VISION OF A BETTER

EDUCATIONAL FUTURE IN IVY

DRIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
ASHLEY WESTMAN
POST UNIVERSITY

IVY DRIVE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Located in Bristol, CT
One of six K-5 elementary schools
Opened up in 1967
Current School Motto: Be the Best You Can Be
said by principal Dr. RoseAnne Vojtek.

Theme of the 2015-2016 school year was Mining

the Craft; based on the video game Minecraft

PBIS School with schoolwide assemblies every

month

Community Service Projects: 1 per grade level

throughout the year

Figure 1. Ivy Drive School made

from bricks throughout the year
(Vojtek 2015)

TECHNOLOGIES

Flipped Classroom Approach

Allows for students to watch

videos/lectures outside the

classroom
Less teacher directed lessons
Students can learn at own pace

In Ivy Drive:

Able to work in smaller groups

Peers can teach each other
what was learned the night
before

Bring Your Own Device

Students can bring in own

phones, tablets, or laptops
Increases productivity in
classroom

In Ivy Drive:

Less Chromebook confusion

Use Google Apps to share files
and work together
Greater peer collaboration

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS
Computer Based Learning

Can easily access information that, best suits their own learning
styles (Leer and Ivanov 2013)
Allows easier differentiation for teachers
Videos such as Khan Academy can be used to support learning

Blended Learning

Online learning along with face to face instruction

Information can be provided using more than one method

Assessment

Change the ways of the curriculum

Portfolios
Assessed based on own interests and strengths

ECONOMIC TRENDS
Energy

No energy = no electricity = no technology

Increased use of fossil fuels and wind power
Plenty of energy in the world to keep electricity running (Glenn 2014)

Gap Between Rich and Poor

Less poverty, but larger gap between those who are poor and extremely
wealthy
Instability in the world
Title I program helps schools, but still faces many challenges

Who Is Paying

Currently funded by state, federal, and local governments (Education

Commission 2013)
Some states determine wealth based on property, others on income tax

DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS
Immigration
More immigration than emigration which is increasing population
Come the United States from countries all over the world of all ethnic
groups and races

Fertility
Range of women having children is now at 15 to 44 years of age
Will increase with years to come
Fertility rate is, higher in Hispanic groups compared to whites
(Shrestha and Heisler 2011)

Age Gap Widens

Past years show an increase in younger population (ages 0-19)
Recent years show increase in older population as well (ages 65 and up)
Future is showing an overall increase in all age groups

SCENARIOS
Well thought out plans for the future vision
Should be consistent and compatible (Mietzner and Reger
2005)
but realistic
Differentiated,
Positives
Futuristic idea
Create shorter term
goals along the way
for the one long term
vision
Allows for flexibility
and greater

Negatives
Requires a lot of
analyzing
Involves subjective
judgements
Different variables to
consider

SCANNING
Watching and assessing the environment to ensure the final
goal is being reached

Includes observations and research-based data

Positives:

Shows the direction in which change is occurring

Helps to monitor the scenarios implemented

Negatives:

Data collection: necessary, but can take a long time or be difficult to

find

VISION/PLAN
New behavior charts with positive reinforcements and rewards
Chromebook cart in every room
Students can bring in their own devices
Flipped classroom will create more group work and allow for
better differentiation

Blended learning approach

Assessment will be based on portfolios, projects, and
application problems

PLAN FOR CHANGE

Collaborate; everybody needs to be implementing same
methods

Schoolwide positive reward system

Parent survey on how technologies will work for them
Budget needs to be reviewed and discussed
Teacher training on programs and ways of teaching
School-wide curriculum

CALL FOR ACTION

Recreate Ivy Drive School website

States following year objectives

Survey for parents on technologies and internet access

Teacher Training

End of year/beginning of following year PDs

Summer training
Grade levels must meet together

REFERENCES
Borgioli, G. M., Ociepka, A., & Coker, K. (2015). A Playbill: Rethinking Assessment in Teacher
Education.Journal Of The Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning,15(3), 68-84.

City-data. (2016). Bristol, Connecticut [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.citydata.com/city/Bristol-Connecticut.html

Connecticut State Department of Education. (2015). Public School Enrollment [Data file].
Retrieved from http://edsight.ct.gov/SASPortal/main.do

Education Commission. (August 2013).Who Pays the Tab for K-12 Education?: How state
allocate their share of education cost.The Progress of Education Reform, 14(4), 1-7.

Glenn, J. C. (2014). Our Global Situation and Prospects for the Future.Futurist,48(5), 14-20
Gordon, David (Producer). (November 3, 2012).The Changing State of US Ethnicity. BBC
News. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-20187325

Grant, C. g., & Arnold, N. W. (2015). The Title I Program.International Journal Of Educational
Reform,24(4), 363-375.

[Khan Academy]. (2011, December 27). Year 2060: Education Predictions. [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKrFcgVSIU&feature=youtu.be

Leer, R., & Ivanov, S. (2013).Rethinking The Future Of Learning: The Possibilities And
Limitations Of Technology In Education In The 21st Century.International Journal Of
Organizational Innovation, 5(4), 14-20.

REFERENCES CONT.
Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for
strategic foresight.Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220239.

Prensky, M., (2013).Our Brains Extended.Educational Leadership, 70(6) 22-27.

Riedel, C., (February 3, 2014).10 Major Technology Trends in Education. The Journal. Retrieved

from https://thejournal.com/Articles/2014/02/03/10-Major-Technology-Trends-in-Education.aspx?
Page=1

Shrestha, L. B. & Heisler, E. J. (2011).The changing demographic profile of the United

States[Electronic version]. Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service. Retrieved from:

http://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1830&context=key_workplace

Smith, S. J., & Harvey, E. E. (2014). K-12 online lesson alignment to the principles of Universal
Design for Learning: the Khan Academy.Open Learning,29(3), 222-242.
doi:10.1080/02680513.2014.992402

Sobrero, P., (2004).The steps for futuring.Journal of Extention, 42(3). Retrieved from
http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php

Starko, A. a. (2013). Creativity on the Brink.Educational Leadership,70(5), 54-56.

Vojtek, R. O. (2015). Principals Page. Ivy Drive School. Retrieved from:
http://www.bristol.k12.ct.us/ivy-drive-school/about/principals-page

Waldman, L. (2002, October 18). School Marks 35 Years. Hartford Courant. Retrieved from

http://articles.courant.com/2002-10-18/news/0210181784_1_elementary-schools-ivy-driveschool-school-marks