Thinking About Learning

With the recession and incredible budget cuts to education, I was asked to make a list of what I do as a Technology Integration Specialist.  My district has worked so hard to protect personnel and jobs, but limited funding requires change.  The literacy coach program has already been reworked, and half of them have been sent back to the classroom.  Now it’s our turn.  We currently have a TIS in every school, with the exception of our 2 new schools that have .5 TIS positions, due to last year’s budget restraints.  I love my job!  I sense that I have had a positive impact on my faculty’s interest and willingness to try new ways of integrating technology into the classroom.  I have 2nd graders who have learned to use the Internet to research this year.  They used Open Mind 2 to organize their information as they researched, and then exported their mind maps to PowerPoint so that they could prepare an oral presentation of their work.  These same students have used Writers all year to learn keyboarding skills.  I can’t help it…I want to see what these students will be able to do as 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!

Nevertheless, change is inevitable.  I don’t know what I’ll be doing next year, but here’s what I’m doing now:

1. Staff Development
Meet monthly with grade level teams during planning to address topics of their choosing or something I want to introduce.
Hold after school training sessions as needed.
Provide training for TTCA.
Provide training for the completion of Technology Competency Level 2 Portfolio.
Train new teachers on use of IGPro, Lex-Connect, Groupwise, and district software.
Provide training on use of equipment such as SMART Boards, student response systems, and document cameras.
Lead sessions in district-wide staff development venues.
Provide 1-on-1 tutoring for teachers who need extra help.
Provide training as needed for instructional assistants and student interns.

2. Curriculum Support for Teachers
Be familiar with state curriculum standards (quickly and easily accessed through SMART Tech’s lesson plan site)
When possible, attend team collaborative planning sessions to be aware of current instructional objectives.
Ask teachers individually what they are teaching and make suggestions of ways to use technology to enhance instruction.
Locate and share Internet resources that support instruction.
Make suggestions about project-based learning activities that relate to topics of study.
Collaborate with teachers to plan standards-based PBL objectives, activities, and assessment.
Co-teach with teachers  to model technology integration.
Suggest technology-enhanced alternatives for classroom assessment.
Create instructional materials such as SMART Notebook lessons for teachers.
Maintain a school blog to share student learning with families and the community.

3. Provide “Just in Time” Assistance (Examples)
Inability to log in.
Laptop won’t get on the network.
Laptop won’t connect to projector.
SMART Board tools won’t work.
IGPro gradebook problems.
Email issues.
Printer won’t work.
Diagnosis of computer problems to make work order referral for technician.
Answer immediate “how to” questions.

4. Personal Professional Learning
Develop a Personal Learning Network (PLN) with other educators around the world by reading blogs, Twitter, and social networks like
Ning.
Collaborate with other TISs to learn together about new opportunities for technology integration such as the use of iPods in the
classroom or Augmented Reality.
Make use of a social bookmarking tool to collect useful resources that can be shared.
Attend workshops or conferences.

What have I left out? Please share your thoughts!

Our governor is insisting that he will refuse to accept federal stimulus stabilization funds for education.  His children attend private school, and one of his big agenda items during his tenure has been to push for tax-payer funded vouchers to help families pay for private school tuition.  Our legislature has refuted his efforts, so now public education is being held hostage.  It’s his revenge as he tries to make his name known nationally to aid his future bid for the presidency.  Last week over 1000 educators rallied at the state house to protest his refusal to accept funds for education, and I’m proud to say that I participated in my 1st protest rally!

I first learned of Gcast last summer at the Upstate Technology Conference in a session led by Elizabeth Kohut. When you’re at a tech conference, you always learn more than you have time to explore, so although I was intrigued with the idea of creating a podcast with a cell phone, it was one of those new ideas that got put on the back burner.

This year I’ve seen a growing interest in podcasting by my teachers.  Only several of them have iPods in their classrooms.  Usually when a teacher has a podcast idea, they will schedule a time for me to come into the classroom with my iPod, and I help record and publish.  As I was preparing for this month’s technology staff development grade level sessions, I was considering what new technology tools I might introduce to them.  This is how GCast resurfaced for me.  Every teacher has a cell phone, and GCast is so simple to use!

• Sign up for a free GCast account and create your PIN.
• Call the GCast number from your cell phone and enter your PIN.
• When you are ready to record a podcast, call the same number and enter your PIN.  You will be prompted to push # to begin recording and push # again when you have finished.  Then you have options to listen to your recording, discard your recording, or publish your recording.
• Within a few minutes, your recording shows up on your account page on the GCast website.
• You then have the option to publish your podcast.  GCast has it’s own little podcast player that can easily be embedded in a blog or web page by copying and pasting the code.

This is another fast, easy way to connect our students with the world, to give them an opportunity to have their voices heard, and to provide them with an authentic audience as they express their learning.

My friend, John Geanangel, shared this original quote yesterday:
“Give a child an answer – you have solved their immediate problem.
Teach a child to Google – you‘ve taught them to solve their own problems.”

I think this phrase beautifully sums up the necessary shift in pedagogy that needs to take place in our thinking, in our planning, and in our classrooms.  When I was a child, the focus of education was simply memorizing math facts, memorizing sight words, or memorizing important dates in history. Now, there is simply too much information available to memorize it all.

George Siemens reports in elearnspace:

IDC offered a report in 2007 on information growth, and now provides 2008 edition (.pdf): “In this companion to last year’s EMC-sponsored white paper, IDC again calibrates the size (bigger than first thought) and the growth (faster than expected) of the digital universe through 2011″. The main website also allows people to calculate their digital footprint.
The field of informatics (i.e. study of information) is not very developed. We are all impacted by information growth and development – in fact this is one of the areas that most impacts us – and yet we have at best a rudimentary understanding of the nature of information. Sure, we have people telling us information is exploding…that it’s overwhelming…and so on. But that’s a bit like saying the patient has a fever. I’d like to know more. I’m surprised at how little we actually understand of information itself, especially when considering the tremendous impact on our lives.

The study, The Diverse and Exploding Digital Universe, predicts that between 2006 and 2011, digital information will grow ten-fold in five years, from under 200 exabytes to 1800 exabytes. So what does this mean for educators?  There’s already so much information available that I can’t take it all in, and neither can our students.  Our focus as educators must strongly shift to teaching our students how to research, explore, and find the informational resources they need.  We need a greater emphasis on conceptual learning and application of learning strategies.

All of the second graders in my school learned the definition of the word research this year, and they have continued to learn throughout the year through research projects. They understand that research is finding needed information and that sometimes they have to search again and again to find what they need.  They have made connections to see that finding the location and time of the movie they want to see is research.  One little girl came up to me in the hall one morning and proudly told me that she had done “research” at home last night to find out about her baby sister’s rash. She has begun her journey to become information literate.

Yes, John has it right…“Teach a child to Google – you‘ve taught them to solve their own problems.”

Twitter has been around since March 2006.  I have to admit that when I first heard of it, I was skeptical.  Twitter asks a single question, “What are you doing?” and gives you up to 140 characters to answer the question. It just seemed too mundane and a waste of time, so I didn’t sign up.  There are only so many hours in a day, so you have to choose carefully how you’re going to invest your time.  But a little over a year ago, a friend encouraged me to check it out, and I’m hooked! Evidently lots of other people are as well. TechCrunch reports:

In February, 4 million people in the U.S. visited the site, up from 2.6 million the month before, according to the latest data from comScore. That represents a 55 percent month-over-month growth rate, compared to 33 percent growth in each of the two months prior.These numbers are only for visitors to Twitter.com, and they do not capture usage on desktop or mobile clients. And the apps just keep on coming. For instance, Twitdom now counts 529 Twitter apps.

I confess that I’m still a fringe Twitterer.  It’s blocked at school, so I can only access it at home in the evenings and weekends.  I have a BeTwittered widget on my iGoogle page, so it’s easy to take a quick glance whenever I’m online.  So, why do I recommend Twitter to my colleagues?  How can Twitter help you grow professionally?  I’m very selective about who I follow.  Right now I only follow people who are educators.  Most of the people I follow don’t waste time telling what they ate for breadfast or what they’re watching on TV.  They most frequently share links to new blog posts they’ve written, links to new tech tools they’re exploring, or links to teacher or student collaborative projects.  They also ask questions and quickly get needed answers for problem-solving.

Sometimes educators leading conference sessions will invite fellow Twitter users to join online.  I’ve participated in several technology conference sessions in places like Pennsylvannia and Illinois by joining in a collaborative Google Doc, adding a placemark for my location on a Google Earth map, or chatting on a back channel during a live stream.  In this way not only am I learning, but I am also supporting my Twitter colleagues as they are conducting their professional development sessions.

How can you find people to follow who will ge good contacts for your PLN?  There are several wikis that collect lists of like minded people.  Here are a few:
Twitter4Teachers
TwitterPacks
Twitter Group: Teachers
Another way is to go to the Twitter pages of people you enjoy following and check out some of the people they follow.

If you’d like to learn more, visit Sue Waters’s PLN Yourself wiki.   Another great resource is 100 Tips, Apps, and Resources for Teachers on Twitter.  If you’d like to read about Twitter in the classroom, visit Anne Mirtschin’s blog. I don’t squander a lot of time with Twitter, but every time I check in, it’s always well worth it.  I always find something new to learn and explore.  It’s connected me with thinking educators around the globe who are commited to constantly learning and making efforts to bring change to the way we do education.  It’s the best source in my PLN!

I continue to find great Web 2.0 tools that meet specific needs.  I love when I’m trying to solve a problem, and just the right tool comes to my attention.  Here are a few I’ve recently encountered:

Print What You Like: This website allows you to paste in a URL for a site from which you want to print, and it will generate a “print friendly” version of the page. It will allow you to eliminate ads and other unnecessary page content so you can just print the “meat”.

Flowgram: This free Web 2.0 tool allows you to capture web pages, photos, and PowerPoint. You can also highlight your content and add audio comments. Looks like a great way to create a digital resource that includes a variety of sources.

Take-a-screenshot: This website provides instructions for capturing a screenshot for Windows, Mac, and iTouch. I am a new Mac user, and I was trying to figure out how to do this just a couple of hours ago. I love the synchronicity of how what we need appears when we need it!

Well, we’ve been back in school for several weeks.  Our SMART Boards have all been hung (well, all but one), we now have a telephone in every class, and we have 16 new teachers.  In spite of the hectic nature of school re-opening, I’ve sensed a higher level of enthusiasm this year.  Our new teachers are all excited to be here and are pleased with the wonderful technology resources we have.   Teachers who were actively engaged in technology integration last year have been eager to jump in this year.  I’ve already started 4 classes on student blogs, introduced Open Mind 2 to a 3rd grade class, modeled a lesson on communities with several second grade classes, and I’m getting ready to begin a project with one of our MAC Grant winning teachers.

One of the things that I had to do the first week of school was the formulation of an Instructional Technology Integration Leadership Plan for this year.  Here are my goals:

Goal 1 (Collaboration) To work collaboratively with faculty and staff to plan specific ways technology can be used to enhance the teaching and learning processes.

Strategy 1: Meet at least once every semester with each grade level
for collaborative planning to become aware of their instructional goals and to offer suggestions of ways technology can be used for instruction and assessment.

Strategy 2: Meet monthly with computer lab assistants to assist them in planning meaningful instructional activities for classes who come to computer lab for related arts. In order to foster the development of 21^st Century skills, computer lab activities will incorporate essential technology skills from a school-wide list of grade by grade expectations and will support grade level common units of study.

Strategy 3: Meet weekly with 5^th grade ELA teachers and the literacy coach to participate in weekly lesson planning. This pilot project is an effort to foster a more intensive collaboration with a team of teachers and another coach.

Goal 2 (Training) To provide meaningful professional development based on teacher and grade level needs that will both strengthen instruction and broaden teachers’ technological expertise.

Strategy 1: Conduct monthly staff development sessions with each grade level during a designated planning period. These sessions will be tailored to meet the needs specifically expressed by each team.

Strategy 2: Conduct regular after school optional staff development sessions to improve teachers’ knowledge and comfort level in the use of equipment, software, and Web 2.0 applications and to share technology-enhanced instructional strategies.

Strategy 3: Continue one-on-one training as needed, especially with the 16 new teachers.

Goal 3 (Modeling/Teaming) To increase the level of technology integration in our school by working individually with faculty and staff to model and co-teach technology-enhanced lessons.

Strategy 1: Model or co-teach at least once in every kindergarten and first grade classroom.

Strategy 2: Model or co-teach at least 1 lesson per month in both computer labs.

Strategy 3: Encourage and support teachers in the use of student blogs.

Strategy 4: Encourage teachers in the use of project-based learning through project idea suggestions that address curriculum standards and by team teaching to conduct projects as needed.

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!

I’ve been off grid for about 2 weeks…never have time to write at school and had other obligations every night. Cool week at school though! I worked with 3rd grade students to create podcasts after they had researched Revolutionary War battles that took place in South Carolina. After completing the research, they worked in teams to write newscasts about each battle. This was a first podcasting experience for these students. They were very excited, and their teacher reported that she got much better effort with the writing because of their high motivation. In addition to all the Social Studies standards covered in this lesson, 14 state ELA standards were addressed through the course of the unit:

• Analyze informational texts to draw conclusions and make inferences.
• Create responses to informational texts through a variety of methods such as drawings, written works, and oral presentations.
• Carry out independent reading for extended periods of time to gain information.
• Use graphic features such as illustrations, graphs, charts, maps, diagrams, and graphic organizers as sources of information.
• The student will use word analysis and vocabulary strategies to read fluently.
• Use prewriting techniques such as creating lists, having discussions, using graphic organizers, and using literary models to organize written works.
• Use complete sentences (including compound sentences) in writing.
• The student will write for a variety of purposes and audiences.
• Create written descriptions about people, places, or events such as those important to South Carolina history.
• Use print sources such as books, magazines, charts, graphs, diagrams, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, and thesauri and nonprint media to access information.
• Organize information by classifying or sequencing.
• Paraphrase research information accurately and meaningfully.
• Use the Internet as a source of information.
• Use vocabulary (including Standard American English) that is appropriate for the particular audience or purpose.

That’s the beauty of project-based learning! Multiple standards can be covered in relatively short chunks. Students spent 2 class periods researching and 2 class periods writing/revising/practicing for the podcasts. They also learned about social bookmarking as they used Diigo to locate bookmarked information. Check it out: Ms. Wayne’s Podcasts. Expressive voice was a positive, noticeable focus of student writing. To share my opinion of these student efforts, I will quote a student from the Battle of Camden newcast, “Yes, Sir-ee!”

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.