Stevens,+Pamela

**Deliverable 3: Implementing SynchronEyes, a classroom management system, on the Fairview High School network** ****

**** Date: November 25, 2008 ** **Proposal:** To implement SynchronEyes, a classroom management system, on the Fairview High School network to facilitate a safe online environment in which teachers and students can communicate, and collaborate, and publish; and where teachers can differentiate, monitor, and conference with students privately, for less than $3500 for a K-12 site license.
 * Pamela Stevens **
 * Deliverable #3: Proposal for Implementation of SynchronEyes, a classroom management system, on the Fairview High School network. **
 * To: Fairview High School Classrooms for the Future Technology Team

**Background: ** [|SynchronEyes] is a classroom management system that allows teachers to remotely monitor student work on computers, to share files and screens with students, to broadcast multimedia files to any or all students, to collect digital files, to communicate by text with individual or all students in a classroom, to direct students to particular programs or websites, and to freeze or shut down any or all computers in a classroom or lab. SynchronEyes can facilitate differentiation and collaboration at Fairview High School with greater ease. Our teachers already differentiate by manually creating different versions of assessments, assignments, and projects. Also FHS teachers strive to meet their students’ needs through conferencing and tutorials, which draw attention to those students who require remediation. The use of SynchronEyes can offer a more private form of differentiation, in addition to easier collaboration and communication.

Imagine a classroom activity in which students develop individual projects that focus on a literary piece. One aspect of the project includes an essay. Students are to write a character analysis of one character and to document a series of revisions of the analysis for supporting content, organization, and style (i.e., using appropriate transitions, having a variety of sentence beginnings and types, and debating word choice). An effective teacher would offer the students rubrics for assessment of their final draft and models of essays at each level. Additionally, this same teacher would provide frequent and constructive feedback during individual and large group instruction as the students write, analyze, reflect, and revise their essays. **In a twentieth century classroom (even one with laptops), “just-in-time” instruction of a needed skill set discovered during one-on-one conferencing might necessitate taking a student-generated draft to a copy machine down the hall, making a transparency, borrowing an overhead projector from the library, and then sharing the student example to the large group.
 * Need:

In any of Fairview High School’s twenty-first century classrooms that are infused with technology, a very different approach of could be used that would benefit both teacher and students if a CMS like SynchronEyes were installed. This 21st century teacher could conference with each student either face-to-face or through access to each student’s monitor. The teacher might identify a needed skill for one student, and then visually scan all of the essays on her monitor that displays all the students’ screens, to quickly identify which students needed instruction for that skill. Further, she can display only to those students’ monitors who need remediation a review tutorial, a student example or a text message asking them to conference with the teacher about the particular writing skill. She can differentiate her instruction without these students being pointed out as “poor writers.” She can converse with individual students as they apply their understanding of the skill and identify which students grasped the concept and which are still struggling. She can commend those students who are working independently or who are helping their peers. She can quickly see which student needs one-on-one help and which student who could share an excellent model. The teacher can click on the image of that student’s screen and send that image to every other student’s screen or to selected screens. She can choose to pause all of the students so they address the example displayed on their screen and on the interactive white board. No one needs to leave the room. No one needs to be singled out in front of the class.

SynchronEyes also provides an assessment feature that allows the teacher to deliver formative or summative assessments to any or all students, have those assessments instantly marked, and receive a summary of those results. No one needs to wait until after class to tell the teacher privately that he or she doesn’t quite understand. This teacher can use that assessment data immediately to drive her instruction.

Additionally, using SynchronEyes, the teacher can view the monitor of a student who is off task and send a warning to return the task at hand or can remotely lock the computer down so the student cannot continue and the software can document violations of the schools Acceptable Use Protocol. SynchronEyes also allows the teacher to permit only specific applications, like Word, or specific Internet sites to be accessed by her students.

Locally, numerous schools use a variety of classroom management software systems, including SynchronEyes, NetOps, and NetSupport. Each Classrooms for the Future coach that I queried offered positive feedback for the product in use. **Support abounds through the [|SMART Technologies] website, but beyond the product case studies and white papers, [|University of Minnesota’s Office of Classroom Management] website offers multiple research and anecdotal support for technologies that include the teacher’s ability “to modify instruction based on individual student or group responses, “ to “add a higher level of interaction and participation in class,” “to [allow] comprehension to be assessed in real-time,” to” increase in interactivity and class participation,” and to “increase retention when effectively integrated into [instruction],” and provides to the teacher a “reduction in paperwork and labor associated with giving quizzes and/or tests.” [|Georgia Highlands College] developed and published online a PDF with a series of screenshots illustrating the use of SynchronEyes. The tutorial promotes the use of the software to keep “a student engaged and focused, and [help] instructors better manage class time….take advantage of one-to-one computing, monitor and guide lesson activities, and keep students focused on learning.” **Finally, success stories on SMART Technologies’ [|customer review] link on their website extol the benefits of using SynchronEyes in a variety of classrooms: Anthony Caetano, Special Education Coordinator Eleanor Briggs School, Warwick, RI Matthew Temple, Professor of Biology Nazareth College, Rochester, NY Jerry Walker, Technology Teacher, Eastern High School, Louisville, KY Jim Konugres, Technology Trainer/Teacher, San Marcos Unified School District, San Marcos, CA
 * Research:
 * Success Stories:
 * At the Eleanor Briggs School** we have found our greatest success in reaching students by using the SynchronEyes software, because the students are "actively engaged" in the learning process and they feel "better about themselves" because everyone can participate in the lesson, no matter the level of their reading ability.
 * With SynchronEyes** I can show students in biology laboratory sessions live images from a video microscope as a preview of what they will be seeing; and demonstrate how to use the complex software that they will be using. I find that when students are viewing this material on their own computer screens rather than on a project screen several yards away, they absorb it much better.
 * This program** is very effective in keeping students on task and delivering pertinent content to their desktops. Also many times students are afraid to approach the teacher for fear of being made fun of by their peers. SynchronEyes gives students an avenue of escape. It provides a secretive way to ask questions that may sometimes not be asked for fear of peer pressure.
 * Before SynchronEyes** I used to do everything manually. I LOVE being able to show individual student’s work to the whole class. Now I can do it quickly and efficiently. Also, there are things I can do now which I could NOT attempt without the software, such as launching applications quickly, receiving files, gathering feedback electronically. SynchronEyes changed the way I teach. I cannot even imagine teaching without it ever again, EVER.

[|LearningServicesus.com] lists a K-12 site license for SynchronEyes at $3249.00, a site license upgrade at $812.00, and a media CD at $28.00. The American Library Association and the Association of Colleges and Research Libraries developed a matrix of features for numerous classroom monitoring systems. Click [|here] to compare features and prices. Although this site does not include pricing for SynchronEyes, it does offer 2007 prices for many other systems.
 * Cost: **

** Roadblocks:  ** I anticipate roadblocks from our IT team because of potential issues that may arise with bandwidth and malicious student behavior in attempts to bypass the system. Additionally, concerns from our director of curriculum and assessment share fears that our staff will use the software as a crutch, monitoring students’ behavior from behind the laptop rather than teaching and monitoring students as they have in the past: by walking around. The staff would need training and support as they learn the features of the software and learn how they can integrate numerous new tools into their instructional pedagogy. Few roadblocks exist among the staff; they want a classroom management system and are dismayed that they do not yet have one. Our building administration supports the purchase and installation of such software on our network. ** I propose that Fairview School District recognize that the benefits support the installation of SynchronEyes on our classroom laptops and in our computer labs, train our staff to use the features of the software effectively, and address any malicious student behavior as we would any other infraction to our Acceptable Use Policy. SynchronEyes allows teachers to communicate via text with the entire class or with only selected students; to share files or links to students; to perform formative assessments and quickly analyze student understanding; to limit students’ access to only specified applications; and to monitor students’ progress through online and digital activities. Follow Up: ** Fairview High School already implemented a trial period of about 14 days in the classroom in May 2008, during which time a bandwidth issue was identified. The trial period ended, as did the school year; however, the feedback from the teacher was very positive. Frequent anecdotal feedback from teachers and students will be sought after implementation. Additional training and intervention will be provided as needed. Following a full thirty-day period of use in a classroom setting and a lab setting, a survey of the teachers and students impacted by the software will inquire about successes and challenges to determine ways to address challenges and to determine future usage policies for the software.
 * Conclusion:


 * Deliverable 2: Integrating an edublog into an existing lesson plan or environment**

**How I plan to use my blog**: I plan to use my blog as a communication and reflection tool, as well as a resource site for all of the district staff. I plan to include my technology tips, links to online resources of web tools downloads and tutorials, FAQ’s, surveys, and a place to reflect on the direction in which the Fairview district teachers and other staff want and need to go as we become 21st Century teachers, administrators, and learners. I had created my blog last year and rarely took a moment to revisit it and add my reflections to it. I had shared the blog with my Classrooms for the Future colleagues, but they too, did not visit the blog; they really had no motivation to use it. After seeing and reading so many other effective blogs since taking this class, I know I have to keep the blog “alive” by making it engaging, just as I would with my students. I have to motivate myself to keep it up-to-date, to make it meaningful, to write provocative posts, and to make it useful. I have to choose to make it a priority in my schedule. I need to make my blog fun, too! If the readers do not find something interesting, entertaining, invigorating, or just plain funny, they will find someplace else to visit. There are numerous Google gadgets that provide a little levity or intrigue that I can include in my blog. There is a wealth of other resources for humorous and educational material to share. I plan to include links to the blog in every form of communication I share with them. I will need to have a link on the district home page, on the district Edline page, on my emails, in my wikispace, on other Fairview teachers’ wikis and blogs (I include links to all educational Fairview High School teachers’ sites on my site; I plan to include the middle and elementary school teachers’ sites, too.) Additionally, I plan to include links to the great blogs I have discovered in this class already. **Potential trials, tests, missteps of this integration**: Initially, I see a challenge for all of the people I want to reach: setting aside time to visit the site. I must make the blog valuable enough that they would take, at first, two or three minutes just to visit to get information. Later, I hope that they would visit the blog to share information! I read some of the previous classes’ course posts and got some good ideas to consider. As simple as it sounds, I will need to share a “How to Leave a Comment on a Blog” tutorial for those who never have yet. Other challenges include learning and using html code to modify the blog. I’ve seen some blogs that seem a little more “customized” than mine, so I am learning how to edit the code. Another challenge I see is MY devoting time every day to visit and update the blog! Of all of the blogs I have visited in the last few weeks, I enjoy the most those that have new information every day! Why return to the same information and thoughts? A big test of this integration is reaching those staff members who want nothing to do with technology, CFF, or “adding more stuff” to their already overloaded day! I plan to convince them that visiting the blog will provide them with resources, activities, and tools that are better than they already use. So many teachers think they must always add to what they are doing; there seems to be so little reflection on what works best with their students. I plan to encourage all of the teachers to really strip their classroom activities down to those authentic activities, assessments, and approaches that are the best. I know that I have used many lessons and assessments that were just OK because I did not have anything better in my hands. When my students learned through an approach that worked really well and had fun doing, I loved it, too! Then we would have to go back and “put our noses to the grindstone” and get down to the //real// work. For some reason, I had been indoctrinated with the philosophy that //real// learning cannot be //fun//, too. (What a bunch of hooey! I’m having blast learning about web 2.0 tools and 21st century thinking, learning, and teaching!) We know there is so much research that supports making learning fun. **Potential success of the integration: **Potentially, this blog could be a place where teachers could share their successes and goals, opine about the future of education in Fairview Pennsylvania, and locate the tools and information they need to transform their classrooms and their own learning to not just meet the state standards but also to maintain that curiosity and enthusiasm for learning that so many students enjoy as elementary children. NETS for Teachers recommends that teachers model digital-age work and learning, that they be fluent in the use of new classroom technology, and that they be able to collaborate with students, parents, and peers using digital media and to “develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.”This blog could give them a place to begin. NETS for Teachers also includes a professional development standard that encourages teachers to “evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.” Blogging with their peers allows them to practice using the tools in a supportive environment. When I was looking for the NETS for teachers, I found an excellent online resource for technology integration at [|New Horizons for Learning]: Their website offers visitors an exceptional selection of studies, articles, classroom applications, and other information.
 * Future Goals: ** The goals I have for using this blog is to develop a model effective and useful enough that other teacher will develop their own blogs into similar resources for their own students and parents. Additionally, I plan to help the administrators develop blogs that a will offer students, parents, and community members a way to share ideas, reflect on Fairview’s future, and determine the best way to achieve their own goals. Blogs can be a great place for the community to be involved in the evolution of their Middle States Accreditation for Growth, their mission, and their strategic plan.