For me, blended learning has always been a necessity because it adds another element of creativity, provides otherwise unreachable resources, and promotes collaboration in education. It also allows for multiple kinds of learning environments to help differentiate instruction. Moving from brick-and-mortar classrooms and blended learning to solely online education was not where I thought I was heading when I set out to be a teacher years ago, but it has changed my perception of what learning looks like and also made me a more flexible and mindful curriculum designer. When I started, there were some undeniably frustrating days. How do I reach students? How do I keep them engaged? How do I know they are learning? As I progressed, I reminded myself, these are the questions every teacher must face every year no matter how the curriculum is presented. There are simply different ways of observing what is successful and who needs support. It is up to us as educators to develop a course design that encourages and provides resources to foster the best possible learning experience for every student no matter what way the curriculum is presented.

And then COVID-19 happened. Even though I am an online educator with my curriculum housed in Moodle, I still was not ready for this challenge. Although not a typical to an online teaching experience, I was used to meeting with my students whenever possible to check in, to see facial expressions, and make personal connections. That loss was palpable.

These changes have made it apparent how valuable it is for educators to be able to go seamlessly from an in-person to online to offline experience. Of course, few if any are there yet, but I think this needs to be part of our new-found educational literacy in the teaching world. The set-up is difficult, but the results are undeniably valuable now and even when we are back in classrooms.

Setting up our classrooms to be both online and in person, having that flexibility, is important for students who are at home because they are on medical leave, for parents wanting to check in, for collaboration with colleagues, students, and parents, and for having a supply of back-up resources ready for every situation. It’s valuable for substitute teachers. It’s valuable for teachers in the moment who need to differentiate instruction. Here are some scenarios. Did Johnny fail a test on algebra? I have a tutorial for that.  Did Anika struggle with synonyms? I have an interactive video for that. Today, I need to have individual meetings with my students, but I want anyone not meeting with me to work on another assignment. There’s a simple solution because there are projects, readings, and activities ready to go in their online course. As it happens, this online course also hosts audio files, transcripts, and has printable and downloadable materials so that students without internet can take materials home on their school provided device or to their personal computer. Do I need my student to catch up on a lesson, unit, or semester they need to retake? Well, I have a credit recovery options available. Are a few students way ahead? That’s great because I can open a section in my online course that has extra resources, so the student remains engaged.  I can do all of this because I already have my collection of tools, resources, curriculum, and my course designed in an online space where students and parents can go to seek guidance, examples, and choose the next step in their educational experience.
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Many educators have gradually started this process well before now and have some online space set aside with supplementary materials, lesson plan outlines, and activities. but most of us were not ready to teach everything this way. And for classes like welding and physical education, there may not be experiences that compare with hands-on education until we get advanced virtual reality capabilities, but there are still detailed and complementary online curriculums that can reinforce previous or prepare for future educational experiences. The good thing is that we have a lot of tools to make online education a wonderful addition to our classrooms, even if we don’t yet have the infrastructure.   

I work in distance learning at CA BOCES, so I know that through Learning Resources, it’s possible to find content for all types of classes – core, electives, AP, honors, CTE, and credit recovery. This is an invaluable tool chest because educators are juggling so much right now. We don’t have time to transfer all of our content into an online compatible form, try to reach all of our students at home, learn new technologies on the fly, continue to teach regular classes, prepare new material, and learn how to set up a course immediately all while keeping up with our own families. We have all tried and as successful as possible, but if you’re like me there is always more that’s possible and always a way to improve. If your district belongs to the DL COSER, CA BOCES might be able to help provide pre-made curriculum and as educators, we can supplement with our own material until we have time to create our own online classes.

I’ve found that the curriculum is excellent. It was created by education experts and is updated regularly to make sure that it’s current. Further, it includes resources that would take teachers months to gather. When I’ve used it, I’ve kept what I like, and added my own materials based on my expertise. Maybe as a teacher, I know that I have a better assessment or direct instruction, or my co-teacher has personal experiences that are invaluable to the learning experience, so I add those into my course. Maybe it’s clear that you know exactly how to engage your students, so you replace or add to the provider’s content with your own short videos. There are so many options and what I’ve learned using online content is that I don’t have to do everything. I can rely on my strengths, my knowledge of students and their lives, and my ability to tailor the best educational experience for students and I don’t have sacrifice parts when something unexpected happens. And to add to that, I can reach out to specialists at CA BOCES and get wonderful professional development on how to work in Moodle or another online platform, to help me make changes to my courses, to implement new digital resources, and to be ready in this interconnected and blended world. That is truly a blessing during this time of change and unpredictability.  

​By: Christina McGee, CA BOCES Learning Resources

It seems so much of our world has gone online and so many of us are using Zoom more than ever before.  With that in mind, I thought it would be helpful to share some of Zoom’s security features so that any of your hosted meetings are as secure as you’d like them to be. 

• Let’s start with YOUR account:  I recommend obtaining your Zoom account through CA BOCES because we provide licenses included within our DL COSER…so you might as well get your money’s worth.  Anyone can go to Zoom directly and sign up for a “free” account, but those accounts come with limitations and we can’t support them locally.  If you obtain your account through CA BOCES, we CAN support you locally AND we know they’re always encrypted (there should be a little green lock icon in the upper left corner of your meeting rooms – this means your meeting is encrypted).  There is a wonderful Tech and DL team that is VERY responsive too!  Contact anyone on the team at anytime!  You can tell if your account is running through BOCES in a couple different way.  Ways to tell if your account is through BOCES:
  • Email Carrie Oliver (carrie_oliver@caboces.org).  She can see all accounts and she will let you know.
  • OR - When YOU schedule meetings, the link will always look something like this: “https://E2CCB-GST.zoom.us/xxxxxxxx”.  If it doesn’t have “E2CCB-GST” in the link…your account is directly through Zoom and is NOT a local account.  Email Carrie Oliver and she can set you with a local account. 
• Explore your Zoom security settings in YOUR account:  You can explore various Zoom security settings that are possible with Zoom accounts so your hosted meetings are as “open” or as “locked down” as you’d like them to be.  To explore how your account is set up and to make changes to your account, follow these quick steps:
  • From a computer, on an internet browser go to https://zoom.us (you can check some of these settings on a mobile device but things will look different).
  • Click on “SIGN IN” located in the upper right corner of the screen.
  • Sign in with your Zoom account credentials.
  • You will see several menu options down the left side of the screen.  To review security settings, click on “Settings”.
  • Once on the “Settings” screen you will see a list of features you can enable or disable to personally design features for meetings YOU initiate or host.   
  • Settings you may want to consider: 
    • Host Video and Participant Video Settings – Enabling either of these features will automatically show video upon meeting entry, rather than manually starting video. 
    • Join Before Host – Disabling this feature will not allow participants to gather in a meeting room until you arrive and begin the meeting. 
    • Various Password Settings – Consider using required passwords so only those with required passwords can access your meetings.  Remember, open meetings use links and anyone can access your meeting if they have or obtain the link.  
    • Mute Participants Upon Entry – Enabling this feature will automatically mute incoming participants to your meetings and you can control any participant’s ability to speak. 
    • Private Chat – You may want to disable private chat.  Doing this may allow participants to focus on the reason for your meeting rather than back-channel chats that you have no ability to see.  There is NO way for the host to access private chat messages. 
    • Allow Host to Put Attendee On Hold – This feature is always on and allows you, as the host, to remove any participant from your meeting. 
    • Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin – Enabling this feature will allow previously removed participants to rejoin your meeting.  You may want to disenable this feature so removed participants CANNOT rejoin your meeting if they’ve been removed.
    • Waiting Room – Enabling this feature will create a virtual waiting room for your meetings where you, as the host, must individually admit participants into your meeting. 

 
There are many settings worth exploring.  And, there is a great team of people that can help you navigate these features.  Feel free to reach out to anyone on our team for assistance:

• Amy, Windus, Program Manager   amy_windus@caboces.org
• Karen Insley, Coordinator  karen_insley@caboces.org
• Carrie Oliver, Technical and Support Specialist  carrie_oliver@caboces.org           
• Nate Malick, Technician  nathan_malick@caboces.org
• Mike Meyers, Technician  michael_meyers@caboces.org

​By Tim Cox, CA BOCES ISS

​Did you know that as a part of the Distance Learning CoSer, you have access to 200+ K-12 virtual field trips already scheduled and most are recorded? These virtual field trips are from top fee-based providers scheduled out in advance for you to register for using your school email address. How amazing is that? All you need is a computer with internet access, smartboard or projector, and speakers. Set up is easy! 

FieldTrip Zoom Zone is the live event calendar where you “tune into” live educational broadcast with many other classrooms and interact in real time via the chatbox feature in zoom. How do you access Fieldtrip Zoom? Just follow the simple steps below:

Step 1: Register Your Account

1.  Go to www.fieldtripzoom.com and register your account. Click Free Sign-Up.
2.  Click Register, and an email will be sent to your email address where you will click on it to “activate” your account. Please use your school email address.
3.  Next go back to www.fieldtripzoom.com and Log In to your account. Once logged in you will be asked to complete your profile. This is a one-time set up of your profile.

Step 2: Find Your Live Event
Once logged in, you can navigate to your FieldTrip Zoom Zone calendar of subject areas. Also, you can search for programs by grade range and subject area by clicking from the search menu. Click on any subject area to expand to the program details.
**Make sure you are in the Zone calendar (not class) when booking events.**
Zone Calendar
Step 3: Book Your Event

1. Click on the BOOK button to schedule a program. An email will be sent to your email address with the information to connect to the program.
2. Save the email or add the program to your Google Calendar.
3. You do not have to cancel the event if you cannot attend it. You can view the recording at a later date.
4. You can access the recorded sessions under Zone Recordings.

​Check out the upcoming events for March on FieldTrip Zoom:
https://www.smore.com/3pzbf-field-trip-zoom-zone-march-events
For questions or assistance with Fieldtrip zoom zone, please contact Carrie Oliver.

To see a preview of what the FieldTrip zoom events look like, check out this recorded session: ​https://player.vimeo.com/video/393456875

By: Carrie Oliver, CA BOCES Learning Resources

Recently we were asked if it was possible to record a CTE Program class for a student that was facing a medical issue that is preventing them from attending the class on a regular basis in the traditional fashion.  Our immediate response was, “Sure!”.  Then we started asking questions and learning more about the classroom set up and the technology the student had access to at home.  Of course, our CA BOCES Distance Learning Tech Support, the CTE Program administration and the course teacher were involved every step of the way.  In addition, the students in the class and the effected student also played integral roles. This was a true team effort! 

I am proud to announce that we succeeded, albeit after several tried attempts!  We have a system in place that is user friendly for the students and teacher, capitalizes on the technology available to our CA BOCES region and the student is able to learn the theory and see the practical skills being taught...however as soon as the student is able to return to the classroom, he/she has to catch up on practicing the practical skills they were able to be exposed too but not able to practice or tested on.   

Basic equipment needed for such a venture include:  a computer, a speaker, a microphone and at least one camera.  We used Zoom software to connect and record the videos and are using Office 365 Sharepoint link to share the recorded sessions.  In addition, the recorded video links, teacher created PowerPoints and other documents are available to students via Moodle. 
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How can we use distance learning to overcome obstacles in student learning? ​

By: Karen Insley, CA BOCES Learning Resources 

We have been busy with two new improvements in Moodle this summer.
 
First, we have upgraded our Moodle site to version 3.6. New features in Moodle include:

• new dashboard options
• more blocks to customize your view
• messaging between and among course teacher and students
• cloud sharing of documents
• options to hide yourself while you are online
• more information on badge progress
• the availability of teachers to record feedback to students in addition to annotating an assignment
• improvements in the drag and drop quiz feature
• and more!

You can see details here:  https://docs.moodle.org/36/en/New_features
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​Second, we have partnered with Intelliboard to provide Moodle instructors with a dashboard that will display course information. Intelliboard offers an abundance of instant data from your course which provides instructors with real time data on student progress, completed assignments, and a big picture view of the course. Reports can be generated that provide detailed and specific information about the course and the participating students.  

​Both of these improvements are value added to our already free Moodle site. 
 
You can learn more about any of these at our Moodle Users workshop on Wednesday, August 28th or contact Karen Insley at karen_insley@caboces.org.
To register for the workshop, have your district representative register you at:  www.register.caboces.org.

By: Karen Insley, CA BOCES Learning Resources

For the 4th year in a row, several teachers from our CABOCES region worked in collaboration during our week long Writing With Video Institute. From middle school to high school, from Art to English and Social Studies, from classroom to online teaching, these dedicated educators took the opportunity to become students. They were led by Dr. David Bruce from the University of Buffalo’s Graduate School of Education and Dr. Sunshine Sullivan, Chair of the Education Department at Houghton College. ​

​Technology is changing the way we teach, and the way students learn. With this in mind, the teachers spent time looking at curriculum and lesson plans, and chose a way, or ways, to insert video as a way to engage their students. Certainly, this isn’t something that has to be used every day or every week, for that matter. But it is a tool that many students can easily latch onto and use to lend voice and images to their demonstration of learning.
 
Don’t let the title of this institute fool you, though. Writing can be demonstrated and used in all types of curricular areas. In these past few years, we’ve had students introduce themselves with “Me in 6 Words”. Students demonstrated knowledge of various types of angles by videoing them as they exist in our world. We’ve had Spanish students video themselves acting out vocabulary. We’ve had students put together video, detailing trips to Gettysburg. The options are limitless. Words are often much more powerful when paired with music and images.
 
If students are struggling with voice or approach learning from a non-traditional angle or have a flair for technology, we owe it to them to provide resources and ideas to move them forward on their journey of discovery. Let’s be teachers of students, not simply teachers of content. 

Join us as we continue to work with this project and offer new ways to impart information. If you have any questions or want to find out more, please reach out!

By:  Alexandra Freer, CA BOCES Learning Resources

In order for a student to be considered college and career ready, a few of the essential overarching skills they need to embody include:  creativity, problem solving, and collaboration.  At Pioneer Middle School, the Pioneer MineCraft club, led by advisor Gio LoBianco, provides students with the opportunity to practice these essential 21st century skills in a game based environment.

The Pioneer Minecraft Club meets once a week in the Library Media Center.  This club is exceptionally popular, and often times, has a wait list of two to three weeks.  Over forty different students have joined the club this year alone.  So, what exactly is Minecraft?  Minecraft is often referred to as a “sandbox game,” meaning that the world students create within the game is based on their own imagination; there are no levels and no directions.   Students break down and mine resources (blocks) that allow them to build personalized structures that look and function in the ways they desire.  The more resources a student gathers, the more elaborate the structure they can build.  Additionally, they can create circuits to build working machines such as automatic doors that open and close when the character approaches it, or creating a catapult.  Ownership and self-efficacy are developed within this student driven, constructivist environment. 

Every week students can play in different ways.  The only hard and fast rule is that students cannot destroy something another student has made.  Students set personalized or collaborative goals and depend on the expertise within their peer group in order to teach one another.  The club also supports the development of social skills, as students work together in an environment that relies on communication, resilience and decision-making.  Another exciting aspect of this gaming environment is that many students who aren’t traditionally successful in the classroom, have found engagement and success in this learning environment, and positioned themselves as leaders with their peers.

There are multiple opportunities for classroom teachers to extend the learning derived from the Minecraft Club and integrate it into the classroom curriculum.  Teachers could create assignments for students to demonstrate understanding of the setting within a novel, develop math challenges, or represent geography skills by utilizing Minecraft as an instructional or assessment tool.  “Minecraft develops creative thinking in the same way that chess develops logic and systems thinking- by promoting intense, focused mental engagement” (Spencer, 2017).  In this digital age, Minecraft provides a platform for students to construct personalized understanding, utilize their creativity, partner with their peers, and foster creativity.  What an outstanding opportunity for Pioneer students!
 
By: Colleen Root, CA BOCES Professional Development

High School ELA students in Jessica Brassard-Moore’s ELA class in Cattaraugus-Little Valley decided that they would use it to solve problems.  After reading Bram Stroker’s “Dracula” the students determined a character as their custome and used the engineering design process to create a solution for that customer.  Most of the students chose Van Helsing as their customer and designed products that would help him defeat Dracula. 
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The students individually brainstormed solutions and then worked on designing.  The used a free 3d modelling website called Tinkercad (https://www.tinkercad.com/) to design their projects.  Some students were given a quick tutorial, but soon became experts in the program sharing their newfound 3d design skills with each other.  When students finished designing their projects, they were able to 3d print an actual product and “pitch” the products to their teacher and classmates. 

The lesson idea originated form the website http://www.novelengineering.org/.  In a Novel Engineering lesson: “Students use existing classroom literature – stories, novels, and expository texts – as the basis for engineering design challenges that help them identify problems, design realistic solutions, and engage in the Engineering Design Process while reinforcing their literacy skills”.  Novel Engineering can be used for many different types of literature and across all grade levels.  This is a great way to integrate STEM/STEAM lessons and the engineering design process into ELA classrooms.  They provide many examples on their website

These students used a 3d printer but any materials for making or designing could be used to develop a solution.

By:  Rob Miller, CA BOCES Professional Development

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 an effort to the meet the ongoing math needs of our district, Learning Resources is currently working with a vendor called CueThink. In a nutshell, here’s what it is.
 
Funded by The National Science Foundation, CueThink is an innovative application and a pedagogy focused on improving critical thinking skills and math collaboration for students in grades 2-8. Their mission is to foster a growth mindset and empower students to see challenges as opportunities.
 
Students apply mathematician George Pólya’s 4 phases of Understand, Plan, Solve and Review to slow them down and explain their thinking.  Students unpack the problem by answering the questions: "What do you notice?", "What do you wonder about?" and "What is your estimate?" We help them "Choose a strategy" and "Write a plan". Once they have created their solution, CueThink provides checklists to help them review their math and their recording.
 
In CueThink, students create "thinklets" or video vignettes of their solutions using the drawing and writing tools we provide. They record their voice as a think-aloud or a presentation. The teacher then uses these digital artifacts to highlight errors and missteps as well as illustrate effective solutions. Individual student solutions become part of the learner's digital portfolio, showcasing growth and change over time.

Students become teachers as they view each other’s solutions. They offer thoughtful, intelligent feedback through annotations and also reflect on and revise their own work. The goal of CueThink is to foster digital citizenry and build a community of social math learners in the classroom. 
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We are demoing CueThink for all districts this year, for all students in grades 2-8. Please contact me if you would like to know more or if you would like me to come out to your district to roll this out. Let’s make math social!
 
Alexandra L. Freer, CABOCES Learning Resources

When students and teachers are browsing Jody Thiel's library in West Valley School, they can expect an interactive experience to learn about her students' favorite books. Visitors can point their phones or tablets at the book Pig Pug by Aaron Blabely and a student video will "pop up" to give viewers a summary of the book. You can virtually explore 20 different books in her library.

West Valley students in third grade created "Augmented Reality" book reviews of books they recently finished reading. The students created props in the Library Makerspace to use on their summaries. To prepare for the video recording, students read their books and wrote a review that included the book's authors, the setting, the storyline and their favorite parts of the book. Some students listed similar books that piqued the interest of others.

Augmented reality is putting a computer-generated layer in a real-world environment. The layer is not seen by the user until they view it through the lens of an augmented reality viewer on a phone or camera. The students used the cover of the books as "targets" and placed a video of their summary on the cover.

The videos were recorded on iPads. We then used an app called Aurasma (https://www.aurasma.com/) to put a new video layer on the books. When a patron or another student in the library has the Aurasma app, they can point their tablets or phones at the books to view the student created videos.

 By:  Rob Miller, CA BOCES Professional Development

Welcoming West Valley students into the school library this year is a new space designated for S.T.E.A.M. activities.  Jody Thiel, SLMS, is offering students the opportunity to explore coding, collaboration, and creativity with $500 raised through Donors Choose. Mrs. Thiel purchased over ten interactive resources to engage student learning and encourage a growth mindset (See photo).
 
A struggling middle school student recently demonstrated growth mindset as he was putting together circuits.  When a bulb failed to light, he blamed it on dead batteries – several times.  Mrs. Thiel did not offer correction on his design but simply told him the batteries were new and encouraged him to try again.  The student figured it out and was so proud of himself!  Taking risks in a safe environment allowed for experiencing success.
 
For younger students, Mrs. Thiel purchased the FisherPrice Code-a-Pillar.  This is a colorful robotic whose pre-coded segments are put together by the student.  Once segments are connected the Code-a-Pillar crawls across the floor to find a predetermined target.  Quick feedback allows for student correction.  Additional segments can be purchased for increased challenges. 

Elementary and middle school students enjoy the Code & Go Robot Mouse and no doubt high school students and adults will too.  Similar to the design of a BeeBot, Robot Mouse can be programmed to find a block of 'cheese' within a maze.  The maze offers a variety of design challenges to engage “steamers” of all ages. and provides small groups with collaborative opportunities to problem solve.
 
Displayed among the LittleBits, Magformers, and Snap Circuits was the Osmo.  This product utilizes an iPad, stand, mirror, and apps to teach coding, letters, words, numbers, and drawings.  I tried the drawing app which uses a mirror to project an image onto a piece of paper that can be traced.  Lettering is also available to make attractive thank you notes or sayings. (See photo).  The tools available to use with the Osmo clearly makes an interactive tool for students K-12. 

By:  Cece Fuoco, CA BOCES Learning Resources

When Microsoft originally announced that they were going to offer the Office 365 suite and its components free of charge to all schools who wanted access, it was seen as a “game-changing move” for education and learning in schools as we know it.
 
With the focus of today’s technology moving to cloud-based computing, storage, app access, and more, it made sense for Microsoft to offer these services to school districts to ensure that their software suites were still relevant and useful for students.  Especially when factored in that competition in the education space has heated up between Google, Microsoft, and Apple, with all three offering enticing services to find their way into contracts with schools across the country.
 
This summer, school districts from Fillmore to Portville, and even administrators themselves, have been taking part in Office 365 Trainings offered by CABOCES.  With a focus on what is Office 365, what features are included in the suite, what can be done with the programs, teachers and administrators have been upping their familiarity and comfortability in using the resources available to them in Office 365.
 
There were some topics that created more buzz than others, such as how to set-up and use ClassNotebook to run a blended or flipped classroom in various subject areas and grade spans.  Seeing teachers experiment with creating classes, adding students and learning how to share documents and classroom resources with the push of a button to student computers is leading the charge this summer toward some classrooms becoming paperless!  Sway, a presentation tool that creates its products as websites that automatically scale to fit different screen sizes was also a teacher favorite for combining elements of PowerPoint and website design into a friendly and easy-to-use format.  Microsoft Forms, which allows for teachers to create surveys or quizzes online and quickly share them with students, access instant results, and provide data points that can be analyzed and diagnosed deeper to assess student progress on their learning of concepts was one that most teachers say they could see themselves using on a constant basis.  With Fillmore and Portville students having 1-1 devices, the possibilities for enriching students’ learning are endless!
 
With everything around us moving toward cloud-based architecture, it only makes sense that our schools learn and adapt at the same time.  Staying current for our students and using the resources in much the same way they do every day will allow us to stay relevant in education and keep the students with the best resources available to them at the touch of a button, mouse, or smartphone screen.  With the move to Office 365, students will have the opportunity to have access to their files, and their programs, no matter where they may be with the devices they are already so capable of using every day.

By:  Ryan McGinnis, CA BOCES Professional Development

College and career readiness are words that ring through the minds of many, wondering how such learning experiences can be generated to cultivate a sense of the opportunities that exist beyond a traditional PK-12 education. For many, college and career readiness is a facet embedded in the NYS Common Core Learning Standards for ELA and Math and the Next Generation Science Standards. For others, exposure to college and career opportunities is much more than what is taught in a traditional setting; it’s about the experiences and the real-world application we can create for learners of all ages.

Laurie Bushnell and Tracey Keller’s second grade students recently visited the Career and Technical Education Center in Olean, NY to highlight some of the future educational opportunities that they may have, be it as a programmer of various robotics resources, as a cosmetologist, or even as a culinary artist. The experience was intended to give students a greater sense of the opportunities that exist in the real-world, as well as an understanding of the strategies and skills that can help one to be successful.

While fiddling with robots can seem like all fun and games, for the teachers and students alike, the experience was much more. The students were able to gain insight into how robots work, solve posed problems, experience challenge, and learn how these emotions lend themselves to the real-world. Some students felt frustration in trying to accomplish a task or goal, but through their perseverance, their commitment, and ultimately their inherent want to be successful, the students learned.

For Ms. Bushnell and Ms. Keller, giving students exposure to experiences outside the walls of East View Elementary in Olean, NY brings new light to the opportunities that await them in the future. Having students feel a little bit pampered by the cosmetology department and engaged by the prospect of making robots work reinforces the need for teachers of all students to provide learning experiences that enhance exposure to college, to career, and to challenge. 

By:  Lauren Stuff, CA BOCES Professional Development

If it not there already, coding will be coming to a school near you really soon! But why is there so much of a push for this?

Coding has many education implications: it is a way for students to design, create, and express themselves while solving problems, creating games, and having fun. Additionally, there are many opportunities in the area of computer science that students can consider when looking at careers. Website design, app creation, business management and many other fields have jobs that require some understanding of computer code.

Learning to code prepares kids for the world we live in today. There are tons of jobs and occupations that use code directly, like web designers, software developers and robotics engineers, and even more where knowing how to code is a huge asset—jobs in manufacturing, nanotechnology or information sciences. However, career prep is just one facet.

The skills that come with computer programming/coding help kids develop new ways of thinking and foster problem-solving techniques that can have big repercussions in other areas. Computational thinking allows students to grasp concepts like order of operations and cause and effect. Much like following a recipe, coding is systematic and students can see that attention to detail and sequential thinking are necessary to create a workable code.
 
And then there’s the simple fact that coding is fun! Most kids play games already, so learning the code behind the games takes engagement to a whole new level.
So get ready! Coding isn’t the future….it is the present!
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By: Alexandra L. Freer, CABOCES Learning Resources

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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The Maker movement is on the rise in today’s schools. The movement, which is poised to transform learning throughan emphasis on creation and creativity, ties in closely with
the STEAM initiatives many are looking to employ in their instructional practices. One such resource that can get a makerspace off the ground is LittleBits, easy-to-use electronic building blocks that snap together to help students in their creation of various inventions. LittleBits
have made their way into Cattaraugus-Allegany schools and are beginning to take hold in makerspaces and classrooms alike.

At a recent training, districts participating in the Eisenhower Consortium were given the opportunity to explore LittleBits and their application in the classroom and school-wide makerspaces. Teachers learning about the technology were given a series of challenges and asked
to use the building blocks to create useful tools that could help provide a solution to the given problems.

Take for instance, the case where the power goes out.  What would one do? Reach for a flashlight of course, but what if there were no flashlight to be found? Could LittleBits help provide a solution? Teachers engaged with the blocks and snapped them together to make a useable flashlight. With toilet paper tubes, some tape, and a series of inter-locking electronic blocks, the problem came to be resolved.

​Some would argue that a makerspace takes away from the content and curriculum that needs to be taught, but with LittleBits, the connection is often seamless. For those teaching about the solar system, and the movement of planets, imagine making a scale of the solar system using the components of LittleBits. Teachers at a recent team training collaborated to build a model of the movement of the moon around the earth, creating a replication of the phases of the moon. In tinkering with the inter-locking blocks and using easily accessible materials, the model took shape. 

Students thrive in environments that rekindle their desire to make meaningful contributions toward relevant issues, ideas, people and interests. LittleBits can open the doorway to inspiring that creativity and innovation we often seek in our students. Whether using LittleBits or other resources, makerspaces are here to stay, and considering how to incorporate such tools into the classroom can push students further, and inspire deep, meaningful learning experiences for all.
 
LittleBits are accessible through our Learning Resources department and can be checked out for use in the classroom today.

​Contact Lauren Stuff for more questions or support at lauren_stuff@caboces.org. 

At the end of the year districts are asked if they'd like to contribute money towards an Eisenhower fund where the money is pooled together for the following school year.  When the new year starts up, these districts meet to discuss possible options to maximize these funds- called Eisenhower Funds.  This year the participating schools decided on sending teachers to learn and receive either Hummingbird, littleBits kits or to learn about Project Based Learning.  The photos above are from the littleBits training held at the Barn Teaching and Learning Center in Olean on Leap Day (February 29th) and were tweeted out using the hashtag #myCABOCES. 
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The reason for the importance of these days was to explore more about the “Maker Movement” where people look to ‘make’ something to help fix a problem, help others or just because they want to make something!  The importance of Hummingbirds and littleBits in that process is because they offer students a chance to easily ‘make’ or build their own ideas.  After exploring different projects like creating a doorknob, a flashlight and a bubble maker, these teachers looked at finding  ways to incorporate littleBits into their classrooms and spaces they have back in their district.  As with the Hummingbird training in January, all of the teachers left with creative ideas for their students.  We at CABOCES Professional Development can’t wait to see and hear all the neat products that the students create.

​By Mark Carls, CA BOCES

​On November 18, 2015 I was one of the first people to witness Kaylyn not having to write her name on a piece of schoolwork using her teeth. This day brought goose bumps to all the educators who were in the room. This piece of software was a game changer for Kaylyn. She was now able to do more work [lg2] independently. If you think about it, that’s really what we want from all of our students. We want them to grow up and be lifelong learners, contributing members to society and independent.

A special thank you goes out to Marcie Richmond, Olean’s Special Education Director, Amy Buckner, Kaylyn’s Support Aide and all of Olean’s Tech Department. 
Kaylyn is a special girl and not because she can’t use her arms and legs. She is special because of her resilience, her stick-to-itiveness, and her ability to persevere. Kaylan is just like every other girl and that’s the way it should be. If she wants to dot her “I’s” with a heart or pass a note to another student in class when she should be paying attention, we as educators should do everything in our power to make that happen.   I’m so glad to have met Kaylyn and extremely thrilled to call her my friend.

By: Rick Weinberg, CABOCES Professional Development

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

After school on Thursday afternoons, Pioneer Middle School LMC is the place to be.  It is here that anywhere from 20-25 students in grades 5-8 gather for Maker Club under the guidance of librarian Maria Muhlbauer and teacher Gio LoBianco.  The idea for a library makerspace is one that had been brewing for a couple years, and in November of this school year, Ms. Muhlbauer and Mr. LoBianco officially began recreating a section of the library into Pioneer’s own makerspace. 

The concept of a makerspace is really quite simple: designate an area where students can gather to create, invent, learn, and teach others about something they are good at doing.  This idea complements the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) initiatives currently underway at Pioneer, and the space allows students to work with computer programming, robotics, crafts, drawing, origami, etc.  According to the Middle School Library blog, accessible at pioneermiddlelibrary.blogspot.com, the space is stocked with a wide variety of materials, including Raspberry Pi programming kids, solar robotic kits, mousebots, spinbots, squishy circuits, Makey Makey kits.  District employees and community members generously donated craft supplies such as duct tape, origami paper, Legos, and more to help get the Maker Club up and running this year.

Maker Club officially kicked off with its first meeting on January 8 with 18 students attending.  After an introduction to the concept and goals of Maker Club and talk of acceptable and unacceptable activities during the meeting times, students got busy creating with Legos, crafting with duct tape, weaving with plastic bands, and coding with programs such as Scratch.  More recently, students have been participating in a “Robot Finch Loan Program” through BirdBrain Technologies, where students learn how to program the finches. 

Looking ahead to next year, Ms. Muhlbauer, Mr. LoBianco, and teacher Ms. Brenda McKenzie applied for and were awarded a grant worth approximately $2,600 from National Grid to further support STEM initiatives at schools within the Cattaraugus Allegany BOCES region.  Grant money will fund the purchase of Dash & Dot robotics kits and iPads for programming them.  The app will allow students to sharpen their creative and critical thinking skills while using concepts and information learned in class to help them find solutions to complex problems.

New students are always welcome at Maker Club and can attend one, many, or all meetings.  This is a great opportunity for students to explore activities that are of interest to them, all while learning lifelong skills and maybe – just maybe – sparking an interest that will lead them to a fulfilling career someday!


By: Amy Windus, CA BOCES and Pioneer Central School