Renee Citlau: CTE Educator and 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year

I had the pleasure last week of moderating a panel discussion that included the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) and the other two finalists. I have attended all four NOTY award ceremonies and I must admit that it is truly amazing how these instructors continue to expand how students learn and for how they demonstrate what they know. These wonderful instructors are truly the "silver bullet" in education and no matter how much I like educational technology, there will never be an app that can replace them!

The press release from SREB is below, but I want to add a very important fact about the 2013 NOTY Award winner. Renee Citlau is a teacher in career and technical education (CTE) and her subject areas include, accounting, web page design, economics, and digital animation. Congratulations to Renee Citlau, Jennifer Curriin, and Michelle Licata!

Renee Citlau
2013 NOTY Award Winner

Renee Citlau of Anaheim, CA, an online teacher at Cypress High School and a lead online teacher for the Anaheim Union High School District, has been named the 2013 National Online Teacher of the Year, an honor awarded annually by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

The National Online Teacher of the Year (NOTY) award recognizes an outstanding educator for exceptional contributions to online K-12 education and dedication to enhancing and sharing best practices across the field.

Online learning “incorporates 21st century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking and creativity,” Citlau said. “Students from different demographic regions collaborate on projects despite geographic and cultural barriers that might otherwise keep them apart.

“I can use images, make word analogies, create a cartoon or animation, record a live lesson, or add audio to help them remember.” Almost daily, she said, “I get to witness students having ‘light bulb’ moments.”

The two additional NOTY finalists were Jennifer Currin, an online English teacher at North Carolina Virtual Public School, and Michelle Licata, a teacher and mentor for other online educators at Florida Virtual School. Citlau, Currin and Licata were recognized at an awards dinner during the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative K-20 Virtual Teaching and Learning Symposium in Atlanta, GA. This year's review committee, made up of five leaders in e-learning from across the nation, selected the finalists from nominations by their peers in online public schools in 19 states.

Renee Citlau is a Leading Edge Certification trainer and active member of Computer Using Educators (CUE), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL). In 2012, she won the CUE and California Learning Resource Network Online Teacher of the Year Award. In 2008, she was Cypress High School's Teacher of the Year.

As the National Online Teacher of the Year, Citlau will represent the online learning field at several events and professional conferences, sharing her expertise and insight with audiences across the country, including iNACOL's Blended and Online School Symposium (October 27-30 in Orlando, FL).

“Online learning is growing rapidly because it gives students — the ‘Net Generation’ — access to the courses that provide opportunity, flexibility and convenience,” said Matlea Parker, program manager for the SREB Educational Technology Cooperative. “The use of Web 2.0 and social networking is changing how teachers must deliver instruction. One of the reasons the NOTY award was created was to provide a model of the best practices online teachers use to maximize their students’ learning experiences. Having amazingly effective teachers who are committed to quality — and to the success of their students — is essential.”

Susan Patrick, president and CEO of iNACOL, said, “Teachers working in online and blended learning environments are pioneering personalized education for their students. Renee Citlau exemplifies the very best of the professionalism, curiosity and entrepreneurial spirit that have led to the development of a new generation of teaching tools and methods that optimize and transform learning in these new school models.”

The National Online Teacher of the Year award is made possible by AT&T, Blackboard Collaborate, Florida Virtual School, the Pearson Foundation, SAS and VSCHOOLZ.

I have been a long-time proponent of the use of online learning in CTE and I can see the importance of its growth in drop out recovery, adult education, business and industry training, and other areas. I hope Renee's award will open open a few doors and expand the role of online learning in career and technical education.

SREB's Worthy of Note: A Great Resource for Educational Technology and Digital Learning



Worthy of Note

SREB's Educational Technology Cooperative started a great resource a few years ago (and archived since June of 2012) and I have been sharing it with friends and colleagues ever since. I have also posted several of the individual resources with you since its origin, but I have decided that I've been selfish and I should share this wonderful resource with you.

So exactly what is "Worthy of Note?"

Worthy of Note brings to your inbox a free monthly digest of notable news on education technology, digital learning, webinars and other timely topics. June Weis, a consultant for SREB, prepares the bi-monthly eNewsletter and it is chocked full of timely and relevant information.

Subscribe via one of these two lists:

eINFO e-mail list, for information on technical, instructional, and management topics as well as upcoming webinars of interest and Worthy of Note enews. Subscribe to eINFO>

Online Teachers e-mail list, for information and "cool tools" for effective use of technology in teaching and learning, plus notice of upcoming webinars and online professional development for K-12 and postsecondary educators and Worthy of Note enews. Subscribe to Online Teachers>

I hope you will subscribe to this resource as June really does a great job of researching information to share with you and I'm still holding out hope that she will share some of her "research tips" with us in the future.

Please read the following posts for additional resources from SREB:
SREB ShortTakes: Online Teachers Share Web 2.0 Strategies
Recognizing Academic Achievement in Career/Technical Education
A Silicon Valley School That Doesn’t Compute
The People We Meet
New Study Reveals Professors Use Social Media
5 Ways We're Diminishing Learning by Assuming Face-to-Face Instruction Is Best

SREB ShortTakes: Online Teachers Share Web 2.0 Strategies



SREB ShortTakes



The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has developed "ShortTakes" which showcases online teaching.

SREB ShortTakes are five-minute (or shorter) Web 2.0 demonstration recordings of online techniques that made a difference in teaching and learning (Each demonstration was recorded and contributed by an online teacher).

You'll find a variety of Web 2.0 topics such as:

• GoAnimate
• Animoto
• Voki
• Sliderocket
• Voicethread
• Google Hangouts
• Weebly
• Explore Learning Gizmos
• Screencast-O-Matic
• Smore

SREB will continue to post ShortTakes throughout the year. The next set of ShortTakes is scheduled for April 16. So, do you have a ShortTake to share? Don’t keep it a secret. Let the online teaching community know which tool helps you to make lessons relevant, authentic and engaging. Contact Parker for details at Matlea.Parker@SREB.org or (404) 879-5595.

Recognizing Academic Achievement in Career/Technical Education

SREB (Southern Regional Education Board) just released "Recognizing Academic Achievment in Career/Technical Education: Conditions for Awarding Academic Credit for Career/Technical Courses" which details the merits and challenges involved in awarding academic credit to caree/technical courses that embrace rigorous college and career-readiness standards equivalent to those found in traditional academic courses.

As SREB states in their summary:

Putting in place the right set of policies for awarding academic credit for CT courses is one way to recognize CT programs with signature features that truly advance students’ technical, academic and cognitive skills development. It is our hope that this report will assist states in their continuing efforts to develop rigorous optional pathways designed around authentic learning experiences that will result in more students graduating from high school and graduating both college and career-ready.

I hope you will take the time to read this publication and share your thoughts.

The People We Meet

I have to say that the one thing that makes life interesting is people.

Are you ever amazed at who you meet?  I was at an ICE (Institute for Credentialing Excellence) Conference a few years ago and I observed a lady during a reception with several hundred people. Although she was alone and seemed somewhat introverted, she worked the room like a pro. She picked out individuals or small groups that contained no more than three or four people and she met them all. And yes, I met her because I was also one of those wallflowers standing there eating my hors d'oeuvres alone. I may be slow, but I did learn something that night. I learned to not only develop contacts, but to develop relationships. And yes, years later, we still share ideas with each other.

Although I'm still not at her level of expertise, I try and develop at least several contacts and one new relationship from each conference or meeting that I attend. By "relationship," I mean someone that has similar educational interests that can be a core member of my PLN (personal learning network).

For instance, last week I attended another SREB Educational Technology Cooperative meeting and I missed seeing a few friends, but I renewed a few acquaintences and met a few new people that I could add to my PLN. I truly enjoy conferences and it's invigorating to be presented with new ideas, but to be honest, the speakers only serve as facilitators of ideas. It's the people you sit next to, during the presentation or at dinner, etc. that take these ideas and begin the discussions. This is truly the benefit of attending any conference and this is what excites me about people. The ability to learn and share is what makes life fun.

There are so many intelligent, make that highly intelligent people in the world and that is why I'm thankful for social media. The people I meet at conferences are no longer just temporary contacts, but I now have the opportunity to create life long professional contacts.

The world is now a much smaller place because of technology and I truly enjoy sharing and receiving so much valuable information from people at any time or from any place in the world.

If you haven't created a PLN, please consider starting one today!

What Does "Generation Z" Mean for Education?

Generation Z is commonly defined as "people born between the mid 1990's and 2010." They are the first true internet generation and are also referred to as "Digital Natives."

How will this generation affect the way that we approach education? Are we willing to make changes?

I received a couple of interesting links from June Weis at SREB. The first is an article entitled, Kids Labeled Generation X Before They Grow Up, (UK Guardian 6/10/10) and the second link takes you to an easy-to-read, graphic-punctuated study published in June 2010 by Grail Research.

Here are some important points from the Grail Research:

Generation Z is ...

• Well networked, more "virtually" present and more tolerant of diversity
• Comfortable with and even dependent on technology
• Materially satisfied, yet financially conservative
• Well educated, informed, and environmentally conscious
• More connected with their parents than previous generations

Marketing implications: Companies targeting Generation Z will want to...

• Look to enhance their virtual world presence
• Adopt technology-based marketing and sales channels (i.e. text messages, mobile internet, online networking, etc)
• Focus on developing high value-for-money and "green" products and services
• Aim to "catch them young."

I've often thought of education from more of a business point of view and we don't always market to or meet the needs of our customers...the students. We are often restrained by costs and policies that restrict the use of technology. Can we truly "afford" to continue with the same policies and technologies or will we "lose" even more students? We must adopt new technologies into our schools and lesson plans at a much faster pace as the following shows:

Years until radio reached 50 million users: 38 years
Years until TV reached 50 million users: 13 years
Years until the web reached 50 million users: 4 years
Years until iPod reached 50 million users: 3 years
Years until Facebook reached 50 million users: 2 years
Years until iPhone reached 1 million users: 3 days

"New technologies continue to emerge faster than ever and "innovation leaps" are becoming smaller, leading to a stronger "connection" between newer generations."

We can no longer wait. There are obvious risks associated with the use of technology, but there are also risks associated with NOT using technology. Generation Z spends more time online and has a preference for interactive media. Their social networks will influence their decisions and education MUST have a presence in their networks.

I would contend that education is at an extremely critical point in reaching our students. Marketing is a key to attracting our students (and their parents) on what we have to offer, but we must follow through by incorporating new technologies into our instruction. We can't afford to lag behind as we must do a better job of preparing our students for industry.

I hope you will take the time to read both of the articles and let us know your thoughts. J.T.
Grail Research
Kids Labeled Generation X Before They Grow Up (appears in the UK Guardian 6/10/10)

What Are Your Colleagues Reading on Digital Learning Environments?

Digital Learning Environments is a site that provides tools and technologies for an effective classroom. This web site and the accompanying live events looks like a great resource for digital learning. DLE is provided by HP and Intel and hosted by Tech & Learning, NewBay Media.

The Top Ten Most Popular Stories on DLE:

• Staff Development Woes? Google Can Help
• 10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators
• 10 Cool Web 2.0 Tools for Educators, Part 2
• More Great Web 2.0 Tools
• Keeping The Door Of Learning Wide Open
• Web 2.0 Science Tools
• Your Students will Love this Virtual Geometry and Geography Game
• Pre-Recording Lessons Provides 1-on-1 Time
• 5 Tips to Becoming a 21st Century Educator
• Save Money With Freeware and Open Source Software

The Latest DLE Blogs to Check Out:

• Communities of Designers and Professional Learning
• Looking For Change? It Starts At The Top
• Planning Large Scale Ed-Tech: Complex AND Crucial
• Thank Goodness for Inquisitive Educators
• "Burning Questions" Follow Up

Check out DLE's resource page for links to useful information here.

Thanks to June Weis at SREB for sharing this site!

New Study Reveals Professors Use Social Media

I just received a link to the following study by June Weiss at SREB and wanted to share it with you:

Sociable Professors
Just how "sociable" are college professors? A recent survey, conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group in collaboration with New Marketing Labs and Pearson, finds college faculty are increasingly using social media in their instruction.

More than 80 percent of college faculty are using social media, with more than half using these tools as part of their teaching, according to the survey, "Social Media in Higher Education." The study also states, that most faculty respondents (59%) have more than one social network account; nearly 25 percent have accounts on four or more social networks.

Click here to read the rest of the study.

To view a presentation of the results of the Pearson Social Media in Higher Education Survey, visit: http://www.slideshare.net/PearsonLearningSolutions/pearson-socialmediasurvey2010.

This makes me wonder if any studies have been done that reveal how "social" common education and/or career and technology education is? Does anyone know???  J.T.

2010 Exhibit Schedule

We hope you will take the opportunity to visit us at one of the following locations during 2010.

As always, our goal is to provide the highest quality testing and curriculum resources that will enable individuals and organizations to reach their goals!

Oklahoma FFA - April 27-28 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Skills USA - June 21-24 - Kansas City, Missouri

FCCLA - July 4-8 - Chicago, Illinois

SREB - July 14-16 - Louisville, Kentucky

Oklahoma CareerTech Summer Conference - August 2-3 - Tulsa, Oklahoma

National FFA - October 19-22 - Indianapolis, Indiana

National Health Consortium - October 19-22 - Minneapolis, Minnesota

National Career Pathways - October 20-23 - Dallas, Texas

ACTE - December 2-4 - Las Vegas, Nevada

If you can't make it to one of the above locations, you can ALWAYS contact us at:

CareerTech Testing
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.405.743.5412
http://www.careertechtesting.com/

CIMC
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.405.743.5195
www.okcareertech.org/cimc

MAVCC
1500 West Seventh
Stillwater, OK 74074-4364
1.800.654.3988
http://www.mavcc.org/

5 Ways We're Diminishing Learning by Assuming Face-to-Face Instruction Is Best

I just received the following article from June Weis at SREB and I thought it was worth sharing.

According to June, "This article appears in today’s T.H.E. Journal (9/2). The author makes a strong statement about “dangerous” assumptions such as that face-to-face instructional exchanges are always more effective than online. Many teachers struggle with making classes relevant and interesting for students, and, more often than not, students are passive in the process rather than actively learning new knowledge. Most schooling is still based on preset standards and suited to specific testing in that preset area. Worth reading….."

5 Ways We're Diminishing Learning by Assuming Face-to-Face Instruction Is Best

SREB and the CareerTech Testing Center

I just wanted to announce that you can now find the CareerTech Testing Center Blog on SREB!

I made a previous post in January about The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). They had launched a first-of-its-kind Web site, SREB Online Teachers, that will help online teachers in SREB states connect with each other, find and share best practices, pursue professional development, and more.

The website offers resources and support in: Instruction, Digital Content, What's Happening, What Works, and Professional Development. They also offer "Cool Tools for Teaching Online: Social Media/Web 2.0 Applications for Online Teachers."

You will find the CareerTech Testing Center Blog under SREB's What's Happening section of their website. SREB has also added several of our posts to their listservs over the last couple of months as well. Thank you SREB for helping us get the word out! J.T.

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has launched a first-of-its-kind Web site for teachers of middle grades and high school online courses. The Web site, http://www.srebonlineteachers.org/, will help online teachers in SREB states connect with each other, find and share best practices, pursue professional development, and more. It is funded by a grant from the AT&T Foundation.

The website offers resources and support in: Instruction, Digital Content, What's Happening, What Works, and Professional Development. They also offer "Cool Tools for Teaching Online: Social Media/Web 2.0 Applications for Online Teachers."

Check out SREB Online Teachers and all of the other great things going on at SREB!