about the perpetrators Principal David Riegel is interviewed by WACH-TV about Anonymous Alerts. or bus number. Next year, we will train students on how to write an effective and actionable alert. important data related to school climate. For these Although we have only piloted Anonymous Alerts, reasons we will continue to use Anonymous Alerts for the we feel that it has already had an impact on our school benefits it brings to our students, parents and teachers. climate. It sends the message to students that we care enough to provide them a safe way to report trouble, and About the Author that our staff will respond quickly and appropriately to David Riegel, Principal, Irmo High School, School student concerns. Bullying and fighting in schools are District 5 of Lexington and Richland Counties. Mr. Riegel not likely to go away. But at Irmo, we know that we have is a veteran school administrator who is completing his a quick and effective means of addressing these issues first year at Irmo High School. He has presented at as soon as they are reported. Also, we know that we various conferences on student intervention systems and now have a centralized way of collecting and managing adolescent literacy.
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 35
Celebrating
SOUTH CAROLINA’S
Finest Schools CAMDEN HIGH SCHOOL – KERSHAW COUNTY SCHOOLS DANIEL MATTHEWS, PRINCIPAL
Camden High is located in Camden, the state’s oldest inland city, and serves over 900 students. The philosophy behind the school’s motto, Commitment to Excellence, resonates in the classroom, on the athletic fields, and for extracurricular activities. Test scores are at an alltime high. The 2013-2014 school year was replete with successful events. In September 2013, MaxPreps, the national online sports network, selected their Rivalry Week game to highlight. Rivalry Week culminates with the unveiling of the amount of money that the two competing schools raise in one week. Camden raised over $22,000 in 2013 which was the largest amount ever. The volleyball program raised over $3,000 during its October 2013 Dig Pink event. WIS-TV selected Camden High as a “Cool School.” In the past five years, Camden High has donated over $100,000 and 5,000 service hours to various charities. The “One Team, One Town, One Goal” permeates within the school and throughout the community.
36 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
FORESTBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL – HORRY COUNTY SCHOOLS APRIL SCOTT, PRINCIPAL
Excellence, Everyday, Everywhere is the mantra of Forestbrook Middle School, a premier middle school nestled just off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC. Forestbrook nurtures over 1100 students in grades 6-8 and takes pride in offering rigorous curriculum, innovative technology, and diverse opportunities for students outside of the classroom. Forestbrook Middle has earned the Palmetto Gold Award for the past three years and ranked #1 in Schools Like Us for the past two years. Forestbrook Middle strives for excellence in all aspects of school and community by using the tools and strategies available to monitor student growth and progress. Teachers design engaging lessons that incorporate technology and focus on formal and informal data to cultivate individual students’ talents and highlight excellence. The students of Forestbrook Middle School excel as learners, leaders, athletes, scholars, and above all, well-rounded, productive citizens ready to meet the challenges of an ever-changing global society.
MIDLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – HORRY COUNTY SCHOOLS JENNIFER PARKER, PRINCIPAL
Midland Elementary School serves 547 children. Success for each child is planted in a student centered, data driven, and technology supported curriculum. Like the Palmetto tree, students are encouraged to be flexible when challenges come their way and to flourish wherever they are planted. Students have the opportunity to grow as Midland Master Minds in the areas of photography, videography, animation, drama, chess, and book publishing. Academic growth occurs through literacy workstations, digital learning, and differentiated instruction. Through brain-compatible opportunities for learning and high expectations, every child is inspired to bloom in the areas of personal, social, and academic skills. Students are encouraged to take responsibility of their learning through the use of data notebooks in which every child charts their personal academic growth and sets goals for future growth. Midland Elementary is a National Blue Ribbon School, Palmetto Silver and Gold Recipient, and Closing the Achievement Gap Winner.
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 37
OKATIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – BEAUFORT COUNTY SCHOOLS JAMIE PINCKNEY, PRINCIPAL
Nestled along the banks of the Okatie River between the towns of Bluffton and Beaufort, Okatie Elementary enrolls 620 students in grades Pre-K – 5 and provides a wealth of opportunities to connect curriculum to the real world, enriching the instructional process. The school’s vision is to meet the educational needs of all students, removing barriers and challenging students to reach their personal best. Okatie thrives on best practices, ensuring student progress and success. As students “spread their wings and learn new things,” they internalize a rigorous curriculum and the core values of respect and responsibility. Students make continuous gains in achievement and growth through authentic learning, standards-based curriculum, and dedicated staff. The safe, nurturing environment encourages students to achieve their fullest potential. Okatie Elementary, a National Blue Ribbon School, Red Carpet School, Exemplary Writing School, and Palmetto Silver and Gold Recipient, certainly showcases excellence in education in the Palmetto State.
FAIRFIELD MAGNET SCHOOL FOR MATH AND SCIENCE - FAIRFIELD COUNTY SCHOOLS S. GALE WHITFIELD, PRINCIPAL Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science serves 359 students in grades Pre-K-6. The school’s vision is “Opening Minds through Academics and the Arts” and their theme is “Full SteAm Ahead”. To ensure that their students are prepared for life; administrators, teachers, and staff work diligently to ensure that their curriculum and instructional practices meet the needs of all students. Teachers integrate science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math into all curriculum areas. As a result, students are provided more opportunities with technology, hands-on activities, real life applications, and active learning. Students have the opportunity to participate in dance, band, orchestra, Spanish, Beta Club, STEAM day (clubs), chorus, and the Morning News Show. Students also have the opportunity to visit the math lab, science lab, computer lab, and Smart Room throughout the week. Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science has been a Palmetto Gold school for two consecutive years.
38 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL WINTER 2014 2014
SCASA members, get with our programs
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LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT Lifetime Achievement Award
Reggie Dean Mr. Reggie Dean has been a positive force for public education for over forty years. He has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and district staff member. Mr. Dean is known throughout South Carolina and the nation as a man of tremendous integrity and honor. His calm, collaborative and compassionate approach to problem solving has helped prevent or resolve many problems. As a principal, the schools he led received Palmetto Gold and Silver Awards and Red Carpet School. He has been honored with many awards for his service including South Carolina Principal of the Year in 2003-04. Mr. Dean’s impact has been felt far beyond the schoolhouse as a valued servant on many boards and committees focused on public education success. These include president of the Secondary Principals’ Division of SCASA, president of the SC Athletic Directors 3-A Schools and member of both the SCASA Board and SC High School League Executive Board. Despite all the accolades and significant achievements in his lifetime of service, when asked his most significant accomplishment he simply says, “making a positive difference for kids” and adds “if I have done that I have been a success.”
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Connie Long Dr. Connie Long is a true professional who has used her skills and talents to benefit numerous educational organizations across South Carolina. She began her career as an elementary school teacher and later served as a principal and assistant principal. Before becoming an assistant superintendent for human resources, she also served as a director and coordinator at the SC Department of Education. Her commitment to excellence and dedication to quality is evident in every aspect of her life. Moreover, her sense of integrity and strong moral character help her
42 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
Winners
to be a role model to other administrators. She has made her life one of great public service and is often called on by others for her advice and wisdom, both of which she shares willingly. She has served as president of SCASA and president of the Personnel Division of SCASA and she currently serves on the board of the Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention and Advancement. In addition, Dr. Long has served as an adjunct professor at Southern Wesleyan University and as President of the SC Network of Women Administrators in Education. She has shared her expertise as a presenter at numerous education conferences and is very involved in her church.
Lifetime Achievement Award
Sandra Welch Mrs. Sandra Welch began her career as an elementary teacher. She later served as an assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent, professional development director, and currently serves as the PTA/Staff Support Specialist – all in Greenville County. She has been privileged to work with dedicated teachers, active parent/community groups, and many memorable students! Throughout her tenure, schools she has led received recognition for such awards as Palmetto’s Finest, Red Carpet, Outstanding South Carolina PTA unit, and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Mrs. Welch has served as president of SCAESP and SCASA and on the Board of Directors for NAESP, NCATE, and Quest International. She also served as a National Department of Education Blue Ribbon site visitor to 12 schools in 6 states and was named the National Distinguished Principal from South Carolina in 1986. She credits SCASA, NAESP, Dr. Rudolph Gordon, former US Secretary of Education Dick Riley, and fellow school leaders as the primary threads of influence in her professional life. Through participation on committees, meeting with legislators, planning and attending conferences, and networking with school leaders, she feels she was well-equipped to be a school administrator and to make decisions that would affect the lives of many students, teachers, and parents.
s
OF THE YEAR Elementary Principal of the Year
Winners
Brenda Byrd Beginning her education career in 1988, Mrs. Brenda Byrd has served as an elementary and middle school teacher and assistant principal, and has been the principal of Bethel Elementary in Simpsonville since 2006. In 2011, Bethel Elementary received the Palmetto’s Finest Award. In addition to this achievement, her most significant accomplishment as a principal is her school’s implementation of a Response to Intervention program for at-risk kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students, as well as the creation of an Extended Day program that provides after-school care for students, including snacks, homework assistance, and recreation opportunities. As a principal, she expects all of her students to strive for “Straight A’s in Achievement, Actions, Attitude, and Attendance.” As of 2012, well over 90% of all parents and students were satisfied with the learning, social, and physical environments at Bethel Elementary. This is due in large part to her active engagement with parents and students; she meets regularly with the PTA - which has 100% membership eats lunch with classes, and sponsors a Principal of the Day program. Mrs. Byrd was named Principal of the Year for Greenville County Schools in 2013 and was a finalist for SCASA’s Elementary Principal of the Year Award in 2012.
Elementary Assistant Principal of the Year
Terri Wheeler-Hawkins Mrs. Terri Wheeler-Hawkins has served Oakview Elementary School in Simpsonville, SC, for nearly twenty years, starting out as a fifth grade teacher, before becoming a guidance counselor and then an assistant principal. As assistant principal, she has established
a morning tutoring program that pairs fifth grade students with first and second grade students, which she personally oversees and trains the student tutors. She also provides a wealth of support to student clubs, creating “Curriculum Learning Up and Beyond the School Day” (CLUBS), a program that enables students to easily learn more about and explore extracurricular activities through the recruitment of club advisors, the creation of a club registration, and other efforts. She makes a point to get to know all thousand students at the school, from learning their names to attending their sports activities and church events. However, her support goes beyond the work she has done for students. Recognizing the need for teacher breaks on the school’s busiest days, she created the “Lunch Bunch” program, which brings in parent volunteers to supervise classes during lunch hours. She states that her overall desire is to “create lasting relationships that provide support, encouragement, and motivation in students to help them reach their full potential.” Mrs. Wheeler-Hawkins was named Assistant School Administrator of the Year for Greenville County Schools for the 2012-2013 school year.
Middle Level Principal of the Year
Michael Waiksnis Mr. Michael Waiksnis began his administrative career in 2003 as an assistant principal in Broward County Schools, Florida, before moving to South Carolina, where he served as assistant principal of Castle Heights Middle in York from 2005 to 2007. Since then, he has been the principal of Sullivan Middle in York District Three. Under his leadership, the school has received a number of first-ever achievements despite increases in the percentage of students receiving free or reduced lunch, including the Palmetto Silver award in 2012 and 2013, as well as an “A” rating in 2012. Over the past five years, he has served as the regional director of the South Carolina Middle School Association and as president of the Middle Level Division of the South Carolina Association of
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 43
OF THE YEAR
Winners
Continued
School Administrators. Additionally, he has served on the NASSP Assistant Principal Task Force and given addresses at the NASSP National Conference (2012 and 2013) and the Francis Marion University Center of Excellence (2013). Mr. Waiksnis prides himself on his communicative and collaborative skills, actively utilizing social media both personally and on a school-wide basis to communicate with members of the school community. He is also the co-founder of EdCamp SC, a professional development program that pulls in educators from across the state to learn from each other.
Middle Level Assistant Principal of the Year
Michele Zee Mrs. Michele Zee began her career as a teacher of fifteen years, serving in the classroom from 1991 to 2006 in Bamberg, Orangeburg, and Lexington counties. In 2006, she became the assistant principal of Pleasant Hill Middle School in Lexington. During her tenure, the school has seen a 100% pass rate on the End of Course Examination Program for both Algebra I and English I, as well as increases in teacher, student, and parent satisfaction with the school learning, social, and physical environments. Since 2011, she has served in numerous leadership positions within Lexington School District One, including membership on the Whatever It Takes Middle School Committee, the Common Core Implementation Leadership Team, and the District Report Card Committee, in addition to her position as a mentor trainer for the district. Over the past five years, Mrs. Zee has taught a weekly professional development day, the “Think Tank,” for teachers in her school. She welcomes input, meeting directly with students to receive feedback at the end of each school year and maintaining an open door policy with parents. She cites the time she gets to spend visiting each and every classroom throughout the year as her favorite part of her job, in addition to her opportunity to work with first-year teachers as a CERRA-trained mentor.
44 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
Secondary Principal of the Year
Kim Wilson After teaching and serving as a guidance counselor for eighteen years, Mr. Kim Wilson became an associate principal at Wando High School and, in 2010, the principal of R.B. Stall High School in the Charleston County School District. In 2003, Mr. Wilson was named Assistant Principal of the Year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. Under Mr. Wilson’s leadership, the school has made great strides in areas of student behavior and teacher retention. The school has implemented a program called Capturing Kids’ Hearts, which has provided professional development and training to teachers related to student behavior and relationship building. As a result, student discipline referrals have decreased by 50% in all categories. Additionally, teacher retention has steadily improved, with 94% teacher retention in 2013. In order to improve the school environment for students, Mr. Wilson and school leaders expanded fine arts offerings, added new sports teams, and increased the number of clubs and student organizations from five to 60 - every student now belongs to one such club. Academically, student achievement has shown great improvement in End of Course and HSAP passage rates, as well as the four-year graduation rate, which rose 9% from 2010 to 2013. In 2012, R.B. Stall received an “Excellent” growth rating.
Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year
Andre Dukes Mr. Andre Dukes began his career in 2003 as a teacher at the Military Magnet Academy in Charleston County, going on to become an associate principal at St. John’s High School in 2010 and, this year, an assistant principal at West Ashley High School. As an administrator at St. John’s, Mr. Dukes worked to craft the school’s request for a School Improvement Grant, which he later implemented as associate principal in order to increase student achievement in English and mathematics, while improving overall graduation
rates. Of the many academic intervention services he oversaw, the school’s Academic Coaching Center proved to be a highly successful program that led to increases in student achievement on the HSAP and multiple End of Course tests. Additionally, Mr. Dukes led the implementation of 1:1 instruction at St. John’s, which included the introduction of iPads for use by students and faculty. During his tenure, St. John’s increased its student achievement rating from “At-Risk” to “Average,” a first for the school due to an “Excellent” growth rating. In the words of Mr. Dukes, he is “committed to all students succeeding at their highest potential,” and believes that “the elements of a true educational leader are to raise student achievement through vision, determination, proven strategies, and collaboration with stakeholders.”
Superintendent of the Year
Dr. Russell Booker Dr. Russell Booker began his administrative career in 1996 as an assistant principal in Spartanburg, before becoming a principal and, later, the director of secondary schools and planning in Spartanburg School District One. In 2006, he became superintendent of York School District One; four years later, in July of 2010, he moved into his current position as superintendent of Spartanburg School District Seven. Dr. Booker has been active in the Spartanburg and South Carolina community, serving as chairman of the board of United Way of the Piedmont and as a member of the steering committee of Transform South Carolina. Dr. Booker has led an innovative effort within his district in the form of the Cleveland Academy of Leadership, a school with an extended academic year of 205 days and 1:1 MacBook and iPad offerings for all students. Despite the “At-Risk” designation the school received in 2011, Cleveland Academy earned an improvement rating of “Good” in 2013 and later received the Palmetto Silver Award. Dr. Booker is seeking to expand on this success, increasing the use of technology in schools and “moving from the traditional 180-day agrarian-based calendar to a calendar that meets the academic and social needs of today’s learner.” To accomplish this and other tasks, Dr. Booker has actively engaged the Spartanburg community, a fact reflected by the broad base of support - financial and otherwise - that Cleveland Academy and other such efforts have received.
District Level Administrator of the Year
Dr. Laura Koskela Dr. Laura Koskela has served Laurens County School District 56 for nineteen years and is currently the assistant superintendent for secondary education and student services. Dr. Koskela is highly regarded by her peers as an educator who cares for all students, with a special passion for supporting those who often fall between the cracks. As assistant superintendent, she has coordinated the expansion of CATE classes with Piedmont Technical College, increasing opportunities for students to undertake advanced coursework at the college’s Center for Manufacturing. Additionally, she serves as the district’s hearing officer, working to create programs that directly address students’ needs. Due to Dr. Koskela’s efforts in creating a proposal that incorporated internships, mentorships, and expanded business partnerships, the district received a $7 million dollar Federal Youth CareerConnect grant, which will be used to expand educational and vocation opportunities for students. In the words of Dr. David O’Shields, superintendent of Laurens 56, “Dr. Koskela recognized a need, saw a plan, recruited support, enacted a focused effort, and worked to ensure that long after her retirement Laurens County was made a better place.” Dr. Koskela has served on the State Department of Education Educator Evaluation and Diploma Committees, the Laurens County First Steps Committee, and the Laurens County Vision 2020 Committee, among others.
Adult Education Director of the Year
Tammy Cooley Ms. Tammy Cooley currently serves as the adult education director for Spartanburg County, working with seven school districts and a very diverse population - a unique challenge. Nevertheless, her program has either met or exceeded state performance measures. N’Gai Gaither, a colleague of Ms. Cooley’s, states that “her tireless work in her communities is
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 45
OF THE YEAR
Winners
Continued
the reason that she has had so much success with her program. Additionally, Ms. Cooley has gone out of her way to serve as a mentor to adult education professionals in neighboring counties, answering questions and offering support. One of her colleagues, Eric Childers, says, “Her willingness to invest time and effort into our community to make sure that our program remained success is something I truly appreciate.” Ms. Cooley has served on the executive board of South Carolina Association of Adult Education Directors.
Personnel Administrator of the Year
Dr. Angela Bain Dr. Angela Bain has been a personnel administrator for thirteen years and has worked in Lexington School District Five for eight years. Dr.. Bain has overcome and handled well a number of obstacles in her position. Recently, she helped to provide assistance and stability to the district and its staff during a change in the district superintendent. Additionally, she has also faced the downsizing of 90 teaching positions in the district over the last few years due to budget cuts, personally meeting with all individuals impacted and handling circumstances in a professional manner. She believes that, in order to be a successful personnel administrator, you must “have a strong knowledge of laws, policies and regulations,” “value every person who is employed in the district,” and, most of all, “have an unwavering commitment to children.” These are qualities that Dr. Bain certainly exhibits. In addition to the work in her district, Dr. Bain is actively involved in the Personnel Division of SCASA.
Career and Technology Administrator of the Year
Lee Green Mr. Lee Green currently serves as the director of the Chester County Career Center, simultaneously serving as president of the South Carolina Career and Technology Education Administrators. In these positions, Mr. Green addresses career and technology education not just in Chester County, but in the entire state, dealing with issues that affect staff members of other county career centers and entities. In the words of Dr. Marilyn Bennett, special populations director for the Chester County Career Center, Mr. Green “exemplifies the quality of an outstanding, dedicated leader, who possesses personal integrity and a thoughtful communicative style.” Mr. Green also serves on the York County Board of Special Needs and Disabilities and is currently completing his doctoral work with GardnerWebb University’s Educational Leadership program.
CAREER CENTER
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Quickly apply for jobs and share your resume with employers either directly or anonymously.
Take advantage of search, email and online advertising options to directly recruit top candidates.
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www.scasa.org/jobs
46 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
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Pam Daniels Sales Representative 704-905-1364 PDaniels@cainc.com
Robbie Pruitt Woody 919-995-1502 RWoody@cainc.com
A Look Back at the Pictures provided by Lifetouch.
2014 Innovative Ideas Institute...
Several administrators enjoyed getting their SCASA t-shirt for participating in the morning Beach Walk/Run early Tuesday.
“Play” was the theme for keynote speaker Kevin Carroll, who showed everybody that work can feel like play if you really love what you do.
Keynote speaker Stephen Covey talked about his 13 Behaviors of a High Trust Leader.
Keynote speaker Dan Heath talked about his most recent book “Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work.”
Save the Date for i3 2015!
June 21-24, 2015
Lifetouch provided complimentary pictures for all SCASA members and conference attendees
2014–2015 Course Catalog
Achieving Powerful Results in South Carolina Schools in South Carolina are reducing dropout rates, increasing graduation rates, and improving student outcomes with rigorous digital curriculum. Apex Learning offers Comprehensive Courses for original credit and credit recovery. Our NEW Tutorials are designed for targeted intervention, just-in-time remediation, and enhanced classroom instruction. With access to real-time data, teachers are able to provide relevant and effective instruction.
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WINTER 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR Copyright © 2014 Apex Learning Inc. Apex Learning® and the Apex Learning Logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Apex Learning Inc.
Why measure student growth? South Carolina educator shares how powerful growth data empowers results Check out
NWEA.us/SCgrowth to watch the video
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Photo Contest
Anderson 2 Superintendent and SCASA member, Dr. Richard Rosenberger, volunteers to read on Dive Day with students from Belton Elementary School.
Bethel Elementary School’s administrative team and SCASA members, Brenda Byrd (principal), Susan Skelton (assistant principal), Julie Cooke (administrative assistant), Kim Brice (instructional coach), enjoyed dressing up like characters from the classic book, The Three Little Pigs, to celebrate their school’s annual Book Character Day. Greenville County Schools. Picture submitted by Julie Cooke.
Principal and SCASA Member, Robin Jones, along with her faculty, staff, and students at The Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology (AAST) located in Myrtle Beach, took time to recognize and celebrate their assistant principal, SCASA member Jayson Powers, during the NASSP National Assistant Principal’s Week. Photo submitted by Robin Jones.
52 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
SCASA members Robin Jones (Principal) and Jayson Powers (Assistant Principal) of AAST in Myrtle Beach have a coincidental wardrobe choice. The school and staff at AAST recognized Mr. Powers during National Assistant Principal’s Week. Photo submitted by Robin Jones.
6th grade ELA teachers Nikki Mustipher and Kelly Macomber took their girls’ groups on a field trip to the Paul Mitchell Cosmetology School in North Charleston. The girls’ groups in the Charleston County School District are small group interventions focused on empowering young women to be leaders and mentors in their school and community. The difficult topics tackled in these groups are challenging and rewarding to both teachers and students.
Kershaw County’s Applied Technology Education Campus (ATEC) welding instructor Joel Smith and one of his students demonstrate welding at a district middle school’s career day. Picture submitted by Ed Garrison.
Honea Path Middle School Principal and SCASA member, Matt Schult, joins his band students and surprises his student body as he shows off his musical skills during a school band concert (Anderson District 2). Photo submitted by Jan Bratcher.
The first annual Jasper County School District Alumni Scholarship Banquet was held in Ridgeland and raised over $17,000 to assist high school seniors as they graduate from high school and begin their first year of college. The picture shows the honor students who will benefit from the scholarship money raised. Pictured is Superintendent and SCASA member Dr. Vashti Washington, far left, as well as other administrators and the guest speaker, Mr. Eric Moore. Photo submitted by Shellie Murdaugh.
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 53
SCASA Business Affiliates Name
Primary Contact
Contact Email
Achieve 3000, Inc.
Shane Dukes
shane.dukes@achieve3000.com
SC ETV
Donna Thompson
dthompson@scetv.org
SCAGO
Brantley Thomas
brantley@bcsdschools.net
Horace Mann
Donny Brown
Donny.Brown@horacemann.com
Moseley Architects
Bill Laughlin
blaughlin@moseleyarchitects.com
QuaverMusic.com
Anne Ciccoline
annec@quavermusic.com
Rhodes Graduation Services, Inc.
Thomas Rhodes
thomas@rhodesgraduation.com
Scholastic Book Fairs
John Skeen
jskeen@scholastic.com
iStation
Corey Byrd
cbyrd@istation.com
Tipping Points Technologies
Jim Graham
jim@tippingpointstechnologies.com
The Protection Institute
Patrick Sergott
patricks@theprotectioninstitute.com
Pearson
Tyler Garrett
tyler.garrett@pearson.com
Scientific Learning
Tracy Baker
tbaker@scilearn.com
Classworks by Curriculum Advantage
Patrick Sobak
psobak@classworks.com
TeachTown
Amanda Phillips
aphillips@teachtown.com
Teachscape
Kristine Hammond
kristine.hammond@teachscape.com
Renaissance Learning, Inc.
Ellen Gadberry
ellen.gadberry@renaissance.com
Edgenuity
Alice Smith
asmith@edgenuity.com
Waterford Research Institute
Thomas Chapman
thomaschapman@waterford.org
Staymobile
Chuck Morrison
chuck@staymobile.com
Curriculum Associates
Robbie Pruitt Woody
rwoody@cainc.com
Milestone Communications
Jennifer Bond
jen@milestonecopr.com
Cumming|SMG
Ginny McGill
gmcgill@ccorpusa.com
TE21, Inc.
Debra Young
debrayoung@te21.com
Apex Learning
Matt Kirby
Matt.Kirby@apexlearning.com
54 PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2014
SCASA Business Affiliates Name
Primary Contact
Contact Email
Carnegie Learning
Mark Prince
mprince@carnegielearning.com
Zillion Info, Inc.
Bonan Li
info@zillioninfo.com
M.B. Kahn Construction Co. Inc.
Charles Saylors
csaylors@mbkahn.com
Discovery Education
Rob Warren
rob_warren@discovery.com
Edmentum
Libby Preble
libby.preble@edmentum.com
American Reading Company
Kristen Norris
kristen.norris@americanreading.com
Colonial Life
Chris Shealy
cshealy@colonialcarolina.com
Northwest Evaluation Association
Kimberley Kraft
kimberley.kraft@nwea.org
C2 Collaborative
Fran Abee
Fran.Abee@commoncoreinstitute.org
CERRA - South Carolina
Jane Turner
turnerj@winthrop.edu
Childs & Halligan P.A.
Kathryn Mahoney
kmahoney@childs-halligan.net
Foreign Academic & Cultural Exch. Serv.
Rick Palyok
rpalyok@facesinc.org
SC School Boards Insurance Trust
J. Franklin Vail
fvail@scsba.org
Duff, White & Turner L.L.C.
Patricia Baker
pbaker@dwtlawfirm.com
ID Shop, Inc.
Laura Beth Poore
laurab@idshop.com
Voyager
Jeffrey Vincent
Jeffrey.Vincent@voyagersopris.com
FALL 2014 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 55
Site to See
EXCITING NEWS: REDESIGNED SCASA WEBSITE!
Resource Center
Archived webinars and articles housed in one convenient location.
Content-Based Discussion
Blog and discussion forum capabilities provide a central location for SCASA members to discuss hot topics and current events.
SCASA Store
SCASA t-shirts and other merchandise available for purchase online!
WWW.SCASA.ORG
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