High Tech High Flex Overview

1. High Tech High’s mission is to develop and support innovative public schools where all students develop the academic, workplace, and citizenship skills for post-secondary success. Academic : 61% of universities offer online courses Workplace : 48% of employers are offering telecommuting options Citizenship : Online Social Technologies key to Obama victory. HTH Mission

2. 44 states offer significant online learning opportunities Online Education

3. 2009 Career Builder Survey: 48 percent of employers are offering telecommuting options 70 percent offering alternative schedules Telecommuting

4. Negatives: Built on an outdated “teacher-centered” model Read the screen, take the quiz No real-world connection No flexibility No social connection Lack of current social technologies Challenges of Online Education

5. Why Flex? 1. serve more students 2. online opportunities for existing students 3. improve opportunities for online students 4. financial benefits of moving into 'non bricks and mortar' schooling 5. “sandbox” for the HTH organization While maintaining/ improving: 1. personalization 2. real-world connection 3. preparing students for a changing worl Why Flex? d Why Flex?

6. Start small, then grow. Stick to our design principles Hybrid, not only online. Take advantage of what works. Flex Design

7. High Tech High Flex is an independent learning program based on the design principles of personalization, adult world connection, and a common intellectual mission. Flex blends home-based independent study, online learning, and face-to-face experiences. Flex Overview

8. Unlike more traditional schools, HTHflex stretches the academic experience beyond the walls of the conventional classroom. A typical school day in the life of a Flex student consists of the following activities: A Day in the Life ● Real-time small group project activities ● One-on-one coaching between teacher and student ● L ive online class session ● Tutoring sessions with intelligent software ● Independent project work and research ● Self-paced posting/ commenting/ peer critique ● Peer coaching

9. Each Flex teacher is responsible for 54 students, some of whom may be a part of their 15-18 person advisory. Each day, teachers will teach/attend/conduct the following: -1 morning staff meeting (1 hour) -Individual Check in with Students (2 hours) -2 online courses blending direct instruction and facilitation of group work (1 hour each = 2 hours) -Monitor peer coaching sessions online (30 minutes) -Visit 1 student in their home (1 hour) -Check-in on project progress with each group during project time (30 minutes)‏ -Plan/Prep curriculum (1-2 hours) -Evaluate student progress on ILP's (1 hour) -"Czar" time (1 hour)‏ Teacher's Role

10. Flex students take advantage of self-paced online intelligent tutoring systems. Online research, traditional reading, and independent writing are core components of any successful learning program. Finally, students in Flex contribute to an interactive online social network, posting their work, responding to others, and frequently providing collaborative feedback. Independent Activities

11. Students will collaborate on group projects in real time, both online through Instant Messaging or video conferencing, and face-to-face at a students' home, local library, or coffee-shop. Group Projects

12. Each day, students will participate in real-time, online class meetings. These daily check-ins will allow students to discuss the class content, practice core concepts, and share their learning experiences. Teacher Led Sessions

13. In addition to these distance learning activities , students will attend weekly face-to-face classroom experiences . These will serve to help facilitate hands on projects, community building, and athletic activities. In Person Activities

14. Each flex student will engage in regular one-on-one coaching with their teachers and peers. These coaching sessions assess individual progress, address concerns, and challenge students to deepen their knowledge and application of class concepts. These conversations occur online through video and voice conferencing as well as face-to-face. Coaching Sessions

15. Education does not stop on the weekends, but extends into students real world experience. Each week, students will engage in a connection encounter focusing on the four C's: College, community, career, and culture. Connection Encounters

16. Service learning immersion Each student will partner with a local non-profit or community organization in a monthly hands-on experience to make an impact on the local community through service learning. Connection Encounters

17. Job shadowing Every Flex student will intern in multiple career fields over the course of their high school experience. Internships allow students to walk in the shoes of practitioners in the field, trying out the occupation for themselves, while creating connections with local businesses and corporations. Connection Encounters

18. Arts/Cultural experience Once a month, the entire flex community will participate in or attend an arts or cultural experience. These will include gallery shows, arts and cultural festivals, and live theatre performances. Connection Encounters

19. College encounter In addition to participating in college preparatory courses, flex students will visit university campuses, partner with university professors in research, and make connections with college admission counselors. Connection Encounters

20. Flex students will engage in High Tech High's unique learning experiences including: Project-Based Learning Student Led Conferences Presentations of Learning Exhibitions Community Meeting A High Tech High Education

21. Project-Based Learning Students will create personalized, authentic projects in collaborative teams, making real-world connections and presenting their learning. A High Tech High Education

22. Student Led Conferences Instead of parent/teacher conferences, High Tech High students take part in mid-semester student-led conferences where they discuss their learning progress and define areas to improve as they finish the semester. A High Tech High Education

23. Presentations of Learning At the end of each semester, instead of final exams, students present their major projects to a panel of community members, parents, and fellow students. A High Tech High Education

24. Exhibitions Publicly displaying students projects is an important component of the learning process. Students display their projects on their online digital portfolios, as well as presenting them to the community during exhibition. A High Tech High Education

25. Community Meetings Once or twice a month, the entire school community meets together to present projects, discuss important issues, and build the school culture. A High Tech High Education

26. Advisory Program Each Flex student will have an advisory who will serve as the first point of contact with High Tech High Flex. This connection starts with a personal home visit over the summer, allows the student and advisory to connect, set up the home study space, and establish an individualized support system. Throughout the year, the advisor will continue to monitor both academic and personal progress with weekly check-ins through instant messaging, video chats, and face-to-face time. Personalization at Flex

27. Personalized Learning Plans As an independent study program, Flex partners with parents to offer students an individually tailored educational plan. The advisor will serve as the “Teacher of Record” to support students in their language, art, and other exploratory courses by establishing learning goals, benchmarks, and authentic assessments. Personalization at Flex

28. Truly Personalized Education The average classroom student in a traditional school may receive up to 30 minutes of individualized time during the school week. At High Tech High Flex, our strategies and tools for personalization result in Flex students receiving individualized teacher conference time between 75 and 150 minutes per week. These interactions occur both face-to-face and through video conferencing, instant messaging, and personal phone calls. Personalization at Flex

29. Each student will be provided a laptop, loaded with open-source software customized to allow students to engage in all online activities. Student laptops include a built-in video camera, microphone, and wifi as well as graphic applications, video editing software, office applications, and video conferencing tools. Student Equipment

30. 05/04: Email to interested families and the High Tech High community. 05/04: Website with Flex Overview and FAQ's 05/13 and 05/16: Information Sessions at HTHNC 05/22: Admissions application deadline 05/25: Lottery for Admission 06/01: Letter sent out and acceptance 06-07: Home visits by advisors 07/08: Flex bridge experience 08/31: First day of school Admissions Process

31. This is North County: A collaborative, ethnographic study of North County San Diego Essential Questions: 1. How can we utilize our surrounding resources to understand the history of our community? 2. What are the lasting influences of interactions between individuals and their environment? 3. How can our knowledge be shared in ways that can improve the current situation of our community? An example Flex project

32. Project Description The students of HTH flex will be performing an ethnographic study of communities in the North County. Specifically, students will be looking at issues and events related to the history of immigration and settlement. Our study will consist of scientific and ethnographic methods, including interviews, observations and a review of related literature. In addition, we will consider environmental issues related to resources affected by immigration and development of communities. An example Flex project

33. Project Presentation The findings of our research will be compiled in a published field guide to be used by individuals who are interested in understanding the history of immigration and the effects of interactions between individuals and their surroundings, both social and environmental. Students will also design their own energy efficiency dwelling (including floorplan and 3D representation). A collection of the sketches of the period dwellings from North County and their design representing the “Future Dwelling of North County” will be included in the digital and paper-based field guide. The field guide will also include drafts of their sketches. Video Presentations will be posted showcasing their final interviews with local area professionals. An example Flex project

34. Project Description The students of HTH flex will be performing an ethnographic study of communities in the North County. Specifically, students will be looking at issues and events related to the history of immigration and settlement. Our study will consist of scientific and ethnographic methods, including interviews, observations and a review of related literature. In addition, we will consider environmental issues related to resources affected by immigration and development of communities. An example Flex project

35. Interdisciplinary Components Humanities: Anthropology, writing field notes, different types of interviews, qualitative descriptions, culture studies, immigration, literacy. Math/Science: Naturalism, Quantitative Analysis, reporting findings, similarity and proportion and perspective drawing, efficient energy, passive heating techniques, energy flow Multimedia: A look at visualizing anthropology Spanish: communication skills, history/cultural studies, language and culture in context Photography : Perspective in art and architecture Art : hand-sketched drawings of dwellings from different time periods An example Flex project

36. Asynchronous Learning Activities: Fieldwork, ethnographic interviews, ethics in ethnographic research, qualitative descriptions, independent research Synchronous Learning Activities: Conducting focus groups, jigsaw of research strategies, peer feedback groups, online critique sessions An example Flex project

37. Service Learning Component: Students will have an opportunity to both learn from and teach the community about our research. This project aims to empower students to disseminate their knowledge with the community. In the process of this project, students will be interacting with the community and participating in community service geared to improve the conditions of the North County, including community clean-ups. Students create a lesson that uses the field guide and the 3D models and take the presentation on the road to local elementary and middle schools. Students create a display at a local Children’s Museum or historical society using the 3D models they constructed. An example Flex project

38. Job-Shadowing Students shadow Architects and Building Engineers to learn more about building design. Students may also network with local anthropologists to observe field research and study professional field notes. College Encounter Students visit the Architecture School at a local university and submit their designs for critique by experts from the university. Students use Internet and university library to find information about the types of dwellings in North County past. Students will also visit the Department of Anthropology at one of the local universities. An example Flex project

39. Arts/Cultural Encounter Students visit Old Town San Diego, local Missions, connect with local Indian Tribes. Digital Tools Geometer’s SketchPad or Google SketchUp, Moodle, Voice Thread, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign An example Flex project

40. Project Week at a Glance Times of activities not in bold will vary per student based on their personal schedule. Each box represents up to an hour: An example Flex project