Holliston


 * // Holliston Public Schools //**


 * 1. What are your districts promising practices? **

Blended learning initiatives BYOD Supporting teachers in trying new technology Cohort model/PLCs Personnel -- technology integration specialists and network specialists Focus on inquiry-based curriculum unit design using UbD


 * 2. What are the barriers to moving forward? **

Infrastructure/Need wireless access Good test scores/successful school district Fear Varied skill level among faculty members Pace of technological change Potential (perception of) tension between risk-taking and guaranteed and viable curriculum History of integration of technology – earlier tools proving to be not as transformative as promised


 * 3. How can ACCEPT/Collaboration with others help you to get there? **

System for sharing exemplary units and practices with a group of master teachers leading it Job-alikes for master teachers – blending online and face-to-face


 * 4. What is your District/School/Classroom Vision for where you want to be in three years? **

Supporting all learners with purposeful learning.

** A Roadmap for Transforming Learning in Holliston **

** August 2011 **

WE BELIEVE THAT…


 * our students live in a world that is fundamentally different than it was even five years ago with new technologies accelerating the pace of change in our world, requiring increased global awareness and emphasizing the need for interconnectedness;
 * thriving in this worldwill not only require mastery of essential content-based skills but also the ability to think critically and solve problems, communicate and collaborate with others, and be creative, innovative and even entrepreneurial; and
 * our curriculum, assessments and instructional practices need to provide authentic learning opportunities that reflect today’s world and prepare students to be empathetic, curious and adaptable members of a dynamic and ever-changing world.

TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, we will:


 * Develop, implement and share rich learning units crafted using backward-design, guided by the Common Core Standards, and differentiated to ensure the individual growth of each student.


 * Improve student engagement in learning by fundamentally overhauling and restructuring our instructional techniques by deeply embedding technology into instruction and embracing the use of emerging technologies by our students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do.

IN ORDER TO ADVANCE THESE OBJECTIVES, the District must provide substantial amounts of support and resources, including:


 * Safe school cultures that foster healthy relationships and the holistic well-being of each child;
 * Sufficient time for individual and team planning, collaboration, and progress monitoring of student learning;
 * Diverse forms of Professional Development that advance technology-driven changes in professional practices
 * Ample opportunities for peer observation both intra- and inter-district;
 * A supportive and encouraging educator supervision and evaluation system based on jointly established SMART goals;
 * Just-in-time access to reliable, state-of-the-art technology with abundant levels of support;
 * Advocacy to build strong community support for our efforts.