Post-Institute+Video+Conference+Session

=Agenda for Friday, January 14, 2010 (9:00 - 10:00 am) HD Video Conference Session:=
 * 1) Introductions.
 * 2) Review agenda items and add items as needed.
 * 3) Review "To Do" items form December skype sessions.
 * 4) Generate professional development plan for BRS at two levels: (a) What should the goals and organizational process be for BRS teachers to learn and share "new literacies" best practices and innovative approaches among themselves? (b) What are the 3-5 actionable items that we (BRS teachers and NC State team) believe the BRS administration could perform within the next 2 months to support professional development for BRS teachers.
 * 5) Are you interested in collaborating on joint research projects? If so, what are areas of interest?
 * 6) Are you interested in visiting NC State in July 2011 to be Lead Teachers for a New Literacies Teacher Leader Institute to possibly be held at the Friday Institute? We are exploring this possibility now and will let you know if it is going to happen.

=Notes from December 2 and 6, 2010 Skype Sessions:=

 **NLI AND BRS TEACHER LEADER TEAM – SKYPE MEETING 1 12-2-2010**  //NC State:// Hiller, John, Carl, & Sinky  //BRS:// Bion, Lili, Jie  //UNC-CH:// Jason Lee (briefly)

1. What if any new literacies practices have you tried with your students since the Institute? Bion – Taught students the importance of responsible use of web resources (Wikipedia); However, still facing the issue of internet access for students (both at school and at home). Lili – Has used Gapminder with students, and it has been helpful (especially for small group work); has also used Flip camera. Jie – Physics work with projectile motion. We would like to be able to download software and use web tools for Physics learning. 2. Share your thoughts on educational policy, pedagogy, and technology in China. Educational Policy: a)GaoKao- National Tests; b)Limited bandwidth at BRS; Limited quantity of information that can come over internet to you and you can send back combined; c) Curriculum does NOT limit the use of technology in class; d) Testing is a big restraint, especially TOEFL; students should study English language in a broader way rather than just learning to pass language tests; e)There is the pressure to pass the test which is a barrier for all content areas, and TOEFL is a major focus!!; f) Interested in collaborative projects with North Carolina teachers and students. Creating weblog for students that they would update on a weekly basis; reading and commenting on a class in the U.S.; preferably English and also Chinese. Would like to: § Connect with U.S. class § Use of new media as part of this connection § Even if they are beginning Chinese, very helpful § I could ask Troy; Hiller knows teacher at Cary Academy 3. Please share thoughts about how you can provide organizational and content leadership for the rest of the teachers at BRS. · Have teachers been able to meet? o Yes, some extension from institute, but also focusing on language issues / support o Yes, but not really in terms of following up from the institute… · Going forward… How can we support you? o Jie – Wants to continue definitely; next time we meet we need to do it with a larger group in media center. o Bion – Every student in school is a student of English department § Wants to do web blog projects across board § Wants to use Flip camera projects – can cross levels § 2 Big Issues to Address Need Organizational Infrastructure (support to make sure no students are left out) Need student access to technology (in school access is varied and more so outside of school o Are you up for being leaders and taking some of the initiatives forward in your school?   § Yes! J   4. What do you need from us to continue the New Literacies work at BRS?   · We need Tech PD staff and a technology curriculum for the students!   · Where / how is the best way to meet?  o E-mail  o Video conference  o Try to set up agenda where we are working on items as we go along  5. Next steps   · NC State Team:  o Physics software for Jie - Hiller  o ELA classroom partnerships for Bion – Carl and Hiller  o Have Michele help set up next video conference - Hiller  o Send out minutes from the conference call – Carl and Hiller  o Explore best tool to use for notes, etc. from conference calls - John   · BRS Team: Get feedback from departments on what faculty want and need.   · We will skype with David and Yao on Tuesday, Dec. 7. At 9:00 am Beijing time (that’s Monday night at 8:00 pm North Carolina time).

 **NLI AND BRS TEACHER LEADER TEAM – SKYPE MEETING 2 12-6-2010**  NC State: Hiller and John  BRS: Yao and David

1. What if any new literacies practices have you tried with your students since the Institute? · Yao tried project-based learning. She gave students a problem. The problem was focused on functions (?). They were working on a problem instead of a theory. Encouraged students to use Vokis, but they did not have access in the classroom. They wanted them to do the work outside the classroom, limited success to date. · David created wikis for his students. He put Vokis on the site. They were going to read sentences and give a grade, but did not have a way for them to practice. Not sure how many people did the activity, yet. Just put mp3 on the home page. Also asking students about websites and started a delicious site for teachers at the school. http://brfls-deikun-grade-8.wikispaces.com http://brfls-deikun-grade-7.wikispaces.com [] · David said that the problem-based learning seems to be the most promising idea we learned about. He is thinking about what topics students might be interested in studying, and is planning to do some work next semester. · David mentioned that in the Chinese educational system students stay with their class throughout their educational career. They become a family with their classmates. The homeroom or head teacher also moves with the class. Suggested that it was because the BRS students are boarding students, although common in public schools as well. One of the problems is that students cannot fail – not an option. They have to stay with the class, which means if they do not feel motivated to study they know they are going to pass anyway. It causes a lot of problems. David said that he cannot get students to do homework. If they do not want to do it, there are no consequences. Hiller mentioned the testing system. David seemed to think the tests were too far removed in time to motivate students. It becomes a source of conflict for foreign teachers who are asked to pass on students. · David said that the Chinese testing system does not confine the students because they know (think) they are going to school overseas. Thinks about 20% of students are not doing their homework. Lots of students sleep in class. They do not see the English teachers’ class as a core class. Students seem to be quite friendly with each other. · Yao said she has the problem in science and math classes in terms not being able to get students to do they homework. Students sleep in class, etc. She thinks teachers should be able to motivate students, but has met resistance from other teachers. Yao thinks she can motivate students, but worries about other teachers’ abilities motivate. Sometimes teachers will contact parents to get help, but the parents end up running the show. If the parents decide to complain about a teacher, they are in trouble. If parents complain enough, the teachers might get fired. The teachers feel like if they can keep the students happy, the parents will be happy. There also has to be a certain number of students who pass the exam. Teachers feel pressure to bump up the exam scores. They feel pressure to give exam questions ahead of time. · Yao is worried that the school is not set up to empower the teachers. She is trying to work with parents. · We asked if there is a parents group. Yao thought it might be nice to have parents in to visit the school, but David is worried that parents will just see students on their best behavior. · Hiller suggested that the process should involve the administration and that the process might take some time. · David thinks, we (NLC) might be able to make a more effective push to help on this issue, but understands that the work of implementation rests with the teachers. 3. Please share thoughts about how you can provide organizational and content leadership for the rest of the teachers at BRS. · They thought they could organize meetings in which teachers took turns sharing new literacies practices from their classes, and then discuss what worked well and what did not work well. 4. What do you need from us to continue the New Literacies work at BRS? · Going forward David would like continued support for technology implementation. Also, David asked about resources for short-term project based activities for younger children. Hiller is going to send some books that have resources. David is applying for money to buy resources. · Yao wants to do some demo classes for other teachers. Also, would like to have graphing calculators for her students. 5. Next Steps. · NC State Team: o Book titles on project-based learning for elementary levels- Hiller o Have Michele help set up next video conference in early January; this will be a HD videoconference - Hiller o Send out minutes from the conference call – John and Hiller · BRS Team: Get feedback from departments on what faculty want and need.