University of Missouri Office of Academic Affairs eMINTS: High Quality Teaching Powered by Technology Dr. Lorie Kaplan eMINTS Executive Director
Acronym and Locations enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies ◊ eMINTS4Utah ◊ eMINTS in ◊ Illinois ◊ Arkansas ◊ Alabama ◊ Delaware ◊ New Jersey ◊ Connecticut ◊ eMINTS in New South Wales, Australia ◊ Is your school or district next?
eMINTS History ◊ enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies ◊ Grew from a pilot project (MINTs) in 6 St. Louis area districts, ◊ Partners: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MO DESE), Missouri Department of Higher Education (MO DHE) and the University of Missouri ◊ eMINTS now is a National Center affiliated with the University of Missouri Office of Academic Affairs
Purpose The eMINTS National Center transforms education for all learners through high-quality teaching powered by technology. It serves as a resource center for schools and districts across the world that wish to collaborate with eMINTS staff and with one another to replicate eMINTS in their educational systems – with the adaptations necessary to meet their local needs.
Goals ◊ Higher levels of student performance ◊ Quality parental involvement ◊ Enriched instructional effectiveness
Additional eMINTS Programs ◊ e-Learning for Educators – an online professional development program providing professional learning in many content areas. See:
Demographics ◊ 260 Missouri districts ◊ 3,500 classrooms with 50,000+ students ◊ Grades 3–12 ◊ Middle & high school implementation began 2003 ◊ 35% of Missouri eMINTS classrooms are district-funded ◊ 10 Utah districts ◊ 2 Nevada districts ◊ 1 New Jersey district ◊ 1 Illinois district ◊ 2 Arkansas districts ◊ 3 Alabama districts ◊ 2 Delaware districts and 3 charter schools
What is eMINTS? ◊ Innovative use of hardware, software, apps, and web tools ◊ Constructivist, inquiry-based instructional practices ◊ Sustained, intensive professional development and classroom visits ◊ Implementation by school-based teams ◊ Rigorous external formative and summative evaluation
High Quality Teaching Powered by Technology
eMINTS use of technology What’s different? Typical Teacher-centered ◊ Drill – electronic worksheets – WWW worksheets ◊ Reward – when “real” work is finished ◊ Integrated learning systems eMINTS Student-centered ◊ Environment for complex thinking ◊ Collaboration with others and authentic tasks ◊ Transforms student work beyond what used to be possible
Innovation-Collaboration-Transformation
eMINTS instructional model What’s different? Typical Teacher-centered ◊ Focus on skill mastery ◊ Scope is text-based and limited ◊ Subjects separated ◊ Assessment only by summative tests eMINTS Student-centered ◊ Focus on comprehension ◊ Scope is standards- based ◊ Subjects integrated ◊ Assessment by formative and summative measures
eMINTS Quality Assurance: ISTE Seal of Alignment for High Quality Professional Development
eMINTS PD: What’s different? Typical ◊ Fewer than 8 hours per year ◊ No in-classroom support ◊ Not easily related to current work OR overly prescriptive ◊ Inadequate tech infrastructure eMINTS ◊ Intensive: 200+ (Comp) (4All) hours over 2 years ◊ Paired with purposeful in-classroom support ◊ Closely related to daily teaching ◊ Teacher is decision- maker ◊ Technology-rich classroom
Program components ◊ Multiple professional development programs support implementation of eMINTS instructional model ◊ eMINTS Comprehensive Professional Development for Teachers ◊ Face-to-face program ◊ Year 1 = 126 hours classroom visits ◊ Year 2 = 81 hours classroom visits ◊ eMINTS4All ◊ Face-to-face program ◊ Year 1 = 71 hours classroom visits ◊ Year 2 = 32 hours classroom visits
eMINTS PD provided by ◊ eMINTS staff members (in Missouri) OR ◊ Certified eMINTS instructional specialists (in Missouri or nationally) ◊ Professional Development for eMINTS Educational Technology Specialists (PD4ETS) – a train-the-trainer program (PD4ETS) ◊ PD4ETS participants may begin delivering eMINTS PD shortly after they are enrolled in PD4ETS ◊ Use eMINTS materials and methods
What do eMINTS classrooms look and sound like? ◊ Edutopia- integration-professional-development integration-professional-development
What do students do in eMINTS classrooms? ◊ Direct their own learning with gentle guidance from the teacher ◊ Become more responsible for completing work because they participate in decisions about what they are working on ◊ Use computers and the Internet to create a new learning environment in their classrooms ◊ Devote more time to reading for information and scanning for answers – becoming better readers who comprehend more
◊ Students learn to work together and to stay on task because they are so interested in what they are doing ◊ Teachers know it takes time to build a community of learners in the classroom, but then students take responsibility ◊ Students are not playing games – they are enjoying their learning so much that they actually work more and thus learn more without really knowing it
◊ Increased collaboration between teachers and students generates excitement about what has been learned and how to make it all work ◊ Preparing students for the future – technology literacy and how to solve problems ◊ Less use of textbooks – saves money, expands resources available to students
eMINTS in grades 3-12
Why? So what? ◊ Six years of extensive data collection and analysis show statistically significant differences for 3 rd, 4 th, 5 th, 6 th, 7 th and 8 th grade students in eMINTS classrooms when compared to students not enrolled in eMINTS classrooms on the Missouri state- wide assessments of reading and mathematics.
◊ Test results show that, on most state tests, students enrolled in eMINTS classrooms scored higher than students enrolled in non-eMINTS classrooms. ◊ eMINTS4Utah, in Delaware and in Alabama replications show similar results for students in grades 4-8 on reading, mathematics and science, and writing assessments.
Performance of subgroups ◊ Low-income and special education students in eMINTS classes generally score higher than their non-eMINTS peers. ◊ Enrollment in an eMINTS classroom reduces the deficit for low-income students by about 45%. ◊ Enrollment in an eMINTS classroom reduces the overall difference for special education students by 53%.
Higher levels of performance for students in subgroups: low income and special education
From an eMINTS teacher “If I had to sum up what we went through with getting into eMINTS, it would be extensive training, really neat tech tools, collaboration, and teamwork with fellow teachers and students. Even though I have always taught using lots of manipulatives and hands-on techniques, eMINTS has dramatically changed how I teach and how my students learn. For me, it has helped keep me excited about teaching.” Ruth Petsel, eMINTS, Arcadia Valley R-2, MO
eMINTS National Center (573) Clark Hall Columbia, MO Experience Unlimited Possibilities for Learning