Monthly Archives: June 2018

Mobile Devices and Libraries in Developing Countries

I started looking into libraries in developing countries and found a story about a man named Luis Soriano. He is a teacher in Columbia who carries books around on his donkey and rides up to eight hours per day to give students books because none of them have books in their homes. Once he makes it to his location, he unloads the books and creates a makeshift library to help students with their homework, or let them read for fun. He gets these books from the “library” which is also his house. This is a heartwarming story and Soriano is a true hero. But this isn’t a practical solution to giving students access to books. First of all, most teachers and librarians wouldn’t be willing to ride a donkey eight hours a day. Second of all, there simply wouldn’t be enough books even if they did want to do that.

A UNESCO study published in 2014 points out that books have historically always been for the rich and this is still true today. Books used to be reserved for the elite (kings, scholars, priests, etc). Today, New York and Paris have world class libraries while developing countries have a handful of run-down buildings with old and outdated titles. Access to books is one of the biggest problems in teaching literacy in developing nations. The challenge is finding a way to get access to books for those who have none.

UNESCO thinks that the answer to getting text to the unreached is mobile phones. They note that of the estimated world population of 7 billion people, 6 billion now have access to a working mobile phone. To put this number in perspective, they cite that only 4.5 billion people have access to a working toilet. Because mobile devices are plentiful in places where books are not, they may be the key in getting those places access to reading material. The study’s results found the key demographic groups that mobile reading initiatives should target are women and girls, children, older people, beginning readers, and men and boys – basically everyone. The study also outlines key strategies for expanding the footprint of mobile reading. The basic strategy is as follows:

Diversify mobile reading content and portals to appeal to specific groups.
Increase outreach efforts to create opportunities for potential users who experiment with mobile reading and learn about its benefits.
Lower cost and technology barriers to mobile reading.

UNESCO downplays how big of a role cost and technology will be, but it logically seems like the biggest hurdle to me. Even though many people will have access to mobile phones, there are several other issues that could complicate getting access to texts on them. They even say themselves that the most common phones have only about 30 MB of storage. This is only enough room to store around 20 books. Getting books from the cloud could be a possible solution, but it requires a reliable data connection. In rural areas, internet is so spotty that it renders it unusable. Even if they had access, they would still need to be able to afford to pay for it.

A company called Library for All looks to have found a solution to the cost and connectivity issues. They work to bring kids access to books via digital libraries using e-readers. Tanyella Evans, founder of Library for All, notes that many developing countries are already shifting to digital libraries because they are much cheaper than building physical ones. Library for All works with companies to make low cost e-readers pre-installed with their app full of books. This eliminates the connectivity issues since the books are already loaded onto the e-readers. Also, they work with a variety of publishers specific to each country they are launching their programs in. This is to ensure that kids are exposed to a variety of literature, both international and local.

I believe that digital libraries and the use of mobile devices is the route to take when looking to give kids access to reading material in developing countries. We always talk about digital devices taking over as if this is something that is going to happen in the future. But the digital age is now, and not just in the developed world. Tanyella Evans stated that the vast majority of mobile device users are from the developing world. With this in mind, this is the logical route to take when building libraries for those who don’t have access.

Works Cited

(2009, September 15). Biblioburro- The donkey library. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU&t=201s

Mark, W., & Chew, H. E. (2014). Reading in the Mobile Era. UNESCO. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0022/002274/227436e.pdf

(2015, January 29). Getting Kids To Read in Developing Countries With E-books. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jWECWnGgTw

Homepage. (n.d.). Retrieved June 17, 2018, from http://www.libraryforall.org/

Supporting Teachers to Implement ICT in Classrooms

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How many times have you gone to a tech workshop and learned about all these wonderful new apps and strategies, but never really did anything with that information? If you are anything like me, then it happens all the time. I learn all this wonderful information, am given resources on how to implement the tech, have all the best intentions of using it when I get back to the classroom, but never get around to doing it.

In the Ted Talk posted above, Kristen Daniels talks about how having knowledge in your head isn’t enough. She uses the example of how she had to build a Lego table, so she looked up Google and YouTube to see how it was done. Then she got excited and when it came time to build her table, she realized she couldn’t build a table. Information transfer isn’t enough. She says that teachers don’t need support to get information or learn about new tools. They need support implementing the tools they were taught about. Professional Development workshop models need to be changed from snazzy presentations to direct support on implementation.

As the one of the go-to people for tech advice at my school, I will teach the staff about new apps or web-tools I come across. I do this knowing full well that most of the staff will not use whatever I showed them in their classroom because they simply won’t know how to implement them. I still think it is worthwhile to teach them though because at least they are exposed and aware to what is out there. Perhaps one or two will be inspired and come to me for help on how to use it in their class. Unfortunately, I am a classroom teacher and have little time during the day to help. I am happy to help after school, but this isn’t as ideal because I wouldn’t be able to model a lesson for children using the new tools. However, if I were a teacher-librarian, I would be able to help with all of this. Teachers could take their classes to the library and I could support teachers with their teaching of ICT to their students. Eventually, it will become second nature and they could use these new tools independently with their classes.

When supporting our staff with tech, we can’t use a one size fits all approach though. As Daniels noted, she categorized her staff into three different categories based on their comfort level and supported them each in different ways. Similarly, Jennifer Gonzalez (site linked in picture to the left) provides several tips on how to best train teachers in tech. In addition to knowing your staff and their comfort levels with ICT, she also has many other guidelines to follow. She talks about utilizing what she calls “force multiplication.” This is where we use other people or tools in order to enhance our effectiveness in teaching. An example of this is enlisting the help of other teachers who already have some knowledge. Her third tip is making workshops hands-on so that teachers practice using the tools. Gonzalez’s final tip is to stay connected to those we help because technology is always changing. In order to make the most of what technology has to offer us, we have to stay connected to keep each other informed. Gonzalez goes over all of this in much more detail on her website. She even has it all on a podcast if you find that to better suit your learning style. I have embedded the podcast episode below for your convenience.

Lawrence and Tar conducted a study in 2018 looking at factors that influence the adoption and integration of technology into teaching. Their study covered a plethora of factors but some of the key ones included:

a lack of ICT knowledge in teachers
the complex nature of implementing ICT in teaching
lack of training
lack of technical support

With this in mind, a shift in the way that we teach and support our staff and teachers with using ICT could change attitudes towards it and nudge people to be more open to trying new technologies out in the classroom. The problem isn’t that we aren’t trying hard enough to get the information out there. The information is out there! There are lots of workshops, presenters, and speakers available. YouTube and Google can teach you anything you want to know. But implementation requires a different kind of support. Knowing isn’t enough. All teachers are students too, and they need someone to guide them along the way to implementation.

Works Cited:

T. (2013, November 06). Empowering the teacher technophobe: Kristin Daniels at TEDxBurnsvilleED. Retrieved June 8, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puiNcIFJTCU

How to Plan Outstanding Tech Training for Your Teachers. (2018, February 27). Retrieved June 8, 2018, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/tech-training-for-teachers/

Lawrence, J. E., & Tar, U. A. (2018). Factors that influence teachers’ adoption and integration of ICT in teaching/learning process. Educational Media International,55(1), 79-105. doi:10.1080/09523987.2018.1439712

39: How to Plan Outstanding Tech Training for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved June 8, 2018, from http://cultofpedagogy.libsyn.com/39-how-to-plan-outstanding-tech-training-for-teachers

The Importance of PLN’s in Education

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Technology develops so fast these days that is difficult to stay completely up to date. Resources, apps, or hardware that we use to teach last year may be outdated this year. At my school, I am never required to attend any workshops specifically geared towards ICT. We have complete autonomy over what Pro-D we choose. Though I do often choose ICT related Pro-D, this is definitely not enough to keep my skills up to date. We only have 6 Pro-D days in a year, and sometimes I need to use those to develop other skills as well such as literacy, working with special needs students, or curriculum implementation. This means that it is largely up to the individual teachers to find their own ways to develop their ICT skills.

The video above shows an example of what is possible when everyone at a school is united in a effort to make a “technology-infused future school.” Needless to say, ongoing professional development is key in making a model like this work. We see that teachers are connected to other educators around the world. They use Skype calls to model lessons for each other and offer constructive feedback to make the lessons even better. Skip to 5:00 of the video to see this in action. Unfortunately, having a widespread network like this is not a reality for most teachers. However, I think that creating your own smaller network is an achievable reality for myself.

Image result for personal learning network chart

I feel like one of the biggest tools we have to develop our skills in anything these days is social media. You really can learn anything if you search the web enough. I even taught myself how to play guitar by watching YouTube videos. If there is a an ICT skill or educational practice worth knowing, someone has probably posted a link with more information about it on Twitter, made a video demo or tutorial on YouTube, or posted samples on Pinterest. Without knowing anyone or talking to a live person face to face, you can learn so much from just independent research. Following people over social media is a straight forward process and it is easy to ask questions to people as well by sending a Direct Message over the apps.

It is a pretty widely known fact that many new teachers leave the profession within the first five years. However, what is interesting is that some of the primary reasons for this exodus are a) the isolating nature of the profession and b) the lack of a social network to support personal and professional growth. David J. Sciuto completed a study in 2017 on education and PLN’s. Sciuto explores the impact of using Web 2.0 technologies to build community. His paper is quite long (and I have provided a link down below if you want to read the whole thing), but in his research, he uncovers two basic findings:

Technology needs to be used not only for teaching, but also for ongoing professional development to build networks, collaborate, and learn with other professionals.
Teachers need enough time and resources to use technology effectively.

Sciuto makes several recommendations at the end of his study that are not realistically going to happen in any public school. He mentions things like changing the daily schedule to have Pro-D time for teachers, and changing the school hiring and training model to include tech professionals, Knowing that these changes are unlikely to happen, it is largely up to us to look for and engage in our own PLN’s.

One recommendation that he makes that we can do is hold what he calls “hybrid” events where we meet face to face with our online collaborators every now and then.

Building Connective Capital and Personal Learning Networks through Online Professional Development Communities for New Teachers

Taking this course, the groundwork for our own PLN’s have already been laid. We have access to everyone’s twitter and blogs and as long as we stay active and engage with each other, the network will stay alive. Honestly, I know that it is tough for most people to do this. We are all working full time, as well as taking this program and keeping up with everything is not easy. The network itself has enough people so that everyone doesn’t have to post something new everyday. But I think if we just post or comment every now and then when we find something interesting, it could be a tremendous help to the entire network.

Works Cited

E. (2012, March 14). Singapore’s 21st-Century Teaching Strategies (Education Everywhere Series). Retrieved June 2, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_pIK7ghGw4

Edcamp. (n.d.). Retrieved June 2, 2018, from https://www.pinterest.com/edutopia/edcamp/

Sciuto, D. J. (2017). Building connective capital and personal learning networks through online professional development communities for new teachers (Order No. 10592617). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1895109254). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1895109254?accountid=14656