Richardson's 10 Questions

I usually read Will Richardson's blog about once a week and I had quite a bit to get through this week. His thoughts on Educon has been vast. On Feb 10th, Richardson asked for his loyal blog readers to go through a number of questions that he came up with while he was at the conference/conversation and asked the readers to rank them. He had over 200 responses and on Feb 15th,he gave us the top 10:

1. How do we support the changing role of teacher? 116
2. What is the role of the teacher? 110
3. How do we help students discover their passions? 110
4. What is the essential learning that schools impart to students? 109
5. What is the purpose of school? 102
6. How do we adapt our curriculum to the technologies that kids are already using? 100
7. What does and educated person look like today? 97
8. How do we change policy to support more flexible time and place learning? 97
9. What are the essential practices of teachers in a system where students are learning outside of school? 92
10. How do we ensure those without privilege have equal access to quality education and opportunity? 92

I think that if you look at these questions, they are asked a lot in education today, not just in relation to technology and education. His goal is to address each question in a blog posting for the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to reading about his thoughts on these questions.

I have a feeling that these questions may lead to more questions! He has already started and if you have time, I think that you may find his thoughts very interesting.

Katie

Web 2.0 Tools

Two years ago, I took a course through the U of A on Web 2.0 tools- nothing else, just Web 2.0. I initially thought that it would be a walk in the park because I was already using some of the tools personally and I thought it would be an easy conversion to using them in the classroom- I was wrong. I found that I did not know about all of the tools available and that using them in the classroom required a lot more thought and consideration. We were asked to create a blog (the one you are viewing now, as a matter of fact) and we had to complete a weekly blog posting on various Web 2.0 tools that we personally had to use and research the benefits and uses of them in a classroom setting for educational purposes. It turned out to be a lot of work, but also a tremendous learning opportunity for my professional life.

I have done extensive blog posts on some Web 2.0 tools for that course and if anyone is interested on my findings and opinions of them, you can find them in the 2008 archives on the menu on the left of the screen.

For this course, I would like to re-examine some of those tools, as some of my opinions have changed over the two years since I first posted.

Blogs: As I mentioned, I had to do basically a research paper every week for my blog. I started to resent my stupid blog and not enjoy posting entries. Eventually, I saw the benefit of putting my thoughts on “paper”, as a way of professional therapy. I resolved to use the blog after I was done the course and to keep up with entries. I even put a link to my blog on my school library website. I knew that no one would read it- and I don’t believe anyone has until January of this year- but it made me feel better that I was contributing something to my field. I was sharing my thoughts and experiences with others who may be in similar situations. I think I only ended up making 3 or 4 postings, but I thought about it a lot and wanted to do more. There was also an urge to rant about things at my school and about things that were going on, but I don’t think this blog (that is linked to my school site) is the appropriate place to do that!

I have found that since I have been back on the blog, I’ve been enjoying it. I think that it is a great tool to deliver information and experiences with others. I have such a high opinion of it that I am considering using a blog (or a wiki or both) to complete my final project and promote the library in my school. I want to use the blog as a way of advertising different events, new books, new software, etc. I think that I may also use a blog in my teaching as well. I am teaching a Special Ed course of Science and Social Studies and I think that I may use a blog in Social Studies as a journal for the students. They really enjoy sharing their lives with me and I think this could be a new and inventive way for them to communicate with me and with each other.

Wikis: I flat out love wikis!! I have been using them for a couple of years now, I have two of my own and one that I used as part of a class discussion (used a bit like an online forum).

-Graphic Novels and collection development

-Batman (Comic Vs. Film)

-2learn2gether

I really never understood what a wiki (except for Wikipedia) was before. They looked really complicated to create and to use, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried to use one for the first time. It was very easy to do! I find them similar to a blog, but I am able to be more organized with my content. I am currently creating a wiki for my library to start a virtual book club. Students can pick books on my list and then they can discuss their thoughts about the selected works. I’m hoping that it will catch on and that we can have some good online discussions. It is another tool that I would like to use to promote the library. As with blogs, it could also be a fantastic way of creating a guided journal for students.

I love the ease of use, the organization of information and the way that others can add to your pages. It really offers an interactive way of learning- a bit more Socratic than traditional teaching.

I’m going to end this post for now otherwise the length may scare people and I want to break it up a bit. Remember, there was enough Web 2.0 content for an entire course, so I’ve got lots to say! Up next… Social Networking, Video/Photo Sharing and Social Bookmarking, I’ll bet you can’t wait!!!

Katie

Computers, teaching and learning...

Before I get started on this entry, I have to say that the quote from Will Richardson yesterday may become my ultimate teaching quote! I have been thinking about it all day and I have decided that I love it!

Back to the topic at hand... computers, teaching and learning. I've been thinking about this question since Sunday, when the content was posted. I am to think about how "schools could implement computer-supported learning in ways that authentically transform teaching and learning." That is the $64, 000 question about teaching and technology today! How can we begin to use technology/computers as learning tools and not just tools?

In my limited experience, I have found that there is great diversity in computer skills between students. I teach at a high school that offers Information Processing, Computer Technology & Production and Computer Science. Students that are enrolled in those courses seem to have much better skills at using technology and it is very noticeable-naturally. My belief is that students should have computer classes (of some kind, I'll let the curriculum developers handle the content) that are mandatory. Before we can begin to use technology to transform teaching and learning, we must be sure that all students (and teachers for that matter) are on the same level playing field. How many times have teachers tried to incorporate technology into your teaching only to find that a third of your students, don't know how to use the technology correctly? So much time could be saved- computer skills should be cross-curricular.

I'm not sure if I've answered the question or just rambled on. I don't have the answers and furthermore I don't believe that I have the power to change anything in terms of technology at my school, because it is so regimented and we don't always get much say from the powers that be in the IS department. Sorry to any techies reading this, but that is how it appears from "the Front Lines" of teaching. Lot's of red tape and hand slapping.

Katie

Weblogg-Ed- Brilliant!

On my blog, I follow a number of "cool" educational blogs. I have to admit that I don't always have time to read everyone of them, but I do try. Today I was reading Weblogg-ed by Will Richardson and I was struck by his reflections of the Educon and the actual website itself- not a conference, but a conversation. Isn't that interesting?

Quite often when I attend or I speak to a colleague that has just attended an educational conference, they (and I) are underwhelmed. This is not a shot at the organizers or presenters, but it is a common thread. I always find that the most meaningful experience that I have at conferences is the interaction between my fellow teachers and librarians. The conversation that we have and the experiences that we share seem invaluable to me. I'm either inspired or I feel my confidence rise because I know that I'm not the only one who does this or I am doing something right or I just helped someone else!

Maybe we need to have more conversations and less conferences!?

I also really liked Richardson's quote that he created from his reflections:

Stop complaining. Be the change. Love your students and do well by them. If that includes technology, so be it.

Wow! That may be my new motto in the school- that just sums up what I think about technology in teaching. Teaching is not a linear profession; it is circular, web-like and full of change. We are supposed to be leaders for students and our actions and responses are being watched and absorbed. We expect our students to roll with changes and accept the new ideas and tools that we present to them, but so often we ourselves are not willing to be so accepting. So do as Richardson says and if it will help your students, be like Nike and "Just Do It!".

My beliefs about learning...part 1

For this blog entry I am really taking a good look inside myself, my teaching beliefs and my classroom practices. I'm finding it hard to put these thoughts and feelings into words, but I'm gonna give it a try:

I believe in the individual learner. I believe that we all learn differently, but that we are also capable of learning the same way- depends on the subject matter. I think that most people are visual and auditory learners and that a combination of both delivery methods will reach most students.

In speaking with other teachers in my school, I do find a few teachers that think the same way as I do, but I find many more who believe what I do, but teach their content very differently. I have also found a few teachers who do the same thing on the day they started (10 plus years ago) as they do today. I believe that you have to change it up a bit and continue to perfect it as time goes on.

After reading some of the information posted on our wiki, I think that I am actually a behaviorist believer to some degree. I think that the environment plays a huge part in learning and how students learn. I think that this part of me comes from my own learning experience and my role as a teacher librarian- a pleasing and stimulating environment stimulates learning. I think that environment also includes the people in it, such as teachers and support staff. Their beliefs and attitudes can also influence learning.

Rightly or Wrongly, I seem to approach teaching regular classes and special ed. classes differently. In a regular class, I feel a lot of pressure to get through a great deal of content and information. I have to complete my four units by the end of the semester, so my delivery is designed to get the most content to the kids in the shortest amount of time- I use overhead notes, lecture and handout information that they have to use when they are doing their homework. When I teach my special education classes, I feel that I am able to slow down, read information and discuss it, I watch more educational videos (to reach visual learners) and to be able to review and go back over information if the students don't understand. As I think about my teaching, I feel that I do a much better job of teaching special ed than the regular courses because I am more conscious of their needs- why am I not conscious of regular students' needs? They also have different learning styles and needs, so why do I not adjust my teaching for them?
This is something that I need to look at for my future teaching assignments.

I think that technology has a large part to play in reaching different learners and in our classrooms; I use technology to help students visualize concepts, through overhead diagrams, interactive websites and my Smartboard. I also use live streaming websites to access videos and information that would otherwise be unavailable to me and my students. I don't think that technology is the end all- be all, but when used as a tool and not a crutch, I think it enhances student learning. I enjoy taking these types of classes to find out how I can use technology in new and different ways.

Katie