Technology Visit in Minnesota: Feb. 17-19, 2010
Thanks to the generosity of Eisenhower PTA, I had the opportunity to travel to Minnesota to visit several sites to look at their use of technology including several language immersion schools. The main visit was in the Minnetonka school district that showcases their technology use by organizing annual visits http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/administration/technology/visit/Pages/default.aspx
I used the information and experience gathered during that visit to enhance my own practice as the instructional technology teacher, to inform my colleagues and the school community through presentations organized under the umbrella of the school technology committee that I chair. I recommend the visit to anybody interested in integrating technology in teaching.
Minnetonka
The district encompasses 11 schools that started a successful campaign in 2002 to bring a compelling vision to voters to obtain the necessary funds toacquire new technology. Their strategy was to select a pilot grade in one school that started using interactive whiteboards and student computers, then to open those classes to the community and the public. After passing a referendum, they continued with all the classes of that grade level in the district. Finally, they expanded it to the whole district one grade level at the time. They also have several technology integration specialists among the teachers who serve in that position for 2-3 years and a proactive technology department.
Key elements for success include the use of pilot phases, involvement of teachers, support for teachers, and standardization of the equipment. Today teachers have only one log in for 26 applications, parents have home access to student information, students can check out laptops, and the district provides a map with all the hotspots for wireless access from home.
Technology
The main tool is the interactive white boards. Note that their boards are connected to desktops because they experienced docking problems with laptops.
They also have interactive tables for lower grade in elementary schools.Besides being still expensive, the problem is to create content.
Students have access to computers in a computer lab setting or in the classroom including laptops.
One school has even a primary computer lab with furniture and keyboards adapted for lower grade students.
In some schools they have laptop carts for classrooms and wireless internet.
Most teachers use the voice enhancing system for a better distribution of their voice across the room. It consists in a teacher microphone andloudspeakers in each corner of the room. It has been funded through a grant and proves to be low cost and very effective for more on-task behavior and front-row seat everywhere in the classroom (equipment on the right).
Some teachers use podcasting so students can record themselves reading or presenting, including the use of video. Recording is particularly useful for documenting student progress in remedial programs or for sending home lessons in Chinese. The district has posted on their website numerous videos that present best practices and other tools, besides the one discussed above, such as the online discussion board for students.
http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/administration/technology/videos/Pages/default.aspx
IMMERSIONPROGRAMS
Minnetonka has a Chinese and a Spanish immersion program. I also visited a Spanish immersion school in St. Louis Park (K- 6) and two French immersion schools, one in Edina (K-5) and one in St. Paul (K-6).
Questions for the Visit of Immersion Schools in Minnesota
How to integrate technology to enhance the immersion program? One school uses UrbanPlanet to create forums for 6th grade students; another school has interactive white boards. In another school, each student has a computer account and their own document folder. Students retake spelling tests using an audio podcast.
How to help teachers use technology in their classroom? Online or district training is conducted. One school works with language land. One school uses Every Day math that has a technology piece.
How and where to find best resourced and material in the target language: where doyou order French books? Scholastic Canada ships to MN. For Spanish, SylvanDell, Follett Titlewave, Learner Books, Criticas, Capstone, Heinemann fornonfiction.
How to diffuse pressure from testing in English to provide a full immersioncurriculum? The State offers merit pay. They have one week with English vocabulary. Teachers identified struggling students in the first quarter, then work with them 20 minutes four days per week.
How to handle the ration target language-English across grade levels? In all the schools English is taught as a pull-out class 4 days a week. Students are expected to answer and talk among them in the target language. In one school they had a rule that teachers could not speak a word of English while with students, even with visitors in their classroom.
How to assess target language achievement? In one school the principal speaks French and conduct language assessment. GB and evaluations, teachers assess oral proficiency informally. In one school upper grade students take the National Spanish Exam. For reading comprehension they use the Developmental Reading Assessment in Spanish.
How to improve and use vertical alignment? They use oral benchmarks and a district checklist.
How to organize professional development targeted to immersion? In one school they have grade-level teams of 4 teachers. Twice or three times a year there is a training for immersion teachers in MN organized by the Minnesota Advocates of immersion Network (MAIN).
How to partner with other immersion schools? Schools are members of a network.
How to recruit and keep qualified immersion teachers? Usually word of mouth or from other immersion schools. Schools have partnered with different organization to bring student-teacher interns from abroad (e.g., Amity). Now one school will be able to sponsor educational intern visa (J-1), saving money this way. Interns are paid by PTA fund raisers and hosted by school families for 6 month. They have partnerships with 5 universities; two people go to France in January to conduct interviews. Interns are sometimes hired as teachers later on.
Role of school leaders (building, district) in supporting immersion? They are at least 50 immersion schools in MN.
What are some strong areas of the immersion program at your site? In one school the level of oral proficiency was very high even in the lower grades, in another every staff member, including office personnel, was fluent in the target language.
What are some challenges you face? Differences in philosophies between immersion teachers and other language teachers. Cut in funding are prevalent.
How do teachers use technology and/or traditional teaching methods to differentiate instruction for students at different learning levels (within the same grade)? Teachers use podcasting for spelling test. One school has an interactive white board in special education classroom and the teacher uses podcasting for documenting student progress.
How does instruction capitalize on students' existing first language (L1) cultural and language assets to support them in the target language learning? N/A
What is the school's vision/definition of a literate immersion student (i.e.,after the course of study, what is the desired student outcome)? GB all the wayto 5th grade, another school uses standardized tests in Spanish.
Do you have/use a handbook of academic vocabulary and school expressions, a kindof "style book"? N/A
Doyou have/use satellite TV to watch French television? N/A
Whatdo you offer/ what do you expect students to do over the summer to maintain their target language skills? One school organizes summer classes offering science and geography for a couple of weeks each.
Do you travel to French Canada with students? No school does. One school takes 30 students to Bordeaux, France, to visit 2 schools for 2 weeks in June through Terre des Langues (Terra Lingua, Mr.Francis Grana).
What role does Canada and Canadian French play in your curriculum? N/A
What's your source for books? School library or parents.
Do your students have a class set of a short novel or collection of short stories or poems? N/A
Do you do a lot of Xeroxing or do you use mainly textbooks? One school use student workbooks.
Do you teach French classical culture (poets, history, art, music, architecture)? N/A
Do you have a partner school and do your students have pen pals? If yes, how does it work? What are activities you do together? Some classes pen pal with high school students.
Do you put on French plays? What's your source for scripts? N/A
How the schools promote the immersion component in their communities and what methods have been successful for them? There are at least 50 immersion schoolsin Minnesota.
Who is responsible for this promotion? District for public schools, private schools have ads.
How much of their funding is from non-government/private sources (individuals, foundations, & businesses). Schools have one or two major fundraisers a year.