​A truly successful schooling experience for students starts with a healthy and supportive school climate.  Above all else, when students know they are cared for, they can truly focus on their educational experience and learning all that they can.  Two staff developers and over thirty teachers and administrators from around the region took it upon themselves to collaborate and discuss ways to make positive changes to their school climates to better the learning experience of our students!

In late spring, Tessa Levitt and I had an idea to do a professional book study around a book we were both highly interested in ourselves, Lead with Culture, from author and Principal Jay Billy.  This book is one of the Dave Burgess Publishing Company’s titles, made famous from the Like A Pirate series of books.  We discussed different methods for how we wanted to approach this book study, and we both knew we wanted to try something “unconventional” in the sense of our current professional development opportunities.

We eventually decided that with it being summer and all, we wanted any participation to be completely voluntary from those interested in the book study.  We also wanted to harness the power of the summer, and conduct the book study from an online platform, where participants wouldn’t need to physically be all in the same place to share ideas, discuss topics, and raise their questions to one another.  In the end, we created a Facebook group, #BOCESLeads Summer Book Study, and anyone that expressed interest in participating in the book study was invited to join the group.

We met in person once, at the beginning of the book study, to distribute copies of the book to the participants, and to outline the dates and the layout of the Facebook page itself:  We would meet online, from 8:00-9:00 on the Facebook page, Tessa and I would post questions from a few chapters at a time, and they could respond and share ideas and questions with one another, with Tessa and I there to help moderate and facilitate discussions. 

The support and discussion from the participants were highly overwhelming!  The amount of ideas shared and questions posited to one another were powerful, and really made this an interesting and unique experience for professional growth.  The response from the participants was also noteworthy, as they liked being able to chime in from wherever they were at the time, and if they missed the discussion window, they could still go to the Facebook page and comment or discuss between the arranged question-posting days.  The flexibility and freedom were lauded from those who took part!

Once the book was completed, we were excited to commence upon the final aspect of the book study:  a live chat hosted on Zoom with author Jay Billy!  Participants were able to take part in an online discussion forum with Jay himself, who answered their questions, shared advice, and helped spur more creative ideas for those who were able to join in.  The session was also recorded and posted on the Facebook group page for those who were unable to make the meeting, so they could view it at a later time.

Overall, this experience was a phenomenal new approach to combating some logistical issues that we all experience:  wanting to take part in something, but time and location not cooperating to allow it to happen.  The discussion was rich and powerful, and multiple great ideas were shared and collaborated upon throughout the course of studying this excellent book.  One of the most impactful results from this book study?  The request to keep the discussion going over the course of this school year through the online group page and with regularly scheduled meet-ups for those that can attend, bringing that flexibility and freedom even further into the process.  We look forward to continue documenting the journey of the region in regards to building and supporting the students of our schools through a positive and caring school climate and culture.  When all else fails, lead with culture!

By:  Ryan McGinnis, CA BOCES Professional Development

On August 14th, ELA teachers from the region connected to the Globe Theatre in London to learn and explore the play Macbeth with the guidance of a Shakespearean actor.  The teachers spent approximately three hours with the actor as they explored ideas to help bring Macbeth to students in their classrooms in new or different ways.  Plans are in the works for another connection with the Globe Theatre.  Stay tuned for more details!
 
Constitution Day is September 17th.  Check out these resources for grade level appropriate content.

•  www.constituionday.com
• Interactive Constitution on the website of the National Constitution Center.  You can explore it here: https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution
• National Archives for Constitution Day. https://www.archives.gov/education/distance-learning

How will you celebrate our Constitution?
 
International Dot Day will happen near September 15th.  The day is based on the book, The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.  You can find more information about the international events here:  www.thedotclub.com and follow email blasts from our Distance Learning Team.
How can we connect your students to the world around them?

By:  Karen Insley, CA BOCES Coordinator for Distance Learning

Take your students on a trip...without leaving the classroom.  Virtual field trips are a great way to connect your students with experts from around the world.  Download our May Virtual Field Trip guide.  

Schedule a trip:  
Carrie Oliver, 716-376-8270, [email protected]
Karen Insley, 716-376-8281, [email protected] 

All Schools Day brings component districts together to share Video Conference courses from within and outside the region. CABOCES Distance Learning hosted a successful All Schools Day February 9th. Lead by the Distance Learning Coordinator Karen Insley counselors and administrators from nine districts met in person and over Zoom to offer and seek video conferring courses. Video Conferencing courses are live courses where students and teachers meet from different locations utilizing a video and audio connection. Exciting offerings for next school year include College Biology from Belfast, College Sports Management from Boliver-Richburg, College Calculus from GV, and a suite of Agricultural Business courses from our partners in the Erie 2 BOCES region.

You can learn which video conference courses are available for the next school year on the Distance Learning Database located on the CABOCES Distance Learning webpage. The guest username and password are distance.

By:  Justine Lombardi, CABOCES Learning Resources

Last week District Superintendent Lynda Quick, Esq. learned that Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES has been awarded a grant for $466,686 from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The grant, known as the Rural Utility Service (RUS) Distance Learning grant, will be implemented by Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES and eleven area school districts to upgrade video conferencing equipment and other technologies.

The equipment upgrades will provide all three Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers, as well as Belfast, Bolivar-Richburg, Cuba-Rushford, Franklinville, Friendship, Genesee Valley, Hinsdale, Olean, Salamanca, Scio, and Wellsville Central School Districts, with new portable, high definition video conference capabilities that schools will use to provide students and teachers with a variety of distance learning opportunities including videoconference courses, virtual field trip experiences, and expanded access to nanotechnology capabilities.

This is not the first USDA RUS Distance Learning grant received by Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES and component school districts. The Distance Learning Team at CA BOCES has been applying for and receiving RUS grants since 1997, resulting in eight previous awards and millions of dollars in equipment for our schools.

“Over the years, USDA funding has built a virtual school in our region," stated Lynda Quick. Over forty virtual classes connect via video conference every single day, allowing schools to share the instructional expertise of their outstanding faculty members. Additionally, hundreds of students to take other online courses because of this funding. These virtual courses are critical in expanding offerings in small rural schools that, over time, have been stripped of the ability to offer many (or any) AP, college credit, or elective courses to their students.
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Lynda Quick also shared, "This award helps put a dent in leveling the playing field. It helps our students build a transcript that can be competitive in the post-secondary arena." Grant implementation will begin immediately.

In addition to the virtual field trips we offer, FieldTrip Zoom allows students the opportunities to visit faraway places and interact with experts in a particular field, museum, aquarium, etc.  FieldTrip Zoom offers both interactive and recorded opportunities for teachers to bring the world into their classroom.  This is in addition to the virtual field trips that we have traditionally offered.  Contact Karen Insley or Carrie Oliver to get more insight into this great offering.

To Access Fieldtrip Zoom:
Teachers create an account (using their school email) at fieldtripzoom.com, book a program that fits your schedule from the Zoom Zone calendar, and then you and your class can sit back and enjoy the trip! There is no need to fill out a request form for the Zoom Zone trips since you book them on the FieldTrip Zoom Zone calendar.

You can also connect anywhere with Zoom.  Each district in the Distance Learning COSER is given a Zoom Pro Account for use with administrators, faculty, and students.  Zoom allows multi-user video conferencing, small group conferencing, content sharing, and so much more!  Zoom is very user friendly and versatile.  How will you use it with your students?

Contact Karen Insley for training or suggestions for Zoom use within your district.

By:  Karen Insley, CA BOCES Learning Resources

The American Association of School Librarians recently released its updated National School Library Standards.  Concepts imbedded in the new standards include shared foundations, key commitments, domains, competencies, and alignments which strongly supports new standards in school curricula. Recently, district librarians came together to review the standards and participated in collaborative activities and developed activities for student engagement.

Collaboration occurs through different venues and a Zoom meeting was used to connect more than 50 librarians from CA BOCES and Eastern Suffolk BOCES.  Shared ideas for student engagement using library books included: Snowflake Bentley and making snowflakes, reinforcing the concept of symmetry, and a STEM challenge involving falling snowflakes; and Bill Nye’s Germ book, growing germs, identifying bacteria, and a STEM challenge involving germ fighting products. 

The Extraordinaire Design Pro kit was introduced for Maker Space ideas with some participants enthusiastically embracing the design challenge.  Also demonstrated was the use of Zome Tools for grades K-12 with ideas for ELA activities and STEM challenges. 
With Zoom’s increasing availability, participants were encouraged to consider its use in connecting students to learning beyond walls, buildings, and geographic locations.

​By:  Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Digital Learning Day, hosted by Betsy Hardy, Distance Learning Coordinator for Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES (CA BOCES), was held mid-March this year at the Main Center in Olean. There was a record turnout from neighboring districts, with more than 55 educators from across the region including attendees from six regional BOCES, traveling to learn about implementing online learning in their districts or how to enhance current programs.

The day was split into rotating sessions with vendors that CA BOCES currently has partnerships with or with vendors that may be of future interest to any district hoping to broaden depth of transcripts, assist struggling students with unit, quarterly or full credit recovery, or generally provide multiple pathway of learning for their students. The day’s focus was on credit accrual or electives through Edgenuity, world languages, CTE courses, and electives through EdOptions Academy, unit and credit recovery through APEX Learning, homebound tutoring with iTutor, middle school content through Spider Learning, and K-12 collaborative and customizable digital content aligned to standards through Buzz at OHM BOCES.

Overall, the day was a huge success. At the beginning of the day, two rotating sessions with 25 minute overviews of the various kinds of curriculum and implementation methods were held. Lunch and breaks provided time to meet up individually with vendors to ask more district specific questions. The day was rounded out with presentations from Andover, Franklinville, and Allegany-Limestone sharing successful implementation stories of language programs, electives, and credit recovery programs respectively. 

Fortified with information from the day, many districts are developing a plan for digital learning and reaching out to CA BOCES as they bring new curriculum to students across the region. For more information on online learning, please contact Learning Resources at 716-376-8281.

By: Christina McGee, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Cattaraugus and Allegany County classrooms have reached an all-time high traveling virtually across the globe.  Since the start of school 2,592 students have experienced opportunities to gain real world knowledge of various cultures from around the world.  Historically, December Virtual Field Trips average 20 connections, but this year, Santa came to our region and brought our total to 103 trips in 3 weeks!

​CA BOCES sends monthly trip highlights out to your Curriculum Coordinators, Tech Integrators, and Principals, so keep an eye out for these exciting opportunities. Some of these opportunities included National Distance Learning Week that was held November 7-11 in conjunction with the NYS Distance Learning Consortium. National DL Week allowed districts across the region to experience fee-based trips for free so that districts who had never seen a virtual field trip before could take part in this event. We expanded on these meaningful experiences at the NYS Middle School Association by showing districts how easy it was to connect to Ghana, Africa. 

What better way to develop communication skills with students helping them to express their ideas culturally and academically through media sources.  Students have opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions on curriculum topics, contrast cultural differences, and build language and logic to address details in directions. Below are some examples of content based trips:

• Global Connections:  Africa, Alaska, England, Jerusalem
• Themed Classroom Collaborations:  Monster Match, Brown Bear, Turkey Disguises, The Mitten Project
• Zoos, Museums, Aquariums:  Buffalo Zoo, Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum, Aquarium of the Pacific, Cleveland Museum of Natural Science/History
• Curriculum-based Connections:  Discovery Center of Springfield, Center for Puppetry Arts, LearnCo, Football Hall of Fame,
• Authors and Experts in the Field:  Author Brad Tassell, Cleveland Clinic, Career Connections for Nursing, Pilots, Culinary Arts, and more

Let CABOCES help you and your students take your next field trip virtually.  All you need to do is click on the link below to see what’s on the calendar for upcoming trips: 
http://www.caboces.org/iss/distance-learning/virtual-field-trips
Or to search for your own classroom topic, you can do a keyword search and see the hundreds of trips available by clicking on this link:
https://projects.twice.cc/vcpd/searchprogram.php
 
Or, to let us search for a trip for you!  All you have to do is click on this link, and we will take of the rest.  You will just need to fill out the request form and we will arrange to take your students around the world, into space, or even back in time! 
 
http://www.caboces.org/iss/distance-learning/virtual-field-tripcollaboration-request-form
           
If you would like to learn more about virtual learning experiences, please contact Carrie Oliver at 716-376-8270 or Betsy Hardy at 716-376-8281 for more information.  The opportunities are endless.  

By:  Betsy Hardy, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Are you looking for resources and don’t know where to turn? Maybe you have some idea of what you are looking for and don’t have the time to cull through the myriad options available. At the CABOCES Learning Resources center in Allegany, we will have a training in January for the teachers in our two county area, highlighting all that our Staff Specialists here can do for you and your students.
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Learning Resources has recently had an increase in the amount of resources being used by our component schools, but there are still so many things being underutilized. So as part of this training, the Staff Specialists went through each branch of Learning Resources and how they can assist with curriculum and content, utilization of online and digital support, as well as providing tangible resources to use in the physical classroom. The teachers who have gone through the training before have been amazed at the hundreds of thousands of resources available and how each department can either assist with or provide instruction on the various aspects of digital resources and technology, STEM, Library services, and distance learning. 

​Both STEM and the Digital Media program provide kits that can be used in the classroom to aid instruction and provide hands-on activities. Online resources accompany those kits, as well as accessing the SNAP system to find additional support. The Distance Learning branch has many components, including Moodle and Mahara, credit recovery, virtual field trips, collaborative classrooms, online learning, and Adobe Connect. Additionally, our Library Resources offers support to all 22 school libraries in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, implementation of the inter-library loan system, and provides online usage of Britannica and World Book.
 
If you are not utilizing any of these resources, only using some of them, or need to know more, come join us on January 12 at our Learning Resources center in Allegany, NY.
 
By: Alexandra L. Freer, CA BOCES

Betsy Hardy, Distance Learning Coordinator for CA BOCES, was invited to present on a panel at a national conference last week alongside renowned author, Michael B. Horn.  Michael B. Horn is the Co-Founder of Clayton Christensen Institute and author of Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. Betsy was asked to attend 2016 iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium as an expert on implementing blended learning programs. During the panel, Betsy was asked a number of questions on strategies for introducing online and credit recovery programs, utilizing online portfolios in the classroom, and cited many real life examples of ways that districts have been successful in the Cattaraugus-Allegany region, as well as how program implementation has to be based on district individuality and specific needs. Some of the recommendations she gave included having a team set up the program, having a specific teacher or aide with students at all times while students work on their classes, and setting up multiple in-depth professional development opportunities for teachers.

One of the many remarkable insights that Betsy brought to the panel discussion, was her unique understanding of how rural districts utilize online and distance learning programs to help broaden the scope of student transcripts and give students unique opportunities to experience courses that otherwise would not be offered, as well as how online programs broaden student skillsets and exposure to a plethora of ideas and prospects.  Betsy also noted the important role that credit recovery has played in the region, sometimes increasing graduation rates by as much as 10% in well-established programs with a dedicated aide for students working on their classes.

Betsy, alongside a renowned author, shared the noteworthy achievements and best practices that districts in Cattaraugus and Allegany counties have made as they move toward a blended environment, helping students obtain important 21st century skills. School districts should be proud that their implementation of blended practices has garnered national attention.
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If you have any questions, or would like to learn more about blended learning opportunities and professional development, please reach out to Betsy Hardy, Justine Lombardi, or Christina McGee at (716) 376-8281.
 
By: Christina McGee, CA BOCES

While building contractors remodeled Fillmore School this summer, Fillmore teachers renovated their traditional classrooms to incorporate blended learning.  Fillmore will be implementing 1:1 devices for their K-12 students, and the teachers are readily adapting their classes to incorporate technology into daily instruction.
 
The CA BOCES Learning Resources and Model Schools teams worked with Fillmore teachers at Tech Camp for three full-day workshops.  Teachers were introduced to Nearpod’s mobile interactive presentation software, Socrative’s quick assessment tool, Moodle’s Learning Management System, iPad Apps for Elementary and High School, CA BOCES Library and Media resources, and much more.
 
Opening discussion each day with the Fillmore teachers included:
 

• One-to-one tips and tricks for building culture and class management with and without devices with Model Schools team members Lauren Stuff and Mark Carls.

 

• The what and why of blended learning and how it’s changing the traditional face of teaching with Learning Resources team members Betsy Hardy and Alex Freer.

 

• Digital citizenship, information literacy, and accessing good information in a 1:1 school with Model Schools and Learning Resources team members Cece Fuoco and Rick Weinberg.

 
Wendy Clark, who built a Moodle course she named Phenomenal Fourth Grade Readers shared, “I can't wait to use all of the fantastic apps that we learned about in my guided reading lessons! When we get our iPads; I’ll be all ready to go thanks to our summer tech training days!”
 
Cristin Glasner, MS Science Teacher added, “I had an amazing experience this summer. I brought back a huge amount of new knowledge on new technology to use in my science class. I was especially excited to incorporate Nearpod, Moodle, WEO and Edge factor into my classroom. I am so excited about using this technology to engage my students in their STEM lessons, add in Brain breaks, and trying some flipped lessons.  This technology helps me make my content more relevant to my students and draws them into the lesson. They have so much fun, ask great questions, and have a better retention of the content.”
 
Every teacher at Fillmore has developed a Moodle course filled with interactive items for students, including:  Math modules to reinforce math concepts, STEM videos, Music exploration videos, Spanish glossaries, Art concepts, Reading surveys, English journals and forums, Quizlet flashcards, Geography maps, News feeds from historical, language, STEM and Arts sites, and much more!
 
Fillmore’s journey to a 1:1 classroom environment has proven to highlight some great new strategies and tools that teachers are embedding into their day.  Placing technology into the hands of every student allows students access to continue learning beyond the typical school day.  Shaping the future of blended learning and global citizenship within the newly remodeled walls of Fillmore Central School is on an exciting path to great success.

By:  Betsy Hardy, Distance Learning Coordinator, CA BOCES Learning Resources
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​Did you get the chance to watch the sitcoms where Phil and Sheldon were able to be in two places at once? Did you know that students in the Cattaraugus Allegany County region can also be in two places at once and stay part of classroom instruction from home or the hospital?

As part of the CA BOCES Distance Learning Coser, two VGo robotic devices are available to reserve for situations where students can't be in school. The VGo robotic telepresence solution is currently helping two siblings from Cattaraugus Little Valley Central School stay connected to their teachers, classmates, and instruction. Emmalee and Patrick are two fun-loving middle school students who many times throughout the school year can't physically attend school due to illness. Instead, Emmalee and Patrick can drive the VGo to every class and receive the same instruction as their peers, and they can even socialize with friends going down the hall.

The VGos were purchased as part of a recent USDA RUS grant that CA BOCES Distance Learning coordinates to help students stay connected to their studies. In the past, schools had to deliver course material to the student's home, now the student comes to school and engages in the course material first hand. All the student needs at home or in the hospital is a laptop or iPad with Internet access.
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What are the benefits for the students and the parents? There are many, but let's learn from Emmalee and Patrick's mother how the VGo has helped her children stay connected:

1.  What has been the best part of having access to the VGo? Access to the Vgo allowed my children to receive important class information including discussions, math examples and most importantly a connection to ask the teacher a question and receive a response immediately. We didn't have to go through a tutor or emails to ask questions.
2. How has having access to the VGo impacted Patrick and Emmalee's ability to keep up with school? It has been very beneficial! Spending time in class helps them to complete the work with better understanding. There are definitely things that they still fall behind on because they aren't feeling up to par, have treatments, etc. that run into class time. Sometimes it is overwhelming the amount of work expected of a "sick" child whose needs aren't entirely focused on school. If the student is healthy enough, or has the time/ability to be in school via VGo, it is definitely an asset for the student!!
3. How has having access to the VGo impacted Patrick and Emmalee's moods/attitudes while they are out? (Is the social connection helpful?)  The social aspect is immeasurable! It definitely raised their spirits! They both enjoyed being able to "see" their friends and talk to them! I think the social impact VGo made is more important than the educational impact.
4. How have their teachers responded to the VGo? Other students? The other students have responded positively to having VGo in the classroom. They are happy to see Patrick and Emmalee and get a chance to interact with VGo...it's like a new toy! Once the "newness" wears off, it is less distracting to the students. As a math teacher, I loved it because math is one of those subjects that if you miss a day of instruction, you really get behind! That was the class that Emmalee really wanted to be sure and attend via VGo!
5. Have you had any pushback at all from teachers? Some find it is distracting at first, but when the newness wears off, it is okay. Some are even positive about it and with it.

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​How do teachers benefit from the VGo? Mr. Kaleta, Middle School teacher at Cattaraugus Little Valley, shared the following:

1. What has been the best part of having access to the VGo?  Interacting with the student who would otherwise be missing school. Sending work/papers is one thing but being able to see how they react to instruction is another.
2. How has having access to the VGo impacted Patrick and Emmalee's moods/attitudes while they are out? (Is the social connection helpful?)  The other students enjoy see and talking to them through the VGo and they seem to enjoy it.
3. How have their teachers responded to the VGo? Other students?  Some like it more-than others and some lessons work better than others when using the VGo.
4. How difficult/hard is it to get the VGo around the school and in place between classes? No issues. It's very easy!

As the Staff Specialist for Distance Learning, I had the opportunity to visit Cattaraugus Little Valley to see how the teachers and students were adapting to the VGo. I walked into Mr. Conner's History class where the VGo was in action, and there was Emmalee's face, all smiles sitting straight up in her hospital bed learning about Puritans in the Massachusetts Bay. There could be nothing greater than witnessing a smiling student benefit from Distance Learning technology! The VGo provides the ability for students to participate in class, collaborate with peers, and socialize as a typical middle school student would.
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If you have a student who could benefit from the VGo, please contact CA BOCES Distance Learning at 716-376-8270, and we will deliver the VGo to your school for easy access!

​By: Betsy Hardy, CA BOCES 

​Online learning has had a twenty-one percent increase in enrollment numbers since 2014 alone.  The distance learning team at CA BOCES has been busy traveling to many districts helping students with their online classes.  The most popular courses this year are Computer Science, Psychology, Sociology, Veterinary Science, Criminology, Game Design, German, Creative Writing, Engineering Design, Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Law and Order, and Personal Finance. Although these are the most popular, students are also learning about astronomy, sports marketing, digital art, 3D Modeling and animation, world religions, mythology and folklore, social problems facing the world, and many other diverse and remarkable things.

Every year the online enrollment numbers seem to increase due to students’ curiosity shifting and job markets broadening the skills required for employment. Students say that online courses give them a chance to try out many things that aren’t offered in their districts. As juniors try to determine where their enthusiasm lies for future college degrees, they use online courses to test out content areas and to deepen their skills in areas they are already passionate about.

​By:  Christina McGee, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Students at Forestville are taking an online Creative Writing class in Moodle through CA BOCES and are honing their skills as readers and writers with the use of Mahara’s journal feature. Students share their journals with one another and comment on the work their fellow writers are doing.

​1.  Each student has an individual journal that they are asked to write in five times per week. Those journals are then shared with each other.

2.  The students’ teacher can then access all of their work from one page. This allows for comments from both the teacher and other students.

3.  Mahara journals enhance student engagement and collaboration, bringing their work to the forefront of the class.  Students have a place to play with language, syntax, genres, and various writing techniques without feeling pressured to be perfect since the assignments aren’t graded individually. Yet, students still strive to do their best since they know that their work is shared with their peers. This becomes an excellent formative assessment where teachers can constantly review the strengths and weaknesses of students and adjust the focus of lessons accordingly.

4.  In this example of a creative writing journal, students are asked to find a literary device in a work of literature they are reading each week and write about it, so students are regularly exploring the way that writers use metaphor, imagery, symbolism, and other techniques and applying in their own work.

5.  Mahara journals are an excellent summative tool, allowing teachers and students to see an arc of student development over the entirety of the course. At the end of the course, both teachers and students can see how students have grown as writers and have a digital portfolio to showcase their work.

​Enjoy this translitic poem by Kessiah:

​By:  Christina McGee, CA BOCES Learning Resources

With more and more schools going paperless, student work has become more accessible for teachers, parents, and administrators.  As a one-to-one iPad district, Cuba Rushford Central School has turned to digital portfolios, or e-portfolios, for their students to share and present their accomplishments. Carrie Bold, Principal at CRCS, tapped Linda Botens to guide all the 9th grade Transition classes through the personal portfolio creation process. 
 
An e-portfolio is an ideal tool to create collections of documents, images, blogs, resumes, videos, and hyperlinks to share with classmates, teachers, family, and friends, and to present to potential employers. Making e-portfolios a requirement for all high school students enables every student a chance to take their work with them and create a visual artifact to show progress and development in all facets of their high school experience. These portfolios have become an online space for students or teachers to reflect on their life, learning and goals, and have become "the new generation of the three ring binder" JISC My World Project Final Report, Roberts, 2006.
 
Upon completion of the first year developing e-portfolios using Mahara, an e-portfolio platform supported by CA BOCES Distance Learning, Linda Botens shared, “It was great seeing all students, regardless of their academic grades in some courses, to be successful in creating e-portfolios in Mahara. This was one place that all students could achieve success, as they got to see their works in a type of on-line program.  They were excited about posting photos onto the gallery, especially the students who used their own photo works from an art class.” 
 
Mrs. Botens added, “Many students were excited about the fact that parents, including grandparents, could see their works, if they chose to do the sharing.  Many of the students liked sharing their works with other students and teachers.  The ultimate success was placing the Romeo and Juliet videos on Mahara.  These could be shared with family members, friends etc., and it is something, that upon graduation, they can view again and bring back the memories.  Overall, this past year proved to be exciting, as we were the first class at CRCS to create digital portfolios, and the students took pride in this.” 
 
Mrs. Botens is eager to meet her new class of 9th graders and to begin the Mahara experience with them.  The past CRCS 9th grade students will continue to add to their e-portfolios in their 10th grade year, and will develop a valuable collection of school memories throughout their years at CRCS. 

By: Betsy Hardy, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Distance Learning, Blended Learning, Online Learning...just some of the names we use in the region to describe virtual learning.  The Distance Learning team is always busy working with students and teachers.  Check out this infographic: https://infograph.venngage.com/p/19994/what-is-up-in-distance-learning_

This spring, two classrooms at Cattaraugus-Little Valley have been communicating with two schools in London.  Learning Resources at CA BOCES helped facilitate the connections between the two schools.  The students were all very excited and eager to interact with each other.

Mrs. Christopher’s 3rd grade class connected with Mrs. Begum’s 4th grade class at Red Bridge Primary School on Tuesday, June 2nd and talked about a variety of topics.  Mrs. Christopher’s students walked through slides in a PowerPoint that showcased different classrooms, teachers and activities that they have here at Cattaraugus-Little Valley.  The students from London asked a variety of questions about the number of students, the school mascot and what students here did during the day.  Mrs. Begum’s class in London taught the students at Cattaraugus Little Valley about landmarks in London, what their neighborhood around the school looked like, and shared information about their school.  At Red Bridge Primary School there are 21 classes and a nursery. Each year the grade levels have three classes with about 30 students in each class. 

Later in June Mrs. Urbanski’s 2nd grade class will also make a Polycom connection with another school in London.  The teachers in London reached out and stated that they would like to continue connecting next fall.


By: Mark Carls and Kristen Meiers, CA BOCES

Over the past six months, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a mentor for Patrick Coyle as he wrote his way through an online English credit recovery course.  Patrick is an intelligent young man who loves fishing, hunting and working on engines.  We studied together once or twice a week to help hone his English skills as he worked on his class. Patrick had a study hall set aside for his course, but was also willing to meet me after school to work on specific areas he was struggling to understand. 

Jamie is Patrick’s mother and she is rightfully proud of her son and his accomplishments.  I got to know them both over the time that I spent at Andover and enjoyed that time immensely.  I sat down with Jamie and Patrick at our last tutoring session to find out how they felt about Patrick’s online experience.  I wanted to know how Patrick felt as a student taking an online course and how Jamie felt as a parent of a student taking the course. Patrick said, “It was pretty straight forward, not very difficult.  It was a lot easier for me to work on my own than it was to sit in a classroom.  I’m easily distracted.”  He laughed a little then.

“Thinking back, how did you feel about the program going into it?” I asked.

“I wasn’t really sure.  I was kind of nervous because I hadn’t really done an online class before.  I don’t know. I knew I was going to need help because I usually tend to get off track. I just wasn’t sure about it at first.”

Jamie said almost the same thing when I asked her how she felt as a parent, “I wasn’t sure, going into it. I didn’t know what all it involved.” But as the course progressed and she saw how it worked, she began to really like it.  She said, “Well, what I really liked was him being able to do the work here in the computer lab. It was such a help. The biggest benefit for me was being able to do the online part here.”

Patrick said it was beneficial to him for a different reason.  He said, “It gave me an opportunity to work on it by myself. Whenever I could work on it, I could go and work on it. It was a lot easier for me to sit at a computer to do it than to sit in a classroom and do it.” He would also recommend it to other students who have a similar learning style – students who are self-motivated, able to push themselves, prefer working at their own pace and are willing to ask for help, if needed.

I then asked them both how they felt about feedback they received from their online teachers and coordinators.  Patrick said, “My feedback from my teacher, she always gave me feedback. It would take a day or two, but she always gave me good feedback on what I wrote about.  And you always gave me good feedback when we were working and it was always a great help to have you here and help me through this.”

Jamie said, “Yes, I mean with the emails saying this is how he did, he needs to work on this, he needs to add more to this, and you know, with somebody correcting it and then saying, you did well, but it could be better if you do these things, and then he could take that and then add more and take their constructive criticism and build on that to make it a better paper.”

Finally, I asked them whether they would recommend online classes to other students, teachers, and administration and I received a big and wonderful yes.  In Jamie’s words, “I would. Actually, administration, the superintendent who is no longer here – he retired last year, he actually suggested it to us because Patrick got hired by BOCES last year to work during the summer and he was so excited about that,  so he couldn’t go to summer school and work at BOCES, so the superintendant actually told us about this program.  I had no idea.  Yes, I would recommend it, especially for someone who has plans for the summer, whether it be a job or traveling or whatever.  It worked out great.” 

Then Jamie went on to say that the program was very beneficial for Patrick, “I’ve told you that with Patrick getting constructive criticism from you, it meant so much more to him than coming from mom.   In the way that you presented it to him, saying, you did good with this, but we need to work on this and here are some suggestions, now you go do it and you take the suggestions and do what you think you need to do.  I could see, and my mother-in-law mentioned that she could see, such a difference in Patrick with his self esteem, saying, you know, I can do this.  He just has a whole different attitude.”

And that is what online learning opportunities are about – helping students feel successful and achieve their goals.

By:  Christina McGee, CA BOCES

Christy Crandall-Bean is the guidance counselor at Bolivar-Richburg and has expressed many times that she believes online learning provides opportunities and flexibility that students may not otherwise have in a typical classroom.  She sat down and talked to me about the online program that has been going on for about 3 years. “We tend to use the online classes for credit recovery and to expand on electives and very particular courses that we don’t offer here if students have special interests and things like that.” 

This year there are four students at Bolivar-Richburg taking classes through Cattaraugus-Allegany BOCES and online providers, including FuelEd and Edgenuity.  All four students have very different reasons for taking online classes.  Meghan wanted to try out environmental science before committing to it as a major in college.  After taking the course for a number of weeks, Meghan decided to make her course a half credit and go in a different direction for her educational plan, but the online class gave her the opportunity to try out her options.  She was able to assess what she might encounter and make an informed decision about her future career plan. 

Another student needed a credit recovery option and is taking her course online, getting the credit she needs by working on it during what would normally be a study hall.  Dedicated teachers, both online and at her school, offer assistance with difficult material.  Material that the student already understands is reviewed and if she passes a quiz, she doesn’t have to spend more time on material she already knows.

Two students are taking Creative Writing, a course that has been offered in the past at Bolivar-Richburg, but didn’t have enough student interest this year to offer it.  The online option gave those students an opportunity to take the course anyway.  Bella is taking Creative Writing because she wants to be a teacher. When I asked her to tell me about her course, she said, “it definitely helped me progress through my writing because it helps me self edit and make it more complete before I send it to other people.”  Bella’s favorite thing about her course was peer review and interacting with other students. “They just helped by encouraging you of what you can do better and things you can change to help your writing.  You get to comment on their stuff and you can kind of talk back and forth about writing that everyone gets to see.

Tim is taking Creative Writing because he enjoys writing on his own time.  Through the course, he found ways to publish his work through Teen Ink, an online student journal.  Tim has published numerous poems and short stories on Teen Ink and was proud to tell me that “Brown Colored Pit Bull” was voted 4th for a week in best realistic fiction by his peers.

I asked Christy Crandall-Bean if she had any concerns about online courses and she told me, “I guess my main concern is just when teachers are leery of it and fearful that it will impact day-to-day teaching.  That’s not our intention; it’s really to open up more possibilities.”  Christy went on to talk about her wishes for the online program.  “In my dream world, I would love for each one of my students to have to take an online class before they graduate. Because then they get used to that netiquette and communicating with their teachers online appropriately and I think that just a huge piece as well, not just the content, but maneuvering all the software and everything.”  Most importantly, the students like the courses they’re taking.  When I asked Bella if she would take another online course, she said without hesitation, “Definitely.”

By: Christina McGee, CA BOCES