Thinking About Learning

This spring my district offered our teachers a wonderful grant opportunity, the DLT Mac Grant, Designing and Learning with Technology and a Mac.  After submitting grant proposals, 24 teachers were selected to receive equipment and training.  Fortunately, 2 of my teachers applied and won!  They each received a MacBook, 2 Mac-minis, 2 KVM switches, 3 iPods, a microphone, and a digital camera.   The purpose of the grant is to focus “on changing pedagogy to improve student learning rather than acquiring technology skills.”

As their supporting TIS, I also received a MacBook.  We spent 4 days in early June learning about our new equipment (we are a PC district), and “learning how to infuse technology into the classroom curriculum by conducting research, completing an assigned project using available technology tools, and designing a curriculum unit.” (The quotes are from the original grant flyer.)  I did a presentation about project-based learning for the training, and we also set up a Diigo DLT Mac user group so we can share resources.  It was a great, intensive week!  There was a lot to learn, but we jumped right in.  The group was very motivated and enthusiastic.  It will be exciting to see the outcome of this grant.  Our district has purchased a new Apple server, so we will be able to host our own blogs, wikis, and podcasts next year.  I am so proud be part of a district that is proactive with 21st Century learning and technology.  I think that providing this grant opportunity is an excellent way to begin developing those pedagogical changes that are necessary if we are going to be effective educators in this rapidly changing world.

I regret that I was out of the blogging loop for the last couple of months.  Finishing up the school year, having a son graduating from high school,  and a daughter planning a wedding, I’ve just had a lot on my plate!  Now it’s nice to have some time to relax and reflect.

My first year as a technology integration specialist was wonderful!  I was a little apprehensive about starting in a new school after teaching in my previous school for 14 years, but I was very warmly received.  My teachers were very welcoming to me, and they were receptive to what I had to offer in the realm of technology.  I was impressed that they were so open to trying something new.  One of my greatest impacts this year was with blogging.  In December I started with a couple of fifth grade classes, and by February, over 220 of the students in my school had their own blogs.  Students loved it and would ask me in the halls in the morning, “Are we coming to blog today?”  Teachers loved it as a way for students to reflect on their learning.  It was definitely a win-win scenario!

My other area of positive impact this year was  project-based learning.   Podcasting,  Photo Story, and research using Open Mind were some of the most engaging learning activities.  The last month of school, I had a second grade students who each researched an animal and wrote digital stories about their animals based on the book, Diary of a Worm.  They navigated through our school’s social bookmarking site, Diigo,  to locate information to research, wrote and edited text, located copyright permissible images, created a PowerPoint, converted it to JPEGS, created a Photo Story with it, and narrated it.  These second graders learned and used technology skills that many teachers don’t possess.  I was very impressed with what they accomplished.  It was so much fun to work with them, because every new thing that I showed them received a “WOW” reaction.   They were so motivated and enthusiastic!  I don’t think Disney World would measure much higher on their “WOW” meters.  They were sponges soaking it all in and loving every minute of it.  I can’t wait to see what these kids will accomplish next year as third graders!

In thinking about next year, I want to continue with the blogging and projects.  Some other goals I have are to get my teachers more involved with using Diigo and to focus more on using Web 2.0 tools for assessment.  Another emphasis will be to raise awareness with my teachers about copyright issues related to the Internet, fair use, and Creative Commons.  I also want to be a catalyst for greater collaboration among teachers.

I had a fabulous year! This job change was the right thing at the right time in my life.  I have made new friends and learned so much.  I’m already excited about next year…the journey continues!

At last! With the release of Diigo 3 and the subsequent chatter in the Twitterverse, this great social bookmarking app is finally getting the attention it deserves!! Until recently I only had 2 close friends who were Diigo users. We included a social bookmarking page on our Digital Educators wiki to use in our Diigo evangelization efforts in our district. In spite of our best efforts, we’ve been unable to convert many other Technology Integration Specialists or teachers to our way of thinking about the advantages of Diigo. People just have a hard time moving out of their delicious comfort zones, but maybe some will be willing to jump on this bandwagon soon.

Here’s how I’m introducing Diigo at my K-5 school…I set up a school-wide Diigo account. Only teachers have the ability to add bookmarks (they’re still learning about tagging), but students can access the bookmarks. It’s a great way for teachers to collaborate and save sites for students to use for research, extending learning, and at-home study. Students use the highlighting tool when they are researching. When I taught them how to use the highlighting, we had a fabulous lesson about finding main ideas and determining important information.

Diigo 3 offers some useful new tools. A Diigo sidebar allows quick and easy access to your bookmarks, annotations, and other readers of your URLs. The bookmarking dialogue box offers a suggested tag and the option to share it with friends, groups or Twitter. The send button enables you to email your bookmark, blog it, or send it to Twitter or Facebook. I still need to play with the slideshow feature.

Diigo has added new meaning to the word “social” in “social bookmarking.” While I find this personally appealing, I am concerned about how this may impact my students. At this point they are novice users and stay within our own bookmarks, but they are digital self-taught learners. Soon they will figure out how to explore the larger Diigo world, which contains lots more than elementary-appropriate content. It would be great to have an education version of Diigo.

Ryan Bretag posted a great entry about Diigo on his Metanoia blog. He includes a great chart that compares the features of Diigo with Del.ic.ious and Zoterro, and includes the Diigo promo video as well. He makes a very strong case for the use of Diigo!

It’s finally spring break! Yesterday was a gorgeous day, and I went hiking with my mom. Every so often, I need a strong dose of nature to keep myself balanced and connected. I believe that connections are what matter the most…our connections to ourselves, to others, to the Divine, and to the planet.
Ramsey Falls, Chau Ram Park
I was reflecting on the past week and some small successes I experienced in my efforts to facilitate changes in pedagogy in my school regarding teaching from a 21st Century perspective. After a 3rd grade teacher had a fantastic podcasting experience, another 3rd grade teacher wanted to give it a try. She asked me to get their habitat podcasts posted quickly because it would be a good way for students to study for the test. Right then she had a 21st Century “aha!” moment, and she said, “Hey, I don’t have to give them a test. I can use the rubric and grade them on their podcasts.” Authentic assessment for authentic work products…I love it! Making a connection between old expectations and new practices helped her realize that a new way of doing things would save her time and still generate the desired results.

A third grade student in another class made an awesome connection this week as well. When I use my iPod to record student podcasts, I explain to them that if they goof up, I can use Audacity to edit the recording and remove the boo-boos. That seems to relieve their nervousness about speaking into the microphone. After a recording session with me, a girl went back into her class and told her teacher that I could edit their recordings just like they edit their written work. Connections between old ways and new ways… change will happen! I hope that I’ll continue to be an agent for change in both thinking and learning…one teacher, one student at a time!

It’s pretty amazing to think of all the changes that have taken place in the past 5 years in my district.  Five years ago at this time, I was working with my TIS to plan a pilot 5^th grade class that would have a laptop for each student along with all the other basic equipment necessary to implement a technology-infused learning environment.  Our “21^st Century Classroom” was the first of its kind in our district.  I taught in that class for 4 years and loved every minute of it!  It invigorated my teaching life and provided some incredible opportunities for both professional and personal growth.  Now I am a TIS myself and working in a different school.  My district is within a year of completing a  five year technology equipment roll-out plan that will put a laptop, projector, and SMART Board or Airliner in every classroom.  District personnel are now contemplating a new five year technology plan.  Some of the things I hope will be included are multi-layer filtering for Internet access so teachers can have greater access than students, a specific technology staff development plan for teachers, and a greater emphasis on the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom.

As I think about my own school, I see a great need for the development of a school-wide shared vision regarding the integration of technology as a seamless embedded component of  instruction.  Are there any tools or websites out there that provide a guide to facilitate this sort of visioning process?  Some of the questions that need to be answered are:

• What are our broader school goals?
• How can the use of technology help us accomplish these goals?
• What strategies will we use?
• What tools do we need?
• What training do we need?
• How will we  monitor/evaluate our progress?

I need to find some resources to help with this visioning process and identify a small core of teachers who will be willing to assist with the process.  It will be a huge undertaking in a setting where teachers feel so overwhelmed already with more responsibilities than is humanly possible to manage.  I’m always hesitant to add “one more thing” to anyone’s plate, but I think we are at a critical juncture.  Real progress requires a plan, because “without a vision, the people perish!”

As I have been catching up on my professional development blog reading, I have noticed a common thread. First I read David Warlick’s excellent post, “A Path to Becoming a Literate Educator.” It was affirming to realize that my own personal professional growth matched up well with his suggestions. As I continued to read through my Google Reader, I noticed a transition from personal growth to a collective consciousness.

Weblogg-ed » Changing Ourselves, Changing our Culture
I think Will hit it right on the head. For several years, the question for me has been, “How can I get more teachers interested in using Web 2.0 tools with their students?” Now I’m beginning to see that the question needs to be much larger. In order for real change to occur, there needs to be a buy-in from a larger audience such as a school or district.

My friend, Ron, recently attended 2008 Learning Summit: Learning By Doing. In his latest blog post, A Real Shift is Happening, he says, “Since that time as a school we have started to have some really good conversations about the purpose of our school and the direction we want the school to go and some action has started to take place. One of the best things that has happened is that teachers are starting to truly collaborate and use each other as a valuable resource….It is funny how all of us have come to the realization (it seems so obvious now!) that working together makes us more effective teachers and holds great potential for impacting the learning of ALL students.”

As I sort through all these thoughts, I have come to the conclusion that it will take both components: a personal commitment to continued professional development and a collaborative environment where teachers hold a common vision, share, grow together, and support one another. We CAN make a difference, and I think it’s well worth a long-term investment.

My school is in the midst of a blogging revolution!  It all began with one 5th grade teacher who was willing to try something new, (thanks, Emily!) and now it’s the latest craze.  The students in all six 5th grade classes, four 4th grade classes, and even one 3rd grade class have their own blogs.  That’s over 220 blogs in our school!  The goal is to blog at least once a week.  The students love it because it’s fun.  They stop me in the hall in the mornings to ask if today is their day to blog.  Teachers love it because it motivates their students to write, it ties directly into their curriculum, it builds literacy, it improves technology skills, and it provides a great way for students to reflect and share what they’ve learned.

I’ve put together a wiki with some good blogging resources that I hope will be useful.

Curriculum Connection:

All subject areas: Digital books are a great way to express learning.  I have used PhotoStory 3 to do make digital books in the past, but I discovered a really awesome digital class book created by some 5th grade students in Georgia with KeeBoo software.  Check this out: Our ABC Book on Blogging .

In support of my efforts to promote blogging at my school, I have produced a couple of very simple videos about blogging.  One is for teachers (embedded in an earlier post) and one is for students, introducing the concepts of blogging.  Originally I produced the videos in PhotoStory.  When I uploaded them to TeacherTube and played them, they kept hanging up with buffering.  Needless to say, this was not satisfactory to me.  Who wants to watch a video that keeps stalling?  I have spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to redo them in a format that would play smoothly.  Ultimately I used Movie Maker to upload the images, an iPod to record the narrations, and then imported those audio files into Movie Maker.  This version of the video plays just fine in TeacherTube, but the transitions are not as interesting as with PhotoStory.  Click here for Blogging for Beginners.  Anyone have any tips for using PhotoStory videos with TeacherTube?

On a personal note, my nephew, Joshua, won his school spelling bee today for the 2nd year in a row.  You rock, Joshua!!!

Last week I held a training session for my teachers that I called SMART Board 101. I was very impressed that 14 teachers came voluntarily to the session at 8:00 am on a work day. They have so much to do and so little time to get their work done! I was honored that they would give up an hour of their precious time to come for training. My faculty is a very committed group of educators, and they are excited about getting their SMART Boards. I hope that will happen soon!
For the session I used a presentation that was originally created by Marcia Jeans of Witchita Public Schools. Her district has an amazing resource site for SMART Board tutorials and lessons. Another great resource is Jim Hollis’s blog, Teachers Love SMART Boards. He daily posts useful ideas and links for teachers…awesome stuff!

I needed a little dose of nature this weekend, so I went hiking and visited some waterfalls. As I walked back to my car after observing the grandeur of Isaqueena Falls, I noticed the small, quiet stream that fed the great cascades below. That image was very encouraging to me as it reminded me of my work. Hopefully my simple, steady efforts as a TIS will eventually produce a powerful flow of technology integration!

My fifth graders are really getting into blogging.  At this point, they’re still writing about topics assigned by teachers, but they love doing it.  As of this week, all 6 fifth grade classes at my school have individual student blogs.  This has been one of my goals, and the teachers and students are loving it! 

Earlier this week we had Math/Science night, and parents came with their students to various classrooms to participate in fun, educational activities.   I was hosting some interactive computer math games in my room.  One of the dads who came in was asking me about teaching the fifth graders to blog, and he told me that this is what he does in his work.  He works for a large company and travels around the country presenting seminars teaching businesses how to use blogs, emails, Flickr, YouTube, and Twitter to improve marketing.   His blog, http://www.emailyogi.com/, shares some great tips for using Web2.0 tools in the business world. 

After talking with him, I became more convinced than ever of the need to teach our students how to responsibly use these tools in ways that will encourage them to be lifelong learners.  As I have been a little immersed in blogging in the past few weeks, I decided to put together a little video about what I consider the most important reasons to blog with students.  I uploaded it to TeacherTube, but it keeps slowing down for buffering.  Then I tried Google Video.  It plays smoothly, but video quality is fuzzy.  Here’s the Google version: