So--it has been a while since I have added anything to this blog. All of you know the issues--education leave little time for reflection. This first part of the school year with the new iCoach role has been very interesting--really. I am learning so much more about teaching since I work in a variety of content areas. It is exciting to think about teaching in new ways with new content. It is also very interesting to watch how the reading, writing, comprehending and thinking skills that I have always worked with fit into every content addressed in school.
Last month I was in a presentation with Alan November. His notions of turning the learning over to our students is exciting. How can we as educators pull our students into the lead, give them ownership, help them feel empowered to guide their own learning. In turn, how do we help them connect their ideas with other learners around the globe. Listening to Alan helped me realize that I won't be able to authentically talk about it until I have actually done it. So beginning this semester--3 days ago--I have begun teaching a 6th grade social studies class--Contemporary Cultures. My plan is to take what I learn from my professional reading, staff development, work with Alan November and his team as well as with the ICLE folks and blend it in a logical fashion to help students learn.
We started with a piece by Dr. John Leinhard: http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1840.htm He has a different take on ignorance. Students have to listen/read the essay and respond to the ideas in the essay. We are working through edmodo. Due on Tuesday but 2 students did it the first night it was available.
They especially enjoyed the short video we watched: http://vimeo.com/20924263 The part that made sense to the students was how they and their brains are changing. They have access to it through edmodo as well.
Both of these have gone very well. Today I stepped out and shared the state standards with them--WAY over their heads. A few students really understood and worked to understand and explain each piece. Most were confused. If I were to do this again, I would start at the beginning of the year. The SS teachers teach the acronym PERSIA (political, economics, religion, social, intellect, arts). They also add to that geography. These are the things they investigate each time they study a culture. I would bring in the standards as we studied each aspect of the acronym. Lesson Learned.
We begin north Africa and the Arab world on Monday. I've asked them to ask family and research on the internet things that are currently happening in that part of the world so that we can begin our thinking and investigation on Monday. My learning continues.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
11 Tech Tools or/and Learning?
The middle school that I now work in is a part of the new roll out of tech tools; iPads and laptops will go into each classroom. As a result of that roll out, all of the teachers in the building MUST take a class called 11 Tools. It is a scripted set of instructions for using different technology tools. It is called 11 tools but includes many more than 11. Each assignment incorporates multiple tools but focuses on a single idea. It is well written with many short instructional videos that help those of us who are not intuitive with technology. The Ed Tech folks even offer face-to-face tutorials to help the learner move past any areas of confusion. At some points in the training the learner may choose the tools to use as well as how to demonstrate her or his learning.
I cannot say that I have been excited to do this, but I haven't felt overwhelmed either. I was stuck for a while on how to download a video to the required blog, but Karen helped me past that easily. After working with help this morning, I returned to my office ready to work on how to build a glogster, or is it called a glog? I had attended a session on glogster at ISTE and wanted to build it into my set of tech tools to use for the coming year.
While setting up a page is fairly simple, I want to add video to the page. I have not figured that out yet--the one's I downloaded from youtube don't show up when I go to upload--but I found something much more important than a tech tool. I found an endless list of interviews with published authors.
Is this what Technology for Learning really is? I have been uncomfortable with the pressure to learn tool after tool after tool after tool. I have wondered what mattered more, pedagogy or content or enthusiasm or tech tools. Actually I am uncomfortable with what I perceive to be most important. Does one force someone to learn 11 tools or 25 tools or 2000 tools--I am certain that there are many more than 2000 to learn? It is the dip into the water that pulls the learner in. The excitement of the new knowledge in a field of interest rather than the next "tool" to learn on a machine, unless, of course, that is your field of interest. Maybe that is an old lady perspective on learning, but finding and watching those videos excites me. Idea after idea after idea have popped into my head on ways to use the videos, on new ways to teach, on ways to encourage the reluctant writer, on and on and on. This is the feeling about learning that I hope to generate in the teachers and the students with whom I get to work next year.
A conflict--the tools led me to this new and fabulous resource, but the forced march from tool to tool to tool does not generate excitement in me for learning them. I wonder how the teachers are feeling about the tools? We will see if this really opened doors to using technology. I am going back to view authormagazine.org. It sounded like an excellent opportunity to learn even more about writing. Exciting!
I cannot say that I have been excited to do this, but I haven't felt overwhelmed either. I was stuck for a while on how to download a video to the required blog, but Karen helped me past that easily. After working with help this morning, I returned to my office ready to work on how to build a glogster, or is it called a glog? I had attended a session on glogster at ISTE and wanted to build it into my set of tech tools to use for the coming year.
While setting up a page is fairly simple, I want to add video to the page. I have not figured that out yet--the one's I downloaded from youtube don't show up when I go to upload--but I found something much more important than a tech tool. I found an endless list of interviews with published authors.
Is this what Technology for Learning really is? I have been uncomfortable with the pressure to learn tool after tool after tool after tool. I have wondered what mattered more, pedagogy or content or enthusiasm or tech tools. Actually I am uncomfortable with what I perceive to be most important. Does one force someone to learn 11 tools or 25 tools or 2000 tools--I am certain that there are many more than 2000 to learn? It is the dip into the water that pulls the learner in. The excitement of the new knowledge in a field of interest rather than the next "tool" to learn on a machine, unless, of course, that is your field of interest. Maybe that is an old lady perspective on learning, but finding and watching those videos excites me. Idea after idea after idea have popped into my head on ways to use the videos, on new ways to teach, on ways to encourage the reluctant writer, on and on and on. This is the feeling about learning that I hope to generate in the teachers and the students with whom I get to work next year.
A conflict--the tools led me to this new and fabulous resource, but the forced march from tool to tool to tool does not generate excitement in me for learning them. I wonder how the teachers are feeling about the tools? We will see if this really opened doors to using technology. I am going back to view authormagazine.org. It sounded like an excellent opportunity to learn even more about writing. Exciting!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Independence Day?
Back from a long weekend without fireworks. The drought is so bad here that no one was allowed to shoot off a single firecracker. Sadie, my dog, was thrilled. It didn't quite feel like a holiday though.
I celebrate independence on one day and officially start a new job the next! This job--interdisciplinary coach--does not really have a definition. We are building it as we go with the help of Alan November and Bill Dagget. You know what they say about too much freedom.... What to do with myself? I continue using Diigo in Education as a source of new reading information. As an English educator, I have always thought of ideas or found new ideas and then looked for resources to read more about it. Through the research I was looking for justification of the idea or possible extensions to an idea or just a new way to address a consistent problem. I knew the leaders in the field and where to go to find them. I don't know the leaders in this field. Who is valued? Who should I trust? Who simply has an idea, and who has truly researched and proven their ideas have value? My new found technology independence leaves me feeling confined by my lack of knowledge. So I ask you--the universe of ed tech folks--who are the researchers in this field? Who has a trusted voice? Until I find those folks, I will wander in this crowded field of next ideas.
My wanderings today have helped me to find a very interesting idea: http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/archives/5066 This is a blog on the use of QR codes. The notion is to take a book (picture book used for this example but any book or article would benefit) and link it to web sites that add to one's understanding of the book through the use of QR codes. The author of the article found the sites and made the links. But a person who commented on the blog suggested that teachers allow students to find the sites and create the links. Both are interesting ideas. These links could fill in gaps of background knowledge; they could also extend the reader's knowledge. Imagine how teachers could enhance a student's knowledge in science by sending them to videos or simulations. There is potential for this at any level and in any content area. One more tool to add to the list!
As I think about wanting to find good research and the notion of independence, it seems that this is an excellent opportunity to apply my understanding of action research. How will these tools work in our middle school classrooms? I am anxious for teachers to return in August. Who will want to join this adventure with me?
I celebrate independence on one day and officially start a new job the next! This job--interdisciplinary coach--does not really have a definition. We are building it as we go with the help of Alan November and Bill Dagget. You know what they say about too much freedom.... What to do with myself? I continue using Diigo in Education as a source of new reading information. As an English educator, I have always thought of ideas or found new ideas and then looked for resources to read more about it. Through the research I was looking for justification of the idea or possible extensions to an idea or just a new way to address a consistent problem. I knew the leaders in the field and where to go to find them. I don't know the leaders in this field. Who is valued? Who should I trust? Who simply has an idea, and who has truly researched and proven their ideas have value? My new found technology independence leaves me feeling confined by my lack of knowledge. So I ask you--the universe of ed tech folks--who are the researchers in this field? Who has a trusted voice? Until I find those folks, I will wander in this crowded field of next ideas.
My wanderings today have helped me to find a very interesting idea: http://www.technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/archives/5066 This is a blog on the use of QR codes. The notion is to take a book (picture book used for this example but any book or article would benefit) and link it to web sites that add to one's understanding of the book through the use of QR codes. The author of the article found the sites and made the links. But a person who commented on the blog suggested that teachers allow students to find the sites and create the links. Both are interesting ideas. These links could fill in gaps of background knowledge; they could also extend the reader's knowledge. Imagine how teachers could enhance a student's knowledge in science by sending them to videos or simulations. There is potential for this at any level and in any content area. One more tool to add to the list!
As I think about wanting to find good research and the notion of independence, it seems that this is an excellent opportunity to apply my understanding of action research. How will these tools work in our middle school classrooms? I am anxious for teachers to return in August. Who will want to join this adventure with me?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Back from ISTE and Raring to Go?
This is literally the last day that I will be the English/Language Arts Director in this district. I am moving from 21 years of work in the teaching of reading, writing, and literary analysis to a position where I will work with all content-area teachers encouraging them to teach from an interdisciplinary perspective. In fact, as an educator who focuses on reading and writing, I readily work with an interdisciplinary perspective. So with a deep breath and some anxiety, I now take a road less traveled. A road where department walls are tumbling down and learning truly is the priority.
The last week of this aspect of my career included an excellent ISTE conference. For the second year I have traveled to listen to educators share their perspectives on teaching with technology. So many this year made it clear that the technology is not the priority; the priority is learning. If technology is the tool for learning, then we should use it. I listened to Ron Clark speak for about an hour. I was annoyed by the commercial for a specific technological tool, but his point in the end was one I have always touted--it is the relationship between the student and the teacher that is most significant. I see though that that relationship does not need to be the teacher as the font of knowledge but more of the teacher as facilitator, guide, assistant, nudger, encourager, advisor, challenger, questioner. I believe in stepping out of the students' way so that they may discover the next thing to learn.
Over the next few weeks I will share some of my learning from each session I attended. I hope that others who attended will add their new learning as well. This will give each of us an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned and set goals for the next school year.
Closing Session
Although I could not attend the closing session yesterday, I did watch it on my laptop this morning. The advice was given to go back into your new learning and reflect on what you have learned. It was suggested that we write down goals for the coming year. Since I am working in a position that has no definitive plan for next year, my goals will help to guide me through this year of discovery. I have 3 weeks before all of the new iCoaches return to the district and 5 weeks before the teachers return. In that time I want to have thought through several possibilities for staff development and for including students in the work with technology.
As always, suggestions and advice are always welcome.
The last week of this aspect of my career included an excellent ISTE conference. For the second year I have traveled to listen to educators share their perspectives on teaching with technology. So many this year made it clear that the technology is not the priority; the priority is learning. If technology is the tool for learning, then we should use it. I listened to Ron Clark speak for about an hour. I was annoyed by the commercial for a specific technological tool, but his point in the end was one I have always touted--it is the relationship between the student and the teacher that is most significant. I see though that that relationship does not need to be the teacher as the font of knowledge but more of the teacher as facilitator, guide, assistant, nudger, encourager, advisor, challenger, questioner. I believe in stepping out of the students' way so that they may discover the next thing to learn.
Over the next few weeks I will share some of my learning from each session I attended. I hope that others who attended will add their new learning as well. This will give each of us an opportunity to reflect on what we have learned and set goals for the next school year.
Closing Session
Although I could not attend the closing session yesterday, I did watch it on my laptop this morning. The advice was given to go back into your new learning and reflect on what you have learned. It was suggested that we write down goals for the coming year. Since I am working in a position that has no definitive plan for next year, my goals will help to guide me through this year of discovery. I have 3 weeks before all of the new iCoaches return to the district and 5 weeks before the teachers return. In that time I want to have thought through several possibilities for staff development and for including students in the work with technology.
As always, suggestions and advice are always welcome.
Monday, June 20, 2011
New tool, New tools, New tools
As I start looking at all of the possibilities of tools to use, it is overwhelming. I get two emails a day on new possibilities for education. Education Diigo sends an email with possibilities and we have a district diigo that folks can contribute to. There are so many different things that are really marvelous.
I write daily in a journal. I've always wanted to do it on my computer, but it never felt right. Today I found penzu.com. It is an online journal that I can get to from any computer--cloud technology I guess. It really is very nice. There is a version that requires that you pay. That has many more fancy pieces to it, but I don't need those. I wonder if our students would enjoy using that? I plan on building a technology learning consortium (TLC) that includes students. I think they might like this as well. I wonder if having at home and school--anywhere you have technology--would encourage folks to write. I wonder whether there is a connection for my ipad.
The idea that I am particularly interested in investigating is "gamification." I know that it has to do with turning things into games, but I want to look into tools for students to build games. If a student built a game around a math or science concept, wouldn't that have the likelihood of enhancing the student's understanding of the content? I am concerned that it is too difficult. I just need to find out more.
I have a comfort level with a tiny piece of this move into technology, but I have a lot to learn. I hope to hear from some of you with advice.
I found a second tool today that I like as well: thoughtboxes.es/ It is a planning tool. It gives you a place to identify a project and then you build boxes of ideas around those boxes. You could plan with someone else if you upgrade--$5 a month. If I have a team of folks who wanted to use it, that would be well worth it. It is structured like I think. I constantly make lists of ideas around a topic. I wonder if they have an educator discount--I would like for my students to use it to plan projects outside of the classroom. I know there are free tools out there, but this one is very easy to use.
The topic that I am interested in investigating is the notion of gamification. I know that it is the i
I write daily in a journal. I've always wanted to do it on my computer, but it never felt right. Today I found penzu.com. It is an online journal that I can get to from any computer--cloud technology I guess. It really is very nice. There is a version that requires that you pay. That has many more fancy pieces to it, but I don't need those. I wonder if our students would enjoy using that? I plan on building a technology learning consortium (TLC) that includes students. I think they might like this as well. I wonder if having at home and school--anywhere you have technology--would encourage folks to write. I wonder whether there is a connection for my ipad.
The idea that I am particularly interested in investigating is "gamification." I know that it has to do with turning things into games, but I want to look into tools for students to build games. If a student built a game around a math or science concept, wouldn't that have the likelihood of enhancing the student's understanding of the content? I am concerned that it is too difficult. I just need to find out more.
I have a comfort level with a tiny piece of this move into technology, but I have a lot to learn. I hope to hear from some of you with advice.
I found a second tool today that I like as well: thoughtboxes.es/ It is a planning tool. It gives you a place to identify a project and then you build boxes of ideas around those boxes. You could plan with someone else if you upgrade--$5 a month. If I have a team of folks who wanted to use it, that would be well worth it. It is structured like I think. I constantly make lists of ideas around a topic. I wonder if they have an educator discount--I would like for my students to use it to plan projects outside of the classroom. I know there are free tools out there, but this one is very easy to use.
The topic that I am interested in investigating is the notion of gamification. I know that it is the i
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
reading more about it:bud's blog, sophia, googlereader
I have been reading more about technology in the classroom. I just read an article on ASCD about interactive white boards. The determination is that the effectiveness of the use of the white board depends entirely on the teacher who is using it. Isn't that what all of education about--the teacher. How do the interact with students, how do they build the learning environment, how do they deal with the stresses of the job? It is in the teacher. We have the Promethian boards in all of our academic classrooms. Some folks jumped in quickly. Most of our English teachers use them like overheads, but in a good way. They use them to analyze literature, comment on student writing, things like that. I have never taught with one, so I am not fluent with the tool. We have a district person who guides our learning with the tool. I hope to get her to do regular one-hour staff developments on the tool. Then we could try it and come back for more. I like bite-sized pieces of learning.
I have been working on sophia.org. It is very interesting. Educators need to go on to create material and to review what is there. We have had discussion around our students creating lessons and tutorials. This is the perfect venue for them. My computer did struggle with it--kept freezing up. It seems like it is in its infancy. This is a place we need to put some effort into helping to grow.
I found a great blogger--budteacher.com/blog He is very interesting. Today's topic was on bribing kids. Alphie Kohn would be proud. I also watched a video where he talked about building learning communities. I am following him!
I tried to do google reader but don't have that figured out. My husband is about to stop by. He is my constant help with technology. I hope that I can master that tool so that I can keep up with all of my new resources.
I am feeling better today--working on mastering one resource at a time! Your suggestions on the next resource are highly welcome.
I have been working on sophia.org. It is very interesting. Educators need to go on to create material and to review what is there. We have had discussion around our students creating lessons and tutorials. This is the perfect venue for them. My computer did struggle with it--kept freezing up. It seems like it is in its infancy. This is a place we need to put some effort into helping to grow.
I found a great blogger--budteacher.com/blog He is very interesting. Today's topic was on bribing kids. Alphie Kohn would be proud. I also watched a video where he talked about building learning communities. I am following him!
I tried to do google reader but don't have that figured out. My husband is about to stop by. He is my constant help with technology. I hope that I can master that tool so that I can keep up with all of my new resources.
I am feeling better today--working on mastering one resource at a time! Your suggestions on the next resource are highly welcome.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
changes begin
I work in a district in Texas. Yes, we are one of several states that are having financial troubles. But my situation does not really come from that. I have been in education for over 20 year. I now find myself in a district that is turning its beliefs about teaching and learning toward a new direction. Like most districts, we had an English department along with all of the other academic departments. Each department was led by a director. That person's role was to guide the department with a teaching and learning philosophy and help the administrators and teachers with their decisions based on that philosophy. We managed staff development including national consultants.
We are a successful district that is looking for a way to move student thinking to a more rigorous level. This new path to teaching and learning removes the focus on departments and moves it toward an interdisciplinary approach that includes the use of technology.
We began the move by eliminating the directors of all core content areas. We also eliminated our school improvement specialists in every building. There were two in each building. One who worked with math and science and the other who worked with ELA and social studies. The role of interdisciplinary coach (iCoach) has been added to each campus. The role of the iCoach has not been clearly defined--it will develop as we move into our new learning. We know that this person will know technology and encourage appropriate use of it. This person will also help to write curriculum that includes interdisciplinary units.
We began last week with Sara and Shelly from November Learning helping the coaches and administrators better understand how technology fits into good learning. I was invigorated by the three days of working together. I learned a lot about technology, but I also learned about building units with appropriate technology. I especially liked using jing to create tutorials. But in meetings today, the conversation was around different tech tools rather than the learning. Looking at one tool after another became overwhelming. It was suggested that a teacher acquire two new tools in a year. I learned about more than 30 tools today. Too much!
So I have decided to chronicle my change from someone who guided the English department to someone who works with all teachers in a middle school helping them to move away from thinking just about their content toward thinking about connecting their content with other content areas while also using technology.
As I was feeling overwhelmed today, I decided that I would use technology to help me make this move. I know that many of you out there have been using technology in your teaching for years. I would bet that many of you are also in an interdisciplinary environment. I need your help! I don't know how you will find me to help me, but I am putting this out there hoping to get feedback on my ideas as well as suggestions for additional ideas. While I am no "Julia," I am more than willing to put my ideas into the blogosphere and hope that help and encouragement will come flying back towards me.
We currently have ACTIVBoards in every classroom. Teachers are getting mini laptops (4-6) and 2 IPads in their classrooms. Our libraries have Macs, IPads, and Ipod touches. We also have digital cameras. So we have the technology basics. How can I help my teachers use these tools to improve learning among the students in my building and this district?
We are a successful district that is looking for a way to move student thinking to a more rigorous level. This new path to teaching and learning removes the focus on departments and moves it toward an interdisciplinary approach that includes the use of technology.
We began the move by eliminating the directors of all core content areas. We also eliminated our school improvement specialists in every building. There were two in each building. One who worked with math and science and the other who worked with ELA and social studies. The role of interdisciplinary coach (iCoach) has been added to each campus. The role of the iCoach has not been clearly defined--it will develop as we move into our new learning. We know that this person will know technology and encourage appropriate use of it. This person will also help to write curriculum that includes interdisciplinary units.
We began last week with Sara and Shelly from November Learning helping the coaches and administrators better understand how technology fits into good learning. I was invigorated by the three days of working together. I learned a lot about technology, but I also learned about building units with appropriate technology. I especially liked using jing to create tutorials. But in meetings today, the conversation was around different tech tools rather than the learning. Looking at one tool after another became overwhelming. It was suggested that a teacher acquire two new tools in a year. I learned about more than 30 tools today. Too much!
So I have decided to chronicle my change from someone who guided the English department to someone who works with all teachers in a middle school helping them to move away from thinking just about their content toward thinking about connecting their content with other content areas while also using technology.
As I was feeling overwhelmed today, I decided that I would use technology to help me make this move. I know that many of you out there have been using technology in your teaching for years. I would bet that many of you are also in an interdisciplinary environment. I need your help! I don't know how you will find me to help me, but I am putting this out there hoping to get feedback on my ideas as well as suggestions for additional ideas. While I am no "Julia," I am more than willing to put my ideas into the blogosphere and hope that help and encouragement will come flying back towards me.
We currently have ACTIVBoards in every classroom. Teachers are getting mini laptops (4-6) and 2 IPads in their classrooms. Our libraries have Macs, IPads, and Ipod touches. We also have digital cameras. So we have the technology basics. How can I help my teachers use these tools to improve learning among the students in my building and this district?
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