Ohio Education Matters

As a part of Ohio’s participation in the nation’s first Digital Learning Day yesterday, we invited a group of students, parents and teachers to share their testimony in support of digital learning before the House of Representatives Committee on Education.  At the core of KnowledgeWorks’ mission is the belief that education must first serve the needs of students and not the needs of institutions. With an opportunity to speak in front of the Committee, we couldn’t think of a better way to showcase digital learning than by letting students speak for themselves. They are, in fact, the ultimate stakeholders in this, and in any future education system.  Yesterday at the Statehouse in a standing-room only session, these four students wowed the Committee and the audience with their poise, intelligence and ability to clearly and passionately communicate their belief in the potential of digital learning.  Chairman Gerald Stebelton said of these four students: “You are a credit to your generation.”   We agree.

Here is the testimony that I shared along with these four special students.  

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Ohio House of Representatives Education Committee

Testimony of Lisa Duty, Ph.D.

Director of External Affairs, KnowledgeWorks

February 1^st, 2012

Chairman Stebelton, Vice-Chairman Newbold, and Ranking Member Luckie: My name is Lisa Duty, and I am Director of External Affairs at KnowledgeWorks, a nation-wide social enterprise that incubates and scales up innovative schools and education initiatives.

On behalf of KnowledgeWorks, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you on what Governor Kasich has proclaimed Ohio Digital Learning Day.

KnowledgeWorks is a national sponsor of the Alliance for Excellent Education’s national Digital Learning Day along with Google, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Intel.

•  38 states across America are hosting their own Digital Learning Day activities and celebrations.

• Over 16,000 teachers and nearly 1.7 million students have registered directly as part of the national Digital Learning Day effort.

• This state-based effort is touching an estimated 88% of US students.

With our partner, Getting Smart, we strive to build momentum for a wave of innovation that changes policies, shifts attitudes, and supports wide-scale adoption of innovative models of teaching and learning that are ultimately the subject of our 2020 Forecast as well as the Digital Learning Now campaign.

There is mounting evidence that digital learning can improve student outcomes by increasing opportunities for personalized learning, constructive, individualized feedback, adaptation of experience, rich support and intervention, and extended learning time—all at a customized pace.

Digital learning will and should take many different forms—from the full-time online options of e-schools to individual students seeking supplemental coursework to meet needs not met by their brick and mortar schools—to everything in between.  The digital learning of 2012 recognizes that devices, connectivity, quality content and instructional tools are enablers of learning performance, and great educators are key to student success no matter the option.

High-quality, customizable digital learning options should be the rule rather than the exception.  If Ohio does not act decisively, we will create more inequities in the system than we currently have today.

The time has come to put aside the question of whether or not digital learning works for students; we need new, more important questions, like:

•  How and when do young people learn best?
• What approaches to digital learning will benefit which learners under what conditions?
• What different or additional supports afforded by digital learning will help which learners?

I am united here with four unique learners.  They vary in interests, skills, economic status and more, but have at least a few things in common: Through the leveraging of digital learning, they are provided the support or challenge they need, when they need it; they are engineering and owning their learning experiences, and time is fashioned around their needs.

We ask you to consider the student perspective above all others as Ohio crafts its strategy to expand digital learning.

Students are the ultimate stakeholders in this, and in any future education system.

The students here today represent just a small cross-section of the diversity of what digital learning can and should be.

You will hear from students Hamilton Ingwersen and Drew Lovejoy who attend full-time online virtual schools.

You will hear from Faith Washington who attends a traditional brick-and-mortar high school but supplements the education she receives from her public high schools with courses that better match her academic and personal preferences.

And you will meet Jordan Randolph who attends a school-within-a-school that offers her an educational experience that blends face-to-face instruction and project-based learning with seamlessly-integrated technology.

With your permission Chairman, the students would like to speak next and would be happy to field your questions as a team after the last student completes their testimony. Thank you.

 

Hamilton Ingwerson, ECOT 

Hello, my name is Hamilton Ingwersen, and I am a 15 year old high school Junior at ECOT, a full-time online school, and I currently live in Columbus. If I were not attending ECOT, I would be in the Old Town East school district.

I am dedicated to going to college, and I hope to enter in to a pre-med program and eventually become a Surgeon. I enjoy playing sports, dancing, piano and making costumes, and I have a serious dedication to both design and the medical field.

I chose digital learning because I did not have an alternative. My sister had already been attending ECOT for two years prior and as my school district is not known for its fabulous schools, I had to attend ECOT. Little did I know, however, digital learning would open more gateways than I could ever have imagined. I never thought for a moment that I would leave my 100-student grade school and be in high school, getting out of bed at 9 and turning on a computer. I didn’t think that my printer and scanner would directly affect my grade.

This type of schooling has allowed me to have freedom. I am able to finish my work in advance, and then go out Skiing in Nevada, and I can get extra rest or take days off, and I can have more real-world experience. I am also afforded the luxury of not having to deal with bullies or cliques. Of course, I miss seeing friends daily and doing laps around a gym, but then I stop and think- I couldn’t be more lucky to have ECOT if I tried.

I have a direct line to my teachers, who always remember my name, for help all day- not just after class; And there is heavy interaction between students, especially in our classes, known as WebEx seminars.

There is a certain learning curve- you must be dedicated, punctual, self-motivated, focused and able to restrain yourself from procrastination- but I would not say it is a serious burden. These are innate skills that we’ll require later in life, and online school does well to train them, so that when we emerge, we have all the life skills, and no drama.

This school is not just for dropouts, or for the kids who are struggling. It is also for the brilliant students who need more intellectual nourishment.

I thank you for your time, and your willingness to listen.

 

Jordan Randolph, Winton Woods Academy of Global Studies

Good afternoon, I’m Jordan Randolph, a ninth grader at Winton Woods High School which is in Cincinnati, and I am in a program within my district which is called the Academy of Global Studies. The main parts of my program are project-based learning and a technology centered way of communication and research, and this is also the first program of its kind in the Winton Woods school district. The main goal of this program is for students to gain a global perspective which they can always apply to real-world problems. Compared to schools I have been in without much technology, I prefer one with technology, because in my experience, the technology has sped up school work, I feel more motivated, and it allows variety into a school’s curriculum.  I have always been curious about why things are the way that they are, or how many ways a problem can be solved, and I feel like a technologically oriented education can help all learners of any age to become more able.

This past week I had just finished a project about imperialism, and because my group and I wanted a variety of important information on the subject, we used multiple sources from our computers. With all of our members researching, we finished gathering a large amount of information in a small amount of time with little trouble. The technology that we have at my school has allowed me to work with my group members at any time because of an application called Google Docs. For example, if one of my assignments for a class was to write a paper in my group, we could all work on the same paper simultaneously from home, and anything a group member would change on the paper would be changed in real-time on all of our computers. This has helped us to catch any mistakes that may have been made by any group members, and dramatically speeds up our projects. My favorite thing about a more electronic based education is that I can use almost anything from the internet to help me to understand a subject and that I can communicate with almost anyone in the world. For instance, in my history class, we have plans to communicate with students in Spain soon to find out how other people learn other than just people in America. I will say that my current experience in a technologically-oriented school has been much better compared to a traditional school; I can do everything faster, have better quality work, and I have felt that I have been understanding more than ever before in school, as could other students across the world with technologically-based learning.

Drew Lovejoy, Ohio Connections Academy

Hi My name is Terrance Andrew Lovejoy, but everyone calls me Drew. I am a 16 year old Senior and live in Greenville.  Greenville is in Darke County and if I attended a traditional brick & mortar I would be in the Greenville City School District.  Instead, my school of choice, Ohio Connections Academy, is a full time eschool.

Now that I’ve introduced myself, I would like to explain why my family & I have chosen digital learning.  I am a highly competitive Irish dancer, currently ranked #1 in the World.  I am also one of the youngest North American males to ever win a World title or All Ireland National title, and the first person of color in the world to win either championship. I am not mentioning this to brag about myself, but in an effort to help explain that without Eschooling I don’t believe that I would have achieved these accomplishments.

You see, Eschooling allows me the opportunity and flexibility to train, practice and travel while still receiving an excellent education.  My teachers at OCA are always available to me – just a phone call or email away.  They will set up private, live chat lessons where we are able to utilize a white board online so that I can see the work as they walk me thru the lesson.  This is especially helpful in Math & Science where formulas are used. With the flexibility OCA offers, I am able to travel overseas to Major competitions 2-3 times a year.  Because of my training, every day is different for me. I am never online the same time each day due to my schedule.  In fact I leave next week for Ireland where I hope to defend my All Ireland National championship for the 3^rd time.  My schooling travels right along with me…even across the pond.

Because of the support of the entire staff at OCA, I have been able to maintain a 4.0 grade point average while I chase my dreams.  I have recently been accepted into the National Honor Society. OCA offers many clubs and social activities where the students can meet and interact.

When people find out that I attend an online school, I get 2 reactions.  From other kids I get, “you’re so lucky you can sleep in and do nothing all day.”  From adults I hear, “How are you going to get into college?”

To my fellow teenagers I usually say “I can sleep in but I have all the same laws and regulations you have.  I just have the flexibility to school when it works best for me.”

As for college, I am being recruited by several schools for my dancing and academic accomplishments.  Even though I haven’t decided where I will attend next fall I believe if I hadn’t had the opportunity of Eschooling – my life and future would have a completely different outcome.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity and honor of sharing my story with you.

 

Faith Washington, Reynoldsburg High School

Hi, my name is Faith Washington and I am a senior at Reynoldsburg High School in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. I am a member of the NSHSS, National Society of High School Scholars, a teammate of the ‘Reynoldsburg Lady Raiders Track Team’, and the Executive International Learning Coordinator of our Student Government. My academic interests are in Chinese language and literature, International Business, and the importance of social networking. Given that Reynoldsburg is a traditional public school that integrates learning technology, I am granted access to what study materials we do have in order to ensure a proper learning experience.

Just this past Fall, my classmates and I were given the opportunity to study online languages such as French, Latin, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, etc,. After taking three years of French, using in-class text books, and sitting next to students who may or may not have been as interested in the class as I was, I wanted to try something new so I signed up to take my first online class. I wanted to escape getting mixed up with students who often over-socialize in this shared academic environment which plays a part in a student’s ability to learn. I am currently taking online Chinese. My online Chinese course is so exciting I often forget to switch back to English. “Dui bu qi, Wo de Zhongwen bu hao” meaning ‘I’m sorry, but my Chinese isn’t that good’ (for now)*.

I found that taking this online class was a breath of fresh air! It allows me the time to focus on my athletics and other out-of-school activities just as much as my other studying routines. I took the initiative to find other students taking the same online course, and I exchanged my contact information with them for further studying opportunities. I found that these classmates, some with laptops, some with only a pad of paper and a pencil, are all determined to get through their study with less outside distractions, more useful study materials and more relevant social networking. I recall the summer of 2010, when I was in France trying to apply the knowledge I had so diminutively learned due to in-class distractions. The difference is the technology and the students’ commitment to learning. So, I stand before you now expressing a great appreciation for Ohio’s digital learning. I have been able to focus in on my learning experiences, discipline my prioritizing; and expand my social abilities in new ways. I can only hope there are efforts to support online learning with more resources in the future.

Thank you.

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It was also important for us to represent the perspective of teachers and parents – voices also so often left out of the education policy area.  Here are the pieces of testimony from our two parents and teachers. 

Valerie Dortch, Parent, Virtual Community School

Chairman Stebelton, Vice-Chairman Newbold, and Ranking Member Luckie: Hello.  My name is Valerie Dortch. I am here today to tell a little about Michael and my experience with an E-school named VCS.  And why I think every person should have a choice to pick an E-school for their child.  I have a son named Michael. He is multi handicapped. I took him out of Columbus City schools and enrolled him in Virtual Community School of Ohio VCS for short. He was violated by another student while at school. So I found out about VCS. The special needs department was a God send. It was just what Michael needed. He was safe at home I did not have to worry about him getting picked on by other students. The teachers at VCS were very good and they all worked with me to help Michael. In their view it was all about what Michael needed. Which made me very happy. Michael really has come a long way from the time he started at VCS in 2006. Some of the things he has learned how to do is as follows:  The days of the week, talking on the phone, doing work on the computer.  Just to name a few. Michael is Autistic and the things I mentioned are major steps for him.  I just wanted to say that in my view the E-school is for those students that need that special something that only the online environment can give.  My rating for the online schools is an A for the overall value that comes from the experience of what Michael received.  Michael will be walking across the stage with the rest of the VCS students this coming May. This is another good thing that most special needs students do not get to do.  Thanks for listening.

 

Cathy Bryan, Parent, Ohio Virtual Academy

Chairman Stebelton, Vice-Chairman Newbold, and Ranking Member Luckie: My name is Cathy Bryan and we are in our 9^th year as an e-school family.  We made the choice for learning-style issues, but it’s become a life-style for us.

In kindergarten, Beavercreek Schools diagnosed my son with a severe auditory processing deficiency and an IQ of around 76.  We saw his gifts, but they only saw the challenge.

In 2002, Dr Cheri Florance of the OSU Brain Clinic did additional testing for visual processing, which showed Sam’s IQ was in the 160 range!  She “re-wired” his brain to build auditory skills, and we were armed with the knowledge that our son was very bright, but learned very differently from most other kids.

Auditory processing is about the ability to understand language, and reading, writing, speaking, and listening are all language-dependent.  Sam thought in pictures and movies, and we had to teach him language.

Traditional classrooms didn’t fit Sam’s learning style for 4 reasons:

• Visuals are the best teachers for other visuals
• Most teachers are auditory learners
• I had been tested and I was also a visual learner
• I was already re-teaching everything he learned in school each day

About this time, we discovered Ohio Virtual Academy: a public online school with licensed teachers which would allow me to deliver the curriculum to him in a way he could understand…perfect!  We enrolled Sam in 3^rd grade and his sister, Taylor, in kindergarten. Taylor immediately flourished, and we were able to bring Sam’s language skills up to grade level within a few years.

So here we are, 9 years later, and it’s no longer a learning-style choice for us.  We figured out that e-schooling is a pretty good life-style!  We only spend 5-6 hours/day on school, including homework.  That has allowed us time to do so many other things.

• We started our own hiking club and logged 2500 miles with a bunch of other kids
• We’ve visited DC, Valley Forge, Mexico, the Grand Canyon, Disney World, and Grandma & Grandpa in Texas, all off-season when it’s not crowded.
• Sam achieved Eagle Scout rank at the age of 16.  He also started his own business to fund his Eagle project.
• Taylorspends about 15 hrs/week on competitive dance and also does historical re-enactments atCarillonParkinDayton.
• Both kids have developed leadership skills through 4-H and both are good public speakers. They are equally comfortable around adults and kids.
• Sam writes articles and makes videos for the student newspaper, started an online prayer group with over 100 members, and is Secretary of Student Council.
• Tayloris in 8^th grade, but OHVA decided to let her enroll in high school algebra and English.  No special arrangements, not a big deal…just the flip of a switch and she’s taking classes that meet her ability.

To end, my mom is a retired elementary teacher fromBeavercreekwho also served on their curriculum committee.  Mom questioned our judgment at first, but after working with the K12 curriculum, she says it’s the best she’s ever seen.  She also saw kids in her classroom, like Sam, who grow into their intelligence later, but by that time their self-image isn’t very good.  She has said Sam would not be the self-confident leader he is today if he had spent the last 9 years in a traditional classroom.  Mom is now our biggest advocate for school choice, and especially, e-school learning.

Jessica Hussey, Teacher, Ohio Connections Academy

Chairman Stebelton, Vice-Chairman Newbold, and Ranking Member Luckie: Hello.  My name is Jessica Hussey. I am a 6th and 7th grade math teacher at Ohio Connections Academy, a virtual K-12 school, with a current enrollment of about 3200 (1045 ES, 896 MS, 1232 HS; 3172 exactly) students state-wide.

I was invited here tonight to offer my perspective as a teacher who uses digital learning for instruction.  Before I start however, I just want to thank you for hosting us and giving us this opportunity to share our stories with you.

If you had asked me 6 years ago, when I finished up my Masters in Education, if I wanted to teach online, I would have given you a resounding NO!

I didn’t know anything about online schools – I knew they were becoming more and more popular, but I couldn’t figure out how a child could get a good, quality education, not to mention the socialization they needed, by sitting in front of a computer, rather than be being in a classroom interacting with a teacher and their peers.

I had just graduated and was embarking on my third, and final, career.  I tried out manufacturing and non-profit, but I wanted to make a real difference.  I LOVE kids, and I knew that if I became a teacher, I could help not only educate them, but also inspire them to be their BEST selves. And I knew that modeling positive behaviors and attitudes, in the classroom, would be a great place to start.

I also had all kinds of new and exciting ideas about effectively managing a classroom, writing relevant, purposeful curriculum, and implementing engaging, experiential lessons… I wanted to create a safe, loving learning environment, where ALL my students could thrive and where I could see that “aha!” moment on their faces, when they finally “got it.”  The idea of not being in a physical CLASSROOM…not having any kids?! … Well, why would I even want to teach?!

Obviously, I’ve seen the LIGHT!  Here I am, two years later, speaking to you on why this works and why you should provide MORE students with MORE opportunities, like the ones that OUR students have every day.

For me, teaching is a PASSION.  I selfishly get up every day and think about all the opportunities I will have to interact and work with my students.   I LOVE working with a student one-on-one to help him or her master a math skill.  I enjoy brainstorming ideas with a Learning Coach as to how she can use Legos to motivate and engage her son, who has autism.  I also cherish the freedom and encouragement I get from my administration to work with my fellow teachers to come up with better, more effective ways of teaching.

Students, parents, Learning Coaches, teachers, and administrators…we are all PARTNERS in this virtual world.  We talk, plan and strategize as a TEAM to figure out the needs of each student, and consequently, the best way to address those needs.  I actually feel that here, in this learning environment, I am able to meet MORE needs and impact my students and families on a MUCH deeper level, than I was ever able to in a brick and mortar school.  Thank you so much for your time.

 

Jennifer Easley, Teacher, Winton Woods Academy of Global Studies

Chairman Stebelton, Vice-Chairman Newbold, and Ranking Member Luckie: My name is Jennifer Easley.  I am 9th grade physical science teacher at the Academy of Global Studies @ Winton Woods High School which is located in Forest Park, a suburb in Northern Cincinnati.  This is my 7th year in teaching.  With me today are our administrator Dr. Terri Holden and our district Director of Technology, Rhonda Hobbs.  Our school is a school within a school which focuses on teaching 21st century skills through a global perspective.  For me, teaching is a second career.  My bachelor’s degree is in geology with a minor in comprehensive science, prior to teaching I was a youth minister.  In order to become a teacher, I needed to return to school.  Fortunately for me, many universities offered the classes that I needed online.  I was able to continue working, while taking the classes that I needed for teacher certification.   Online classes that helped me become a teacher were offered through Wright State University in Dayton and Miami University in Oxford.  To supplement these I also attended classes at a local branch campus.

The experiences I had both as an online student and as a campus bound student, made me realize that many of our students are not prepared for the realities of higher learning institutions today.  Simply the task of learning to navigate the Blackboard system which is the educational online system that is used to register, post class assignments, and participate in online discussions put me behind oth.er students.

The students that I have today at the Academy of Global Studies, will not have this same challenge.   We are part of the New Tech Network and the International Studies Schools Network.  The New Tech Network is a non-profit organization that supports project-based learning, technological skills, and a culture of respect, responsibility, and trust.  The International Studies School Network strives to increase academic performance while challenging students to become equipped to live and work in a global environment.  These two organizations are working together in our school to provide students with the skills they need to become productive, global citizens.

Through the New Tech Network, we are able to access a digital learning platform called ECHO.  This platform allows me to search for teaching resources, post homework and classroom assignments, and make grades accessible immediately to students and parents.  I can link to videos, virtual labs, and simulations, as well as our online textbook.  The possibilities for my classroom have dramatically increased, but the best part is that my students use a digital platform daily to check classwork, submit work and communicate with me and with each other.  They will be prepared for our state universities in ways that other students are not.

At our school, students work together in groups.  They are able to use software like Google docs, where they can all work on the same document at the same time. They are becoming proficient in all types of software like Word, PowerPoint, Prezi.  They create educational animations, multimedia presentations, and videos.

One of the myths that I often hear is that today’s students are already technologically proficient.  I was surprised how many of my students are not proficient when it comes to the educational use of computers.  I will agree that many of them are technologically savvy with smart phones and computers, but for many of my students, their primary use of technology has been for entertainment and socialization.  They have struggled when it comes to simple things such as saving a document so that they can find it later.  Those Google docs, PowerPoints, and animations did not happen without much time and effort, but my students have stuck with it.   In the midst of learning science, my students have begun to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.  I don’t even think that my students have realized that they are changing, but I see them reaching for phones and computers more as tools than as entertainment.

I wish that you could see the difference in my students from August until now.   They are becoming better students.  They are able to use technology more effectively to find reputable information and to communicate those findings to each other as well as other students around the world.  They work beyond the 9th grade textbook that we have often accessing information at junior, senior or even college levels.  We are a digital learning community where students are helping students, teachers helping students, and often students are helping teachers.  Together through technology we are learning more.

Thank you for this opportunity to share how digital learning inspires and motivates my students and me as we prepared them to become knowledgeable and equipped citizens of the 21st century.

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Thank you to all of the students, parents and teachers who shared their stories with us and with the Committee. We look forward to following Faith, Hamilton, Jordan and Drew and all the families as they continue to be shine brightly as promising examples of Ohio’s diverse educational opportunities.

 

 

 

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