Wednesday, June 28, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 3 - Sheridan, WY -Reflection

Dear Colleagues,

I wish to compliment each of you for your intensity level, dedication, and commitment to high level technology implementation during the LoTi Mentor Certification Institute in Sheridan. On our third day of certification, we focused on piloting the LoTi Observer as well as developing action plans for implementing LoTi in the State of Wyoming.

As you peruse through the LoTi Mentor Certification Manual, I would like you to think how you can use the resources in the manual as well as the CD to implement either small or large scale professional development interventions for staff. Provided below are sample interventions called LoTi Skill Sets that provide a step-by-step process for organizing and delivering effective professional development based on the tenets of LoTi.

LoTi Skill Sets - Rubrics
• Clapping Simulation
LMC Manual - Page 139
• Good, Better, Best Simulation
LMC Manual - Page 142
• online Rubric Makers (e.g., RubiStar)
http://ww2.ikeepbookmarks.com/lotischools

LoTi Skill Sets - Target Tech Units
• The Great American Apple Pie Simulation
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #10
• Apollo 13 Presentation
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #11
• Experiential-based Action Model Units
LMC Manual - Page 164
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #12

LoTi Skill Sets - Differentiated Instruction
• Roll the Dice PowerPoint Simulation
LMC Manual - Page 163
• Evaluating Web Projects - Differentiation
LMC Manual - Page 98
• High/Low Simulation
LMC Manual - Page 162

LoTi Skill Sets - Thinking Skills
• Bloom Review - Chris in Athens
LMC Manual - Page 40
• Bloom Workout Videos
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #3
• Complex Thinking Simulation
LMC Manual - Page 46
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #6

LoTi Skill Sets - LoTi Framework
• Classroom Technology Case Study
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #1
• LoTi Framework
LMC Manual - Page 55
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #2
• LoTi Observations
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #3
• LoTi Review - Manatee Cards, Teacher Narratives, WebQuests, Sample Lesson Plans, LoTi Mentor CD -
Session #4

LoTi Skill Sets - Performance Tasks
• Evaluating Web Projects
LMC Manual - Page 145
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #8
• Supersizing Lesson Plans
LMC Manual - Page 102
• Designing “High-Octane” Performance Tasks
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #7
LoTi Mentor CD - Session #9

LoTi Skill Sets - Extreme Tech Makeovers
• Evaluating Web Projects Handout
LMC Manual - Page 89
• Introduce Makeover Candidate (e.g., lesson plan, instruction unit, learning experience, Web project)
• Conduct Makeover
• Show Before/After

Thank you again for becoming an active participant in the LoTi Mentor Certification Program. As a reminder, your LMC submissions are due no later than October 15th, 2006. In the meantime, if there is any aspect of the program that you would like clarified, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Chris Moersch
chris@learning-quest.com

Friday, June 9, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 3 - Sheridan, WY - June 9th, 2006

Good morning!

Provided below is the agenda for Day 3 of the LoTi Mentor Certification. I would really like to hear from you about any discrepancies, confusion, or dissonance that you might have from our LoTi mentoring program.

FOUNDATION
LoTi Narratives
Certification Tasks #1-#5
ASSESS
LoTi Observer Demonstration
PLAN
Certification Task #9
IMPLEMENT
LoTi Skill Set: Rubrics
Focus Strategies
EBAM
Certification Task #6
SUSTAIN
LoTi Mentor CD
LoTi Skill Sets
LCM Submission Date: TBA

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 2 - Sheridan, WY -Reflection

Yesterday, the focus of our session involved planning for successful technology implementation both at the classroom level (creating individualized professional development plans for teachers based on their DETAILS profiles and LoTi data) and school building level (developing a Next Steps Action Plan for ABC Middle School). Some of the points I addressed during our Day 2 Session included:

1. The Next Steps Action Plan for your school building or school district needs to emphasize existing curriculum priority areas and student performance on the PAWS.

2. The Next Steps Action Plan needs to include stringent accountability measures to ensure that tasks are performed on-time.

3. The Next Steps Action Plan needs to become a "living" document subject to change and alterations depending on different environmental variables.

4. The Next Steps Action Plan needs to demonstrate that technology can and should play a pivotal role in improving PAWS scores.

5. The Next Steps Action Plan needs to incorporate a "teacher" focus so that teachers can buy into the process.

6. A need exists to reconceptualize NCLB so that emphasis is placed on the learner rather than on test-prep. To this end, I introduced the New NCLB:

- Non-traditional assessment strategies
- Challenging learning opportunities
- Learning-based curriculum models
- Bloom's taxonomy in-action

7. A website exists that provides a bountiful supply of links to lesson plans, applets, simulations, and interactive "bell-starters" for immediate classroom use. The URL is:

- http://ww2.ikeepbookmarks.com/lotischools

As promised, I will be sending you a completed Next Steps Action Plan for ABC School. Please include this document as satisfactory completion of Task #4.

I look forward to your comments.

Chris

Thursday, June 8, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 2 - Sheridan, WY - June 8th, 2006

Welcome to Day 2 of the LoTi Mentor Certification Institute. Provided below is today's agenda:

• LoTi Manual & Certification Process
• LoTi Certification Task #3 - Review
• Manatee LoTi Review: FOUNDATION
• Complex Thinking Exercise:Marble Mania FOUNDATON
• LoTi DETAILS for the 21st Century Survey
• Individual Professional Development Plans: PLAN***
• LoTi Certification Task #2
• LoTi Certification Task #4
• High-Octane Performance Tasks - IMPLEMENT
• LoTi Certification Task #5

I would really appreciate your feedback via this blog or the Wyoming LMC wiki (http://lmcwyoming.wikispaces.com).

Thanks,

Chris

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 1 - Sheridan, WY - Reflection

Since the majority of the day was spent "LoTizing" video clips and related learning activities, I wanted to provide you with some additional suggestions when conducting classroom walkthroughs or reviewing student products.

1.Having students apply what they have learned to a new authentic situation involves more than just depositing the information into a webpage, blog, wiki, or multimedia presentation; it requires students applying the pertinent concepts or skills to a situation that directly impacts the learner, his/her immediate surroundings, and/or the larger community. If this is not the case, then you most likely have either a LoTi 2 or 3 learning experience.

2. The easiest way to discriminate between LoTi 2 and 3 is the presence of (1) Higher Order Thinking Skills (Bloom's Taxonomy) or (2) one or more Complex Thinking Strategies. If a learning experience is teacher-directed and engages students exclusively at the Knowledge/Comprehension levels, then it is almost assuredly a LoTi 2 lesson. Conversely, if a learning experience is teacher-directed and engages students at the Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and/or Evaluation level or enables students to exercise one or more complex thinking strategies (i.e., Problem-solving, Creative Problem-solving, Decision-making, Investigation, Experimental Inquiry, Reasoning, Personal Reflection), then it is almost assuredly a LoTi 3 lesson.

3. Whenever possible, use pages 75/76 from your LoTi Mentor Certification manual to help approximate the LoTi of any lesson plan, web-project, or instructional unit.

4. A truly differentiated classroom has LoTi 0-4 occurring on a daily basis.

5. The appropriate or target LoTi should always be commensurate with the Wyoming Content & Performance Standards being addresssed and at the desired level of student cognition.

Also, think about LoTi as Levels of Teaching Innovation rather than Levels of Technology Implementation. It will prove most beneficial as you begin to implement LoTi in your district.

I look forward to your comments.

Chris

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 1 - Sheridan, WY - June 7th, 2006

Greetings from the LoTi Team! Today, we will begin Day 1 of the LoTi Mentor Certification Institute in Sheridan at the college. The agenda will consist of the following events:

I. Issues with Technology Use
II. Extreme Technology Makeover Case Study
III. Bloom Workout
IV. LoTi Observations***
V. Certification Task #1
http://www.learning-quest.com/LoTi_Mentors/
VI. Evaluating Web Projects***
VII. Certification Task #3 - Homework
http://www.learning-quest.com/LoTi_Mentors/
VIII. LoTi 3 Case Study: Reaction Time vs Gender

Let me know of any concerns or questions you have with the agenda or the institute itself. Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Chris

Monday, June 5, 2006

LoTi Mentor Certification Day 3 - Levelland, TX - Reflection

Dear Colleagues,

I wish to compliment each of you for your intensity level, dedication, and commitment to high level technology implementation during the three-day LoTi Mentor Certification Institute at Levelland High School. I am really excited about our prospects for LoTi in the District during the 2006-07 school year.

As you complete your certification tasks, please keep the following items on your dashboard:

1. Our expectation is for you to implement the LoTi concepts and strategies in YOUR classroom during the school year. We want to make sure that you feel comfortable with the techniques and websites modeled at the Institute.

2. The appropriate LoTi level should be commensurate with the TEKS being addressed and the desired level of student cognition.

3. We are rolling out the new LoTi Lounge (www.lotilounge.com) on July 1st and would welcome your thoughts and comments regarding the different resources available at this updated website.

4. Until we roll out the new LoTi Lounge, please access the ikeepbookmarks websites for accessing any of our LoTi resources. The website is as follows:

http://ww2.ikeepbookmarks.com/lotischools

You folks are simply awesome! Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. I am definitely looking forward to dining at a LoTi 5 restaurant in Levelland.

Please post your comments to this page when you have a chance.

Chris
chris@learning-quest.com