Take a trip down memory lane! Forty years ago I was in Gr. 6 and I had three tools I relied on when researching and presenting an inquiry project:
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| our family's set of Encyclopedia for finding information, |
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| carbon paper for tracing pictures out of the Encyclopedia, |
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| and stencils for creating neat titles and headings! |
Welcome to EDES501- challenges and highlights
Highlights
When I began this degree program I had used corel presentation, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations and wikis. I had an unused facebook account. That was it! In the first two courses I was encouraged to explore diigo, twitter and was exposed to many amazing creations by other students. I really feel I was a technology novice. Frederick (2010) asks "what is the bottom line in education? Blog, chat, podcast, stream, wiki - whatever will enable students to think critically and communicate effectively in the library 2.0 age" (p. 54). Prior to this course I had given this question little thought. Now it tends to be all I think about. I truly believe that I've learned more in this course than any other in my life. It has been a challenging whirlwind. Since it wasn't entirely academic in nature (e.g. the exploring the tools part), it often pushed me outside of my comfort zone. The first challenge was simply getting used to the format of blogging and while there were some Sunday nights when Blogger seemed to have a mind of it's own, I'm grateful that we were forced to use this format. I now feel quite confident with the Blogger platform and have plans to blog consistently in the future.
The highlights for me are many. First, there is learning from others, especially Jeff, Janet and Lissa. They pushed my thinking and often introduced ideas or resources that I'd never heard of. Along with the various discussions and chats I found it useful to read other students' blog posts as while there were similarities to my own posts, there were often things I hadn't thought about as well as amazing examples of how they were using each tool, e.g. Cecile's post on presentations provided many personal and practical examples of how to use a variety of tools, e.g. slide share, vuvox, voicethread.
Second, the capacity building with Web 2.0 tools that has happened over three quick months is outstanding. I have gotten over my fear of Twitter and now have a bit of an addiction. I have set up a second account with Flickr (one personal, one professional). I've managed to get a few colleagues to use diigo in order to learn more about social justice issues. Even tools I'm not thrilled with are proving useful: e.g. while scrolling through Facebook the other night, glogster's update directed me to a new glog: cyberbullying by Mr. Dean which I have shared with our behavioural teaching assistant for use during some of her class sessions. While I still have tools to explore further there are many tools that I've already begun to promote and share (see 'Tools to Share' section below).
Third, I discovered a new way of thinking about literacy. The read-write web didn't mean much to me until I was asked to think about how my own reading and writing has changed as I move from paper and ink to an online format. Crane (2009) explains that " web 2.0 is a two-way medium, representing the next phase in using the Internet....Students are now creating online content, collaborating with other students around the world, and showcasing their work to a global audience...It provides authentic learning experiences for students, and it encourages global awareness, creativity, innovation, critical thinking, and collaboration" (p.2).
There is a growing bank of literature that supports the use of web 2.0 tools in junior grades.
Boling et al (2010) explored how these new technologies "offer new and exciting ways to capitalize on the strengths of authentic writing, the power of the writing process, and the engagement of collaborative writing" (p.504). They highlight how having students blog for class assignments "helps once reticent readers and writers to share ideas and literature response" (p.504). They also discuss how Internet projects using wikis or blogs "provide students with opportunities to connect safely with real audiences while learning about different communities and cultures. This in turn can result in increased motivation and literacy engagement as students read, write, create, and produce for meaningful and authentic purposes" (p.505). I've been discussing the read-write web with my principal for the last few months and hope to get my foot in the door to begin discussions at staff meetings. My view of literacy has changed and I see a huge need and demand to consider what reading, writing, speaking, listening, researching and presenting look like in the 2.0 world. I'd like to reach the stage Boling et al describes where "along with our students, we created new definitions of reading and writing that transformed our conventional notions of school-based literacy into events that were enjoyable, real world, and social" (506).
Challenges
On the down side, I wish I had taken this course when I had more time. It is incredibly intense and time-consuming. Starting up the library in September requires many extra evenings and a lot of energy. Similarly by the end of November while we got ready for student-led conferences and book fair I really felt I was running out of steam. I was envious of the students who were on sabbatical and might have more time to give to the exploration of each tool and the literature. I was also disappointed in how many of these tools are blocked by my school board which meant I didn't have the opportunity to try things with students as often as I would have liked.
Another challenge was finding information about how these tools and skills fit into a Kindergarten to grade five setting. In fact, many of the tools require children to be 13 before they can set up an account, e.g. flickr, facebook. Most material I came across and our textbooks focus on high school applications. While some can be brought down to the junior level, I have found very little written about the use of technology with 3-6 year olds, and a lot of what I did find was fairly negative. This will be an area I not only watch but that I hope to push some Kindergarten and grade one teachers to conduct action research on.
The only other challenge I had was technical difficulties, e.g. podcasts not playing once they were embedded and blogger freezing during saving.
Overall, the course has been difficult, challenging, rewarding, thought-provoking and invaluable. I have a new outlook and new skills. The marking format and feedback was really helpful. I would have appreciated more feedback on my blog posts from fellow-students.
Tools to share:
I find it's impossible to keep up with the number of tools available. Although the course is winding down, my role as a coach and mentor of Web 2.0 tools is gearing up. I view my role of library media specialist as one where I not only model and team-teach but I push teachers to try things that they haven't done before. I think it is essential that teacher-librarians also take on the role of technology chairperson for the school whenever it is possible. Not only does this allow me some choice in equipment purchased and allocated but I can merge the use of equipment with web 2.0 tools and the curriculum during professional development sessions. While I agree that we need to guard against “putting the technology ahead of the instruction” (Ramaswami, 2008, p. 23) I don't agree with my board's attitude of blocking and avoiding. At the moment we have been informed that they have hired a professor from York University to research how we should be incorporating technology. Part of me is happy that they're at least thinking about it, the other part feels it's just another stall tactic.
I don't feel we can wait for permission (at the same time I don't want to be fired) so I make sure my administrators are informed and that parents and students have signed acceptable use policies. Since September, I've been diving into a variety of tools and have to agree with Kist (2010) when he points out that there's no need to spend large amounts of time teaching the tool, as students will coach each other, (p. 120). My students are digital natives. I have watched with great enjoyment as they explain to each other how to do things. They are incredibly supportive of each other and with the shift to a technology focus, the library is by far the coolest place to be! Boling et al (2010) points out "that today's students possess knowledge about the Internet that we, as teachers, have not yet acquired," (p.506).
My personal favourites are: glogster for presentations, diigo for organizing, twitter for social networking, bitstrips for creating comics, podcasting and both wikis and blogs. With the exception of diigo and twitter I find the others all have applications for even the youngest students. Diigo and twitter would be then my two favourite tools for professional development although I must also add that scanning through the posts in my blog roll has widened my outlook considerably. Here's what I'm working on this term through the library:
- Kindergarten: podcasts of what they want for Christmas/plans for the holidays
- Grade one: inquiry projects presented using PowerPoint and researched by using non-fiction books and pebblego
- Grade two: inquiry projects presented using PowerPoint and researched by using non-fiction books, encyclopedia Britannica online, AskKids.com and pebblego
- Grade two: small groups working with a parent helper explore bitstrips and create their avatar and a simple comic about either their family heritage or a fact about a celebration they have studied
- Grade three: aboriginal and pioneer survival projects presented using a wiki, available for parent comments during student-led conferences
- Grade four: some teachers are planning with me and trying a variety of activities including a class blog, wikis, voicethreads and twieducate
- Grade five: podcasts of book reports told from the point of view of one of the main characters
- Grade five: one class is using glogster to present their human body (how two systems interact) posters
- Grade five: one class is using skype to work on a math project with two other Peel schools as well as to chat with their e-penpals in Florida (unfortunately after 2 and 1/2 months of skyping the board has blocked skype!)
- Library helpers: are using bitstrips to create comic advertisements that highlight events in the library
- Me: I'm currently creating a variety of glogs to use to introduce our Forest of Reading nominees, to be the front page of "The Future We Want" wiki, and to introduce an author visit.
Professional Development:
The Ontario Ministry of Education has a tight hold on professional development activities. Our technology committee has returned to the lunch and learn approach for professional development with five days scheduled throughout the year. Each lunch and learn is delivered three times in the day, morning and afternoon nutrition break as well as during the kindergarten teachers lunch time. The first two sessions have already happened and while attendance is voluntary it is steadily growing, e.g. we used to get 2-3 people at each session and now we average 10 -12 at each session or about 1/3 of the staff. So far we have provided a session on how to hook up and use their document cameras (who knew my document camera would take video - solving my video capturing dilemma!), and comic life. Our next session is on voicethread, and we've left the last two open for staff input.
We now have an IT resource teacher - the first ever - he has over 50 schools assigned to him but I've nabbed him (made him my best friend) and he not only has helped with our lunch and learns but he's sat in on our technology meetings and offered advice and he's worked with several teachers on specific tasks, e.g. gr. 2 podcast about holidays. Apparently I have a reputation! It makes me laugh. He says when he sits in meetings and superintendents ask about specific tools and their applications my name seems to come up as one to ask or observe. It also makes me cry as I feel I'm only chipping away at the technology iceberg and with over 7000 elementary teachers alone, there should be hundreds of others using these tools.
Gearing Up
Where do I go from here? Frederick suggests that "a first step toward using the appropriate tool is for school librarians to review the course of study. They need to look at the units and projects taught in the past. They then need to think about how to integrate Web 2.0 applications to extend student learning and create compelling interactive learning" (p.35). In order to do this
I need to continue to build my capacity with web 2.0 tools as well as my professional learning community. For most projects I have my Principal's support and she is headed to her first "Technology and the brain" conference this Spring. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of the staff is on board and their excitement over web 2.0 tools is spreading. Zmuda & Harada (2008) summarize Johnson's view that teacher-librarians must "develop, test, and share best practices with each other quickly" (p.106). With this in mind I need to consider new ways of sharing information with my local colleagues. Regular sharing on our TL discussion page, offering a few workshops and maybe a TL blog are places to start. At our school, eventually, I would like to see e-portfolios beginning in Kindergarten and regular discussion surrounding student safety and creating a positive digital footprint. As Richardson (2010) points out, "We are still at the beginning of a radically different relationship with the Internet, one that has long-standing implications for educators and students" (p.155). It's exciting to be part of this discovery journey.
References:
Boling, E., Castek, J., Zawilinski, L., Barton, K., & Nierlich, T. (2008). Collaborative Literacy: Blogs and Internet Projects. Reading Teacher, 61(6), 504-506.
Crane, B. (2009). Using web 2.0 tools in the K-12 classroom. New York, NY: Neal-Schumann Publishers.
Fredrick, K. (2010). In the Driver's Seat: Learning and Library 2.0 Tools. School Library Monthly, 26(6), 34-35.
Kist, W. (2010).The socially networked classroom: Teaching in the new media age. Thousand Oakes: CA, Corwin.
Ramaswami, R. (2008). The Prose of Blogging (and a Few Cons, Too). T.H.E. Journal, 35(11), 21-25.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oakes, CA: Corwin.
Zmuda, S. & Harada, V.H. (2008). Librarians as learning specialists: Meeting the learning imperative for the 21st century. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
