Dr. Ramon E Betances

Early Reading Lab

School

By: Donna DiPretaPost University

Introduction

• “The mission of Betances Early Reading Lab Magnet School is to offer a high-quality early education in grades Pre-K through 3, which integrates research-based practices in literacy, early childhood development, and the STEM disciplines in order to prepare young children for the rigor and advanced academics of a highly successful educational program” (HPS, "Operation Plan", 2014).

Betances Early Reading Lab School

• Betances Early Reading Lab School is a magnet school located in Hartford, CT. BERL is driven to educate students from Pre-K to grade 3.

• The main focus is to integrate literacy instruction across all subjects.

• There are technologies placed in the classroom that allow teachers to watch live instruction.

• The instruction is used to model exemplar teaching while increasing professional development.

• The school focuses on 90-120 minute literacy blocks for the students. The lessons that are taught are research based strategies that allow each child to be successful and progress within the program.

Technologies Implemented and To Be

ImplementedAdaptive Learning

• “Personal computers are capable of supporting a number of technologies, such as speech-synthesis systems, abbreviation-expansion and word-prediction software, electronic books, scanners, speech-recognition systems, and pro- ductivity software, that can be helpful to persons with learning disabilities” (Lazzaro,2001)

BYOD• “BYOD allows students to

use technology with which they are familiar, making research and learning easier and more natural. They learn about technology by using it; they also learn that portable electronic devices are not merely expensive toys, but valuable tools for inquiry” (Berek, 2014).

1. Adaptive Learning and 2. BYOD

1. Students are introduced to adaptive learning through the programs iREADY and First in Math.

-They are also allowed to use these programs at home on their own devices. Both of these programs are data driven to customize each child’s learning experience.

-The programs are monitored by the instructor and adjust to individual needs. When a student progresses, the software skill level increases

2.Students who bring their own devices (BYOD) will become familiar with technology and personalizing the learning experience. They learn by using it everyday. Students are able to carry those devices with them to complete the programs that are being taught inside the classroom as well.

-Bring Your Own Device is an upcoming technology for the classroom. Every student may not have the funds to have their own device. This is something the school can work on in providing every student with an assigned tablet for the year.

FUTURING TECHNIQUES

Scenario Planning and Scanning

Scenario Planning

Positives• 1. Foster strategic thinking and

learning

• 2. Develop multiple futures.

• 3. The ways of building a scenario are very flexible and can be adjusted to a specific situation.

•  4. The organisational learning and the decision making process is improved.

•  5. Scenarios do not describe just one future, but that several realisable or desirable futures are placed side by side (multiple futures).

• (Meitzner,2005)

Pitfalls/Challenges

• 1. Actual decisions in future-oriented fields invariably take a long time to make and a very much longer time to have an effect.

•  2. Data and information from different sources have to be collected and interpreted which makes scenario building even more time-consuming.

•  3. It could be difficult not to focus on black and white scenarios or the most likely scenario (wishful thinking) during the scenario-building process.

• 4. There are a small number of studies which analyze the relationship between scenario planning and firm performance or try to evaluate the accuracy of the outcomes of a scenario.

Scanning

PROS

• Focuses on changes that occur through time rather than events.

• Looks for data

• Turns data into usable information

• Used to inform scenarios and forecasts.

• (Sobrero, 2004)

• (World Future Society, 2015).

CONS

• Time consuming.

• Scanning needs to be undergone in a sequence of futuring events so the process an become more fluid (can not be done in the first step of the futuring process.)

• Successfully guiding the process takes knowledge of the futuring technique(not just anyone can do it without the right knowledge)

• (Hines, 2006)

TRENDS THAT

INFORM THE FUTURE

Educational Technology Trends

Mobile Technology:

• Students will continue to use own devices to support learning.

• Parents will be using apps such as class dojo, and remind101 to keep constant communication with teachers.

• For the students that do have access to a mobile phone, they are given the opportunity to take out the phone and use it to search topics related to the classroom.

• Record teachers• Look up

topics/information• Remind students of

assignments.

Digital Technology:

• Students can use YouTube as a way to search for information about a topic.

• There are a variety of free sites on the Internet that allow students to use multiple strategies when learning.

• There are books on YouTube that are read out loud for students so that they can listen and visualize the text while the teacher is circulating the room for one on one attention.

• For Math, administrators at BERL are looking to incorporate Khan Academy which is a website that allows students to progress through each level.

“Additionally, the students are intrigued with the potential of using these devices to transform the daily learning process in the classroom.

They imagine being able to:• Look up information on the

Internet whenever they want or need to (73 percent).

• Record lectures or labs so that they can review them later for self-remediation (69 percent).

• Receive timely reminders and alerts about school assignments, project deadlines and tests (63 percent), and

• use the devices as a gateway to collaborate with peers, both in their classroom and around the world (41 percent)” (Speak Up, 2012).

Economic/Public Policy

“60% of early childhood education teachers are not incorporating technology because of a lack of funding” (Simon, 2013).

ECONOMIC:• Economic downturn

leads to budget cuts.

• Technology for low-income schools is becoming a problem when trying to implement these trends in the classroom.

• The instructional use of technology is rising and without proper budget kids will not have access to their own devices.

• With the economic downturn many school programs were left with major budget cuts and not a lot of funding.

Public Policy:• The policy trend of standardized

testing.• Each state has testing requirements

for each student. “Requires that states administer tests to all public school students. The states set proficiency standards, called adequate yearly progress, that progressively increase the percentage of students in a district that must meet the proficiency standard”(Yell,2006).

• Standardized testing such as MAP NWEA and SBAC are being used to create innovative intervention blocks.

• I-Ready is being implemented at BERL to inform interventions.

• When using this in the classroom, it builds up student’s skills when it comes to state testing.

Demographics“In Connecticut, “46,189 students attended either a charter or magnet school- nearly triple the number of students attending choice schools during the 2004-05 school year and nearly 10% of all public school students.” (Thomas, 2015). • BERL has changed into a magnet school two years ago.

• The school has changed from a Prek-8 school to a Prek-3 school.

• 10-15 different towns attend BERL

• Demographics change= budget change

• Demographics change will increase resources.

• Diverse setting which will no longer be low income setting.

Vision B

ETA

NC

ES

VIS

ION

2015-Professional development on guided reading scenarios and

techniques/ training coaches

2015-2016- coaching teachers using the laboratory based

model/partner with universities in community

2016-2017-model reading recovery school; have all 3rd graders become proficient in

reading

2017-2018-Using coaching sessions by watching

teachers on the lab cameras

2019-ongoing professional development using

instructional coaches

Plan for changeAction Needs for the school Strategies Person Responsible Monitoring

1. 3rd grade reading proficiency

Early Reading Lab students struggle with phonics, fluency and comprehension (3rd) as it relates to literary and informational texts.

1 hour Guided Reading block in grades Pre-K to 3 with stations, conferring, skill building and independent reading Implementation of EL curriculum in grade 3 Intervention Block

Principal, Dean, Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist (Facilitators) K-2 curriculum writers All Early Reading staff

Pre-K to 3 guided reading plans with specific skill identification, strategies and data collection(Weekly) Grade 3 unpacked EL unit plans with clear AIM aligned to student data(Weekly) IRead, IReady and Lexia student progress reports to support academic interventions(Fall, Winter, Spring) 

2. Best Guided Reading Practices

Implementation of effective guided reading stations within the literacy block Independent Reading

Guided Reading:Independent Reading stamina, stations, the guided reading block (time/components), conferring prompts, data collection and analysis

Principal, Dean, Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist (Facilitators)

Professional learning calendar with plans submitted by leadership team/individuals outlining PD activities related to goals and specific support (Yearly, monthly and weekly) 8 Week GR instructional cycle (minutes, artifacts and DRA data in Sept, Nov, Jan, March and May)

Plan for change contd.

3. Student attendance

Students at Betances Early Reading Lab struggle with daily attendance in regards to chronic absences and tardies

Attendance incentives, classroom monitoring, PBIS Establish attendance team and document roles/responsibilities for monitoring

Review attendance data at leadership

School Leadership Team will plan and implement interventions/supports to reduce absences  Review attendance data weekly and implement supports to address attendance and truancy concerns  Provide parent education on the importance of school attendance

Powerschool Attendance data (Weekly)  Perfect Attendance Incentives (Monthly)  Health Records/Reports (Bi-Weekly)  Attendance at Parent Academies (Quarterly)  Community Partnerships (Monthly)

4. University partners

Betances Early Reading Lab will partner up with a college/university to help assist teachers in the classroom.

Call all universities in the area to see if they are willing to establish a connection with the school

Leadership team(dean,coach, principal) will schedule university students to classrooms in the building to help assist with guided reading.

University students sign in and out of the building.

University students Tuesday and Thursdays

5. Top laboratory school

Utilize all laboratory cameras in the classrooms.

Use all cameras to assist teachers with mentors in the building.

Cameras will allow teachers to receive feedback from instructional coaches

Principal and coaches

Have bi-weekly coaching sessions to assist in bettering teaching practices.

Call for Action-First steps

2. BERL teachers will receive high quality

learning opportunities aligned to the plan for

change and early literacy integrity.

1. Send instructional coaches to coaching academies to gain

practice in modeling coaching sessions for teaching practices.

References

• Berek, D. (2014). Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). P. 1-4. Retrieved July 4, 2015, from Research Starters - Education.

• Dictionary of Foresight. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2015, from http://www.wfs.org/dictionary

• From Chalkboard to Tablets: The Emergence of the K-12 Learner. (2012). Retrieved July 15, 2015.

• Hines, A. (2006, September 1). Strategic Foresight: The State of the Art. Futurist, 18-21.

• Lazzaro, J. (2001). Adaptive technologies for learning & work environments (2nd ed.). Chicago: American Library Association.

• Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight. Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220–239. 

References (cont.)• NMC Horizon Report:2015 K-12 Edition. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2015,

from http://redarchive.nmc.org/horizon-project

• Simon, F., Nemeth, K., & McManis, D., (2013). Technology In ECE Classrooms.

• Sorbrero, P. (2004). The Steps for Futuring. Journal of Extension, 42(3). Retrieved July 7, 2015, from http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php

• Thomas, J. (2015) Education Chief Outlines Vision for Connecticut Schools. The Hartford Courant. Retrieved from www.courant.com/education/hc-connecticut-education-commissioner-20150719-story.html#page=

• Yell, M. (2006). The Purpose of No Child Left Behind. Retrieved July 1, 2015, from http://www.education.com/reference/article/purpose-no-child-left-behind/

• (2014, May 1). Retrieved July 4, 2015, from https://www.hartfordschools.org/files/OperationPlanBetances.pdf