The first two ideas that I thought of while reading the case study were that Lenora may be able to create videos to share her professional development ideas with other Aboriginal educators and that Lenora may be more interested in developing a resource like a wiki which would allow other educators to contribute to over time.
I was not immediately dismissing her using a website. I would think a website is a better overall look than creating a series of videos or starting a wiki, but with the dial-up connection, (Do those still exist? Perhaps having lived in two major Asian cities in the past nine years, I had mistakenly believed that the rest of the world was now also connected by broadband.) her website would be visually sparse without the (efficient) ability to upload images and other content quickly. However, even in an image poor online environment, she could hyperlink to content hosted elsewhere. Her lack of experience creating a website does not lead me to shy away from offering it as a solution to her. Multiple websites are available that support new website creators in building what they seek. I looked at Richard Byrne’s blog Free Tech for Teachers to find out if he had compiled a list of such sites. In a 2012 blog post he had given eleven free tools for creating websites (“Free Technology for Teachers,” n.d.). Websites such as Wix, Weebly or Google Sites have a user-friendly interface and are easier than WordPress or Blogger for people creating a website for the first time.
Turning back to the two ideas that I had while reading the case study, a series of videos could be put on Youtube, and the link shared via email. But this seems insufficient for her needs. Not to mention the issue with uploading, though Lenora could take her video on an external hard drive and upload to Youtube from school. Since a wiki would take some time to learn and won’t have the visual appeal that many websites now offer, I am less fond of this suggestion after all.
I hope that Lenora would look into the available, easy website creators that are available for her to create her professional development website and collaborative community.
References
Free Technology for Teachers: 11 Free Tools for Creating Websites and Simple Webpages. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2012/04/11-free-tools-for-creating-websites-and.html
Hi Heather,
Offering another possibility such as wiki that is less involved is a great possible solution. Sometimes we forget what all the options are or why people initially started with less involved options. I remember when I first started teaching and went to a Dreamweaver workshop for web design. Thankfully, this type of technical know-how is not longer required! It gives me a headache just remembering the workshop! Interfaces have come a long way but with them the requirement for access and immediacy. I thought your suggestion of creating artifacts at home and then uploading them at school was a smart compromise in creating the balance she was looking for. I wonder if she has the technical expertise for document transfer or access to someone who could help her?
Yes, Kim, I, too, remember how daunting technology used to be. When web 2.0 tools came along creating spaces online became so much easier 🙂 Then social media really started to pick up, and now it is a whole new world from those initial website building days.
You are right, we would need to know if she would be okay to transfer files or have someone help her with parts that she didn’t know. Perhaps she could help herself with online tutorials etc.
I have Dreamweaver scars too.
Sometimes we have to hold on hard to what we believe can be possible. Even though this is a “scenario” to comment on, I know far too many teachers who have had great ideas which were cast aside due to problems with technology.
I hope the Lenoras out there can find people to help them make it happen.
Thanks for the post,
KF
Agreed, Keri. If Lenora had access to someone in the MET program, I am sure that we could easily mentor her through a process via email. It would be great if there were someone at her school who could fill this role 🙂