I received a letter on Friday announcing that my position had been “abolished” and I was being “involuntarily transferred” to another position.  (I’m a tenured teacher, so I will be most likely placed in a classroom position.  Many of my non-tenured and newer colleagues were not as lucky.)  I am so very thankful that I have a position and plan to make the most of it.  I was in a classroom for 4 years before I became the tech. lab teacher.  I know I will be fine, and the students I teach will hopefully benefit from my experience.

UPDATE (5/19/10): A budget compromise was reached and I will continue to work in the computer lab.  Happy Days!

I know why the technology program was cut.  Technology is a “special”.   When the students visit my lab each week, the teacher stays in the lab to give me a hand with questions and to hopefully pick up some skills they in turn will use with their students when they aren’t in the lab.  Is it an ideal situation?  Of course not.  But it is, what it is… and my class is NOT a prep for teachers.  Art, Music, and Phys. Ed.  have a layer of protection because they currently serve as contractual prep time for the classroom teachers.  The technology program was cut (not because it was outdated or poorly implemented or under-funded) because after cutting entirely too many classroom teachers, there was no one else to cut.

Currently, our technology teachers also serve as technology coaches for staff and first responders to troubleshooting.  There are millions of dollars worth of technology in our schools, and next year there won’t be a point person in any of the buildings to handle issues…. because technology is still considered “special”.  Our district technology spending was never organized into a solid plan.  We spent lots of money on technology “stuff”, without spending time and money on PD for seemless integration.  So if we had been aiming towards seemless integration, my position would probably look a lot different anyway.  I would be co-planning and co-teaching in the classrooms.  I’d be running many PD sessions.  I’d be working more closely with the curriculum department.  My position would be less… dispensable.

Why can’t technology be so everyday that we couldn’t imagine cutting the program? 

Technology is Special

Unfortunately, this situation is not unique to my district. My heart goes out to teachers all over the state who are learning that they will not have a job in September.  I’ve been hearing that in this district, there’s still a glimmer of hope that the letters we received will be retracted.  I’ll believe it when I see it.

Faceoff

Team A

Team B

Next up:  the Common Core Standards.  Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about Common Core standards.  I believe in setting high expectations for all students, but I’m not sure that a hefty content check list that every teacher in every classroom needs to follow is the way to go.  Also, I’m suspicious that the Common Core Standards Initiative is led by two groups who are pretty far removed from the classroom (The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers).  The article discusses the pros and cons of national standards for math and language arts.  

Then it hit me…

It doesn’t seem like the Ed. Tech Plan team has been talking with the Common Core Standards team.  In fact, if both of these plans move forward, there will be a faceoff!  As far as I can see, the Common Core standards don’t specifically discuss the role of technology in the classroom…and the Ed. Tech Plan doesn’t specifically outline the content that should be enhance with technology.   Where is the collaboration, folks? 

These teams need to shake hands before someone drops the gloves. 

dropped the gloves

PS:  Let’s Go Flyers!

• One a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), the students gave the pilot project an average score of 8.09.

• Overall, how did you feel about sharing your work with a partner? Did it go well or not? Please explain
  “I felt safe because i knew if he made a BIG mistake and erased all my work i could just go back to history and get it back. But, he didn’t do that and he was very helpful with my story and i think it went well.”
  “Well when i shared my writing piece with my partner i enjoyed it. i enjoyed writing comments on her writing piece and receiving comments on my writing piece”
  “I think it was great working with a partner, but I didn’t like the fact that this program doesn’t allow you to communicate quickly back and forth with your partner.”

• Do you think Google Docs. is a valuable tool for students to use? Why or why not?
  
  “I think Google Docs is a valuable tool. I think so because it is alot of fun. It is alot of fun because we can work on the same project at the same time on different computers.”
  “In previous years I have been ripping my hair out because I can’t work on my typing projects at home so I its pretty cool that we found a way around it. ”
  “I think Google Docs. is a valuable tool for kids to use because the can collaborate and share information with other students. I think it’s fun to see what the other kids think of your work. And, they tell you on a COMPUTER OR LAPTOP!”
  “I think this tool is valuable for both students and teachers because it is assecable on your home computer, too. Also, it’s interactive and easy to use.”

• If you were the teacher, what would you change about the project? Or, if you were the teacher, what aspects of the project would you definitely keep the same?
  “I would change how when you choose a stylish background it sets all the backgrounds like that. I would keep everything else the same.”
  “I thought that google docs was very fun and exciting. Although I would take out the online revising and put on AIM. The online revising was annoying at some parts and confusing.”

• Do you have other questions about online collaboration?
  “Can you talk to people online without any typing?”

I find their thoughts incredibly interesting.  I love the fact that they think it’s completely possible to change the capabilities of Google Docs.   I’ve grown up with computers and software being very static.  Oh, I guess the computer/software just can’t do that.  As you can see from the “If you were the teacher..” question, one student assumed that it was completely in the teacher’s power to adjust the background capabilities. 

Also, it was great to see their problem-solving skills when it came to collaboration.  Google Docs. alone does not offer an easy way to communicate with other collaborators.  I was not able to use Google Chat with these students, but I think a chat platform would be very helpful for projects such as this in the future.   And obviously, using Skype while collaborating would be perfect, based on the last question listed. 

I am very happy with the results of the pilot.  I believe our district needs to improve bandwidth capabilities because our students were slowed down by screens freezing and having to refresh their documents repeatedly.  Also, the students were frustrated when they worked on a document simultaneously, their updates did not appear instantly on their partner’s screen.   I haven’t looked into Google Wave  extensively, but I wonder….

I would like to recommend Google Docs. to all of the fifth grade teachers in my building next year.  I believe that having documents available at home and at school will be extremely helpful to students and teachers alike.

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…

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

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.

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

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!

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!

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!