Final Vision Project and Summary

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This presentation is a proposal supporting the development of a 21st century learning commons within the new building my school is meant to move into during the 2015/2016 school year. I outline some arguments in favor of working within a learning commons, in the context of changing educational philosophies, which focus on critical thinking, collaboration, and digital citizenship. I make suggestions on the physical space as well as the technology must-haves that allow students and teachers the scope to explore, connect, and create their own digital footprints as they learn. The final section is on how teacher-librarians can support their staff in making the move to being comfortable working within the model and using various Web 2.0 tools to allow students a variety of mediums to demonstrate their learning. I stress the idea of collaboration (surprise!) and also that we will inevitably move to a more connected style of learning. While we have the opportunity to start from the ground up, we should take it to create the most suitable, well-equipped space possible.

21st Century Learning: The Learning Commons Model

**In an unfortunate twist, the audio commentary which accompanies my presentation is not able to be heard. To post it to the blog, I had to use Slideshare.com and, as it turns out, it’s platform only shows my slides. I attached it to a message on the class discussion board, in the blog section.**

The process of putting the presentation together was useful to help me more fully find where I could fit as a teacher-librarian in a learning commons. As I’ve mentioned previously, I share my job with someone else who has been in the library for the past decade. It can be difficult to make changes or experiment without feeling like I am overstepping in my role. There are established routines and expectations that I would look at tweaking if I were at the helm. Doing this exercise and looking at the important role a well-supplied and well-managed learning commons can play was actually quite encouraging and has given me the confidence to start implementing some changes to our existing layout. It is quite exciting knowing we will eventually have a new space, though how much input we will actually have in the end is debatable. Perhaps my presentation can prompt some discussion.

It was useful to look at what other schools in Canada and around the world are doing in terms of designing and working in a learning commons. Exploring the myriad of Web 2.0 tools that are available to teachers was also useful, though somewhat overwhelming. It is understandable that people can feel reluctant to use a new tool, when the choice is wide and taking the time to explore them all is just not reasonable. I started the delicous.com page with the idea of continuing to build data banks. I will look at having it linked to our library web page.

My future in the library is uncertain at this point as I am in a term position. If I end up back in the classroom in September, I have a whole new arsenal of tools at my disposal and I look forward to doing some experimentation with some of the Web 2.0 tools I have run across during the course. I want to encourage my students to use technology productively, as responsible digital citizens, and to engage in more dialog about their process of learning and problem solving, be that with peers in the room or online. I’m ready as well to give up some of the control that I’ve held in the past when it comes to being the expert in the room. I want to work with my students in their learning journey rather than dictate which pathway it must take.

Final Vision Contents

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As I started to work on assembling my project, I wondered what format this should take. After exploring many different web 2.0 tools this semester, I figured there was probably an interesting platform out there waiting for me. I played around with a few different ones with varying results. I looked at recommendations and reviews. I considered Prezi, but have read many commentaries on privacy issues with the provider so I decided against it. I also tried one called EWC Presenter (Visme), which seemed quite easy to use. Unfortunately, unless you get a subscription many tools are unavailable. This seem to be the case with many of the programs. In the end, I have decided to go with the tried and true PowerPoint. I hear your collective sigh, but for they type of information, videos, and pictures I want to deliver, this program will useful. One of the advantages I see is that I can record commentary over my slides. Once the learning commons actually exists, I’ll move on to my promotional video!

Mapping Media to the Curriculum - Updated August 22, 2012

Creative Commons licensed image courtesy Wesley Fryer

I’ve also started collecting links on a delicious.com site that I am going to share with my staff. Once we start the dialogue and they have done some exploration on their own, I see phase 2 beginning. Then it will be time to put myself at the staff’s disposal, to show them how the learning commons can work for them, and to look at different web 2.0 tools that can work within their curriculum. I’d like to make myself an “expert” on some of the more widely used tools and apps and be able to offer support in building lessons and units in such a way that the technologies are useful and not burdensome. This presentation is about marketing an idea which, to fully implement, requires a fundamental shift in thinking on the part of staff and administration.

One of the challenges I am facing is simply streamlining my information. These are enormous topics. I’ve decided to focus mostly on the learning commons itself: why do we need this, what should it look like, what can we do there, what will the TL’s role be, what will the classroom teacher’s role be, what supports/resources can I offer? The last topic and the link list I’m creating will be a little teaser for the staff, leading the proverbial horse to water so to speak.

This is the fourth library course I’ve taken and in each one the topic of self-advocacy arises. I see this presentation as self-advocacy. I need to convince the powers that be that a well-equipped learning center is key to student success in the 21st century, to help improve digital literacy skills, and to help students connect with and be curious about the wide world outside our small community.  I also have to gently remind them that a trained teacher-librarian/media center/learning center specialist will also make the transition easier for everyone involved.

Final Vision: Rationale

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The plan to build a new facility to house my school has been discussed for the last 15 years. Finally, after a 5 year consultation process, construction is set to begin this spring. Initially the building was meant to reflect the unique needs of our community, a truly home-grown design. Alas, the powers that be ended up changing the plan due to budget constraints and the new facility, though still a great improvement (reliable heat, clean air, no creatures), will basically be a traditional school setting. The challenge to my colleagues is to implement the 21st century learning models regardless of the physical structure in which we work. Provision has been made for greatly improving the technology capabilities so this is why I think it is still possible to move toward a learning commons model within the new school.

Learning_Commons_Wordle_2

I think my presentation could be relevant to department staff as, ultimately, they hold the purse strings, school staff, students, and parents. Besides financial matters, the greatest challenge I see in making this shift, lies with the staff. It is a large and diverse group, with varying experiences and philosophies of education. I predict some people are willing to adapt and modify to embrace the possibilities of a learning commons model. Others, though, will take more convincing. I want to highlight some of Richardson’s ideas, along with the AASL Standards for 21st Century Learning and invite discussion amongst staff. By providing a current, ever-evolving, vetted collection of Web 2.0 tools, instructional methods and resources, and current discussions on LC models, I feel I can support my staff during this time of change. My role will be to help them navigate the new tools, just as their roles change from information deliverer to information guide for students. The list could be linked to our First Class (email) staff conference.

Students and their parents should also be part of this discussion. Students will be the ones interacting with their peers, instructors, and technologies within the space. They need to understand our motivations for wanting to refocus their school experiences. Parents also need to buy-in and feel comfortable asking questions about the structure of the education their children are receiving.

Once I float ideas about how the space should function, I want to discuss some needs of the physical layout, including furniture, resource housing, and technological hardware. Very little of the old furniture etc. is coming to the new building so we have a chance to choose the most suitable pieces to meet our needs.

I came across a great article on what a learning commons can be with some work. My district is literally starting from the ground up. While there isn’t much flexibility on square footage, there is a an opportunity to build a space for learning and innovation that will meet the needs of all the different users of our learning commons.

Future Vision – Brainstorming

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Because my school is on the verge of a major transformation (new building)  I thought it would be useful for me to think more specifically about what the new library/learning commons might look like. Since we are starting with a blank canvas, we have the opportunity to create a facility well-suited to the needs of our students and staff, which incorporates technology with flexible learning spaces and access to suitable resources, in both digital and print form. By implication, this means the role of the teacher-librarian must also evolve.

First, I am going to look at the physical layout of the new space and how we can best integrate technology into the space. Currently our library acts as a study space, a social space, and a computer lab. I want to look at ways to accommodate as many potential uses as possible, thinking in terms of layout, resource housing, furniture, and technology availability.

Secondly, I want to look at the pedagogy of collaborative teaching and learning. How can I support my colleagues in the transition to a learning commons-style of education from a traditional classroom model of education? What sort of resources and expertise can they expect from me during this shift? What sort of digital tools can we use to encourage inquiry and support the student learning experience? What roles will TLs and classroom teachers have within the learning commons? In this section, I will look at the use of iPads in the library and classroom, and some Web 2.0 tools that teachers can begin introducing as they move away from “old school” techniques. I’d like to be able to offer resources/links/information for my staff on this topic, perhaps through a wiki or delicious.com page.

We recently had a visit from an outside teacher who oversees 150 school libraries in her district. It was great to see the varying stages her schools are at in their transition to LCs. It was a relief as well to be assured that every step closer we take, no matter how small, make a difference.

This is a great example from Medicine Hat AB of a high school learning commons. This is the type of space I envision for our school’s new facility.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo0gaTzU0qw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVipfjDk6A8

 

Looking back on phase 2

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As one of my group pointed out, collaboration has been a recurring theme throughout my posts. As a teacher-librarian in a high school, I always wish I could have more opportunities to actually teach. I have tried hard to lure my colleagues into letting me work with them to introduce new resources or technologies, and I’m finally feeling like I am making some headway. Through the course so far, I’ve been exposed to new ideas and perspectives on technology use in classrooms and libraries and it has given me some tools to present to my staff to help ease them into the realm of digital learning.

As we have explored different topics, one of my key takeaways is the importance of relationships between staff, students, and parents. Building trust between all parties will help us move more comfortably into an increasingly connected learning space. Students need teachers to facilitate learning and exploration. Teachers need to let students take some responsibility in formulating their learning. Staff need to feel supported by their administration and technical experts (teacher-librarians?) in this role. Parents need to trust teachers as guides in the digital realm.

My second takeaway is really a sense of relief that a personal learning network does not have to be complicated. I’m becoming more savvy using Twitter and managing my Feedly account. In the future, I would like to join the discussions on Classroom 2.0. These informal PD activities can spark great ideas and discussions with colleagues.

My third takeaway is how much potential there is for using mobile devices in the classroom and library. At my school, the debate is ongoing, with some teachers encouraging use and integrating devices into their lessons, while others refuse to allow a phone in sight. Through my readings and speaking to colleagues, I think that it depends on the subject matter and the group dynamics as to whether or not the device helps or hinders a lesson. You have to ask yourself if using a device just an adjunct to a lesson or a critical piece?

Creative Commons licensed image courtesy William M Ferriter

I’d like to put this poster up on my staff room wall! I think this course has helped me better understand how technology is going to fit in a future classroom. There are so many tools available that we need to work together to tackle the exploration.

Thinking on a global scale, the applications for mobile technology in the developing world are enormous. More people than ever are gaining access to vast storehouses of information. The projects profiled by my group members were inspiring and reinforce again how privileged Canadian students are when they attend school, in terms of the technology that has become part of their daily lives.

Finally, all of these pieces come together to create a learning commons. In my district, ideas are floating and small pieces are coming together in isolation of each other. Physical, technological, attitudinal, and infrastructure elements must all converge in unison before we truly create a learning commons. Along with this, the role of teachers and TLs is and must change with these developments. We need to be flexible and open to new ideas and technologies that can support a variety of learning styles. I will go back to where I started and mention again the importance of building relationships. This is my key takeaway from this section. All of these great things we are doing and will do with technology still rely on creating relationships, be they in person or on-line.

 

 

Digital libraries and mobile learning

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Image courtesy WikiMedia Commons

As the above image shows, the proliferation of smaller, cheaper devices that allow people to access the internet is impacting the rate of technological equality worldwide. More people than ever before have access to some sort of digital media. Local libraries in developing nations are on the leading edge of this movement.

Digital libraries have the potential to offer an entirely new level of information access to people in developing countries who have in the past been unable to tap into these resources. The article “Building and using digital libraries in the developing world” (2012), by Barreto da Rosa and Lamas, discusses some challenges of establishing these libraries as well as the potential for mobile devices as affordable access tools. The authors suggest that lack of infrastructure, untrained staff, low literacy rates, unavailability of internet access, and funding issues all make creating digital libraries challenging (193). They discuss a project in Cape Verde in which digital library access for academic research was developed for the university library. Because of limited financial resources, the developers tried to find free, suitable resources but had limited success. The databases that were made available went over well though, with immediate usage by students and staff. While many students and staff also had mobile devices, not many accessed the digital library this way, citing cost of mobile internet, unreliable internet access, and slow loading speed (200). This gap in infrastructure to support internet access seems to be a major barrier to establishing more digital libraries in developing countries. The discussion becomes one of resource allocation by governments and aid agencies…what takes priority when basic human needs are not fully met?

There are many organizations dedicated to enhancing access to digital technology and information in developing countries through libraries. Beyond Access is a nonprofit group which is made up of various partners, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, committed to expanding the role of public libraries in developing nations. It is part of the large American international nonprofit IREX, which works for social, educational, and media development projects around the world. Beyond Access works to connect people to information by supporting development projects based around community libraries.

Here in Canada, we are spoiled for access to both traditional and digital resources. Mobile devices are popping up more and more in schools and potentially have many educational uses. While we need to be aware of economic barriers and appropriate usage discussions, there are many activities that can be enhanced or made more attractive to students with the use of mobile technologies. John Hardison offers suggestions in his 2013 article on Getting Smart website, all sorts of collaborative, creative activities. The reality is that our society is integrating more with mobile technology with every passing day. I think it would be a disservice to our students not to teach them how to use the technology productively and safely within our classrooms.

Resources

Barreto da Rosa, I. & D.R. Lamas. “Building and using digital libraries in the developing world.” Education Journal. 2(5). 2013. 192-202. DOI: 10.11648/j.edu.20130205.12

 

With a little help from our friends…

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Teaching can be a lonely profession. Trying to keep up with new trends in education, policy, and curriculum changes can be overwhelming. Communicating with and getting support from colleagues helps make some of these challenges more manageable. In my current position, I share responsibility for the library with someone else, who has run the space for the past decade. Over the years, a certain culture has been established in the school around the use of the library — some teachers use it all the time, others never darken our door. My challenge is to try and bring some of these teachers in to use our resources. Only then, I think, can I actually be effective in promoting, encouraging, and supporting the use of new technologies in our school.

Our professional collection is rarely used. I would suggest creating a site (like Delicious) for staff to access and share resources and information.

Other posters have mentioned relationship building as key to this process and I would strongly agree. Online communities have a lot to offer, as do Twitter feeds and tools like Classroom 2.0, but in my opinion, face to face interactions have more impact and help many people feel better prepared to tackle a new method of teaching and learning. An article by Amy Hutchison titled “Literacy teachers’ perceptions of professional development that increases integration of technology into literacy instruction” (2012), cites survey results that suggests having support available through mentoring and follow-up post-PD instruction, both help teachers integrate technology into the curriculum more successfully. At my current school, I know this is a common sentiment. Perhaps this is something I can be more involved with in the future, by gaining as much “expertise” as I can with Web 2.0 tools.

Along the line of PD, I am organizing my first lunch-hour tech drop-in session. My library recently acquired 10 iPads so I am having the district’s technology-assisted learning (TAL) consultant come to do some Q&A with students (and staff) about how to better utilize this technology for school purposes. Depending upon the response, I may look at making it a more regular occurrence, covering different tech issues. Tapping into the experts who are available within our school community is a great place to begin. This could potentially lead to offering sessions to parents on the types of technology and Web 2.0 tools being used in our school.

PLCs could also be used for continuing education for teachers in technology related issues. In September, I’d like to suggest a PLC focused on a few Web 2.0 tools (depending on the group’s interest), and spend the sessions learning and sharing our experiences trying to integrate them into the curriculum.

Finally I think I could use my role to advocate for teachers with regard to technology use in the classrooms. We are getting a new “21st century” school (2016) and are slowly transitioning some aspects of the library. While it is great we have begun the process, it hasn’t been smooth so far. I am attempting to bring forward some issues, with the support of my admin. I’m seeing first hand how slowly the wheels turn 🙂

Another visual representation of how we can support and collaborate with our staff. Note how important the human element is at all stages.

The Collaboration Continuum

Creative Commons licensed image courtesy superkimbo

 

Hutchinson, Amy. “Literacy Teachers’ Perceptions of Professional Development that Increases Integration of Technology into Literacy Instruction.” Technology, pedagogy, and education. 21(1). 2012. P. 37-56. DOI: 10.1080/1475939X.2012.659894

Staying Connected

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As a teacher, I’ve always felt that professional development and being a “life-long learner” are key to finding success and fulfillment in the field. I’ve felt lucky to have access to PD opportunities and support to pursue courses related to my job (like this one). Making the time can be challenging with work and personal commitments but the benefits are huge.

There are innumerable blogs, websites, networks, Twitter feeds, and Facebook groups a person can follow and participate in that deal with all facets of education. Personally I need things to be streamlined and specific so the idea of following dozens of blogs or feeds is overwhelming and frankly unappealing to me. After spending all day using computers at work, I’m not generally inclined to turn it on for more than fun at home. Through explorations for the course, I found two sites that I think are great starting points for someone like me, The Innovative Educator and Getting Smart. Both act as portals to all sorts of information, blogs, videos, discussions, and outside links.

Twitter is relatively new to me. I basically use it to grab news snippets. As I start to explore more, I see there are many discussions happening between educators, sharing new ideas and links. Life became somewhat easier when I discovered the List option on Twitter…it is amazing how a little organization makes things more manageable. Classroom 2.0 also looks to have great networking opportunities. There are groups and forums for all sorts of topics. Spending an hour searching You Tube or TED talks can also yield treasures. Allowing yourself even an hour per week to go exploring helps you find out what others are doing in education around the world.

After the course is through, I will likely continue to follow some of the Twitter feeds and I would like to spend more time looking at Classroom 2.0. I know I won’t keep up with many blogs, but they are all bookmarked for a rainy day. Within my school I want to try and collaborate and share more with my colleagues. It is an ongoing complaint that we don’t get enough time within our departments to meet. Once I have an arsenal of Web 2.0 tools, I’d like to share them with my colleagues, perhaps through a PD session or a Wiki.

The chart below nicely summarizes all the ways we can collaborate and work together to share information.

collaboration grid

Creative Commons licensed image courtesy John Spencer – EdRethink

Making School reading :( Cool…reading :)

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Read the title out loud and it makes sense. You’ve probably heard at least the first half on more than one occasion. How do we hear the second half more often? I have a few ideas.

From wespeakupforchildren.org

My school has a very diverse population of learners. In the library we try our best to make every student feel comfortable and strive to create a safe, welcoming environment. Due to the layout and room configuration, we are in the heart of the school, with lots of traffic  all day long. It’s a study hall, a hangout spot, a computer lab, and a safe place for many of our students.

To encourage a culture of reading, there is a school-wide D.E.A.R. period (drop everything and read) everyday for 10 minutes after first period. In the library, work to bring in books students want to read and monitor circulation statistics to see what’s in demand and take all this into account when placing orders. We regularly change book displays to reflect holidays, school events, and other community activities. We have online audio books available to all students and actively promote the resource to students and teachers. We also just received 10 iPads so we will be encouraging students to try out ebooks. Making connections with teachers is also important. I have put together many resource lists for various curricular areas and regularly pull materials for teachers to use with their classes.

In my library, I would like to see more connections made with teachers, encouraging more resource-based teaching and collaboration between the library and other staff. I am slowly trying to build relationships, but find many people are just happy to continue as they always have or feel they just don’t have time to try anything new due to heavy curriculum demands. Relationships with students are also key to promoting reading in school. I love talking with students about what they are reading and encouraging them to try different genres or authors. Once our digital library takes off, I think having a “virtual book club” would be great. With the right license, an unlimited number of students could participate via blogs or forums.

I would also like to see more connections made with local authors and other writers. Every year we have the Young Authors’ Conference which brings students together with professional authors for workshops and readings. This is another example of how building relationships can encourage a stronger reading (and writing) culture within my school.

In the future, we will be a mostly digital facility (not all of the books are going thank goodness!). I think we need to proactive now in figuring out how to best encourage students and teachers to learn how to use technologies effectively when it comes to the reading experience. As mentioned above we just received iPads for student use. As I’ve discussed in previous posts, there are a myriad of uses for the iPad that can accommodate students with disabilities (see the Melissa Fortson Youtube clip). One article I found interesting, titled “Exploring the use of the iPad for literacy learning” by Hutichison, Beschorner, and Schmidt-Crawford, was based on a case study of a grade 4 classroom using iPads in the classroom. The authors found may positive aspects to using the devices which included encouraging collaboration among students, ease of adapting lessons to meed individual student needs, students used prior knowledge of the technology (didn’t need a lot of support in operating the iPads), and practical benefits such as easy storage. The authors did point out a few downsides, such as the inability to do word-processing with ease, the inevitable “teacher-as-troubleshooter”, and the difficulties in using the touch screen and manipulating text and images (Hutchison et al. 22). The student response to the technology was positive and engaged them in the literacy activities the teacher set out. I think these types of lessons could be very useful for “reluctant readers” and also could encourage more students to seek out books for pleasure, thereby strengthening the reading culture of a school.

Finally, I think that having a more dynamic web presence could enhance the reading culture of my school. If students had an appealing, user-friendly site with information, links, and forums for discussion of library activities, new books, and other related school topics, I think it would be beneficial to our program. It is definitely a challenging, time-consuming project to design, build, and maintain a great site, but with the right promotion and collaboration with teachers, it could become an important part of our school community.

I’m including a short clip from an elementary school in New Zealand that has created an incredible culture of reading through staff collaboration, technology, and encouragement of student choice, independence, and ownership of the space. The principal also mentions that because of the success of the library, the reading scores school wide are higher than average, including those for student groups considered at-risk on a national scale. The enthusiasm of the staff and students is very evident and encouraging.

References

Fortson, Melissa. “Emerging technology as assistive technology: the iPad, accessibility, and libraries.” MSU Emerging Technologies Summit 2011. Mississippi State University Libraries. August 25, 2011. Lecture. Web January 26, 2014.

Hutchison, Amy, B. Beschorner, and D. Schmidt-Crawford. “Exploring the use of the iPad for literacy learning.” The Reading Teacher. 66.1 (2012): 15-23. Web. February 6, 2014.

National Library of New Zealand. “School libraries: the heart of a reading culture – Hurupaki school.” uploaded April 25, 2011. Web. February 5, 2014.

We speak up for children (organization). “Illustration of kids reading books while lying on the lawn.” Web. February 9, 2014.

Reading Review part C

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The topics I’ve chosen to focus on for the course (access to/acceptable use of technology in schools; PLNs; and use of iPads/tablets in libraries) have many resources available in both academic journals and more informal blog/web collections.

1. Access to/acceptable use of technology in schools

The articles I looked as all touched on both the practical and ethical issues around technology use in schools. These included things like cost and choosing hardware, as well as addressing ethical concerns such as online etiquette, online safety, and the role of the teacher in a digital learning commons environment. This last point is one that especially peaks my interest. So often teachers are reluctant to change what they do in their classrooms, be it regarding resources or types of assignments or even seating arrangements. Two of the articles I read both heavily stressed the need for teachers to change their roles withing the classroom. We need to act as guides rather than deliverers of information.

The  article “Acceptable use of technology in schools: risks, policies and promises”, by Cramer and Hayes (Pervasive Computing IEEE, Vol. 9 #3,  2010) looks at the tensions between in-school vs. out-of-school uses of technology. Where do the two meet? The authors discuss the role of the school in preparing students to enter the digital world in earnest as adults. They also discuss the “perceived risks” and “observed hazards” (41) for children on-line. The article is a few years old and the tone is somewhat one of caution for educators in the move toward integrating more technology into the classroom. The authors do encourage the benefits of social media as a learning tool though, noting the potential for teaching youth how to behave and interact positively on-line.

The Jouneau-Sion article “Preparing schools to accommodate the challenges of Web 2.0 technologies” (Education and information technologies, Vol. 18, Issue 2, 2013) emphasizes the need for the role of the teacher to change so that these technologies can be successfully utilized as a teaching tools. The author stresses the need for trust and relationship building between students, teachers, and, by extension, parents. All parties need to work together showing respect for the rules which have been collectively established. Teachers must act as guides, learning along with the students, fostering a sense of collaboration and teamwork. Basically we as a profession have to be flexible, guiding students but also encouraging autonomous learning adventures. The article points out that while Twitter, Facebook, texting, etc. have a myriad of potential uses, institutional rules may limit or even prohibit their usage. It also raises the question of how “connected” students and teachers need to be…what is an acceptable length of time to wait for an answer? how often should a teacher be checking her mail? (269)

2. Personal Learning Networks

I looked at a few academic articles on this topic but the most useful information I found was contained in blogs and social networks. Getting Smart has useful articles on starting a PLN, as well as information on topics related to Web 2.0 technologies. I think it is a good place to start for someone like me with limited experience using these tools with student. The Classroom 2.0 site also looks like a great resource. I think there are many potentially useful ideas, tutorials, discussions, etc. to be had via this medium. While the idea of a PLN sounded somewhat involved, I’ve come to see that it can be as simple as a set of bookmarks or joining a group on the Classroom 2.0 site. I think framing it as such for students would make the idea appealing and useful in the classroom, especially for content-based, upper-level courses which have the potential for exploration beyond the mandatory curricular topics.

3. Using technology in libraries and classrooms

The Biancarosa and Griffiths article “Technology tools to support reading in the digital age” (The Future of Children, Vol. 22, Issue 2, 2012), addresses how e-readers are used in the classroom. The authors cite small-scale studies that show the technology benefits students’ vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension because of the universal design features built into the technology (i.e. user controlled layout) and the ability to incorporate graphics, links to related content,and  online communities. The authors caution though that of the two large-scale US studies done to date, neither showed a statistically significant increase in educational outcomes using reading programs delivered using e-readers vs. those delivered using traditional methods. The capital investment is significant to implement the technology so the authors argue that more evidence-based proof should be generated before districts commit to purchasing particular e-readers and reading program software. They also suggest  teachers be given the opportunity to really learn the technology before being asked to use it so that the integration is genuine and useful rather than just adjunct to the lesson.

Melissa Fortson’s lecture on iPads and accessibility has many tips on using the technology to assist people with disabilities in accessing information and communication. She discusses the potential uses of the iPad’s universal design features, specifically with regards to vision and hearing impairments and physical/motor difficulties. She also discuses different apps that are available to assist with communication, including sound boards, audio scanners, and virtual signers. This resource is a good introduction to the capabilities the iPad could offer in an inclusive classroom. Technologies like these encourage independent, self-paced learning and I believe, will be very useful in creating more inclusive classrooms. Again this idea of educators becoming guides and facilitators rather than keepers of information, fits well with an inclusive model of education.

Key Take-aways

1. A personal learning network does not need to be complicated. I think the biggest problem could be over-subscribing to blogs etc. and not being able to wade through all the ideas. Keeping them focused to a particular area is key.

2. There are many great potential uses for iPads and tablets in the classroom to foster an environment of inclusion.

3. We need to be realistic about integrating technology. It needs to be an authentic experience and a real learning tool, rather than just an add-on to a lesson. If teachers lack training or the infrastructure does not have the capability to support the hardware, the investment becomes a waste.

4. There are ways to prepare savvy digital citizens by making this facet of education part of the norms of behaviour long established in the classroom. We don’t need to be afraid of the “boogeyman” out in cyberspace. The role of the educator (and parent) is to help students discern what is real and what isn’t, what constitutes good behaviour and what does not. By making sure children understand that life on-line has the same rules and expectations as regular life, they can stay safe.

5. Finally the role of the teacher must evolve to successfully integrate the Web 2.0 technologies into the education system. We need to learn with the students rather than lecture at. Collaboration, flexibility, and trusting relationships are key for success. Schools themselves may have to change as well, in the areas of timetables, schedules, pace of learning, and even the physical configuration of the buildings.