Generation YES Blog

Wow, it’s been a busy summer!

Two weeks ago, Dennis Harper and Emily McCartan participated in two, week-long summer camps for middle school students in New York. The students learned about technology, but more than that, they learned how to be leaders and mentors. Starting this fall, they will become the first group of New York State Student Technology Leaders (NYSSTL) in their schools in 25 districts in New York.

HFM BOCES News: Leadership and Achievement through Technology Initiative - Camp prepares students to become technology mentors

NYSSTL students will mentor other students in technology literacy using the TechYES project-based approach, and will use the GenYES 2.0 tools to assist teachers to support technology integration in every classroom.

From the HFM BOCES article:

“The one-week camp was part of HFM BOCES’ Enhancing Education through Technology program, designed to create technology mentors among teachers and students in participating schools. These digitally-savvy students hope to tutor fellow students in technology-related projects, while assisting their teachers in learning and using new technology as a teaching tool. The program helps meet the federal goal that all students will demonstrate technology literacy by the end of eighth grade.”

The HFM and WSWHE BOCES already have a strong support system for technology integration, and we know that these NYSSTL students will be a welcome addition to the team of technology advocates and mentors at each school site!

Videos coming soon!

Sylvia

Well, in what may be the understatement of the year, this has been a busy couple of months! The intrepid Generation YES staff has been working on two major projects with a deadline to have both of them done for NECC this month in San Antonio. NECC is a great place to show off new stuff, and we have a lot to show this year!

I blogged about TechYES Science (Announcing TechYES Science) last week, our latest addition to the TechYES - Student Technology Literacy Certification family.

But now the REALLY big news. The exemplary GenYES model is undergoing a major update to make it easier to use and even more aligned with the needs of 21st century learning communities. If you haven’t heard of GenYES (!) — GenYES students learn technology skills and apply those skills to real life issues — teaching teachers technology, building classroom resources, and doing tech support.

GenYES 2.0 is a proven way to help K-12 schools leverage students’ tech-savvy passion to integrate technology in every classroom. Empowered GenYES students inspire teachers to use technology and provide help when and where they need it.

• All resources online for ease of use
• New student-powered online help desk for the whole school
• New student project tools and teacher class management tools
• New blog and wiki tools
• Activity guides, project starters, and 20+ units of curriculum teach technology skills, multimedia, media literacy, audio, video, Web 2.0 tools, level 1 tech support, and more. Advanced units cover student leadership, community service, careers and more advanced tech support.
• Student certificates
• GenYES students learn collaboration skills, project planning, teaching, mentoring and troubleshooting skills.
• Club or class; upper elementary, middle and high school.

Read more about GenYES 2.0 online or in this downloadable flyer (PDF).

Note: There is a really big change to the way GenYES 2.0 is priced. For the first time, there are NO RENEWAL FEES - GenYES 2.0 is a one-time only site license. This is a pretty big change for us, and I plan to blog about why we’ve made this decision.

Another note: GenYES 2.0 includes all the resources from our Generation TECH student tech support program, which is being retired and integrated into GenYES 2.0. We kept hearing from customers that they wanted students to learn to collaborate with teachers on technology integration projects AND do tech support. So we finally figured out how to incorporate all of these in one easy to use tool.

OK, one more note: For GenYES 2.0, we’ve invented a Web 2.0 application we call the GenYES Technology Assistance Project (TAP) Manager. The TAP manager acts a bit like a help desk combined with a student-friendly project management tool. Any teacher in a GenYES school can request help or tech support by clicking a link. The GenYES teacher acts as a traffic manager, assigning TAPs to GenYES students. And like Facebook and other Web 2.0 tools, the web application gives GenYES students and their teacher a running report of what’s going on in their learning community as they work on their projects.

If you are coming to NECC, come by our booth (7148) and we’d be happy to give you a demo. Soon after NECC, we’ll have an online demo available.

Sylvia

In 1995, Dr. Dennis Harper was the technology director of the Olympia School District in Washington State. This video was shot then and shows some pretty forward thinking, collaborative learning going on with technology. In Olympia, students were in charge of teaching everyone, teachers, staff and students how to use computers and the Internet. Students built and ran the school website, did tech support, installation and training for peers and staff. You’ll see students from 3rd grade to high school showing how they use technology to improve learning throughout the whole school.

This was the beginning of the GenYES model, just before Dennis proposed the idea to the USDOE, who funded it as a Technology Innovation Challenge Grant. The technology being used may appear outdated, but the idea is timeless — to see youth as agents of change rather than objects to be changed.

For you DH fans out there, Dr. Harper appears about 6 minutes in. (If you can’t see the embedded video, use this link.)

Unfortunately, in many schools today, computers and technology are unused and under-utilized. Ignoring the passion and talent of this digital generation, who make up 92% of the population at any school, is overlooking a solution that works and has worked in many schools across the country.

This video was cut down from the original by Andy Baio of Waxy.org, who collects video and other artifacts about early Internet days. He says, “…it’s clear this public school district was way ahead of their time.” You can read his take on it here.

We put this link in our email newsletter and heard from several of these students (now twenty-somethings) who loved remembering their experiences, but hated seeing their teenage selves. Guess that never changes either!

Sylvia

Wow2! The Women of the Web discussion last night definitely deserved a double-WOW. Lots of great questions and conversation about GenYES and student empowerment, Seymour Papert, technology integration, project-based learning with technology, and more. The hour flew by, and reading the chat log today it looks like the backchannel was just as informative! Lots of great links and questions.

Here’s the podcast link on the WOW 2.0 website.

Many thanks to Sharon Peters, Dr. Cheri Toledo and Cheryl Oakes for being gracious hosts and expert interviewers. And good thoughts out to Jen Wagner who had to instead attend a funeral for a colleague.

Sylvia

Congratulations to Hill City Elementary School/Longfellow Middle School for winning the Kansas in the World Award for Excellence in International Education 2008!

Longfellow Middle School and teacher Scott Parker have been part of the GenYES program for ten years, starting when GenYES was a federal Technology Innovation Challenge grant. At Longfellow, GenYES students help teachers throughout the school integrate technology in their classrooms, and in TechYES, 7th and 8th grade students do projects to gain a technology literacy certification. Students worked on Rural Symposium projects and tied them into international studies through the International Education and Resource Network (iEARN). See the student projects here.

Longfellow GenYES students have also been at the forefront of working with Liberian students who are part of the new Liberia Renaissance School of which GenYES founder, Dr. Dennis Harper is a board member. Their Liberia projects are on the LREC/LMS website here.

In addition, many of the TechYES/GenYES students are involved in the “Schools Fantasy League” program based on England’s Premier League soccer. This project is designed for schools to take part in an exciting, engaging activity that promotes collaboration, learning and cross-curricular connections. Longfellow Middle School is recognized as a “Champion School” as the first USA school to be involved in the program.

Congratulations to the Longfellow students and Scott Parker! This is a well-deserved award indeed.

Sylvia

An op-ed article in today’s Christian Science Monitor by John Bridgeland contains some powerful evidence that service-learning could be a key factor in lowering dropout rates, increasing engagement, and motivating students.

Service learning tackles high dropout rates and civic disengagement

Service learning programs like our own GenYES create win-win situations where students are empowered and engaged to solve real problems in their schools and communities. In GenYES, students learn how to work with teachers and staff in their own school to solve technology problems and help teachers use more technology in the clasroom.

Service learning is an educational technique that combines classroom learning with community service. What’s critical is that it is not only key to getting more students engaged in their communities, but, according to a report released last week by Civic Enterprises, it is also a powerful tool to keep students on track to graduate from high school.

This report, called Engaged for Success, is well worth downloading - it contains research, case studies, and much more. And it’s not just drop-out prevention. This research would be useful to support adding service learning to improve student motivation, increase engagement, and encourage student voice.

A nationally representative survey of high school students, including at-risk students, paints a hopeful picture. Eighty-two percent of all service-learning students said their view of school improved because of their service-learning classes, and 77 percent said that service learning had a big effect on motivating them to work hard. Furthermore, 64 percent of service-learning students claimed that service learning would have a fairly or very big effect on keeping them from dropping out of school.

Although we hear a lot about “research-based” programs. But many times schools only look for research to justify what they are already doing. Research should be informing the search for innovative solutions, not done as an after-thought.

And it’s something students want. They are looking for opportunities to make a difference, to be somebody, to count and to be counted on.

Although high-quality service-learning programs are cropping up across the nation, such programs are still unjustifiably rare. Eighty-three percent of students said that if their school offered it, they would enroll in a service-learning program. Yet only 16 percent of all students, and only 8 percent of students at low-performing schools, reported that their school offered service learning. All too often students do not have access to, or do not even know about, such programs offered by their schools.

You don’t need to look outside the school walls to find authentic problems that students can solve. Technology integration is just such a tough problem for many schools. The research is clear here too - technology integration improves student achievement. And yet, it remains at the bottom of the to-do list in far too many schools.

This makes GenYES a double-impact research-based innovation. By helping teachers use technology in all classrooms, GenYES students provide a much needed service in their own school and gain much in return. GenYES students learn more than just technology skills or how to help teachers. They learn that they can make a difference, that their talents are useful and needed, and that they can have a say in improving education for all.

Research proves it.

Sylvia

I’m heading to Phoenix, Arizona tomorrow morning to visit one of our Generation YES districts, Paradise Valley, a fast growing suburb of a fast growing city. Paradise Valley is hosting a Mediafest tomorrow night to showcase their district’s technology efforts.

The 2008 PVUSD MediaFest will showcase technology and how it impacts — and adds value to — the classroom, as well as to thank parents and citizens who supported the Paradise Valley Unified School District’s capital budget override.

There are 17 schools in this district doing GenYES, where students are responsible for helping teachers with technology integration. These students are a big part of how PVUSD defines successful technology integration now and in the future. I’m looking forward to seeing the students in action.

The smart thing they are doing is making sure that the parents and citizens of Paradise Valley can truly see that the money they gave the district was well spent. This Mediafest will show how technology can be used for appropriate, academic purposes by students and how it’s making a visible difference in every classroom, grade level and subject area.

I think the ONLY way to convince people that technology belongs in the classroom is to show them what it looks like, and make it so good that it’s undeniable.

Plus, thanks to Twitter, I’m having dinner with some people I’ve never met in person before! Very cool.

Sylvia

I’m heading off to Palm Springs to attend California CUE (Computer Using Educators) starting Thursday.
CUE is always a great event, a chance to meet GenYES and TechYES teachers from all over California. California has several districts participating in the GenYES and TechYES programs, some for 3 years now, many funded by EETT (Title 2d). The funding is about to be released for 08/09 (Round 7), so hopefully we will see more California schools join this very successful program. Round 7 continues to emphasize student achievement and technology literacy in grades four through eight with expanded access to technology, electronic resources, professional development, and enhanced communications — exactly what GenYES and TechYES do.

CA EETT Round 7 - how GenYES and TechYES meet EETT goals.

There has been a lot of bad budget news in California recently, so this new competitive EETT funding is a small ray of sunshine in the Golden State.

My CUE Sessions

• Social Networking in Education - Friday, 3:00 - 4:00 pm in the Open Source Pavilion
• Classroom 2.0 - A Real-time Conversation - Saturday, 9:30 - 10:30 am
  Moderator: Steve Hargadon, Panelists: Mike Lawrence, Mark Wagner,
  Kyle Bumbaugh, Karen Greenwood-Henke, Adam Frey, Rushton Hurley, Sylvia
  Martinez
  Explore the potential of Classroom 2.0 using real-time audience-driven
  questions and interactive tools. Bring your brains, your laptops, and be a
  part of inventing the future!
  Room & Location: Mojave Learning Center / Wyndham Hotel

Wednesday is EdubloggerCon West 2008 - the growing trend of “unconference” where the grass-roots efforts of the community determine the program and day’s events. I’m really looking forward to meeting California educators who are embracing new tools and technology to inspire students.I’ll be around CUE until Saturday - hope to see you there!

• EdubloggerCon West 2008
• Twitter me!
• Booth 213

Sylvia

Megan Evander and Emily McCartan were interviewed by Wes Fryer (Moving at the Speed of Creativity Blog) at the NCCE 2008 conference last week in Seattle.

Megan is the Generation YES customer service lead, and Emily is our development coordinator (and ex-GenYES student.) The podcast, recorded on the exhibit hall floor at NCCE, is about the leadership and teamwork skills students develop in the GenYES program as they team with teachers to integrate technology at their own schools.

Link to the podcast. - Compelling Reasons to Involve Students in Technical and Instructional Technology Support with GenYES and TechYES

This is the third part of a series of blog posts inspired by the book, Meaningful Learning Using Technology: What Educators Need to Know And Do by Elizabeth Alexander Ashburn (Editor), Robert E. Floden (Editor) (Amazon link) and specifically a chapter Fostering Meaningful Teaching and Learning with Technology: Characteristics of Effective Professional Development written by Yong Zhao, Kenneth Frank, and Nicole Ellefson of Michigan State University Michigan State University (MSU).

• Part 1 was about the book in general and the 4 key factors found in effective technology professional development.
• Part 2 was a more detailed exploration of the 4 factors and specifics about the findings related to the GenYES model.

This third post explores why these models are excellent examples of technology professional development and the lessons that can be learned from them.

The researchers for this book chapter identified “four large-scale efforts that were shown to be effective in affecting teachers’ use of technology.” These are:

1. The Project-Based Learning Multimedia Model (PBL+MM)
2. The Galileo Education Network Association (GENA)
3. Project Information Technology (PIT)
4. The Generation Y Model (previous name of the GenYES model)

These four models represent some of the best professional development models for technology use in K-12 classrooms. They also have some elements that can be studied, adapted, and used by anyone. These are all complex models with many elements, so I apologize in advance if I’ve shortchanged any of the descriptions. I invite corrections and additions.

The Project-Based Learning Multimedia Model (PBL+MM). Also known as Challenge 2000, this model focused on specific professional development that helped teachers use technology tools with students to create multimedia projects in core content classes. It also had a strong peer-based community for the teachers and taught teachers skills needed to successfully teach project-based classes.

More information: Unfortunately the website is down as of this writing. SRI evaluation. Exemplary rating by USDOE Expert Panel of Educational Technology. Book available through ASCD.

The Galileo Education Network Association (GENA). This is a project out of Alberta, Canada. From their site: “Galileo is about teaching for deep understanding. Galileo supports teachers to design inquiry-based projects in which students use the digital technologies of their time in creative and thoughtful ways.”

More information: GENA website.

Project Information Technology (PIT). This project was conducted in the Netherlands in the early 1990’s. Teachers were grouped into areas of expertise and met six times a year to work on common projects. Findings showed that teachers were most influenced in their use of technology by their peers. I couldn’t find much online about this project besides the homepage of the lead researcher, Dr. Betty Collis.

The Generation Y Model. This model uses students as trainers and support systems for teachers. Students and teachers plan and create technology projects for the teacher to use in their classroom. The model uses specific curriculum for the students that is also project-based and models collaboration techniques for students.

This model was recently renamed the GenYES model (since Gen Y children have grown up past K-12 age) and is the model that I’m most familiar with!

More information: GenYES website. NWREL and other independent evaluations. Exemplary rating by USDOE Expert Panel of Educational Technology.

Similarities and differences
You can immediately see similarities in these models:

• Emphasis on project-based learning and constructivist pedagogy
• Teaching teachers pedagogy AND technology at the same time
• Establishing a community that was valuable for the teachers as they practiced new skills
• Focus on student learning and student created projects
• Emphasis on open-ended technology tools that foster creativity and student choice. These models do not train teachers to use “drill & practice” or test-prep software with students.
• Little “tool” training
• Technology strongly connected to curriculum and teaching needs.
• Intensive time commitment - none of these are “hit and run” trainings. All involved long term support for teachers in the classroom or very close to the classroom. Teachers didn’t have to wait around to ask questions or consult with colleagues or experts.

Differences

• Where the training/support takes place - Gen Y and GENA works with individual teachers, PIT and PBL+MM had larger meetings and trainings.
• Community building - Gen Y establishes students as participants in the support community, while others relied on meetings. These days I would think that building online community would be a key component.
• Who did the training/support - in general, GENA provided visiting mentors for extended periods, while PBL+MM relies on peer teachers and peer collaborations. Gen Y relies on student/teachers partnerships mediated with virtual coaches.

Recognition by US DOE
It’s also interesting that two of these models (the US based ones) were both named as the only exemplary models of educational technology by the US Department of Education’s Expert Panel in Educational Technology in 2001. This panel was convened to determine “what works” in educational technology, and they selected 134 models to explore in depth. Only two of these models were named exemplary, the highest rating: Generation Y and Challenge 2000. Both these models were also part of the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant program in the late 1990’s.

Using these models
Schools, districts and service centers looking at these models may wonder if they can be implemented and what it costs. Do you have to hire Generation YES to have an effective student-led support system for teachers? Do you have to hire GENA if you want teachers to design inquiry-based projects for students? Of course not. No one owns the idea of kids helping out, or project-based learning. All the research from these projects is available on the web and in books like this one. You can design your own program tomorrow, and maybe someday somebody will be writing about your model!

What schools may decide to pay for is materials, training, and support that organizations like Generation YES and GENA can provide. It’s hard enough to implement innovative programs that tackle big issues like technology integration combined with project-based learning AND invent it yourself.

Summary
By combining these exemplary models, you can provide teachers with expertise, peer coaching, and student support. Create multiple ways to support teachers, rather than multiple technologies that confuse teachers. Teachers could get support in their classroom from students, in informal, local events with peers, and in more formal trainings with experts.

It’s easy to see how a technology professional development program could strive to implement the similar aspects of these programs. It’s not as typical that a district or regional center will implement a blend of professional development designed to balance out the strengths and weaknesses of any one professional development model.

I work in many schools where teachers come to trainings exhausted after a week of serial trainings in one technology after another with no bridge between them. This can only serve to convince teachers that technology is simply piling on, instead of providing a coordinated effort to build 24/7 support for teachers.

By providing teachers with a blend of support, community, and opportunities that tie together philosophically, they can learn and use technology tools that work for them and their curriculum with confidence.

One more time - buy this book!

Sylvia