Educational Services Division
Connecting Students and Teachers in a Digital World
Lights! Cameras! Action!! It is amazing how these words empower students and adults alike to be creative. And the idea that students are no longer passive learners, but rather active, digital learners, motivated the Santa Cruz County Office of Education to provide technology tools and training to teachers and administrators all over the county. With this in mind, the Digital Connections Project was created to engage students and teachers, using multimedia integration in project-based learning, within all subject areas.
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The Digital Connections Project is providing each of 21 school sites, representing eight districts, with five Flip camcorders and tripods, two netbooks for video editing and research, and ongoing professional development for two teachers. A key component to systemic change at a school site is buy-in and vision from the site leader. Thus, the project also includes a full-day of training for site principals in the use of digital media and coaching to support teachers through their change in instructional practice. Each principal also receives a Flip camcorder for their school site to document and celebrate effective classroom practices and student engagement. The long-term goal of the project is to scale the use of digital tools amongst staff and students and build capacity within the global Santa Cruz county educator community.
Last spring a request for application went out to all districts and school sites in the county targeting 4th-10th grade teachers who have the ability to develop a vision for integrating technology and 21st century skills into their core curriculum. The application review process led the County Office of Education to select 41 teachers from 21 school sites. Each teacher was asked to sign a commitment form showing his or her dedication to the project.
The initial teacher training spanned a day and a half from Thursday September 9th through Friday September 10th. Teachers shared existing technology-based lessons they have implemented using a collaborative virtual post-it wall web application called Wallwisher. Using curriculum produced by the American Film Institute to teach video production to K-12 students. Teachers were thrown into an activity with Flip camcorders to create a short film. This activity truly modeled how to introduce video production with students. Training also included research and application to teaching with projects using an online curriculum from Intel’s Project-Based Approaches as well as how to effectively edit videos through computer-based editing programs.
Classroom ideas, resources, and lesson ideas were shared including 10 different websites relating to video production , digital media, and Flip camcorder use in the classroom. Teachers had some time to discuss and brainstorm ideas for effective integration in their classroom. One requirement of participation in the project is to complete a lesson plan explaining how they will use digital media within their content area to assist students in achieving success. One teacher said “we'll film them [students] talking about genre, story elements and similarities and differences between some of the picture books we've read.”
A key component of 21st century tools and learning is sharing and celebrating created content. The Santa Cruz County Office of Education has received a complimentary 2-year subscription to a unique video sharing and networking site specifically designed for schools and education called myVRspot. This is a safe environment for students to share media, reviewed by teachers, with their peers across the entire county.
Teachers left on Friday exhausted, but with several ideas and new peer connections to support their shift into this digital landscape. One teacher mentioned, “My partner and I are both so excited to start creating movies with our students. Ideas we will start with are movies about playground/bullying rules and procedures, and staging a Flash Mob at recess and creating a documentary about that!” Watsonville Charter School for the Arts teacher, Michelle Paulus, commented, “I'm so glad you brought the DigiConn project to Santa Cruz County, particularly to the PVUSD teachers. We are drowning creatively by the standards/testing emphasis.”
The project is committed to provide on-going training and coaching throughout the school year. Three virtual trainings are scheduled for later this year and onsite coaching is available. Also, a virtual discussion forum and learning management system with resources was set up using eStaffroom, a virtual learning environment provided by O-zone, for use by the project participants.
Forty-one digital media pioneers in the county are on pace to touch over 5000 students during the 2010-11 school year. One participant said, “The Digital Connections training was one of the most thoroughly prepared and applicable classes I have attended. At the end of the training, I felt confident that my site colleague and I will successfully integrate this tool in a meaningful way to enhance learning. We have already brainstormed a variety of applications.” With a comment like this, we may be on track soon to take this to the next level and create a new 21st century educational culture!
Find out more here.
