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Keep visiting for updates and timesavers aimed at assisting classroom teachers to enable the 21st century learner. Most importantly add your feedback so that this blog can be shaped to meet your needs.
This popular resource has recently been updated to include a range of Digistore learning paths and further ideas including how to improve searching by using the "More tools" google search options.
Many thanks to Jill Hammonds for her support and motivation in energizing this wiki.
My social networks came through again last week by providing me with some just-in-time, practical support. Thanks @NZWaikato via twitter for introducing me to Comments4Kids.
Comments4Kids provides a database of blogs; set-up to support students and teachers to find blogs to comment on and to get their own posts commented on.
In addition Comments4Kids also introduced me to the Comment4Kids Wednesday concept. Basically this involves the teacher selecting relevant post for their students to comment on. Read more here.
What we did?
I introduced Comments4Kids Thursday to my class of Year 5 /6’s . We had previously developed criteria for quality comments. In preparation I searched the Comments4Kids database for some relevant blog posts and linked these to our Learning Management System. Students were then given the task of responding to a blog post, using our criteria.
Reflection
It worked ‘ok’ for the first time. The students were highly motivated to view and respond. They worked in pairs and consulted our criteria before posting their comments. My next challenge is to locate blog posts that relate more closely to the work we are doing in class and that are structured in a way that invite rigorous comment.
I have to admit that I found it challenging to work out how a school appraisal system could harness the spirit of teaching as inquiry as well as encompass the twelve registered teacher criteria in a manageable and meaningful way.
Sharing this dilemma at Learning @School with Nick Rate (over a rotisserie chicken and a wine) was the break-through.
Nick discussed how a rich inquiry could and should encompass many of the twelve criteria.
So I had a go with my own inquiry question and have since used this approach with a whole staff.
NB. The writing in brown is reference to specific registered teacher criteria.
While it is still early days we are all excited about this approach and its focus on our learning.
This quote sums up the mood of this approach: “Appraisal should be about improving competence not proving competence”. What we did: Staff meeting 1
Purpose:
To develop understanding of the ‘teaching as inquiry’ framework and explore possibilities for meaningful individual inquiries. Staff meeting 2
To further develop our individual inquiries
To explore how the registered teacher criteria could enrich our inquiries.
What’s next?
1:1 Coaching and Mentoring session focused on each teachers’ inquiry
Setting up a portfolio – hard copy or electronic. Workshops for staff on both.
1:2 Professional development facilitators are aware of and support the development of teacher’s inquiries throughout the year
1:3 Senior Leaders receive professional development around coaching and mentoring to support on-going high quality professional learning conversations
1:4 Teachers will be grouped together according to inquiry questions to meet as inquiry teams and given time to meet together to reflect on and support each other with their inquiries
1:4 Documentation will be developed from this work that captures the appraisal requirements and process, and that allows for consistent practice across the school
Research designed to find out what works in helping teachers embed digital curriculum resources resulted in the publication of the following report: Enhancing Teachers’ Take-up of Digital Content: Factors and Design Principles in Technology Adoption by Professor Michael Gaffney.
This 2010 Australian-based report is a worthwhile 10 minute read.
I found the following diagrams particularly useful in communicating complex, multi-faceted ideas related to the challenges involved in technology adoption.
This continuum (Zhao 2007) describes how the roles of the teacher, the student, and the technology change as one moves from teacher-centred to student- centred Teaching. A useful conversation starter when considering teaching practice.
The next diagram un - packs the many factors at play when teachers adopt technology. I considered this diagram particularly useful in informing the strategic planning process and in encouraging alignment between the contributing factors.
Click here for the full report. Enhancing teachers' take-up of digital content: factors and design principles in technology adoption Professor Michael Gaffney June 2010
Recently I facilitated an e-pilot project, our online portal was the Virtual Learning Network. This project involved 8 teachers, 1 face to face meeting and many on-line engagements. The focus was: How can the use of digital content assist in meeting the diverse literacy needs of our learners? The voice thread below and the link to the project details provides further information including: • an overview of the e-pilot project • a summary of each teachers inquiry • reflections from participants on : a) using digital content to meet the diverse literacy learning needs of learners b) a blended approach to PL
This information has been shared using voice-thread so that the thinking, questioning and learning can continue. Please feel free to add your comments.
This ‘efficient’ way of working was not without its challenges. Below I have listed some of my reflections: • A specific focus, in this case literacy, was required so that some depth could be explored within this context. • Blended professional learning (mix of face to face and online) was a popular professional learning option for teachers. More people volunteered to be part of this project than the resources allowed. 30 teachers wanted to be involved and only eights positions were available. • Teacher engagement in this learning was high from the onset. They volunteered to be part of this project, they self-selected their inquiries based on the needs of their students, actions toward their inquiries were integrated into their class practice, their progress and thinking was regularly shared with the e-pilot group. • All participants had support from their school principals and were expected to share their learning with the wider staff. • The facilitator was very explicit from the beginning about this style of professional learning and what would be required from participants. No surprises. • All activities, face to face and online, were aligned to the overall focus of: How can the use of digital content assist in meeting the diverse literacy needs of our learners? • An immersion occurred during our face to face sessions so that participants could share and learn about further opportunities that existed before clarifying their own inquiry. • The face to face session was absolutely essential in forming the relational trust required to communicate successfully online. This took two days and could have been further developed with more time together. • Teaching as Inquiry provided us with a useful framework and gave us a common language that ensured students remained at the heart of our learning. • Reasonable, flexible however necessary expectations were communicated to the group by the facilitator via email each week. • Participants are more likely to excuse themselves from an online session than a face to face session. There seems to be less accountability with online sessions.
What I would do differently as a facilitator? • Involve fewer teachers and allocate more time to this project to allow for further face to face visits and individual coaching and mentoring with each member of the group. Explore the possibility of buddy systems between group members. • Co –construct the online components of the programme and distribute responsibility for these amongst the group. • Have clearer processes established for measuring the impact of our actions on students. • Facilitate a further face to face hui near the end of the project to share outcomes and to discover commonalities that could guide our future practice.
Many thanks to the amazing group of teachers who participated in this project and to Helen Cooper ( MOE senior e-learning adviser) for enabling this opportunity.
I have been a real lurker in recent e-portfolio conversations, mainly because I recognised that I had some gaps in my assessment knowledge. An opportunity to develop my assessment capabilities came recently while working with Suzanne Billington – national standards adviser – University of Waikato. We facilitated a workshop around the national standards and the place of assessment for learning. This was valuable learning for me and will aid in ensuring that the decisions I make about the use of ICT are grounded in a growing understanding of effective assessment. This voice-thread will serve as a ‘collection pot’ for my discoveries. Please feel free to contribute to its growth!
Speed-geeking and an e-learning smack-down were popular sharing strategies that helped to make the most of the groups’ immense expertise. Systems and strategies to support e-capability were discussed from the school charter level right through to what unit planning might look like. See resources and models on the wiki. Mobile technologies were another key theme. We explored: *What pedagogy might underpin the use of mobile devices? *What are some quality educational applications for use on a mobile device? *What needs to be considered when making purchasing decisions? This is our list so far: •What is our vision for e-learning? How does the purchase of mobile technologies fit with this vision? •Is our infrastructure going to cope with it? Have we had a comprehensive look at the physical infrastructure? •Will our ‘wireless network’ manage the increased use? •Where can we find successful school models? •Who will co-ordinate this project? How will they be supported? •What do we want the mobile devices to do? An i-pad is not a laptop! •How will we manage student/teacher access? policies, internet filtering…
What else could be added to this list? To find out more about this network, visit our wiki: e-learning bop
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