Questions, solutions, and innovations surrounding technology in the classroom
explored at first conference of its kind.
The Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING’s inaugural STEAM Ahead Conference, which took place in February at Oak Middle School in Los Alamitos, provided a forum for seasoned and new presenters to come together to help their fellow members in the Cotsen community grow their craft. Twenty-eight speakers represented Tustin Unified School District, Fullerton School District, Los Alamitos Unified School District, Long Beach Unified School District, Rowland Unified School District, Pomona Unified School District, and Los Angeles Unified School District.
Sixteen of the conference presenters were current and alumni fellows of the ART of TEACHING program, and the feeling that permeated the entire conference was a sense of community, a sense of family, and a sense of giving back and sharing – in other words: “paying it forward.”
Sharon Sutton, a Cotsen consultant from 21st Century Learning and Principals’ Technology Network (PTN) program coordinator, organized the daylong event with the assistance of PTN facilitators. She received an overwhelmingly positive response from current and alumni Cotsen fellows, mentors, and principals she invited to present at STEAM Ahead.
“No one said “No,” except for those who had previous commitments,” Sutton said. “The overwhelming response from everyone we approached was that Cotsen had given them so much and had helped them grow as an educator that they wanted to give back.”
Jerry Harris, executive director of the Cotsen Foundation for the ART of TEACHING, welcomed nearly 200 participants, K-6 educators and administrators, to STEAM Ahead. The conference was inspired by the success of the PTN, which is made up of Cotsen alumni and mentors who work with principals in their respective districts to move the schools forward with thoughtful technology integration.
“This conference is a result of the vision and dedication of the Principals’ Technology Network facilitators who saw a need and designed a variety of learning experiences to address those needs,” Harris said.
Dr. Emy Flores, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Fullerton School District and Apple Distinguished Educator, delivered the conference’s keynote, “Unleashing Student Potential.” The former principal of Valencia Park Elementary School, Flores shared her experiences of leading a successful 1:1 iPad learning initiative at a historically underachieving Title 1 school in Fullerton. As a result of that success, Valencia Park is now an Apple Distinguished Program school, a 2012 Golden Bell winner, and a Title 1 Academic Achievement school. Flores also discussed the importance of motivating kids to “disguised learning,” where play results in discovery; shifting focus from the devices to what actually can be done with them; and providing a learning environment that instills passion and purpose in students.
Presentations included “Experiencing STEAM in a Makerspace Setting” (Alex Ordonez, Media Center Specialist, Los Alamitos); “The Power of Play: Coding + Content” (Cindy Bak, assistant principal and Cotsen alumna fellow, Fullerton and Julie Graham, principal, Fullerton); and “Using CueThink to Cognitively Guide Instruction” (Theodora Beauchamp, teacher and Cotsen alumna fellow, Tustin).
Kyle Myers, a Cotsen mentor from Fullerton, co-presented “Code, Code, Code Your Bot, Gently Down the STEAM” with Tracy Ramont, a Cotsen fellow and Alina Mills, a Fullerton teacher, to underscore how coding is the new 21st century literacy. The three presenters are currently creating a framework of coding for FSD. Myers noted that a million jobs in the United States may go unfilled because only one in ten schools currently teach children how to code.
“Granted, when they graduate from school, they’ll be using different technology and devices,” he said. “But we [need to] teach them those skills and how to process [the knowledge] and make sure they’ll be capable of getting there.”
Josh Helpern, who teaches fifth grade at Loma Vista Elementary School in Tustin and was a Cotsen fellow from 2011-13, presented “Exploring Science Through Simulations” at the STEAM Ahead Conference. While a Cotsen fellow, he focused on mathematics and learned about Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI), which focuses on problem solving and teaching students to express their thinking. His students work in partnership with programs such as CUEThink and Explain Everything, in order to collaborate and share their problem solving process by creating videos, a method that draws from his time as a Cotsen fellow.
Sutton says that the ART of TEACHING’s mentor-fellow model was a key factor that enabled current and alumni fellows to present the most impactful STEAM Ahead conference possible.
“The current education paradigm suggests that in order to engage students in learning they must be provided with ‘choice and voice’ in how and what they learn,” she said. “The Cotsen Foundation provides teachers with a model of ‘choice and voice’ for teacher professional development. Cotsen fellows self-select their area for professional growth. They are provided with resources (funding), support (a Cotsen mentor), and a safe environment to reflect and grow their teaching. The Cotsen Foundation exudes a culture that clearly articulates that you, as an individual, are valued and that the job you do is critically important. It empowers teachers, dignifies the teaching profession, and values that they are making a difference in the lives of children.”
Informal “Unconference” discussions at the end of the day provided participants the opportunity to pose questions that were not previously addressed, and to productively “vent” about day-to-day challenges and successes. Among the concerns discussed were the need for more student-driven design and intent of lessons, parents in tech fields as a resource for STEAM teaching, the innate knowledge of children who were born in the era of new technology, and the hesitancy of already over-extended teachers to add “one more thing” to their already full plates.
Dr. Trisha Callella, Director of Educational Technology for Los Alamitos Unified School District, focuses on integrated technology in daily classroom practices. She pointed out that “Technology used to be a task, but now it’s a tool to help students show their learning in ways not previously possible.”
Callella, who was a Cotsen mentor from 2005-07 recalled that desktops, laptops, and the videocameras that Cotsen mentors used to record lessons for teachers’ reflection and growth were the height of technology in schools at that time. With the widened scope of technology now available to schools today, she sees unprecedented promise.
“I hope my students feel ownership of their learning, develop entrepreneurship skills, and use technology at deep levels of learning,” said Callella.
Deep levels of learning are a hallmark of the ART of TEACHING program. Michelle Ciecek, who was a Cotsen fellow in 2010, says that the program’s model of mentorship is one that she still employs today, with its components of “trust, challenge, and purpose.”
“Throughout the two-year fellowship I became even more reflective and purposeful in every decision I made,” said Ciecek, who is now a Digital Learning Coach for Tustin Unified School District. “It is this reflective nature of the [Cotsen] fellowship that has helped me venture into the world of digital learning and educational technology. Although I knew I would miss the classroom and my students, this belief in the process lead me to my current role as Digital Learning Coach. Now sitting on the other side of the table, I am even more aware of the power of reflection and being purposeful.“Technology is constantly changing and it’s hard to keep up; however, it isn’t really about what the next best tool is, it’s about pedagogy and content and how technology can enhance both,” she said. “With every new tech tool, we look at content and pedagogy first and then look for a way to integrate technology that enhances student learning, engages them in ways never done before, and provides students voice and opportunities to construct knowledge through creation. With continued development and access to technology and information, learning is not about what you know, but about what you can do with what you know.”
Claudette Pantney is a Teacher Tech Lead for the Pomona Unified School District. She presented “Discover the HyperDuino for Science” at STEAM Ahead with Cotsen alumna fellow Amy Bennett-Rosado, and said that integrating technology supports the 4 Cs of Common Core – critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. She also said that in order to prepare students to become creators of technology rather than merely consumers, she had to change her teaching approach to that of a facilitator.
“Integrating technology fosters voice and choice,” noted Pantney. “Prior to technology integration, I was the resource for my students. Now the students have the world at their fingers, and they can access many resources to research and answer essential questions, inquiry-based lessons, and problem based learning. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to choose how they want to showcase their knowledge. Global connectivity also lends itself to students taking charge of their learning, becoming critical thinkers, communicating, and collaborating with others outside the classroom walls.”
As a Cotsen mentor from 2009 to 2012, Pantney researched and provided effective models for teaching comprehension strategies and problem solving skills. She feels that her experience with Cotsen’s ART of TEACHING helps her to integrate technology more effectively into her curriculum.
“Although I am no longer a mentor, Cotsen continues to provide many opportunities for me to continually develop my new skill set of creating technology infused lessons,” she said. “I am constantly researching ideas and apps that I can use in my classroom that will help my students to be successful in a 21st century environment. With the help of Cotsen, I will continue to add to my tool belt, and provide even more meaningful ways for students to use technology.”