Future of Education at Crosby High SchoolCase Study

Elizabeth Polaco Post University

CROSBY HIGH SCHOOL Founded in 1898, first called Waterbury High School Located in Waterbury, Connecticut Serves 1300 students (greatschools.org) Diverse population: Black or African American 20%, Asian 1.8%,

Hispanic 31%, White 45% (greatschools.org) Participating in the Commissioner’s Network Turnaround Program. 1 of 6 public high schools Median Family income is $41,000 (greatschools.org)

Technology and EducationCloud Computing

“Cloud storage saves space, money and time for teachers, parents, students and administrators” (Lynch 2014).

Students do not have to spend over one hundred dollars on the Microsoft Office.

Student work is automatically saved to the cloud (IITE Policy Brief 2010).

BYOD-Bring Your Own Device Students have ownership and control of their device. Students feel it is easier to find information on their devices

than looking in a textbook (St. George,2014). Schools do not have to invest as much money into laptops or

tablets (St. George,2014)

ScenariosScenarios are “a synthesis of different paths that

lead to possible futures” (Mietzner & Reger, 2004).When scenarios are made in positive and negative

way, planners will have appropriate actions in place.

Scenarios allow educators to point out “weak signals” and allow for the unimaginable to be imaginable.

Pros and Cons of ScenariosPros Cons• They do not describe just

one future, rather several. That are eithProer positive or negative

• Open the mind to unimaginable possibilities and challenges

• Easy to find ‘weak signals’• Communication

improvements.

• Time-consuming• Data and information from

different sources have to be collected and interpreted which makes scenario building even more time consuming.

• Can be difficult not to focus on black and white scenarios or the most likely scenario during the scenario-building process.

ScanningScanning is a technique used when educators are

envisioning various futuristic scenarios (Sobrero, 2004).

Scanning involves researching and analyzing data from local, and distant school districts, journals, & newspapers. Taking in learner and stakeholders opinions and using this information to formulate a futuristic scenario (Sobrero, 2004).

How can Crosby enter a new age in education?Funding from State and Federal GrantsLocal Funding Private Donations

Educational TechnologyProject-Based Learning- “Learning is contextual, creative, and shared

(New Tech Network).Collaboration is meaningful, projects require

critical thinking, creativity, and communication in order to answer challenging questions or solve complex problems New Tech Network). (NTN)

Access to updated technology

Demographics of WaterburyWaterbury’s population will grow 0.6% between

2012 & 2020.

Population at Crosby

Graph: US News

Vision- implement new pedagogy creating successful 21st century learners.

Over the next five years Crosby will roll out new a pedagogy called Project-Based Learning.

Plan for ChangeIn order to begin the process of changing

pedagogy school wide, teachers need professional development

With the help of government grants PD’s will be successful and easily accessible for teachers.

Introduce PBL to students and families

Call to Action- What is the first step?In order to begin changing Crosby, there must be

a strong school culture in place. “Studies are finding that the culture or climate of

a school can have a marked impact on student performance” (Delisio).

References Connecticut Economic Resource Center. (2014). CERC Town Profile 2014. Retrieved from

May 25, 2015 from http://www.cerc.com/TownProfiles/Customer-Images/waterbury.pdf

Davis, Vicki. "Technology Integration." Edutopia. Edutopa, 4 Feb 2014. Web. 1 Jul 2015. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/byod-discussions-schools-should-have- vicki-davis>.

Lynch, Matthew . "Cloud Computing and K-12 Classrooms." The Huffington Post 7 Feb. 2014The Huffington Post Web. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-

lynch- edd/cloud-computing-and-k-12_b_4407567.html.

Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). ”Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight”. Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220–239.

Sobrero, P., (2004). The steps for futuring. Journal of Extention, 42(3). http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php

St. George, Donna. (2014, September 14). Schools move toward ‘Bring Your Own Device’ policies to boost student tech use. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/stem/schools-move-toward- bring-your-own-device-practices-to-boost-student-tech- use/ 2014/09/14/4d1e3232-393e-11e4-9c9f-ebb47272e40e_story.html

UNESCO IITE Policy Brief 2010. http://iite.unesco.org/pics/publications/en/files/3214674.pdf

ReferencesU.S. News. (2015). Retrieved July 26, 2015, from

http://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/connecticut/districts/waterbury-school-

district/crosby-high-school-4559/student-body