Productivity


 * Write your summarizing comments about "Productivity" here: **

MZ Summary: The goal of the chapter on productivity is to "redesign processes and structures to take advantage of the power of technology to improve learning outcomes while making more efficient use of time, money, and staff." At Connections Academy, our Learning Management System (LMS), is at the core our success with regard to increasing productivity through the use of technology. Our online gradebook that is available 24/7 and our teachers who work with students via synchronous chat are but two examples of how technology is used at Connections Academy to increase productivity, The chapter discusses creating systems of "interoperability" (p.66). Our Learning Management System is our "one stop data warehouse" for curriculum management, user information (parent, learning coach, student and teacher), communication (webmail, issue-tracking, message boards) and assessment. Depending on the role of the individual, permissions to the LMS vary. Data is readily avalailable to students, parents, teachers, administrators, and central office. The LMS allows for reports pertinent to each user level with the click of a button. Silos are not in the CA vocabulary. The LMS is available to all CA members 24/7. The issue of seattime is nonexistent, as our students are able to learn and work any time of any day, and they have online teachers who offer flexible work hours. Teachers focus on differentiating instruction, based on a Personal Learning Plan designed for each student. School closings do not stop students from learning any more than weather does in the virtual world. The biggest issue CA has with seattime demands comes from legislatures at the State level who mandate seat time, which sometimes makes the acceptance of virtual schooling difficult to impossible, short of changing outdated laws of this nature. Our system is set up to allow students, regardless of age, to access courses of interest and academic need to the student. Again, it is State mandates that prohibit First Graders from completing Third Grade work, appropriate to a particular learner.

With regard to what is missing in this section of the Plan, we would like to see a clearer delineation between the interest in extended learning time versus the irrelevancy of seat time. We would also like to see more examples of how education can beat the productivity paradox that the business world has already accomplished.

TD: **Please click on the link below to see a wordle I created from key words in our reading!** Productivity Wordle


 * What is missing**:
 * a more clear deliniation between extended learning time and seat-time being irrelevant arguement that was mentioned in the Reorganizing teaching and learning section.
 * I would like to see more examples of how education can beat the productivity paradox that businesses seem to have already.
 * Examples at CA**:
 * our PLPs speak to differentiated instruction (in the Reorganizing teaching and learning section)
 * our gradebook is available 24/7 and pacing is somewhat individualized (in the Reorganizing teaching and learning section)
 * teachers have flexible office hours (in the Extended learning time section)
 * our online learning is considerably more cost-effective (in the Extended learning time section)
 * Our escalation process is similar to the "learning dashboard" (in the Reducing Barriers section)
 * We have credit-recovery program through NaCA (in the Reducing Barriers section)

I liked the focus on the unique uses of online learning, particularly for reducing dropout rates. I liked the focus on data driving curriculum, instruction, and assessment-- something we do quite well at CA, btw!
 * Overall:**