Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/136999
Monday, June 24, 2013 Ed Tech Show Daily blendedschools.net (Cont'd. from p. 1) enrollments from online companies. We decided to integrate online learning technologies and quality K-12 online curriculum, and package it with professional learning, to help schools easily offer engaging online learning using their own teachers. ESD: How does your package solution for online and blended learning help schools transform themselves? JF: For a single userband price, schools receive unlimited copies of blendedschools.net's 192 K-12 online courses in either Canvas, or Blackboard Learn. We provide training on how to use Canvas and Blackboard tools, how to teach online and blended learning classes, and how to plan and implement your online Comcast (Cont'd. from p. 1) provide communications services to businesses, schools, and governments. In that time, the company has enjoyed great success with K-12 schools in our footprint, as almost all schools need more robust communications infrastructure to help them with the move to digital learning. ESD: What was the most significant event or series of events affecting your company in the past year? TY: I wouldn't say there was one single event that's affected our company but more a series of events that are affecting Comcast and our partnership with the education industry. One of those key events is President Obama's ConnectED initiative, announced just a few weeks ago. We applaud the President for spotlighting the critical importance of robust broadband connections in schools. This program will build on the substantial work by the FCC's e-Rate program and JAMF Software (Cont'd. from p. 4) involved to help students maximize the benefits these devices offer, and ensure that technical issues don't hinder the learning experience. On the classroom side, educators have similar questions, such as: how do we ensure that students are focused and engaged on the curriculum we're teaching, how do we ensure students aren't accessing inappropriate content on their devices, and how do we provide students freedom to use their device, while mainProject Foundry (Cont'd. from p. 1) www.projectfoundry.org. ESD: How does Project Foundry help cultivate innovative lifelong learners? SK: Regurgitating facts were once a good enough method to prepare human capital for the economy of past decades. However, today, an effective workforce and vibrant culture require real experiences that cultivate adaptive problem solving, collaborating across networks and an entrepreneurial mindset. Project Foundry models the workflows, collaboration and accountability students will eventually be using in the real world ESD: How are schools using blendedschools.net to transform themselves? and learning initiative. We encourage our member districts' teachers to create their own online courses and to modify copies of our courses to meet their instructional needs. To help, we provide training, expansive video and learning objects libraries and access to the vast video and instructional resources of NBC Learn. In addition, Blended Schools Network is a network of schools. We host BSNtube, a video-sharing library; BSNShare, a Ning social network for educators; BSNCloud, a Softchalk sharing library; and we provide frequent free webinars about blended learning, online learning and best practices. Perhaps the biggest benefit of joining Blended Schools Netowrk is you join a community where schools learn from each other, and teachers share resources across districts. JF: Our broad set of tools, textbook-free courses and professional learning opportunities is helping 170 school districts each solve local challenges. Three-quarters of the districts use blended learning to enrich classroom instruction. Rather than pay a provider, many districts save money by teaching their own cyber academy. One-half of our districts provide online summer schools, service homebound students, deliver alternative education and expand course offerings for students. As these numbers show, schools that join Blended Schools Network to solve one challenge also find our resources helpful for other needs, yielding cost savings while expanding and enriching learning. ESD: TY: Schools need a solid network platform to support the latest applications, and we feel Ethernet is that platform. Many districts are using older technologies to link their locations together, things like T1 and Frame Relay. When schools switch to Comcast Ethernet from those older services, they see greater value, more capacity, increased flexibility, and even the ability to run multiple applications on the same network. Joe Jenkins, CTO at Folsom Cordova Unified School District, says the switch from old to new network technology (Ethernet) was responsible for a network services, district-wide metamorphosis― allowing administrators, faculty, and staff to collectively stretch their imaginations and excite students about learning. In addition to Ethernet and Internet, Comcast also offers a wide range of voice services, from individual lines to a cloud-based PBX service, called Business Voice Edge. It allows districts the cable industry to bring high-speed Internet access to all Americans – in schools, in libraries, and also in their homes. We believe that Internet connectivity at schools must be paired with access at home to gain the full educational benefits of the Internet. Another important event that has been unfolding for the past 12 months is Common Core State Standards. As IT departments start to prepare to administer online student assessments, they are starting to uncover deficiencies in many areas, including Internet bandwidth and network capacity between locations in a district. Additionally, the "bring your own device" trend in schools is also changing the communication landscape in education. All of these developments have made schools more aware that technology is a key enabler in their ability to administer learning, and Comcast Internet, Ethernet, and voice services can all help them reach their goals. What is your current taining some oversight? Collectively, these tasks could jeopardize the success of a school's eLearning program. These concerns often lead organizations to consider a device management solution. The Casper Suite from JAMF Software is the leading device management software built exclusively for the Apple platform. Casper Focus is a simple classroom management tool that leverages the power of the Casper Suite and enables teachers to ensure that students are focused on the correct curriculum during class. With the Casper Suite's capabilities (think project management tools, relationship management tools and content management tools). Likewise, it scaffolds these more constructivist approaches for teachers, so that changing your organization does not have to be reliant on an expensive fly-by professional development session. ESD: What would you say makes Project Foundry unique? SK: Our current customers spanning 22 states tell us we do the following uniquely well: learner-centered focus; variety of authentic workflow options; customization per school; proficiency-based reporting; and our Annual Un-conference― product emphasis? for security management, configuration, content distribution and inventory, maintaining your iOS devices is easy and cost effective. Eliminating the obstacles you might face with the deployment of your iPads means you're one step closer to getting e-books into the hands of students. And with the Casper Suite, that part is simple, too. The powerful capabilities of the Casper Suite allow you to distribute ebooks across small or large-scale environments. With the Casper Suite's self service interface, you can scope e-books 5th Annual this July 24-25. Also, our focus makes us unique in that we believe creating entrepreneurial lifelong learners involves recognizing that: everyone learns differently; creativity and problem-solving are top priority; depth leads to breadth; and intrinsic motivation matters a lot. We believe the most effective approaches to accomplishing these include: learning through projects, inquiries and expeditions; a commitment to relinquishing the responsibility of the learner to the learner; an integrated curriculum all the time; and being brave enough to abandon the old bell schedule. ESD: What does your perfect customer 39 ESD: Why is blendedschools.net a notfor-profit company? JF: We were founded by schools to help them deliver online and blended learning initiatives. As a network of schools dedicated to transforming themselves, being a not-for-profit was a natural fit. As a corporation, we function as a cooperative focused on helping schools and teachers use the newest and best online curriculum and technologies to increase student engagement, and expand learning opportunities. Our mission is to minimize costs and maximize resources for schools. Your teachers will transform your district with our technology, professional development and curriculum. For more information, visit booth 5251 at ISTE. to realize the benefits of using a PBX (private branch exchange) without having to own and manage one. ESD: What distinguishes you from the competition? TY: One of the key things that helps us serve schools where our competitors can't is our network reach. Ethernet typically needs fiber to run on, and our competitors' fiber footprint is normally concentrated around the central business districts of towns and cities, where there are lots of businesses in a small area. The schools are most often in residential neighborhoods, which are difficult to reach for many carriers. Comcast is already in the residential areas with our networks, so we have a leg up when extending fiber-based Ethernet to school districts. For more information, go online to www.business.comcast.com, call 866-4290258 or visit booth 5293 at ISTE. to different grades, classes, or other groups, empowering students to install ebooks on their own. The Casper Suite also integrates seamlessly with Apple's Volume Purchase Program (VPP), meaning you can purchase e-books in bulk, saving time and money in the license management process. Visit the JAMF Software team at booth 4270, or www.jamfsoftware.com, to learn about how the Casper Suite can simplify your iOS device management and e-book distribution projects. look like? SK: They look like the 'coolest school in America!' I say that not being clever. Project Foundry is literally used by the coolest school in America as deemed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation several years back. Seriously though, if someone is trying to do personal learning plans, deeper learning, project-based learning, IB capstone projects and, or inquiry-based learning, Project Foundry will not disappoint! Stop by our booth: #5236. For more information, go online to www.projectfoundry.org, call 877-8369960, email skrukowski@pblhq.com or visit booth 5236 at ISTE.