Overview of the New K-16 Instruction and Technology Integration Model

 

Instruction and Technology Integration Model
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Since 2014, Dr. Phillip W. Van Hickman has served as the superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in Mississippi. As a result of his introduction of new educational technology, the poorly performing school district experienced a large-scale transformation that brought about improvements in student academic performance and national recognition for the turnaround. On the basis of that work, Dr. Phillip W. Van Hickman subsequently partnered with Getting Smart to develop a new teaching program called the K-16 Instruction and Technology Integration Model (K-16 ITI).

The K-16 ITI ensures that students are equipped to compete in a global society. To that end, the model guides teachers as they incorporate technology and personalized learning techniques into their daily paradigm.

The K-16 ITI basically provides a technology-integration strategy and learning format. Its teaching and personalized learning process involves four phases: I Do, We Do, They Do, and You Do. When teachers faithfully follow this sequence, with the help of cutting-edge technology, they can efficiently tailor instruction to meet students’ individual needs and realize swift progress.

The first phase involves teacher-driven instruction (I Do). The teacher introduces new learning and demonstrates the concepts within the lesson. Next, a group-driven discovery phase (We Do, They Do) is initiated, which involves student discussion and self-assessment. Following that group learning practice, students embark on independent practice (You Do). Teachers are encouraged to establish high-impact centers and incorporate their use into their lesson plans in order to help students more effectively communicate, collaborate, think critically, and discover creative solutions.

A Brief Introduction to School Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology
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The superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in Mississippi, Dr. Phillip W. Van Hickman has become a noted speaker on topics related to education and has spoken at numerous professional conferences. Dr. Phillip W. Van Hickman’s areas of interest include neuropsychology.

School neuropsychology applies the study of behavior and thinking to the education system and includes assessing the capabilities of students to provide intervention practices that promote good behavior and enhance learning. School neuropsychology also involves areas such as curriculum development and classroom design.

The neuropsychological element takes assessment to the next level by addressing neurological functions that traditional psychological analysis leaves out. For example, a neuropsychologist evaluates abilities such as visual-spatial processes, sensorimotor functions, and the efficiency and rate of the cognitive process.

In an academic setting, neuropsychology means looking beyond simple labels such as “learning disabilities” to the specific neurological processes that function at lower levels. Consequently, identification of a reading disability includes specifying dysphonetic or orthographic difficulties or other challenges.

United States Department of Education – Teacher to Teacher Initiative

Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative
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With years of experience as a superintendent, principal, dean and consultant, Dr. Philip Hickman also has served as an adjunct professor for institutions such as Lonestar College in Houston, Texas, and Concordia University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Philip Hickman also has presented educational workshops for the United States Department of Education.

Created to advance the educational system across the country, the United States Department of Education sponsors numerous workshops and programs to help educators stay current on educational initiatives and teaching formats. One such workshop is the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative.

Designed as a roundtable format, the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative brings educators from around the country together to discuss the No Child Left Behind legislation and how teachers can obtain better. Originally enacted by President George W. Bush in 2002, No Child Left Behind requires that students in third through eighth grade be tested to meet national standards in math and reading. The Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative allows educators to discuss methods pertaining to the program, including professional development and effective teaching techniques that will help increase student success.

About the Instruction and Technology Integration Model

Instruction and Technology Integration Model
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As head of Mississippi’s Columbus Municipal School District, nationally certified superintendent Dr. Philip Hickman serves a diverse student body with a large population of low-income learners. To serve this population, Dr. Philip Hickman developed the K-16 Instruction & Technology Integration model.

The Instruction & Technology Integration model, or ITI, allows students to engage with open instructional material through four phases of learning. The four phases align with the pedagogical phases of teacher-driven instruction, guided group work, independent group work, and individual student engagement. Each phase provides structured entries into instruction and encourages a natural progression from reception of information to independent work.

In the first phase, the teacher presents new information about a particular concept. Technology serves as the vehicle through which the instructor shares this material. The teacher then monitors and guides technology-supported learning and group work, which provides opportunities for feedback. The third phase allows students to individually demonstrate their understanding of the material, while the teacher reflects on levels of mastery and offers support.

Evaluation from the teacher informs the fourth phase. This places students within high-impact centers, or HIC’s, which may be guided or independent depending on individual student needs. This phase enables students to engage in the four C’s of communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, all of which are necessary if the material is to become part of each student’s working knowledge base.

EdNet Insight – The State of Personalized Learning

 

EdNet Insight
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As the current superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in Columbus, Mississippi, Philip Hickman provides educational consulting services to many institutions and academies. As an education professional with more than 15 years of experience, Dr. Philip Hickman has also authored several articles regarding educational advancements, including an article on the EdNet Insight website published December 9, 2016, entitled “The State of Personalized Learning.”

A modern advancement in education, personalized learning provides students with the opportunity to learn according to their own schedule and degree of comprehension. Lessons are usually available to students in digital format, giving them the ability to learn at a speed that is comfortable for them.

Personalized learning is being phased into the public education system to allow for optimum integration. Current programs focus on first generation methods, which give teachers personalized data on each student to assess their achievement levels, and second generation techniques, which provide teachers with the details of the grade level at which a student is performing. The third generation is expected to focus on adaptive instruction, using artificial intelligence to effectively offer truer individualized education.

School Districts Worth Watching – Top Picks from Getting Smart

Getting Smart
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A proponent of enterprising new educational models, Dr. Philip Hickman serves as superintendent of Missouri’s Columbus Municipal School District. There, he used digital technologies and open-source educational materials to improve school performance. These changes earned Dr. Philip Hickman’s district a place on Getting Smart’s list of 30 School Districts Worth Watching, which also includes:

1. Reynoldsburg Schools in Ohio. This school system has made STEM learning a priority. It features four innovative academies for high school students, one of which is wholly STEM-centric. An intelligent feeder pattern channels students into the right learning environments, and blended learning lets students learn both online and in classrooms.

2. The Kettle Moraine School District in Wisconsin. This district has made smart use of charter schools at all age levels. Elementary students have access to an open-learning environment where they collaborate on couches instead of listening at desks. High school students have three different flex high schools to choose from, each with a different theme.

3. The Sanborn Regional School District in New Hampshire. Competency-based learning is a priority in this district. At the high school, students participate in a Focused Learning Period. This daily activity gives them 40 minutes to get extra help, expand on classroom learning, and dive deeper into their curriculum with an advisor’s support.

Two Benefits of Technology in the Classroom

Technology in the Classroom
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An education professional with more than 15 years of experience, Superintendent Philip Hickman oversees the Columbus Municipal School District, located in Columbus, Mississippi. In his district and as an ambassador for the United States Department of Education, Dr. Philip Hickman advocates for the use of technology as a means for personalizing the learning process.

Despite the ubiquity of technology, many schools either lack access to digital learning tools or they have yet to harness them. Having a variety of educational software and programs, such as learning-games, virtual tutoring, and apps, allows teachers to guide their students at an individualized pace, and recent data illustrates the importance of overcoming obstacles to bringing these resources to the classroom.

One study carried out by the RAND Corp. showed that students in a personalized learning environment notably improved in math and reading when compared to their peers in a traditional classroom setting. The research also revealed that as children get more accustomed to technology-assisted instruction, their levels of academic growth rise at a higher rate. Third-year participants increased their performance by a wider margin over their first-year counterparts.

Superintendent Speaks at AASA Personalization Cohort

American Association of School Administrators
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Dr. Philip Hickman serves as the superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in Mississippi. In this position, he works to manage all functions of the district and oversee educational standards. In 2016, Dr. Philip Hickman was selected to speak at the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) Personalization Cohort, a meeting that gathered leading education professionals together to discuss efforts they have made to incorporate personalized learning into their districts.

The meeting took place in Oceanside, California, at the offices of Quantum Learning. Approximately 40 superintendents were in attendance, along with influential team members.

Personalized education removes the emphasis placed on standardized learning and replaces it with a student-centered approach that is tied to rigorous common standards. To incorporate personalized approaches to learning, leaders must continually strive to present material in an innovative, dynamic way. Through the adoption of personalized methods, students can be educated in a way that best fits their interests and learning styles.

National Symposium Discusses Benefits of Open-License Materials

#GoOpen
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In addition to his responsibilities as the superintendent of the Columbus Municipal School District in Columbus, Mississippi, Dr. Philip Hickman is a sought-after conference speaker and presenter. Dr. Philip Hickman works to transform traditional approaches to education by incorporating new technologies and teaching methods. In 2015, he was invited to participate in a US Department of Education symposium that discussed the benefits of using open-license electronic materials in lieu of traditional textbooks.

At the symposium, an initiative titled #GoOpen was launched. This initiative encourages the nation’s school districts to use public funds to purchase open-licensed materials instead of traditional resources. The reallocation of funds allows districts to invest the money normally spent on textbooks on purchasing other learning tools that take educational methods into the next generation. Six districts, including the Columbus Municipal School District, became ambassadors for the program. These districts serve as mentors for other districts looking to incorporate open-license materials into their curriculums.

Open-license materials are educational resources that can be used without cost and without violating copyright laws. By drawing on open-license electronic materials, all districts, regardless of their location or budget, have access to quality learning materials.