Week 2

Professional development is important for educators/administrators to keep up with the most up-to-date resources. This week I worked with a co-worker to develop SMART goals in cooperation with the Triple E Framework (Kolb, 2011) to coincide with Successmaker (Pearson, 2024), an educational program designed to provide personalized learning experiences. Our district uses Successmaker as a supplemental curriculum for Response to Intervention (RTI).

Together we made a SMART goal for using data-driven instruction with Successmaker to create a professional development for her to present to the teachers in our district. 

GOAL

By the end of the fall semester, my colleague will utilize SuccessMaker data to meet with teachers with struggling students, helping them tailor instruction for each Tier 3 student in RTI, aiming to improve their math and reading proficiency by at least one grade level. My colleague will then meet with the teacher providing support on how to review and analyze Successmaker reports bi-weekly to adjust instruction, ensuring that 85% of students achieve their individual growth by the final assessment. 

BREAKDOWN OF SMART CRITERIA

Specific: The goal focuses on using SuccessMaker data to drive instruction in math and reading for each student.

Measurable: Success is measured by a one-grade level improvement in proficiency and 85% of students meeting their growth targets.

Achievable: The goal is realistic, considering the use of SuccessMaker’s adaptive learning technology.

Relevant: The goal aligns with improving student outcomes in core academic areas.

Time-bound: The goal is to be achieved by the end of the school year, with bi-weekly data reviews to ensure progress.  

Here are 5 action steps to support your teacher in attaining the SMART goal for interpreting data using SuccessMaker reports:

1. Provide Training on SuccessMaker Data Analysis:

    Organize a training session to familiarize the teacher with SuccessMaker’s reporting tools. Focus on how to interpret key metrics, identify student strengths and weaknesses, and utilize the data to inform instruction.

2. Implement a Regular Data Review Schedule:

    Establish a routine of bi-weekly meetings to review SuccessMaker data. During these sessions, discuss the progress of individual students, evaluate the effectiveness of current instructional strategies, and make necessary adjustments to ensure each student is on track to meet their growth targets.

3. Develop Customized Instructional Plans:

    Work with the teacher to create individualized instructional plans based on the SuccessMaker data. These plans should include targeted interventions, differentiated activities, and specific goals for each student to help them achieve the desired growth in math and reading proficiency.

4. Monitor Student Progress and Adjust Interventions:

     Assist the teacher in continuously monitoring student progress through SuccessMaker’s real-time data. Support the teacher in making timely adjustments to interventions or instructional strategies based on the data to ensure students are consistently moving toward their growth targets.

5. Provide Resources for Targeted Instruction:

    Supply the teacher with additional resources, such as supplementary materials, online tools, or manipulatives, that align with the areas identified as needing improvement in the SuccessMaker reports. These resources should be tailored to address specific skill gaps or to further challenge students who are excelling.

The all-in-all goal is to train educators how to use Successmaker effectively in their classroom and enhance student growth. In creating this tool, we integrated the Triple E Framework and the ISTE Standards to keep us on the correct path.

  

        Enhance - Successmaker enhances learning by offering personalized instruction tailored to each student’s needs, thereby helping to address individual learning gaps and providing targeted practice. It uses adaptive technology to modify content and difficulty based on student performance, which supports differentiated learning. 

Engage - The software engages students through interactive and adaptive content. By using technology that adjusts to their skill levels, students are more likely to stay motivated and interested in their lessons, which can lead to increased time on task and improved learning outcomes.

Extension - Successmaker extends learning beyond traditional classroom settings by providing resources and practice opportunities that students can access independently. It supports continuous learning by allowing students to work at their own pace and revisit material as needed, thus extending their learning beyond the physical classroom.

Successmaker fits well within the Triple E framework by enhancing educational experiences through personalization, engaging students with interactive content, and extending learning opportunities beyond standard classroom interactions. 

ISTE Standards

Student 1.1a Empowered Learner

    Students set learning goals, develop strategies leveraging technology to achieve them, and reflect on the learning process to improve learning outcomes.

Educator 2.7

     Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals.

Coach 4.6.a Facilitate Data Collection and Analysis

   Coaches model best practices for educators and leaders for securely collecting, protecting, and analyzing student data.

As my colleague and I worked through this assignment, we discussed how this will help teachers navigate through this supplemental curriculum, allowing them to create relevant, targeted instruction that supports efficient learning experiences for students. 

Pearson. (2024). SuccessMaker (Version number) Savass Learning Company LLC. Pearson. 

https://www.savvas.com/

International Society for Technology in Education. (2024). ISTE standards | ISTE. Iste.org. https://iste.org/standards

Kolb, L. (2020, December 9). Triple E Framework. Triple E Framework. https://www.tripleeframework.com

Set SMART Goals. (2016). Creative Educator; Creative Educator. https://creativeeducator.tech4learning.com/2017/lessons/set-SMART-goals

Week 1:

 Hello everyone! My name is Melody McCarty, and I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on technology at Southeastern OSU. I’ve been in education for nearly 15 years, holding a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and an endorsement in Early Childhood. My husband and I are proud grandparents to two wonderful granddaughters who have us wrapped around their little fingers (and we wouldn’t have it any other way). This is my first time blogging, and my passion is helping teachers use technology to enhance student growth!

My current research is using the Triple E Framework in the classroom and this is what I have found: The Triple E Framework was developed in 2011 by Professor Liz Kolb at the University of Michigan. It was created to address the desire for K-12 educators to bridge research on education technologies and teaching practice in the classroom (Kolb, 2011). When using this framework evaluation along with the assessment tools provided by the district, teachers and administrators will be able to evaluate the integration of technology in the lessons taught in the classroom. 

I have also found it is noted that to effectively guide and support technology use practices in our district, the Triple E Framework (Kolb,2011) offers an option that aligns well with best educational practices and the ISTE standards. This framework evaluates technology integration through three key components: Engagement, Enhancement, and Extension. This is important because it will motivate student engagement to enhance higher-level learning. 

(Kolb, 2011)

Engagement is level one of the Triple E Framework (Kolb,2011). Is the student truly immersed in the content in front of them? As mentioned in the graphic above, there are three questions an educator/administrator can ask themselves when looking to see if their students are engaged through the technology in their learning goals. 

1. Does the technology allow students to focus on the task of the assignment or activity with less distraction (Time on Task)?

2. Does the technology motivate students to start the learning process?

3. Does the technology cause a shift in the behavior of the students, where they move from passive to active social learners (co-use or co-engagement)?

(Kolb, 2011)

Level two of the Triple E Framework (Kolb, 2011) is enhancement. This is where traditional teaching is being replaced with technology but not doing anything different than what traditional teaching does. The technology tool can help the student or scaffold them in ways that may have proven to be difficult traditionally. There are three questions an educator/administrator can ask themselves when looking to see if their technology tool is enhancing the learning of the students. 

1. Does the technology tool aid students in developing or demonstrating a more sophisticated understanding of the content? (creates opportunities for creation/production over consumption)

2. Does the technology create scaffolds to make it easier to understand concepts or ideas?

3. Does the technology create paths for students to demonstrate their understanding of the learning goals in a way that they could not do with traditional tools? 

Higher-level thinking is encouraged through this type of enhancement tool allowing students to become lifelong learners.

(Kolb, 2011)

Level three of the Triple E Framework (Kolb, 2011) is extension. Extension is bringing the learning back to real-world experiences. This can be anything from taking a virtual field trip to using a technology tool that the student will use in daily life. There are three questions an educator/administrator can ask to measure if technology tools are extending learning goals, the following questions can be used for analysis.

1. Does the technology create opportunities for students to learn outside of their typical school day?

2. Does the technology create a bridge between school learning and everyday life experiences?

3. Does the technology allow students to build skills, that they can use in their everyday lives?

(Kolb, 2011)

As stated on the Triple E Framework website, technology is a TOOL to help students reach learning goals. This is one reason why the framework is not built around using a certain type of tool for learning, rather it is built around making sure students are on-task and meeting their learning goals through the technology tools. The district I am currently working in is almost completely a virtual school, therefore making the Triple E Framework a good fit. When looking at the rubric, it looks as though the Triple E Framework and the initiatives within my district are compatible. The image below is an example of one of the rubrics from the Triple E Framework. Teachers and administrators can use the rubric to help them evaluate the technology in a lesson plan.

The ISTE standards and the Triple E framework (Kolb, 2011) align by providing a comprehensive approach to integrating technology in education. 

The ISTE Standards offer broad, student-centered goals for technology use, while the Triple E Framework provides a practical perspective for evaluating how well technology meets these goals by focusing on engagement, enhancement, and extension while the ISTE framework is built to guide educators in the direction to support students in driving their learning. 

My district has developed a new teacher evaluation tool, which will be used by administrators for the first time this year. As mentioned earlier, the process is mainly virtual for students, teachers, and administrators, making technology essential. However, while the use of technology isn't specifically addressed in the evaluation tool, the use of data is emphasized. Teachers use data to make informed decisions about their students’ learning and their teaching method allowing them to target areas where their students are having the most difficulty. The teacher evaluation tool addresses the use of data in the classroom, therefore, in a roundabout way, addressing the use of technology.

Citations:

        ISTE. (2024). ISTE standards: For educators. ISTE. https://iste.org/standards/educators

‌ Kolb, L. (2020, December 9). Triple E Framework. Triple E Framework. https://www.tripleeframework.com/