The Tutor.com Blog

February 5^th is Digital Learning Day – a day that celebrates effectively using technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience and provide opportunities for individualized instruction.  We asked one of our expert instructional math coaches, Ed L., to share a fun lesson idea to celebrate! Check out his suggestions to teach abstract concepts using a free resource that empowers students to create and share simulations. You can also check out Ed’s Game Based Learning series for more ways to engage students.

This sample Netlogo simulation lets students explores the stability of a predator-prey ecosystems

Students often have difficulty with theoretical or abstract concepts. Many benefit from being able to play with the concepts in a simulated environment. Netlogo is a free resource with a supportive community that allows creation and sharing of learning simulations that teach by experimentation and play.

You can use simulation environments in many ways. Netlogo offers wonderful opportunities to either create your own simulation or use an existing one.

Existing simulations  on Netlogo  are listed by academic concentrations. Each model offers suggested uses with students including instructions, a list of inquiry questions to guide student learning, and suggestions on how to extend learning.
Models are designed to be used by individuals, small groups or as full classroom experiences. Teachers  I work with have found success using the following sequence:

1. Demonstrate how the model works.
2. Propose an inquiry question and students record their predictions.
3. Students share predictions with peers and then modify as desired.
4. The simulation is run to test the hypothesis.
5. Students individually reflect on their prediction and the observed results.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 with each question or challenge increasing the depth of learning and exploration

Even if you have no programming background, it is easy and fun to create a simulation with Netlogo. Just follow these steps:

1. Clarify the field of exploration to specifically highlight objectives of the simulation.
2. List key variables and the range of values that should be allowed.
3. Creation of the sliders and interface for those values.
4. Setting up the programming flow for the simulation (this step may need to be broken into planning stage then actual programming stage for some learners).
5. Test the simulation.
6. Document resources for how others use the model, questions or challenges, and extensions or variations.

Regardless if teachers choose to use existing models or encourage the creation of new models, the depth of learning is extensive in Netlogo. Student motivation is increased while still maintaining structured purpose to the playful environments available.  Share your experiences with others and join the community of those learning with simulations through Netlogo!

This post originally appeared on the MyLivePD professional development blog, Let’s Prep.

By Rachel Vessey Gibson and David DeSchryver, Whiteboard Advisors

We see a lot of great ideas and groundbreaking instructional solutions in our role at Whiteboard Advisors, working with education innovators, non-profit organizations, and investors in the education arena. At the same time, we all live in a hurried, multi-tasking culture. It is far too easy to make mistakes. When it comes time to submit your Race to the Top-District (RTT-D) application, slow down and avoid the simple mistakes. Here are three that you must avoid.

First, review all of the guidance the U.S. Department of Education (ED) puts out on its RTT-D website. The guidance changes over time. For example, it has been updating the FAQs on a regular basis. ED also just published a useful Application Tips document. It contains valuable advice such as:

• Do ensure your application is received on time.
• Do include a detailed table of contents at the front of your application.
• Do not scan the application to create a .PDF file. Instead, create the file electronically.
• Do not use color in your application (including charts).

Second, don’t get lost in the weeds. The personalized learning narrative is paramount. This must be woven throughout the entire documents and clearly described under Absolut Priority 1.* At the same time, don’t lose sight of the other program priorities. The Notice Inviting Applications is a key document here; if you read it you’ll notice that there is a focus not only on personalized learning but also on the four “core educational assurance areas,” which include (a) Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students to succeed in college and the workplace and to compete in the global economy; (b) Building data systems that measure student growth and success and inform teachers and principals about how they can improve instruction; (c) Recruiting, developing, rewarding, and retaining effective teachers and principals, especially where they are needed most; and (d) Turning around the Nation’s lowest-achieving schools.

Third, be realistic when you estimate time and monetary amounts for the budget section of the application. Your budget document should clarify and support the narrative. Do not inject confusion into the process by introducing suspect (or incorrectly calculated) numbers.

Finally (and this is bonus tip four), number your pages! Seriously. Number your pages. No joking. The little things matter!

* A personalized learning environment is one that, according to the application, “will use collaborative, data-based strategies and 21st century tools such as online learning platforms, computers, mobile devices, and learning algorithms, to deliver instruction and supports tailored to the needs and goals of each student, with the aim of enabling all students to graduate college- and career-ready.”

School Districts working on Race to the Top District (RTTT-D) applications know that a key component is personalized learning environments that prepare students for college and careers. As a leader in personalized, one-to-one learning that improves student achievement and teacher learning, Tutor.com is a strong partner that can give your school district’s plan a distinct edge.

Districts that work with Tutor.com get custom, personalized learning environments specific to their students’ needs and instructional tools and support for teachers. Here’s how we support the RTTT-D requirements:

• College and Career Readiness: Tutor.com custom programs provide individual student data that tracks each student’s progress. We supplement reporting with training and ongoing program support for students.

• Pursue Rigorous Coursework: Several schools have selected Tutor.com to customize an AP program for their students. Students find that access to individual support focused on their needs throughout the school year help them learn faster and be successful in the most challenging courses. In a survey of 1,000 high school students, 86% said they’d be more likely to take AP courses if they had access to Tutor.com.

• Improve teaching and leading: Tutor.com com offers MyLivePD™ Online Coaching Service. This is the only live, online professional development program that has been proven to make an immediate impact on student learning. 90% of teachers connecting to Tutor.com’s instructional coaches reported they used the information within one week in their classrooms. This level of support accelerates teachers’ learning allowing them to implement new practices successfully and adapt content for different student learning styles.

Tutor.com has been creating customized learning programs for more than a decade for school districts,  statewide after-school homework help programs and 24/7 academic support for U.S. Military Families through the  Department of Defense.

Learn more about how we can support our RTTT-D application by joining a free webinar on Wednesday, October 3^rd from 2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET. Rachel Vessey Gibson, Whiteboard Advisors will address how districts can best position themselves to win Race to the Top for Districts grants. Ms. Gibson served as the Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education where she developed and implemented Race to the Top policies.

If you are interested in speaking with Tutor.com about how we can be your partner in personalized learning for your RTTT-D application, contact us today at educate@tutor.com.

As more school districts begin to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), MyLivePD coaches are ready for the challenges and successes teachers will have in their classrooms.  Stephanie B. from Colorado is a certified math teacher who has 18 years of coaching experience.  Most recently, she’s been helping implement the CCSS in her school district.  Stephanie shared her coaching philosophy, what she likes about the CCSS, and most importantly, what teachers need more of – time!

Why were you interested in participating in MyLivePD?  

Most teachers want to learn and want to be the best they can be, but we just don’t have the time in a regular school day.  I thought this would be a great chance to help teachers find alternative ways to get the professional development they want, without sacrificing time at work. I’m excited to be part of this ground-breaking opportunity!

How would you describe your coaching philosophy?

I think the best teachers are the ones who collaborate and reflect.  Collaboration is tough sometimes, but it helps give us a new perspective.  It also gives you permission to try new things and be able to reflect with a group to see what worked and what didn’t.

What is your favorite aspect of coaching?

I love the feeling I get when I have helped a teacher think through his or her question and find resources to use and modify for their classroom.  I love doing the research and finding new activities to use in my class as well.

What do you think is the most challenging issue for math teachers today?  

Teachers today have  no time to make the changes we would like in order to be better teachers.

How are you involved in the implementation of the CCSS in your district?

I have been instrumental as a teacher leader in my district with the implementation of CCSS.  We began implementation in the fall of 2011 and we are continuing with the staggered implementation this year.

Are you involved with Formative Assessment Lessons (FAL) at your school? 

My district has just started being more thoughtful about using these types of lessons, though I personally have been using this method for a good part of my teaching career.  I love using challenges (lessons) that allow the students to build on what they already know, as well as dig deeper into the standards themselves.  I will say, as a teacher leader, this is the most difficult part in leading a department.  It is a change in thinking about how we teach.

Have you begun implementing the eight mathematical practices (part of the CCSS) in your district?

Our district just finished a document that outlines this for the teachers.  I have used it personally in a literacy and comprehension writing cohort I am part of for my district.  I love how these practices tie all aspects of a learner and teacher together.

What do you hope teachers get out of using MyLivePD? 

I would like all of the teachers to be able to say, “WOW – that was really helpful.  I am going to try out that activity, lesson, test, or strategy with my students tomorrow and see how it goes.”  Then come back for more conversation and reflection.  Hopefully our service will give them little chunks of time to be able to learn new things and apply them in the classroom.

Want to ask Stephanie B. or any of our coaches a question about the CCSS?  Sign in to your MyLivePD account Sunday to Thursday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. ET. To learn more about getting MyLivePD for your school, go to tutor.com/mylivpd.

Last fall, we introduced a brand new type of professional development support with the launch of MyLivePD® Online Coaching Services. Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MyLivePD offers teachers a new way to collaborate with experienced instructional coaches to get timely, relevant and practical PD support they can use right now.

MyLivePD has been well received by more than 150 math teachers using the service in participating districts including Baltimore County School District, Hillsborough County Public Schools, Tucson Unified School District and several Teach for America regions. We put together a review of MyLivePD’s first year (see link on right sidebar), chock-full of data around why teachers like connecting to coaches online on their own schedule for timely and relevant help.

As we begin a new school year, hundreds of more teachers have signed up to participate. Data from the first year report provides insights on why more teachers want MyLivePD including:

• 85% of teachers connect to a coach and then use the knowledge from their session within one week in their classroom
• 95% of teachers rated the service good, very good or excellent
• Teachers turned to MyLivePD instructional coaches most often to find new resources, discuss specific math concepts or pedagogy

As we begin the 2012-2013 school year, our coaches are excited to help teachers plan and integrate fresh ideas into their classrooms. All of the coaches are well versed in the Common Core Standards and can be a teacher’s best source for integrating new lessons and teaching methodologies that may be part of their district’s Common Core implementation.

If you’d like to learn more about how to bring online instructional coaches into your district, visit tutor.com/mylivepd.

We are pleased to introduce you to Jim Barnes, a new member of our K-12 team.  Jim is already out traveling the country to meet with schools interested in Tutor.com™ Online Tutoring and MyLive PD™ Online Coaching.  Passionate about education technology, Jim has worked in the industry for most of his 25+ year career. He is excited about having more of a direct effect on student achievement with Tutor.com services.

Jim worked for the University of Alabama in Birmingham straight out of college and a dozen years later was the chief business officer at Gallaudet University. Early on he recognized the cost-effective opportunities virtual education programs were offering states and students.  He spent several years at eCollege helping states, school districts and charter schools deliver high quality online education programs.

When he isn’t working you’ll find Jim out on the golf course. He just came back from his third trip to St Andrews, Scotland – the birthplace of golf. And while his passion is strong, the all star course records remain safe to those that hold them.

Jim works from his remote Annapolis, MD office. He is married and has three grown children. Once the children left the house, Jim and his wife welcomed in Chloe the Dachshund, Coors the Lab mix and Binks the cat. You can contact Jim at jbarnes@tutor.com.

MyLivePD™ Online Coaching Service connects teachers to experienced coaches for help with anything they want from planning to classroom management. While the technology that allows us to connect a teacher to a coach at any time of day—and sometimes thousands of miles away from one another—is pretty amazing; the real power of online coaching is the coaches. Ed L is one of those amazing professionals. Ed has coached teachers for nine years and taught in the classroom for five. Here’s his approach to collaborating with teachers and ultimately helping students learn.

Why were you interested in participating in MyLivePD?

I have been helping teachers for many years and I see the needs and benefits of getting teachers support instantly as the most practical way to improve the success of all students. MyLivePD offers that support to all teachers.

What is your favorite aspect of coaching?

I love coaching because it emboldens teachers to know they are not alone and that they are doing awesome work.

What’s your coaching philosophy?

Coaches have to be experts on getting information from teachers. Using that information, the coach can then determine exactly what key issues may be helpful for the teacher so the teacher can find more success when taking the next step in his or her efforts. Good coaches always offer positive choices and options as well as how each option may help the teacher achieve the goals that have been shared.

Learning is a journey for us all, and coaches help us over the obstacles in our way.

What do you hope teachers get out of theMyLivePD program?

I hope teachers learn that they are not alone in their wonderful efforts, and that by working together, we can all improve how well we help our students learn.

And here’s what teachers have to say about Ed’s  coaching:

“Ed was amazing. Awesome ideas, and very creative.”

“Ed gave me a fantastic idea about how to encourage my TAKS Exit Level students during the next few weeks. Thank you!”

Meet a new coach each  month on the Tutor.com blog!

Online tutoring is about people. And the technology is cool too.

Education technology has taken on many different forms in the classroom. Over the past year more schools have adopted iPad programs and more teachers have experimented with social media tools to engage their students. Video is taking on a larger role too especially with the introduction of Kahn Academy. Interactive content is great, but oftentimes you need real help from a real, live person.

The Internet helped us change the medium, but the ancient practice of one-to-one tutoring remains the same. With Tutor.com, your tutor doesn’t have to live close by or come to your house every week—geography and time don’t matter. Our community of 2,500 tutors working online means that whenever students are stuck on a problem or concept they can use Tutor.com technology to get a live tutor, 24/7. And, students do this more than a million times a year.

Providing access to tutors for that intense one-to-one help outside the classroom helps students:

• Get the individualized help they need tailored to their learning style and specific area of struggle (Our tutors don’t end a session until the student has grasped the concept)
• Come to the classroom prepared and ready to learn
• Be more confident and engaged learners who ask better questions

Technology alone can’t guarantee these results. If you’re interested in learning more about online tutoring provided by real tutors helps make classrooms better, visit our website: www.tutor.com/schools.

Welcome Linda Gordon, K-12 Trainer to Tutor.com! Linda joined the Tutor.com team a month ago and has already been busy traveling to schools to help make their Tutor.com online tutoring or professional development programs a success.

Linda is a teacher, curriculum specialist, and technology expert who has spent the last five years helping school districts and teachers integrate technology into diverse settings. She is passionate about using technology in education as a transformative experience for teachers and students.

Linda has  implemented many exciting cross curricular projects including the “This I Believe Project”, a multimedia representation of 10th grade English students’ personal belief statements; and the “Faulkes Telescope Project” that allowed gifted and talented students grades 3-5 to control telescopes in Australia and Hawaii via the internet enabling them to take pictures of the cosmos.

Other projects included introducing iPod Touches into an elementary ESL classroom and successfully delivering professional development to middle school and high school teachers who have severely disabled students in their classrooms to help them add podcasting, and SMART Board technology into their teaching.

No matter what technology Linda was helping introduce into the classroom, she also produced outreach materials to educate parents in the community. Linda brings all of this rich experience to Tutor.com’s clients who are learning how to integrate online tutoring and online professional development into their schools , classrooms and communities.

Linda earned her Masters of Education degree from Long Island University and a Bachelors of Arts degree in Child Study. She also has professional certifications in early childhood learning and children with disabilities.

In her spare time, Linda loves to travel, go to the beach or simply spend time at home with her husband and daughter.

Every week millions of teachers spend time planning out lessons that will engage a classroom of students. Mat Doty, a ninth grade teacher at the Crossroads Center, an alternative education center that is part of the Baltimore County Public School System, is one of those teachers. But, Mat doesn’t have to plan alone.  Mat has been participating in the MyLivePD™ Online Coaching Service pilot program since September 2011. Thanks to a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, several school districts, several Teach for America (TFA) regional districts and National Education Association (NEA) members have enjoyed free access to experienced Algebra coaches online.

Mat uses the service regularly to connect to a coach during his prep period or after-school hours to collaborate on lesson plans especially for upcoming high stakes exams. Here’s how MyLivePD is helping Mat every week.

Tutor.com: Mat how long have you been teaching?

Mat: I’m in my fifth year of teaching at the Baltimore County Public School System. Right now I teach Algebra to classes of 18 ninth graders, who all have different challenges when it comes to school and school work.

Tutor.com: Ongoing professional development is an important part of your profession.  What types of professional development programs have you participated in?

Mat:  I’ve done a lot of professional development (PD) since I started my teaching career. I’ve attended conferences, workshops and I have even provided PD to other teachers, as well.

Tutor.com: What type of PD were you providing?

Mat: I focused on helping teachers make math relevant to their students to help really engage the students in the classroom. The program also brought the elements of urban culture to suburban teachers.

Tutor.com: How is MyLivePD different from other PD programs you’ve done?

Mat : It’s a completely new way to get help. Before MyLivePD, if I had a question about a teaching technique or wanted to try something new in my classroom, I would have to wait for a larger workshop or seminar that may be weeks or months away. Now I can get help from one of the coaches right when I need it, which is really exciting.

Tutor.com: How often do you use MyLivePD and what types of topics do you discuss?

Mat: I started using the program this past September. I have been using it pretty regularly. In the fall I used it to get my courses fully planned and to tweak some of my lessons. I also connected to coaches to prepare for my observation. Now, I’m using the service for suggestions on engaging my students to prepare them for the Maryland High School Assessment (HSA). Our recent benchmark tests were not as high as I’d like and I want to find innovative ways to prep them for the test.

Tutor.com: What do you like best about connecting to a coach for PD online?

Mat: I like how immediate the help is and how personal it is. I get to ask a specific question and get a very personal experience and response. Not long ago, I prepared a lesson and it didn’t work out as well as I had hoped. That day I was able to connect to a coach online during a prep period and work through some other options. I had a new lesson plan ready to go for the very next day. Other PD doesn’t work like this.

Tutor.com: How would you recommend other teachers use MyLivePD?

Mat: There are many ways teachers can use MyLivePD. I recommend it for planning lessons to help make them more exciting and to better engage students. When you are planning alone you can hit a wall sometimes. It’s great to have a coach to share ideas. The service also helps teachers take more risks and try something new like inquiry-based lessons. And I like that I can have a great new idea and lesson plan in 30 minutes or less. It really saves me planning time.

If you or your school district would like to check out MyLivePD go to www.mylivepd.com to watch a video and read more about this new, teacher-driven PD.

The buzz in 1-to-1 right now is about BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – and it’s not a fad and it’s not going away. There’s a convergence of factors causing it including:

• Hardware is diverse and at price points that are more affordable
• Schools are hyper budget conscious
• The “cloud” (previously called The Internet, the Web and the Information Superhighway) is ideal for core apps which are free or inexpensive with such as Google (although be sure to use GAFE), and Zoho
• Parents are realizing that a digital device is necessary for learning
• Schools want to be sure students possess 21st Century skills

But BYOD upsets apple carts right and left. We’ve been building school infrastructures for a long time that have supported a data-centric model in that IT directors allow or disallow devices on the school network according to a set model which is partly about good design and support, partly about supporting what already exists and partly about not taking on new projects or approaches that require more work, resources, and skill sets. And I’ve been a tech director in schools so know firsthand that opening a can of worms when it impacts the network, the laptop/desktop standardization, and the hardware replacement plan is not something many people will relish.

But then there are the students. They grow and develop and move to the next grade level and out the door to college and to life. They need to be empowered and learn in an environment that encourages them to think and write and research and publish and present and analyze and create new ideas and solutions to problems. They also need to own and understand the vehicles used for learning. So this might mean BYOD.

In order for BYOD to work well there must be a strong partnership between administration, Board members, teachers, technology, students, and parents. Everyone is going to be impacted by 1-to-1 no matter how it is implemented, whether BYOD or a standard hardware platform either provided or specified by the school or district. But with BYOD it’s likely you are going to see some pushback from technology people because of the complexity, change, work, planning and resources required. So here are some questions to consider:

• Have you visited a BYOD school or district?
• If not a team with representative stakeholders should do so armed with lots of questions
• Are you already using Google or Zoho or some cloud solution?
• Without cloud apps BYOD is going to be nearly impossible to implement in a meaningful way
• You need the entire school/district community to be able to communicate, publish, present and share centrally
• How will you define BYOD?
• Will there be a minimum device or specification?
• Will smartphones be one of the devices?
• How’s your network – is it ready for
• Wifi everywhere with multiple roaming wireless devices
• Centralized data security (Barracuda, Lightspeed, etc.)
• How will you address logistics?
• Will students be charged with keeping their devices charged, ready and safe/secure?
• Will you have “loaner” devices?
• Will devices be locked up somewhere/somehow during lunch, tests, sports?
• How’s your curriculum?
• Are teachers already used to assignments in Google and in using online social media tools so that student work is already free of hardware requirements – and happening in “the cloud”?
• How’s your digital citizenship education?
• Do students already know how to keep a respectful appropriate digital footprint?
• In my book I talk about L.A.R.K. – technology use by students should be L – Legal, A – Appropriate, R – Responsible, K – Kind
• How’s your communication channel with parents, students?
• If the device is purchased, maintained, repaired and managed by parents and students, it’s going to be important to communicate often and well
• How’s your budget?
• Unless you have planned fully for the changes of BYOD you might be blindsided by some upgrades or unexpected costs so make sure to ask these questions when you are visiting BYOD schools

There are terrific schools that have been BYOD for years, The Harker School in San Jose comes to mind for instance. Many people I respect have been writing about BYOD including William Stites who posted this blog post for Educational Collaborators early this year, Lisa Nielsen who wrote about debunking BYOD for T.H.E. Journal and a recent article in District Administrator starts with a quote from Lucy Gray who I respect very much -this entire article by the way is an important read. The Laptop Institute which is highly recommended will have threads this summer in Memphis on BYOD.

BYOD can be a solution if you do your planning and homework and try to figure out up front exactly what you’re getting into and plan carefully. You’ll want to be ready to rethink your network as not being about enabling a few models of specific controllable devices but instead as a pathway to the cloud where your school/district-wide learning community resides.

Tutor.com is well-known in education circles for our on-demand, one-to-one, tutoring solutions for students. Not long ago, we started seeing an interesting trend with our student services— teachers were connecting with tutors and they loved the experience. Those early teacher comments helped us create a new type of professional development service, MyLivePD™ Online Coaching Service.

First launched as a pilot program in several districts with about 200 teachers as part of a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, MyLivePD is now available to Algebra and middle school math teachers everywhere. It’s online, on-demand and personalized to teachers’ specific planning and PD needs to make an immediate impact in the classroom.

Why It’s Different

We hear from teachers all the time that their current PD solutions just aren’t working for them. Yet, districts regularly spend thousands of dollars per teacher each year to deliver PD that isn’t helping teachers get the training they need and want. MyLivePD is different.

With MyLivePD teachers choose the topics they want to discuss with an experienced coach. All of our coaches have classroom teaching and coaching experience. Teachers simply login online and then connect to a coach for a session about the topic of their choice. Teachers work with coaches on:

• Differentiated learning
• Classroom management
• Student assessments
• Common Core
• Lesson planning

Teachers are enjoying professional support that is personalized to their needs and their schedules. 90% of teachers report that they are using ideas from their coaching sessions within a week in the classroom. The new generation of teachers are hungry for the same types of technology and blended solutions they use in the classroom with their students for their own PD.

If you and/or your district are interested in a new way to deliver PD, we invite you to learn more by reading “Personal, Private and On-Demand Teacher Support” in the March issue of School Administrator. You can also visit www.tutor.com/mylivePD.

We’d love to hear from you!  What PD programs are working in your district? Let us know in the comments.