The LoTi Guy Speaks: October 2007

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

LoTi Adminstrator Institute - Day 2

Greetings and welcome to Day 2 of the LoTi Administrator Institute. Provided below is today's agenda.

• LoTi/H.E.A.T./Bloom - Review
• Individualized Professional Development Plan
• LoTi Case Study: 4th Grade Writing
• LoTi Case Study: 8th Grade Social Studies
• LoTi Case Study: Student Voices in Writing
• LoTi Case Study: 6th Grade Reading/Writing Reference
• LoTi Implementation Cycle
• Assess – Classroom Observation using BISD Walkthrough Form: Middle School
• Plan - Sample Middle School: Case Study
• Implement - H.E.A.T. Strategies
• Sustain - Classroom Observation using BISD Walkthrough Form: Elementary School
• LoTi Project Schools
• Next Steps Action Plan
• Summary & Reflection

H.E.A.T. Strategies:
• LoTi Digital-Age Survey
• Lesson Makeover
• Graphic Organizers
• Questioning Toolkit
• Bloom's Taxonomy
• Sample Classroom Walkthrough
• Rubrics
• Peer Observations
• Differentiated Instruction
• Differentiated Instruction for Advanced Learner
• Focus Strategies
• 21st Century Performance Assessments
• online Learning
1. Go to: www.loticlassroom.com

2. Click on the "Login" link in the upper right corner of the screen. Login with the demonstration user account:
Username: lotiguest
Password: lotiguest

3. Click on the LoTi Classroom Demo Course link to browse the course

Please leave a comment about any questions from yesterday's program or today's agenda.

May the LoTi Be With You!

Chris

LoTi Administrator Institute Day 1 - Reflection

Since most 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. Reaching consensus about the "learner-centeredness" of a classroom experience is sometimes difficult. The easiest way to achieve some type of consensus is to first divide the learning experience into three components: Content, Process, and Product. If you detect that a minimum of two out of three of these components is "learner-centered" then we call the entire experience a learner-centered activity. Conversely, if you detect that a minimum of two out of three of the components is "teacher-centered" then we call the entire experience a teacher-centered activity.

3. Whenever possible, use the LoTi "Sniff" Test 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 content standards being addresssed and at the desired level of student cognition.

6. Whereas LoTi focuses on what the teacher is doing in the classroom, H.E.A.T. measures its effects on the learner. The greater the H.E.A.T., the higher is the LoTi level.

I look forward to your comments.

Chris

LoTi Adminstrator Institute - Day 1

Monday, October 22, 2007

LoTi Tools & Resources

LoTi Tools:
Partnership for the 21st Century
Gaggle
ePals
Gliffy
Graphing Tools
Rubric Building Tools
Survey Tools
Graphic Organizer Tools
Web-based Projects
Google Earth
Morphing Software Reviews
Bubbl.us

LoTi Resources:
Questioning Toolbox
Random Numbers
Creative Action
LoTi Schools Bookmarks
National Library of Math Manipulatives
Interactivate
Illuminations
Scorecard
Thinkfinity
WebQuest
LoTi Lounge
Blogger
Wikispaces
Traffic Light
Time for Kids
Truth or Fiction
Hannah Montana
Earth Footprint
Kindergarten Corner

http://www.earthday.net/footprint/

Monday, October 8, 2007

LoTi Sniff Test

Is technology being used by students as part of the learning experience? - Yes/No
Is there evidence of higher order thinking by students tied to the content? - Yes/No
Are students applying their learning to solve a real world problem or situation or resolve an issue? - Yes/No
Is the learning experience student-centered? Yes/No
Is there two-way collaboration with experts outside the classroom? - Yes/No
Do students have unlimited access to technology during the school day? - Yes/No

Good Afternoon!

Excellent job this morning with approximating H.E.A.T. and LoTi (Levels of Teaching Innovation) with various lesson plans and video clips. Provided below is today's agenda.

• Issues with Technology Use
• Extreme Technology Makeover
• LoTi Look-Fors & Sniff Test
• LoTi Sniff Test - Review
• LoTi Data
• Individualized Professional Development Plan
• DETAILS School Profiles
• LoTi Implementation Cycle
• LoTi Project Schools
• LoTi Project Schools
• LoTi Observer
• Lesson Plan Reviews
• LoTi Alignment Chart

Sample LoTi 3 Projects
LoTi 3 Case Study - Elementary School
LoTi 3 Case Study - Middle School
LoTi 3 Case Study - High School
H.E.A.T. Classroom Walkthroughs: Case Studies

Please leave a comment about any questions from today's program.

May the LoTi Be With You!

Chris

The LoTi Guy Speaks