That time I met David Thornburg and Roger Wagner

When I was young I was caught up in the romance of the music, writing and politics of the era. And I totally missed the romance with technology that was going on in a parallel universe at the same time.

In hindsight I think I would have really enjoyed it as much as the 

Iiterary world, both cultures driven by creativity and innovation, and often edgy with the push/pull of personality.

I never even knew anyone who took computer science at school. I had a brush with a systems analyst friendship while working at AC Nielsen, but never gave a second thought as to how those big paper books of data were created.

Many years later I started delving into technology on my own. I had had a few interesting computers including a portable Amstrad and a classic Tandy. 

I developed an interest in operating systems and was delighted at the transition from floppy disks to a real hard drive. My crowning achievement was reading and digesting the entire Que Windows manual and trying out various things. My son came home for the holidays, used Limewire to download some music, and a virus captured my new computer and held it hostage in safe mode. I refused to take it in for service and eventually fixed it myself.

Also in those years a friend and I started a webpage design service with the world's best name: Spiderwomen:)

I found a copy of The Soul of A New Machine in a used bookstore, read lots of others as well, and along the way was transported to the parallel universe of Xerox PARC and other transformational research settings.

Flash forward to the BIT16 conference.

At the opening of the conference, in the informal setting of Minds On Media, Peter Skillen introduced David Thornburg, Norma Thornburg, Sarah Armstrong and Roger Wagner. They were present to talk about the legacy of Seymour Papert, but I was enthralled with the snippets of their own personal journeys that were interwoven into their and Peter's comments.

A short while later I spoke briefly to Roger Wagner (inventor of HyperDuino), to thank him. He gave me one of his business cards, which captures an era in a few short quotes. Here's one: "Roger Wagner didn't just read the first book on programming the Apple computer - he wrote it." (Steve Wozniak)

As is the way at fabulous night-and-day events like BIT, the annual late afternoon social seemed about a week later, instead of the following afternoon. I didn't know if any of my friends were going, but I decided to go cash in my drink ticket for a glass of wine and mingle for a while. Finally I thought I recognized a friendly woman who had spoken to our group at The Keg the night before and went to say hello and see how her day had been. But, like my father, I cannot properly remember what people look like:). Instead of the nice restaurant lady, it turned out the person I ended up chatting with was Sarah Armstrong, and a minute or two later to my amazement Norma and David Thornburg joined us. I thought they would have been mobbed by fans but apparently I was the only one at that moment, anyway!

I was quite nervous and came so close to just saying hello and wandering off, but thought better of it. Quite soon, Sarah and Norma went off to deal with their luggage. Again I came close to excusing myself but this time I didn't want to seem rude, leaving David on his own. Besides, who can resist a conversation about Canadian comedy and TV, especially with someone who ended up getting welcomed to the location set of Murdoch Mysteries by accident!

In short, my conversation with David Thornburg, inventor of the touch screen (in the 1970's), was as normal, funny and engaging as with any of the very cool inhabitants of BIT. Except... as we rambled on from topic to topic, I got a glimpse of the magic of a great thinker. Step 1 - Star Trek. Step 2 - an episode about learning the myths of a far flung space civilization in order to understand its citizens. Step 3 - well you can imagine. How meaningful this path would be for young people today, as 21c learners in their own worlds in 2016 or 17. As David observed, what if a teacher based a whole semester on this voyage of discovery? What if students understood the power of myth and its role in their past, present and future? What if understanding the myths of other cultures yielded understanding?

Well, I am still reading about the era that I missed, with the latest being the biography of Steve Jobs. But those days will now have a special resonance since meeting four iconic people this past fall.

PS Wrote this in the car on a touch screen:)

Evolution of a Teaching and Learning Coach

As of this year, I am now a TLC. Before that for a year I was a Literacy Coach. The role is great because it offers timetabled periods to work with other teachers, and to respond to requests for assistance.

Our school and our present principal and staff get a lot of credit for creatively combining the TLC role with that of DLRT and eTech. We get a lot of mileage out of these resources, from moving forward purposefully with our CI, to co-teaching, to assisting struggling math or writing students.

However when I gave this success some thought, I realized that the reason we are doing so well with the model is that we have been practising it for over five years.

Looking back, a previous administrator allowed the staff to alter their given timetables by “horse-trading” subjects. This to me was the start of my present role. Several core teachers asked me to teach their IT course, or later, Media Strand, when IT was removed from the report card. In exchange, they taught my art and drama.

I loved it! They thought I was crazy, and that they had ended up with the better deal.

My colleagues and I had an informal arrangement. Periodically I would consult with them about what they had on the go in English, History and Geography. Then, I would think about which online or other tech resources would best match a broad range of project possibilities. Together we would decide what the students would work on. It was sort of ad hoc, but it worked.

The benefits were great, for both students and teachers. As soon as I introduced an app, I would explain to the other teachers how it functioned and how the students could use it. Then, when they had computer lab time, they could also use the app for other activities. The students already knew how to use it, or had accounts set up. The teachers, who were at once apprehensive about their ability to teach tech and seeing the possibilities, now had a painless way to move their teaching into the electronic realm.

Looking back, the key to our continued success is that the initial impetus came from the staff to me. I was happily carrying on with tech integration in my own classroom, but they were open to observing and appreciating this, and to inviting me to share my learning with them.

I think this actually imprinted a culture of sharing and a way of learning that persists to this day, even though there have been many staff changes.

It is less than 10 years ago that our school used the computer lab only for simple word processing. I vividly remember the first time I taught a full class how to use an app. It was Windows MovieMaker. I taught myself the basics, with help from a friend who had used it with a small group of students. And then I taught the 30 kids. And then the other classes.

No one had ever done that before. Not only did we not know any good apps, we did not know how to go about teaching them. Our students did not know any apps. Most did not have computers at home, and few had Internet. None had ever used tech to “create” anything.

We were also sure that our middle school students would run amok in the lab! How would we keep their attention while we explained things?

To this day, I still like to introduce something completely new in a regular classroom. In the past, with no way to project my screen, I would sketch a messy drawing of a user interface on the blackboard! Now of course I can easily show the kids brief instructional videos, and then send them off to the lab to create.

They are amazing. After a two minute video, I can have a Learn and Play class. I say, “Go to the lab, make an account, and show me these things before the end of class.” It is easy to wander around responding to questions as they arise, in context.

Meanwhile, on the teaching front, my colleagues have come so far. Now our co-planning is more formal, and is much broader in scope as we look at the pedagogical aspects of truly integrating technology to support student success.

We are all still learning... But that as well is truly integrated, involving me, my colleagues and of course our students. Big change, over just a few years!

My #ecco13

Once again, the ECOO conference was one to remember. Thinking back over other events, I started trying to pin down what made #ecoo13 the same, better, different…

I was always wishing in previous years that I had made a list of sessions I had attended so, for posterity, here goes. Of course my Lanyrd account says I went to 23 events. Oh well, that was just me trying to make up my mind with a long list/short list approach.

#ecoo13 sessions

Keynote with Amber Mac

Raspberry Pi – Rob Robson

Redefining Reading – Alanna King

Video Game Integration, Intermediate Math – Andrew Dobbie

Scratch as a Writing Tool – Ray Mercer

iPads and Writing - Todd Gribbon... and Me:)

Run With Alana

Paperless Math Classroom – Brian Aspinall

And a wild card, which changed many of my views and will likely affect me on an ongoing basis…

Office365 and London DSB – Chris Demers

Followed by two lengthy visits at the Microsoft booth.

Differences

I think this year I did less rushing and gave myself more time to reflect and digest information from the sessions. My inclination is always to plan every minute and catch my breath three days later.

Another difference was having people from my board at ECOO! My principal co-presented which was way less stressful for me and likely a lot more informative for the audience. Also two of the IT people I really enjoy working with (and relying on) from the board level were there. I hope they had as much fun as I did!

I would say I enjoyed the social times more by having dinner with a small group and meeting new people, and of course with the beautiful dawn run. Truly a standout memory!

Trend

In my personal growth and planning at this time I am drawn very strongly towards the STEM areas. Imagine my delight in being able to attend not one but several sessions involving teaching intermediate students about programming, to use as a method of exploring the curriculum. I am in awe of the ability of this conference to allow each of us to move forward on the path that suits us, making huge leaps in understanding, and gaining resources. Right now.

Main message

I heard over and over from various speakers: “It’s not about the tools, it’s about the learning.” And as well, “Why not have the students make the tool and then use it to learn.” Wow. This ties in so closely with my own goals.

Thank you to everyone who made ECOO13 possible. Ok, thanks again! Now I will stop.

P.S. As for Office 365 and its role in my future, that will be another blog post.

“Head In The Cloud” Links

Here are all the links. Enjoy!

http://www.google.com/apps/index1.html

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/05/google-tools-to-support-blooms-revised.html

http://books.google.ca/bkshp?hl=en

http://www.diigo.com/

http://www.diigo.com/user/anneshillolo

http://www.dropbox.com/

http://www.evernote.com/

http://www.6wunderkinder.com/wunderlist/

http://prezi.com

http://www.wallwisher.com/

http://www.wordle.net/

http://www.wikispaces.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dnL00TdmLY

#edchatnn

The above Twitter hashtag, #edchatnn, is just one thing I am interested in trying during the next school year, with the nn standing for Near North (Near North District School Board).

Last month I commented on Twitter that it was sort of lonely when it comes to local educators sharing the ideas and camaraderie that I not only like but depend on for enhancing my thinking. All on Twitter, every day.

Someone who I really admire, and have learned so much from in person although not online, commented back that it wasn't necessary to be lonely, and to just make connections. Yes. But I do feel that things in our board are bit like the horse and water thing. Lots of water, many horses being led, not much drinking going on.

But then not everyone is at the same starting point in terms of readiness and confidence. And for that matter, not everyone is interested in PD that encompasses technology. But I do think it would be fun to try and capture those who are ready and will work towards creating a local online environment of information and support. And then maybe others will jump in. Or wade in slowly... Had to get a swimming analogy in there for those enjoying the full-strength summer heat in Ontario.

It may even need to involve the irony of an in-person event to jumpstart it and to present the tools needed to participate. And/or the structure of committing to a pre-set number of posts and follows a day, in combination with discussion topics of interest.

I would also like to get people involved using Elluminate maybe once a month in a Near North PD event. In this I was inspired by @jenclevette who has done this in rural Alberta.

I really believe that there are educators out there in the Near North who are ready to join an online community relating to their careers and are maybe tired of trying to do everything on their own. If we band together we can form new professional bonds and friendships. Everyone will just have to bring their own drinks to toast each other on our respective screens!

Summer time thoughts

One of my goals for the summer of 2011 is to look back on my first year of truly trying to integrate technology into my classes. I know that a couple of months ago I posted a lengthy write-up about a presentation I did at Nipissing University http://anneshillolo.blogspot.com/ but that was more of an overview, a compendium of apps that I had introduced successfully, samples of student work and some feedback from the students. Ironically, their reflections, not mine! This summer I want to consider in more detail my initial goals in selecting apps and learning activities, making use of hardware and devices, and reflect on the benefits that we experienced. I also want to document more of what I did, to refer to or to share with others. So you may be wondering why I have not said I plan to look at the downside of this year-long exploration. Oh well, not going to happen. I can honestly say that something positive happened out of each project. At the same time, issues frequently arose, everything from wireless connectivity and network problems to student behavior. And this leads me to consider questions such as class-size lab versus stations in class, how to run a class with diverse devices with a range of capabilities, how to share personal devices (if at all), and how to raise levels of responsible use. And more…

Our 2011 tech journey

"Show What You Know"
Presentation, Novel Approaches To Learning
Nipissing University, May 2011

Decisions... Decisions
At the start of the 2010/11 school year I did some serious thinking about how to teach my IT course to our Grades 5-8 students. I had to decide whether to focus in-depth on one technology, or to sample widely from a variety of applications.
I was really influenced by the work I had done with 5 other colleagues as the first cohort of TLLP projects. Our concentration on blogging had a huge impact on our students, on teacher learning and in fact on the whole culture of our school. A major consideration for me was whether to stay with one platform, delve into it deeply, and become expert.
A great example of this approach is the focus on podcasting by Nathan Toft and Jane Smith in Ottawa. The preparation of podcasts, use of the required technology, and awareness of issues such as copyright are embedded into their teaching. I wanted my students to experience this, in their own way.
But, reading widely online during the past year showed me that educators around the world had their students showing their knowledge and creativity in many different ways.
So, this year, I decided to introduce the students to a wide range of tools that they could use to respond to literature and practise various types of writing. They have used the class blog, their personal blogs, Bitstrips, Wikispaces, Glogster, Smart Notebook and Google Docs. All have been used in the four grades that I teach, Grade 5, 6, 7 and 8.
This set off a huge process of personal learning for me. When I started, in September, I had experience with a class blog and with using Wikispaces for a geography team project. Everything else I had read about but had never used.
I had also not thought much about using the tools to respond to literature, and that type of planning and reflection was how I spent a lot of my time, well, after I figured out how the apps worked. (This proves that… ummmm, anyone can do this!)
The students really took to this approach. In addition to thinking about reading and responding, the students became very proficient at teaching themselves the finer points of the applications.
Bitstrips was introduced as a challenge while I marked History projects created in Windows Moviemaker, and was a benchmark for independent learning.
In all four grades they have been responsible for signing on, learning the app, remembering passwords, and in the case of Glogster, using their own email address to set up an account.
Blogging
We began the year by renaming the blog (The Purple Rhino) and using it several times for reading responses, as well as class news and daily updates.
While working on the class blog, a number of students asked if they could set up a personal blog. This entailed getting board email working for everyone, and setting them all up so they were linked to the class blog. It was also very challenging for the students to then go in and learn how to personalize their own blog.
One assignment that they were asked to post and then present to the class was a response to their non-fiction “Book of 10.” In presenting via the Smartboard they were also asked to explain their design choices, as metacognition. I was excited to see how much effort the students put into these activities.
Bitstrips
For some time, I had been thinking about the idea of book clubs, what was working and what wasn’t, and decided to build in some individual accountability while retaining the ability to think about big questions and discuss the books.
Each week was a “quiz.” But the test was always just one question. For half a period they would write their responses and for the second half they would break into small groups and share them. A big improvement!
Week 1: Rank the 10 most important events, Week 2: a theme question, Week 4: Compose 5 questions using higher level prompts.
By now they had done four Bitstrips learning activities. They had also done short narratives on the character education theme of Responsibility, featuring teen protagonists, and their actions and consequences. So the Week 3 quiz challenged them to use Bitstrips to depict a key scene in that quarter of the book – start and finish within one class. Students were successful in doing this, while taking different approaches. Many produced work that emulated graphic novels, while others focused in great design/artistic detail on a one aspect of their scene.
Glogster
Next we learned Glogster. In one Grade 8 class, what could have been a pencil and paper project became a multi-media research creation. Our book clubs relating to Black History Month were complete, and the students were working on related research projects. As with the first personal blog assignment, it reinforced the 5-paragraph essay with three text boxes required. Pictures and sound were also incorporated.
Wiki
This year I decided to try a new use for a wiki, to create a class study guide.
Each class participated in a visual novel study, watched a film, formed groups and covered the note-taking for three big questions addressing: film techniques, narrative structure and character. Using the portable computer lab we set up three stations to input the notes. Then for the quiz, students were allowed to view the wiki to get ideas and to answer questions based on the three topics of study.
I found the results to be impressive. Of course they could not cut and paste, as the original document was available to me. But answers were more thoughtful and original than in the past, especially in the grade 8 class. Although I have to say that the most complete and detailed wiki was produced by the Grade 5/6 class!
Smart Notebook
Since we have Smartboards in our rooms, the students are now familiar with teachers using them during lessons. But I wanted them to become knowledgeable and confident in using the tool themselves to create content. There was certainly a learning curve which has been apparent from September to May, with simply using the buttons that appear on the screen. But now they have all used Smart Notebook to make two of their own presentations.
They were asked to learn one special tool (so far) and that is “hide and reveal.” The term “object” has been introduced, which I think is important. Students in Grades 5-8 have quickly taken to using this technique to question their peers during presentations. The finished products have been fantastic. They have also now used Smart Notebook in classes other than English, such as Grade 5/6 Science and Grade 8 Health. Most recently they have used this app to present information on narrative structure and inferences in songs, and, wow, the results are beautiful.
Students' Opinions
I asked my Grade 8 core class to comment on the pros and cons of delving deeply into one technology tool, versus learning a bit about several over the course of the school year. I explained about the popularity of the blogging project and about the podcasting successes in Ottawa, and contrasted this with what we had done this year.
To my surprise they voiced very strong opinions in favour of our "survey" approach.
...I think it is better to learn quite a few technologies and then… for different assignments choose the software you think is best for it. ES & GK
... When you get to high school you will know them. AG
... We loved learning all different things so next year we’re more prepared. You can pick your favourite and learn how it works by yourself. SW & AK
... With Bitstrips we could even make some humourous content and get a great mark while the blogs and stuff were boring. DH
...I think it would be better to work on more than one thing because it opens more doors for them and they wouldn’t get as bored. The only bad thing about this is it can get very confusing. CT
... A class blog is good because you don’t need to use several things and it is all neat and in one spot. (But) you don’t get to try new stuff like Bitstrips. JD
... It is better to learn more than one because not everybody will want to use a specific technology. AC
... If you know one application, and then you learn another, sometimes they are similar and you can use the knowledge you already have to help you learn something new.
JJ
At the Novel Approaches Conference I learned the term "multi-modal literacy." And it seems as though that is what we have been working towards all year. I am so impressed with the conclusions and reflections of the students, as they talk about the value of using technology in many forms to respond to literature and expand the repertoire of tools that they can use to succeed in other courses.

Girls and Tech

OK, this is totally unscientific. But my hypothesis today is that social media are helping to create a new class of tech over-achievers - and these IT stars are female.
Teaching several sections of Grades 5-8 IT there is no shortage of observations to be made. It is always so interesting to watch the students who excel when you put them in front of a computer, sometimes in sharp contrast to their achievements in other academic areas. Each year I always have a student or two who are unbelievably proficient – lightning fast on the keyboard, knowledgeable about many different softwares, able to learn intuitively when given a new and unfamiliar app or task, able to teach others in a sort of shorthand.
(This is not to say that the end products created by these students are necessarily better in all cases than the other learners. Occasionally, yes, their innate ability does translate into a superior thoughtful or creative project but, just as often, others are able to succeed as well, at their own pace, with beautiful, well-designed work.)
What I am really talking about is a natural facility with technology combined with an intuitive speed in learning and leaps in achievement that far outpace their peers.
In the past, these students of mine have without exception been boys - in fact that special category of boy who spends many waking hours in the gaming world day in and day out.
This year, for the first time, my most technically intuitive student is female.
“Erin” is in my grade 8 core class so I have the opportunity to see a broad range of her work. She is very bright, but doesn’t put forth a big effort, and by and large lacks confidence in subjects such as English, math and history. Her marks could be high, but are actually average. She is pretty and very social, has many friends, both girls and boys, likes to listen to music especially Justin Bieber, and just seems like a regular Grade 8 girl.
Right away in September I noticed that she seemed to have quite a few keyboard shortcuts mastered. In one lesson, I was teaching the students how to use the print screen button to put a screenshot from Google Streetview into Paint and then save it as a jpeg. Erin was way ahead of everyone else and hadn’t asked any questions. I walked by and asked her how her work was going and she just shrugged and said, “Fine, I use print screen all the time.” I have to say that is the first time I have ever had that response.
As time went by, I observed that she was always finishing tasks early, demonstrating an excellent graphic design sense, exploring new apps to the fullest not just doing the basics, eager to have free time on the Internet, and able to follow complex instructions easily and also to troubleshoot problems that the class was bogged down in.
A month or two later, I called Erin out into the hall during IT, following up with my usual, “No, you’re not in trouble.”
I told her I just wanted to ask her a couple of questions about computers, and I started with, “Do you play a lot of video games?” I thought I already knew the answer. During our Halloween party, I had let the kids bring in an Xbox and I noticed that they were trying to teach her how to play the games.
As I predicted, she shot me a skeptical look and said emphatically, “No.”
I then asked if she spent a lot of time on Facebook or other social media sites. “Yes,” was the answer. She was reticent to talk any more and didn’t really understand what I was trying to explain to her, so back she went to her computer.
I think Erin has in fact spent a huge amount of very enjoyable time investigating Facebook, configuring her own profile, accessing a wide range of other pages, and uploading content. Not to mention the time spent on what I think is her mom’s cell phone and her iPod Touch. It is also interesting that money or the lack of it does not seem to have stood in Erin’s way. Our school community is largely rural and at the low end of the socio-economic spectrum and Erin is not an exception to this profile.
Is this a shift? Are girls now going to outpace boys the field of technology? Who knows? A real study is needed. But I am very happy to see that as tech is evolving into the social realm it is being (unconsciously) used as a stepping stone by girls to achieve at the same pace as their game-addicted male peers. I also often take the time to encourage all of my students to enroll in tech courses as high school, from business software-type courses to the intro to programming options.

The Real #ecoo2010

My first ECOO conference was an overwhelming and transforming experience. I have to start by congratulating everyone who worked to pull it all together. From the moment, a couple of months ago, when I stared in disbelief at the voluminous program pages pouring out of my printer, to actually being at the event and having to choose from my long “short list” which sessions to attend, the conference presented an unbelievable wealth of ideas and sharing opportunities.
It was really fun to meet some of the Twitter people I have followed and learned from over the past year or two. And I am SO sorry to have missed others. If I could have somehow cloned myself I know I would have learned so much from @danikabarker and @royanlee. I heard nothing but raves about both workshops. And on that note, @dougpete, I want you to know how many times in the rooms and hallways of the hotel I heard random people asking where you were, if you might be attending later, etc. So many of us look up to you and value your knowledge, insight and support.
It was not until I was on my drive home that I realized what the “Real #ecoo2101” was truly about. I thought back to all of the sessions I had sat through or dropped in on, the conversations around the table at breakfast, break, with Birds of a Feather, or over a drink. In every case, I was talking to a real classroom teacher, not a consultant or educational guru. And not that I haven’t learned from those types of opportunities…
But the idea that those presenters were describing exceptional, transformative strategies that seemed to speak directly to me and hopefully to my students, and were then going back to work with their own classes on Monday… well, that was really inspirational for me.
The ECOO workshops that I attended were:
Remixing History: The Cigar Box Project - Neil Stephenson
Interactive Whiteboards in Math - Wanda de Castro
Don’t Be a Blob, Blog - Jane Smith and Nathan Toft
Learning With Mobile Tech: iPod Touch, iPad - Susan Watt, Kim Gill
Google Earth, Not Just for Geographers - Jane Mitchinson
Motivating Boy Writers - Kent Manning
Online Meetings - Kim McGill
Live Learning with Livescribe - Zoe Branigan-Pipe and the LS Posse ☺
Differentiating Writing Instruction With Web 2.0 - Mary Sue Meredith
For me, it was this last innocuous-sounding session with Mary Sue that was the game changer, or to use my English-major-Matthew-Arnold jargon for one moment – the touchstone for my ECOO 2010 experience. I went in not knowing what to expect, and thinking I might be able to somehow consolidate the many ideas I have about teaching writing in the intermediate grades. Instead, Mary Sue shared with us a wide array of apps that seemed to me pretty much guaranteed to engage middle school students, all tied elegantly back to the big ideas in the curriculum and literature itself, and garnished with many creative prompts for student expression. Wow. Thank you!
I don’t know how to conclude this post other than to say, again, thank you to the organizers, presenters and attendees. Hmmm. Now I guess I have some work to do.
And PS, stay tuned for my report on the Livescribe pen. Yes, it is here and about to be put through its paces!

Small Steps

Coming back from my leave with so many ideas has been both exciting and challenging! Realizing my goals for my students, designing engaging units and ultimately integrating technology into as much of my program as possible promises to be an ongoing balancing act. With a limited numbers of computers, it's all going to depend on providing a mix of online and paper resources, and then opening up all my core time to a variety of tasks. Ideally this will also free me up to work one on one with more students on a wider range of projects. For some reason food analogies keep coming to mind: buffet, smorgasbord, food groups, etc.!
Yesterday marked a breakthrough for our class, and I can now really see how this approach might work. Here is what I wrote on our class blog...
This was a very rewarding day in many respects. This morning we talked about using technology throughout our core periods, sharing equipment and making the most use of our time. Then we tested out our ideas. It was a great success and congratulations to all students in the class for making it happen.
First I taught a brief math lesson, and asked the students to begin the Practice section in the text book. Then one student took a few minutes to go online at my desk to complete her Census at Schools data survey, because she had been absent previously.
Then I asked the students whose names were on the board if any of them felt they could complete their assignments and hand them in the next 20 minutes, before class change. Hands shot into the air. I handed out laptops and within the 20 minutes, 4 people finished, printed and submitted work from English and History and 2 others showed me that they were almost ready.
The rest of the class worked on math and I got to talk to many to answer their questions about “inference” in reading statistics and charts.
The students who used the laptops were asked to complete Questions 1 and 2 in the math text for homework.
We are so lucky to have many tech resources and great tech support at our school. I know this was just one small step, but I hope that as the year goes on, we will see continued integration and sharing of equipment, to help all students learn and achieve to their full potential.

Small but mighty

I wanted to start the year off in IT with a project that would be fun, interesting and would also tie into our school focus on team-building. I settled on One Thing, an idea that I got on Twitter from @dougpete and @mrspal. In my version, I wanted the students to write a brief Twitter-style summary of one special memory from the summer. Then I wanted them to find a suitable photo and locate the event using Google Streetview. Finally, we would import everything into Windows Moviemaker to make a class movie and choose a song as a soundtrack.
At first I thought of this as a simple review of concepts and skills that would be familiar, at least to Grade 8s and probably to others In Grade 5, 6 and 7 as well. To my surprise I discovered that when I broke the tasks down, they required a functional understanding of many key IT concepts. Some were new to the students and the lessons led to many intersting discussions and teaching moments. Here is the list so far:
- Look at Twitter to see short powerful messages
- Open a WP document, write, edit, save on network drive
- Log on to the Internet, search for an image, save an image, save on network drive
- Open Google Streetview, use the "pegman" to find location, switch to full screen, use the Print Screen button, paste into a WP document, save to network drive
- If Streetview is not available, save and label a satellite view
Now,as a class, and I include myself, we learned more...
Moviemaker likes to work with picture files. So...
We then learned how to switch file formats. We right-clicked on the saved Streetview image, copied and pasted it into Paint, and used the drop-down menu to save it as a JPEG.
Then we transformed our text passages into pictures. We highlighted the text, switched it to 24pts, and pasted it into Paint, then saved it as a JPEG.
In the process we learned that while classroom computers are using Word, and the demo worked fine, the lab has switched to Open Office which wouldn't let the students do this. Hmmmm. We found Word Perfect and it worked!
Finally, we learned about the shared X: drive, and saved the three JPEG files into the 8C folder within the Mrs. Shillolo folder. Now we are ready to drag and drop our work into the class Moviemaker file. One last thing - we will select a song and import it.
Wow. I am so pleased with my students and their learning.
I am also delighted to find that when you really look at it, this small project with its three small tasks, contained a mighty rich variety of basic skills practice. It was a challenge for many students but they were all successful.

Facebook for the high seas

FROM JULY
I was talking to our NL neighbour Clara about technology, and she described a heart-stopping use of FB that she had experienced this past year.
Someone she is friends with began posting a series of photos, one after the next, of a boat in jeopardy, fighting huge waves and basically almost sinking. She said it was horrifying and impossible to take your eyes off. To the viewer it seemed impossible that the vessel could survive. Then, with each successive image more FB users began commenting, sending messages of hope and support for those on board. And presumably for the friend or family member who was taking the pictures and posting them.
Miraculously the boat made it back safely.
Citizens have been documenting events and disasters and tragedies since the technology became available, but there is something about placing the camera almost within an event of natural violence and making the photos immediately available that is even more thought-provoking.
Watching the movie The Perfect Storm, as terrifying as the images of the Andrea Gail are, fighting her way up the sky-high side of a hurricane-induced wave, you still know that the sequence was created in a studio. Secondly, on some level you know that the crew died alone.
What the FB pictures were doing was putting the viewers into an ongoing potential disaster, hoping that the crew would prevail and desperately hoping that they would not witness a real-time tragedy.
Since getting our house in Rose Blanche I have subscribed to the Twitter feed for CBC NL. It is shocking how many lives are still lost at sea every year. I would be surprised if more than a month ever goes by without a marine search taking place. Some have happy endings and far too many do not.
Recently the communities on the south west coast banded together to carry out an exercise in branding. We read the account in the local paper, which we subscribe to and read back in Ontario. They wanted to decide on a moniker for the 45-kilometre-long Highway 470 that starts in Port aux Basques and ends in Rose Blanche. Two of the alternatives were The Shipwreck Highway and The Granite Highway.
To tourists without a marine background it’s no contest. The Shipwreck Highway is evocative in a historical, romantic way, summoning forth the stories of bravery and tragedy that characterize the area. As one councilor told us, “This is isn’t any Anne of Green Gables fiction. This is all real.”
But they went with The Granite Highway, for the breathtaking beauty of the route, waves of old mountains rolling to the north and east and skirting the ocean itself to the south. But still. The Granite Highway. Would it tempt you?
The account in the paper said that people thought The Shipwreck Highway was just too depressing. And if your friends and family were a part of that particular heritage it must be. So I’m wrong. To paraphrase the councilor it’s not marketing, “It’s real.”

PD Thoughts

I had a great day yesterday, with my first chance to present solo to colleagues at the ETFO-sponsored PD Day in South River.
I began by talking about the wonderful OTF conferences of the past year, including the TLLP wrap-up, and two featuring Will Richardson. I tried to convey as much of the amazement and excitement of those events as possible. In particular I think it’s important that teachers realize that Will’s Part 1 was completely different from Part 2 which occurred just six months later: moving from a fast-paced and mind-boggling intro to various tools, to the equally challenging task of re-envisioning the curriculum itself.
Talking about using social media and web 2.0 technology is overwhelming for some, and inspiring for others. I wanted those in attendance to understand that everyone is in the same shiny new boat. If they look at me and feel that I am way beyond where they are or could ever hope to be, take heart. I didn’t know any of this a year ago. As well, I feel that I am always behind the curve when I hear about the creativity and innovations of colleagues on the Twitter PLN. I think the key is to have fun exploring and to release your students to learn along with you. And reach out to other educators for help.
There were polite grumbles about lack of support and equipment, and this is distressing. In speaking to a friend earlier today I wondered if this is not creating a “culture of whining.” Previously I had been devouring the tweets from Educon. Three of many that I have enjoyed so far were (to paraphrase):
“Twitter PLN is like friends with benefits ” J
“There will always be a degree of teacher resistance no matter what the topic.”
“One computer per classroom is putting tech at the point of instruction, not construction.”
While we all try constantly to teach to the strengths of individual students, recognizing different learning styles and multiple intelligences, I think we need to acknowledge that teachers also all learn differently. And a variety of supports are needed for teachers trying to incorporate technology into their practice, just as with our students. Not providing this leads to passive resistance I believe, from people who are truly very dedicated to their jobs.

January 29, 2010 Links

Here are links to some informative blogs, books and applications sites. Enjoy!

Blogs
Will Richardson, http://weblogg-ed.com/
Doug Peterson, http://dougpete.wordpress.com/
Zoe Branigan-Pipe, http://pipedreams.edublogs.org/
Jamie Weir, http://msjweir.wordpress.com/
Ross Isenegger, http://www.commun-it.org.community.rossisen.weblog/it.org.community.rossisen.weblog
Nathan Toft, http://mrtoft.edublogs.org/
Portable PD, Nathan Toft, Jane Smith, http://www.commun-it.org/community/nathan/weblog/3841.html
Eric Fullerton, Mactier PS, MSP Radio Express, http://mpsradioexpress.edublogs.org/
Lucas Kent, http://www.mrkent.net/
Danika Barker, http://dbarker.edublogs.org/
LoL Blog, http://weblogtllp.edublogs.org/

Applications
Google Reader, http://www.google.ca/
Twitter, http://twitter.com/
Edublogs, http://edublogs.org/
Wikispaces, http://www.wikispaces.com/
Facebook, http://www.facebook.com/
Ning, http://www.ning.com/
Delicious, http://www.delicious.com/
Diigo, http://www.diigo.com/
Skype, http://www.skype.com/
Edmodo, http://www.edmodo.com/
Google docs, http://www.google.ca/
Google forms, http://www.google.ca/
Voicethread, http://www.voicethread.com/
Glogster, http://www.glogster.com/
Wallwisher, http://www.wallwisher.com/
Wordle, http://www.wordle.net/

Books
Will Richardson, Blogs Wikis and Podcasts
Clay Sherky, Here Comes Everyone
Ken Robininson, The Element

Two great articles

Reading about the Calgary research called Movement Matters in an article in the Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/the-link-between-exercise-and-more-brainpower/article1354723/ I think most teachers know that a number of students in each class need to be active in order to learn, and in order to let their classmates learn. What interested me about the study is that the students must have to “sign on,” to agree to use the treadmill and then work. It is this partnership that I think will make the difference in student focus. DPA in many cases just winds kids up after their 15 minutes of activity. To participate in the study though, I think they must agree to both halves of the equation, and that this would motivate them. It would give them some insight into their own learning and make them partners. It’s not just exercise for its own sake, which is not a bad thing, but would also validate what many students already have an intrinsic knowledge of: their own pathways to effective learning. I also liked the part about playing a musical instrument, and this I think shows the value of having instrumental music in a middle school environment, which is more inclusive than the electives available in high school.
This next article reflects how I feel some days as I try to stay current by reading about educational technology and keep in touch with teachers elsewhere who are immersed in their innovative practices. However, this leaves me with the feeling on occasion that just a very small part of our world is actively engaged in using social media - not the majority, but the exceptions in each small school community. So reading this story made me question trends at our own “company” - http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/managing/building-dialogue-in-the-workplace/article1354514/ . Are any school boards taking advantage of new media in their day to day communications and or decision-making?

TLLP Final Report

I thought I would post this here so it is available to share. Sorry it’s a bit long, a three-page document in Word. Our blog site explains about TLLP and contains all of the posts from the year including student work and teacher reflections.

TLLP FINAL REPORT JUNE 2009

(Each section below is in response to a question on a hard copy form. It was not available to complete online. Please visit our TLLP project blog at http://weblogtllp.edublogs.org)


Anne Shillolo
705.382.2924
shilloloa@nearnorthschools.ca anneshillolo@gmail.com

Land of Lakes Senior Public School
92 Ontario Street, Burk’s Falls, ON P0A 1Y0

Near North District School Board

#1
WeBlog

#2
Our project planned to address both student learning and teacher learning and leadership. The original plan was weighted more towards student achievement, but as the study progressed the balance edged towards educators. Here are a few of our key goals: to facilitate student success and enthusiasm by using instructional strategies which connect to the student’s media-immersed lives, with a focus on blogging; to broaden teachers’ professional knowledge of technology and its uses in the classroom; to improve teaching practice, personal growth and confidence in use of technology. We felt that we became leaders within our board, as the first school staff to implement the broad use of blogs in the classroom.

#3
Yes, we met our goals. Students were engaged by frequent blogging and further new activities such as wikis. Team members learned all aspects of blogging (site design, post, comment, moderation), increased comfort level with IT and the instruction of technology, experienced an overall increase in IT knowledge, integrated IT with a range of subject areas, and conducted outreach in our school and board to increase the involvement of other teachers with IT. Measures that we used included: reflective blogging by TLLP team members as well as students and parents, feedback forms at PD presentations, visitors to our blog and comments from outside our small school community, and “before and after” surveys about the team’s IT attitudes and comfort levels. Two team members went beyond the TLLP blog to create classroom blogs. As the team became known as “friendly experts,” we were consulted by teachers outside our school. One incorporated our ideas into an ABQ course. At our local high school, a guidance and special education teacher facilitated student blogging about transition topics.

#4
The public: media coverage via features in our local paper and on CTV. Throughout our board: team members led half-day blogging workshops during the February PD day in the three areas of our board (North Bay, Parry Sound, South River). We also presented to all high school English teachers and to IT coordinators in December. Our staff: we sponsored a half-day workshop on podcasting, to extend teachers’ IT expertise. We also invited the Intermediate teachers from other schools in our district. Parents: newsletter home, IT Open House with opportunity for parents to blog along with their children, classroom blog sites including homework help links for French Immersion students and families. Our students: in many classes all year, led by team members as well as other enthusiastic staff. Our team: via our essential monthly meetings. Online: the WeBlog site at http://weblogtllp.edublogs.org .

#5
Our team experienced the most value from our monthly meetings, which we describe as “regular, face-to-face, funded PD.” Each meeting included a blogging activity, introductions to new applications, professional reading, as well as the study activities. This led to a learning curve that was steep and fast, as well as positive spin-offs. As one member said, “Once you’re driving tech, you’re driving that whole bandwagon.” Our school saw sharply increased use of educational blogs, online learning resources, wikis, SmartBoards, personal blogs and more. Other teachers enjoyed seeing how easy it was to learn about blogging, and hearing our story. They provided detailed, written feedback to us at events, as well as informal notes, calls and requests for assistance. It is very rewarding to hear teachers developing IT plans for next year, from blogs to podcasts. Some ideas involve subject integration, which is very helpful at our small middle school. Our students have been introduced to a number of new applications and activities, and display high levels of comfort and proficiency. In general, writing done on the blog compared favourably to handwritten output and contributed to better achievements on the CASI test (subjective observation). Students also gained better knowledge of Internet safety through frequent practice.

#6
The project broadened students’ knowledge of IT applications and activities. The WeBlog project led them to write for an authentic audience of peers, teachers and others, beyond the confines of the classroom. It heightened their awareness of the wealth of online information, tools and resources via their class blog. Students expressed more positive attitudes towards math and language activities. They showed enthusiasm for continued learning that was engaging and motivating due to their existing interest in technology. Students were also open to new IT activities such as wikis for collaborative learning, and cameras used in math class. For the coming year, teachers are brainstorming about raising expectations on literacy levels in the blog, developing and extending the work that was begun this year. Others are thinking about how to apply what they learned this year to new teaching assignments.

#7
Some challenges were: A) not enough computer time in the lab for blogging and/or other areas of the curriculum, B) learning the blogging software, C) tracking/assessing student work on the blog, D) making time to contribute to the TLLP section of the blog, and E) completing personal reading to become familiar with literature on 21st century literacy. F) We also worried about not being able to achieve all of our original goals. For example, we couldn’t carry out our basic teacher and student learning, as well as scientifically track student improvement levels. G) We also discussed the value of having more time to work with the IT technician at our school to troubleshoot and discuss options, and share this information more widely. H) We also set aside one of our goals, that of creating an online PLC for use in our board.

#8
B) We were very successful in learning how to blog, and extended this knowledge well beyond the parameters of the project. This occurred via peer instruction and support from our team members, at meetings and onsite in our school. We had the chance for thorough, hands-on practice before asking our students to undertake the same tasks. C) We overcame this in part, by simplifying expectations, and using rubrics and targeted checklists. D), E) Team members found their own levels. Some spent much more time online assessing resources for use by students. Others made on ongoing effort to read more widely online and to access tools such as Twitter and Bloglines to create their own online PLC.

#9
A), G) As our knowledge of and appreciation for using technology in our classes increased, so did demand for limited facilities. The success of this study was a double-edged sword: when virtually all staff wanted to participate, we no longer had enough lab time. We feel that the present schedule is fair, but that we need more equipment and support. We strongly believe that boards should invest in technology at the middle school level, to foster student engagement and ensure these young adults are properly trained before arriving at high school to carry out more complex assignments. F) Our original idea required a control group of classes that were not involved with blogging. When we saw the groundswell of teacher and student interest in the project we opted to satisfy this demand for participation, rather than exclude those who were not part of the original TLLP group. As well, we had to acknowledge our own learning curve, and accept that this was a fluid process. We needed more time to scaffold our learning before rolling out a large study of student assessment. In a longer project this would have been the logical next step. H) In the late fall we discovered that the board itself was planning to implement Sharepoint, which would fulfil the same goals as we had expressed in our proposal.

Podcasting day

Over a year ago when we submitted our TLLP application, we planned to do a PD event on blogging for our staff - and finally the big day arrived. In the intervening months however, we saw our knowledge, and that of our colleagues, grow beyond this initial goal. So instead we invited Eric Fullerton to speak to us about podcasting. We thought this would introduce everyone to a new area of technology that could then be integrated into our classrooms. I was so happy with the events of the day. First of all, Eric's presentation was fantastic and the feedback from the participants has been very positive. When I met him a few months ago, I thought he was a great guy who was accomplishing some very interesting things with his large Grade 7/8 class in Mactier. I trusted that he would come over and teach us some new things - and he went way beyond what I could ever have imagined. In fact I am sort of amazed that all of us just assumed that things would work out. Most of our invited participants turned up, the food was great, and Eric's instructional materials for us were simply outstanding. I am in awe of the amount of preparation that he, and other teachers, seem to put into presentations for colleagues. Here he took all that time to make up an exceptional, informative PPT, prepare materials for an introductory lesson, provide us with a list of resources and share his own experiences so that we could learn. One of the teachers, in a moment of appreciation, asked Eric if he was married - in tribute to the amount of time he obviously spent on our behalf! In the world of teaching I so often see people investing this type of effort for personal growth or to share with friends. No consulting fees were paid, although we have thought of a nice present to send to Eric! But it was the effort behind such a professional presentation that struck me as I was thinking about April 30.

IT Night

Last Thursday we held our first IT Night to introduce parents to the technology that we are using in our classrooms. Many students came along as well, and there were some amazing door prizes, courtesy of the SAC which sponsored the event. Parents were grouped and then visited the TV studio, assistive technology, Smartboard and blogging. In the blog there was a place for parents to comment, and the feedback was great.
Here are a couple of examples: "It has been a great night so far and very informational. It’s nice to see exactly what our children are doing in school. Thank you for organizing this wonderful event." "The kids are farther ahead than most of the parents when it comes to technology. They pick up things quicker."
In reflecting back on this event, the most meaningful aspect of it for me was that theme was not suggested by or organized by the TLLP or me as an IT teacher. To me, this means that there is enough awareness out there in the school and/or the community about the effort we are making to ease our students' path into the 21st century, that the SAC would sponsor this type of event. Choosing technology as the key to increasing parental involvement in the school, and then seeing the enthusiastic response, is very exciting.

Fast Wizard

We are trying to do the impossible, prepare our mini pit-orchestra for a full musical presentation in six weeks. Our first rehearsal is this coming Wednesday evening for The Wizard of Oz. Thursday May 14 is opening night. For other shows we have started in January, taking a small break to practice for the Sprucedale Variety Night in February, and then going right back at it. The only saving grace may be that the score is short, and much easier than Rogers and Hammerstein’s music. My clarinet part is only 31 pages, compared to 70-80 in the past. And there is the usual repetition of themes and reprises, so not too, too much to learn.
The group consists of keyboard, two clarinets, a flute, trumpet, alto, guitar, bass, hopefully violin, and percussion.
Our conductor will be back from Australia on April 30. Yikes.
But technology has helped a lot. I didn’t want to impose on Greg’s family time Down Under but now I am glad I did. Within a few messages we were able to sort out a lot of conflict over instrumentation and personnel, get our parts, and plan our rehearsals. Now, Ruth is going to email for instructions on how to convert the trombone part to alto, something she’s done in the past and just needs a reminder about. Technology really has helped get us to this point, and we’re hopeful that we’ll be off to see you-know-who by early May.

Twitter My Dog

After first hearing about Twitter at the Expanding our Boundaries conference, from Will Richardson, I have been fascinated by the application. I don’t do much with it as yet, but I like the read/write/Twitter continuum that you see with Will, Doug Peterson, Danika Barker and others who I have been following since late February. Most often these reader/writer/thinkers are passing along interesting links or referring us to a recent blog post. Great service, if you ask me.
This past week the Canadian print media has been aflutter over Twitter. I swear I never heard, or read, a single word about Twitter before, and now it’s one newspaper article after the next, with letters of response, blog posts, etc. Most of the commentary is mocking or downright negative, and refers to the more inane posts of everyone from Mayor David Miller to 50 Cent. Not at all like the wholesome and hearty tweets I have come to enjoy from the “expbound” nest.
What the vast majority of people seem to be using Twitter for reminds me of the way I talk to my dogs. “Hey Stella, now wasn’t that a good walk?” “Rocco, can you believe we actually got a parking spot near the library?” So if I talk to my dog, I’m what? Silly, neurotic, delusional? Only if someone catches me at it. But if I use Twitter to recount the minute by minute trivialities of my day to day life… wait, I’m silly, neurotic and self-absorbed, and many people will know this about me!
So please, if you ever feel that my future twittering has descended to the level of dog chat, immediately let me know. I’ll be back on the intellectual plane before you can say “liver treat.”