The Last Post: Future Vision Project

http://ipads4literacy.weebly.com

TA-DA!

I have written in other posts more about the process, challenges, audience and other thoughts about creating this website.

That’s the website Julie & I have created. Though we worked collaboratively and consulted with each other on everything (Julie was a wonderful, knowledgeable, open ended partner in learning), I was responsible for the Home, Literature Circles, Classroom Management, and Want To Learn More? pages.

I like it! We have had some valuable peer feedback that the site is easy to navigate, simple and looks like it will be useful. And… those were our goals! YES!

 

 

Future Vision Project Post #4: Project Challenges LET IT BE

There will be an answer; let it be, let it be. — Paul McCartney

My biggest challenge so far has been… wait for it… you guessed it… CULLING!

Main Entry:
cull  [kuhl]  Show IPA
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: pick out for reason
Synonyms: choosediscriminate, elect, extractgleanmark, opt for, optate, pluck, preferselect,sift, single out, takethin, thin out, winnow

There is so much out there on iPads and literacy that my biggest challenge is winnowing it into short, usable ‘blips’ on our website. I keep thinking of more things to add that other educators might find useful, and then when I click on one website, I end up looking at 4 more, then 2 apps, then a video… and agh, I forget what I’m looking for in the first place! I need to let it be. I need to remember Julie’s and my objective of keeping our website simple.

Bear in mind, I don’t even ‘know’ if some of these ideas or apps are that great… I haven’t tried them out in my Grade 5 classroom! Instead, I am basing my inclusion of them on a cursory read and a quick think about whether I think the idea or app is implementable and helps students learn. I feel bad that I haven’t officially tried them in the classroom or reviewed them for longer. As I try the ideas out in the fall term, I plan on CULLING from the website again, if necessary. Who wants to use, or has time for, a tool or idea that isn’t that great, after all?

I found today’s discussion of blind spots and blind sights interesting. I think I’m guilty of having a blind spot or bias towards teachers who DON’T use tech… one teacher at our school proudly said she only turned her SMARTboard on twice this year… I definitely formed a negative impression of her teaching! I have a bias!  Then 9 of her students were in my class and they were superb readers and writers, and comfortable with technology. I’m not sure what to make of that but wanted to share. I guess it’s not a blindsight as I am aware of my bias!

 

Summative: My Past, Present & Future

Christine Bodt’s Slidely by Slidely – Slideshow maker

On Thursday in class, Jenny said, “The field of education is not current with the field of technology in outside life”. I am not sure I agree. I know lots of people, living in Toronto (ie a modern, urban centre), who don’t know what Twitter is, let alone use it. I have professional, highly educated friends who don’t have smartphones. Parents of students in my class don’t read our blogs, newsletters etc. and they are wealthy professionals, which is supposed to be a techy demographic (I teach at a private girls school). I have a Twitter account that has been at the bottom of every email since September that I send from my school account and not one new follower has resulted from it — and that includes emailing parents, museums, the symphony and other venues to set up field trips, other educators, you name it. Hmmm. I agree that education is not current with the field of technology, but it’s not just education. Lots of ‘normal folk’ are not ‘current’ either!

I think those of us that are interested in technology are aware there is so much MORE going on in the field, so as a result, we think we are behind (personally and professionally). But others aren’t even aware — and so they have blindsight. But if that’s the ‘majority’ (I feel like it is many more people than just educators) then maybe those of us without blindsight are over concerned that we’re not ‘current’ because it’s actually a small number of techie types that are on the cutting edge and doing stuff we assume everyone is into, or doing, when in reality, it’s just the vocal, techie, few.

Future Vision Blog Post #3: “Don’t think, Meat, Just Throw”

“Don’t think, Meat, just throw.”

A wise piece of advice from one of my favourite movies, Bull Durham. Tim Robbins’ character, Meat (or Nuke) is trying too hard to throw perfect pitches, so the catcher, and his mentor, Crash (Kevin Costner) gives him this sage advice.

That quote popped into my over-stimulated brain today, as I started to over-think everything about my inquiry project, our related website, my school’s vision (or lack thereof) for technology, how to narrow down my abundant ideas, how to actually begin implementing them instead of just gathering information, about the futility of life (just kidding)…

Thinking too much can derail you, paralyze you and be so counter productive. It’s related to paralysis in perfectionism – I want to do ‘it’ (use technology) so well! So perfectly!

In the movie, Meat the pitcher on the Durham Bulls baseball team, has a 100+ mile per hour fastball, but, thinking too much causes him to lose control of it. So, I return to my theme (this week) of needing to HARNESS and CULL… and just DO. That is: STOP looking for neat ways to use technology creatively and authentically in my classroom. instead just START doing one new technology ‘thing’ in my classroom (and hopefully one day, library). Start small, add one more small thing, Change one more habit and make it more technologically integrated.

Maybe I’ll make a poster: “Don’t think, Bodt, just throw.

BUT:  I’m not going to look at 7 different poster-making websites and apps first.

And, in my quest to not over-think… I’m signing off now.

 

Future Vision Blog Post #2: Who are we targeting, and why?

Who are you planning to connect with through your project? What are the qualities and characteristics of the learners who will participate in this project? What might their history or experience with ICT be?

  • Junior grade teachers (4 – 7), teacher librarians and possibly technology faculty and/or decision makers. Eventually I would like to specifically target the website to girls schools, using the research into the difference’s between the ways girls learn and their brains, and targeting the iPad related activities to that information.
  • Generally, our audience would be comfortable with technology overall and are open-minded to trying new technologies,
  • Many are like Julie & I who have had iPads ‘dumped’ on them with little PD, or thinking behind why buy them, yet want to use effectively and authentically in literacy related activities.
  • Our audience is B U S Y, they don’t have time to read through “75 Ways to Use iPads” or “50 Great iPad Apps for Teachers” which seems to be the pervasive type of iPad information out there.
  • They need quick-to-read and easy-to-process, useful information that is not overwhelming and easily implementable in classrooms and libraries.
  • We are assuming a wide range of experience, but will target our site to a general to intermediate level of comfort with opening websites, using iPads and ability to try new thing.

How can you design your project to maximize the possibility to foster connectivity?

Originally we wanted to set up an RSS feed so that users who are interested can receive an email when we update the site, however, we have since discovered that Weebly does not offer RSS feeds on their free websites. Now we are thinking we will have a Twitter feed linked to the sight, @iPads4Literacy, along with a hashtag, so that we can create a PLN specifically related to this use of iPads.

 Why is this project important at this time in education?

When I found out I had access to a class set of iPads coming this fall, I was thrilled… and then overwhelmed when I began to research ways to use them. As I said before, there is a plethora of ‘lists’: 150 Great iPad Apps for Education! 49 Ways to Use iPads in Your Classroom! and more. Agh! I needed a site that was direct, simple, concise and targeted to my grade level(s) and to skill areas (e.g. literacy). If I’m feeling that way, I am positive others are too.

 

Future Vision Blog Post #1: Project “iPads 4 Literacy”

Project Scope: 

Last week I described the need for a funnelling or narrowing down process as “iPads in the classroom” is just too broad a topic. From there, Julie and I have chosen to focus on iPads in literacy class, and in particular for reading. Our project will comprise of a website (made via Weebly) with 6 sub pages divided into the following topics:

1) Reading Fluency

2) Responding to literature

3) Accessing literature

4) Use with lit circles

5) Use for classroom management/how to manage them in the classroom

Within each section, we want to include related apps, video (if applicable), examples and photos (if applicable).

Even as I type this I am wondering about other topics within our topic of literacy — including writing with the iPad, speaking/listening with the iPad, digital literacy via the iPad and more. Typical me, to be shooting off in a million directions. Thank goodness Julie and I worked on a project scope!  And, I know this doesn’t have to be a final, finished product project. I can add to this website in the future, and could even make it my own and more specific to girls’ school culture by importing it into a separate website.

Both Julie and I are adamant that the website is not overly wordy, that it is simple, and that it offer clear, easy advice that benefits student learning and won’t overwhelm teachers. Today was my first time playing around on Weebly and I was glad to see that it offers simple layout ideas and themes, clear fonts and a simplified palette of colour options. I personally prefer a very clean, simple look, similar to this blog, for a website.

Julie and I have divided up the actual content and will separately on it, then come together to work on the coherence of the site and ensure we are using similar tone and style in our writing, conventions, font and colours.

I’m excited!

 

 

 

THOUGHTS: End of Week 2

This week I did my 10 Minutes of Fame (using Padlet to explain Twitter and Tweetdeck) and really enjoyed preparing it, although once again it revealed to me that I thought I knew much more than I actually do. As I was exploring my own Tweetdeck, I kept discovering functionalities I didn’t know about, even though I’ve been using it for about a year! 

On July 2, I labelled myself a 7 or 8 on the technology scale, but I’m surprised to find (unlike others in this class), the more I’m in the course, the less I feel I know! I do appreciate it’s all relative – compared to some teachers at my school I’m an ICT genius. Others in the class seem to experiencing much growth and revelations, whereas I seem to be having much confusion and information overload! But, as previously posted, I am embracing the chaos! Chocolate helps.

I so related to Sophie’s comment about her private school experience with new ICT tools and technologies. She said her school is very end product orientated with little to no training provided. With my school, it’s the same. They seem to jump on various bandwagons: SmartBoards! Tablets! iPads! from a PR and attracting ‘customers’ standpoint. But then they don’t have a vision to guide the implementation of these technologies and don’t provide concrete PD. Not only that, the focus really seems to be on the Senior School (grades 7 through 12) which is also geographically separated from the Junior School. The JS gets the SS cast offs, has to beg for help and has no on-site IT help. Hmm.

I loved Brianne’s Summative presentation where she used memes to track her learning journey so far. It was great because I’m highly visual and because it was FUNNY! She said, “The information keeps piling on, even as the end seems far too near.” I agree completely. This weekend I had the urge to shut down my twitter. I’m tired of opening links to yet more great tools, blogs, ideas, and I don’t even follow that many people. I’m on the ISTE FaceBook and EDUTOPIA FB pages and it’s just non-stop information overload. Yes ,there are some fantastic tips and ideas, but I am tired of thinking about it all and trying to problem solve through it and apply it to my classroom. My urge to CULL continues, or to find a way to cut down on the constant barrage of information.

OK, rant over!

 

Ted Talk Sugata Mitra: now that was a wonderful clip. 

World Libraries

So much information is out THERE, on dem internets!! It’s a WORLD of LIBRARIES… from wikis, to online books to blogs to encyclopaedias to the catalogues, data bases and actual content of libraries being available to anyone, anywhere.

At this very moment I am here in Vancouver using my Toronto Public Library membership to read the magazine Rolling Stone online via Zinio, while another tab is open to my school library catalogue and yet another to the UBC one.

Before today, I had not thought of this plethora of information in terms of a “world library” or as “world libraries”. It is an interesting way to think about it. ICT makes it possible to access so many resources previously unavailable unless physically in the place holding the resource (or unless using a reliable mail service).

  VERSUS

  • World libraries are living, breathing, growing entities (amoebas?) as opposed to static, dusty, book filled structures. Julie, my partner in inquiry, and I discussed how we could use iPads to contribute to world libraries. Some ideas included:
  • Having students create content such as personal narrative videos,
  • Students could be asked to access world library resources to connect with novels or could use the iPads to create and publish digital media to share with others around the world.
  • Using the iPads to access primary sources (world libraries) that connect to what we’re studying in novels. e.g. if reading The Breadwinner, access information from Afghanistan. Or reading Holocaust-related stories, access Steven Spielberg’s database.
  • Students could contribute to a global library by videotaping their stories, ideas.
  • Using iPads to create first-hand stories of students’ immigration experiences, thereby contributing to the world library.
  • Use Brushes app to take the fear out of drawing – easily create portraits of others. Exchange pictures with a pen-pal class and draw your pal’s portrait.

How does your school setting relate with developing world libraries?

I realize in my class we have been accessing world libraries… but my students aren’t contributing to them. I think it’s important going forward that students are given the opportunity (and encouraged to) to share their learning and ideas by contributing to sites, rather than just taking from them.

Blog #6: Looking at the culture of change via more BIG WORDS

Today, with much positivity and enthusiasm, Jenny explained the terms: Autopoesis, structural coupling and linguistic cognitive domain. While each one has its own implications and meaning, I believe the lecture boiled down to:

Changing the culture of a school and its attitude towards technology is tough. SO: You need take into account that in the end, we’re all connected to one another and to the environment, but talk about things in different ways. Therefore, as educational technology advocates, talk to people in language they can understand.

Kapish? 

As Jenny and others shared about changing people’s minds about doing things the ‘old’ way, I began to make connections with some prior reading I did about change theory and culture in school when I took an Ontario Additional Qualifications course in reading. So much so, I looked up some readings from the course and skimmed them once again. They apply to what we are discussing in class and to today’s lecture. One of the articles, “Shhhhh, the dragon is asleep and its name is Resistance“, while not specific to technology, discusses how change “can be a challenge for every professional committed to reform and innovation.”  Resistance to change thwarts goals, disrupts action plans, and undermines progress. Sounds familiar!

The article, using research-based data, goes on, “Resistance to change occupies a large part of the gap between knowledge and practice; between vision and reality.” and this takes me back to my idea that schools (even individuals!) need a technology vision — so at least you have a benchmark with which to compare reality! In my own Grade 5 classroom, there is a definite gap between knowledge and practice. I know lots of great ideas about using technology with students, but in practice, I don’t implement them… sometimes I create my own barriers (time to put it all together, time taken away from other pressing teaching, etc.), other times there are barriers in the school preventing me (lack of IT help, policies regarding privacy, etc.)

The article stresses that resistance is a fearful response to change. Teachers and administrators first response is often, “There’s no time!” which I believe comes out of fear — fear that an already all-encompassing job will sap yet more time and energy from us. Or fear that, in the case of technology, you might look ‘stupid’. But the article points out that resistance can actually be beneficial:

 Resistance often serves a constructive purpose (Gitlin & Margonis, 1995) and is frequently an appropriate response to a situation, especially when it is a symptom of deeper problems. For instance, people may legitimately resist change required by a program that’s poorly designed, underfunded, or focused on unnecessary activities. A teacher who has seen numerous ill- conceived, irrelevant staff development initiatives come and go will understandably view new programs with suspicion. 

Anyway, I do hope that I am on the right track in thinking that today’s BIG WORDS boil down to there are ways to approach change in schools that are more conducive to change… and that by relating this to the article, I am synthesizing today’s BIG WORDS…. I think I am!

And then this came to mind:

Blog #5: BIG New Words Day & Narrowing Down

Institutional Isomorphism

Dynamic Conservatism

Sociolcultural Homeostasis

Today we were introduced to three brand new terms. Despite Jenny giving an enthusiastic and passionate lecture, with many excellent examples, I am still working on processing them and applying to my own experience. Reading Terrence’s and Julie’s blogs did help, but I think I will take some more time to let them roll around in my brain box and hopefully they’ll gel and I’ll begin to make connections and find some clarity. The crashing headache I have had since 6 a.m. probably didn’t contribute to my comprehension abilities!

Despite the headache, Julie and I had a great discussion re: narrowing down our topic. We agreed that we will focus on using iPads in literacy, a passion for both of us, with a side dish of lit circles. Carefully sleuthing via Google, and my Twitter PLN, we found some more great sites and ideas that we added to our mindmeister. As an aside, I must say, I’m not finding mindmeister that easy or intuitive… compared to other mapping programs (Kidspiration, Padlet) but no matter, maybe I’ll adjust and grow into liking it.

Making the rounds on my Twitter PLN today was the following graphic:

 

I like it! Such a great reminder. BUT I think it should not be titled “What do you want kids to do with technology” instead, “What do you want kids AND teachers to do with technology” — I see myself as a learner along with my students, and it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about technology as a only a FUNKY way to essentially word process. I know that’s often what I use it for. Even brainstorms work just as well on piece of chart paper  — yes they’re fun on the iPad or the computer but it doesn’t mean they’re better (unless there is a way to make them ‘better’?)

I know that most teachers in the junior school at Branksome are just having students use the computers to draft and publish writing, do internet research, and play math games. Not that there is anything ‘wrong’ with that. But I think we could be doing so much more. I want to share the graphic with my colleagues, as a way to get a conversation started about how we are approaching technology in our classrooms. WAIT! I think I am referring to institutional Isomorphism?! Wow!