TWCA Apple Distinguished School iBook 2016

The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

The Woodlands Christian Academy The Woodlands Christian Academy exists to graduate Christ-centered students inspired to fulfill God's purpose for their lives as leaders - spiritually, academically, physically, and socially.

As an innovative leader among independent schools, we seek to produce 21st century learners who are ready to participate in our increasingly flat and globally connected world. Our governance board acknowledges that every child is uniquely and wonderfully made. Thus, we seek to differentiate instruction in order to inspire our students to find and develop their unique gifts and talents.

At present, we serve over 580 students and 120 faculty and staff members.

The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

Visionary Leadership Shared Leadership The school’s leadership team has continued to map out and discuss a compelling vision for 21st-century learning and innovation skills at Woodlands Christian.

We no longer simply talk about “technology” as an abstract term, rather we refer to it as part of “innovative learning,” (“Innovation”- introducing new things or methods), and have encouraged our faculty and staff to do the same. Technology at Woodlands Christian is an integral part of the teaching and learning process that facilitates innovation.

division. To better facilitate this, the ISTE Standards are available in our curriculum guides, Rubicon Atlas, to ensure these standards are met throughout each grade level.

The components of 21st-century learning (creativity and innovation, communication, collaboration, critical thinking) are at the core of the ISTE Standards for Students. The plethora of technological resources available to our faculty and staff provide a great vehicle for teaching these important skills to our students. Faculty and staff are

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards have been adopted as our technology integration standards. This means that as educational leaders within their division, each Associate Principal is responsible for modeling and implementing the ISTE Standards for Administrators.

Each Associate Principal is in turn held responsible and accountable for communicating the ISTE Standards for Teachers to their respective faculty and then creating, promoting and sustaining these standards within their The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

encouraged to leverage these resources at every opportunity.

As educational leaders, we want teachers to become increasingly aware of exactly how they are using technological resources. To do this we continue to promote the SAMR model. Our mantra has been, “SAMR is RECOGNITION, not PROGRESSION,” because, without sound content and pedagogy, technology is counterproductive.

Each Associate Principal has sought to raise faculty awareness of exactly how teachers are using technology resources ( substitution, augmentation, etc), and subsequently encouraged them to aim for a more transformative methodology. In addition to the ISTE standards, grade level objectives for the use of technology have also been formulated and distributed to all faculty. These objectives are available online, and faculty members are required and encouraged

“The use of laptops in the classroom at The Woodlands Christian Academy has added a new vitality and depth to my children’s ability to learn and master concepts in their classes. There are so many opportunities for the teacher to engage the students with creative lessons, give extra guidance through online videos, and bring in experts from around the globe by integrating a variety of curricula. My children are excited to learn at an Apple Distinguished School.”

Janice Freet - Chief Governance Officer Parent, Class of 2011, 2013, 2019

to refer to them as they seek to fully utilize the technological resources available to them.

To further strengthen our faculty's knowledge and use of technological and innovative resources, we have changed our requirement of three Continuing Education Units (CEUs) per year as an expectation of on-going professional development to six CEUs. Implicit in this change is that at least one of these CEU’s focus on some aspect of instructional technology.

Finally, the leadership team continues to encourage faculty and staff to leverage best practices in instructional technology by engaging with others. Through visits to peer schools, we seek out opportunities to learn and share how technology is being used effectively and innovatively. Participation in regional and national conferences offers the opportunity to collaborate with leaders in education who are optimizing technology tools to the benefit of our students. Hosting site visits for Apple training allows others to bring their best practices to our campus, further enabling us to implement their professional practices for our innovative growth.

Individual Leadership The two leaders responsible to ensure the consistency of Woodlands Christian’s innovation initiative and success are our Head of School, Julie Ambler, and our School Principal, Steve Zeal. Mrs. Ambler focuses on operations and capital gains, and Mr. Zeal focuses on the

The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

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academic and curriculum areas of the school. Each remain vital and active in the furthering of independent education in our school, community, and nation.

Mrs. Ambler holds a B.A and M.B.A. from The University of Texas in Austin. In 2015, Julie Ambler was named to the board of Summit Ministries, located in Manitou Springs, Colorado.

Founded in 1962, Summit Ministries is an educational training ministry; training young Christians in apologetics, worldview analysis, and social engagement. Summit Ministries reaches thousands of students each year through its various programs; encouraging Christians to stand strong in their faith and defend truth, equipping them to have a positive influence on the society in which they live.

Mrs. Ambler is past-president and co-founder of the Montgomery County Coalition of Christian Schools (MCCCS) and past-president of the Executive Women’s Alliance (EWA).

She currently serves as vice-chair on the board of Leadership Montgomery County (LMC), where she is slated to serve as chairman for 2016-2017. She is also a board member for the Rotary Club of The Woodlands (where she has been named a Paul Harris Fellow) and an Executive Board member of The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce.

“As a Head of School with a business background, I understood the urgency to equip techsavvy students for a global economy. Putting technology tools into the hands of our students and training our teachers to integrate technology into their curriculum have been priorities in recent years. I expected the students to enjoy using these tools. What surprised me was the increased rigor in their intellectual development. When I visit classes, I see students who are engaged in the learning process, working collaboratively, asking deeper questions, writing better, and enthusiastically embracing more demanding academic projects. More than ever, I see the value in reaching the many learning styles and interests of our students through technology. As a result, our commitment to using these tools and expecting higher tech competencies from our teachers have increased.” - Julie Ambler 4

Mr. Steve Zeal is originally from Wales. He has over thirty years in independent school education in the United Kingdom as well as the United States, twenty of those years in Christian education.

•Hosting a monthly meeting of the Houston Area Independent Schools technology consortium, faculty and staff shared technology

Mr. Zeal holds a B.A. Honors degree in History from the University of Winchester, England, a post-graduate Certificate of Education from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and Master of Education degree from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

In addition to his duties at Woodlands Christian, he has been the District Representative for the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) since 2006. ACSI is the largest Protestant Christian school organization in the world, serving over 23,000 schools and 5.5 million students globally.

Mr. Zeal has served on accreditation teams for both ACSI and AdvancED. He has presented at numerous workshops and at educator conferences in the areas of leadership and administration.

Community Engagement The continuing drive to innovate needs the support of our community in all areas. Woodlands Christian continues to engage our community through many student led and organized activities.

Highlights of hands on engagement include: •Woodlands Christian partnered with Montgomery County CASA to host a record-breaking Superhero Fun Run through Jones State Park.

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“The introduction of Apple products has had a huge impact on several levels for the students (past and present), and for the parents as well. By having consistent and reliable technology, our students enjoy equal access to a broad range of applications. Having two children who are graduates, and three still enrolled in Woodlands Christian, I can see the benefits of the Apple Initiative in my college graduates as well as my current students. The Apple Initiative has given my two graduates an advantage in college and the work force, and I know my younger children will receive the same benefits when they graduate as well. I attribute much of their success to the Woodlands Christian technology initiative.”

Judy Duroy, Vice-President, Optimum Computer Solutions, Inc. Parent, Class of 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022, and 2024

integration best practices with local schools.

•Our students collected 536 shoeboxes for “Operation Christmas Child”, a global outreach project of Samaritan’s Purse.

•Woodlands Christian Interact Club (Interact) and high school students organized and led our first annual STEAM Fun Day for lower school students. High school students buddied up with lower school students for the day and guided them through stations that were centered around Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, or Math activities.

•3rd grade students and parents created a “Fall Jamboree” with crafts, games, and lunch for approximately 50 women and children at the Montgomery County Women’s Center.

•Upper school students hosted Spring Fling for Magnolia Independent School District special needs students. The theme was Dr. Seuss and our students dressed up, played games, and created crafts for the youth.

•Through an Apple site visit, schools from across the greater state of Texas came to investigate how to start or strengthen their own technology initiative by learning from our faculty and staff.

•The National Junior Honor Society assisted Stonebridge Church in providing professional interview outfits and children’s clothing for area residents.

•Woodlands Christian athletes on the football and cheer teams sported pink attire in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month during the month of October. Our high school boys participated in a “No Shave November” for prostate cancer awareness.

•Interact was hard at work this year; they raised $2,000 for breast cancer research at St. Luke’s Hospital through Warrior Pink Out and Make a Stand for Breast Cancer, collected more than 30 prom dresses for A Dress for Barbara, sponsored a child in Zambia through Family Legacy, hosted movie night for students for the Make a Wish Foundation, and assisted with local community events like the MADD walk, Serving Our Seniors, Rotary Club Dinner honoring Congressman Kevin Brady, and Interfaith’s Feast of Sharing. The club received a Presidential Citation for the fourth year in a row from Rotary International for their service.

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Innovative Learning and Teaching Student Learning As an independent school our students come to us with a wide range of abilities, learning styles, and technology experience. Understanding that every student learns differently, The Woodlands Christian Academy uses varied and innovative learning experiences to empower students to become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers that are well versed in the use of technology.

Woodlands Christian’s one-to-one environment affords each student the opportunity to tailor their learning relevant to their interests and the way they learn best. Flexible learning groups in upper

grades and centers in lower grades create opportunities for differentiated learning. Self-paced learning devices and applications engage and challenge students to set personal goals. Younger students develop hand-eye coordination and enhance dextrous manipulations with Osmo, an iPad interactive game system. Through iCloud Collaboration students create original works and share those with real-world audiences. They also create and publish media rich projects using iMovie and iBooks Author to curate their research and learning. Blog posts, audio recordings, or presenting a live speech are just a few of the ways students choose to demonstrate their mastery of learning to their peers in the classroom or to a greater global audience through internet sharing.

Robotics and 3D printing allow students to be imaginative and innovative by solving real world problems through coding and programming.

Flipped lessons give the students time to participate in Socratic-based seminars in the classroom across all disciplines, thus developing critical thinking skills as they formulate original questions for these discussions.

Our digital learning environment gives students more voice and choice in classes which are The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

available beyond our walls as well. Online foreign language classes, creative digital media and photography courses, AP Physics II, and Health are just a few of the opportunities students may pursue based on their interest and personal learning goals.

Through self-direction and determination students develop ownership of their knowledge and learning, contributing to longterm retention and content mastery.

Instructional Practices Woodlands Christian’s Apple ecosystem allows us to apply new instructional practices to personalize and deepen student learning.

Ongoing professional development revealed opportunities for the practical use of technology in the classroom that were never imagined before. Putting these new practices into action has transformed our faculty pedagogy to allow for more inquiry, collaboration, personalization, and reflection.

responsibility to a group projects. Accessibility features of interactive, multi-touch textbooks from iTunes and other publishers allows students to adjust font sizes, background colors, and convert text to speech, so all students have full access to content despite their limitations. Online formative assessment tools offer faculty immediate feedback to student understanding allowing them to adjust their instruction. Through backchannel apps such as Socrative and Padlet, the more timid students find their voice and contribute to discussions allowing every student a chance to offer feedback to teachers and classmates. These instructional practices and many more intensify learning as an outcome of purposeful redesign to maximize student learning.

The incorporation of the Dr. Rueben Puentedura’s SAMR model into lesson planning and faculty self-reflection has been an integral part of this transformation in daily instructional practices. Faculty design their lessons to capitalize on our Apple ecosystem, serving as guides leading their students to discover deeper answers to questions through inquiry - not content to simply seek the “right answer.” Redesign of lessons to incorporate real-time collaboration through iCloud has heightened student involvement and The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

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Curriculum Design As a college preparatory school, Woodlands Christian strives to challenge our students to reach their highest potential. Faculty and administrators are capitalizing on the numerous resources by combining our one-to-one Apple environment with a rigorous and innovative curriculum to leverage technology.

Connecting through Professional Learning Networks (PLN) around the globe via the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and social media such as Twitter, faculty and administration exchange ideas with other innovative educators to bring best practices back to our campus. Through these PLNs and the Houston Area of Independent Schools, Woodlands Christian expands our shared network to further promote innovative learning through technology beyond our walls. Professional learning communities on campus foster collaboration across the grade levels and subjects, leading to more project based inquiry throughout our curriculum. Rubicon Atlas Mapping System allows faculty to collaborate across departments and grade levels to align all subjects in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade to create engaging learning opportunities for our students.

The incorporation of the ISTE Standards for Teachers in curriculum planning promotes the further integration of digital content as well as offering more digital content using iBooks Author and other content

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creation tools. Integrating multi-touch books from the iBooks Store The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

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and iTunes U courses have further enhanced our curriculum providing more diverse learning options for our students. Beyond these resources, Woodlands Christian’s faculty continue to seek and employ other digital content.

Their

goal is to redesign traditional content with the plan to ultimately benefit our students. Along with their Apple devices and this intentional curriculum redesign, our students are able to access information and collaborate as they investigate, debate, justify and explain with greater confidence and creativity.

Students were asked to reflect on technology in the classroom. Their responses were collected in real time on Padlet: https://padlet.com/coe/twca_ADS The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

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Ongoing Professional Learning Relevant and Timely 
 Professional Development The ultimate goal of any school should be improved student learning and engagement.

Woodlands Christian constantly strives to meet this goal by continuing to be learners ourselves through reflection, experimentation, and sharing.

Relevant and timely professional learning opportunities empower our faculty to maximize student learning outcomes.

As our student body, faculty and technology engagement grew over the last few years, it

technology tools that have been successful in their

became obvious that an individual who was

own classes.

trained in best practices for technology integration was needed. The Instructional

As with our students, teachers come to our

Technology Coordinator meets regularly with

community with varied levels of experience and

faculty and staff in order to solicit feedback on

mastery of 21st-century digital skills. To meet the

the needs of the Woodlands Christian

needs of every teacher, personalization of

community. Tech Lunches are offered regularly

professional development services on our campus.

to share the newest digital classroom tools and

While the Instructional Technology Coordinator

best practices. These brown-bag meetings are

meets one-on-one with anyone seeking further

offered to groups based on grade levels, areas

guidance or training, regularly scheduled

of interest, and appropriateness of subject

professional development sessions are tailored to

matter. Faculty members often lead these

meet the needs of larger groups while offering

meetings to share their experiences with new The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

differentiated instruction based on grade levels, areas of interests, and trending digital innovations.

These succinct sessions offer a range of topics from the basics of iWork and iLife suites to more engaged collaboration and communication digital tools. Faculty are given the choice of sessions available based on their needs. Often times, the Instructional Technology Coordinator meets with the various Professional Learning Communities during their regular planning times as they focus on how to increase student engagement.

Professional development is not constrained to our campus. Technology conferences beyond our walls offers the opportunity to learn from a greater professional network allowing us to learn from the best and bring those practices back to our school. Woodlands Christian is an active participant in professional development with the International Society for Technology in Education, Texas Computers in Education Association, Houston Area Independent Schools, Second Baptist School TechFest, and Apple Professional Development. While much is learned from collaboration in these organizations and events, Woodlands Christian also shares our experiences.  We often share our innovative practices with others who are pursuing the  same goal of improved student learning and engagement. This collaboration serves to help our faculty and other educators to refocus their teaching practices while creatively leveraging the available technology tools to ensure personal learning for their students.

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Compelling Evidence of Success Quantitative As a college preparatory school, Woodlands Christian realized the need for our students to be ready for college and career as 21st century digital citizens. To that end, we designed goals to support and sustain this ongoing technology initiative. Indicators of success of those goals include growing community interest, increased enrollment, exceptional test scores, distinguished college acceptances, and impressive merit based scholarship offers.

Data is routinely collected and analyzed to inform progress, measure success, and suggest areas of potential growth. The faculty and staff collect and analyze data to assess the needs of individual students and determine the effectiveness of various teaching modalities, including but not limited to a combination of traditional, blended, and distance learning.

Tracking activity on our social media platform has been informative in measuring the interest of the community with regard to our technology initiative at Woodlands Christian. Engagement with posts concerning digital learning, technology tools, and student involvement at our school indicate a high level of enthusiasm for continual support and growth of our efforts.

The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

Enrollment continues to grow at Woodlands Christian despite economic downtrends in the oil and gas industry, prevalent in our area. Over the last two years, we have maintained a high re-enrollment rate of 93% and 95% in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Overall enrollment rose 22% in the 2014 - 2015 academic year despite the fact that 30% of applicants were denied admission.

Standardized test scores of grades Kindergarten through Eighth grade highlight our upward trend in achievement. These students continue to score in the high 80th to mid 90th percentiles as a group, thus outscoring national, cohort, ACSI, as well as Regional ACSI averages.

Critical thinking skills and access to a global learning environment resulted in high SAT, ACT, and AP scores amongst our high school students over the last three years. Surpassing local, state, and national averages, Woodlands Christian students continue to raise the bar in testing achievement.

These outstanding scores have resulted in acceptance into some of the most prestigious colleges and universities across the country.

Outstanding scores led to impressive merit based scholarship offers. The 35 graduates of the Class of 2016 amassed $4,033,053 in meritbased scholarships, an average of over $115,230 per student.

Woodlands Christian’s commitment to our technology initiative has resulted in the school’s success as an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment.

Qualitative Commitment and engagement from all stakeholders is imperative to a successful technology initiative. Faculty, students, and community members reflect on their experience and impressions:

Tania Bryngleson, Parent, Class of 2020, 2022

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“Having access to such high quality technology at TWCA has made my high school experience quite efficient. This technology gives all teachers and students a number of ways to express their thoughts and ideas, which makes the learning environment that much more interesting and thus, I believe, more effective.”

Chloe Scrushy, Class of 2017 “Apple products serve as an integral part in the academic success of my students. We use technology daily. I use Apple TVs to project images from the MacBook Pro or iPad(s). Our classroom iPad cart allows my students to take ownership in their learning. They play reading and math games and track their own progress. In science lab, they learn how to code their own programs. Students also use the iPad with Osmo, integrating technology with hands-on activities. I am blessed to have so much access to technology for my students. They love using technology simply because it makes learning fun!”

Arianna Atler-Derr, 1st Grade Teacher

“The tech classes here are really informative and helpful, and this school is really neat for having them.”

Maddie Ganley, Class of 2019

“Having laptops is probably the best thing that the school has; being able to research, write notes quickly, write papers in school, etc. just makes the student’s lives a lot easier and helps the student gain knowledge. Also, being able to communicate with teachers in and out of class through email and having access to grades and homework throughout the day is all really helpful. I personally love having laptops because it is where we find our information, where we can present our information, and where we can put our information.”

Laura Walker, Class of 2017 “Technology at TWCA is integral to the success of my classroom. Although it cannot replace what I do instructionally, technology supports each of my lessons. I use Keynote in every class to visually link what I say to students’ comprehension. Each student uses their laptop to complete assignments and The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

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Flexible Learning Environment In our lower school, our teachers utilize centers, which allows the students to jump from spot to spot and learn about different things. In this setup, they use their iPad devices and laptops as well as SmartBoards.

Information Technology (IT) We consistently work to maintain and upgrade our systems on campus in order to make our school as functional and streamlined as possible.

School Design and Facilities Our campus is a wonderful place where we are able to learn from anywhere. We have flexible learning spaces where our students can engage in technology. From sitting in our stadium with their laptops and iPad devices, to learning under the shady trees in the grove, the students can engage in learning anywhere they go.

Our school is a one to one campus, meaning our students have all the technology they need in every class. We have iPad carts as well, which allow movement across campus.

At The Woodlands Christian Academy, we employ various cloud-based technologies. Our teachers and administration use ShareFile in order to save their important documents, and be able to access them on the go. In our classrooms, we use iCloud sharing for Keynotes, Pages, and Numbers. This enables the students to all collaborate at the same time on a project, and be able to work

from anywhere.

Recently, we upgrade our access points. These new Aerohive systems provide a dual band system that ensures speed and coverage without sacrificing wireless quality. We have them distributed across all of our campus to ensure that anyone, anywhere, can access the internet.

The Woodlands Christian Academy is an Apple Authorized Repair facility, which enables us to work on student laptops here on campus. We are able to get them back to the students quickly, without having to worry about taking laptops into a store or sending them out for repair. One of the great features of this is our diagnostic server. Just like the system Apple technicians use in retail stores, we can run more tests in order to troubleshoot student issues. This allows us to better determine an issue, and thus we can resolve problems and get the student (or teacher) back up and running quickly.

At the beginning of the 2015 school year, we added a state of the art track and football field to our campus. One of the features we wanted to set up was wireless internet in the stadium. Once the stadium was completed, we added a wireless access point and antennas to the press box. Thanks to this technology, our coaches, families, and visiting schools are able to join the internet while they sit in the stands and cheer everyone on to victory.

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Contribution and Credits School Liaison Mrs. Janet Coe Director of Technology and Innovation Email: jcoe@twca.net

In addition to the school liaison, the following people are able to address these areas.

Visionary Leadership Mrs. Julie Ambler Head of School Email: jambler@twca.net

Compelling Evidence of Success Mrs. D’Anne Surber Director of Enrollment and Marketing Email: dsurber@twca.net

Innovative Learning and Teaching Mr. Steve Zeal School Principal Email: szeal@twca.net

Flexible Learning Environment Mrs. Jennifer Beltracchi Information Technology Coordinator Email: jbeltracchi@twca.net

Ongoing Professional Learning Mrs. Janet Coe Director of Technology and Innovation Email: jcoe@twca.net

The Woodlands Christian Academy Interactive Book

21ST CENTURY LEARNERS An individual embracing competencies such as collaboration, digital literacy, critical thinking and problem solving.

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

ACADEMICALLY Woodlands Christian students are prepared for college. www.twca.net/college

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

ACSI Accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International seeks to validate quality and verify excellence based on a solid Christian philosophy of education foundation SOURCE: http://www.acsiglobal.org/accreditation

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

ADVANCED A non-profit, non-partisan organization that conducts rigorous, on-site external reviews of PreK-12 schools and school systems to ensure that all learners realize their full potential.

SOURCE: http://www.advanc-ed.org/about-us

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

AEROHIVE http://www.aerohive.com/

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Chapter 1 - Flexible Learning Environment

AP Advanced Placement Exams: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/home

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

APPLE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT http://www.apple.com/au/education/apd/

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Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

ASSOCIATION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS INTERNATIONAL Accreditation through ACSI seeks to validate quality and verify excellence based on a solid Christian philosophy of education foundation SOURCE: http://www.acsiglobal.org/accreditation

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

BACKCHANNEL APPS A backchannel is essentially a private or public chat room that you and your students can have conversations in while another activity is going on. For example, you can backchannel while watching a documentary film, while listening to a guest speaker, or as a place to record ideas and data during a class project. A backchannel gives students the opportunity to record their thoughts and ask their questions without having to wait to be called upon. A backchannel also gives teachers the opportunity to hear from more students more often.

SOURCE: https://sites.google.com/site/richardbyrnepdsite/backchannels

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

COHORT The cohort group compares our students with other students of similar socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS CEU stands for Continuing Education Unit. A CEU is a unit of credit equal to ten hours of participation in an accredited program designed for professionals with certificates or licenses to practice various professions.

SOURCE: http://www.orau.gov/tdd/ceus.pdf .

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

DR. RUEBEN PUENTEDURA Dr. Ruben Puentedura is the Founder and President of Hippasus, a consulting firm based in Western Massachusetts, focusing on transformative applications of information technologies to education.

SOURCE: http://www.hippasus.com/team/rrpuentedura.html

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

FLIPPED LESSONS Flipped Lessons is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.

SOURCE: http://flippedlearning.org/domain/46

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning.

SOURCE: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

HOUSTON AREA INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS Houston Area Independent Schools (also known as Houston Area Private Schools) is a nonprofit professional association that includes 89 member schools throughout the greater Houston area.

SOURCE: http://www.houstonprivateschools.org

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IBOOKS AUTHOR Students and faculty use iBooks Author to create interactive books viewable on the iOS devices..

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ICLOUD COLLABORATION Students and faculty collaborate in real time using iCloud with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

ILIFE Students and faculty use iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand.

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IMOVIE Students, faculty, and staff use Apple’s video creation tool, iMovie, to create original videos and share them with their teachers and peers.

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INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR The Instructional Technology Coordinator is responsible for sharing best practices using technology with various campus stakeholders.

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Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

INTERFAITH www.woodlandsinterfaith.org

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION http://www.iste.org/

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

ISTE International Society for Technology in Education: http://www.iste.org/

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ISTE STANDARDS FOR ADMINISTRATORS http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-administrators

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/for-students-2016

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ISTE STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS http://www.iste.org/standards/standards/standards-for-teachers

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ITUNES Students and faculty access content from iTunes, App Store, iBooks, and iTunes U.

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

ITUNES U Students and faculty access content from iTunes, App Store, iBooks, and iTunes U.

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IWORK Students and faculty use Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.

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Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

LEADERSHIP MONTGOMERY COUNTY (LMC) Leadership Montgomery County (LMC) - Mrs. Ambler: board member, board secretary, chairman of the leadership development committee www.lmctx.org

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

MCCCS Montgomery County Coalition of Christian Schools (MCCCS) - Mrs. Ambler: founder and past president www.mcccs.org

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MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS The 35 graduates of the Class of 2016 amassed $4,033,053 in merit-based scholarships, an average of over $115,230 per student.

(Photo taken prior to final total.)

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

MONTGOMERY COUNTY COALITION OF CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS Montgomery County Coalition of Christian Schools (MCCCS) - Mrs. Ambler: founder and past president

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY https://www.njhs.us/?SSO=true

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

OSMO an iPad interactive game system https://www.playosmo.com/en/

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

OUR COMMUNITY Our students, faculty, and staff are involved in a number of community services and events: • Montgomery County CASA http://casaspeaks4kids.com/ • Houston Area Independent Schools technology consortium http:// www.houstonprivateschools.org/ • “Operation Christmas Child”, a global outreach project of Samaritan’s Purse https:// www.samaritanspurse.org/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/ • Montgomery County Women’s Center http://mcwctx.org/ • Magnolia Independent School District Special Needs Students. http://www.magnoliaisd.org/ apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=259457&type=d&pREC_ID=592216 • Stonebridge Church http://gostonebridge.com/ • Breast Cancer Awareness Month http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancerawareness-month • St. Luke’s Hospital http://www.sleh.com/ • A Dress for Barbara http://adressforbarbara.org/ • Family Legacy http://familylegacy.com/ • Make a Wish Foundation www.wish.org • MADD http://www.madd.org/ • Serving Our Seniors http://woodlandsinterfaith.org/programs-services/senior-services • Rotary Club of The Woodlands www.rotary.org • Interfaith’s Feast of Sharing http://woodlandsinterfaith.org/ • Rotary International https://www.rotary.org/en •

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

PADLET An online collaboration tool: https://padlet.com/

(To explore this Padlet, go to https://padlet.com/coe/twca_ADS)

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

PHYSICALLY Woodlands Christian students learn to make healthy lifestyle choices as well as excel on the court, field, and many areas of athletic competition.

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES www.twca.net/college

The Woodlands Christian Academy College Acceptances Texas Colleges

Boston University Brevard College Butler University Abilene Christian University California Lutheran University Angelina College Case Western Reserve University Angelo State University Cedarville University Austin College Centenary College Baylor University Chapman University Dallas Baptist University Christopher Newport University East Texas Baptist University Clemson University Hardin Simmons University College of Charleston Houston Baptist University Colorado School of Mines Howard Payne University Colorado State University Lamar University Concordia University Le Tourneau University Cornell University Lubbock Christian University Covenant Bible College McMurry University Creighton University Midwestern State College Cumberland College Saint Edward’s University DePaul University Saint Thomas University Drake University Sam Houston State University Drexel University San Angelo State University East Carolina University Schreiner University Eckerd College Southern Methodist University Elon University Southwestern University Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Stephen F. Austin University University Tarleton State University Emerson College Texas A&M at Galveston Emory and Henry College Texas A&M University Emory University Texas Christian University Evangel University Texas College Fairfield University Texas Lutheran University Ferrum College Texas State University Flagler College Texas Tech University Florida Atlantic University Texas Wesleyan University Florida State University Trinity University Fordham University University of Dallas Fort Lewis College University of Houston University of Mary-Hardin Baylor Furman University Georgia Institute of Technology University of North Texas Georgia Tech University University of Texas, Arlington Green Mountain College University of Texas, Austin Greensboro College University of Texas, Dallas University of Texas, San Antonio Harding University Hendrix College University of Texas, Tyler High Point University Wiley College Indiana University West Texas A&M University Juniata College Kansas Wesleyan Outside Texas Kettering University Lewis & Clark College Agnes Scott College Liberty University Appalachian College Louisiana State University Appalachian State University Loyola Marymount University Arizona State University Loyola University - Chicago Asbury University Lyon College Auburn University Marietta College Azusa Pacific University Marquette University Barry University Mars Hill College Barton College Mary Washington College Belmont University Miami University of Ohio Biola University

Michigan State University Millsaps College Mississippi State University Missouri University of Science and Technology North Carolina State University Northern Arizona University North Park University Northwestern Michigan College Northwood University Occidental College Oglelthorpe University Ohio State University Ohio Wesleyan University Oklahoma Baptist University Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Wesleyan College Oral Roberts University Otis College of Art & Design Parson’s School of Design Pennsylvania State University Pepperdine University Point Loma Nazarene University Presbyterian College Purdue University Rhodes College Rose Hulman Institute of Tech Saint John’s University Saint Norbert College Samford University Santa Clara University Santa Fe University Savannah College of Art & Design Sewanee: The University of the South South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Southeastern Louisiana University Southern Arkansas University Southern Illinois University Southwest Baptist University State University of New York Binghamton State University of New York Buffalo Stetson University Stevens Institute of Technology The Citadel The Kings College The Master’s College Tulane University Tusculum College University of Alabama, Birmingham University of Alabama University of Arkansas University of California at Los Angeles University of California San Diego

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

University of California Irvine University of California Santa Barbara University of Central Florida University of Colorado at Boulder University of Dayton University of Denver University of Delaware University of Evansville University of Florida University of Hawaii University of Illinois University of Indianapolis University of Kansas University of Maine University of Maryland University of Miami University of Minnesota University of Mississippi University of Nebraska University of Nevada University of New Orleans University of North Carolina University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania University of Puget Sound University of South Alabama University of South Carolina University of Southern California University of St. Thomas University of the Pacific University of Tulsa University of Vermont University of Washington University of Wisconsin University of Wyoming US Air Force Academy Vanderbilt University Virginia Military Institute Wake Forest University Washburn College Washington University, St. Louis Webster University West Virginia University Westmont College Wheaton College William Carey University William Jewel College Wingate University Winona State University Wofford College International Colleges Carleton University Queens University Richmond University, London University of London University of British Columbia University of Waterloo

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING NETWORKS Personal Learning Network, or PLN, is a tool that uses social media and technology to collect, communicate, collaborate and create with connected colleagues anywhere at any time.

Participating educators, worldwide, make requests and share resources.

SOURCE: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/how-do-i-get-a-pln-tom-whitby

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

ROBOTICS The VEX Robotics Design System offers students an exciting platform for learning about areas rich with career opportunities spanning science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Source: https://www.vexrobotics.com/wiki/Main_Page See also: http://www.vexrobotics.com/

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

ROTARY CLUB Rotary Club of The Woodlands - Mrs. Ambler: board member, community service chair, Interact liaison www.rotary.org

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

RUBICON ATLAS MAPPING SYSTEM An online, curriculum mapping tool: https://www.rubicon.com/offerings/atlas-curriculumdesign/

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

SAMR MODEL Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition A method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and learning. It also shows a progression that adopters of educational technology often follow as they progress through teaching and learning with technology.

SOURCE: www.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model

See also: http://www.hippasus.com/team/rrpuentedura.html

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

SAT Scholastic Aptitude Test: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

SECOND BAPTIST SCHOOL TECHFEST Annual technology conference hosted by Second Baptist School: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat

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Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

SHAREFILE ShareFile is a secure enterprise file sync and share system.

SOURCE: https://www.sharefile.com/

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Chapter 1 - Flexible Learning Environment

SOCIALLY Woodlands Christian students develop the social skills necessary to build life long friendships and collaborate effectively with others. www.twca.net/beyond

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

SOCRATIC-BASED SEMINARS An intellectual dialogue facilitated with open-ended questions about a text.

SOURCE: www.nwabr.org/sites/default/files/SocSem.pdf

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

SOCRATIVE An online engagement tool where students share their understanding by answering formative assessment questions in a variety of formats: quizzes, quick question polls, exit tickets and space races.

SOURCE: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/socrative-student/id477618130?mt=8 See also: http://www.socrative.com/

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SPIRITUALLY Woodlands Christian students are prepared for the challenges of life that are not learned in the classroom but through spiritual disciplines and development. (click on glossary index to view photo) https://www.twca.net/hschapel

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

STANDARDIZED TEST Terra Nova A full battery of constructed-response and selected-response test items provides detailed diagnostic information on students' basic and applied skills.

SOURCE: http://www.ctb.com

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Chapter 1 - Compelling Evidence of Success

STAR WARS Logo and Music (“March of the Empire”): Copyrighted by LucasFilm(Disney) and 20th century FOX.

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STEAM STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking.

SOURCE: http://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

SUMMIT MINISTRIES Founded in 1962, Summit Ministries is an educational training ministry; training young Christians in apologetics, worldview analysis, and social engagement. Summit Ministries reaches thousands of students each year through its various programs; encouraging Christians to stand strong in their faith and defend truth, equipping them to have a positive influence on the society in which they live.

Source: http://www.summit.org/

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

TEXAS COMPUTERS IN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION http://www.tcea.org/

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Chapter 1 - Ongoing Professional Learning

THE WOODLANDS AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Greater Woodlands Chamber of Commerce - Mrs. Ambler: various support roles www.woodlandschamber.org

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership

THE WOODLANDS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY www.twca.net

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Chapter 1 - The Woodlands Christian Academy

TWITTER Twitter: https://twitter.com/twcawarriors

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Chapter 1 - Innovative Learning and Teaching

WOODLANDS CHRISTIAN INTERACT CLUB https://www.twca.net/page.cfm?p=1079&LockSSL=true

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Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership Chapter 1 - Visionary Leadership