Nearing the end or just the beginning…..

The process of learning and teaching is cyclical in nature and for better or worse, it continues as we venture out into the less than perfect environment to share what we have learnt. The experience has been an interesting one and I can safely say that this learning can only be sustained through practice. I still feel that small lament within me that says, there is so much that is not in place to really see this revolution of technology integration work. The most significant thing that I will take away from this though is the understanding of what integrating technology into the curriculum means.” Technology is both a facilitator of literacy and a medium of literacy.” Biancarosa,& Snow(2004). Reading next-a vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A report to carnegie corporation of New York. New York: Alliance for Excellent Education.

I am going to use the fairy tale to parallel what this change actually means. Let’s imagine that Cinderella or Snow White or even the Beast decided to live the very same way that they did before their dramatic climax and change. The point being, in their new lives they would now have within their means the resources to make some changes, particularly after coming out of such bad experiences. The tragedy would be that they chose to just keep their new found favor to themselves and not have others share in their good fortune. The happily ever after gets a little tainted and our much loved characters seem a little less noble. The converse is the people coming out of the woodworks expecting an easy ride because there is someone else to do ‘the stuff’
So, let’s promise to share our good fortune and have others join in our maybe not so much happily ever after,but most certainly in the joys of having our students interact with technology in a meaningful and life changing way.

The Plan

This experience has been an informative one in that it speaks directly to our practice. Admittedly, it has been awhile since I have actually practiced writing such an in-depth, detailed and (yes at times an even stressful) plan for a lesson. I know the importance of planning though, so I try to work with an abridged version of lesson planning or something that resembles it.
Oddly enough it reminds me of a book I read ‘A House for Mr. Biswas’ by V.S.Naipaul. The basic premise of the novel is this man spends his entire life trying to have a house for himself.
Alright follow me here, he made some:
shoddy plans.
didn’t do any research into where he was going to live
didn’t exactly know how he was going to achieve this goal
didn’t foresee some of the possible problems he might have
and really the list goes on. The funny thing is when he finally got a house, it still stressed him, he wasn’t exactly happy about it and the house very much resembled the character himself.
Again maybe I’m being a little liberal with the novel (okay plenty liberal) because there were many extenuating factors that just made the task even more difficult and the novel quite entertaining. The point is as much as he complained about this house that he wanted, he got all that he put into it and unfortunately some extra.
I know “food for thought” so happy planning!
Feel free to add the book to your “to read” list, it is very enlightening.

Research Part 2

The understanding of how learning happens is constantly changing in spite of the efforts of some to vehemently hold on to certain practices. In the article ‘Writing to learn across the curriculum: Tools for comprehension content area classes.’ from the The Reading Teacher, 59, 414-424 by Knipper & Duggan (2006), "Mastery of content is demonstrated not only through reading but also through writing. Integrating writing with reading enhances comprehension" Brandenburg, 2002. (Knipper & Duggan,p.462). Technology can provide the needed support for students and enable teachers to give that instructional scaffolding and guidance necessary.

Strategies can be employed throughout the reading process itself, making the attributed connection even more practical. There are strategies to prepare for reading assignments, those to review and summarize and also critical and creative writing-to-learn strategies. Web2.0 tools facilitate this process and allow both the teacher and student to be fully engaged. A distinction between learning to write and writing to learn can outline ways in which the teacher develops follow-through activities.Writing-to-learn strategies invite students to think about and interact with texts, encouraging more thoughtful reading while creating more conscientious learners (Knipper & Duggan p.469).

The issue of the connectedness of these language skills, makes the acquiring and processing of content knowledge more meaningful. The limitation to this approach is the assumption that students are able to write at this level or that they would want to write at all. Hence, the infusion of technology which serves as a motivational element for students.Writing to learn across the curriculum helps students to think critically and creatively ( Knipper & Duggan p.467).It makes for a fascinating insight into the processing of the thoughts of students. It enables both the teacher and student to gauge the actual knowledge base and concept development in the content area.

Say Cheese!!!

Okay show by a raise of hands anyone who has accidentally (wink,wink):
1.cut the head off a family member or friend while taking a picture.
2.cut off any body part ( not going to be picky!)
3.took an excellent picture of your thumb or finger.
4.took a picture and then asked “Who is this person here?”
5.took an image that looks like an alien or ghost because its just too out of focus.
.......and the list goes on. Now that it has been established that at least one or even all offences may have been committed,all hands down.
Lets get to the technical stuff.
101 in taking good pictures! (courtesy of our EDRL6004: ICT for Reading facilitators)
1.Choose your subject for the picture, let your focus rest there and come in close to remove any possible distractions.
2.Observe the rule of the thirds,that is, allow the subject of the picture to be in a place that brings balance both vertically and horizontally.
N.B. The subject directly in the centre is not as aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
3.Use the natural lines in the subject’s environment to allow the viewer’s eye to lead onto the actual subject.It makes for a more dramatic picture.
4.Use the subject’s natural environment to frame the picture,again its definitely more pleasing to the eye.

“A picture says a thousand words” yes its another really overused cliche, but lets try to have our pictures give the full message now that we know a little more on the ‘subject’.

Taking a Breath

“A whirlwind affair" is as cliche as it gets but it’s an apt description of this infusion of technology that I’ve been experiencing.The thought that I had at least some awareness of how technology can work in the classroom has been obliterated and replaced with the understanding that the world is really at our doorstep. The key is, we have to open that door and let it in through an authentic use of technology in the classroom. The days of ‘hands off the technology’ to students and ‘demonstrations of its use by teachers only’ are being aggressively met with tools,applications and resources that can facilitate learning more effectively through a hands-on approach. In the Handbook of Literacy and Technology. Transformations in the Post-Typographic World 1998,Kuhn and Labbo state “Rapid changes in the computer-based technology have provided classrooms and schools with the potential to transform student’s literacy learning.”
The lament that our schools are not as ready for such a transformation is real and unfortunately the added resistance to change mainly out of fear is also just as real. The affair continues though and is well on its way to becoming a serious relationship. The ‘WikiEducator Gives Back’ workshop is a testament to this growing commitment, as difficult as it is to balance between the workshop and assignments,it is proving to be a rewarding experience. I can come very close to understanding what students may feel when they are exposed to such a working environment. These experiences will be both motivating and edifying as students become fully engaged in the learning experiences.

The Saga of the...........BOOK

The betrayal!
I swore that I would never have another,the intimacy,feel and experience could never be the same but now here I am about to do it. I vividly recall leading the argument against the audacity of some scholars/educators who were advocating the use of e-books as a viable alternative to traditional print-books.My adamant feeling was that the immediacy of a book in hand, the feel of the texture of the page on one’s finger tips, the overall experience should not be replaced by a screen and God forbid technology.

The replacement?
The new suitor has many good features:
Multimedia effects- sound,animation,interactive activities.
Easy to access.
Inexpensive
It supports the development of reading skills particularly for struggling students.
The storage system is more than effective i.e.one can have a digital library and not worry about a physical storage space.
The advantages of using e-books are quite compelling and in this time of integrating technology into the classroom they are an excellent way to encourage children to once again enjoy reading.
The compromise!
There is room enough for both types of books in education,but just for a little while longer I think I’ll keep the sensation of using the printed copy of books. The digital library though can offer a real solution to the problem of space and maybe some day I’ll get around to reading (for pleasure) an entire e-book.

Writing for the Internet 101!

Gone are the days of just putting words to paper (figuratively speaking), to my surprise there is a science to writing for the Internet. Jakob Nielsen was the name given as the pioneer in this reviewing of what actually works when writing for the web,for the really technical explanation feel free to use the link provided- . http://www.useit.com
Here are the words used to explain this concept and my translation of some of it.
1. The reader peruses the page in what is described as an “F” shape,so the information should be placed in such a way as to manage the information across the page.
Translation-Writing is about quality in the right places and not quantity all over the page.
2.The font used can affect readability.
Translation- Don’t go all crazy with the fonts and Sans Serfs fonts are our friends.
Okay I may be breaking rule #1
3.Contrast between the background and font is important.
Translation - "If you can read this and still want to,you are really good."
4.Remember the basic rules of reading.
Translation- Someone once said to me “Don’t let a little learning affect what you know to be true.”
We still read from left to right and with some sense of order,so creativity is fine but remember your audience.
5.Repetition
5.Repetition
5.Repetition is important.
6.Allow for breaks in the page.
Translation - Clutter is never pretty,not even on a web page.
7.Be a responsible “Digital Citizen”
Translation -Please give the credit where and when it is due.
These are just a few of the tips that we discussed during the lecture. The link provided should fill in the blanks.
Sorry, still breaking the rules!

The power of research. (Part 1)

“Reading Research that Makes a Difference” as published by David H. Russell in 1961 proposed that significant studies influenced the curriculum in reading and related areas. This premise is an accurate one as programs such as Sesame Street was described as a direct result of research and more so, that it in turn affected the practice of instruction. I remember reading this fact and being deeply impressed that time was taken to consider what would work best in educating young children and then making it work. Who doesn’t recall the days of looking and learning from the residents of Sesame Street, people and monsters alike?
The need to always have some understanding of ‘what works and what doesn’t’ is imperative in maintaining the interest of students, and ensuring best practice is exercised in the classroom and beyond. Hence, the changing face of education hinges upon the constant analysis of the learning and teaching process. This is of course where the great divide begins,as teachers we can be our own worst enemies and choose to use our own tried and true strategies which may work,but they also may not be as effective.
The problem of being aware of the need for a change in methodology but not being able to effect those changes is another reality. A teacher is unable to influence those who are instrumental in instigating possible solutions, it is perhaps one of the greatest challenges that a teacher faces in trying to bring about change. The experience of having ones attempts to meet the needs of students in what may be regarded as unorthodox or non traditional ways can at times be the source of a frustration.

Stay tuned for “The power of research”(Part 2)

Blogs a new way!

Blogs provide an authentic working environment in which students are involved in activities that generate real reading and writing skills using a medium that they are comfortable with and perhaps even more confident about. One presupposes though that the students are extremely comfortable with the use of the Internet and there is some degree of maturity and confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of some of the posts. Hence, the development of the reading and writing activities may vary according the age group that is being engaged.

The teacher is able to give over ownership of the interactions to students, but this may require some specific guidelines and rubrics to ensure that students remain on task. Blogs allow for the addition of hyperlinks to support the conversation, dialogue, reading or writing activities and the insertion of other Internet or web resources. Conventions and meanings can be socially constructed and collaborative in nature, this can enable students to develop writing skills that range from basic social interactions to the creation of scholarly material using various sources as supporting evidence.They allow for critical and reflective reading and writing experiences. They also give teachers the opportunity to scaffold reading activities thus, allowing students to be engaged at a level most appropriate for the students.

Blogs can be creatively used by teachers to bring students beyond the limits of their classrooms and enter into an experience of the world. This requires greater preparation by teachers and may also be quite time consuming initially. The lack of resources is another possible drawback to having such a reading and writing forum, integral to this is availability of personnel with the necessary technical support and knowledge to maintain and supervise blogs. In essence the use of blogs can be an enriching experience.

Digital tools in an Analog system

The words from the movie ‘Die Hard 4‘ “You are an analog man in a digital time.” aptly describes the current education dilemma.The excitement about learning about the variety of ways that students can be engaged is quelled by the thought that for the most part the basic infrastructure simply does not exists. Those thoughts aside the possibilities for the usage of technology in the classroom are the beginnings of a radical change in the way we learn. “We” as in just about all the stakeholders in education.

Wiki is Hawaiian for quick and it is an easily learned, open-source software program that allows all users to access and edit the pages on an ongoing basis (Dobson, in press;Luce-Kapler & Dobson, 2005) as cited in “Radical Change and Wikis:Teaching new literacies by Rebecca Luce- Kapler. The article makes a compelling argument for the use of wikis in the classroom as it provides a manageable way in which students can collaborate in a given class activity without the constraints of most regular group activities. The interesting thing about wikis is that its usage is not exclusive to the students, teachers can also use this software to plan lessons and activities.

The major limitation though is the analog system within which teaching and learning happens, the trick is to use the resources that are available to make the case for the use of technology in classrooms and beyond.

The concept of Concept Mapping

The notion of concept mapping has always been pretty basic for me, the activity was always a good way to brainstorm or evaluate how much information students had retained. The article The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them by Joseph D. Novak & Alberto J. Cañas Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition has allowed me to now consider the intricacies of this tool. I also highly recommend that stakeholders that are serious about revolutionizing the teaching, learning and assessing process study this article as well.
It was interesting to note the philosophy and psychology that works as the premise of concept maps, the mapping itself engenders much more than just the presentation of ideas. Concept mapping allows for a transformation in the ways in which learners and teachers map the information that they experience or are required to engage. In the article the use of concept mapping is not limited to that of a brainstorming activity but examples are given of its possible usage throughout the the lesson or in a given topic. The evaluation of its use by students was also considered and actual attempts are being made to regularise the nature of this evaluation. The perpetual issue in trying new approaches to learning or teaching has been the inability to generate an appropriate means of assessing what was done, resulting in the use of traditional forms of assessment and an inaccurate assessment of the students progress.
Technology namely the use of the Cmap tools also gives a more hands-on approach to what can be done in the classroom and the ways in which it can enhance the learning process. The advantages and limitations are presented but it is clearly to the advantage of the learner that the concept of concept mapping and the use of software that supports its use be incorporated into the teaching and learning process.

I am a primary school teacher at a rural school in the Northeastern educational district. My teaching experiences have thus far been limited to this educational district. I have encountered many different cases of struggling readers, with the common thread of difficulties in the areas of reading as a result of some deficiency in their reading experiences. Therefore, I recognize the importance of the background and societal experiences of the reader in the reading process. In my not so distant past as a young student I can recall my delight in reading just for the sake of it and losing myself in the pages of whatever I happened to be reading at the time. It is unfortunate that this ‘delight’ is greatly lacking in many students and I am not only referring to struggling readers but also to the students who can be described as independent readers. My desire to become a reading specialist stems from this concern, that reading at any level is becoming a dying art and students are opting to exhibit a-literacy tendencies that is, they are choosing not to read.
I believe that reading development proceeds through the interaction of the individual with print for meaning and the construction of meaning. This occurs through the initial stages of readiness for reading and is continuous in its development. This process begins at the onset of the interaction of the reader with print but is facilitated via the acquiring of strategies and skills that aid in achieving the purpose for reading. The infusion of technology into such a process will enable the reader to become more ably equipped to glean and construct meaning and perhaps once again pique the interest of students to become independent and avid readers.