The SELECT (Supporting Engaged Learning by Enhancing Curriculum with Technology) Math Project

Boston Public Schools

Boston, MA
 

Introduction/Overview
Organizational Change
Budget & Finance
Professional Development
Technology Infrastructure
Outcomes
Evaluation
Contact Information
 

Introduction/Overview

The SELECT (Supporting Engaged Learning by Enhancing Curriculum with Technology) Math Project is a collaborative effort among the Boston Public Schools (BPS) Office of Instructional Technology (OIT), Middle and Secondary Mathematics Departments, and Special Education Department. Jim Coffey and Sailaja Suresh are Project Managers for this initiative.

This project provides professional development in the use of Web-based virtual manipulatives to support mathematics instruction in middle and high school classrooms throughout Boston. The professional development model includes face-to-face workshops/courses, plus ongoing, embedded support and mentoring for middle and high school math teachers.

The SELECT Math project enables participants to:

· Expand their knowledge and use of online tools to deepen their mathematical understanding (e.g., Geometer's Sketchpad, Tabletop, Fathom, Mathlab, and applets such as those available from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics at http://illuminations.nctm.org/index2.html)

· Increase their skills in integrating these tools into the district's existing mathematics curricula

· Deepen their content knowledge in mathematics

· Enhance their technology literacy skills within the context of the instructional process

Organizational Change

Because SELECT Math was a joint effort, its success depended on developing the capacity for both the technology support staff and the math coaches to work together effectively. The technology support staff are each responsible for supporting 12 to 15 schools within the district. Specifically, their work includes providing professional development on technology integration, collaborating with technology committees to support each school's Whole-School Improvement Plan, and supporting teachers and librarians in instructional uses of technology. The secondary math coaches each work with teachers in three to five schools, and they provide training in both the content and the pedagogy of the existing curriculum.

This project has had a very positive impact on both departments. The math coaches were exposed to the ways in which technology can enhance a mathematical concept through the use of visual, interactive models. The technology support staff were exposed to the pedagogy and content of the secondary math curriculum, and they developed a sense of how technology alignments could support that curriculum.

The first phase of the SELECT Math Project began in 2002 with a focus on supporting the middle school curriculum. Because the project was so well-received by teachers and administrators throughout the district, a similar model was developed for the high school curriculum. This second phase of the project started in 2004.

Budget & Finance

Funding for this project comes from the Boston Public Schools’ General School Purpose Fund, plus $400,000 from two “No Child Left Behind Act” Title IID competitive grants. The continued expansion of this project will depend on both external grants and internal funding.

Professional Development

A train-the-trainer model was chosen to improve student learning in mathematics. The technology support staff and secondary mathematics coaches participated in 30-plus hours of professional development, which focused on both the pedagogy of the math curriculum and how technology could effectively enhance understanding of the mathematical content and concepts. The technology staff and math coaches then partnered and co-taught the 15-hour workshops to math teachers within the district.

The content of these workshops focused primarily on the use of virtual manipulatives, specifically, how these tools could enhance instruction through means not available with traditional tools. Participants had a chance to explore model lessons using the technology. They also received instruction on how to create lessons and activities utilizing “screen captures” of these virtual manipulatives.

Participants also received training on data-driven curriculum planning. The district also has its own internal assessment vehicle, My BPS Assessment. This tool provides teachers with specific feedback on how their students performed on the statewide MCAS exams and allows them to identify specific areas of student weakness. After receiving training on this vehicle, teachers were asked to identify online resources/tools that might provide additional or alternative strategies for addressing these specific weaknesses. In addition to teacher training, school principals have also participated in a 3-hour workshop.

Technology Infrastructure

The majority of technology tools utilized for this project are Web based, therefore requiring both Internet and computer access. All classrooms in the district have network access, and the majority of the teachers have received at least one computer through participation in technology professional development.

Beyond these basic requirements, digital projection devices were also provided so teachers can utilize the Web-based applets for whole-class presentations. Teachers who completed the 15-hour SELECT Math workshop received a projection device for their classroom, making it possible for them to present to their students the material they acquired in the training. The projection devices are an integral part of the successful implementation of the project; they are especially valuable in classrooms that do not have access to multiple computers, and/or in schools where computer labs are not accessible for subject area integration.

Outcomes

Since the beginning of the SELECT Math project in 2002, approximately 300-plus educators have been trained in the Boston Public School district. All of these educators are now aware of the power of virtual manipulatives, as well as strategies for using them effectively in the classroom. The digital projectors have made a dramatic impact on their use of technology in the classroom. Technology is no longer a tool that is optional in secondary math classrooms; it has become a necessary and often used method of instruction that is engaging students like never before.

From experiences thus far, the project has had a definite impact on the special needs population by making learning more accessible. Approximately 50% of the teachers who have participated in the high school trainings are special needs teachers. According to their reports, students who get easily frustrated in math when drawing figures or representing mathematical relationships on paper have really appreciated the facility that virtual manipulatives offers them in their learning process.

Evaluation

The SELECT Math project continues to be a successful implementation of educational technology primarily because of the close collaboration between the Office of Instructional Technology and the Secondary Mathematics Department, along with the buy-in of teachers and principals. The project has the full support of both department leaders and staff participants. Because of this support, the original middle school project has been scaled up to the high school level and will soon be expanded to the elementary level. Other districts in Massachusetts have inquired about reproducing this professional development tool in their schools. In addition, more than 4,700 visitors from across the world have visited the SELECT Math Web site (http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/select/) since it was launched in April 2004. Educators have written to thank us for the resources that we have made available to them.

Contact Information

James Coffey and Sailaja Suresh
jcoffey@boston.k12.ma.us
ssuresh@boston.k12.ma.us
617-635-8894 x403