It’s amazing how something so simple as a 140 character reply to the question, “What are you doing?” could have such a huge global impact on society. Tech Crunch reports,
Worldwide visitors to Twitter.com increased 95 percent in the month of March from 9.8 million to 19.1 million.
Businesses use Twitter as a source for free advertising. Politicians use Twitter for campaigning. Celebrities use Twitter to increase their celebrity status. (Can anyone explain why Oprah felt a need for this?) Twitter is having such an impact on the corporate world that according to BusinessWeek, some companies are developing social media codes of conduct for employees:
To prevent sensitive information leaks, blemishes on a reputation, and other potential liabilities of a Twittering workforce, companies are drafting new employee codes of conduct and educating workers about what they should and shouldn’t say on the site. The basic rule: Don’t be stupid.
Why is Twitter taking the world by storm? Clive Thompson sums it up:
Individually, most Twitter messages are stupefyingly trivial. But the true value of Twitter … is cumulative. The power is in the surprising effects that come from receiving thousands of pings from your posse. And this, as it turns out, suggests where the Web is heading.
So why has Twitter been so misunderstood? Because it’s experiential. Scrolling through random Twitter messages can’t explain the appeal. You have to do it — and, more important, do it with friends… It’s practically collectivist — you’re creating a shared understanding larger than yourself.
I love the phrase, “creating a shared understanding larger than yourself.” I have been Twittering for about a year and a half, and I only follow educators. My primary purpose is personal professional learning. Twitter is my best source for professional development. I’ve been slow and selective about choosing people to follow, but I have developed a wonderful network of like-minded professionals around the world. As I interact with these people in ongoing short phrases, we have a shared understanding of what it means to be passionate about the role of technology in education. We share great ideas, our successes, our frustrations, and things we’ve learned in the midst of the sprinkled tidbits of our personal lives. Teacher collaboration has been identified as a key factor in raising student achievement, and through social networking tools like Twitter, I can collaborate and learn from the best around the world.
So my question is this: since Twitter is such a powerful learning tool, how do we go about harnessing that collective learning energy for use in schools? Great Britain is considering recommendations for updating the primary curriculum, suggesting that children should be familiar with blogging, podcasts, Wikipedia and Twitter by the time they go to secondary school. They may consider dropping traditional content in favor of emphasizing informational technology, according to the Times. Although my district is very proactive in the area of providing technology equipment for schools, it still has a very conservative stance on blocking many useful social networking tools like Twitter that enhance learning.
Imagine a classroom where differentiated instruction results in students using MP3 players, cell phones, laptops, and gaming devices to pursue individual learning goals. They interact with students around the world via Twitter, Ning, or other social networking vehicles to ask questions, collaborate, share resources, and share learning in real time. Immediate response, immediate feedback, immediate dialogue about learning. Twitter is changing the way the world communicates. Why should our students be the last to benefit?
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!
Over the past several months, I have become convinced that iPods have an important role to play in the classroom, both as a tool for learning and a tool for sharing learning. Two teachers in my school each have 3 iPods that they are using regularly with their classes. My math coach and I recently received a grant to get an iTouch that will be made available for check out by math teachers. We are in the process of creating some standards-based math content, and I’ve searched extensively for online content. Here’s a short video that is a summary of a presentation I shared with principals and technology integration specialists in my district.
Mrs. Brown, a 4th grade teacher at my school, received a district Mac grant that provided her with a MacBook, 3iPods, an iTalk, 2 MacMinis, and a camera. She has worked hard to integrate the technology in the midst of all the required elements of a language arts classroom. Yes, her students spend time each day with a book actually in hand and also write with a pencil. As a former elementary ELA teacher myself, I think there is great value in “hands on” reading and writing. But as we work with students who are continuously more engaged with the digital world at home, it is imperative that we develop our classrooms into technology-infused environments. Students are able to listen and focus better with an iPod than to listen to a teacher in whole group instruction. I’m not discounting whole group instruction; I’m just saying that we need multiple instructional strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners. Students who blog have the understanding that they are writing for a real audience, which makes their time spent writing more meaningful and authentic. Most students spend lots of time playing video games, so instructional reading games on the computer are a natural fit for them. Mrs. Brown does a great job of creating balance in her classroom and providing a variety of learning experiences for her students!
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