Are you a knowledge "seeker" or "meeter"?

I was browsing through discussions at Classroom 2.0, and saw this in a post by Cindi Danner-Kuhn:

You are encouraged to be a Knowledge Seeker rather than a Knowledge Meeter, i.e., You need to add education to your course rather than add a course to your education.

Cindi teaches pre-service teachers at Fort Hays State University, but this statement, which is from her syllabus, would apply to students of all ages. I love it!

Classroom 2.0 is quickly becoming my go-to place for ideas and help on all things ed tech. It is a network of teacher/learners with varying levels of expertise, from novice to guru.

Come by with a question and search the discussion forums. You don't have to be a member. If you decide you want to post a question or participate in a discussion, it only takes a few seconds to register your user name and password. You will not be disappointed!

And that's what I think.

technorati tags: instructional technology teachers teacher/learners networking professional development classroom2.0

Are you a knowledge "seeker" or "meeter"?

Assessing tools for eMentoring

As part of an independent study this semester, I am assembling an eMentoring tool box for teachers, teacher trainers, and others who are involved in facilitating the professional growth of novices.

Using Kathy Schrock's Software Evaluation Form along with the NETS Educational Software Evaluation Form, I cobbled together my own little rubric for assessing tools that might enhance teacher-to-teacher induction and mentoring activities. Since my focus is on web-based tools, many of the common evaluation criteria just didn't seem applicable.

I recast bits and pieces of both forms into a series of questions. But I wonder if there are new questions that I haven't even considered? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

So far, these are the factors I will consider when reviewing tools for online mentoring:

• Technical quality: Is it accessible, installable, operational? What is the start-up/registration process like? (simple, difficult, time consuming)


• Documentation: Where is tech support?


• License terms: Do they apply?


• Cost: How much to acquire and to train/support staff?


• Scalability: Does it scale by numbers of users, documents, posts, etc.?


• What are the system requirements (memory, OS)?


• Are there any additional requirements (hardware or software)?


• Design: Is the user interface attractive and intuitive?


• Reliability: Is it bug free?


• Usability: How “friendly” is it? How easy to use? What is the learning curve? Basic? Intermediate? Advanced? Are there testimonials?


• User features: What are they?

What do you think?

Assessing tools for eMentoring

Leaving "competition" behind

Cross-posted at SchoolMatters (East TN, USA)

I've been steeping in a brew of educational conversation this week -- first at a meeting on Monday afternoon in which board members, school personnel, and community leaders debated the future of our local school-community partnership and then tonight at a gathering in which a principal outlined an ambitious curriculum design for a new high school under construction.

So I was really primed for this column by Alfie Kohn. (Reading it requires a free registration at Education Week.)

Kohn, a longtime critic of the grading and testing procedures used in U.S. schools, critiques some loaded education verbiage we all know well: "competitiveness in a 21st century global economy."

Kohn questions the conventional wisdom that treats test scores as a barometer of a nation's economic health. But he goes beyond that to question the values system that links financial terms to teaching and learning:

Is the main mission of schools really to prepare children to be productive workers who will do their part to increase the profitability of their future employers? Every time education is described as an “investment,” or schools are discussed in the context of the “global economy,” a loud alarm ought to go off, reminding us of the moral and practical implications of giving an answer in dollars to a question about schools.

It worries me that educators and educational leadership co-opt language from the business community -- "investing," "buy-in," "clientele, " and so on. The prevalence of this language is everywhere, especially in my field of study, which is instructional technology. This is a passionate group of people who believe in technology's power to foster creative problem solving and other-centered thinking and learning on a global scale. Yet, our advocacy is frequently framed in terms of "we must have x or y tool if we expect to compete in the 21st century."

Is it because we believe that is the only way to get the establishment to listen?

For the last several months, I've been trying a little experiment. You can try it, too. It goes like this: next time you catch yourself saying "global economy," try saying "global community" instead. Rather than "compete," try "contribute." Instead of "competitive," use "compassionate," and "collaboration" makes a nice substitution for "competitiveness."

What do you think? (Thank you to Connie Weber at Classroom 2.0 for sharing the link to Kohn's commentary.)

technorati tags: globalization philosophy school reform alfie kohn

Leaving "competition" behind

Another read/write web testimonial

I have Dr. Jay Pfaffman at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville to thank for helping me draw the distinction between conventional web publishing and the new "push-button" publishing of the read/write web.

And I have the teachers who responded to my embarrassingly self-conscious post, Confessions of a blog disciple, to thank for inspiring this post. Their comments reminded me of Dr. Pfaffman's lesson.

At the beginning of the spring 2007 semester, Dr. Pfaffman required those enrolled in IT 521, Introduction to Computer Applications in Education, to publish a web page and describe in detail how we did it. We were allowed, though not required, to use the university's Volspace server, if we could figure out how to upload web files to it. (Every UT-Knoxville student is guaranteed 50 MB of file storage there.)

Well, at that point in January 2007, I had exactly one semester of instructional technology graduate work under my belt and still hadn't learned the mysterious protocols of Volspace, which completely stumped me. Had it not been for the helpful staff at my college's digital media lab, I wouldn't have been able to post any projects from the previous semester's introductory course in multimedia.

So on one sleepless night in January, fueled by an endless stream of coffee and trail mix, I bumbled through Dr. Pfaffman's web assignment, without crying, as he promised some of us would. And, thus, I published my first-ever web page.

Because I am an instructional technology student, I felt compelled, by hook or by crook, to master the university's server. Other students in the class from different majors and disciplines were not so inclined, as I discovered the next day when we were required to report back on our fledgling attempts to produce a web page. And that is how I first became aware of the numerous easy and free publishing opportunities currently available on the web.

And then came blogs. A few weeks after our first assignment, Dr. Pfaffman asked us to choose any service and create a blog. I think the assignment would have had more impact had he required us to do it at the same time we attempted the more conventional method of web publishing.

All I can say is after less than 30 minutes on Blogger, I was up and running with a functional, interactive, highly customizable publishing space to call my own. No specialized training, no expensive software, and no frantic calls to tech support.

Clearly, this has been one of the most transformative moments in my journey as a teacher/learner. My experiences in the last 9 months leave me with questions, similar to what Ms. Whatsit asks:

What good does spending any money on technology do if students are treated as if it's too dangerous for them, teachers are considered too naïve to use it wisely, and district officials are too far behind and out of touch to plan for its implementation in practical educational contexts today?

Should we use the tools simply because they are cheap, highly intuitive, and easily accessible? No. We should use them based on proof they enhance self-directed learning and facilitate student, parent, and community engagement. The proof will come through the combined aggregate of our stories, our "testimonials," if you will. So I will keep sharing tidbits as I scale that learning curve, and I hope you will, too.

That's what I think.

technorati tags: blogs instructional technology teacher/learner web design

Another read/write web testimonial

Share progressive web policies!

My independent study is starting to kick into high gear. The study's focus is on using the read/write web to support school-based induction of new and novice teachers. I am trying to understand the enabling conditions and barriers that must be considered before a professional learning community can flourish with these tools. It seems to me that one of the most important conditions to explore is the school system's policy regarding web publishing and appropriate use.

I am looking for examples of policies that embrace (rather than forbid) use of networks, blogs, wikis, instant messaging, and other web-based tools that encourage reflection and collaboration.

If you belong to a campus or school district that has recently refined, revised, or completely overhauled policy to reflect 21st century collaborative computer technologies, please contact me.

I am especially interested in how large, diverse public school systems are adapting. How did the reform effort start? What hurdles or stumbling blocks were encountered? And what does the final policy look like?

Please share your examples of progressive web policy!

technorati tags: web2.0 school Tech Leadership instructional technology school reform

Share progressive web policies!

Confessions of a blog disciple

Warning: this post is opinionated, self-revelatory, and full of more questions than answers -- all the qualities that people who hate blogs cite as reasons for hating blogs.

Confession: I was once a blog-hating person.

When I first started keeping a blog, it was to fulfill a course requirement last spring. I even asked aloud in class, "Does the world really need another blog?" I honestly can't remember the professor's response to that utterance, because by March it didn't matter. I was hooked.

Last night after an agonizing few days of emailing back and forth with a local community leader in which I tried to express the shortcomings of our school system's web publishing policies, which seem to discourage student- and teacher-generated blogs, I sat at the dinner table feeling a bit demoralized. "I am so far removed from my original intent when I started graduate school. I don't know what I'm doing anymore," I told my husband.

How did I become this strident techno evangelist, selling salvation to sinners who think file sharing is the same as an email attachment and who still worship PowerPoint as the new posterboard?

Confession: I still use my cell phone strictly for making and receiving phone calls, every time I try to send a text message to my brother I screw it up, and until very recently I thought LOL meant "lots of love."

Originally, all I wanted to do was learn how to build web pages. At my former high school, which hasn't had a student newspaper since the 80s, I longed for a space where kids could publish for journalistic and literary purposes -- a web-based newspaper, or possibly a literary e-zine.

If you could only read the statement of purpose I submitted with my grad school application 18 months ago! Here's a snippet:

At the very least, I am hopeful that my coursework will equip me with the technical skills needed to develop a digital-age scholastic journalism program at Fulton High School, where I have taught since 1999. It is a personal and professional goal of mine to assist Fulton students in launching a journalistically sound online newspaper.

Not one mention of podcasts, wikis, or blogs. Why? I didn't know that stuff existed!

Now "blogs" is tied with "Web 2.0" as the third most populated category on ThinkTime. I'm obsessed with these tools and how to leverage them for my own personal and professional growth, and I want to share that excitement with others without alienating them or freaking them out.

But sometimes it seems I'm thinking more about the blog than through it. (As I compose this post at 10:30 on a Saturday night, I should be drinking a glass of red wine and watching Blades of Glory with the hubbie.) And, since making the decision to relocate, rename, and reformulate this blog a few weeks ago, I've been thinking even more about blogs:

• Should I maintain anonymity, cultivate an online personality, or just be myself?


• In addition to being a university student, I am also a parent, a part-time employee at a nonprofit with deep ties to our local school system, and a former employee of said school system: should there be a disclaimer on ThinkTime in which I claim my opinion as my own and no one else's? (I finally decided to follow Christian Long's advice.)


• Would my learning improve if I spent less time on my personal blog and more time in high-traffic forums and online communities like those found in Classroom 2.0?


• Will the passions near and dear to my heart -- writing, publishing, language arts and media education -- ever gain foothold on the pages in this site?


• Am I contributing to the the ripe environment or just whistling in the wind?

Confession: I am an unapologetic teacher/learner on the upside of the learning curve, and I am having a blast!

And the more I read, the more convinced I am that falling under the spell of these powerful tools is a normal step in discipleship. In this post at LeaderTalk, a school administrator recognizes the learning curve and "wow" factor that must precede any new venture on the read/write web. And I take great comfort in Bud the Teacher's post, in which he acknowledges the need for play and experimentation before the teacher/learner can connect technology effectively to his or her classroom practice.

So, once again the question is: should we teach about the tools or through them?

The answer: Yes!

What do you think?

Cartoon by Dave Walker. Find more cartoons you can freely re-use on your blog at We Blog Cartoons.

technorati tags: web2.0 teacher/learner blogs edublogs

Confessions of a blog disciple

Action plan for independent study, Fall 2007

After a recent consultation with my supervising professor, I have altered the subject and scope of my independent study on teacher mentoring and induction with 21st century tools. By "21st century tools" I mean free (possibly opensource), web-based products that facilitate teaching and learning through information sharing and production -- what many in ed tech circles call "Web 2.0," although I am going to try to avoid such jargon.

Here is my new focus: Rather than trying to match a tool or platform to the needs of an as-of-yet-unidentified pilot group of novice teachers, I will conduct an "environmental scan" or feasibility study of the best information and communication technologies available to support the creation of learning networks. What tools will enhance the reflective practice and growth of pre-service and new teachers? Which of these tools might assist building-level mentoring teams who plan and facilitate year-long induction of novice teachers?

These are the technologies I will evaluate (with specific examples in parentheses):

• RSS and readers/aggregators (Bloglines, Google Reader)


• tags/socialbookmarking (del.icio.us)


• social networks (such as those built on the Ning platform)


• content management systems and blogs (such as WordPress or Edublogs)


• file sharing and collaboration (Google Docs, Box.net)


• wikis (PB Wiki)

As I review each kind of technology, I will try to answer these questions:

• First, what is it? How does it work? What does it do?


• How could this technology support quality professional development? How does it align with quality indicators for professional development as outlined by the National Staff Development Council?


• What enabling conditions must exist before teacher-to-teacher mentoring can take flight with this technology? (This is the most important part of the inquiry, getting close to what Ben Wilkoff calls The Ripe Environment. What kinds of change must occur in our attitudes to create institutional cultures that encourage innovation and collaboration? Wilkoff maintains talking about the tools is not the answer.)


• What are the possible barriers or obstacles to consider when trying to integrate this technology for purposes of mentoring?


• And for specific tools I will ask: How does this stand up to basic software evaluation criteria, such as user features, user interface, and help desk support? I will use Kathy Schrock's Software Evaluation Form as a start, but ultimately I hope to compile a specific list of criteria for assessing tools that support learning communities.

And, if available, I will share outcomes and evidence of impact in professional learning communities that have already integrated these technologies.

An overriding theme, the "super glue," if you will, that will hold all this together rests on my ability to relate in first-person narrative the impact these technologies have had on my own personal and professional growth as a teacher/learner.

The final inquiry will be packaged in wiki form, with the first installment due next week.

How's that for accountability and transparency?

technorati tags: mentoring professional development research teacher/learner teachers web2.0 networking

Action plan for independent study, Fall 2007

Two perspectives on learning and leadership

Cross-posted at SchoolMatters (East TN, USA)

Our school system is undertaking a search for a new superintendent. Part of that process includes drafting a job description as well as selecting a head-hunting firm.

A 14-page draft of the job criteria is available to the public. Recently I took this text and created a tag cloud. In a previous entry, I posted the tag cloud as well as a short explanation of how I generated it.


Generally speaking, I'm interested in understanding how we might interpret tag clouds and use them as visual summaries. After reading the superintendent job specs, I was struck by how much it was a reflection of our community -- our issues and assets, our values and our priorities -- as it was a description of an ideal instructional leader. For that reason, I thought it would make a cool visualization.

But how to interpret it?

Recently at the 21st Century Collaborative blog, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach presented an interesting framework. I invite you to check out her post about "tactical" versus "strategic" perspectives and then take a second look at Knox County's approach. What are we seeking, stability or change? Where is our focus, inward or outward? What do we value, institutions or people?

What do you think?

technorati tags: information literacy school reform visualization knoxville

Two perspectives on learning and leadership

Teachers: please take this survey!

I am collecting data for a mini-project in descriptive statistics. If you are a preservice or practicing teacher, I need your help.

Simply watch this short, six-minute video in which Dr. Richard Elmore of Harvard University discusses patterns of instructional practice in the United States. Then, click on the link below to complete a brief online survey.



I am ready to complete the online survey.
Powered by Wufoo

technorati tags: school reform professional development teachers research

Teachers: please take this survey!

Tag cloud of superindentent specs

I've been waiting for an opportunity to play with TagCrowd, a tool that instantly generates tag clouds from text you paste, type, or upload at the site's home page.

I first learned of the TagCrowd application when I stumbled upon these clouds created from the April 2007 Democratic debates. While the clouds are by no means a substitute for actually listening to the debate or reading the transcripts, they provide a glimpse of the interplay between language and human values.

Recently, as part of its search to identify a new superintendent, the local school system here in Knoxville, Tennessee, released a 14-page "position specification" draft document that outlines the traits of an ideal candidate. I used this document to create a tag cloud.

A few word about how I made the cloud:

• Out of a suggested range of 10-100 tags, I specified 100 tags to show in the cloud.


• I also specified that similar words be grouped together, i.e. "learn" and "learning."


• The generator does not count common words, such as "a" or "the."


• I copied the text from a PDF file and pasted it into the window on the TagCrowd home page; I did not include the cover page or contact information on the last page of the PDF.

So, what do you think? What does the superintendent tag cloud reveal to you? What surprises you? What words are missing that you expected to see? What conclusions, if any, can you draw from the cloud?



created at TagCrowd.com

technorati tags: information literacy knoxville visualization communication

Tag cloud of superindentent specs

Ice cream headache

A few weeks ago, Jeff Utecht posted an article about technology and student engagement at the Techlearning blog titled "Do you offer ice cream or toppings?"

Perhaps it's just the English teacher in me who can't resist a metaphor, but the post helped me think in new ways. Please read it!

In a nutshell, Utecht uses "ice cream" to represent the infinite, free, web-based tools and products currently transforming the information landscape as we know it. With all this free ice cream, teachers face an exciting and daunting challenge: how do we leverage students' unfettered access to information technology to create meaningful learning environments? In other words, what can schools offer students that they can't already have in unlimited, unrestricted quantities on the web? To quote Utecht:

How do we engage students who are used to information being free? How do we get students into our classroom so we can sell them the toppings? How do we get them to dig deeper and understand this free information? What is your topping? What is it that you can offer them that they cannot get anywhere else? How are you going to get them to dig deeper, to interact with knowledge rather than react from it? How are you going to engage students in the learning process and not allow them to be passive in their own learning?

My initial response to Utecht's challenge was all about the ice cream -- the tools, the products, the applications. I sidestepped the issue of "toppings," and in doing so, some might suggest I sidestepped the issue of good teaching, too.

After all, is my objective to teach about technology or through it?

As a language arts teacher, I understand the value of toppings -- opportunities for students not only to consume information but take it and make it their own. We don't just read good poetry, we connect with poetry by discussing or perhaps by writing an original poetic response. We don't just study grammar and mechanics, we integrate our knowledge of grammar and mechanics in peer editing exercises with authentic pieces of writings.

Still, I can't help but wonder if we are doing our students a disservice if we do not spend some time contemplating the tools themselves. So, I am pasting my response to Utecht below, and I invite you to comment:

This is an interesting metaphor. I've been thinking about it for a few days and have decided that my approach would be less about "toppings" and more about "taste testing."

In other words, what skills and knowledge do our students need to be discerning, conscientious consumers?

When it comes to ice cream, I look at fat content. The more the better because it's creamier and doesn't melt as fast. My husband is on a diet, so he asks for sugar free when it's available. On the other hand, my two-year-old son who only recently discovered the thrills of ice cream, will eat any flavor or variety you put in front of him. He even asks for ice cream for breakfast! And the after-effects of too much ice cream? Don't get me started.

In the same way that just about every person you meet has an "ice cream story," just about every student you meet these days will already have a lot of previous technology experience. (Some more than others, and, like the very best ice cream, that would be a problem of access and affordability, wouldn't it?)

With that in mind, I imagine it would be really easy on the first day of class to engage the "I generation" in a conversation about their likes, dislikes, and expectations regarding technology. What makes some tools/applications better than others? Let the students generate a list of some criteria, and then as the teacher introduces new tools/apps (flavors? brands?), the students are held accountable for using those evaluation criteria. I imagine as the semester progresses, this rubric of sorts will evolve and change as the students become even more savvy and conscientious consumers/users.

More ice cream metaphor: it's ubiquity, endless variety, and general affordability makes it easy to incorporate into our daily lives. (How many people have you met who admit to eating at least a small amount of ice cream, or chocolate, every day?) More questions arise from this fact: how much is too much? how do we manage a balanced diet? and what about all that free stuff? what if some day it's not free? (I think about that a lot when I use Google and such.)

My husband is currently watching his carbs, but in his day, he was a homemade ice cream connoisseur. And it had to be hand-cranked, no electric ice cream makers!! And everyone who planned to eat the ice cream had to take a turn at the crank.

Sounds a lot like open source, doesn't it?

What do you think?

technorati tags: instructional technology web2.0 student engagement

Ice cream headache