This week I have begun broadening my connected self. Up to this point I have primarily communicated through email and face to face. That’s it. Blogging is a very new concept for me. What stands out for me this week is that I am moving my way around in this connected space (blog) I am trying to express my understanding and learning with many people and it is very scary. It has been a long time since I have shared with teachers what I am learning in a writing format for all to see! It is clear to me that I need to try some new ways to communicate with my students. This is where I would like to start. I am not sure if Im ready for a conversation to take place but I would like to share ways to enrich what they are learning in the classroom and have a place to visit to share their learning in ways that don’t involve teacher direction. Sometimes I feel that I have to make big changes but what I really need to do is start with something manageable, something I can practice every day so that I can continue growing and making myself more connected. Once I can master this, and I don’t think it will take long, I would like to expand outwards to my colleagues in music and in the north van teacher librarians.
Why School: I like how Richardson asks us to take charge and begin making change. Our school has had administrators come and go over the past 12 years. Unfortunately many come to work at 8 and leave at 3. We have learned as a staff that it is up to us to develop a technology plan for our school, to lead the charge on professional development. We spent an entire year bringing various people in from around the district to do lunch and learn seminars in various technology applications: iphoto, imovie, inspirations, kidspirations, smartboard applications, digital photography, word,excel, website building (now completely out of date) Teaching staffs need to work together older teachers have a ton to offer even if they are scared of all the changes in technology and communication. Younger teachers bring an energy and new expertise in their digital literacy. If both groups can work together to be respectful and learn from one another a school will move together to embrace change.

“I placed my feet carefully, one foot in front of the other, on the slippery path. Then I ran out of rocks. I couldn’t see one more step. How do you take another step when you can’t see the path in front of you? I thought I would begin my post with a quote from the book Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool.
This is an amazing book about a journey of self discovery. This quote keeps playing over in my mind as I come to class each day wondering where I’m going with my learning. Today I ran out of rocks and felt that I couldn’t see or reach out to take another step. It was today that I realized what I need from this course. Literacy.
“One must consider the differences in literacy between text and technology. Where textual literacy only has to be acquired once because letters, codes and meanings stay the same, generally speaking, technology such as the computer and its software typically uses a hybrid set of codes involving pictorial icons and invented words. These images and created words are constantly evolving and becoming increasingly less transparent in meaning as time goes by.” 1
I am on the path of learning this new language so that I can be ready to teach in this new era of education which is asking us to teach a broadened definition of literacy which includes social, information, media, digital. I’m not sure if I’m making sense to anyone else, but I understand my own need to change my path of learning and step out into a path that I can’t quite see yet but will help me to feel like I can communicate with my neighbors, collegues, student family and the world in this 21st Century.

1 University of Chicago: http://csmt.uchicago.edu/glossary2004/literacy.htm

“The consequences of rapidly changing definitions of literacy are abundant. McLuhan claims “mental breakdown of varying degrees is the very common result of uprooting and inundation with new information and endless new patterns of information.”10 We are in a world where a person who cannot master technology is considered disabled and thus prevented from participating in the world fully. “ 1

Will Richardson sees the need to shift educational reform in another direction from a technology centered/achievement focused model to a student centered, technology facilitated model. I really believe that in North Vancouver we are moving towards the kind of educational reform that Mr. Richardson is so passionate about,but it is moving slowly!
There a lot of things that need to happen in order to achieve school wide educational reform. 1. A commitment to fund technology in the schools.(provincially) Every school in North Vancouver has a different technology plan (crazy) and is completely PAC funded. 2. Superintendents and administrators should have a clear plan and vision for moving their schools towards a new model of education. 3. Class sizes and structures need to be addressed at the middle school and high school level so that differentiated learning can be delivered. 4. Teacher training and collaboration has to be at the forefront of change because as educators if we don’t start moving in new directions we certainly can’t take our kids there. 5. Commitment to bring back our teacher librarians to full time staff members and assist teachers in inquiry learning.

I found a great article that is more relevant to British Columbia Educators and the issues to be considered with Educational Reform. Considerations for Education Reform in British Columbia http://www.umanitoba.ca/publications/cjeap/pdf_files/santos.pdf