1. BENEFITS/CHALLENGES OF DESIGNING A PERSONALIZED ECOSYSTEM
K-12 education is going through an unprecedented transformation. Districts are being pushed to support student advancement based on mastery, increased demand for digital, on-demand content all within an environment of high user expectations that district technology “just works.” As such, districts must have specific technologies to support the new digital landscape. In this session, participants will discu core components of the educational ecosystem and a proposed framework for consideration.
Brenda Quintanilla, Houston ISD
Beatriz Arnillas, Itslearning

2. WHAT IS SO DIFFERENT ABOUT LEARNING FOR THIS CENTURY?

3. THE LAST LEARNING REVOLUTION OF THIS SCALE…
(Epistemology= a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, methods, and limits of human knowledge)
Our understanding of the world is an approximation of reality, based on how we perceive and process information. Our constructions of reality are, understandably, affected by the instruments, methods and philosophies we apply.
The last time the world faced a learning revolution of this magnitude was when Guttenberg invented the printing press and movable type. The printing press propelled a series of events that transformed western civilization dramatically: printed bibles and later other books, the reformation movement, religious wars, the counter-reformation and the scientific revolution of the 17th century, the Enlightenment and democratization of education, the creation of republican governments and democracy, the 1st and 2nd industrial revolutions, … modernity.

4. WE ARE EXPERIENCING THE FIRST DECADES OF A NEW LEARNING REVOLUTION
We are all feeling a dramatic magnitude of change acceleration since the introduction of the World Wide Web in the 90’s. However, even though we perceive the rate of change as being faster than ever before, our students have always lived in this world. We are just now catching up with what this means for our philosophy of learning, the learning environments we design, and the methods and processes we choose.
It is in this context that we think of the “problems of education.” We think in global terms and in terms of instant access to the most recent events. In this sense, our districts are no longer urban or rural, small or large. Today, we all have to provide “global education” and we need to think how to address the characteristics of global education to each of our populations’ needs.
The challenges in my district:
High levels of working class students - many parents who did not finish school
High levels of minority students with little or no formal education legacy
Significant number of unemployed, underemployed, doubly-employed parents
Cities where a large percentage of the population is foreign, speaks another language and is both highly educated and not educated at all
What does this mean for the working poor in developed countries, as opposed to the poor in underdeveloped countries? How do they see education differently?
Audience Participation:
What are the challenges you face in your districts and/or organizations?

5. What will the future bring?
And, as we struggle to adapt and modify our learning institutions, we have to stop and think. What kind of world will our students live in, in 20 years?

6. The situation

7. BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS, WE WANT…
Standards-based
Mastery-based
Personalization
Differentiated Learning
Individualization
Creativity
Collaboration
Engagement
Critical Thinking
Analytics
Autonomous learners
Curriculum alignment
Just-in-time
Formative assessments
Student Portfolios
Badging
Micro-credentialing
Single sign-on
Rostering
Access
Authentication
Seamless technology
Learner-centered
Student-centered
Makers Movement
UDL
21st century learning
Future-ready
Project-based learning
Inquiry-based learn…
Rotational models
Flipping
Authentic learning
Linked Learning
Assessment as learning
Benchmarks
Because we know this, and we want to do the right thing by the students, the concepts listed have been populating the Higher ed conferences (first) and now, for the last 10 years, we in K12 have been asking the same questions
ask audience how many know x number of these words. there are so much terminaology

8. Your favorite teachers and district admins visit a conference and…
We have figured out that technology can help us make this happen. We go to conferences and…

9. 4th Grade Social Sciences Platform
data
Assigment system
content
More content
assessment
4th Grade Social Sciences Platform
We end with this!
The district’s silo mentality takes over
And some of your colleagues even say that they know the best app because their grandbaby likes it…
3rd grade Math

10. Data Warehouse ??? 4th Grade Social Sciences 3rd grade Math
Or worse: each school has a unique set of redundant tools. IT can be as messy as well.

11. HOW DO WE DO THIS?
“We need LMS, CMS, DTP, DTLP…” “Are you sure this is an LMS?”
“This material is “adaptive” “… Are you sure? What exactly does adaptive mean?”
“This digital platform enables personalization”
“These resources are free” (really?)
“Our platform is interactive…” (How interactive?)
A few years back, we were not sure what we needed.
These terms are used very loosely.
It is okay if we do not know the terminology but if you don’t you are putting yourself out there.
We need a coherent way to label these things and define them.

12. EXPECTATIONS Technology “just works” and systems communicate data
Framework and core components needed to support the new teaching and learning needs
EXPECTATIONS
In the meantime…..K-12 education is going through an unprecedented transformation. Districts are being pushed to support student advancement based on mastery, increased demand for digital, on-demand content all within an environment of high user expectations that district technology “just works.” As such, districts must have specific technologies to support the new digital landscape. In this session, participants will learn the core components of the educational ecosystem and a proposed framework for consideration.

13. The Start

14. AN HISD GLOBAL GRADUATE IS …
This is how most districts start, defining their student.
The design of our ecosystems must start with the final desired outcome. Our outcome is to ensure each one of our graduates is prepared for the career, college and life choices they desire.
We’ve heard from the business community & higher-ed that students need to graduate with specific competencies to be ready for the next level. As such, HISD has developed the profile of our global graduate which is in a sense our strategic plan.
Stop and gauge audience at this point…

15. The Ecosystem Design 1. Start with the end in mind
Transform Teaching and Learning
Teacher Skills
Student skills
Ed Tech Support
Build a Digital Ecosystem
System Design
Technical Specs
Interop Processes
Provide Digital Resources
Selection Process
Purchasing Process
Repurpose Resources
Change Management
Once you define what the learning will look like in the end..go back and design the ecosystem.

16. STAKEHOLDERS Ultimate Goal: Learner-centered instruction
Students
Ultimate Goal: Learner-centered instruction
Teachers
Goal: Shift from teacher-centered to facilitated models that support learner agency. Free teachers’ time so they can focus on learners
Central Office
Goal: Design and lay the foundation systems, curriculum, data and communications, to support flexible learning spaces and UDL
Principals
What kind of digital ecosystem do we need? When making the decision of LMS, etc. you need
Where we want to be on the other side of our digital transformation is:
Students using technology for anytime, anywhere learning
Teachers easily accessing targeted digital content
Principals will have many options from which to make decisions
Parents as partners can access and support their students in their learning
Goal: Decide school level content needs and make educated decisions about digital resources
Parents
Goal: Partner with students and their schools to access, interact and support anytime, anywhere learning

17. KNOW WHO WE ARE Houston said who are we what are our needs.
Our district’s characteristics and challenges. What are yours?

18. WHAT WE ARE DOING
Challenges force us to collaborate across departments to seek the best solutions
Stop here and talk about 1:1 goals for PowerUp?
bridge digital divide
college readiness

19. 1. Align the Teams Academic School Leadership Technology
Point: PowerUp is more than the IT department; it’s cross-functional
Point: PowerUp is no longer a “project” but rather the way we do business
Critical to have all of the system talking together to align the system and agree on how the ecosystem will work.
Steering Committee:
CITO, CAO and CSO
Governance - Provide strategic guidance & resource alignment
Program Team:
Collaborative program management
Make decisions and escalate issues to Steering Committee

20. 2. Define the implementation stages1
Device distribution, instruction onboarding and adoption strategy 2
Implement the HISD TLP, the “HUB” (itslearning) 3
Instructional Maturity (TIM, SAMR)
PowerUp is three-legs to a stool
Houstons order. This is not the only answer. It can be done in a different order.

21. 3. Implementation strategy
Teachers get devices
Teachers get PD
Student get devices
PD: Focus on Core Teachers
August - Dec
PowerUp Super-Saturdays
Support from MGSD
September - December
Focus on student productivity applications
January - May

22. Results
Challenges force us to collaborate across departments to seek the best solutions
Stop here and talk about 1:1 goals for PowerUp?
bridge digital divide
college readiness

23. Define a Maturity Model

24. Diffusion of Technology Model
5% innovators
Strategy to engage teachers. Win over the “Early Majority” by providing differentiated PD and support.
Diffusion of Technology Model

25. S A M R Substitution Modificaiton Redefinition Adaptation
Entry
Adoption
Adaptation
Infusion
Transformation
Active
Information passively received
Conventional, procedural use of tools
Some student choice and exploration
Choice of tools; regular self-directed use
Extensive and unconventional use of tools
Collaborative
Individual use of tools
Collaborative, conventional use of tools
Choice of tools; regular use of collaboration
Collaboration possible only with technology
Constructive Connect new info to prior knowledge
Information delivered to students
Guided use for building knowledge
Independent use for building knowledge
Choice; use for building knowledge
Extensive & unconventional use
Authentic
Link learning to real world applications
Unrelated to the world outside class
Guided use, with some context
Independent use; connected to student lives
Choice of tools; meaningful activities
Innovative use of higher order contextual learning
Goal Directed
Set Goals, plan & evaluate results
Step-by-step task monitoring
Procedural use of tools to plan/monitor
Some student choice; purposeful use of tools
Flexible/seamless use of tools to plan and monitor
Extensive and higher order use of tools to plan/monitor
S A M R
Levels of Technology Integration Attributes of the Learning Environment
Substitution
Adaptation
Modificaiton
Redefinition
Define a technology use maturation roadmap -
“Learner Centered Instruction”
Provide people with a map. What does progress look like so they can help each other. SAMR is a roadmap to integration.

26. Identify Solutions

27. Levels of Technology Integration
R M A S
S A M R
Levels of Technology Integration
Substitution
Adaptation
Modification
Redefinition
Substitution
Adaptation
Modification
Redefinition
Technology use maturation roadmap -
To move to a mature level we needed a teaching and learning platform to get data back, recomendations engine, personlization, deeper learning.

28. Enter Houston’s “HUB” Fall 2014
Teaching and Learning Platform (TLP)
Curriculum/Content Management
Learning Management
Communication, collaboration
Student productivity
Student profiles
Teacher PD
The HISD “HUB” is platform which provides an online platform for blended learning including capabilities such as participation in discussions, links to online resources, collaboration opportunities, tools to turn in digital assignments, and organization for online content.
PowerUp:Device Phase 1 Pilot Schools (11)
Austin HS
Bellaire HS
Chavez High School
Energy Institute High School
Kashmere HS
Lee HS
Madison HS
Sam Houston HS
Sharpstown HS
Young Men’s College Prep Academy
Young Women’s College Prep Academy
Elementary and Middle Schools (16)
Attucks MS
Baylor College of Medicine (at Ryan)
Benbrook ES
Crespo ES
Harsfield ES
Herrera ES
High School Ahead Academy MS
Law ES
Lyons ES
Memorial ES
Roberts ES
Robinson ES
Sugar Grove Academy MS
Tinsley ES
Wainwright ES
Austin HS Bellaire HS
PowerUp:Device Phase 2 Pilot Schools (21)
Carnegie Vanguard HS
Challenge Early College HS
Davis HS
East Early College HS
Eastwood Academy
High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
Houston Academy for International Studies
Jones HS
Lamar HS
Liberty HS
Long Academy
Milby 10-12
Reagan HS
Scarborough HS
Sharpstown International
South Early College HS
Waltrip HS
Westbury HS
Westside HS
Wheatley HS
Yates HS

29. Procure Create Curate Thin Common Cartridge High quality Curated
Vetted by curriculum and technology experts
Digital Library and addresses issue of student choice.
Teachers have options to provide flexible learning as well.
We used TCC and single sign on links through Clever.

30. Personalized Features
Mr. Torres Teachers
María
Fractions
1.1 …
1.2 …
1.3 …
Juan
Result is a way to provide content to students, differently.

31. Data-driven Teaching & Learning Eco-System
Applications
College Board
EVAAS
Career Platform
Formative Assessment
SIS
Board
Enterprise Level Dashboards:
Superintendent
CSOs/SSOs
Teachers
Principals
Students/Parents
Statistical and predictive analysis
College readiness
Intervention recommendations
Past performance
Integrated Data Warehouse
Teachers
User types:
Students/parents
Admin
Principals
Designers
The “HUB”
LOR
CMS
LMS
Performance Feedback
Formative Assessment
Recommendations Engine and other Personalized Features
User’s HUB Dashboard:
(Animation triggered by 2 clicks, to explain how data system(s) and Digital Teaching and Learning Platform provide a complete picture of data to inform learning:
We are creating an integrated multi-system platform with the potential to create a number of customizable user roles, such as central office leadership and admins, platform administrators, school administrators, principals, designers, teachers, assistant instructors, auditors, students, parents, etc. - and a learning environment with the tools to create adaptive and personalized learning plans.
CMS: a flexible database with the capacity to store several sets of standards and the tools to develop planning guides, lesson plans, sequence scope and calendar
LOR, Library or Resources Center: Public and private storage area with the potential to create designer communities and the capacity to search learning objects by key word, standard and rating tool
LMS: The teaching and learning space where courses are created, to include a variety of teaching and learning tools, including but not limited to: content in a variety of media, discussion boards, , announcements, calendar, chats, wikis, blogs, groups, assessments, drop boxes, online meeting rooms, etc.
The three systems are linked, and connected to other learning and management systems (digital content and assessments providers, SIS and Business systems so that administrators, teachers and students can search, reuse, assess, rate, modify an update content, as needed.
Communication plan – the thread throughout our presentation will be to think of, and include all stakeholders every step of the way.

32. 21st C Learning, living, working
Are we there yet?
21st C Learning, living, working
from original concept? Not yet. Still waiting on data interoperability. That is not there yet. What resources are effective. Student interactions that are successfuly.

33. The “HUB” Teaching Curriculum LOR Assessment-as- learning
SIS
SAP
Data
Assessment Benchmarks
District Data Dashboards
(Role-based)
Data
Data
College / Career Platforms
New systems. Infinite campus. How the ecosystem looks today.
Have an idea of how we want data to flow in and out of systems.
Data Warehouse
Reporting
TEA
Other 3rd Party Tools

34. Today: IMS Global Access Granular searches Standards aligned
Gather data
Platforms – expanding options
OERs
Vendor agnostic platforms vs proprietary platforms
LORs: ”Procure – Create – Curate”

35. Analyze Predict Intervene Provide choice Learner as creator
Learning analytics
Who needs access to what data.
Early interventions
Data to provide student choice?
Create ecosystem so student is create and make learning deeper.

36. What’s in your planet? Audience Participation:
We are here to have conversations and learn from each other.
What are your cities like?
Who are your students?
How do they impact the way you think of Education?
What are the challenges you face, and what are the programs and practices you are excited about in your schools?
What are some of the ways in which your schools support learning to prepare them for the future?
How does your education system measure outcomes?

37. How are you gathering/providing data to all your stakeholders?
What will we do with assessments, in light of new developments?
What keeps you from building a coherent ecosystem? (gaps)
What about Analytics?
Meta tagging, machine readable standards and other 15

38. BRENDA.QUINTANILLA@HOUSTONISD.ORG BEATRIZ.ARNILLAS@ITSLEARNING.COM
Thank you