1. What would you say was your key defining ICT quality when you filled out the questionnaire at the beginning of the week?

My key defining ITC quality was: I’m in progress. Some foundation, some skills, some willingness but not quite there yet. I have definitely been exposed to a lot of ITC theory this week that would not have factored in so much at the time I wrote the questionnaire. I would say my understanding of technology as it relates to education has moved more from application/uses of devices and software to a way of life…and a huge shift in my future teaching practices.

2. How were your ideas about ICT in school settings influenced by Will Richardson’s book, “Why School”?

Reading “Why School” was a big reminder for me. I was aware that the technological age is coming upon us but the book made me really look at myself and my educational practices. I will be behind the times if I don’t join the digital revolution. It seems that I need to adapt as a teacher to provide the kind of program kids need now and in the future…and keep adapting.

3. When you think about the cognitive, cultural, and technological dimensions of our connected selves, what stands out for you as a key concept?

Cultural. Notions of privacy, information that is to be shared or not, online personas vs. reality/real life…are all a bit challenging to me. How are our relationships made and maintained in this new world? They seem impersonal. For example, I question the value of face-to-face over screen time? People are more connected in a way as they have more information but are they more connected on human level?

I realize the immense opportunities created by sharing and participating in the digital world but maybe I’m still a bit old-fashioned and private. How do I get around not wanting to be so public–having an online presence–when really, it seems inevitable and well, undeniably useful?

5. What are the most important conceptual developments that you will take with you as we move forward in this course?

Connectedness. I collaborate at school all the time. I also use the web and others ideas but the connections through technology seem limitless. I should take more advantage of being connected and get out of my school bubble and into the world.

We’ve started a conversation about Information literacy. I had forgotten there was curriculum in BC for Information Technology. (There’s no grade on the report for these PLOs exactly, but maybe one day there will be.) So, information literacy ties back to critical reading and analysis skills but deals with digital information. Whew. I’m just starting to get a handle on this. For future reference, I’m attaching a couple quick definitions from Media Smarts online:

Digital literacy encompasses the personal, technological, and intellectual skills that are needed to live in a digital world.

Media literacy is a critical engagement with mass media, which nowadays includes digital technologies.

6. What issues, interest, or opportunity have you identified as a key topic for your inquiry work next week?

I feel myself gravitating to this idea of what schools, teachers, students communicate to parents. The connection and support of parents is so key in our students’ success so how are with nourishing this partnership? (Again, the Learn magazine had an article about how teachers are using technology to communicate with parents and how relationships are improving through this.)

Eventually, I would like to create a class blog, as I feel a serious disconnect from parents at times. Interestingly, the parents who are around the school and in touch with me regularly are light and positive, where the ones I only see at conferences or rarely are more likely to be worried or unsure somehow. They feel left out of the loop. They seem uncertain about what’s happening at school and unsure of how to contribute. How can I get these parents more involved and feel connected through ITC?

When we introduced ourselves in class I said, “I learn by doing”. Well, I have definitely had the opportunity to gain first hand experience with some examples of ITC over the last few days: blogging, contributing to forums, tweeting, creating “team” Pearl Trees. I can’t imagine what else is in store.

I have sensed the growing pains around me as we adjust to these new forms of communication and learning. One classmate used the term, “unlearning”…moving beyond how we’ve done things in the past in order to progress…and hopefully be digital education leaders, as Jenny would like to empower us to be.

We spent part of today defining ITC and Information Literacy. As we try to understand the meaning of these terms, I wonder how technology/information literate I am? Yes, I can think critically about information. I can navigate, analyze, communicate, share information but finding and applying it in the digital world? That’s another story. I’ve just scratched the surface of what being “connected” means and how it applies to the future of education.

Our conversation today also noted the difference between teaching the curriculum with technology vs. teaching how to use the technology itself. It seems we are supposed to do both? Personally, I feel somewhat unprepared to teach using a lot of digital applications in meaningful ways because I don’t have enough experience with the technology. So, I have to learn to use it, in order to teach how to use it, so the learning is actually Information/digital literacy. Phew.

For reference the class comment I’m referring to was about information literacy: critical reading skills vs. skills for searching the web. Here is a quote from the Ministry of Education with a similar message:

“Digital literacy includes, but goes beyond, simple technology skills. Just as traditional literacy goes beyond comprehension to include the more complex skills of composition and analysis, digital literacy includes a deeper understanding of, and ultimately the ability to create a wide range of content with various digital tools.”

So, it seems, the challenges we are facing in LIBE 477b (i.e. taking on new forms/uses of technology) are just a taste of what we will likely experience in our classes. Various devices and various levels of competency will be the norm in our schools as have various reading levels and resources…

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As I was thinking I the over-arching goals of educators (to provide quality, accessible, personally meaningful, +, programs for our students), I was wondering how ITC and Digital Literacy were connected to my School District’s goals:

“We believe  that an effective learning environment should engage the learner in an active, purposeful process of building positive, realistic attitudes towards both self and society; forming personal understandings; developing life-long skills; and acquiring a strong knowledge base. Schools should provide a social context which will reflect and assist the transition from childhood to adulthood, promote self-esteem and enhance learning. As communities of learners, they should be characterized by tolerance, respect, an enthusiastic climate of cooperative enterprise and a zest for learning on the part of students, teachers and administrators alike. Since students vary widely in their backgrounds, needs and abilities, and since there is no single approach to learning, schools should adapt, their educational programs and services to the needs of each student insofar as an equitable application of resources will allow.” Taken from Richmond School District’s Mission Statement online.

Key ideas that stand out to me are: adaptability, personally meaningful, learning as a way to develop the skills and attitudes to improve our lives and society.

Now, consider what B.C.’s Ministry of Education says about digital literacy:

“The vision of a 21st century K-12 education system is rooted in personalised learning.  It focuses on providing students the skills they need to participate in a knowledge-based society, while also allowing them to explore an educational path that is best suited to their interests, their capabilities and their chosen future.  Such a vision means the system must be transformed in a number of ways.”

The goals of teachers, School Boards and the Ministry are in sync. We have the same objectives.  I think what has to be done now is the transformation of our educational practice. If I deny the role of technology in this “knowledge-based society” am I really offering the program that my students need/deserve?

Whoo, I feel like a lot of adapting and learning is still yet to come for me. I have already worked towards student-centered, open-ended teaching. I know engagement is not my struggle…the question of teaching the skills and attitudes we value as educators through technology is a big one though. Our role becoming more and more that of a guide rather than a teacher with knowledge to impart in creative ways…A bit overwhelming though it makes me even more appreciative of this course: ITC Immersion 101.

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Coincidence?

On my way to our first class I was reading Learn: The Magazine of BC Educators and one of the articles’ title was, “The Future of Libraries”. It described a Conference involving librarians (school, public, university) and government officials. The question they were considering was: “What is the role of libraries in a world where technology, information and communication are changing so rapidly?” Coincidence indeed…As we have discussed in our class the past couple days, it seems that technology is going to continue to significantly change our lives and our libraries.

On a personal note, I get nostalgic when I think of my time in the library as a kid. I still love the library…but my conception of a library involves books, and lots of them. Will that be the case in the future? Will libraries be a set of computers with big screens, web cams, headsets, etc? I lament the loss of my book-based library…though I realize the digital advances we’ve experienced (the internet for example!!) have improved our abilities to find, apply, create and share information…but what will happen to books?

I’m prepared to work with technology as I know our students need to be prepared for the world they face–and this means having the skills to navigate and interact in the digital world. As such, educators and educational practices need to evolve with technology.

I’m learning that being connected is the future. I can see the way we do things is constantly changing. Even this class has changed how I perceived education. For exmaple, needing to bring a digital tool class and blogs are where you show your knowledge and your input (individual and interactive) becomes your work to be assessed/evaluated. This is new to me and it is how most classes are done now.

I realize that being connected on-line with our classmates creates another dimension to learning–we are creating a public document of our work. On-going, ever-changing information created in a social, yet personal way. The blog thereby changes how we learn and the culture of our education (i.e. less teacher–>student).

Will Richardson explains in Why School? that one way to reform education is move away from the focus of acquiring knowledge and move towards building skills to work with it, “from content mastery to learning mastery.” Also, this method of reform would put an emphasis on working with others, even beyond our school settings. Richardson describes this shift as not to, “‘do you own work,'” so much as “do work with others, and make it work that matters.”  Sounds a little like our class, no??

Finally, back to the article I cited at the beginning of this post. Ultimately, the librarians and their supporters left their conference with a greater interest in collaboration across libraries, especially at a time where changes are happening quickly. Also, they determined that, “the value of libraries lies less in their collections and more in their ability to make knowledge serve the interests of the community.” So now that information is easily accessible (for those with technology available to them) do libraries need to adapt their mandate from supplying information to helping people work with it? I have a feeling Will Richardson would agree.