Week 2 Summary : How Did We Get There

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Institutional Isomorphism – thoughts

School has had a strong fine arts program:Music, Dance, Drama, Strings Band, Visual Art

Principal that believed in the Arts:  Supported a music teacher with proper qualifications,

Leadership in teaching art / not crafting.- Visual Literacy

Teachers who extended learning through drama. Dickens Day – Engaging student learning through hands on, collaborative and creative learning.

Through leadership and mentoring teachers began to explore learning through the arts/ collaborating with artists in the community to enhance learning in a multitude of  subjects.

Brought student teachers into our school from UBC’s fame program.  Students who had strengths in fine arts and media.  They brought in fresh ideas and technology and showed us what we could do with technology to continue our hands on, collaborative, and creative learning.

Once the students left however, we were left with a need to learn how to use tech tools in order to utilize what they have to offer

New Principal and new staff who wanted to see us move together as staff learning how to utilize our tech tools to move towards a 21st century model.  New desktop computers in every class including library, music room, ELL  and Learning Assistance.

We began with lunch and learn workshops every 2nd Wednesday.  We would have teachers on staff, people from the community, teachers from the district help us to move towards a digital literacy so that we could begin to teach.

*Websites- communication

* software- typing programs, writing programs , imovie, iphoto, digital photography, …

* email

*online reporting

Declining Enrollment – gave us the push to move our school forward into the model of 21st Century learning

Birth of Global Learner Program – A year of collaboration –A living ever morphing way of teaching that takes risks, collaborates, pushes teachers to find new ways to engage student learning that encourages student leadership. Broadens their thinking and learning to connect to the world and their community. Sometimes uses technology but as a means of achieving outcomes.

 

10 minutes of fame- Global Learner at Montroyal

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10 minutes of fame
Global Learner – The Global Learner program is designed to prepare students for the future, and to bring students, staff and parents together through collaboration and responsive partnerships. We have chosen three school-wide themes, addressing learning outcomes at all grade levels, across subjects, and aimed at developing global awareness. Under the umbrella themes of Children of the World, World Leaders & Leadership, and Global Stewardship, students will take part in focused inquiries which include progressive learning outcomes focusing on 21st century skills.
Collaboration based on three themes – Children of the World- Leaders and Leadership – Global Stewardship- Each term our staff choose 3- or 4 consecutive Wednesday afternoons to offer workshops to students.
• Divided into 2 multi-age groupings Primary – grades 1-3 and Intermediate 4-7 . Kindergarten students join the primary groups for term 3 only.
• Teachers of a variety of workshops for students to choose from.
• Students watch a video presentation on their classroom smart board for the workshops and select their top 2 choices.
• Teachers distribute students to workshops noting learning needs
• We display the product of our workshops throughout the year .
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Global Learner Workshops
Over the past decade, we have seen an unprecedented rise in the amount of information available to people and to the interconnectedness of people around the world. To continue to offer a rich diversity of engaging programs to students, we, too need to grow. Students need to not only be competent in reading, writing and mathematics, but also 21st century skills . They must be inspired to navigate the sea of information through speaking, writing, multi-media, and creativity. Students need to become more globally aware and learn to collaborate with people face-to-face and around the world. A well-rounded education is no longer just the three R’s; success in the future will require digital-age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication and high productivity. Are we ready?
Global Learner Workshop Presentations
I approached my principal to ask for any pictures or videos that could help you to understand some of the work that is being done in our school by our amazing creative teachers. In doing so, both she and I realized that we haven’t thought about creating a virtual window for our workshops. There were only a few pictures available to show you what the multi-age collaboration looks like. I am going to spearhead a change to publish the work we are doing and possibly archive the lessons for our workshops.

Instead I would like for you to see a video of the work a couple of our teachers did with the Environmental Club. The teacher collaboration is between a grade 1 teacher with a wealth of expertise and a grade 7 teacher who is tech savvy and extremely creative. Together they worked with students to research, create and communicate with the entire school via YouTube and Smart Boards a project that all students could participate in. They utilized their research to create a video which promoted writing, music and a message to engage students to observe their back yard environment. Enjoy Birds in the Hood

Inquiry Post 1 – Learning Commons District/School/Collaboration

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It was a good day today. I really enjoyed having the face to face time to collaborate and begin to build a framework for our inquiry. Initially I had trouble choosing what I want to as I am forming a picture in my head of where I want to go with my learning. Initially I joined a great group of ladies who have huge range of knowledge and teaching practice in the topic of Inquiry. I was first introduced to Inquiry at the BCTLA conference in October and was intrigued by the mode Points of Inquiry. I realized after our group discussion that I wanted to go out a little further into the big picture of Coquiltlam School District which is implementing the Learning Commons Model  for the District. I will be exploring this concept and how my school might fit into this model. After 23 years in education I truly believe that we need to collaborate on a larger scale so that we can more easily implement a framework that allows us as Teacher Librarians to collaborate with our district. As each member of our group has formed at least 2 points of inquiry for the Learning Commons, I would like to explore the broad topic of Collaboration and roles of Teacher Librarian. As I am researching that collaboration theme in the Learning Commons Model. I am looking forward to todays collaboration.
** Just a note that I will be making most of my blog posts on the morning before class. My brain works better before class that after 

Week 1Post 3: How do you take another step ?

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“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

Week 1 Post 2 :Students centered?/technology centred?

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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

Week 1 Post 1: Assignment 1 Questionaire

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1. What policies govern your uses of ICT in your school setting?

Students must sign a form which outlines proper use of technology in the classroom.  Students are not allowed to have cell phones present during school hours.  Students are responsible for monitoring laptops and making sure equipment is properly taken care of.Teachers are encourage to direct to students to appropriate websites for learning.

2. What digital technological resources do you have available for teaching and learning in your school setting? We have an Erac bundle that is purchased by the school district, giving schools access to online resources such as World Book . For Media, the school district has purchased learn360 which gives teachers access to media which is approved for use in the schools.  We have smart boards in every classroom including a new one in the music room that I am very excited to use next year for the other half of my job as music teacher!  The school has 2 laptop carts for 30 computers which are heavily used by our intermediate classes.  A new set of i pads are  expected this year to be piloted in the Kindergarten classes

3. Please provide an example of an exemplary use of digital technologies for teaching and learning that you have observed or experienced personally.

We are using our smart boards to show student made presentations regarding social responsibility. We had students in our environmental club create videos about classroom recycling procedures and how to reduce waste in packaged lunches.  Students learned to effect school wide change by delivering and effective message to their peers in their classrooms.

4. Please provide an example of a problematic use of digital technologies for teaching and learning that you have observed or experienced personally.

We have had some problems with overload of the wireless systems when all classes are trying to access online resources as the same time. For our annual Terry Fox Run, many teachers will show videos to support learning about Terry Fox. The Videos will be slow to load and need to be preloaded in order for them to work in heavy usage periods.

5. Please provide a brief history of how you learned to use digital technologies (personally and professionally). I am learning as I go.  We have workshops for smart boads, digital cameras, building websites, i movie, i photo.  We have a very collegial and progressive staff that work together so that our school is progressing into this 21st Century learning environment.   My kids help me through a lot of my difficulties with technology at home. ( they are not always patient! but they sure know alot!! )

6. How would you rate your digital technological proficiency? 0 = low level of proficiency -> 10 = high level of proficiency? Why did you give yourself this rating? I feel that I am at about a 2.  I know the basics but I want to be comfortable providing new ways of learning for my students.   Just learning how to use a blog today was a huge step for me.  I love the concept of students  continuing to share their opinions and knowledge beyond the classroom hours.  My self rating is based on my confidence and ability to self teach and explore using new technologies.

7. What do you hope to accomplish in this course?  I would like to become more confident using technology for my own learning and communication.  I would love to be brave in implementing technology in my teaching rather that fearful.