Technology Leadership

Revisiting the Tetrad of Effects

2011-11-24T13:42:00.001-08:00

Lastweek I had the pleasure of interviewing principals and teachers as part of myresearch. It was an incrediblyenergizing experience to hear more about the stories behind great schools andgreat school leaders.

Indiscussion with some of the participants, I had the opportunity to revisit a visualcreated during one of my grad courses to provoke dialogue around newtechnologies and innovations in schools. In an earlier blog post, I described the idea of combining Feenberg’smethodological dualism with McLuhan’s idea of the tetrad of effects– (http://bbrowntechnology.blogspot.com/search/label/paradox) which gave rise to the diagram (tool) shown below:

Howdoes the tetrad of effects diagram work?

Thetetrad has been used with grad students, teachers, consultants and schoolprincipals ranging from small unstructured settings to large formal gatheringsas a conversation tool. It takes about 20-30minutes to discuss the tetrad with a group of 4-5 participants.

First,begin by cutting out the square shape, fold on the red lines first - thisreveals the tetrad. In the centre of the tetrad choose a technology orinnovation to narrow the focus of the conversation. (example: ipad). The tetrad can also beprovided electronically. I’m not surewhat it is about paper, but I have noted that many participants did not want towrite on the tetrad and would leave it blank while writing thier notes and responses on anothersheet of paper. Some even wrote theresponses on post-it notes and then attached to the tetrad.

Inthe Global Village (1989), Marshall McLuhan posited every new technology has a “tetrad of media effects” or four simultaneous effects:
Discuss the foureffects:
(1) enhances something;
(2) makes something obsolete;
(3) retrieves or brings back something; and
(4) when pushed to the limits, it reverses orturns into something else.

Example of a discussion regarding ipads (thefollowing is a sample of the responses heard)

Whatdoes the ipad enhance? The ipad enhances the ability to access informationquickly. It turns on quickly and thereare many apps that allow instant access. What becomes obsolete? Oneexample was the tape recorder, now obsolete for recording interviews. What dowe retrieve from the past with the ipad? In the past when we had apple IIe’s inschools and there were countless simple programs available for students topractice letter recognition, matching, math facts, etc. As we moved to more powerful computer systems,we moved away from these very simple programs and instead invested inproductivity tools such as word processors, spreadsheets, presentation programsand internet browsers. It seems thatwith the adoption of ipads there has been a resurgence of simple apps. What has the ipad reversed or turned intothat was unexpected? I don’t think the ipad has been pushed to the limits yet buteveryone seems to have examples of unexpected uses for the ipad. Personally, I did not expect to use thedevice as my main tool for research data collection and at the same time my sonuses the ipad as a guitar tuner and my daughter to practice writing the lettersof her name. It’s definitely getting more difficult to share the device in ourhome!

Oncethe four effects are discussed, then fold each point away from the tetrad(symbolism: double-edged sword). When each fold is lifted it reveals a place toindicate both possibilities and challenges.

Thefollowing are some of the possibilities and challenges discussed with ipads:
(1) enhances – ability to access information quickly( possibilities – a small device for student use in the classroom, no need towait for computers to start and launch applications, supports student centeredlearning and inquiry based learning; challenges - include costs for purchasing/managing appsfor school devices).

(2)obsolete – tape recorders (possibilities - recording podcasts and havingstudents demonstrate learning; challenges - privacy concerns, editing/managing large audiofiles)
(3) retrieves – the return of many simple programsor apps (possibilities - great to have so many options for apps and many arefree; challenge - the selection of apps as there are too many available anddifficult to know which ones are best for learning)
(4) reverses – all in one personal tool (possibilities- great to have a tool with so many capabilities and accessibility for allages/diverse learners; challenge - to have one for each individual, access forall, fear of the unknown)

Observations:

Generally,the conversation ended at the point where everyone would brainstormpossibilities and challenges. I alsonoted the conversation typically moved from a technology (tool) focus to a conversationabout learning. I wonder what wouldhappen if participants take an additional step and rework the challenges intogoal statements. Perhaps the tetrad of toolscould be used to help with goal setting when implementing a new technology andmoving from the known to the unknown.

Thefollowing video also reminds me of the leaders I met and their ability tovision and believe in the unexpected – the ability to confidently shift fromthe known to the unknown.

Deadlinesvideo

One can make a difference

2011-10-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

I heard a story this week about a monk named Almachius andhow he tried to separate two gladiators in an effort to put an end to gladiatorgames – at the time a culturally acceptable social sport. Spectators would regularly fill the coliseumto cheer on the gladiators as they fought until the game ended in bloodshed. Almachius bravely went into the arena inorder to stop the gladiators in the name of God and sadly he was stoned todeath. However, it was the death ofSaint Almachius that awakened the people to reject status quo and reject this formof violent entertainment. It wasultimately his death that prompted the emperor to put an end to the gladiatorgames.

Can a leader make a difference? “Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy” is videothat I have used for many presentations. It is another example showing that one personhas the power to make a difference and make a movement happen. The video shows a spectator at anoutdoor concert enjoying the music and publicly dancing alone. Slowly others start to join in and dance withhim. Derek Sivers did an outstanding joblater providing narration to the video of the dancing guy and outlining the leadership lessons wecan learn:

“A leader needs the guts to stand alone and look ridiculous….Nowcomes the first follower with a crucial role: he publicly shows everyone how tofollow….the first follower transforms a lone nut into a leader. If the leader is the flint, the firstfollower is the spark that makes the fire.”

Saint Almachius is the flint and started an individualprotest to end the gladiator games in a public place. Similarly, the dancing guy was a flint and madehis movement in public. The firstspectator that made a move to leave the games was the spark. Similar to the first person who stood up and starteddancing alongside the dancing guy – it was this first person that was the key. In both cases, other spectators then followed.

So, what really prompted the emperor to put an end to thegladiator games – was it the brutal death of the monk or was it the spectatorsthat were distressed by the event and left the games? Likely it was a combination of both but wouldnot have happened without the flint and the spark.

Another example is the “Free Hugs” campaign, a selfless actinspired by Juan Mann in 2004. Distraughtby personal difficulties and arriving in his home town airport with no familyor friends there to welcome him home, Juan decided to go on a mission to offer free hugs to strangers in public places in order to brighten their day. He made a cardboard sign with the words “FreeHugs” and stood on a street busy with pedestrians. Similar to Saint Almachius and the dancingguy, Juan Mann made his movement alone in a public place. Again, the spark was the first person whostopped and hugged him. Juan was the flint and the elderly lady that firststopped to hug him was the spark for a “random act of kindness” movement nowinvolving individuals all over the world. The first Saturday of July is dedicated to International Free Hugs Day. (Interesting note:see the campaign site to read more about how public liability caused themovement to get banned in some communities - http://www.freehugscampaign.org/)

You can make a difference! Will you be the flint or the spark?

Sabbatical Reflection

2011-10-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

I started my academic sabbatical this school year and thought I would take some time to reflect on my experience so far…

My overall goal for the year is to collect data for my doctoral research and write the dissertation. I find it really helpful to meet with my supervisor every two weeks for a Skype conference to follow up on short-term goals and discuss progress.

I now understand why former students recommended that it is critical to select a research topic/question that really captures your interest. It would be difficult to continue wrestling with a topic that no longer is of interest to you. Luckily, I am still fascinated with my topic in the area of educational technology and leadership. I am interested in examining the innovative leadership practices or specific actions of principals involved in making real improvements while integrating technology in teaching and learning. I am also interested in exploring how principals utilize social and technological networks to support learning. Unquestionably, the sabbatical has met my expectation to dedicate time to research and writing. However, it is also the unexpected benefits that leave me feeling in awe and thankful each day.

I am thankful for so many things including the beauty that surrounds me. Fall has always been my favourite season. The beauty of the trees and leaves in the fall never cease to amaze me. I am also thankful for taking time to notice the things that have been around me all along and I previously missed. For example, I noticed a group of birds (not sure on the type…) congregated in a large circle on a school field. They looked like they were having an organized meeting and discussing important matters. Later on, my son and I passed by the field again and interestingly they were still in the same formation. Days later, we passed again and they were no longer in a circle but now in smaller groups evenly spaced out throughout the field. We passed by today and they were no longer there. My hope is to continue finding and appreciating the hidden gems this year.

Identity Day

2011-05-07T13:09:00.000-07:00

Identity Day - We are all different, yet we are all the same!
Last year, it was named “Diversity Day” and this year “Identity Day” – both appropriate ways of describing a celebration of our differences. A group of K-9 students and their teachers came together yesterday and celebrated individual differences and let their light shine! All adults and children were sporting matching white t-shirts to show that we are all the same. However, when looking closely at the shining yellow light bulb on each t-shirt, one would note individual differences written in black marker (i.e. “I am proud of …my favorite things…3 words about me…”). In celebrating differences, we recognize that it is our identity that is powerful; it is our identity that unites us and strengthens our connections with each other. The day started out in the gymnasium where the students were greeted by a motivational video address by the mayor emphasizing each individual has the power to make a difference in our community.

We circulated through many of the classrooms as the students and teachers shared cross-curricular projects of identity. It was evident the projects were thoughtfully constructed to foster inquiry and deep learning – the type of the learning I’m certain the students will cherish and not soon forget. There were so many classrooms to visit and so many outstanding student projects to view, that a morning was definitely not sufficient time to see it all. However, the collaborative knowledge building across the classrooms I did visit was evident and many teachers thanked colleagues and acknowledged the dedication of the students for making the projects and celebration a success. It is my hope the teachers and students will take time to share more detail about their projects so they can extend the learning beyond their classroom walls and reach others globally.

The teachers and students shared their creativity through the messages of artwork, music, drama and technology. It brought tears to my eyes (as I’m sure it did for many!) as the teacher held up the pages of the book while the “Don’t Laugh at Me” song played in the background. We can all see ourselves in the characters of the book and can relate to the feelings of disrespect due to our differences. Listening to the audio book/song “Don’t Laugh at Me” by by Steve Seskin & Allen Shamblin captured the essence of the day and the need to focus on our social responsibility of honoring our differences. The creativity of “Identity Day” provides inspiration, faith and hope for a community of compassion and peace.

Thank you to everyone that made “Identity Day” a reality and especially for inviting me and a visiting principal from Edmonton to take part in the celebration and the learning!

Learning Together

2010-12-13T22:26:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBTaqGaqYWY&feature=related

My commentary and reflection on visionary leadership:

The mission and goal of this group may seem obvious due to the circumstances. The task may appear easy to outside observers but in fact it is very difficult and requires distributed leadership. There are likely new tools or new methods that could be used to make the task more efficient and safe. Most of the participants seem to be working together with their peers purposefully towards a common goal. However, it is evident some are contributing more than others and some appear to be bystanders for this particular task. The group members are utilizing their strengths but may be moving too quickly. The group did not test out the process or strategy on a small scale before proceeding. In addition, the group did not consider the risks and collect and analyze sufficient data from the environment before proceeding with the strategy. The bystanders did not protect the group’s blindside and help predict the unintended consequences and results. Luckily, the group is familiar with the philosophy of “Getting to Maybe” and recognizes the value of learning from both successes and challenges. Through this experience the group learned the importance of taking time to collect sufficient data from the environment, working collectively as a team, looking out for eachother’s blindsides and considering strategies for implementation from multiple perspectives.

Candidacy Process – The Secret

2010-09-06T19:57:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be appropriate to blog about the candidacy process since I have been receiving so many questions about my experience. First I will begin by describing the two parts to candidacy. As required by the faculty of education at the University of Calgary, after completing a research proposal there are two parts to complete in order to meet the candidacy requirements: (a) 28-day written exam and (b) oral exam. Due to my schedule both with work and family commitments, I decided the complete the written exam during July 2010 and the oral exam in August 2010. I believe the most important part of candidacy is to select a time that can be mainly devoted to those tasks. My supervisory committee provided three questions which were emailed to me on July 2nd, 2010. I spent the first week contemplating which question I wanted to respond to and gathering books, articles and related readings. I really wanted to respond to all three questions but needed to narrow the focus to only one. I selected the question that seemed most meaningful to me at that point in time and the question which I thought would benefit my current professional work in the field. During week two, I refined a conceptual framework of the paper including a diagram and outline to focus my writing and to keep me organized. During week three the paper started to come together and had a cohesive flow. I dedicated the final week to reviewing and checking references and final editing. On day 28, I submitted the paper to my supervisory committee along with two external members invited to participate in the candidacy exam. Some members preferred to receive a digital copy while others preferred a printed copy of the paper.

Three weeks later…

The oral exam took place at the University in a conference room with the candidacy committee members present (one via phone) along with a neutral chair. I started by briefly presenting a “behind the scenes” perspective about my candidacy paper using a slide presentation. The committee members were briefed on my previous research and practical work experiences that led me to the field. I shared some of the organizational tables and diagrams that assisted in writing the paper and those I chose to exclude from the final version. In some cases I chose to exclude tables that may have appeared redundant with the associated text. In addition, I shared how the ideas in the paper establish a gap in the literature, specifically regarding how leaders cultivate instructional improvements integrating technology and strengthen the need to conduct research in the field. Each member of the committee asked a question and sometimes the questions involved two or three parts. I found it helpful to (a) jot down notes while the questions were being asked; (b) have a copy of my candidacy paper at my fingertips with post it notes identifying key sections/authors; and (c) have a copy of my research proposal also ready for quick reference. I tried to respond to each question with specific examples from the literature and from my own practical experiences. The two-hour exam period gave each committee member an opportunity to ask approximately two questions.

Two hours later…

I left the room while the committee reviewed my oral exam responses and voted pass or fail. I just wanted someone to pinch me to make sure it really was over and wasn’t a dream. I imagined my alarm clock ringing and waking up to go through the experience all over again. I was certain that I didn’t answer all the questions to the best of my ability but hoped the answers demonstrated my understanding of the field and passion to conduct research related to educational technology and leadership. It was huge relief to go back into the room and shake hands with the committee members ….I knew the exam was over and I passed.

As I reflect on the experience and search for advice that I would give doctoral students embarking on the candidacy journey, I believe one book that may help with advice is the “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne. What is the secret? “The secret is the law of attraction” (2006, p.4) or in other words like thoughts attracts like thoughts. For example, it is important to think positively about candidacy and those positive thoughts will attract like thoughts. Byrne contends that “if you can think about what you want in your mind, and make that your dominant thought, you will bring it into your life” (p.9). According to Byrne, it is necessary to follow three steps: (1) ask, (2) believe and (3) receive.

1. Ask - You need to be clear in your mind about what you want (i.e. your research passion).

2. Believe – act, speak and think about candidacy as if it has already occurred. Instead of rehearsing your presentation for the oral exam, rehearse the presentation you will do for a class of upcoming graduate students about your past candidacy experience.

3. Receive –experience how you will feel once the exam is complete and you are able to move to the next step of your research.

Hope this helps!

ISTE10 Reflections

2010-07-03T13:46:00.000-07:00

I attended the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in Denver Colorado from June 27-June 30, 2010. There were thousands of attendees at the conference, many sporting ipads or other small mobile devices, and all there to connect, collaborate and communicate about my favorite topic - educational technology. I would like to reflect on the people, the places and the practices as the basis of my conference experience.
The people included the random individuals I met during shuttle rides, walking to and from the conference centre, session presenters/researchers, session participants and many of the vendors. I follow a few more individuals on twitter and a few more follow me too! I have a stack of business cards and list of blogs to review. I now have faces and voices to associate with many individuals whose work I had only read before or names I had only heard of before.

Beyond the Colorado Convention Centre (CCC), the places of learning included the online spaces which amplified the conference experience for me. I already felt like a participant at the conference before I even arrived due to the pre-conference tweets. In the online space, I was able to see a video tour of the CCC and knew exactly where to register before arriving, I knew how much the shuttle should cost from the airport to downtown Denver, I knew many of the presenters and bits about their presentations without ever having met any of them in person. I downloaded the mobile app, pre-selected the sessions I was interested in attending and even created my conference planner in advance. During the conference, I was able to keep up with the daily edition news, follow tweets with the #iste10 hashtag and even view broadcasts of some sessions that I didn’t attend in-person. I know the online spaces will continue to be a wealth of information and learning for me beyond the sessions I was able to attend at the conference.

The conference offered a variety of professional learning opportunities which I will refer to as practices. The session type I was most unsure about was likely the one I benefitted from most. This was the first time I attended research paper roundtable sessions and was impressed by the depth of dialogue and questioning that occurred during these sessions. The informal nature of the research roundtable sessions was appealing and the opportunity to discuss first-hand with the researchers made this type of session more interactive than the large formal ballroom presentations. It was during the roundtable sessions that I networked, exchanged business cards or online contact information with other school leaders and made more connections with conference participants than during any other session.

As I reflect on my experiences in attending the ISTE conference, I definitely gained a deeper understanding of learning today through the people, places and practices that were part of my conference experience. Moreover, there were three categories that emerged for me as highlights from the conference and areas I would like to learn more about: (1) Global Citizenship, (2) Leadership for innovation and transformation and (3) Participation in Networks.

1. Global Citizenship is Critical in Education Today

Jean-Francois Rischard, an economist and author of “High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them” asserts it is critical we focus on resolving urgent global issues over the next twenty years before the problems become impossible to solve. I found a Pdf document which includes a summary of many points made during Rischard’s keynote.

The global issues can be described according to three categories as defined by Rischard:

1. Global commons – tackling issues pertaining to physical spaces in the world

2. Global Conditions – taking care of all humanity

3. Global Rules - establish world-wide rules and new types of accountabilities

He emphasized that the tools we use to solve problems need to change. Students can and should be part of the problem solving. Networked governance is needed (i.e. global issue networks)- “Global networks should appeal to universal values, and seek to resolve global problems in the spirit of global citizenship.” Personally, I found the keynote message an indisputable reminder to make global citizenship an embedded part of what I do professionally and personally.

Similarly, Alan November’s session focused on the importance of empathy as a 21C skill. The supporting article: Digital Learning Farm: Students as Contributors
He suggested students should graduate with knowledge, skills and networks. November demonstrated some simple search techniques that can be utilized to help students search more critically and retrieve information with multiple perspectives (i.e. including site:ca to retrieve information from Canada; other country codes can be found here ) . I reflected on Rischard’s keynote message as well as the complementary message and presentation by November with the following questions: How can we foster global citizenship and incorporate global issues in the curriculum? How can educators help students become active citizens in tackling global issues in collaboration with other students around the world? How can we advance global problem solving? How can educators encourage students to have a global voice?

2. Leadership is necessary for innovation and transformation

Is leadership the missing link to 21C technology integration? According to Timothy Lewis and Margaret Rice, the researchers from the University of Alabama at the roundtable session, leadership is necessary for successful technology implementation including professional learning for superintendents. They discussed a study examining superintendents’ perceptions, knowledge and professional learning preferences relative to the Alabama instructional leadership standards. The findings from the study indicated that superintendent professional learning is the key to successful implementation of emerging technology designed to increase student achievement. The researchers suggest professional learning should focus on visionary leadership and leaders should experience digital-age tools in practice in order to promote a digital-aged learning culture.

How can leadership drive mind shifts and culture shifts? Lemke discussed seven key design elements during her session, Innovative Leadership in a Participatory 2.0 World. The seven design elements included:

1. Own the innovation don't delegate creative work; actions should include technology, multimedia social media and electronic communications should inform decisions

2. Drive change through creativity and knowledge; be informed get connected with customer; learning is very social yet we test individually; need to assess teams; associating - making connections; questioning - imagine opposites wonder, question the unquestionable; observing - Student voice; failure is an opportunity for learning; networking

3. Shift from rules to shared principles; research shows effective teachers positively impact percentile growth; flexibility, creativity and adaptability relationship found in teachers; progress biggest motivator for workers

4. Establish PLC; walkthrough site visitations; few studies show relationship of PD with achievement

5. Shape culture; look for positive deviance

6. Digital access and infrastructure - need solid devices and network

7. Accountability - exhibitions, combo achievement tasks; engagement leads to deep learning

Chris Lehmann, Principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, shared the importance of articulating a clear vision in his session, Beyond Tools: Thoughtful 21C School Reform. His presentation is available at http://www.slideshare.net/chrislehmann or at the Practical Theory site - http://www.practicaltheory.org/serendipity/ (links to videos also included).

I appreciated Lehmann’s metaphor: technology is like oxygen where he accurately described technology as ubiquitous, necessary and invisible. Lehmann described the innovative practices at his school and attributes the transformation to a continual process of aligning practices with the common vision. He discussed alignment of core values, such as, inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation and reflection with indicators for success. For example, project based learning is used as a method of assessment instead of typical end of unit tests, for students to demonstrate learning outcomes and their level of performance. Inquiry is at the heart of the school vision which aligns with project based learning methods. Lehmann asked us to examine one system or structure in our schools and consider how we can change it to better reflect our core values/mission.

Here’s some great questions for consideration and used by Lehmann during his session:

Who are the stakeholders? How can they be brought into this vision? What fears to do you need to address? How will the student voice be part of the discussion? What is the worst consequence of your best idea? How can you mitigate them? What are the obstacles to this change? How can you overcome them? How are the lives of teachers different in this model? How are the students’ lives different? How will you deal with the change?

3. Active Participation in Networks is Essential

As educators, do we block or enable the very tools that were used to win the last presidential election?

I saw Kathy Schrock present over a decade ago when she was teaching a whole generation about the ABCs of the Internet and evaluating websites at a time when schools were setting up dial up connections to the Internet. At the ISTE10 conference, I was equally impressed seeing Schrock present her session recommending “A Dose of Twitter for Every Day of the Year.” I am a tweep according to Schrock and agree that twitter has become one of my trusted and most frequently used professional learning networks. Her session provided many suggestions on how to use twitter more effectively. Schrock’s presentation an various links can be accessed at http://sites.google.com/a/kathyschrock.net/twittercure/

The panel discussion regarding “Unblocking the Web to Unlock Learning” was fascinating due to the variety of practices and perspectives that emerged from the audience and the panel members. The wiki used during the session can be found at http://filterclimatecheck.wikispaces.com/

It was evident there is not one common method of filtering across schools. Certainly there are types of unquestionable media that require filtering; however, the manner in which all other media is filtered is not easily agreed upon by teachers. The process of blocking or unblocking sites is also different across districts. In some cases filtering resides with IT personnel or as discussed during the session, in some districts teachers have the authority to unblock sites they deem educationally appropriate. There is a tension between keeping students safe yet providing learning opportunities for responsible and appropriate use. Should we restrain or train? How do we make decisions regarding social media that we ourselves have never utilized for learning? How can we determine how to use social media and mobile technology effectively if they are blocked/banned and can’t be accessed in schools? How can leaders shift mindsets for learning? How will leaders gain in-depth experiences with digital devices and online environments in order to cultivate 21st century learning environments?

How to transform learning in schools? A response.

2010-05-09T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is response to a blog post – How to transform learning in schools?
I appreciated reading this blog post as it provoked me to reflect on how I define the terms improvement and transformation. I agree that improvement and transformation have different meanings, yet seem to be interchangeable in some educational literature. Will improvement lead to transformation? Will transformation lead to improvement? My argument is that improvement can lead to transformation. I also believe in beginning with the possibilities or “end in mind” which means that having a transformation “in mind” can lead to improvement.

When I reflect on my experiences and interest in studying school reform, I believe improvements can lead to transformation. If improvement is the progress towards something better, then an improvement can be defined as the action taken or process when striving for change. An increase in value, quality or condition would be reasons for implementing an improvement. In education, I believe an improvement refers to what we do or enact in order to achieve a change. Typical educational improvements involve instructional improvements, such as changes to teaching, learning and assessment. An example of an instructional improvement would be to leverage technology in making provisions for continuous feedback loops. The improvement, in this case, may be better student writing. This should not be confused with the transformation that may eventually take place over time.

Transformation is the scaffolded change that may occur as a result of implementing the improvement over time. After a period of time, there may be evidence that continuous feedback resulted in a transformation of student writing or shift from very simple and non-specific writing to more descriptive and detailed pieces of writing. This marked change would be considered a transformation. In recent projects involving innovative instructional changes, I have observed changes over time in the people, practices and places. Perhaps a dialogue about the “end in mind” regarding the people, their practices and places they learn, would help in developing perspective regarding the purpose of schools. How would the people (i.e. students, teachers, parents, administrators, etc.) change due to the implementation of an improvement? How would their practices change over time? How would the physical and digital spaces evolve?

What would transformation look like from your perspective?

Developing an Understanding of 21st Century Learning

2010-02-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this blog post is to provide a synopsis of ideas presented by various organizations and authors in order to develop an understanding of 21st century learning. The synopsis is organized by the following guiding questions:

1. How is 21st century learning defined?
2. What are 21st century skills?
3. What are 21st century media literacies?
4. What are the standards of 21st century learning?
5. What are the principles for 21st century learning?
6. What constitutes a 21st century learning environment?
7. Are Canadian students currently engaged at school?
8. What do 21st century learners want schooling to become?
9. What program structures impact 21st century learning curriculum?
10. How does online learning meet the needs of 21st century learners?
11. What is the global achievement gap?
12. What is the role of technology in 21st century learning?
13. What does leadership for 21st century schools look like?
14. What do leaders need to know about 21st century learning?
15. What are some other sources for developing an understanding of 21st century learning?

1. How is 21st century learning defined?
The framework provides a holistic view of 21st century teaching and learning. It presents a vision for 21st century student outcomes (a blending of content knowledge, specific skills, expertise and literacies) and support systems needed. The elements represented by the rainbow are the knowledge, skills and expertise students should master to succeed in work and life in the 21st Century. The paper defines each element in the rainbow and includes additional sub categories.

What are the critical systems necessary to ensure student mastery of 21st century skills? The elements described below the rainbow are the critical systems: standards, assessments, curriculum, instruction, PD, and learning environments must be aligned to produce a support system that produces 21st century outcome for today’s students.

Note: This paper is current (2009) and a quick read (9 pages); could be helpful in identifying 21st century skills and how to incorporate them into teaching and learning.

Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills: P21 Framework Definitions Document. (2009). http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

2. What are 21st century skills?
The North Central Regional Educational Laboratory's (NCREL) "enGauge" is a Web-based framework that describes six essential conditions, or system-wide factors critical to the effective use of technology for student learning. In addition to the framework, the "enGauge" Web site includes an online survey instrument that allows districts and schools to conduct online assessments of system-wide educational technology effectiveness. These skills are not at odds with traditional educational skills, but are, in fact, extensions of those skills, adapted to new technologies and new work environments.

The publication consists of five main sections, following an introduction. The first section, "Digital-Age Literacy," discusses basic, scientific and technological literacies; visual and information literacies; and cultural literacy and global awareness. The second section, "Inventive Thinking," focuses on adaptability/ability to manage complexity; curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking; and higher-order thinking and sound reasoning. Section three, "Effective Communication," deals with teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills; personal and social responsibility; and interactive communication. The fourth section, "High Productivity," discusses the ability to prioritize, plan, and manage for results; effective use of real-world tools; and relevant, high-quality products. Section five, "Information Technology," identifies possible social effects with regard to information technology. Two other sections provide a brief summary and references.

Note: This publication is 88 pages and describes a set of 21st century skills that will be increasingly important to students entering the work force; diagram is frequently referenced in publications. A brief version is available at - http://www.metiri.com/features.html

Source: Lemke, C. (2003). enGauge 21st Century Skills: Digital Literacies for a Digital Age. Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory http://leadership.ocde.us/Assets/AB430/Engage+21st.pdf

3. What are 21st century media literacies?

This white paper suggests schools and afterschool programs must devote more attention to fostering the new media literacies: a set of cultural competencies and social skills that young people need in the new media landscape. Participatory culture shifts the focus of literacy from one of individual expression to community involvement. The new literacies almost all involve social skills developed through collaboration and networking. These skills build on the foundation of traditional literacy, research skills, technical skills, and critical analysis skills taught in the classroom.

The new skills include:
Play — the capacity to experiment with one’s surroundings as a form of problem-solving
Performance — the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery
Simulation — the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes
Appropriation — the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content
Multitasking — the ability to scan one’s environment and shift focus as needed to salient details.
Distributed Cognition — the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities
Collective Intelligence — the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal
Judgment — the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources
Transmedia Navigation — the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities
Networking — the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information
Negotiation — the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms.

Note: 72 Pages
Source: Jenkins H. ( 2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for 21st Century. http://digitallearning.macfound.org/

4. What are the standards of 21st century learning?
Learners use skills, resources & tools to: (1) inquire, think critically and gain knowledge; (2) draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge; (3) share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society; (4) pursue personal and aesthetic growth.
Note: 8 pages

Source: American Association for School Librarians: Standards for the 21st Century Learner. (2008). http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/

5. What are the principles for 21st century learning?

• Focus on 21st century skills and content. Students need to know how as well as what in order to participate fully in the modern world.
• Give students the context of the topics they are studying. Students want to know why a given topic is relevant, as well as understand how to inscribe the topic in an overarching personal construct.
• Promote deeper engagement with core subjects through analysis and synthesis, not merely descriptive or memorized facts. In a world of facts at our fingertips, depth of knowledge matters more than breadth.
• Build understanding across disciplinary categories through 21st century themes. Meaningful problems are usually complex and boundary-spanning.
• Engage students with the real world data, tools, and experts they will encounter in college, on the job, and in life. Students learn best when actively engaged in solving meaningful problems.
• Go beyond content knowledge to identify other 21st century educational support systems. Coherent curricula, powerful professional development opportunities, and engaging learning environments are essential to a 21st century education system.
• Allow for multiple measures of mastery. The richness of 21st century learning requires a matching range of assessments, from standardized tests to technology-enhanced, classroom, and performance-based assessments.
• Use accountability as an indicator of progress, rather than a system of sanctions, to guide systemic improvement of students, teachers, and schools.

Note: 12 pages
Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills: 21st Century Skills Standards. (2007). http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

6. What constitutes a 21st century learning environment?
The paper offers a descriptive view of the places, tools, people, and policies that make up 21st century learning environments. The paper addresses the relationship of physical spaces and technological systems to learning, but more importantly, considers how those resources support the positive human relationships that matter most to learning.
21st century learning environment as an aligned and synergistic system of systems that:
- Creates learning practices, human support and physical environments that will support the teaching and learning of 21st century skill outcomes
-Supports professional learning communities that enable educators to collaborate, share best practices, and integrate 21st century skills into classroom practice
-Enables students to learn in relevant, real world 21st century contexts (e.g., through project-based or other applied work)
-Allows equitable access to quality learning tools, technologies, and resources
-Provides 21st century architectural and interior designs for group, team, and individual learning.
Supports expanded community and international involvement in learning, both face-to-face and online

Note: This document is detailed (34 pages); great guide for leaders; shift from focus on teaching to learning; includes PLC’s as a strategy

Source: Partnership for 21st Century Skills: 21st Century Learning Environments. (2009). http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

7. Are Canadian students currently engaged at school?
This research initiative explores social, academic and intellectual engagement. Students complete an online survey regarding their learning experiences. Schools use the data as a catalyst to work collaboratively in creating effective and engaging learning environments.

The initiative advances these four contentions:
· Teaching practices exist that enable all students to achieve at high levels.
· Certain teaching practices and learning processes engage students in deeper and more sustained learning.
· The achievement gap could be narrowed, if not eliminated, by consistently using the teaching practices that we know are effective.
· Students have a better educational experience when teachers and students actively collaborate in the process of improvement.

Source: Willms, J. D., Friesen, S. & Milton, P. (2009). What did you do in school today? Transforming classrooms through social, academic, and intellectual engagement. (First National Report) Toronto: Canadian Education Association.
http://www.cea-ace.ca/res.cfm?subsection=wdy

8. What do 21st century learners want schooling to become?
Secondary students across Canada were asked to articulate what they understood school to be and to articulate what they wanted schooling to become. They identified three places: the learning program (what they needed to learn), learning relationships (who they needed to learn from and with) and learning spaces (where they needed to learn).
Source: Friesen, S., & Jardine, D. (2009). 21st Century Learning and Learners. Western and Northern Canadian Curriculum Protocol. http://education.alberta.ca/media/1087278/wncp%2021st%20cent%20learning%20(2).pdf

9. What program structures impact 21st century learning curriculum?
This book provides ideas for the following key areas: content and assessment, program structures, technology, media literacy, globalization, sustainability, and habits of mind.
Jacobs, H. (2010). Curriculum 21 Essential Education for a Changing World. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications.

10. How does online learning meet the needs of 21st century learners?
This report examines the growing student interest for online learning and how schools are meeting that demand. This report highlights how students are utilizing technology to become "free agent learners" and driving the demand for more online classes in and out of school. Yet, our schools are limiting online classes to remediation and credit recovery for students, and primarily focusing their online learning initiatives towards professional development for teachers. Through this report you will gain insight, from schools and districts across the nation, about why students and teachers want access to classes online, the current challenges faced by districts with online learning implementations, and how online learning presents unprecedented opportunities for meeting the needs of our 21st century learner. (8 pages)

Source: Project Tomorrow. Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update. (2009). http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/Learn-for-K12/Leadership-Views/Education-in-the-21st-Century.aspx

11. What is the global achievement gap?

The global achievement gap is the gap between what we are teaching and testing in our schools, even in the ones that are most highly-regarded, versus the skills all students will need for careers, college, and citizenship in the 21st century. According to Wagner’s book, the seven survival skills are critical thinking and problem solving; collaboration across networks and leading by influence; agility and adaptability; initiative and entrepreneurship; effective oral and written communication; accessing and analyzing information; and curiosity and imagination.

Source: Wagner, T. (2008). The Global Achievement Gap: Why Even Our Best Schools Don't Teach the New Survival Skills Our Children Need - and What We Can Do About It New York, NY: Basic Books.

12. What is the role of technology in 21st century learning?
Technology has a fundamental role to play in creating a 21st century education system. What will it take to maximize the impact of technology? It will take a clear vision of a 21st century education and an understanding of technology’s role. It will require reliable and equitable access to technology and planned, ongoing investments. And it will require substantive and meaningful professional development for educators. More than anything else, though, it will take inspirational leadership and action from all stakeholders. The action principles and resources in this report provide a starting point for moving forward.

Note: 24 pages

Source: Maximizing the Impact: The pivotal role of technology in a 21st century education system. http://www.setda.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=191&name=P21Book_complete.pdf

13. What does leadership for 21st century schools look like?
The report highlights how education technology visionaries are creating 21st century schools. The authors discuss 21st century realities, challenges, the ultimate 21st century school, persistent challenges to technology integration, measures for calculating success, online learning, mobile devices, visionary administrators and schools of the future.
Note: 23 pages

Source: Leadership in the 21st Century: The New Visionary Administrator. (2008). Project Tomorrow http://www.blackboard.com/Solutions-by-Market/K-12/Learn-for-K12/Leadership-Views/Education-in-the-21st-Century.aspx

14. What do leaders need to know about 21st century learning?
This book is aligned with the newly refreshed NETS for administrators and describes how to lead and develop schools that meet the needs of today’s learners. There is an emphasis on 21st century skills including collaboration, communication, and creation/creativity.
Schrum, L., Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

15. What are some other sources for developing an understanding of 21st century learning?

VIDEO CLIPS
Learning to Change Changing to Learn, 5:35 (Anderson, 2008) – various well known educators, CEO’s and University professors provide insight on change in the 21st century. http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=32622&title=Learning_to_Change__Changing_to_Learn

A Vision of K-12 Students Today, 4:09 (Nesbitt, 2007) – this project was create to inspire teachers to use technology in engaging ways to help students develop higher level thinking skills. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=related

New Literacies for a New Age, 2:52 (Meijers, 2008) – a fable illustrated for teachers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs2YPGTEWGU&feature=related

American Teens and Social Media, 7:09 (2009) - A remix of... Danah Boyd's dissertation on teenagers and their patterns of using social media. Danah is Social Media Researcher at Microsoft Research New England. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gYOkHq-27o

SPEAK OUT FORUM DVD TOOL KIT

Speak Out is an opportunity for Alberta’s youth to share their experiences and ideas and to help the people who make decisions about our schools understand the issues that are important to us. http://www.speakout.alberta.ca/

Let me know if you have other questions/resources to add to the list!

Twitter: A Professional Learning Network

2010-01-25T21:04:00.000-08:00

Everett M. Rogers known for the “Diffusion of Innovation” model classifies individuals as they pass through various stages of adopting innovation. The following stages are described by Rogers (2005):
1. Innovators – the first 2.5% of adopters, risk-takers, change-agents, willing to pursue initial challenges, bugs, etc.
2. Early Adopters – the next 13.5% of adopters, opinion leaders, visionaries, like to try new ideas
3. Early Majority – the next 34% of adopters, careful and accepting of change, motivated by evolutionary changes, want things to move quickly
4. Late Majority – the next 34% of adopters, skeptical, traditional, will use once the majority is already using it
5. Laggards – the last 16% of adopters, like status quo, critical, will use once it becomes mainstream

My Stages of Twitter Adoption
A colleague introduced me to Twitter (a micro blogging service) and persuaded me to create an account. I believe my colleague could be identified as an “Innovator” in Roger’s stages of adoption. There were very few people using Twitter at the time. It was difficult at that time to really understand what one could do in Twitter or the value as there were not many users (that is, from my perspective). During one of my summer classes in July 2009 as I was building a pathfinder wiki to determine my research interests, I came across a number of scholars in the educational technology field that were using Twitter. I decided it was time to login to my account that had been abandoned for quite some time. Would I be considered an early adopter or in the early majority according to Roger's stages of adoption? The turning point for me was when I made the decision to use Twitter to build a professional learning network. After implementing Twitter on a regular basis for six months into my daily routine, I would like to share the benefits in building a professional learning network.

When I first heard about Twitter, I too did not see the value in reading 140 character updates about “What’s happening.” However, once I started using Twitter and following people also interested in educational technology, I immediately saw the benefits, such as:
1) Connecting - I connect to others with a similar interest in the field of educational technology. When I check Twitter (generally once per day from my iphone), I receive numerous links, tips, articles, thought-provoking questions, etc. that I can choose to ignore or pursue. The majority of tweets are ones that I click on and pursue further.

2) Sharing- I generally tweet once per day to share resources related to educational technology with others (i.e. links to blogs, wikis, books, podcasts, video clips, conferences, articles)

3) Organizing - By tweeting I also have an accumulated list of all my tweets now sorted by date and stored in my profile. Anyone can access or search this list.

4) Collaborating – there are people I know that do not work/live in close proximity. We can now collaborate in finding and sharing resources and ideas through Twitter.

5) Providing Feedback – the idea of having a backchannel and using this in professional development settings is one that I will be exploring further this week. Participants find it intriguing to see how Twitter can be used as a means of asking a presenter questions or providing immediate feedback.

6) Communicating – most of the communication is happening asynchronously in Twitter. I’m also noticing that Twitter is being used to organize synchronous chat/video events.

7) Corroborating – I often retweet posts that I find useful. When I read messages that begin with RT (for retweets), I consider it a validation that now more than one individual found the message valuable to read.

All of the benefits I have found in using Twitter are based on a reciprocal relationship between producer-consumer. Sometimes I’m a producer and sometimes I’m a consumer in Twitter. Similarly, Clay Shirky’s video, “How Social Media can Make History” emphasizes the idea of the reciprocal relationship between producer-consumer. Shirky also indicates that media is "less about crafting a single message" and more about inviting discussion and provoking thought about the message. Marshall McLuhan had a good point and was so ahead of his time- the medium is the message...social, global, ubiquitous, cheap!

Eric Marvin posted a great question on his "Teaching Teachers" blog at http://ericmarvin.blogspot.com/2010/01/what-leading-twitter-question-should.html

What leading twitter questions should guide the tweets of a PLN?
I reflected on Mark’s question as well as my own adoption of Twitter which led to some questions to guide the tweets of educational technology PLN's:
· How are you contributing to the field of educational technology?
· What resources would you recommend to those interested in educational technology?
· What are others contributing to the field of educational technology that you would like to share with your PLN?
· What questions do you have that may stimulate professional dialogue regarding educational technology?

What are the questions that quide your PLN?

The Intention - Action Gap

2010-01-24T12:42:00.000-08:00

Policy statements, curriculum mandates, ministerial orders and standards all serve to provide intention, that is, to improve student achievement for 21st century learning. However, I believe that closing the implementation gap between intention and action is the critical issue. In addition to acquiring and using new technologies, the challenge for educational technology leaders is “how” to cultivate the adoption of instructional improvements for 21st century learning. I would appreciate any feedback on the following research questions.

How do principals cultivate technology-rich instructional improvements?

Sub Questions:
1) To what extent do principals perceive their role in creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources for instructional improvements?

2) What supports do principals require (through various stages of adoption) in order to cultivate technology-rich instructional improvements?

3) How are principals managing the challenges of planning, implementing and sustaining technology-rich instructional improvements?

Naked Truth about 1:1 Laptop Initiatives and Educational Change, an Article Summary

2010-01-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

The body of evidence shows that the existence of scalable and sustainable effects from educational changes, innovations, and reforms – technological or otherwise- although frequently assumed remain an unrealized goal within education. – Weston & Bain, 2010, p.9
In the article, “The End of Techno-Critique: The Naked Truth about 1:1 Laptop Initiatives and Educational Change,” the authors present key themes that have emerged from criticism regarding 1:1 laptop initiatives over the last decade based on arguments presented by Larry Cuban (Weston & Bain, 2010). One of the “naked truth” arguments in the article refers to the results from 1:1 initiatives and how these results fall short of the expectations for increased student achievement and better teaching and learning. Another naked truth is that “innovative teaching is the best source for sustainable and scalable achievement gains” (p.7).

Weston and Bain (2010) remind us that other efforts to improve education in the past have also failed to impact teaching and learning and have not resulted in significant effects on student achievement. Similarly, initiatives where students and teachers are provided with laptops and the “access” barrier is removed do not automatically promote innovative teaching. Consequently, there is little evidence of increased student achievement from 1:1 initiatives. Particularly in times of budgetary constraints it seems much easier to blame the innovation for the lack of increased achievement results and then revert to past practices even though the status quo has not proven any impact on student achievement either. What are we missing in all of these efforts? How do we plan and implement scalable and sustainable change?

“When technology enables, empowers, and accelerates a profession’s core transactions, the distinctions between computers and professional practice evaporate” (Weston & Bain, 2010, p.10). What are we doing differently in teaching and learning today with technology that impacts education? Several examples are provided showing how teachers use technology to replace or automate traditional educational practices but struggle to demonstrate uses of technology which enable, empower, and accelerate teaching and learning and assessment. Do educators need to go through a phase of replacement or automation before moving towards more innovative practices? What other interventions are required to support innovative practices that enable, empower and accelerate educational practices?

The authors suggest considering technological tools as cognitive tools, in other words, cognitive tools are seamlessly integrated and necessary for core educational transactions. In using cognitive tools in conjunction with proven research-based practices in teaching and learning and assessment, it is speculated that classrooms will be “differentiated in genuine ways for all students” and that “students, parents and teachers [would] use cognitive tools every day to collaborate about what to do next in their collective pursuit for learning” (Weston & Bain, 2010, p.11). What are the prerequisites for schools contemplating scalable and sustainable initiatives with cognitive tools? What are the components necessary to become a self-organizing school?

Six Components
1. Develop an explicit set of rules defining beliefs about teaching and learning for the school community (i.e. cooperation, curriculum, feedback, time, etc.).
2. Embed the rules into day-to-day actions and processes of the school (i.e. space, classroom organization, equipment, job descriptions, career paths, salary scales, curriculum documents, classroom practice, performance evaluation, technology, professional development).
3. Clearly articulate roles and responsibilities to ensure all members of the school community are actively engaged in creating, adapting and sustaining the embedded design of the school.
4. Generate real-time, all the time feedback from all members of the school community regarding the embedded design in order to promote ownership and accountability.
5. Develop a dynamic and explicit schema (i.e. a shared conceptual framework for practice) of the interplay of rules, design, collaboration and feedback.
6. Community members demand systemic and ubiquitous use of technology guided by their schema.

Technology alone is not the solution in driving the change that must occur in schools today. However, if we begin to use technology as cognitive tools and combine this with practices necessary for scalable and sustainable change, then we may have a chance in realizing the goal of meeting the educational needs of all students.

Reference
Weston, M.E. & Bain, A. (2010). The End of Techno-Critique: The Naked Truth about
1:1 Laptop Initiatives and Educational Change. Journal of Technology, Learning, and
Assessment, 9(6). http://www.jtla.org.

Adaptive Schools - Just Like Me

2009-11-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

This clip was created using the xtranormal text to move site - http://www.xtranormal.com/ in order to help participants contemplating participation in the adaptive schools series.

Adpative Schools

2009-09-06T21:49:00.000-07:00

I attended the first two days out of four of the "Adaptive School" session with trainer, John Clarke. These initial two days of training were thought provoking and powerful in stimulating a spirit of collaboration and inquiry. Each participant was provided with a Syllabus, "The Adaptive School: A Sourcebook for Developing Collaborative Groups" (Garmson & Wellman, 2009). Each table group was also provided with one copy of the companion book. For more about the session and sources, visit - http://www.adaptiveschools.com/develop.htm from the Centre for Adaptive Schools web site.

What is an adaptive school? Garmson and Wellman (2009) contend the, "adaptive school is about developing strong schools in which collaborative faculties are capable of meeting the certain challenges of today and the uncertain challenges of tomorrow (p.iii). This topic is timely due to the current state of economic uncertainties in the province of Alberta and a desire to provide 21st century education for all students.

Some highlights from my notes regarding the "Adaptive School" session:
A variety of strategies for working with adult learners were modeled and used throughout the two-day session. The participants had numerous opportunities to connect, collaborate and co-construct learning with colleagues in the room. Some strategies I plan to try: Just Like Me Statements (stand-up), Give One to Get One (introductions/cue cards); Fractal Partners; First Word/Last Word Round table (share one idea from article); A-B read sections & identify key phrase; 100 pennies to divide among 3 topics; Gots/Wants post-it

I was amazed, that Clarke could identify every participant by name on the first day since there were over 100 participants in the room! As presenter and facilitator, he intentionally connected with all participants...wow!

During one of our group activities we were asked to identify driving forces that require educational change. Once each table group brainstormed various ideas, our group generated a statement that encompassed our dialogue: "As society changes, we need to foster student-centered 21st century learning for all students through informed collaboration with all stakeholders."

Reflective questions for improving student learning
-Who are we? (identity)
-Why are we doing this? (attention to unquestioned habits)
-Why are we doing this this way? (who benefits)

The elements of professional communities:
-Compelling purpose, shared standards, and academic focus
-Collective efficacy and shared responsibility for student learning
-Collaborative culture
-Communal application of effective teaching practices and deprivatized practice
-Relational trust in one another, in students and parents
-Individual and group learning based on ongoing assessment and feedback

Productive group work requires practice in:
-Facilitating groups
-Developing groups
-Becoming a more skillful group member

Know one's intentions and choose congruent behaviors
Set aside unproductive patterns of listening, responding and inquiring (i.e. autobiographical, inquisitive, solution).
Know when to self-assert and when to integrate
Know and support the group's purposes, topics, processes and development

Five Energy Sources for High-Performing Groups - high performing groups are adaptive; they learn from experience and improve the way they work.
1.Efficacy - belief in group capacity
2.Flexibility - review from multiple perspectives
3.Craftsmanship - high standards; communications
4.Consciousness - continuous monitoring
5.Interdependence - value for internal and external relationships

Ways of talking - deliberately distinguish between dialogue and discussion
-Dialogue - reflective; ideas flow; suspend judgment; develop shared understanding; collective process; the outcome is shared understanding
-Discussion - macro centric perspective (balcony view); the outcome is the decision-making process

Promoting a Spirit of Inquiry - high performing groups/members infuse their work with a spirit of inquiry (purposeful, skillful inquiry)

The Seven Norms of Collaborative Work - result in cohesion, energy, and commitment to shared work; serve as guides or benchmarks in groups:
1.Pausing
2.Paraphrasing
3.Putting inquiry at the centre
4.Probing
5.Placing ideas on the table
6.Paying attention to self and others
7.Presuming positive intentions

I look forward to practicing many of these strategies over the next couple of weeks before we meet again for two more days of training! I intend to pay close attention to my role in groups as facilitator and group member, distinguishing between dialogue and discusion and following the norms of collaborative work in promoting inquiry.

Antecedents for Educational Technology Leadership

2009-08-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

It is well established in the literature that district and school based leaders play a critical role in amplifying educational technology (Chang et al., 2008; Jacobsen, 2006; McGarr & Kearney, 2009, Reeves, 2009). Moreover, various essential conditions for school leaders that may serve to foster successful innovation leading to 21st century learning have been identified by researchers (Chang et al., 2008; Ely, 1990; Jacobsen, 2006; Shuldman, 2004; Yee, 2001; Zhao et al., 2002). While reviewing current literature of essential conditions suggested for educational technology leadership for 21st century learning, four prevailing themes emerged. The antecedents for educational technology leadership include: (1) vision, (2) professional learning, (3) context of support, and (4) supervision. The four recurring themes are not intended to be a comprehensive or ordered list. The themes are interrelated antecedents for educational technology leadership which were apparent across recent studies that identified essential conditions for 21st century learning involving superintendents, principals and teachers in K-12 school districts.

Vision
Effective technology leadership requires leaders to develop and articulate a vision for innovation and change (Chang, et al., 2008; Hew & Brush, 2007; Wagner, 2003; Yu & Durrington, 2006). Hew and Brush (2007) claimed developing a shared vision is “an avenue to coherently communicate how technology can be used, as well as a place to begin, a goal to achieve, and a guide along the way” (p.234). Principals’ interpersonal and communication skills are necessary for technology leadership (Chang et al., 2008) and are certainly valuable skills in articulating vision and in working towards building a shared vision in a community.

The Change Leadership Group at Harvard’s graduate school of education focuses on systemic improvements in schools and districts. The group identified constructing a widely shared vision as one of the interdependent “Seven Disciplines for Strengthening Instruction”, considered central to instructional improvement efforts (Wagner, 2003). Shared vision is focussed on “rigorous expectations, the quality of student engagement, and effective strategies for personalizing learning for all students” (Wagner, 2003, p. 28, 30).

Professional Learning
Professional learning can serve to influence attitudes as well as build knowledge and skills pertinent to 21st century learning. There are a number of corroborative references in the literature that suggest school leaders require opportunities for increased awareness of their roles relative to educational technology (Deryakulu & Olkun, 2009; Flanagan & Jacobsen, 2003; McGarr & Kearney, 2009). In addition, McGarr and Kearney (2009) suggested alternative models for professional support are needed for principals and could include networking with other similar-sized schools and encouraging collaboration between schools to nurture professional dialogue and time for reflection regarding the possibilities of teaching and learning with technology.

Yee (2001) described a principal undertaking “adventurous learning” as a leader learning alongside the teachers and students. It is important for principals to participate in professional learning involving educational technology to understand the instructional changes required for teaching and learning with technology. Fullan (2008) argued fostering continuous job-embedded learning as one of the secrets of change to ensure learning at work is part of daily work for everyone including leaders at all levels of the organization. Likewise, Wagner (2003) described professional learning as “primarily on-site, intensive, collaborative, and job-embedded, and is designed and led by educators who model the best teaching and learning practices.” Reeves (2009) presented a narrative of a principal transforming an informational staff meeting into a professional learning experience for teachers and leaders:
“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I have provided our usual administrative announcements in e-mail and written form, so we will devote the rest of our meeting to the following learning activity ….” (Reeves, 2009, p.66).

Chang et al. (2008) defined a technology leader as “one who leads the school in improvement or restructuring, and uses emerging technologies as the core resources for educational change” (p.241). One of the results in Yee’s (2001) investigation of Canadian, U.S. and New Zealand principals’ experiences in technology-rich schools found that principals need to develop personal competency and would value professional learning opportunities. Dawson and Rakes (2003) conducted an exploratory study with K-12 principals and found those involved in long term technology-curriculum integration training significantly influenced the level of technology use at the school.

Context of Support
Fostering adoption of instructional improvements for 21st century learning requires attention to context. Zhao et al. (2002) defined context as the (1) human infrastructure, (2) technological infrastructure and (3) social support. First, human infrastructure, refers to the people in the organization providing support for the innovation and includes on-site support as well as off-site experts that can be accessed (Jacobsen, 2006). Second, technological infrastructure is another aspect that continues to provide challenges for schools and districts and requires leaders to “develop robust conceptions of technology in education,” and allocate appropriate resources to impact student learning (Shuldman, 2004, p. 338). Third, social support among colleagues is best described by Fullan (2008) as leaders fostering “purposeful peer interaction,” which is another one of his secrets of change (p.12).

Supervision
Supervision includes ongoing monitoring and research to promote investment in educational innovations. Wagner (2003) used the term supervision to describe monitoring that is frequent, rigorous, and focused on the improvement of instruction. He also stressed supervision is “conducted by people who know what good instruction looks like” (Wagner, 2003, p.28, 30). Similarly, Yee (2001) used the terms “constant monitoring” to describe an ongoing process of maintaining accountability. The Galileo Educational Network Association (GENA) is an excellent example of a professional development and research organization focussing on supporting all levels of the educational system at once. GENA professionals work with educators and leaders in providing current research and supervision of innovations to promote continuous learning and growth (Jacobsen, 2006).

It is also evident in the literature that transparent and frequent use of data to assess student’s learning and to identify effective instructional practices is warranted (Wagner, 2003; Fullan, 2008). Another secret of change described by Fullan (2008) is transparency, defined as a “clear and continuous display of results, and clear and continuous access to practice (what is being done to get the results)” (p.14). Furthermore, Fullan (2008) pointed out that systems learn on a continuous basis and systems learn from themselves which also supports the notion of internal involvement in ongoing supervision and research to support innovation for 21st century learning.

Conclusion
Four prevailing themes emerged from reviewing current literature and were discussed as interrelated antecedents for educational technology leadership: (1) vision, (2) professional learning, (3) contexts for support, and (4) supervision. Overall, there has been little research on the design, development, utilization, management or ongoing evaluation of professional learning programs incorporating essential conditions for district and school based leaders. In order to prepare current and future leaders for cultivating 21st century learning, it is recommended future study and research focus on professional learning for educational technology leadership.

References

Chang, I. H., Chin, J. M., & Hsu, C. M. (2008). Teachers' Perceptions of the Dimensions and Implementation of Technology Leadership of Principals in Taiwanese Elementary Schools. Educational Technology & Society, 11(4), 229-245.

Dawson, C., & Rakes, G. C. (2003). The influence of Principals' Technology Training on the Integration of Technology into Schools. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(1), 29-49.

Deryakulu, D., & Olkun, S. (2009). Technology leadership and supervision: an analysis based on Turkish computer teachers' professional memories. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 18(1), 45-58.

Ely, D. (1990). Conditions that facilitate the implementation of educational technology innovations. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 23(2), 298-305.

Flanagan, L., & Jacobsen, M. (2003). Technology leadership for the twenty-first century principal. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(2), 124-142.

Fullan, M. (2008). The Six Secrets of Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Hew, K. F., & Brush, T. (2007). Integrating Technology in K-12 Teaching and Learning: Current knowledge gaps and recommendations for future research. Educational Technology, Research and Development, 55(3), 223-252.

Jacobsen, M. (2006). Learning Technology in Continuing Professional Development: The Galileo Network. Lewiston, New York: The Edwin Mellen Press.

McGarr, O., & Kearney, G. (2009). The Role of the Teaching Principal in Promoting ICT Use in Small Primary Schools in Ireland. Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 18(1), 87-102.

Reeves, D. B. (2009). Leading Change in Your School: How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Shuldman, M. (2004). Superintendent Conceptions of Institutional Conditions that Impact Teacher Technology Integration. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 36(4), 319-343.

Wagner, T. (2003). Beyond Testing: The 7 Disciplines for Strengthening Instruction. Education Week, 23(11), 28, 30.

Yee, D. (2001). The Many Faces of ICT Leadership. In B. Barrell (Ed.), Technology, Teaching and Learning: Issues in the Integration of Technology. Calgary, AB: Detselig Enterprises Ltd.

Yu, C., & Durrington, V. A. (2006). Technology Standards for School Administrators: An Analysis of Practicing and Aspiring Administrators' Perceived Ability to Perform the Standards. NASSP Bulletin, 90(4), 301-317.

Zhao, Y., Pugh, K., & Sheldon, S. (2002). Conditions for classroom technology innovations. Teachers College Record, 104(3), 482-515.

Conceptualizing the Literature Review

2009-07-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you to the group that provided feedback on my research ideas yesterday: Jean, Bob & Stephen! I really appreciated your comments and questions. As a result I made some editing changes to improve clarity and designed a concept map. Jean recommended a great open source program called Visual Understanding Environment (VUE) - http://vue.tufts.edu/ that I was easily able to download and use right away! Constructing the concept map allowed me to recognize the areas that will likely be beyond the scope of the current literature review I'm working on and that I will need to incorporate into the dissertation. These areas are in blue on the concept map. Simply click on the concept map to see it clearly and let me know if you have any further comments or suggestions.

Preparing for Candidacy

2009-07-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

A post candidacy student provided great tips in preparing for the candidacy exam and oral presentation:
-There’s no really good time for candidacy but it is helpful to know how you learn and write best before hand
-Become comfortable with endnote (or other reference software) early on in your program to keep resources organized
-Review current research articles of supervisory committee
-Pay close attention to the questions the supervisory committee asks when you meet informally
-Go back to original theory (ie. Papert, Vygotsky) & read original sources to make your own interpretations

Oral Exam:
-Review all the questions from the supervisory committee and formulate responses for each as they may be discussed during the oral exam
-During the oral exam, don’t review everything from your paper – the committee already read it
-10 minutes for a presentation; can include slides (chance to show what more you know/learned; expand on ideas from your paper)

Grassroots Video and Research

2009-07-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

...some thoughts about grassroots video provoked by a presentation today.

Digital communications have provided researchers with a plethora of “public spaces in which marginalized people’s narratives can be heard” with multiple points of contact available. I suspect with the new digital (public) spaces afforded by the availability of technology today, we are increasingly experiencing a shift from researcher or individual control to shared control, where the audience, spectator, participant or community at large has significant influence and voice on the impact of narrative inquiry. It is this shared control that delivers the narrative or message to those who need to hear it. I believe we should ask the question, how can the audience co-participate or share in public spaces in which marginalized people’s narratives can be heard even those who normally do not want to hear them?

The researcher needs to consider how the audience can play a significant role in contributing to collective action or participate in social change. Using the example of a YouTube video, personally, I will immediately view a YouTube video highly recommended by someone I know. For example, every time an audience member views a video clip, provides a review of the clip, emails the clip (or link) to someone else with a personal endorsement, discusses the clip with others in a social networking site, or tags the clip - it is the audience that shares in the voice with the researcher and it is the audience that engages and contributes to social change by networking with others and making connections. Hence, Chase (2008) observes that “we need to think more broadly about whom we write for and speak to – and how we do so” (p.84).

Chase, S. (2008). Narrative Inquiry: Multiple Lenses, Approaches, Voices. In Collecting and Interpreting Qualitative Materials. N. K. Denzin, & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.). Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc

Ethical Considerations

2009-07-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

What do you think is the epistemological concerns of the University of Calgary regarding doing research with human subjects?

Dr. Janice Dicken, the chair of the conjoint faculties research ethics board, describes the importance for the University is to ensure researchers are following ethical standards in an interview conducted by Natalie St-Denis, October 28, 2005. There is a risk of losing funding for the whole university from the three major Canadian granting agencies (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR), if a proper system is not in place to review all research for those who have current University of Calgary affiliation (i.e. student, faculty, staff). The Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics board (CFREB) is charged with reviewing ethics applications in education and is responsible for ensuring the Tri-Council Policy Statement guidelines, created by the three major granting agencies, are met. In regards to doing research with human subjects, the University of Calgary is concerned with meeting high ethical standards to protect the participants in research studies through appropriate ethical clearance and to foster a community of researchers whom take responsibility for compliance to ethical standards.

What are their main concerns in term of informed consent; harm to informants; representation and permission to publish; confidentiality and anonymity; ownership of data?
Prior to collecting any data, the researcher needs to have ethics certification; otherwise the data collected cannot be used. It is also necessary to receive ethics approval from school jurisdictions if the research involves participants in a school system. The main concerns regarding ethics applications as outlined in the “Information to Help Applicants” document from the CFREB include:

Informed Consent – The researcher needs to create a participant consent form for ethics approval which includes the design and methodology of the research in simple language and terms to ensure the consent process is free, informed, voluntary and an ongoing process that allows for participant withdrawal at anytime. If research includes children, then parents/guardians also need to provide consent. It is recommended to use a series of checkboxes (I agree to … and I disagree to…) to delineate the choices for participation. The Tri-Council Policy (2008) recognizes that “qualitative researchers use a range of consent procedures, including oral consent, field notes, and other strategies such as recording (audio or video, or other electronic means) for documenting the consent process. Evidence of consent may also be via completed survey questionnaires (in person, by mail or by email or other electronic means)” (p.113).

Harm to informants – The consent form also needs to include information about the potential risks for participants choosing to participate in the research. The researcher should explicitly state, “There is no known risk associated with your participation in this research” if this is the case. Otherwise, the researcher needs to anticipate the estimation of risk for the potential participants which should be no greater than what would be expected or encountered in everyday life. The CFREB members conduct a face-to-face meeting to discuss any applications that pose more that a minimal risk to participants and the researcher needs to make arrangements for participants to receive assistance to deal with any major negative effects.

Representation and Permission to Publish – The researcher needs to anticipate how the research will be represented in advance and request appropriate permissions from the participants. For example, if using photographs, the participants will need to have a choice of either being photographed for publishing purposes or not being photographed. Pink (2007) notes, “ethnographers have to make choices regarding if and how video footage will be incorporated into the publication of research” (p.56). Pink(2007) also reminds us the moral right of the researcher could be questioned if images are produced covertly (p.55). I believe it is important to receive consent from participants explicitly for purposes of publication when intending to use photographs or video for representation purposes in the public domain.

Confidentiality and Anonymity – Confidentiality is defined as the “obligation of an individual or organization to safeguard information entrusted to it by another” by the Tri-Council (2008, p.44). It is critical the researcher considers issues of confidentiality and anonymity (information is stripped of identifiers) during collection of raw data and in writing up final results. It is the responsibility of the researcher to describe the “extent to which privacy and confidentiality will be protected (p.6). For example, if anonymity is optional, the consent form needs to include provision for the participant to indicate if his/her name can be used or if a pseudonym is preferred.

Ownership of Data – The ethics application needs to include specific details about the security of data, who will have access to the data and plans for storage/disposal and retention of the data. Information about what happens to data if participants decide to withdraw from the study also needs to be included in the application. Pink (2007) also advises researchers, “to clarify rights of use and ownership of video and photographic images before their production” (p.59).

What would be the main decisions/considerations about the use of visual methods that would need to be made prior submitting a research project for ethics review?

Prior to submitting a research project for ethics review it is necessary to consider the appropriateness of how visual methods will be used. For example, visual methods could be used for representations or for processes during the research. Participants may examine and react to visual representations or may even collaborate in the production of visual representations; participants may be openly (overtly) aware of the use of visual methods or unaware in the context of public photography. Pink (2007) suggests, researchers should think through the implications of using visual methods and anticipate that visuals will be invested with different meanings (p.43). The researcher can employ a reflexive approach in making sound decisions about the use of visual methods in research by considering the context, the participants, social and cultural implications, and practical and technical issues.

(2008). Draft 2nd Edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. Interagency Advisory Panel on Research Ethics, Ottawa.

Pink, S. (2007). Doing Visual Ethnography (2 ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.

Literature Review Intent Revised

2009-07-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Thank you to all those that provided feedback! My revised purpose statement is:
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature discussing the essential conditions for curriculum integration of technology in K-12 schools.

Questions for research may include:
· How can a school district strengthen support for principals in effectively leading 21st century schools?
· How can a school district develop leadership networks and professional communities as contexts for supporting technology rich learning environments?

Literature Review Intent

2009-07-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

This may change by tomorrow...

I welcome your questions/comments regarding the proposed statements I'm considering for my literature review.

The intent of this paper is to review the literature discussing the necessary supports which strengthen the integration of technology in K-12 schools.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the factors which contribute towards the cultivation of technology-rich learning environments.
This paper will review the literature on the factors which contribute to effective integration of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in K-12 schools.
The purpose of this paper is to explore how schools and districts can become learning organizations for technology-embedded instructional improvements.

In the literature review I will attempt to identify a gap in the area of educational technology support for principals. Potential research questions: How can a school district strengthen support for principals in effectively leading 21st century schools? How can a school district develop leadership networks and professional communities as contexts for supporting technology rich learning environments?

Enactivism

2009-07-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

“All doing is knowing and all knowing is doing” (Maturana & Varela, 1987, p. 27) is a slogan exemplifying enactivism, a new philosophical world view.

I was particularly interested in Dr. Qing Li’s presentation today about enactivism and the article she shared with the class. I was drawn to the reciprocal relationship implied with enactivism. However, I’m wrestling with comparing enactivism with my understanding of constructivism.

In the article, the authors claim that enactivism means that “our mind, body, and the world are inseparable.” In addition, one of the criticisms of constructivism is that “constructivism is concerned only with cognitive knowledge. It does not explain unformulated or subconscious knowledge, it does not consider how things might be known intuitively or instinctively, and it does not consider how emotions are constructed or their role in learning” (Begg, 2000, p.2). Is it really true that constructivism is only concerned with cognitive knowledge?

In the article, objectivist, constructivist and enactivist assumptions are compared not to suggest one should be replaced by the other; but to provide a different lens to look through. Always referring to myself as a constructivist I was a surprised by the dualism comparison. I can’t say that I considered constructivists believing in a “knower vs. known” dichotomy and separating the physical from the mental. Personally, I think of everyone as a learner. When engaged in learning, there is potential for learning construction by all learners – teacher and student and others.

Enactivism implies the knower and the world are mutually specifying and co-emerging. This sounds a lot like connectivism. I would also be interested in seeing how connectivism contrasts with enactivism.

Definition of Educational Technology

2009-07-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Change is Constant
The evolving definition of educational technology is yet another personal and professional reminder that change is indeed constant.

I believe educational technology can be generally and simply described as two parts - technical and pedagogical. The technical component refers to the foundation of hardware, software, audiovisual and other media and functionality of the technical components. The pedagogical component refers to the processes and applications of technology in teaching and learning. Both the technical and pedagogical components are necessary and interconnected. For example, a solid technical foundation allows educators to concentrate on “how” technologies are used to create technology-rich learning environments. In small school jurisdictions it is common for one individual to wear many hats and have responsibilities which encompass both pedagogical and technical tasks. However, in larger school jurisdictions and post secondary environments the roles and responsibilities of an educational technologist and computer technician may be more transparent and distinct.

Similarly, Jim Cambridge, a research officer with the Centre for the study of Education in an International Context (CEIC) at the University of Bath - http://people.bath.ac.uk/edsjcc/Presentation3/ , describes the differences between technology in education and technology of education. Technology in education refers to the technical skills. An example of this would be installing software and knowing how to use the components of the software with other peripherals (i.e. technology as a tool). Technology of education refers to the technological pedagogical and content skills and the educational applications of knowledge (i.e. technology for teaching and learning).

It was interesting to review the history of the AECT definitions as a “snapshot in time” and think about the various influences, contexts, and rationales that changed each definition to reflect each time period. I noted in the 1963 definition the concept of media instrumentation was used to describe the significance of both people and instruments similar to my own definition. There is also reference to “method and medium” which reminds me of Marshall McLuhan’s famous line: “the message is the medium” and Jim Cambridge’s quote, “Let’s concentrate on the message, not the messenger” (Web-based Learning Presentation, 2002).

In the contemporary definition the identifying label reverted from “instructional technology” to “educational technology” as first used in 1972 and the definition demonstrates an increased attention to ethical issues within the field. Similar to the 1972 definition, the term “facilitating” learning reappears in the definition. There is a recognition of learner ownership and the role of educational technology being more facilitative rather than controlled. Another new feature in the 2004 definition is the use of “study” due to the increased interest in designing environments that facilitate learning through research and reflective practice instead of delivering learning.
(Educational Technology: A Definition with Commentary, 2008, p. 5)

Can “educational technology” be described as key ideas, values, an abstract concept, a theory, framework, field, profession, job title, or temporary snapshot in time? I believe educational technology embodies all of these things and applaud how the AECT definition committee fittingly describe educational technology metaphorically as a “sphere of activity” in which people interact with other people, data and things in pursuit of improved learning (AECT Definition and Terminology Committee document #MM4.0, 2004, p.14). It is also evident the newest 2004 definition clearly aligns with the AECT mission: “to provide international leadership by promoting scholarship and best practices in the creation, use, and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning in a wide range of settings” (AECT Definition and Terminology Committee document #MM4.0, 2004, p.18).

Denis Hlynka provides a thought provoking analysis of the definition and identifies several problems that will surely assist the next writing committee in revising the definition (Educational Technology, 2008). Hlynka noted the intended audience for the definition should include everyone instead of being delimited to students entering graduate programs. I believe there are numerous purposes and audiences for a definition of educational technology and can attest to the usefulness of a definition with the following personal experience.

Recently, I accepted a new position as a district supervisor of technology. Family, friends and colleagues began asking many questions: What is a supervisor of technology? Does that mean you will ensure computers are working in schools? Will you be responsible for all hardware/software in the district? Most of the questions seemed to be infrastructure or technically related questions (i.e. technology as a tool). It was also assumed by many individuals that I would be situated in the Information Technology (IT) department in the district office building. Instead, I will primarily work with the Instructional Services department and focus on “how” technology is used for improved learning in K-12 schooling.

As I began to meet with senior district administrators and several consultants that will be part of my team and I continued to recognize the necessity to define my title as well as the role of the team in order to clarify our responsibilities. Subsequently, I engaged in discussion with the team of consultants and it was decided our team would be called the “educational technology” team and we would use the current AECT definition to help communicate the role of the team in the district. My new title is now supervisor of educational technology. I’m anticipating and hoping the questions that people ask about my role will change and their assumptions about my responsibilities will also change (i.e. technology for teaching and learning) by using the AECT definition:

Educational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using, and managing appropriate technological processes and resources. (Januszewski and Molenda, 2008)

Educational Technologists

2009-07-13T17:57:00.000-07:00

I loved the quote that Dr. Jacobsen shared with us about educational technologists as it suitably describes how I felt as each doctoral student provided a self-introduction today:
“Educational technologist can be recognized by the stars in their eyes. They know they are sitting on the most explosive potential of the century. Theirs is the apex of innovative motivation. Whether they are fashioning learning environments, creating media, designing instruction or effecting research and theory, educational technologists have a dream- a dream that can sustain them, and those they touch, well into the next century” (Beckwith, 1988)

It was really exciting to meet so many outstanding individuals that are also on the doctoral journey in educational technology! I was fascinated by the variety of backgrounds and interests in the group and the connections to education and technology. The following diagram is a word cloud I created using Wordle to capture the topics that I found intriguing as everyone provided introductions during today’s class.

Doctoral Seminar in EdTech

2009-07-09T19:42:00.000-07:00

I'm currently preparing to participate in a summer session doctoral seminar in educational technology at the University of Calgary. My blog will be used for reflection during the summer session.

About Me...
I have always been interested in the impact of educational technology on teaching and learning and started pursuing a PhD in Educational Technology in September of 2008 under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Michele Jacobsen. Originally, I am from Lethbridge, AB and received a B.Ed. from the University of Lethbridge in 1991 with a major in mathematics and minor in physical sciences. In 2000, I completed a case study research and thesis, entitled, “Technology Mentorship: A Staff Development Opportunity for Educators” and received a M.Ed. from University of Alberta. Currently, I am on maternity leave from the Calgary Catholic School District and will return to work in August as Supervisor of Educational Technology.

Throughout my career as a teacher, assistant principal and district consultant, I have been involved in creating technology resources, speaking at conferences, developing professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators and researching various aspects of technology integration. My experiences as an educator in the area of educational technology in two large urban school districts in the province, leading district initiatives for Alberta Initiatives for School Improvement (AISI) projects as well as technology projects funded through Alberta Education grants, developing research methods and analyzing data, have contributed to an interest in pursuing further research, specifically the professional development of administrators as educational technology leaders.

I am looking forward to the summer class and hope to explore, to grow, to take risks and to dream the possibilities!

Web 2.0 & Cloud Computing

2009-04-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

“It isn’t a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for.”
- Benjamin Mays

When I think of Web 2.0, I think of innovative web-based tools such as wikis, blogs, social networking and social bookmarking sites to name a few. One of the common aspects that separate Web 2.0 tools from the first introduction of web sites is the provision for reading and writing content seamlessly. Thus, many refer to Web 2.0 as the read-write web. The Internet as we know it today, promotes information retrieval and contribution, connectivity, communication, collaboration and co-construction among users. Tools such as RSS feeds (really simple syndication) are used to alert readers when changes occur to specified web content to help retrieve data. In social bookmarking sites, users can store and share data according to multiple descriptive phrases or tags, providing a non-linear and non-hierarchical categorization or aggregation of data. In blogs, posts are archived and stored in chronological order by date. Generally, anyone can contribute, comment or provide feedback on blog entries. In a wiki community, users connect and communicate with each other. They can redo or undo each other’s work and collaboratively build collective knowledge. Connections are paramount in the construction of knowledge.

Where is all this data stored? The cloud can be used as a metaphor for the Internet. Cloud computing refers to the data centres that store all the common data that is not stored locally on your own computer. Whenever you create an account on many of the Web 2.0 sites, you are in fact storing your content off site or virtually. This is what many refer to as “cloud computing.” The images in the clouds seem to shape and define one another; they are often continuously joined images with various parts connected with no identifiable centre. A cloud based work environment is often used to describe technological tools that enable collaboration, connections and co-construction of knowledge, such as Web 2.0 tools.

How do Web 2.0 tools and cloud based work environments shape your narrative for 21st century learning? You may consider reading the article, Orchestrating the Media Collage by Jason Ohler (2009) and think about the eight guidelines provided for teachers in using Web 2.0 as a social web. The guidelines that can help teachers promote the crucial skills associated with digital literacy include:
1. Shift from text centrism to media collage.
2. Value writing and reading now more than ever.
3. Adopt art as the next R.
4. Blend traditional and emerging literacies.
5. Harness report and story.
6. Practice private and participatory social literacy.
7. Develop literacy with digital tools and about digital tools.
8. Pursue fluency.

I would also recommend viewing Learning to Change Changing to Learn – (5:35) Teacher Tube video clip about change. What is your narrative about 21st century learning?

My Doctoral Journey Begins

2009-03-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

I started my doctoral journey in September of 2008 but didn’t really feel I had started the journey until today. As I begin considering my research proposal it now seems real to me! I’m contemplating what I will do, how I will do it and why it is important. Since my field of study is in educational technology leadership, I will continue to use this blog to track my thoughts, ideas, findings throughout my journey and hopefully get some great feedback along the way!

If you are interested in providing any feedback on my starting point, let me know and I can send you a copy of my independent study exploring the following question: Why would an interpretive case study and methodological processes using visual methods support a legitimate exploration of the strategies used by educational leaders in order to cultivate teaching and learning with technology?

In the article I wrestle with the choice of qualitative methodological approaches drawing on literature in case study research, visual methods, and educational technology, along with my own personal experiences in conducting an exploratory research project in the proposed field of study from 2006-2008. This independent study was particularly beneficial for me in reflecting on my past research experiences and identifying how I can become a more reflexive researcher in the future. For example, in the article there is a hyperlink to the appendix where I included examples of how photographs were used for representation purposes in the past exploratory study I was involved in. I also discuss how the use of photographs could support a more collaborative approach in follow-up conversations with the participants in a future study. You may find reading this article helpful if you are considering case study as a method for inquiry or if you would like ideas in using visual methodological approaches for own research.

Paradox of Technology

2008-11-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

“In the end, what’s at stake is not only the quality of life our children might enjoy, but also the quality of the culture that they will inhabit.” (Eisner, 1999)

In order to unpack the philosophy of technology, we need to have some knowledge of the past, consider where we are in the present and give thought to the future. It may be helpful to begin with a definition of technology. Some authors argue the term “technology” was not introduced until the 19th century when the term was added to names of prominent institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to the 19th century people spoke of the “mechanic arts” or “invention” or “science” in contexts where they would use “technology” today. Others would argue technology can be dated back to the invention of stone tools or fire. When considering educational technologies, writing could be considered one of the first technologies.

The term “technology” is believed to come from Greek origins where “techne” referred to art or craft knowledge. The German term “technik” referred to tools, machines, systems and processes used in the practical arts and engineering and was replaced with the term “technology” as late as 1934. Today, the Merriam Dictionary defines technology as the practical application of knowledge especially in a particular area. The following include a few other definitions of technology beyond the standard instrumental view that technology is neutral and is neither inherently good nor bad:

Technology as a means to satisfy human needs
· “Technology” signifies all the intelligent techniques by which the energies of nature and man are directed and used in satisfaction of human needs. – John Dewey

Technology as an interdependency of tools and humans
· Technology defined in the following way acknowledges the interdependency of tools and humans; it also insists humans take responsibilities for their uses of technology: tool + intention + use = technology – Ursula Franklin

Technology as multi-stable with trajectories
· The structure of technologies is multi-stable with trajectories. Therefore, the philosopher of technology can attempt to understand these trajectories in their human significance and to adapt technical design to ethical norms. – Don Ihde

Technology as a medium and transformational
· Technology is the medium of daily life in modern societies. Every major technical change reverberates at many levels, economic, political, religious, and cultural. How we do things determines who and what we are. Technological development transforms what it is to be human. – Andrew Feenberg

Consider the quote from Phaedrus:
“Written words seem to talk to you as though they were intelligent, but if you ask them anything about what they say, from a desire to be instructed, they go on telling you just the same thing forever.” - Plato

In Phaedrus, we see the critical perspective to the medium of “writing” for its lack of two-way communication easily managed in oral dialogue. Plato was skeptical of writing and the impact on the quality of interactions especially between teacher and student. However, we know that print is no longer static and linear as it was when first introduced. New technologies are transforming the print medium into a more visual-aural communication space that is dynamic and multi-dimensional. Even though we are seeing this shift in communications there seems to be concern about “human contact.” For example, Lance Carlson, president of Alberta College of Art and Design was quoted in the Calgary Herald on Sunday, Oct.26/2008 as a believer in the human contact you get with that “firebrand” person talking to you. The article was about an “intellectual talks” series that will turn conversations, old-fashioned lectures into a night out and perhaps bring back the “human contact.” I wonder what Plato would think about the visual-aural communication space of today.

It is interesting to take into account some of the inventions that can be considered “technology” during different time periods throughout history. When considering each invention, it is fascinating to think about how the philosophy of technology contributes to contemporary Western thought and practices and is determining “Western Grand Narrative.” Ursula Franklin believes, “Once new technologies are introduced they seem to take on a momentum of their own and unforeseen changes that are difficult to predict and reverse.”

The printing press invented in 1450 by Johannes Gutenberg provided print material for the masses while creating unjust class divisions. The Microscope invented by Van Leewenhoek sometime between 1590-1610 was used to see very small things which led to surprising discoveries such as bacteria. The reflecting telescope invented by Galileo in 1609 allowed viewing distant objects which was seen as a benefit to the military. The moon was thought to be smooth and heavenly until it was discovered to be rough and full of cavities with the aid of the telescope. It was the invention of the telescope that provoked questions of common understanding such as the earth being the centre of the universe. The electric battery discovered in 1799 by Alessandro Volta provided a portable reservoir of electricity and was considered a great achievement even though there were uncertainties about the application of batteries.

The 19th century had numerous technological inventions including, the telephone, refrigerator, automobile, light bulb, power loom, and the assembly line to name a few. New technologies increased efficiency, for example, when textile manufacturers discovered they could lower costs by mechanizing and replacing skilled with unskilled labour – women replaced most men as weavers in the textile factories. The whole history of the Industrial Revolution is dominated by this strategy which led to a culture of compliance. As a result there were social consequences, such as, hierarchical management, fragmented work and the elimination of skilled labour.

In the 20th century computers were invented as early as 1936 and the first consumer computers were available in the 1970’s; however, computers did not become common household products until the 1980’s when used primarily for gaming and then the World Wide Web became prevalent in 1989. Technology was constructive, efficient and a communication medium that increased accessibility. At this time technology was also considered destructive, encouraging consumptive behaviour and therefore restructuring the social world, interfering with human communication, distancing reality and reducing individual involvement with nature and other human beings.

The 21st century has already amplified communication mediums of the past with the emergence of social software, e-learning opportunities and accessibility to virtual worlds. Technologies provide opportunities to interact and isolate; participate in a community and yet lose a sense of community; learn in a collaborative environment and potentially compromise the quality of learning; engage in productive explorations or choose destructive ways of living and working and it is certain that further possibilities and challenges will surface with each new technological development especially when considering educational technologies.

See a more detailed timeline created in Google Groups as a collaborative project– your input is welcome! Along with inventions and the dichotomy or dualism in consequences (possibilities and challenges) of the introduction to various technologies throughout history, the timeline correlates the authors contributing to the philosophy of technology during the same time periods. The authors are listed in chronological order by birth date (if known). There is also additional information about the authors/philosophers following the timeline.

McLuhan has a different view and I thought it would be important to consider his perspective as well. In the Global Village (1989), Marshall McLuhan posited every new technology has a “tetrad of media effects” or four simultaneous effects:

(1) enhances something;
(2) makes something obsolete;
(3) retrieves or brings back something; and
(4) when pushed to the limits, it reverses or turns into something else.

Consider a couple of my examples:
Example 1: online communications amplified connectivity throughout the world; made sending messages through postal service less utilized; brought back the value of text with digitized books; when pushed to the limit converted to text to downloadable audio books. Consider the “tetrad of media effects” with other examples.

Example 2: GPS is enhancing mapping capabilities; is making printed maps obsolete, is bringing back orienteering, and when pushed to the limit it converted to phone, camera, MP3 player, video, etc.

More Sites about the tetrad of effects:

http://www.anthonyhempell.com/papers/tetrad/
Another link about tetrad – exploring the process of the tetrad

http://www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/staff/scottbennett/media/
Interactive Tetrads

http://www.slaw.ca/2006/07/28/laws-of-media-tetrad-blogs/
Application of tetrad to “Blogs”

What became clear when examining inventions through the passages of history is that with each emergent level, a new revelation of a paradox of technology evolved or as Feenberg describes the “methodological dualism” of technique and meaning. “On the one side, technology undermines traditional meanings or communicative action, while on the other side we are called to protect the integrity of a meaningful world.”

Perhaps, we need to combine McLuhan’s idea of the tetrad of effects and Feenberg’s dualism. I created a Tetrad of Effects template to demonstrate a possible combination of the ideas. Cut out the square shape, fold on the red lines first - this reveals the tetrad. Then fold each point away from the tetrad (symbolism: double-edged sword). When each fold is lifted it reveals both possibilities and challenges.

When considering a paradox of technology, one can also identify grand “shifts” that are occurring in our culture. For example, with the growth of social software we are seeing a surge in collective knowledge and universal communication. Communications have certainly evolved (or shifted) over time from the beginning of language and oral communication to what we could consider global or universal communications in the present. I choose to use the word “grand” because the shift to global communications extends humanity and provides opportunities for people to seamlessly interact and connect across space and time. At the same time, the plausible consequence or paradox of technology is that global communications can isolate, distance those it links or provide disposable experiences that can be turned on and off. I wonder how the Ihde’s “trajectory” of technology will continue in the future and if humanity will continue to automatically look for plausible consequences when faced with new inventions.

Seeing Through the Eyes of a Child

2008-09-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

What exactly is needed for profound or systemic change to occur in education? When will education transform from a teacher-centered to student-centered teaching and learning environment? Why do we continue to accept and support traditional schooling as a place and a way of teaching and learning that has been the same for decades? How do we create conditions that will promote informed, thoughtful discussion about educational purposes among teachers, students, parents, and community members? This article shows and tells my educational journey as a quest to reform traditional education; that is, beyond superficial implementations. So, I posit two key areas that require further examination:
(1) There is a type of leadership that is critical for systemic change (transformation, rethinking, restructuring) to occur; and,
(2) The processes for development of reflexive leaders and practitioners with a willingness to see through the eyes of a child should ensure the best educative service of children.

The Allegory of the Cave
The current education system can be compared metaphorically to Plato’s prisoners bound in a cave in The Republic. The prisoners were comfortable with only seeing shadows projected on the wall in front of them. Reflecting on my life as a student in grade school, I often felt like a prisoner in a cave. I had twelve solid years of schooling with teachers providing models of teaching and learning and defining universal roles for teachers and students. Throughout my schooling, the classroom environment was predominantly instruction based with the teacher as the main source of information transmitting the knowledge to the students. As a student, I felt comfortable with a traditional teacher-centered environment. I imagine this may be similar to the comfort felt by the prisoners as they observed the shadows on the wall in the cave.
In contrast, as a student teacher, I experienced a paradigm shift from traditional pedagogy to student-centred pedagogy where learning became a ‘constructive’ process. Brooks and Brooks (1999) describe a constructivist classroom by identifying some guiding principles; such as: (1) posing problems of emerging relevance to learners; (2) structuring learning around primary concepts; (3) seeking and valuing students’ points of view; (4) adapting curricula to address students’ suppositions; and (5) assessing student learning in the context of teaching. (p. 33). Table 1 summarizes descriptors of constructivist teacher practice. ( Brooks and Brooks, 1999, p. 103-116).

Table 1: Descriptors of Constructivist Teachers
Constructivist teachers:
-Encourage and accept student autonomy and initiative;

-Use raw data and primary sources, along with manipulative, interactive, and physical materials;

-Use cognitive terminology such as “classify,” “analyze,” “predict,” and “create” when framing tasks;

-Allow students responses to drive lessons, shift instructional strategies, and alter content;

-Inquire about students’ understandings of concepts before sharing their own understandings of those concepts;

-Encourage students to engage in dialogue, both with the teacher and with one another;

-Encourage student inquiry by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and encouraging students to ask questions of each other;

-Seek elaboration of students’ initial responses;

-Engage students in experiences that might engender contradictions to their initial hypotheses and then encourage discussion;

-Allow wait time after posing questions;

-Provide time for students to construct relationships and create metaphors; and

-Nurture students’ natural curiosity through frequent use of the learning cycle model.

I graduated as a new teacher filled with enthusiasm and abundant ideas for creating an environment where students would work together discussing thoughtful, open-ended and complex questions; they would make discoveries and make sense of their world by constructing their own knowledge. I looked forward to the challenge of being a constructivist teacher with a focus on the learner.

In the Cave
In my first year teaching, I accepted an assignment at an urban school with many veteran teachers who provided me with guidance and mentorship. I quickly conformed to the school’s culture and eventually felt as though I was becoming a prisoner in ‘that’ cave again. Even though I knew what a student-centered environment should look like, I found it easier to revert back to the traditional teacher-centered ways that were accepted and expected by my colleagues. I was ready to practice constructivism, a widely accepted educational philosophy and pedagogy in theory, but required the readiness and support of my colleagues and the community to progress confidently as a new teacher. My vision of teaching and learning in the classroom was clearly different from my colleagues as well as the expectations held by the school administration and parents in the community.

Re-orientation
A few years later, I applied for a position in a different school. It was the leadership of the principal at the school that made it easy to accept a position in a new teaching and learning environment. I experienced a ‘turning point’ in my career by having an opportunity to practice the student-centered teaching and learning that I once imagined would have been my practice as a new teacher. The leader of this school provided a supportive vision and an environment that was conducive to personal and pedagogic growth and authentic progress for all learners. It was my first experience witnessing the power of such leadership. It was as if someone provided me with a re-orientation and removed me from ‘the cave’ once again.

It’s interesting that it took the first twelve years of my schooling experience as a student to learn about teacher-centered or traditional school environments. Then, it took twelve more years of teaching, becoming a school administrator, and working at the district level to realize that I still was not witnessing a ‘true’ student-centered environment. I was no longer in the cave, but I did not yet see the light. I re-located to another city due to family circumstances and decided I would start all over again as a temporary contract teacher in a new city and seek the light again.

Seeking the Educative Light
I accepted a teaching position at a non-traditional school that embraced a student-centered approach. An extraordinary leader provided inspiration that empowered others to see more than would ever be possible on their own. This leader encouraged everyone to soar. It was the leadership in the school that improved communication with the community to ensure the ‘non-traditional’ school was accepted by the parents and students alike; the barriers were removed to allow the teachers and students to truly experience a constructivist environment of student-initiated learning and habits of mind as described by Costa and Kallick (2000).

Costa and Kallick (2000) write that: The Habits of Mind are most evident when we ask students to manage their own learning. Consider all the different habits of mind involved when we ask students to choose the group they will join, the topic they will study, and the ways they will manage themselves to meet a deadline. Every occasion of self directed learning is a rich opportunity for students to practice the habits of mind. (p. 5)

It was a moment of serendipity when I realized the light I was seeking had always been right in front of my eyes – the students. I opened my eyes and became blinded by all the shining lights that crossed my path each day! In a student-centered environment, it is necessary to include the students as partners in the teaching and learning process; it is essential to involve students in their learning by seeking their input. The students are the educative light and the leadership in the school cleared the path of any obstacles which then permitted the light to be revealed and shine brightly. I learned how important it is to be connected with the students in the classroom; to engage and seek input from the students; to focus on student learning from the perspective of the student; and most importantly to serve the student.

The prisoners bound in Plato’s dark cave only seeing shadows projected on the wall parallel to those that are unwilling to alter from traditional practice where the teacher is the provider of all information and students are uninvolved participants. Leadership, both bottom-up and top-down, are necessary for the prisoners to successfully leave the cave and see the bright light. What is required in order to build leadership capacity where leaders are open to the ideas, knowledge and enthusiasm of the children and are willing to support new methods for teaching and learning? Fullan (2005) argues that “capacity building involves developing the collective ability – dispositions, skills, knowledge, motivation, and resources – to act together to bring about positive change” (p.4). How do we create an educational environment that promotes reflection and development of the collective ability and sustains educational reform?

Conclusion
In summary, educational reform in the classroom occurs with supportive leadership at all levels, leaders who are willing to remove the barriers that are associated with change. In addition, it is when the leaders and practitioners become reflective and desire input from the children they serve, that profound change is made possible. There is a need for more research and study on reflexive leadership and the impact of student input when implementing change. What are the possibilities when leaders, educators, parents and communities begin to view education through the lens or eyes of a child?

References

Brooks, J. G., and M. G. Brooks. (1999). In Search of Understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms, with a new introduction by the authors. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Costa, A. and Kallick, B. (2000). Activating and Engaging Habits of Mind. Alexandria, VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership & Sustainability: System thinkers in action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Plato. (360 B.C.E.) The Republic, Book VII (B. Jowett, Trans.) Retrieved September 18, 2008, from http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/platoscave.html

Facebook Experience

2008-02-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

My main reason for avoiding facebook is that I don’t have time to maintain yet another web page. I find it challenging to keep my blog updated... my last post was quite a while ago. I worry that too much personal information will be exposed on the Internet and wonder what future implications this may have. I never thought I would create a facebook account. However, due to increasing pressure from friends and family that are using it, I created a profile or “caved” as described by my niece. There are so many people that have crossed my path throughout my life and I have neglected to contact or have lost contact through the years and hope facebook may help in building some of those connections again.

During the last week I have communicated with an old friend from elementary school, several from high school, one from grad school, one from another city that I used to live in, a couple from a dance group I was part of and family members from all over the country. I have laughed and cried while reading and responding to messages. I know that I would not have communicated with all these people if I had not created a facebook account!

Another reason I wanted to create a facebook account is to assess any educational applications for this tool. Web based systems are being utilized in many classrooms to share course content, provide feedback and assessment and are considered by some as an invaluable tool for teaching and learning. An element I really like in facebook is the news feed that is provided to each user with updates on any changes or posts that have been made by friends. This makes it really easy to know what’s new and navigate through the pages quickly. A live news feed would increase the ease of use of a classroom web based system as well. When students log in, they want to see information that is customized to their needs and they want to quickly know what has changed since the last time they logged in. Students are accustomed to web content that is dynamic and constantly changing. After my facebook experience (of only one week!) I understand why students view our web based tools used in the classroom as outdated and become frustrated when they do not see things changing regularly.

I believe it is important for educators to be aware of the tools that are used by students and determine if there are educational applications. I recommend trying out a social networking tool, such as facebook, and see why students are spending so much time reading and writing messages, posting and tagging pictures and videos and communicating with others on a daily basis. I also recommend the following facebook Wiki - http://ltc.umanitoba.ca:83/wiki/Facebook.

The Sunflower as a Symbol of Community

2007-10-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

The sunflower as a symbol of community dates back to the earliest centuries. The sunflower always seeks the light and will turn towards it no matter where it is planted. The sunflower always reaches upward toward the sun. The sunflower itself is an image of radiance and light. Its circular shape connotes eternity, community and unity. The seeds of the sunflower are different shapes and sizes. The seeds are also highly visible an open to the scrutiny of the world and yet they spread themselves all over this world (the spreading of the good news). The sunflower rises tall above all the other plants but never looks down on them. It doesn’t cast much of a shadow so other plants can grow along side it. (Photo taken Oct. 2007 : Sunflower from my flower bed)

The Shepherd as Leader: an image of leadership

2007-09-30T19:43:00.000-07:00

I recommend the book “Shepherd Leadership” by Blaine McCormick and David Davenport (2003) for insight and understanding of the meaning of shepherd leadership.

The Leader is a highly visible shepherd who performs the servant’s work and then some.

The Leader is squarely at the front of the followers to serve as a role model and guide…never being so far out in front (or behind) that he/she could not come alongside.

Leaders become shepherds when they awaken to the reality that their actions and decisions can improve the quality of their followers’ lives forever.

Shepherd Leadership is a way of being. “Being with” the follower and seeing from the perspective of the follower.

Shepherd Leadership is a whole-person leadership…a matter of head and hand and heart; a way of thinking and doing and being.

When I think about "building accessible classrooms" and the idea that assistive technology can benefit learners in profound ways, I am reminded that a shepherd leader knows that every sheep in the flock matters. Why is it taking so long for assistive technology to become pervasive in schools? Where are the shepherd leaders that:
- Empower others to see more and learn more than would ever be possible on their own;
- Envision the next destination and the best way to get there; and
- Provide an environment of contentment and abundance for increased growth and progress for all learners?

Systemic Change

2007-05-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it has never happened any other way.” Margaret Mead

How is systemic change defined? Systemic change is defined by the Education Systemic Change Tools site http://www.nsba.org/sbot/toolkit/edsctls.html as an approach which involves players from throughout the system in considering all parts of an organization or group, how change in one area affects another, and how to coordinate change in a system so that it furthers the shared goals and visions. We often feel that we are limited in our contributions toward system change and view this as something that can only be accomplished by those with more authority or higher level ranking in a hierarchal system. Everyone plays a critical role in systemic change. Leaders need to ensure that everyone contribute to systemic change.

Systemic change at the school or district level requires ALL stakeholders to:
-Create a vision of what you want the system to look like and accomplish.
-Take stock of the current situation.
-Identify strengths and weaknesses of the current system in light of the vision.
-Target several priority items for improvement.
-Establish a plan for addressing these priority items and for measuring success.
-Assess progress regularly and revise actions as needed.

Beverly Anderson (1993) describes a continuum of systemic change in a matrix with six developmental stages and six key elements of change. “Six stages of change characterize the shift from a traditional educational system to one that emphasizes interconnectedness, active learning, shared decision making, and higher levels of achievement for all students.” The matrix can be used to develop a common language when communicating about change; to develop a strategic plan for moving forward with change; and to develop ongoing assessment to further the change process. I recommend viewing the matrix to identify the entry points for change and to develop ideas for future direction. (Educational Leadership, 1993 Vol.51, No.1)

Thoughtful Discussion Questions
How do we create conditions that will promote informed, thoughtful discussion about purposes among teachers, students, parents, and community members? I thought it might be helpful to provide a series of questions that could be used by a school leader in facilitating discussion with stakeholders to support the implementation of a systemic change. The following questions were compiled from various articles in Educational Leadership (1993) and The steps of systemic change is the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. View the site for more questions to guide the process of revising or developing a new action plan.

For school leaders:
Which basic values guide my work?
What motivates teacher performance? How do I define my role as leader?
What are my goals for this school?
How do my actions demonstrate my values and my goals?

For school leadership teams or steering committee:
What are our schools' strengths and weaknesses?
What is our vision and what are our core values for a better school?
What are our priorities and strategies for change?
What structures do we need to reach our goals?
What new skills and resources will we need?

For building a vision:
What will the ideal look like when it’s complete?
What are you looking forward to most in completing that task?
What specifically will be most pleasing?
What has worked most effectively in similar situations in the past?

For assessing progress of the plan:
What was particularly effective about the way that worked?
What would you do differently another time?
What would be the benefit of doing it differently?

More Helpful Links:
http://www.michaelfullan.ca/Articles_02/03_02.pdf - Select educators, researchers and policy makers are addressing a vital issue: the impact of digital technology on learning - will it merely produce incremental improvement or could it lead to fundamental change?

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/multimedia/6768232.html - The growth in technology and global demands on education

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/profdevl/pd2syst.htm - Systemic Change Activity -

http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/guskey194.cfm - The Age of our Accountability by Thomas Guskey, 1998

Scaffolding PD Model

2007-03-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

The scaffolding professional development model could be a framework designed to support teachers in using technology to increase student achievement. The differentiated professional development model would allow participants to determine personal entry points and select professional development opportunities that meet individual learning needs.

What would be the purpose of the scaffolding PD Model?
· To clearly communicate professional development opportunities that respond to varying readiness levels and modes of learning; and
· To provide a self-assessment continuum describing stages of proficiency that would allow participants to identify and select professional development and support options at each stage of growth.

The article, Differentiation in Diverse Settings, by Carol Ann Tomlinson, in the School Administrator provides some great ideas for differentiating staff development! I found the implementation stories interesting, in particular the Waterside story and how they developed a “coherent and sustained movement in a desirable direction.”

The article reminded me about the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). I believe an adapted framework can easily be customized in order to provide a scaffolding professional development model. Similarly, in the article, Tomlinson also talks about Watersides’ continuum used to support teacher staff development and needs at each stage of growth as one of the components in their implementation that was successful. Perhaps the CBAM model needs to be resurfaced again!

Recommended Reading:
The CBAM: Concerns Based Adoption Model
The Concerns Based Adoption Model
CBAM - Impact for Administrators
Stages of Concern about Technology use

Multitasking

2007-03-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

Is it really possible to multitask when using technology or are we just switching from one task to the other? I am intrigued with the current studies and interest in multitasking with technology and in particular the impact of multitasking on learning and leadership. Prior to delving into the research, I formed some assumptions about multitasking:
1) Everyone is able to multitask
2) Multitasking is something we should encourage not discourage
3) 21st century learners are able to multitask better than learners before them
4) Multitasking skills can be improved with practice
5) Multitasking makes tasks more interesting

I’m involved in 1-1 mobile computing leadership initiative where a group of school based administrators and district consultants meets face-to-face one afternoon each month. At first, it was really uncomfortable having everyone using their laptops during the meeting especially when presentations were being “delivered” to the whole group. During the presentations I noticed many of the participants checking email, websites, or working on other tasks using their laptops instead of completely focusing on the presenter. We never did establish or communicate any etiquette regarding the use of laptops during the meetings when we started the program. The only instruction given was the expectation that participants use the laptop as often as possible at our meetings as well as any other meetings they attend to become comfortable with using the technology and modeling the use of technology in a leadership position.

One participant asked me if we should have everyone close their laptops in order to ensure everyone is on task. I reflected on how many times I did the same thing as a teacher and said “Everyone put your pencils down and now we’ll begin ….” I suppose pencils could easily be replaced with laptops in the previous sentence. I have to wonder how modern learners expect one-to-one environments to operate. I believe it is possible for students to be present in their seat with pencils down and really NOT be present at all. So what’s the difference if they have a laptop in front of them and we ask them to close the lid? Will laptops OFF ensure students are ON or engaged and motivated to do the assigned task or participate in a given discussion? It doesn’t seem fair to limit learners by our own preferences based on our experiences and technology competencies.

Through extensive research, Harvard researchers, Jiang and Kanwisher, who studied students at MIT, found “that people have surprisingly stubborn limitations on their ability to carry out multiple tasks at the same time” (2003). In the study, it was discovered that students took twice as long to do two tasks at once as when they did the tasks separately. It was found that task switching took longer than task-repeating. The switching time between tasks adds on a considerable amount of time dependent on the complexity of the tasks. So, handling one thing at a time seems to be easier than handling two and we expend more time when switching in particular if the task involves increasing complexity.

Similar to my own personal assumptions, Prensky argues that today’s learners are able to task-switch efficiently and are able to successfully interact with multiple technologies and engage in several activities at one time (2005). I have to wonder if effective task-switching only occurs when the learner is engaged in complementary tasks or more than one simple task. Multitasking does seem more manageable if the two (or more) tasks are simple tasks. I find it much more difficult to multitask when one of the tasks is more complex.

Questions: What are the implications of multitasking for learners and leaders? By understanding the intricacies of multitasking can we avoid limiting learners by our own ideals and lead in changing the learning landscape to support 21st century learners?

Recommended Reading:
Common Neural Mechanisms for Response Selection and Perceptual Processing (Jiang & Kanwisher, 2003)
Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (Prensky, 2005)

Technology Stewards

2007-02-19T20:33:00.000-08:00

Being a technology steward has very little to do with being an expert technology user, instead it’s much more about understanding the connections and interactions of human networks.

In The Full Circle Online Interaction Blog, Nancy White along with Etienne Wenger and John Smith define Technology stewards as: “people with enough experience of the workings of a community to understand its technology needs, and enough experience with technology to take leadership in addressing those needs.”

In Technology Communities, the authors summarize the findings of a larger study of communities of practice. The role of the “technology steward” is described as a person or several people that “tend” to the technology to enable a community of practice. (Wenger, White, Smith, & Rowe, 2005)

Douglas Reeves (May, 2006) wrote an excellent article in Educational Leadership, “Of Hubs, Bridges, and Networks” where he described a “key member” in the community as a critical component in a framework for sustaining change. The “key member”, which I believe parallels the technology steward is defined as “one of those relatively rare people who not only knows a disproportionate number of other people, but also seems to influence them.”

One of the tensions faced by technology stewards is trying to understand future technology needs in schools which seem to be an impossible task based on the steady growth and change of technology today. The book “Kamishibai Man” by Allen Say is a story about Kamishibai, the Japanese art of street storytelling with storyboards and is said to have started in the 1920’s. Later this was replaced by the television or electric Kamishibai in the 1950’s. The story tells about the “joyful rediscovery and celebration of the special relationship between storyteller and his audience.”

Bev Trayner argues that communities of practice are more than just platforms. In her Phronesis (Towards a practical wisdom) blog she writes, “…they think that building a platform, with lots of functionalities, plus some animation will create a community of practice….In other words there is this gap in people's thinking between the lived in experience of human beings - with all their strengths, frailities and social lives - and the tools and technology they use. One person builds (animates) the community while someone else builds the platform.” The Kamishibai man used a mobile storyboard on a bicycle as his platform, coupled with the oral tradition of telling stories, which is really about community and the connections and interactions of the storyteller with others. Will online communities and connectivism provide the Kamishibai Man a new medium or new platform and increased (different) opportunities to build relationships with others?

I recommend viewing the 2020 vision clip, a graduation speech delivered to a group of students that enter grade one in September 2007, which outlines striking possibilities for the future of technology and impact on education. The intent of the clip is to ignite conversations about preparing for the future. View the clip and then have a conversation with someone in your community of practice. How can technology stewards prepare for the transitions through the vast changes that are inevitable in our future?

Servant Leadership

2007-01-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

What is Servant Leadership?
Servant Leadership, a term first coined by Greenleaf (1904-1990) in an essay, “The Servant Leader” continues to be a topic of discussion today.
“Servant-Leadership begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” Robert Greenleaf

My son said he would like to be an inventor when he grows up. He asked me if I would help him. I replied by saying that not only would I help him but I would work for him. I think he was a bit a surprised by this response. It reminded me of the same reaction I would get from my high school students when they talked about their dream jobs and plans for the future. I would always tell the students that I would gladly work for them and quite possibly they could end up being my boss some day. I believe servant leadership is all about the willingness to work collaboratively and serve others regardless of position in an organization. I believe servant leadership is about trusting those we work with.

In my experience as an educator I have worked with many leaders that I would consider true servant leaders. When I think of a servant leader, I think of someone that works with groups to make decisions (consensus building), someone that values the contributions and gifts of others, someone that is dependable and strives to do what’s best for the whole, someone who is willing to contribute as follower and as a leader, and someone who is willing to serve.

As leaders, how do we serve others?

I recommend visiting the servant leadership blog for more thoughts & provocative questions on this topic.

Mindtools

2006-12-06T20:46:00.000-08:00

Is technology a tool or a mindtool used to enhance thinking in learning? Over a decade ago, Jonassen (1996) argued that computer applications that require students to think in meaningful ways and critically engage the mind could be considered “mindtools.” He recommended that educators provide students access to mindtools or a set of intellectual tools to facilitate critical thinking and construct knowledge. Those who believe in constructivist approaches to teaching and learning would agree that students learn from thinking in meaningful ways which could include the use of mindtools. What do connectivist (knowing and learning by making connections) theorists believe?

I would like to argue that today’s technologies provide opportunities to improve both constructivist and connectivist approaches to teaching and learning. Today’s students have access to numerous emerging technologies that seem to change on a daily basis including computer applications and various technological devices. Educators need to continue questioning whether the applications or devices are in fact mind tools that engage students in higher order thinking skills, construction of knowledge, or learning by making connections. Maybe we need to coin a term that combines both theories or perhaps we can still use the term "mindtool." (construct + connect = ?? mindtool)

When considering the use of emerging technologies, I believe we need to ask some critical questions:
Does the technology amplify learning?
Is the technology a cognitive tool that engages learners in deep thinking?
Does the technology stimulate learning by making connections?
What are indicators of a mindtool that supports constructivism and connectivism?

Youth Advisory Circles

2006-11-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

I have frequented many blogs but never felt I had anything important enough to say to write my own. Today I decided it is time to begin sharing my thoughts with others! I had one of those serendipity moments that made me want to write and share some ideas. I attended a session the other day when Dr. Gray talked about youth advisory and encouraged technology leaders to take a moment to listen to the youth in our own circles.

We visited with my brother, sister-in-law and two teenage nieces over the weekend and thought this would be a perfect opportunity to take Dr. Gray’s advice. As soon as we entered the house I didn’t even have my shoes off and noticed by five year old son quickly made his way to the family room and sat next to one of my nieces and started to play a video game. My other niece was sitting at the computer that is strategically located in an open space in the family room. I decided to sit next to my niece to see what she was doing on the computer and to inquire about her use of technology.

She began by telling me that she was on MSN chat and conversing with friends online. I could see the message threads and noticed she was replying very quickly and opening and closing multiple windows. As she was answering my questions and explaining how the program works, she was simultaneously responding to questions posed by her friends, in addition to responding to conversations that she entered on behalf of her sister (who was still playing video games with my son). I was amazed at her ability to engage in multiple online conversations as well as her coherent responses to my multitude of questions. I was amazed at the number of people from her school that were online at the time – Saturday afternoon. As we were talking, windows were continuously popping up in the bottom right hand side of the screen showing who was going off line and who was online.

In one of her conversations, a friend asked if she could call her for a voice conversation. My niece proceeded to respond that in our culture it is not acceptable to talk on the phone when family is visiting and so she should not call at this time. I thought this was interesting! I guess it’s acceptable to have online conversations while family is visiting but not voice conversations. In talking to my brother about this, he indicated that the phone doesn’t ring anymore. Before getting high speed Internet they had to resort to using their cell phone as their home phone line was always busy. Now the phone doesn’t ring. My father and mother were also sitting at the dinner table during this conversation and reminded us how they had to get an additional phone line when we were teenagers to deal with our use or perhaps overuse of the phone line! I forgot about that!

So, back to my niece who has keyboarding skills that are unbelievable and is able to multi-task like a 21st Century learner should. Marc Prensky talks about digital immigrants and digital natives. She is definitely in Prensky’s category of digital native – it just comes naturally to her. When I last asked her what she would like to do after high school graduation, she says she is interested in being a teacher. We often have conversations about current teaching practices and how we both wish things would be different and dream of the possibilities. Let’s say in eight years she continues with this dream and enters her first classroom. I have to wonder….
…Will her university teacher advisor be open to possibilities?
…Will the teacher next door that takes her under her wing and provides mentorship during her first year teaching be open to possibilities?
…Will her school principal that walks into her classroom and sees non-traditional practices be open to possibilities?
…Will she be encouraged to soar by reflective leaders and reflective practitioners to provide incredible learning opportunities to her students?
My hope is that through work in the area of technology leadership, we develop leaders of the future that are flexible and open to the ideas, knowledge and enthusiasm of the digital natives that will be our teachers of tomorrow. I encourage you to take time to “sit with” or “sit next to” someone in your youth advisory circle and explore the possibilities!