GO LIVE! Dr. Setser's Opening Remarks

GO LIVE! Preso with Alexander County's Dr Hoke

Interview with an Alexander County Student

See more Audio at TeacherTube.com.

Building a Student Support Plan, One Step At a Time

[Guest Blog from Chris Shearer, Director of Technology and Media, District Distance Learning Advisor, Franklin County Schools]

With the priority put on providing individual education plans for all students, traditional methods no longer make sense from the student support standpoint. Each student, regardless of the coursework they enroll in, needs support in their courses. Whether students take Advanced Placement courses, Career-Technical courses, distance learning and online, or some combination of these paths, our role as educators must change to one that will support students in their:

• BUY IN: In Franklin County Schools, we are beginning to work across schools and departments to provide strong support to all students enrolled in distance/online courses. The first step we made toward that goal was just the consistent agreement of all stakeholders that we work to meet this goal. If our distance learning task force did not receive buy-in from all groups, our vision would stop here. Thankfully, all stakeholders see this need and agree to build a support plan for students. Now, when any meetings are scheduled, whether for guidance counselors, school principals, or other areas, our office is notified and asked if any agenda items are necessary in regards to distance learning, which mostly does occur. A little step, but with the awareness there, we can move further into deeper steps.

Continue reading . . . .

Director's Blog for Oct. 27, 2009

21st Century Leaders and Learners:

This week our vidcast features my introduction of a new series at www.ncvps.org and www.nclearnandearn.gov to go hand in hand with our GO LIVE! (Getting Organized and Leading Innovation in Virtual Education) approach. The vidcasts from here forward will feature e-stars around the state doing outstanding things in e-learning and e-leadership. Our kickoff star is of course, Governor Beverly Perdue. Look for her vidcast this week at www.ncvps.org. In addition, send us your ideas to be featured on our vidcasts each week with the great e-learning solutions around North Carolina.

1. A reminder to GO LIVE! (Getting Organized and Leading Innovation in Virtual Education) with us on October 29th from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and October 30th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. via the web in Alexander County and/or through a personal RSVP to Bryan Setser by October 28, 2009 via email at bsetser@dpi.state.nc.us.

2. To provide the smooth operation of the Wimba Software, there are certain TCP, HTTP, and UDP Ports that need to be opened on your network. Please provide the list of ports below to your tech staff and ask them to open them for the optimal performance of Wimba Classroom if viewing on your desktop and/or in a district office room.

TCP and HTTP Ports: 80, 5998, 443, 5190
UDP Ports: 5998, 33434 , 5190, 16384

In addition to the setup above, you need to make sure you run the Wimba Setup wizard when first are trying to enter the room. There will be a need to download a java applet when running the wizard and this will just take a few seconds.

If you have questions or concerns about the setup or use of this tool or any other tech issues, please contact Nathan Thanos, our learning management administrator at 919.218.5051.

Continue reading . . . .

NCSPRA Twitter Preso

NCSPRA Facebook Preso

NCSPRA Preso

I teach, therefore you learn... or do you?

Davidson County’s Extended Day School: A New Paradigm for Online Learning

Principal Bruce Johnson and central office distance learning advisor Ben Terrell have taken a giant leap forward in virtual learning. Davidson County's Extended Day School has 105 students enrolled full time in a virtual environment. Read the article here from the The-Dispatch.com.

The school operates with certified teachers who function as facilitators in this true hybrid model, where students in this small school have over 250 courses to choose from. Special congratulations to school DLA Chad Tesh and the Extended Day teachers for all their hard work.
What are the results at Extended Day? They currently have a 90% pass rate!

Extended Day isn’t the only school finding online success in Davidson County. The district has the largest enrollment with NCVPS this semester.

Here are some pics from Extended Day:

Credit Recovery Update Oct. 9, 2009

1. Mastery Charts and Status Reports

The fourth mastery charts will be messaged to the students within Blackboard and emailed to parents and DLAs by 5pm on Monday, October 19th. The Status Reports will be available in the registration system (REPORTS section) on Tuesday, October 20th. Mastery Charts and Status Reports will be provided bi-weekly during the fall semester for all Credit Recovery students. If you are new to this program and this is your first time receiving Mastery charts, you may wish to view this presentation detailing how students are assessed in Credit Recovery and how to "read" Mastery charts and status reports. http://content.flypaper.net/0a56d50a-f6dd-45c1-9032-633cecea4985/preview.aspx For the Mastery Chart schedule, click the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18170808/Mastery-Chart-Schedule

2. Pronto

When students are planning to leave the lab for the day, please make sure they are logging out of Pronto. If they do not logout someone can use Pronto under their name.


3. Students unable to move forward in course

If you have a student that states he or she is unable to move forward in a course for any reason, please contact Jeff Page at jnpage@dpi.state.nc.us. Jeff can help the DLA and/or lab facilitator to determine where or what the student can do next. Students should never be sitting with nothing to work on at any time!

Director's Blog: GO LIVE!

21 Century Leaders and Learners:

Have you ever wondered how you are going to keep up with all the new technology? What is virtual learning? What is blended learning? How do I make sure it happens in my district? My schools?

Join NCVPS this Winter and Spring as we launch our GO LIVE Program which stands for getting organized to lead innovation in virtual education in your district and schools. Help us help you dive into the thinking and skills behind how we leverage 21st Century "blended" technologies for the benefit of your students.

GO LIVE! (Getting Organized and Leading Innovation in Virtual Education) with us on October 29th from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and October 30th from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. via the web in Alexander County and/or through a personal RSVP to Bryan Setser by October 26, 2009 via email at bsetser@dpi.state.nc.us.

We are inviting Central Office Distance Learning Advisors from our original pilots to the live session through the first 20 to respond by October 26th. The remainder of North Carolina districts can attend via the web with their Central Office Distance Learning Advisors, so we still need you to RSVP by October 26, 2009 so we can prepare you for how to access the sessions virtually. Below is the virtual access link. Once you have RSVP’ed to attend, you'll need to download the http://www.wimba.com/ wizard on your computer prior to the sessions.

Continue reading here . . . .

Director's Blog for Oct. 14, 2009

21st Century Leaders and Learners:

This week our video cast, www.ncvps.org , features a Channel 14 Interview on NCVPS and our GO LIVE! approach this school year to equip North Carolina School districts with the capacity to implement blended learning in their schools as they commit resources to technology, expand offerings, and/or realize or apply for potential federal stimulus dollars via Race to the Top and/or Innovation Grant Funding. GO LIVE! stands for Getting Organized to Lead Innovation and Virtual Education. In an effort to listen and learn from you, we have set up initial leading edge district meetings October 29, 2009 from 9-1 p.m. and October 30, 2009, from 10-2 p.m., in Alexander County, North Carolina. Alexander is one of the school districts along with several other districts that we will be inviting to the first of a series of sessions via a blended learning environment (face to face and via the web) to inform the Spring 2010 roll out of online teaching and learning options, world class professional development, world class student support, and focused 21st Century Strategic Planning for blended learning environments. These leading edge district meetings are not a pilot process. Rather, they are about learning, modeling, and developing an approach to connect strategy to solutions within your district.

As Greg Firn, Superintendent of Anson county says, " Our generation (speaking of those of us in the decade of the 50’s) are still trying to figure out how all of this technology stuff works. We don’t need to. Rather, we have to shift our thinking to the deeper learning of discernment or decision making. Our students need now more than ever the ability and application of decision-making. What is good, what is better, what is best and the obvious – what is not. It is not the applications of technology that should concern us. It is the thinking or decision making skills that one needs in the applications of technology that should be of highest priority."

Continue reading here . . . .

GO LIVE! Leading Innovation for Virtual Education

View today's e-LC preso: GO LIVE! Leading Innovation for Virtual Education.



Follow today's discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #ncvtwest.

NCVPS on WRAL

Watch Dr. Bryan Setser on WRAL discussing NCVPS.

School Support's Systemic Approach Preso

This preso was presented at the NCVPS e-LC session on Oct. 7, 2009.

Academic Integrity Videocast

This videocast was originally recorded in the Wimba Live Classroom on Sept. 30, 2009, with Dr. Tracy Weeks, the NCVPS Chief Academic Officer and David Edwards, the NCVPS Chief Communications and Professional Learning Officer.



Read more about our academic integrity policy here.

Director's Blog for Oct. 6, 2009

Superintendents:

October and November are great months to take a step back as we all look at budgets, emerging innovation, Race to the Top, and competing priorities within our districts and schools. In an effort to support your work in a “blended” fashion this fall and into your Spring 2010 calendar year, I would like to inform you of several services and solutions NCVPS and Learn and Earn Online now offer for your district at no charge. They are as follows:

1.) Strategic Planning for “Blended” Learning – Our staff knows how to integrate 1:1, virtual learning, face to face best practice, technology planning for Web 2.0, and leadership training into an approach that maximizes student outcomes and propels your district as a national leader in blended learning. Before you purchase your next software package and/or decide on how you will spend funds from external sources, let us help you with retreats, deployment planning, and/or beta processes by inviting us in to meet with your School Board, Executive Cabinet, and/or principals to collaborate on the learning pathway for what your district or school can look like in the next five years.

2.) Central Office Distance Learning Advisor Training – Our phenomenal growth is due in no small part to lessons learned over the past few years in our district and school pilots and with great consultation from our advisory board as well as feedback from many of you. This spring, we are going to really focus on distance learning advisors at the district level, as together, we will shatter the 20,000 student benchmark this spring. In an effort to support you better, I am asking that each Superintendent establish a clear line of site authority position with a Central Office Distance Learning Advisor Contact by November 1, 2009. Please see the leadership challenge here: www.ncvps.org on our video cast, and respond directly to bsetser@dpi.state.nc.us to let me know who your point of contact will be for our train the trainer model in your district.

Continue reading . . . .

Credit Recovery Update Oct. 5, 2009

1. Mastery Charts and Status Reports

Mastery charts will be messaged to the students within Blackboard and emailed to parents and DLAs by 5pm on Monday,October 5th. The Status Reports are available in the registration system on Tuesday, October 6th. Mastery Charts and Status Reports will be provided bi-weekly during the fall semester for all Credit Recovery students. If you are new to this program and this is your first time receiving Mastery charts, you may wish to view this presentation detailing how students are assessed in Credit Recovery and how to "read" Mastery charts and status reports. http://content.flypaper.net/0a56d50a-f6dd-45c1-9032-633cecea4985/preview.aspx For the Mastery Chart schedule, click the following link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/18170808/Mastery-Chart-Schedule


2. One-on-one Tutoring

Please encourage students to contact their teachers directly for help and to sign onto Pronto if at all possible for one-on-one tutoring.

Networking, Productivity, and e-Learning for Oct. 5

1) Twitter’s Value: 5 Eye-Popping Stats

“We’ve picked five statistics that speak to the unprecedented growth of Twitter as a service and as a company. Prepare yourselves for some shocking numbers.”

2) Three Great Social Media Practices to Steal From

“It’s smart business to have a social media policy, and lucky for you some of the biggest brands have already paved the way and published policies that you can emulate.”

3) Before Getting Things Done, There’s Getting Things Started

I like the 10 minutes part!

4) Narrowing Gap Between Face-to-face and Online Presentations

The common evil: Multitasking.

DLA E-lert for September 28, 2009

GRADE REPORTS
There was a glitch in the initial grade reports distributed last week in that only "Year Long" courses were in view. This has been corrected and enhanced. The new reports have been distributed in the NCVPS Registration, "Reports" view. DLAs will be able to see the YL and Fall semesters on the same report. If the report is titled "Fall and YL ...". There will be no need to download 2 separate reports.

The current report is titled "Fall and Year-Long 09 Progress report Due 9-24-09". To retrieve the data, follow the process outlined below:

For a DLA to retrieve the Sept 24th progress report

1-Login

2-Click Reports

3-Toggle the radio button beside "Fall and Year-Long 09 Progress report Due 9-24-09"

4-Click "Run" at the bottom of the screen

5-Download spreadsheet and save.

LEO TEXTBOOKS
LEO textbooks are to be treated like any other textbooks; they are the property of the LEA...NOT the student. LEO textbook invoices should be sent to the LEA finance office for reimbursement. State Assoc. Supt., Philip Price, has sent an email to LEAs regarding the reimbursement guidelines.

Any LEO related questions, including this of textbooks, can be referred to Deb Pedersen at DPedersen@dpi.state.nc.us .

Teacher Info for Data Managers
DPI has established a new process for sharing NCVPS instructor social security numbers for school data managers and the SAR report. NCVPS instructors are being issued Virtual Teacher Information Numbers (VTIN), and those will be shared with school data managers. Those VTINs will sync with the instructors' actual SSNs once entered into NCWise.

The VTINs are now in the DLA Spa.

NCVPS Culture Cafe
Join our World Languages courses in particiapting in our Culture Cafe. All details can be found at http://ncvpsculturecafe.blogspot.com.

What are You Tight On?

[Guest blog post by Dr. Donna Peters - Superintendent, Montgomery County Schools.]

21st Century learning for every student--this is Montgomery County School’s superordinate goal for this school year. A superordinate goal, according to Siri Epsy, author of The Handbook of Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations, is one that represents the institution's primary or overriding goal and clarifies and reminds you where you want to go. I want ours to be a rallying cry for us, providing a common purpose and sense of urgency around the need for change. When I presented this goal to our principals and administrators in early August, they immediately came to consensus around the necessity of our making 21st Century learning happen for all.

I am amazed by the effect of our focus on 21st Century learning thus far. The State Board of Education's guiding mission of every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st Century has been in place for several years, and the Montgomery County Schools Board of Education adopted the vision of 21st Century Learning and Teaching for Every Student in a Safe, Nurturing Environment more than two years ago. This has been a focus in our school district for some time; however, this year is different. It is really taking hold with our teachers and administrators.

Phil Schlechty recently posed a question to a group of superintendents in the Schlechty Superintendents Network of which I am a member. The question was "what is wildly important to you?" He went on to challenge us with another question, "who are you and what will make you most proud?" He also emphasized the importance of 21st Century learning-centered classrooms, schools, and school systems and suggested that if we could reach that superordinate goal many other targets would be met as well. NCVPS and Dr. Bryan Setser's leadership with that organization has also had a tremendous influence on our school system. We jumped on board with our state's new virtual school because it was good for students and provided a level playing field in our rural county, opening doors of opportunity that could not have been opened otherwise. We enrolled students and reorganized staff to support them, and our students' success with distance learning has been phenomenal. We are learning from our students--how cool is that! I have always said that students will teach you what they need in one way or another, and they have taught us well here. Our students NEED 21st Century tools to learn at the highest levels. All that we learn from our students personally and read about them collectively in articles and research tells us how different students are today as a result of being born into a digital world. They are the digital natives, and we must design learning that will engage them. Our students also face a very different world economy, where high levels of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are required to be successful. The world has shifted, and we in education must shift too. Almost a decade into the century, it is past time that we commit to preparing our students for THEIR future. We are working hard every day in Montgomery County Schools to do that.

Continue reading . . . .