I am posting the final report in PDF. I also have a companion wiki, which is still in development. Stop by for a visit and tell me what you think!
Showing posts with label PD. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PD. Show all posts
April 10, 2008
21st century mentoring
I just completed an independent inquiry on the implications of Web 2.0 on mentoring and induction of new and novice teachers. The project spanned two semesters, and I learned a lot.
I am posting the final report in PDF. I also have a companion wiki, which is still in development. Stop by for a visit and tell me what you think!
I am posting the final report in PDF. I also have a companion wiki, which is still in development. Stop by for a visit and tell me what you think!
February 19, 2008
My two wikis
Over the last several weeks and months I have been compiling two wikis to showcase my work as a graduate student at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. They are:
I am using Wikispaces. In an earlier post titled Choosing a wiki, I explained how I ultimately selected this application out of the several dozen wiki platforms available online.
In very "wiki" fashion, my sites are continual works-in-progress. In very "un-wiki" fashion, they have been a solo effort, lacking input from peers, fellow students, or instructors. I wish I could say I have experienced the transformative power of wikis as forums for collaboration and consensus building, but at this juncture, my overall impression of wiki software in general, and Wikispaces in particular, is that of quick-and-dirty web authoring tool.
Oh, and it's a heck of a lot of fun, too!
If you have an interest in eMentoring or multiliteracies/New Literacies, I hope you will drop by my wikis and tell me what you think.
- eMentoring Toolkit-a site for sharing 21st century tools and strategies to enhance mentoring and induction of new and novice teachers, and
- Lubke's Multiliteracies Site-the virtual home for coursework completed in my reading education classes, Spring 2008
I am using Wikispaces. In an earlier post titled Choosing a wiki, I explained how I ultimately selected this application out of the several dozen wiki platforms available online.
In very "wiki" fashion, my sites are continual works-in-progress. In very "un-wiki" fashion, they have been a solo effort, lacking input from peers, fellow students, or instructors. I wish I could say I have experienced the transformative power of wikis as forums for collaboration and consensus building, but at this juncture, my overall impression of wiki software in general, and Wikispaces in particular, is that of quick-and-dirty web authoring tool.
Oh, and it's a heck of a lot of fun, too!
If you have an interest in eMentoring or multiliteracies/New Literacies, I hope you will drop by my wikis and tell me what you think.
October 26, 2007
Education informatics and the teacher/learner
It's been more than a week since Clarence Fisher delivered his K-12 Online Conference keynote about web-based tools and their potential impact on relationships, pedagogy, curriculum, and information access in the classroom.
Arguing that "technology is not about skills, it's about connections," Fisher concludes his presentation by calling for reform of technology assessments that are too narrowly focused on the acquisition and demonstration of skills. Fisher says that what is needed instead is a tool for generating "education informatics." This application would allow teachers to track students' actions and activities on the Internet and to monitor and assess their progress as they build out virtual networks.
I’ve been thinking on this for several days. Now, as I am currently immersed in the Professional Learning Networks strand of the K-12 Online Conference, the concept of education informatics is growing more relevant and urgent.
By all accounts, the old model of "sit and get" professional development delivered by high-priced outside experts is on the way out. Like student learning, teacher professional development has the potential to become more personalized and self-directed within the new Web landscape.
And, as with students, education informatics for teachers could provide invaluable feedback and transparency about the breadth and depth of their online learning.
In my community the local school system recently reduced the number of systemwide professional development days and tripled the number of hours (from 6 to 18) that teachers must document unscheduled inservice learning. There is a tremendous opportunity here for teachers to set aside time for unstructured experimentation with the many cutting-edge, web-based tools and receive credit for their effort!
But how many of our administrators are equipped or even willing to acknowledge learning pursued via wikis, webcasts, chats, forum discussions, and so on? I think documentation and accountability would be huge issues to overcome, unless they had access to a state-of-the-art technology assessment such as Fisher describes.
If teachers are to be the models of lifelong learning, we must be willing to allow others to examine that learning under the microscope of education informatics.
And that's what I think.
Arguing that "technology is not about skills, it's about connections," Fisher concludes his presentation by calling for reform of technology assessments that are too narrowly focused on the acquisition and demonstration of skills. Fisher says that what is needed instead is a tool for generating "education informatics." This application would allow teachers to track students' actions and activities on the Internet and to monitor and assess their progress as they build out virtual networks.
I’ve been thinking on this for several days. Now, as I am currently immersed in the Professional Learning Networks strand of the K-12 Online Conference, the concept of education informatics is growing more relevant and urgent.
By all accounts, the old model of "sit and get" professional development delivered by high-priced outside experts is on the way out. Like student learning, teacher professional development has the potential to become more personalized and self-directed within the new Web landscape.
And, as with students, education informatics for teachers could provide invaluable feedback and transparency about the breadth and depth of their online learning.
In my community the local school system recently reduced the number of systemwide professional development days and tripled the number of hours (from 6 to 18) that teachers must document unscheduled inservice learning. There is a tremendous opportunity here for teachers to set aside time for unstructured experimentation with the many cutting-edge, web-based tools and receive credit for their effort!
But how many of our administrators are equipped or even willing to acknowledge learning pursued via wikis, webcasts, chats, forum discussions, and so on? I think documentation and accountability would be huge issues to overcome, unless they had access to a state-of-the-art technology assessment such as Fisher describes.
If teachers are to be the models of lifelong learning, we must be willing to allow others to examine that learning under the microscope of education informatics.
And that's what I think.
October 18, 2007
Are you a good community member?
As part of my ongoing investigation into web-based tools to support teacher professional development, I recently moved into my free "office space" at Tapped In. Here it is:
Tapped In is a virtual learning environment that is one part social network and one part collaborative conferencing tool with capabilities for real-time, text-based conversation (chat) as well as asynchronous discussion boards maintained by a sweeping array of public and private special interest groups. There are groups for alternative/correctional educators, math educators, and "cybrarians," to name a few.
You can browse the calendar to get a sense of which groups are most active and vital.
SRI International launched Tapped In 10 years ago so school systems and other professional development providers could train teachers online at minimal cost. There are a number of "tenant" institutions, such as Pepperdine and the University of Memphis, that lease space on the Tapped In "campus" for purposes of supporting teacher education. (The site relies heavily on the campus metaphor to help users make sense of its elaborate interface.)
Individual membership is free to anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in education. Today there are more than 20,000 international members.
After completing a simple registration process, new members may join as many Tapped In groups as they want, and they may create two groups of their own. Other membership privileges include an editable professional profile viewable by all members as well as "office space."
Jeff Cooper and David Weksler's slide presentation about Tapped In, which they presented at the 2006 National Educational Computing Conference, answered many of my questions about Tapped In, including what is the purpose of the office. They recommend the office feature for individuals who do not already have a “virtual presence” on the Internet: “Hold office hours, meet with parents, peers, etc. 'Decorate' your office to reflect and express your professional self.”
Yet, with pages at Classroom 2.0 and School Matters as well as this blog to keep up, I was a little leery about setting up yet another virtual space to look after and keep tidy.
I edited my membership profile, uploaded a photo, participated in a virtual orientation of the interface, and joined in on a lively group discussion. All were positive and meaningful experiences, done without need for an office. So why bother creating one?
Tapped In veteran and community support representative BJ Berquist shed some light on that subject in a recent online encounter. She described editing the professional profile and setting up the office as minimal first steps for "taking ownership" of one's Tapped In identity.
That phrase, "taking ownership," really got me thinking.
I've spent some time in recent weeks trying to get a handle on the moderator's role in these virtual learning communities. Some good discussion resulted at a Ning in Education forum, with moderator extraordinaire Steve Hargadon contributing some thoughts. And at the TechLearning Blog in a post titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas of Educational Reform, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach offered some helpful guidelines for what she calls the “community organizer.”
But in my quest to define the moderator's role, I had completely overlooked the minimal standards for individual membership. What are they?
And I don't mean codes of conduct, netiquette, or guidelines for appropriate use. I am talking about minimal expectations for participation and attitude to ensure each user a meaningful learning experience within the network (in addition to a safe, ethical and responsible one).
Is it possible to articulate these expectations, perhaps building upon Berquist's suggestion?
What do you think?
Tapped In is a virtual learning environment that is one part social network and one part collaborative conferencing tool with capabilities for real-time, text-based conversation (chat) as well as asynchronous discussion boards maintained by a sweeping array of public and private special interest groups. There are groups for alternative/correctional educators, math educators, and "cybrarians," to name a few.
You can browse the calendar to get a sense of which groups are most active and vital.
SRI International launched Tapped In 10 years ago so school systems and other professional development providers could train teachers online at minimal cost. There are a number of "tenant" institutions, such as Pepperdine and the University of Memphis, that lease space on the Tapped In "campus" for purposes of supporting teacher education. (The site relies heavily on the campus metaphor to help users make sense of its elaborate interface.)
Individual membership is free to anyone over the age of 18 who is interested in education. Today there are more than 20,000 international members.
After completing a simple registration process, new members may join as many Tapped In groups as they want, and they may create two groups of their own. Other membership privileges include an editable professional profile viewable by all members as well as "office space."
Jeff Cooper and David Weksler's slide presentation about Tapped In, which they presented at the 2006 National Educational Computing Conference, answered many of my questions about Tapped In, including what is the purpose of the office. They recommend the office feature for individuals who do not already have a “virtual presence” on the Internet: “Hold office hours, meet with parents, peers, etc. 'Decorate' your office to reflect and express your professional self.”
Yet, with pages at Classroom 2.0 and School Matters as well as this blog to keep up, I was a little leery about setting up yet another virtual space to look after and keep tidy.
I edited my membership profile, uploaded a photo, participated in a virtual orientation of the interface, and joined in on a lively group discussion. All were positive and meaningful experiences, done without need for an office. So why bother creating one?
Tapped In veteran and community support representative BJ Berquist shed some light on that subject in a recent online encounter. She described editing the professional profile and setting up the office as minimal first steps for "taking ownership" of one's Tapped In identity.
That phrase, "taking ownership," really got me thinking.
I've spent some time in recent weeks trying to get a handle on the moderator's role in these virtual learning communities. Some good discussion resulted at a Ning in Education forum, with moderator extraordinaire Steve Hargadon contributing some thoughts. And at the TechLearning Blog in a post titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas of Educational Reform, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach offered some helpful guidelines for what she calls the “community organizer.”
But in my quest to define the moderator's role, I had completely overlooked the minimal standards for individual membership. What are they?
And I don't mean codes of conduct, netiquette, or guidelines for appropriate use. I am talking about minimal expectations for participation and attitude to ensure each user a meaningful learning experience within the network (in addition to a safe, ethical and responsible one).
Is it possible to articulate these expectations, perhaps building upon Berquist's suggestion?
What do you think?
October 7, 2007
Update on eMentoring tools
I am knee deep in my assessment of eMentoring tools. So far I've explored the Ning platform and the Tapped In web site. These explorations, combined with feedback from some helpful folks and my own background reading, have led me to reconsider and reshape my rubric for assessing eMentoring tools that I posted a few weeks ago.
First of all, issues common to traditional software assessments -- licensing, cost, system requirements, usability -- seem to fade in importance when the focus is on web-based tools. It's still good to consider these factors (and I am), but here is the kicker: start up is amazingly accessible and affordable with this new generation of tools. It's an important aspect of what drives the phenomenon that some call "Web 2.0."
As concerns for installation, hardware upgrades, and user manuals recede into the background, the users (in this case, teachers representing all levels of technical expertise, from non-existent to superior) can really focus on the features that best ensure collaboration and innovation.
This is really exciting!
So, on the one hand, we have these tremendous platforms for creating virtual "hubs" or learning communities to support mentors and novice teachers. A school community might choose Ning, Tapped In, or one of the many course management, blog, or wiki applications currently available online.
Or, a school might elect for a combination of these.
On the other hand, each platform includes a variety of user features. It is this menu of customizable components or "accessories," if you will, that will figure most prominently in the choice of platform.
A post by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach at the TechLearning Blog titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas for Educational Reform includes a number of helpful tips, tricks, and questions to guide a physical community in their virtual journey. I used her list of questions along with some input from Sarah Stewart to tweak my rubric. Sarah reminded me that user features must be judged by the degree to which they foster collaboration and relationship-building and by how well they enhance the moderator's role. (Nussbaum-Beach provides an excellent description of how virtual communities live or die by the quality of the facilitator/moderator.)
As I mentioned before, all the other factors for reviewing software are still up for consideration, but I've fleshed out a more thorough checklist for user features. Here is that checklist:
When a community of educators, bound together by a common interest or passion (such as nurturing the next generation of teachers), decides "to go virtual," they should think long and hard about what they want to be able to do, see, create, and share online. Then, they should select the tool (or tools) that will allow them to accessorize their virtual home accordingly.
What do you think?
First of all, issues common to traditional software assessments -- licensing, cost, system requirements, usability -- seem to fade in importance when the focus is on web-based tools. It's still good to consider these factors (and I am), but here is the kicker: start up is amazingly accessible and affordable with this new generation of tools. It's an important aspect of what drives the phenomenon that some call "Web 2.0."
As concerns for installation, hardware upgrades, and user manuals recede into the background, the users (in this case, teachers representing all levels of technical expertise, from non-existent to superior) can really focus on the features that best ensure collaboration and innovation.
This is really exciting!
So, on the one hand, we have these tremendous platforms for creating virtual "hubs" or learning communities to support mentors and novice teachers. A school community might choose Ning, Tapped In, or one of the many course management, blog, or wiki applications currently available online.
Or, a school might elect for a combination of these.
On the other hand, each platform includes a variety of user features. It is this menu of customizable components or "accessories," if you will, that will figure most prominently in the choice of platform.
A post by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach at the TechLearning Blog titled Virtual Communities as a Canvas for Educational Reform includes a number of helpful tips, tricks, and questions to guide a physical community in their virtual journey. I used her list of questions along with some input from Sarah Stewart to tweak my rubric. Sarah reminded me that user features must be judged by the degree to which they foster collaboration and relationship-building and by how well they enhance the moderator's role. (Nussbaum-Beach provides an excellent description of how virtual communities live or die by the quality of the facilitator/moderator.)
As I mentioned before, all the other factors for reviewing software are still up for consideration, but I've fleshed out a more thorough checklist for user features. Here is that checklist:
- demos or online tutorials for new users
- secure login, privacy settings, and passwords
- user-generated content and interactivity (reviews, forums, chats, discussion threads, blog posts, file uploading and sharing, etc.)
- link sharing
- file uploading and sharing (documents, movies, photos, slideshows, etc.)
- archives for webcasts, chats, discussions, etc.
- search by categories, keywords, or tags
- customizable layouts, themes, and templates
- member profiles
- polling or surveying capability
- voice capability for synchronous events
- support for multiple languages
When a community of educators, bound together by a common interest or passion (such as nurturing the next generation of teachers), decides "to go virtual," they should think long and hard about what they want to be able to do, see, create, and share online. Then, they should select the tool (or tools) that will allow them to accessorize their virtual home accordingly.
What do you think?
September 29, 2007
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:
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.
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.
September 20, 2007
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:
What do you think?
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?
September 14, 2007
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):
As I review each kind of technology, I will try to answer these questions:
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?
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?
September 6, 2007
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
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
August 7, 2007
My new "textbook"
One of my delights as an undergrad was the twice annual visit to the campus bookstore to buy my texts. My fellow English majors probably have similar fond memories: armloads of paperbacks with a few Norton anthologies thrown in for good measure. As a financial aid recipient, my checking account was always fat at the beginning of each new semester, and money seemed to be no object as I piled blue books, spiral-topped notebooks, and highlighters onto the checkout counter along with the semester's readings.
Now, as a graduate student with a kid and a mortgage, the book-buying ritual isn't nearly as fun, but thanks to a recent post at Weblogg-ed, I have a new way of thinking about my required reading for this semester and beyond.
To borrow Will Richardson's metaphor, one of my "textbooks" this fall will be my RSS aggregator.
As described in my previous post, I will soon begin an independent study on best practices for computer-mediated, peer-to-peer mentoring for new and novice teachers. In addition to poring over traditional, "scholarly" resources, I plan to use RSS to channel the best-of-the-best blog posts on the subject. The aggregate is indeed a text to be studied, with the added benefits of being totally topical, customizable, and (the best part) free.
This means tweaking my RSS aggregator to regain some much needed focus. I'm in the process of dropping some feeds (if only temporarily) to make room for others that may be more fruitful.
For example, I've recently added subscriptions to blogs by Christopher D. Sessums and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach.
Who/what am I missing?
Now, as a graduate student with a kid and a mortgage, the book-buying ritual isn't nearly as fun, but thanks to a recent post at Weblogg-ed, I have a new way of thinking about my required reading for this semester and beyond.
To borrow Will Richardson's metaphor, one of my "textbooks" this fall will be my RSS aggregator.
As described in my previous post, I will soon begin an independent study on best practices for computer-mediated, peer-to-peer mentoring for new and novice teachers. In addition to poring over traditional, "scholarly" resources, I plan to use RSS to channel the best-of-the-best blog posts on the subject. The aggregate is indeed a text to be studied, with the added benefits of being totally topical, customizable, and (the best part) free.
This means tweaking my RSS aggregator to regain some much needed focus. I'm in the process of dropping some feeds (if only temporarily) to make room for others that may be more fruitful.
For example, I've recently added subscriptions to blogs by Christopher D. Sessums and Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach.
Who/what am I missing?
August 6, 2007
Independent study, fall 2007
This fall I will begin an independent study/inquiry under the supervision of Dr. Mary Anne Blank in the department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
The topic of inquiry is how to use 21st century skills and applications to support/enhance/facilitate Knox County Schools' new teacher induction and mentoring program here in East Tennessee. The program, which just completed its first full year of systemwide implementation, has received resounding endorsement from participants as well as suggestions and feedback for growth and improvement in 2007-08.
What follows is a statement of the problem with questions, arranged using the classic K-W-L format.
What is Known or Agreed Upon:
This section of the inquiry will become more transparent as I begin my research. Look for more installments in the coming weeks and months!
The topic of inquiry is how to use 21st century skills and applications to support/enhance/facilitate Knox County Schools' new teacher induction and mentoring program here in East Tennessee. The program, which just completed its first full year of systemwide implementation, has received resounding endorsement from participants as well as suggestions and feedback for growth and improvement in 2007-08.
What follows is a statement of the problem with questions, arranged using the classic K-W-L format.
What is Known or Agreed Upon:
- On mid-year and end-of-year program assessments, some novice teachers in special areas (such as art, music, etc.) indicated that their mentoring experience would have been more meaningful had they been matched with an experienced teacher in that same area. However, some campuses simply do not have building-level staff to support one-on-one mentoring in special areas. When mentors and novices cannot be in close proximity to one another, e-Mentoring may be a possible solution, such as the ENDAPT model used for interns and alumnae of the William and Mary teacher preparation program.
- Teachers of color have also indicated an interest in mentoring activities adjusted to meet their needs. Again, this may be a problem addressed through some sort of computer-mediated communication, such as a networked learning community that transcends classroom walls and even campus borders.
- Through my own experience as a mentor and mentoring team leader at Fulton High School, I know that our meetings were critical for successful implementation of our building-level action plan. I also recall that our busy schedules did not permit numerous after-school meetings, so we limited ourselves to monthly face-to-face sessions, which were not always sufficient for effective administration of the program on a day-to-day basis. In between meetings, we stayed connected with email. Email, however, does not afford the level of connectivity currently available through networking sites like Classroom 2.0 and TappedIn. In these online communities multiple users form special interest groups that collaborate and problem solve through threaded discussions, forums, and virtual "meeting rooms."
- Clearly, there is much potential for enhancing Knox County Schools' mentoring and induction program with the integration of 21st century tools and applications. Each of the aforementioned groups might benefit from a computer-mediated intervention. Which group would be a good starting point?
- Once a focus group of mentors and/or novices is identified, what tools, applications, resources/best practices will best suit their needs?
- What issues, in terms of technical support and buy-in, have to be addressed before a viable prototype can be developed and piloted?
- What issues can be addressed through training? What will the training component look like?
- How will my own virtual professional development activities (TappedIn, Classroom 2.0, EdTechTalk, EdubloggerWorld) inform this inquiry?
This section of the inquiry will become more transparent as I begin my research. Look for more installments in the coming weeks and months!
July 6, 2007
School tech leadership idea
Scott McLeod designated July 4 as Leadership Day and challenged edubloggers to write about school technology leadership. I missed the "deadline" but am going to share an idea anyway.
I just finished my first-ever virtual learning experience, a summer course titled "Internet: Implications for Teaching and Learning." It was fun. We posted all assignments on the Internet and participated in weekly Moodle forums on a variety of topics. We presented our final projects -- ePortfolios -- in our instructor's "office" at Tapped In. (Hey, this 37-year-old tried online chat for the first time. That's huge!)
One of our assignments involved locating and participating in an online professional development activity. Many of the folks in the class shared discussion boards, forums, and networking sites specific to their content area, and most reported positive outcomes from their investigations, leading one woman to reflect, "I think it would be interesting if principals got their school on board with this global interaction perhaps designating some lesson planning time as 'chat time' and sharing what was learned periodically. It's such a great tool, but one that is not used often enough if at all."
That got me thinking.
I have experienced an awakening of sorts since starting this blog and setting up my aggregator about six months ago. There is a vast store of resources for personal and professional growth out there. Chris Lehmann has referred to them as academic networking tools, and I really like David Warlick's recent phrase, knowing-networks. If these resources are as untapped and underutilized as some of my classmates suggested in our recent Moodle discussion, then there is a huge ed tech leadership opportunity awaiting school officials where I teach in East Tennessee.
Here in Knox County the number of unscheduled inservice hours for teachers is tripling from 6 to 18 hours, beginning this school year (2007-08). The change was adopted to give teachers more control over the kind of professional development activities they choose for themselves. What if principals would agree to let teachers log online participation hours (or perhaps assign a maximum number of hours for certain activities like discussion forums or "webinars")? This might stimulate teachers to try some new stuff.
For instance, it took a summer course requirement for me to get off my duff and finally explore the Classroom 2.0 networking site -- something I've been meaning to do since April when I first bookmarked it on Del.icio.us!
At my former school we surveyed our faculty once annually about their personal expertise in all sorts of areas (not just technology). We took the data and assigned every staff member to "expert teams," and we published the list of expert teams in our faculty handbook. This is especially helpful for new and first-year teachers and interns who need advice with common, everyday challenges like printer troubleshooting or bookkeeping paperwork and so on. It would be interesting to survey the faculty to find out who is currently participating in online teacher networks. They could form an "expert group" and train the rest of the faculty!
Who out there is already modeling this practice? Is there a school or school system that recognizes and rewards teachers' self-directed professional growth via online communities and networks? I'd like to hear about it.
I just finished my first-ever virtual learning experience, a summer course titled "Internet: Implications for Teaching and Learning." It was fun. We posted all assignments on the Internet and participated in weekly Moodle forums on a variety of topics. We presented our final projects -- ePortfolios -- in our instructor's "office" at Tapped In. (Hey, this 37-year-old tried online chat for the first time. That's huge!)
One of our assignments involved locating and participating in an online professional development activity. Many of the folks in the class shared discussion boards, forums, and networking sites specific to their content area, and most reported positive outcomes from their investigations, leading one woman to reflect, "I think it would be interesting if principals got their school on board with this global interaction perhaps designating some lesson planning time as 'chat time' and sharing what was learned periodically. It's such a great tool, but one that is not used often enough if at all."
That got me thinking.
I have experienced an awakening of sorts since starting this blog and setting up my aggregator about six months ago. There is a vast store of resources for personal and professional growth out there. Chris Lehmann has referred to them as academic networking tools, and I really like David Warlick's recent phrase, knowing-networks. If these resources are as untapped and underutilized as some of my classmates suggested in our recent Moodle discussion, then there is a huge ed tech leadership opportunity awaiting school officials where I teach in East Tennessee.
Here in Knox County the number of unscheduled inservice hours for teachers is tripling from 6 to 18 hours, beginning this school year (2007-08). The change was adopted to give teachers more control over the kind of professional development activities they choose for themselves. What if principals would agree to let teachers log online participation hours (or perhaps assign a maximum number of hours for certain activities like discussion forums or "webinars")? This might stimulate teachers to try some new stuff.
For instance, it took a summer course requirement for me to get off my duff and finally explore the Classroom 2.0 networking site -- something I've been meaning to do since April when I first bookmarked it on Del.icio.us!
At my former school we surveyed our faculty once annually about their personal expertise in all sorts of areas (not just technology). We took the data and assigned every staff member to "expert teams," and we published the list of expert teams in our faculty handbook. This is especially helpful for new and first-year teachers and interns who need advice with common, everyday challenges like printer troubleshooting or bookkeeping paperwork and so on. It would be interesting to survey the faculty to find out who is currently participating in online teacher networks. They could form an "expert group" and train the rest of the faculty!
Who out there is already modeling this practice? Is there a school or school system that recognizes and rewards teachers' self-directed professional growth via online communities and networks? I'd like to hear about it.
June 29, 2007
My ePortfolio
My ePortfolio, a work in progress, is now online. I am really excited about it and will be working on it throughout the summer.
Please visit my ePortfolio and send me your comments, suggestions, and questions!
Please visit my ePortfolio and send me your comments, suggestions, and questions!
technorati tags: professional development ePortfolio portfolio
April 7, 2007
Reflections on my Webliographer presentation to teachers
On Tuesday, April 3, I conducted an informal, after-school inservice at Fulton High School in Knox County. The topic was Webliographer, which is essentially a web-based social bookmarking application for teachers. This presentation helps fulfill part of my semester-long project for IT 521. The inservice was not well-attended, probably because of the bad timing within the school year. (Can you say, “Testing, one, two, three, testing”?) Those in attendance included one English teacher (my friend), two librarians (also friends), a special ed teacher, a special ed teaching assistant, and me. I prepared a brief FAQ on Webliographer as well as some detailed step-by-step instructions on how to register an account, create a topic and subtopics, and enter URLs/bookmarks. Because of the small number in attendance, we were able to sit together at one table with the Fulton Webliographer homepage on display on a smartboard behind us. I thought we would discuss the merits of the program quickly and spend the majority of our time registering the teachers in attendance and perhaps even getting their subtopics set up with a few URLs posted. I was wrong.
We did do some of those things, but our conversation about Webliographer centered for some time on shared concerns within the group that the program was too vulnerable to students hijacking it and somehow degrading its contents. What, after all, is to stop a resourceful, and perhaps hateful, student from registering an account, joining the Fulton Webliographer community, and deleting a teacher's entries or adding a bunch of inappropriate entries?
I had anticipated these concerns but, admittedly, had not completely thought them through beforehand. On the spot, I said something like this: “If Webliographer grows into a vital community of users who are adding and sharing bookmarks daily, we will catch this sort of thing and be able to intercede before much damage is done.” It was a weak response. Webliographer, which I had been portraying as a handy little timesaver to facilitate instruction was actually going to require monitoring and vigilance on the part of the teacher? (Much later that evening, it occurred to me that as the default administrator of the website, I receive an email notification each time someone registers at the Fulton Webliographer. I instantly know the person's name, email address, and any URLs he or she has added. Had I thought of this sooner, I would have brought it up to the inservice group. That may have been all they needed to hear to allay concerns about Webliographer's vulnerability.)
Bottom line: I am still learning about Webliographer and other social networking software, and I don't know how to prevent students from pirating these applications. And truth be told, I'm not that worried about it.
This small episode strikes at the heart of a huge issue affecting the integration of technology into instruction: the problem of gatekeeping. As an English teacher this has always been on my radar, for reasons I'll make clear in a moment. In the last several months, however, it has transformed from a mere blip in my subconscious to a fairly sizable asteroid crashing in on my thoughts almost daily (in keeping with the whole radar metaphor). It is a topic discussed widely across the educational blogosphere by folks who have some pretty interesting things to say: Andy Carvin, Will Richardson, Christian Long. (Why all the men? I have yet to find a consistent female voice on the edtech blogs; I conclude this is because all the women are busy teaching.)
My most recent and favorite comment touching on the subject of gatekeeping comes from Chris Lehman, founding principal of Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia who was recently quoted in a great Edutopia article. In a Q&A on social networking software in the classroom and how to prevent abuse of it, he said:
Let's talk about scary for a moment. It's intimidating when I consider how I might alter my classroom practice to accommodate more user-generated content, such as found on Wikipedia. It is even scarier to imagine what might result if I encourage students to participate in the construction of the knowledge base through wikis, blogs, and, yes, social bookmarking programs. It is scary, and it is exhilarating. But, come on, it's not really a new concept. I felt the same way when I plunged headlong into cooperative learning groups several years ago. I felt the same way every time I called on volunteers to read their freewriting exercises aloud in front of the class. And don't even get me started on poetry and journals. Any time I ask students to write, reflect, or discuss, I risk them writing something or saying something I wish was left unwritten or unsaid. But what's the alternative?
My husband, Ron, helped me frame my thinking on this. He directs a website for a home improvement cable channel. His group is about to launch a completely user-generated section on the site. (Think “home improvement wiki.”) And he also has had to address concerns emanating from middle and upper management: “What if someone puts up something inappropriate? What if a person uses it as an opportunity to slander us or one of our sponsors? It could embarrass the company.” Ron anticipates isolated instances of this sort of thing, but nothing that can't be managed by a thoughtful and passionate group of home improvement enthusiasts supported by site administrators, who have the technical know-how to quickly delete specious or downright harmful material. In large part, he is counting on users to police the web page. If someone flags something as inappropriate, a site administrator will remove it, and everyone will move on.
Which brings me back around to the issue of gatekeeping. To quote Ron, “Computers will never replace due diligence.” He said it in relation to his own work as a site director, but clearly it applies to anyone who works in an atmosphere where the rapid advance of technology stirs up questions and anxieties. Certainly it applies to the educational arena and the role of the teacher in it. Diligence is a work ethic, and I don't know a single teacher who doesn't want to develop that trait in students, regardless of his or her content area or academic discipline. Bringing a tool such as Webliographer into the mix, simply gives us an additional opportunity (the cliché “teachable moment”) to impart this important value.
We did do some of those things, but our conversation about Webliographer centered for some time on shared concerns within the group that the program was too vulnerable to students hijacking it and somehow degrading its contents. What, after all, is to stop a resourceful, and perhaps hateful, student from registering an account, joining the Fulton Webliographer community, and deleting a teacher's entries or adding a bunch of inappropriate entries?
I had anticipated these concerns but, admittedly, had not completely thought them through beforehand. On the spot, I said something like this: “If Webliographer grows into a vital community of users who are adding and sharing bookmarks daily, we will catch this sort of thing and be able to intercede before much damage is done.” It was a weak response. Webliographer, which I had been portraying as a handy little timesaver to facilitate instruction was actually going to require monitoring and vigilance on the part of the teacher? (Much later that evening, it occurred to me that as the default administrator of the website, I receive an email notification each time someone registers at the Fulton Webliographer. I instantly know the person's name, email address, and any URLs he or she has added. Had I thought of this sooner, I would have brought it up to the inservice group. That may have been all they needed to hear to allay concerns about Webliographer's vulnerability.)
Bottom line: I am still learning about Webliographer and other social networking software, and I don't know how to prevent students from pirating these applications. And truth be told, I'm not that worried about it.
This small episode strikes at the heart of a huge issue affecting the integration of technology into instruction: the problem of gatekeeping. As an English teacher this has always been on my radar, for reasons I'll make clear in a moment. In the last several months, however, it has transformed from a mere blip in my subconscious to a fairly sizable asteroid crashing in on my thoughts almost daily (in keeping with the whole radar metaphor). It is a topic discussed widely across the educational blogosphere by folks who have some pretty interesting things to say: Andy Carvin, Will Richardson, Christian Long. (Why all the men? I have yet to find a consistent female voice on the edtech blogs; I conclude this is because all the women are busy teaching.)
My most recent and favorite comment touching on the subject of gatekeeping comes from Chris Lehman, founding principal of Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia who was recently quoted in a great Edutopia article. In a Q&A on social networking software in the classroom and how to prevent abuse of it, he said:
The idea that we are the stories we tell has never been more important. Schools have always taught kids how to present themselves – that's why we did oral presentations in the classroom. Now we need to teach them to present themselves electronically. That's why it's so scary to lock these technologies out.
Let's talk about scary for a moment. It's intimidating when I consider how I might alter my classroom practice to accommodate more user-generated content, such as found on Wikipedia. It is even scarier to imagine what might result if I encourage students to participate in the construction of the knowledge base through wikis, blogs, and, yes, social bookmarking programs. It is scary, and it is exhilarating. But, come on, it's not really a new concept. I felt the same way when I plunged headlong into cooperative learning groups several years ago. I felt the same way every time I called on volunteers to read their freewriting exercises aloud in front of the class. And don't even get me started on poetry and journals. Any time I ask students to write, reflect, or discuss, I risk them writing something or saying something I wish was left unwritten or unsaid. But what's the alternative?
My husband, Ron, helped me frame my thinking on this. He directs a website for a home improvement cable channel. His group is about to launch a completely user-generated section on the site. (Think “home improvement wiki.”) And he also has had to address concerns emanating from middle and upper management: “What if someone puts up something inappropriate? What if a person uses it as an opportunity to slander us or one of our sponsors? It could embarrass the company.” Ron anticipates isolated instances of this sort of thing, but nothing that can't be managed by a thoughtful and passionate group of home improvement enthusiasts supported by site administrators, who have the technical know-how to quickly delete specious or downright harmful material. In large part, he is counting on users to police the web page. If someone flags something as inappropriate, a site administrator will remove it, and everyone will move on.
Which brings me back around to the issue of gatekeeping. To quote Ron, “Computers will never replace due diligence.” He said it in relation to his own work as a site director, but clearly it applies to anyone who works in an atmosphere where the rapid advance of technology stirs up questions and anxieties. Certainly it applies to the educational arena and the role of the teacher in it. Diligence is a work ethic, and I don't know a single teacher who doesn't want to develop that trait in students, regardless of his or her content area or academic discipline. Bringing a tool such as Webliographer into the mix, simply gives us an additional opportunity (the cliché “teachable moment”) to impart this important value.
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