As I type my final blog posting for this course, I have the vague notion that the umbilical cord connecting me to my professor, my classmates and my ‘network’ is being severed. Where will I go from here? Who will my learning community consist of now? How do I continue to learn and explore what Web 2.0 has to offer? But before I answer the BIG questions, perhaps I need to revisit what I have learned so far.
What did I actually learn?
Some of the highlights of my learning include:
(+) Being totally enthused about my new knowledge and dare I say it, gaining some ‘expertise’ in the world of Web 2.0.
(+) Actually being able to teach my students about new technologies (Voice Thread , Audacity , wikis, flickr etc.). I now have kids using tools like audacity, Voice Thread and Google Docs.
(+) Making genuine connections with other educators learning the same things. I really enjoyed the blog format – it perfectly complemented the material we were learning in the course.
(+) Being proud of what I have accomplished in a fairly short time period – Wow! I have a blog! And people have actually read it! Mind you, they kind of HAD to.
(+) Having created a unique presence on the web for myself.
(+) Becoming more open to learning new web technologies as now I have a base from which to start.
However, there were some potholes on the road to enlightenment:
(-) I felt overwhelmed and overloaded with information at times.
(-) I questioned the necessity and usefulness of some of the technologies we learned; I still don’t get the appeal of social bookmarking. But, if someone out there can explain it to me, I am all ears.
(-) I wondered about the impact of these technologies on human behaviour and interaction and the loss of real time communication.
(-) I felt at times that I was too reactionary against new technology and wondered if I am actually a Luddite at heart
(-) I got caught up in the little details and couldn’t see the big picture sometimes.
Where do I go from here?
To continue learning about educational technology, I have got to maintain my momentum and stay current. Some simple steps that I could take include keeping up with my selected RSS feeds that highlight new technologies, attending more technology workshops, joining the school’s technology committee and talking regularly to our tech guy. That’s not enough though. The Web is now a collaborative and social ‘place’, so I’ve got to get out there and share what I know with others, whether it be colleagues or friends. Lastly, I need to continue to use technology not just for the sake of technology, but because it genuinely improves my professional or personal life.
To integrate technology into my classroom and school, I am going to develop my Social Studies 11 Wiki for my students. This will help us to create a common resource for them to review when preparing for tests and their provincial exam. Next September, I am going to launch my first teacher blog (or a department blog if my immersion colleagues want to be a part of it). I will encourage parents to subscribe to my blog so that they can get regular updates on what is happening in my classes. I am going to continue to share my new information with our TL – even though she knows this stuff anyway. She’s the one who taught me how to use Google Docs. On a bigger scale, I could start a ning for BC or Vancouver Island immersion teachers and maybe a ning for my Social Studies department. How’s this for a niche – a ning for BC teacher-librarians in dual track schools?
Many brains are better than one
This exploration of Web 2.0 tools would have been a lonely, less-enriching trip without the presence of my instructor and classmates. Here are just a few of the things I gleaned from my ‘co-learners’:
(*) Remain open-minded when it comes to learning about new technology
(*) Experiment with technology and don’t be intimidated
(*) What might be fun or easy for one person, may be extremely difficult for another person.
(*) I learned about Divshare from Heather, about avatars from April and about embedding videos from Darryl
(*) The world of educational technology, Web 2.0 and teacher-librarianship really isn’t that big. I realized this as I kept bumping into TLDL classmates on various networks.
From start to finish and back again
As I look back on this post (and all my other posts), I definitely see a progression in my blogging. My posts certainly have become more detailed and include examples of Web 2.0 tools. My first posts reflected a lack of awareness of my audience. I’m still working on this and at least now I know that it is an area in need of improvement.
So, am I really ‘flying solo’? Hardly! I am already building a learning network that will be there when I need them and when they need me. Although my classmate bloggers may not all continue to blog, some will – these are people with whom I want to stay connected. I can also stay connected with classmates from other courses and through the TL-DL blog. Since starting this course, I have also joined the following nings, Classoom 2.0 and the Teacher-Librarian ning. I see that some of my EDES 501 classmates have done the same – another way to stay in touch! This is only the beginning of my collection of professional networks.
Since Will Richardson has been our textbook guru and guide throughout this course, I thought it only fitting to finish off this post with a thought from him. On his wiki, he writes: “My own learning has been transformed due primarily to the network I have become a part of”. This statement gets at the essence of what learning with Web 2.0 is all about. But it doesn’t end there. I will leave you with three questions Richardson believes that educators should ask themselves:
>Who are your teachers?
>How are you building your own learning networks?
>How are you modeling your learning for your students?
As long as we keep asking questions and seeking knowledge in collaboration with others, we will remain relevant and effective educators.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Saturday, November 29, 2008
It’s Time to Walk the Talk
As I move from theory to practice in my educational technology journey, I realize that all of these new tools I have examined will have a far greater impact if I share them with my students and colleagues. In the words of the mathematician and philosopher, Alfred North Whitehead, “Ideas won't keep; something must be done about them”.
If I Could Only Introduce One New Tool
Where to start? Well, it would be helpful to provide staff with an overview of the new Web 2.0 tools that are now available and relevant to teaching and learning. This short video from Teacher Tube gives a brief overview.
As a teacher-librarian, I would find it difficult to narrow it down to just one tool to share and promote to my staff. So, I went to the experts in my ever-growing on-line learning communities and found the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies. This Slide Share outlines 25 free tools that ‘…every learning professional should have in their toolbox”.
After watching this slideshare, I would most likely introduce wikis to my staff. For example, PB Wiki ranked #16 on the Center for Learning Performance Technologies’ list of the top 25 Web 2.0 tools. Although I would love to also show them the power of podcasting and the many applications of Voice Thread, I believe that wikis have tremendous potential to improve communication and collaboration between students and teachers in all subject areas. In any case, my amazing T-L already demonstrated Voice Thread to the staff last year, yet I believe I am still the only teacher in my school to actually use it or encourage its use with students.
Wikis are the way to go. Why you ask? Well, they are extremely easy to create and have many applications. In Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for the Classroom, Will Richardson suggests using a wiki for a class Wikipedia – which is exactly what I am going to do next semester for my Social Studies 11 students, who can get bogged down with all of the vocabulary they have to learn in order to be able to write their provincial exam (in French no less). Even better, according to Richardson, they can post not only text, but “graphics, links, annotations and reflections” as well as “PowerPoint presentations, video and audio files…” The following Wiki educational link outlines other uses for wikis in the classroom such as collaborative textbooks, student portfolios, collaborative between teachers and even literature circles. In another article, Wild About Wikis, David Jakes discusses the educational benefits of wikis in the classroom (class writing projects, class textbooks, group lab reports, collaborative problem solving), for professional development (workshop planning and post-workshop reflection) and for administrative use (collaborative creation of policy documents).
To encourage teachers to use wikis, I would first make sure that I am proficient with the technology myself. This means creating at least one wiki to demonstrate its uses to my colleagues. I would also encourage staff to check out this PBwiki Mini Tutorial by Ramit Sethi. I could also call upon Lee Lefever of Common Craft to supply a straightforward instructional video on how to use wikis. Here’s his tutorial, Wikis in Plain English.
You Can Lead a Horse to Water…
How do we encourage our colleagues to adopt new technologies? Adults don’t learn new skills or information in the same way that children do. In his article, Principles of Adult Learning,Stephen Lieb discusses how adults learn differently from children and teens. He identifies the following characteristics of learners: they need to be self-directed, they want to connect their life experiences and previous knowledge to their learning, they already have specific goals in mind when it comes to their learning (but still appreciate identified, specific learning goals) and they must see relevant, practical connections between their learning and their work.
I have learned through personal experience that new technology cannot be forced on teachers. Educators are more likely to adopt new tools if they can see it and experience it for themselves. For me personally, I would want to experience a new technology and see practical applications of that technology before I invest the time in using it in my classroom. Will it be useful? Will I be able to easily incorporate it into my teaching practice? Just throwing something out there to our colleagues will not convert them. For example, I suggested that my colleagues and I start a subject specific ning to better communicate and share resources (since this is one of our department goals). My suggestion was met with a polite but lukewarm response. This was AFTER I offered to set up the ning myself. It’s not that they weren’t interested, but for busy classroom teachers, it’s just ‘one more thing’ to add to their already overflowing plates.
So, the best way to build momentum and to keep it going is to use the new technology yourself and to introduce it to staff one by one. Generally, I have found that sweeping changes in education (whether they be directives from a principal or new curriculum policies from the province) are often met with resistance or fall flat on their faces. Any BC educator who has been in the biz for more than 15 years can tell you what a resounding failure the top-down ‘Year 2000 Program’ was. The best approach is to be a positive example and to recruit like-minded colleagues. New ideas will spread slowly - grassroots style - and will gain momentum as more and more teachers adopt them. If we really want to encourage change and growth, it isn’t going to happen overnight. Patience grasshopper, patience.
Promote, Advertise and Celebrate!
How do early adaptors of technology in education build on their grassroots successes? Well, you’ve got to get the message out. Here’s how:
Promote
Allow districts, schools and professional development committees to earmark money for technology pro-d and integration. Teachers need TIME to explore and integrate new technology. Technology teachers and administrators need to encourage other educators to pursue professional development in technology education.
Advertise
Publish examples of integrating technology on the school website, teacher websites and blogs, principals' letters to families, the library website, displays during open house night, and on the school district website. Provide links on the school web page to teacher blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other multi media examples.
Celebrate
Principals, tech teachers and coordinators need to celebrate the individuals and groups who are exploring and successfully integrating new technologies in schools. Most people love recognition whether they admit to it or not. Why not celebrate and recognize teachers’ and students’ use of new technologies so that their example can serve to inspire and encourage others?
As someone who is now poised to be more of an educational technology leader as opposed to a follower, the time has come for me to pass the relay baton onto the next colleague, all the while continuing on in my own quest for knowledge. So, in the words of the great Walt Disney, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing".
If I Could Only Introduce One New Tool
Where to start? Well, it would be helpful to provide staff with an overview of the new Web 2.0 tools that are now available and relevant to teaching and learning. This short video from Teacher Tube gives a brief overview.
As a teacher-librarian, I would find it difficult to narrow it down to just one tool to share and promote to my staff. So, I went to the experts in my ever-growing on-line learning communities and found the Center for Learning and Performance Technologies. This Slide Share outlines 25 free tools that ‘…every learning professional should have in their toolbox”.
After watching this slideshare, I would most likely introduce wikis to my staff. For example, PB Wiki ranked #16 on the Center for Learning Performance Technologies’ list of the top 25 Web 2.0 tools. Although I would love to also show them the power of podcasting and the many applications of Voice Thread, I believe that wikis have tremendous potential to improve communication and collaboration between students and teachers in all subject areas. In any case, my amazing T-L already demonstrated Voice Thread to the staff last year, yet I believe I am still the only teacher in my school to actually use it or encourage its use with students.
Wikis are the way to go. Why you ask? Well, they are extremely easy to create and have many applications. In Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Tools for the Classroom, Will Richardson suggests using a wiki for a class Wikipedia – which is exactly what I am going to do next semester for my Social Studies 11 students, who can get bogged down with all of the vocabulary they have to learn in order to be able to write their provincial exam (in French no less). Even better, according to Richardson, they can post not only text, but “graphics, links, annotations and reflections” as well as “PowerPoint presentations, video and audio files…” The following Wiki educational link outlines other uses for wikis in the classroom such as collaborative textbooks, student portfolios, collaborative between teachers and even literature circles. In another article, Wild About Wikis, David Jakes discusses the educational benefits of wikis in the classroom (class writing projects, class textbooks, group lab reports, collaborative problem solving), for professional development (workshop planning and post-workshop reflection) and for administrative use (collaborative creation of policy documents).
To encourage teachers to use wikis, I would first make sure that I am proficient with the technology myself. This means creating at least one wiki to demonstrate its uses to my colleagues. I would also encourage staff to check out this PBwiki Mini Tutorial by Ramit Sethi. I could also call upon Lee Lefever of Common Craft to supply a straightforward instructional video on how to use wikis. Here’s his tutorial, Wikis in Plain English.
You Can Lead a Horse to Water…
How do we encourage our colleagues to adopt new technologies? Adults don’t learn new skills or information in the same way that children do. In his article, Principles of Adult Learning,Stephen Lieb discusses how adults learn differently from children and teens. He identifies the following characteristics of learners: they need to be self-directed, they want to connect their life experiences and previous knowledge to their learning, they already have specific goals in mind when it comes to their learning (but still appreciate identified, specific learning goals) and they must see relevant, practical connections between their learning and their work.
I have learned through personal experience that new technology cannot be forced on teachers. Educators are more likely to adopt new tools if they can see it and experience it for themselves. For me personally, I would want to experience a new technology and see practical applications of that technology before I invest the time in using it in my classroom. Will it be useful? Will I be able to easily incorporate it into my teaching practice? Just throwing something out there to our colleagues will not convert them. For example, I suggested that my colleagues and I start a subject specific ning to better communicate and share resources (since this is one of our department goals). My suggestion was met with a polite but lukewarm response. This was AFTER I offered to set up the ning myself. It’s not that they weren’t interested, but for busy classroom teachers, it’s just ‘one more thing’ to add to their already overflowing plates.
So, the best way to build momentum and to keep it going is to use the new technology yourself and to introduce it to staff one by one. Generally, I have found that sweeping changes in education (whether they be directives from a principal or new curriculum policies from the province) are often met with resistance or fall flat on their faces. Any BC educator who has been in the biz for more than 15 years can tell you what a resounding failure the top-down ‘Year 2000 Program’ was. The best approach is to be a positive example and to recruit like-minded colleagues. New ideas will spread slowly - grassroots style - and will gain momentum as more and more teachers adopt them. If we really want to encourage change and growth, it isn’t going to happen overnight. Patience grasshopper, patience.
Promote, Advertise and Celebrate!
How do early adaptors of technology in education build on their grassroots successes? Well, you’ve got to get the message out. Here’s how:
Promote
Allow districts, schools and professional development committees to earmark money for technology pro-d and integration. Teachers need TIME to explore and integrate new technology. Technology teachers and administrators need to encourage other educators to pursue professional development in technology education.
Advertise
Publish examples of integrating technology on the school website, teacher websites and blogs, principals' letters to families, the library website, displays during open house night, and on the school district website. Provide links on the school web page to teacher blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other multi media examples.
Celebrate
Principals, tech teachers and coordinators need to celebrate the individuals and groups who are exploring and successfully integrating new technologies in schools. Most people love recognition whether they admit to it or not. Why not celebrate and recognize teachers’ and students’ use of new technologies so that their example can serve to inspire and encourage others?
As someone who is now poised to be more of an educational technology leader as opposed to a follower, the time has come for me to pass the relay baton onto the next colleague, all the while continuing on in my own quest for knowledge. So, in the words of the great Walt Disney, "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing".
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