This presentation forms the basis for my upcoming book on Online Learning Policy, and a revised version will be presented at NECC 2008

5. Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

6. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

7. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

8. Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

9. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

10. Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

11. Gardens, Policy & Practice

12. Gardens, Policy & Practice Gardens exists to promote what we want to grow and protect it from threats . Gardens provide a nurturing environment for growth and may address different needs than the surrounding environment.

18. Gardens & Policy

19. E-Learning Priorities for Policy: Accountability and assessment Costs and benefits; return on investment Quality and equity of online learning opportunities Funding: formulas, sources, and strategies State or district planning, coordination, support, and evaluation Teacher certification and licensure http://theatrain.com/OLP.html

20. Costs and Benefits ; Return on Investment (ROI) Rubric Levels: Startup costs known, long term costs and benefits unclear Startup costs and two year sustainability costs known; no mechanism provided for evaluating ROI Multi-year costs provided; system provided for evaluating ROI Plan for sustaining costs provided; student performance data shows better return on investment than traditional instruction

21. Quality and equity of online learning opportunities Quality is independently verified for traditional learners, but not verified for all NCLB subgroups. Curriculum quality is independently verified and provides differentiated instruction for all NCLB subgroups and learning styles. Quality stated by vendor, not independently verified Quality is verified by user testimonials, but is not independently verified. Rubric Levels:

22. Funding : formulas, sources, strategies Program is funded by “one time” grants Program is incorporated into operational budgets, but not part of student funding formula Program is incorporated within student funding formula, state and federal EdTech funding Program operations offset expenses and generate income from classes offered/taught for other districts Rubric Levels:

23. Accountability and assessment Accountability and assessment limited to performance within system Accountability and assessment linked to state Core Content Standards Accountability and assessment demonstrated to predict performance on standards based assessment Accountability and assessment result in student performance exceeding statewide and local trends for traditional instruction. Rubric Levels:

24. State or district planning , coordination, support, and evaluation Efforts are implemented without coordination between state, regional and local entities. Shared evaluation methods are used among state, regional and local entities. Technical support is provided and evaluation methods are shared among state, regional and local entities. Extensive planning, sustained coordination, support, and evaluation are provided and incorporated in each program Rubric Levels:

25. Teacher certification and licensure Teacher certification and licensure issues are not addressed. Teacher certification and licensure issues for instructors are addressed. Teacher certification and licensure issues for instructors and course designers are addressed. Teacher certification and licensure issues for instructors, course designers and onsite facilitators are addressed. Rubric Levels:

26. Gardens & Practice

28. Professional development Rubric Levels: Professional development limited to operation of course delivery software. Professional development goes beyond operation of course delivery software to address required changes in pedagogy. Professional development goes beyond required changes in pedagogy to address communication and collaboration skills. Professional development goes beyond required changes in pedagogy, communication/ collaboration skills, to assist students and parents in making choices about further education and career options.

29. Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

30. Constructivist teaching practice Rubric Levels: Content delivery, low interactivity, posing only questions where answers are already known. Students interact with materials in ways that strengthen problem solving and higher order thinking skills. Students interact with materials in ways that apply problem solving and higher order thinking skills to authentic tasks. Students interact with materials through collaboration,applying problem solving and higher order thinking skills to authentic tasks within their schools and communities.

31. Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

32. Constructivist e-Learning

33. Gardens & Practice

34. Philosophy guiding online learning programs Rubric Levels: Interaction with materials is sufficient to improve student achievement on standards based assessments. Interaction with materials produces information capable of improving instruction in core subject areas, and adapts materials presented based upon success or problems encountered in prior lessons. Interactions with materials and instructors produce information capable of improving instruction through integration with all subject areas, and adapts materials presented based upon success or problems encountered in prior lessons. Student choices for learning unlimited by place, time or pace; full range of technologies connect the students with the right instructor and appropriate materials; learning blends human and technology resources.

36. The Nine Most Effective Strategies Identifying Similarities And Differences Summarizing And Note Taking Reinforcing Effort And Providing Recognition Homework And Practice Nonlinguistic Representation Cooperative Learning Setting Objectives And Providing Feedback Generating And Testing Hypotheses Cues, Questions, And Advance Organizers enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging them in mental processes that involve identifying ways items are alike and different. enhance students’ ability to synthesize information and organize it in a way that captures the main ideas and supporting details. enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing students’ attitudes and beliefs about learning. Provide students with rewards or praise for their accomplishments related to the attainment of a goal. extends learning opportunities for students to practice, review and apply knowledge. Enhances students’ ability to reach the expected level of proficiency for a skill or process. enhances students’ ability to represent and elaborate on knowledge using mental images. provides students with opportunities to interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning. provide students a direction for learning and information about how well they are performing relative to a particular learning goal so that they can improve their performance. enhances students’ understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging them in mental processes that involve making and testing hypotheses enhances students’ ability to retrieve use and organize what they already know about a topic.

37. Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

38. Gardens & Best Practices

39. Best practices (national, state, local): Establish Conversations Rubric Levels: Technology and state education leaders have not established a basis for communication and dialogue on critical K-12 online learning policy issues Technology and state education leaders informally communicate about critical K-12 online learning policy issues Technology and state education leaders communicate and dialogue annually about critical K-12 online learning policy issues Innovative technology leaders in the e-learning movement and established state education policy leaders routinely communicate and collaborate on critical policy issues relating to K-12 online learning.

40. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

41. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

42. Gardens & Best Practices

43. Best practices (national, state, local): Professional Development Required for Effectiveness Rubric Levels: Traditional teachers are not provided with quality professional development opportunities and supervised online clinical experience, to become effective facilitators of online learning. Traditional teachers are prepared to become effective facilitators of online learning. However, well-qualified and experienced online instructors are not provided with appropriate professional development opportunities Online instructors are provided with professional development to learn the more specialized instructional design and implementation skills, and create quality online learning materials based on their existing teaching experience and curricular expertise. All educators are provided with quality professional development opportunities and supervised online clinical experience, and become effective facilitators of online learning.

44. Best practices (national, state, local): Hybrid Courses Most Effective Rubric Levels: Online instruction is used primarily as a cost reduction strategy, by increasing class size and reducing the need for physical instructional spaces and materials. Online and face-to-face instruction are not coordinated and don’t support one another. For example, online courses are used primarily for credit recovery and not to expand the scope of curricular offerings. Face-to-face instructors rely upon data produced by student participation in online learning opportunities, but do not link respective curriculum activities in meaningful ways. Hybrid courses (combining face-to-face and online instruction) with smaller enrollments and clear linkages to approved curriculum practice provide higher completion rates and improved learning outcomes

45. Quality Assurance for content of online learning materials Rubric Levels: Quality stated by vendor, not independently verified Quality is verified by user testimonials, but is not independently verified. Quality is independently verified for traditional learners, but not verified for all NCLB subgroups. Curriculum quality is independently verified and provides differentiated instruction for all NCLB subgroups and learning styles.

46. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.

47. Gardens & Practice

48. Technology equity (access, usage) Rubric Levels: System does not incorporate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) for differentiated instruction System provides audio versions of some content, but does not provide students with tools for independent access to all materials System incorporates UDL, provides strategies for using technologies for differentiated instruction System integrates UDL, prepares all learners in independent use of appropriate technologies to harness strengths and bypass weaknesses

49. Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

50. Technology equity (availability) Rubric Levels: System requires proprietary content, network configuration and bandwidth; access only available from specific sites. System works on open standards (ex: Internet and web browser); supports concurrent use of at least 50% of school/district users; no access from home. System works on open standards (ex: Internet and web browser); supports concurrent use of at least 75% of school/district users and parents; access from home. System works on open standards (ex: Internet and web browser); supports concurrent use by all users; access from anywhere, anytime.

51. Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

53. Take-Away 2: Policy exists to protect and promote . Promote e-learning that uses technology systems to support constructive social interactions, including human learning . Protect us from poor practices .