21stcenturyed.com

“Are you okay?”

These three little words can make the difference between closing the door on a child and opening up a dialogue. When I train teachers how to help disengaged students, I train teachers (in both online and face-to-face environments) to begin each conversation with this simple query.

But such a small thing can have such a huge impact. I’ve recently begun an interview process with teachers I trained a year ago in this technique. These teachers were chosen because there is objective evidence that students in their classes have higher levels of engagement and academic activity than students in other teachers’ classes instructing the exact same course and content. I’ve only gotten through the first four interviews so far. However three of the four teachers indicated that they used this technique when talking to disengaged students and the effect was very positive.
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Is it happening? How often? How are they doing it? More importantly…How do I get them to stop!?!
I figured the best way to get the answers to these questions was to ask! I set up a quick SurveyMonkey survey and got 102 responses from teachers in online high school programs nationwide and got some answers. Read more »

This was one of the better conferences I’ve been to.  There was a nice mix of topics for those just starting out new online school programs as well as some for the ‘grey beards’ in the group (those with 5 or more years experience in online schools).  Here are a couple of highlights:

• Teacher Preparation: This topic came up over and over again – how the current teacher preparation programs in the United States fail (miserably, I might add) at preparing teachers for any type of online instruction at all.  So – we’ve identified the problem.  Now – anyone have a solution?  Unfortunately the folks who can make this sort of change do not attend these types of conferences.  Outreach is needed.
• Teaching 21st Century Skills: This – coupled with Web 2.0 technologies – was another repeating theme.  The big difference between this year and last?  Most people in the sessions I attended knew what wikis and blogs were this year.  Last year?  Eh- not so much.  A praiseworthy presentation by Glen Moses (www.mrmoses.org) and his colelagues from Odyssey schools in Las Vegas.  Glen used every 2.0/3.0 technology he could in order to present his ideas (Twitter, blogs, wiki, streaming video, etc.) rather than PowerPointing us to death.  Intersting stat – one approximation was that only 25-30% of students take part in supplemental course activities such as participation in class-based social networking and blogging.  Is this becasue it is “optional and supplemental”?  Or because they aren’t interested in those activities?
• Tiny Food: Okay – it was not a topic, but it was a recurring theme.  Both evening get togethers featured only appetizers – no sit-down meals to be had here! 
• Teacher Training:  This topic was very popular as well – mostly due to the dearth of teacher preparation 9see above).
• The need for data: Not just data – but consistent and equivalent data points that we can use to truly measure the effectiveness of programs.  What is the real definition of “course completer”?  How does a CAT test compare with a NY Regents?  A centralized method to store and share this data as well was indicated.
• The need for randomized studies: The ‘gold standard’, as it was called at the conference.  Where good data is present, using sound investigative experimental designs to measure the success (or failure) of online programs.