Fifth Grade Collaborators

Over the last two weeks,  I presented the first few lessons of our Google Docs. Pilot to a class of fifth graders.  When they heard about the “awesome” capabilities of inviting collaborators to work on their writing, the students were anxious to get started.  I followed the lessons plans I had written which included discussions about cyberbullying.  I also spoke to them techie-to-techie.  I explained that if their class could use the tools appropriately and successfully, then other students in the district might be able to use Google Docs. in the future.  They were trailblazers!!

The first assignment was to write a letter to a future 5th grader, explaining the fun and exciting events they should expect when they became 5thgraders in September.   The classroom teacher and I purposely chose a “light” topic that would be easy to write about because we are rapidly approaching the end of the year.  Also, it gave us more time to allow the students to experiment with Google Docs. to really figure out how it all worked. The students then invited a partner, the classroom teacher, and me to be collaborators on their document.  The partner left comments and footnotes within the document to help with revision.   Here is a  list of some of our successes and concerns so far:

• I posted some examples of students’ revisions on my Reflection page.  As you can see from the examples, the students used comments (within the body of the text) for one/two word revisions and footnotes for longer revision messages.  It worked very well except for the fact that some students viewed hash-tag-code after a footnote was inserted into their work.   I’m still searching for a cause/solution.  For now, we deleted it and reformatted the spacing.
• Given more time,  the classroom teacher and I could have done more coaching for students who were unsure what to suggest to their partner during revisions.  Overall, the comments and footnotes were helpful and appropriate.
• The first time the students invited collaborators to view their document, we had a handful of error messages. The kids needed to type the entire username (studentname@ kirbysmill.org) for each person they were inviting.  The text box is a bit small, and one typo caused the errors.
• We did have one student create a new document and invite his friends as collaborators to “chat” from home.  The students who were invited thought it was suspicious and told the classroom teacher.  The student erased the documents from his Google Docs., but they were still in the collaborators’ documents.  No harm was done, but it’s something to keep our eye on.  Unfortunately, not all parents monitor what their children are doing online, and although we monitor closely in school, students may choose to use these tools in an inappropriate manner from home.

This week, we will be asking the students to create a slideshowusing the presentation tool.  They are very familiar with PowerPoint, so I will do very little instruction on how to use the tool.  My plan is to give them 15 mins. to “play” and then share withthe group how to complete common tasks such as adding a new slide or inserting a picture.  Then the partners will work collaboratively  to create one “Best of Fifth Grade” slideshow.  More on this next week…

Google Docs. Pilot: Set to Launch

After months of research and problem-solving with my IT team, we finally signed-up for a free Google Apps. Education Edition account for my school.  A few late nights later and I had completed the pilot site, which holds lesson plans, parent information and pilot documentation.  

My goal is to start lesson one this week.   Stay tuned for updates!

Conquering One “Yeah, but…” at a Time

This past Saturday I attended the NJEA 2009 Thinking and Learning Symposium.  The brochure was filled with promising phrases such as “global classroom” and “information literacy”.   When I signed up, I had no way of knowing it would be the most deliciously warm spring day the area has seen in a long time. 

Dr. Shari Albright from the Asia Society gave a thought-provoking key-note which clearly explained our changing world.   My favorite part was the audience’s reaction to the latest version of “Did You Know”. 

 

One of main reasons I signed up for the workshop was to hear Will Richardson speak.  I was NOT disappointed.   He blatantly demonstrated that many of our schools are falling further behind because our teachers and students aren’t using  powerful tools now available to enhance learning.  About halfway through his rapid-fire presentation of all things wonderful (Google Reader, Twitter, Diigo, blogs), the shock and awe began to wear off, and the “Yeah, buts…” (Will’s term) started.   Teachers voiced concerns that presenters like Will must hear all the time:  my district blocks this, I can’t get permission to use this with my students, I don’t know how to use these tools, I don’t have time to use these tools.  Honestly, I’ve usually felt a little slighted when presenters dismiss these types of teacher concerns because we don’t have answers to them.  We sometimes feel stuck in a system that encourages professional development, but rarely supports implementation of “new and exciting” practices.

I shared a bit of my PLN journey with the group, hopefully to help them see that you’ve got to start somewhere.  I knew what it was like to be trapped by “Yeah, but…”s.  It took (and still takes) effort to look at this process from a proactive position.  But suddenly it hit me…I finally understood why dwelling on the “Yeah, but…”s was a waste of time.  1) We’d never have time to solve all of the  individual issues in the room 2) the issues don’t matter. 

I started my PLN about a year ago because the idea that all information and the learning of that information is available at any time blows my mind.  All I have to do is participate.  Although my district is hestitant about trying these learning methods with our students, I keep…well, bugging the administration about it.   It’s been a slow uphill process.  During Will’s workshop, I realized that if even 10 teachers in my district had been at the conference and conquered their “Yeah, but…”s, there would be nine more teachers like me trying to make change for our students.

My best advice for someone struggling with an issue that prevents them from taking charge of their learning is to ignore it.  Think of what would happen if we ALL started rocking the boat…

PS:  a bit of irony…  In the morning workshop, Will introduced us to Diigo.  We were all impressed by the annotation tool and drooled over the possibilities of using it with staff and students.  In the afternoon session, the presenter asked us to ”jigsaw” a photo-copied article and then write notes about the section we read on chart paper hanging around the room.

Playing the Game

I’ve recently read The Game of School by Robert L. Fried, and was impressed by his balanced depiction of what’s happening in classrooms in this country.  He describes an all too familiar scenario of modern classrooms:  learning should be the goal, but the goals of good grades and passing tests get in the way.  There’s so much more to his reflections, such as how the current educational system has created types of students playing the game…students who “win” and students who “lose”.   It was easy to see how the game is played in my district, school and unfortunately classroom.

I know that if I asked everyone I work with, from a teaching assistant to the superintendent that they would absolutely say that learning and growth is our ultimate goal and that the needs of each learner guide our programming and pedagogy….and we all really mean it.  However, most of our actions are guilty of playing some sort of game.  I know it’s beginning to get under my skin because the voice in my head is getting louder and louder:

• Our local union leaders reminded us that we should not be expected to stay beyond contract hours for workshops without compensation, and doing so could compromise future negotions regarding meeting/workshop attendance expectations.  My voice says: Well, they have a point, we wouldn’t want our administration to take advantage of our valuable free time.  I mean we’re not getting paid for meetings that run past contractual time…But I stay past contractual time all the time!  I need to in order to have my lessons ready for the next day.  And we also don’t have much time built into the school calendar for professional development…but my choice to attend could affect all of the members in my union.  I know the union is meant to protect me, but also prevent me?
• Like many NJ districts, this school budget election is very important to our programming.  Unfortunately, our administration will be cutting several teaching positions for the 09-10 school year.  Additionally, our plans to pay for a website builder/content management system (such as SchoolWires) will be halted for possibly two years.  We’ve been debating and working towards implementing a system for the past year and a half.  My voice says:  It’s not right to spend money on a website builder when my friends could lose their jobs….however, technology has not been a priority and there’s no promise that it will become a priority in the future.  Although our monthly technology meetings are very helpful, we’ve made little progress as a department over the last few years.  We need a liasion between the administration, IT and the classroom teachers to help implement a technology program that meets the needs of the students and staff, while battling our limitations.  But if we’re laying off teachers, when will we be able to “afford” an educational technology specialist?
• Generally speaking, I teach my students to research online and use that research to create PowerPoint presentations, Publisher files and Word documents.  The students are generally happy in the tech. lab,  however, very few of them discover new things or create their own learning.  It’s all laid out for them.  My voice: Honestly, I’m sick of teaching PowerPoint and Word.  The projects we do aren’t necessarily bad, but it’s definitely not helping these kids learn how to use technology as a tool to solve problems or to extend their learning….let alone CREATE their own learning.  Well, what am I going to do?  My district is currently, although cautiously, looking into allowing teachers to “dabble” in a few Web 2.0 tools.  Maybe one day…

We are all learners.  Not just the kids, but the teaching assistants all the way to the superintendent.  We need our ultimate goal to be learning and growth for all.  Unfortunately, the game of education, the “What will so-and-so think if I do this?” can get in the way of the learning and growth.  But how do we stop playing a game that has kept us going for so long?

 

 

Photo By:  Yogi on Flickr

Google Teacher Academy Action Plan: Part 2

Google Docs.

Within the past two weeks, I’ve held two workshops for the teachers in my school introducing Google Docs.  I broke Google Docs. into two one-hour workshops.  The first hour concentrated on creating, editing and sharing a document (similar to a word processing document).  The second workshop focused on using the presentation, spreadsheet and form tools. 

Abracadabra!

I began the first workshop by explaining the capabilities of Google Docs.  I was thrilled to see the look on the teachers’ faces when idea of web-based files registered.  “You mean I don’t have to worry about a flash drive or emailing documents to myself?”  The stage was set for a great workshop… I felt like a magician at a child’s birthday party, only I was sharing all of the secrets. 

After we created our own documents, I shared a document I had prepared earlier with the group.  As each person edited it, I heard pleased exclamations when they saw other teachers’ work appear on their own screen.  I asked them to add their thoughts to a table concerning how students could benefit from a tool like this.  We were all in the same room and it just seemed easier to talk about it.  ( F2F is still my favorite small group discussion vehicle.)  Thoughts were exchanged, especially the idea of peer editing and collaborating for in-school and at-home assignments.

 

One issue that did arise is the fact that without Google Apps. for Education Edition, our students would need to register for a Google Account with an email address.  Our district has not issued email addresses to our students yet, and the administration has reservations about endorsing sites that could lead students inadvertently to tools that allow them to create an online identity.   I assured the teachers that we discuss the issue at every district technology meeting and we are actively pursuing a solution that satisfies all parties.

Coincidentally, our February district technology meeting was held this afternoon.  We discussed many topics, including Google Docs.  I asked to have it added to the agenda, primarily to brainstorm the ideas I’ve picked up from my Twitter friends concerning dummy email solutions to Web2.0 tools. 

And then the REAL magic happened…

Our curriculum director felt that adequate safety features would be in place with dummy email accounts and it deserved to be a pilot program!  I tried not to jump out of my seat to volunteer, but I think my graciously supportive colleagues knew I had been thinking about this for months.  So tomorrow, pending my principal’s approval, I’ll meet with a fifth grade teacher to discuss the possibilities.  I’ve decided to create a Google Site to track our progress and post the lesson plans.

Stay tuned!

Google Teacher Academy Action Plan: Part 1

This afternoon, I held my first workshop for teachers addressing Google Apps. as part of my post-Google Teacher Academy Action Plan.  I was absolutely thrilled to see about 11 teachers show up after a long day of teaching (and remember, the first week back after winter break is a doozie!).   The goals of this first workshop were to create a Google account and set up Google Reader.  As I was planning this workshop, I realized that I would probably need to lay some ground work for some of the teachers who were not familiar with this wonderful blogosphere and why it’s so powerful.  I did my best to explain…but I realize that when I speak on a topic I’m passionate about, I speak more quickly and I wonder if I’m making any sense at all.  Luckily, I didn’t see many expressions like this:

What?

It was difficult to explain how exciting and valuable online connections made by Web 2.0 tools (specifically blogs) can be.  I compared it to a huge auditorium with millions of people in it, all sharing things…and their thoughts/ideas/conversations are visible via speech bubbles above their heads.  You can easily search the speech bubbles to find a conversation that interests you.  Once you’re involved in one conversation, it’s almost impossible not to notice how it’s related to many other conversations in the auditorium.  Practially everything can be linked on one level or another.   Now, imagine that auditorium is the globe.    (Yes, as I typed that I realize how that comparison doesn’t do the blogosphere justice. ) What can I say…I tried. 

Anyway, the teachers I work with know I”m goofy and stuck with me as we got into the meat of the workshop.  I showed them the commoncraft videos Blogs and RSS  in Plain English.   (Man, they are amazingly clear!)  I saw heads nodding with understanding, and I knew we were ready to jump in.  I showed them this blog and briefly discussed how links within a post and comments worked.  Then, I showed them this short blogroll which I created specifically for the teachers in attendance.  We created Google accounts and added a blog to Google Reader.  Lastly, I pointed them towards this Google Site I created, which contains video tutorials for the things we did during the workshop if they need to review at a later time.

My hope is each of the attendees finds a blog they really like and begin following it on a regular basis.  In retrospect, the workshop should have been longer than an hour.  Also, I think I should have added a survey-type game at the beginning to gauge the prior knowledge of my audience. 

Overall, I’m very pleased.  Most of the teachers left happily and even made comments like, “Thanks for the workshop, Christy…so when I need help with this again in a few days, you can give me a hand, right?”  Remarks like that are always a good sign!

Seven Things You Don’t Know About Me

Thanks to Ann Oro for tagging me on this meme.  I’m sure you’ve read about 100 of them already, but I’ve found most of the posts interesting, and hope adding my two cents doesn’t invoke extreme boredom.

1.  I am a low-tech techie:  As newlyweds, my husband and I have been fanatically frugal for..well, a long time.  We’re looking into purchasing a home and the condo we live in now needs some major repairs.  That being said, there is very little “fun money” in this household.  Would I love a mobile device, new laptop, webcam?  Of course!  But for now, I’m participating in this high tech world via my dining room table.  It’s not great, but it works!

My laptop

(Yes, that’s right, I use a USB keyboard because the laptop’s keyboard (which has been replaced twice) refuses to work.) 

2.  Speaking of my husband, we met on an online dating site three years ago.  Currently, we don’t personally know any other couples who have met online and made it down the aisle, but we’re always looking more “weirdos” like ourselves.  

3.  My childhood home is 10 miles south of our condo.  My work is 8 miles east of our condo.  I happen to like New Jersey.

4.  I’m very excited about participating in 365/2009.  D’Arcy Norman is encouraging folks to continue the Flickr group that was started in 2008.  I’ve always been interested in photography, and this is the perfect “excuse” to really get started. 

5.  I was a competitive swimmer from age 5-19.  When I was 9 years old, I competed on a winter team with Jersey Wahoos, an indoor pool.   That March, the entire building collapsed right before my group’s practice was to start.   Most of the kids saw the roof sagging and ran for cover.  I have always worn glasses, and having had removed them for practice, had no idea that I was in danger.  I miraculously fainted as the roof fell, and was therefore trapped under rubble (rather than crushed by it) for over an hour.  Somehow, the wonderful fire/rescue workers found me fairly quickly and I spent a few days in the hospital with relatively minor injuries.  Thankfully, only a few other kids suffered injuries and no one was in serious condition.   They replaced the roof that summer and I continued swimming there until I was 17.   Sometimes kids do bounce right back.

6.  I love music.  I have no musical talent myself, but deeply appreciate those people who can manipulate notes, instruments and their voices to create art. 

7.  I feel bad for people who don’t get to work with children.  I work very hard at my job, and sometimes I feel frustrated due to lack of time, energy, resources, understanding, etc.  But at least once a day, I have an interaction with a student that is down-right fun.  I think the world would be a better place if everyone had fun at their job.

Thanks for reading!  I’m tagging Jen Boggs, Tyler Reed and Amy King.

Doing My Homework

The State of New Jersey Has An Updated Educational Technology Plan?

Where have I been? 

The document, “Preparing Today for Tomorrow” was approved by the State Board in December, 2007.   The history of the document states that there have been several versions written before, and that the state has reached the previous goals which warranted this new educational technology document.  Honestly, it was more exciting to read than I thought it would be. 

The document is comprised of a vision statement, 4 goals and indicators on state an local levels that “enhance the achievement” of the goals.  I was pleased to read this:  (I changed key words to red font)

Vision Statement
All students will be prepared to meet the challenge of a dynamic global society in which they participate, contribute, achieve, and flourish through universal access to people, information and ideas. 

Goal 1: All students will be prepared to excel in the community, work place and in our global society using 21st century skills.

GOAL 2: All educators, including administrators, will attain the 21st century skills and knowledge necessary to effectively integrate educational technology in order to enable students to achieve the goals of the core curriculum content standards and experience success in a global society.

GOAL 3: Educational technology will be accessible by students, teachers and administrators and utilized for instructional and administrative purposes in all learning environments, including classrooms, library media centers, and other educational settings such as community centers and libraries.

GOAL 4: New Jersey school districts will establish and maintain the technology infrastructure necessary for all students, administrators and staff to safely access digital information on demand and to communicate virtually.

It sounds like NJ is on the right track.  I was a little disappointed as I read further.  There was emphasis put on assessment of students and local districts concerning how well these goals were being met.  However, there was no plan on how to reach these goals.  I did not find elaboration of ideas such as, participating and contributing as a member of a global society.   Professional development is mentioned, but without details of how the in-service should take place, and what tools/equipment should be highlighted. 

I understand the benefits of creating a document that says, “Hey, this is a list of goals that will help students.  We’re not going to dictate how you reach them..but we expect you to meet the goals.”  Our other Core Curriculum Content Standards  are written basically the same way.  When a district is updating their math curriculum, this poses less of a problem.  The text book company can create a scope and sequence based on the state’s standards.  Better yet, some text books are written to specifically meet a certain state’s standards.  Technology is so different.  There is no text book company to help.  Technology is a collection of tools, not a subject area.  The tools should be used to enhance learning, but administrators, educators and students first need to learn how to select an appropriate tool for the task.   I believe districts need guidance on how to create and implement a comprehensive and effective technology plan.

Without a feasible and executable technology plan, districts (like mine) may not progress further towards the goals in the New Jersey Educational Technology Plan.  Technology is a complicated tool and we should approach it in a comprehensive manner.

Is technology seen as a tool:                                                                                       

Photo by: sypix

 

    When it should be a TOOL:  

Photo By: Shirley Two Feathers

 

 

 

A Reminder to Myself

…that it’s all about the students. 
In my case, children ages 5-10. 

“It’s Cool To Be Connected”(my hallway decoration)

 

Happy Holidays Everyone!

500 Pound Gorilla in the Room

As my more recent posts suggest, my district’s technology team has been having some productive conversations about using online collaboration tools with students and staff.  I”m excited by the positive reactions from our administrators and IT specialists.  However, they have a few concerns….

When is it alright to talk about this?

Photo by: Mike Harbison

 

I”ve been to a few workshops recently where presenters or attendees have either scoffed at or brushed off teachers who raise their hands to say:  “My district won’t let us do that.”  At times, it seems like when a teacher voices that concern, they are treated as if they are unwilling to change.  We’re learning about great tools and how to use them effectively with our students, but we’re ignoring the 500 pound gorilla in the room:  many districts are NOT allowing students to collaborate online…in fact, most tools are blocked for students and teachers alike!!

 I completely support the most common response to those hand-raising teachers; we need to be creative innovators to win over our administrators. ..be agents of change….don’t just believe in it, do it!  (A moving post by Joyce Valenza will fire you up!  Thank you to Media Specialist Amy King for sharing.)

Last week, I attended RTEC(Rutgers Technology in Education Conference) presented by Rutgers University.  Peter Oyler from Apple Inc. spoke about what 21st century learning environments look like.  It was a very good presentation, which ended with an opportunity to reflect on our role as educators to determine if we were truly giving our students the best opportunities to learn and how technology could enhance that learning.  I wondered how many teachers in the audience were thinking what I was thinking, “Yes, I want to do this, but my district….”

The administrators in my district have concerns, and honestly with the number of lawsuits against schools growing, I understand why.  Here are some of their concerns:

• If a child is the victim of cyber-bullying while not in school, but while using a district approved online tool, can the school be held liable?
• If our students use collaboration tools in school in a safe “walled garden” manner, yet chooses to use the tool in a completely public manner at home and that child’s safety is compromised, can the school be held liable?
• Online predators**:  what is the (real) chance of an online predator contacting our students with these tools?   What is the (real) chance of an online predator finding information about a student (name, photo) and using that information to harm/kidnap a student, if we allow students to use these tools?
• Can an AUP and staff/student/parent education concerning online safety and digital citizenship completely protect the district from lawsuits?

**I’m waiting to hear back from Dr. Tim Tyson, who gave a great iSafety presentation at RTEC.  I”m hoping he can share his resources which brought some very interesting facts about online predators to light.  I’ll post about the details when I hear back from him.

I do not have a background in educational law.  I’ve done a few searches for recent lawsuits in this area, but so far haven’t found much at all.   However, I’m assuming that my district isn’t the only district dragging their feet because of potential legal issues.

I will continue to strive to be an agent of change.  I will continue to research, collaborate and learn about this wonderful world in which my students should be participating.   However, until the concerns listed above are addressed, it’s likely we won’t budge.   For me, now is a good time to talk about these issues.

My questions:  Does your district have these concerns?  If not, what legally supports your programming?   Even if you don’t agree with the concerns, are they valid?   What can be done to make my administration feel comfortable about using online collaboration tools with students and staff?

Thanks for reading!