Re-Vision of Technology

When I write about technology, I like to use an analogy to anchor me to the topic. But the analogy for this final assignment escapes me. Is it because I've been sick for 2 weeks? Or because my littlest lad has decided it's time to explore the terrible twos, and my nerves are shot? Perhaps it's too many late nights spent thinking and writing, and sleep deprivation is catching up with me. Whatever the reason, the part of my brain that delights in a good analogy is wrapped in a fog.

Picture courtesy Mira d'Oubliette

If I could get my hands on that crystal ball, then maybe the fog would lift and I would find this assignment easy! But providing a vision for the future of technology in schools and libraries is a tricky business, indeed. I really have no idea what the future holds for myself as an educator, let alone for a school I may one day be working at. Will I pursue my teaching career once all my boys are in school? Will my children's books get published? Will I work at the University as a sessional? Will I work as a consultant? Will I take up painting, and sit on the docks? So many uncertainties. My future with web 2.0 technology is perhaps a parlour game; I'm just waiting for someone to make an accusation: "it was Mrs. N. in the virtual school library with the podcast."

As you can see, the idea of presenting a vision for the future in terms of what I have learned in this class is a little daunting. Where do I begin? What direction should I take? I have decided to break this assignment into 3 parts: a vision of school libraries, a vision of myself, and a vision of my own boys.

A VISION OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES

I dream of a library that is vital to the school:

Ideally, I believe it is a real benefit to schools to have a full-time teacher librarian with a full-time library assistant. The librarian's role would be to collaborate with teachers to create dynamic lessons that are not only multi-faceted, but multi-modal as well. The library assistant's role would be to circulate the books. But, there should also be a team-approach, so that we are working together to best serve the needs of our staff and students.

I hope that the school library would be viewed as a "libratory" as discussed in Joyce Valenza's Manifesto for the 21st Century Librarian. Staff and students would be welcome to inquire, explore, create and learn.

I dream of a school that has a balanced approach to technology integration:

As Palfrey and Gasser boldly state in their book, Born Digital, "We don`t need to overhaul education to teach kids who are born digital. . . [l]earning will always have certain enduring qualities that have little or nothing to do with technology" (246). Palfrey and Gasser go on to explain that "[t]he use of technology in teaching makes no sense if it's just because we think that technology is cool" (246) - we need to make good choices about where and when technology will be used. They give the example of blogging - that it's misguided to think we all should be blogging just because it's an interesting Web tool. We need to first look at our curricular goals, and how technology can best help us meet those goals. If blogging helps to do that - then so be it.

I dream of a school that welcomes diversity:

I hope that we can recognize and appreciate that some teachers/students will be passionate and gifted in their use and integration of technology, while others will be passionate about crafts, music, storytelling, science, etc. My goal will be to match technology to supports those talents, if that will enhance learning.

I found Doug Johnson's insight about technology very wise. In Change from the Radical Center of Education, Johnson states:

"Too often when the next great thing - constructivism, technology,
whole-language reading instruction...etc. --comes along, it is considered a
silver bullet and other methods and philosopies are denigrated and pushed aside.
We need to regard the "next great thing" as another tool in a big educational
utility belt, not the only one of value" (3).

We must travel this new[ish] path wisely. Not jumping onto the technology bandwagon without a guide - or a guidebook - or at the very least, a thinking cap. My hope is that we will make sound choices when using our Web tools. That we will choose the right tool at the right time for the job. So, we are not podcasting for the mere sake of podcasting. I think this is where teacher librarians can play a valuable role - they can help to look at the needs of the teacher/class/individual, and guide learning using the tools that will meet those needs best.

I dream of a community of learners:

Palfrey and Gasser advise us to that the "schools of the future will need faculty of the future." and I agree with their comments that we don't need to pay expensive outside sources for training to integrate technology of our teaching - but that we can look within our own schools to find "the most tech-savvy teachers in each department, just sharing examples of how they've successfully deployed the technology in their own teaching" (250). Often the teacher-librarian has a unique view of what each class is doing/learning. We can recognize and enlist those 'tech-savvy teachers' to work with us in a mentoring circle - or simply promote their methods at staff meetings.

The Born Digital authors go on to suggest working with Digital Natives to help teachers learn to integrate technology into their lessons (250). I would be very tempted to enlist students to work as a focus group with me and any other teachers/staff wanting to be involved. Even more simply: surveying students periodically about what they felt their most meaningful technology experiences were in the school, or outside of school would provide valuable insight and encourage all of us to think critically about its use.

I would also write about technology in the school newsletter - highlighting favourite tools - and provide challenges to students to play/experiment/learn from these tools. We often have writing and reading challenges in our schools - so why not show we value Web tools by encouraging Web challenges alongside these more traditional ones.

I dream of forward-thinking administrators:

The more I learn about Web tools and schools, the more shocked I am to come across school divisions that over-filter the Web to the point that computers are merely dressed-up typewriters. While I believe we need to be cautious, and make wise decisions about technology with our students, I truly believe closed access is doing a disservice to our students and teachers.
I believe it is imperative that policy-makers come to understand that over-filtering does not assist in diminishing cyber-bullying or on-line predators. Much of this occurs outside of the school. We are actually being negligent to over-filter. In I'm Mad and I'm not Gonna Take it Anymore, Mary Ann Bell states: "I believe it is past time to stop letting paranoia, combined
with laziness, block teachers, counselors, administrators, and students from the internet resources they deserve to access at school . . . . NOT allowing access can be dangerous, as it keeps us from teaching kids to be safe and smart online when they are on their own (3).

I will try to follow Valenza's advice in her Manifesto to not stop at "no." She says, "You fight for the rights of students to have and use the tools they need. This is an equity issue. This is an intellectual freedom issue." To me, those are powerful words. I dream that when the time comes, I will be bold enough to advocate for my staff and students; as well as for myself

A VISION OF MYSELF - THE TL IN THE MIRROR

Where will I go with all this 'techno' knowledge, now that I'm at the end of my class? I am positive that I will continue to integrate technologies in my own life as a means of play and curiousity. I will keep blogging at 3 Little Billy Goats to connect with other families who also have a child with Down syndrome. I will continue as an admin for my Flickr group: Down Syndrome in the Family. I will attempt to help teachers at my son's school by introducing them to technologies they might be interested in learning. I will be presenting at the local recreation centre about using a Ning to create an on-line support group for those in the Biggest Loser/Winner program. I will be alert to other ways I can help share my knowledge of Web 2.0 tools in my community.

Above all else - I will continue to learn about new Web tools and use them in my personal life. It is much easier to teach something you are passionate about - and how can you be passionate about technology if you don't use it?

A VISION OF MY OWN DIGITAL NATIVES

This is the easy part - my children are already growing up digitally engaged. I wanted to end with a glimpse at what my boys are doing with technology at home right now.

Kieran (7) recently expressed an interest in learning to type - so we searched for kid-appropriate learn-to-type sites so he could get started. His motivation? To learn to type fast like me so that he could create his own blog and send e-mails to his grandparents and friends. The lessons were quick, interesting, fun, and a lot like playing a computer game. He even set aside time on Saturday morning, leaving behind his favourite cartoons to learn his new skill. He worked at this every day for five days. Then he said he was ready to blog. We set up e-mail for him and a blog site, and he decided to share his new-found knowledge about sharks with the world ("did you know baby sharks swim away from their mothers?").

Liam (5) likes to look up Transformers on the Web. He prints out pictures and cuts them, making his own version of paper dolls. He loves to look up prices of toys, then run to his room to count the change in his piggy bank. He's saving up for some Star Wars Lego.

Aidan (2.5) loves to watch video clips of himself that I've posted on our blog. He also loves to see photographs and videos of other children. We have connected with other families who have kids with Down syndrome, and we are watching videos of them walking and standing to try to motivate him to try it too. We made a video of Aidan going down the stairs backwards and e-mailed it to another family who were wondering how to teach their daughter to master the stairs.

While I believe these Web pursuits are meaningful to my boys (they love computers), I'm careful to limit their screen time, believing that they need a variety of activities to live healthy, active lives. Earlier in this Web 2.0 course, I came across a sentiment by Jamie McKenzie in Digital Nativism Digital Delusions and Digital Deprivation that reminded me that technology should only be a part of our children's worlds - it should not be their entire world:

"Childhood is shifting inside. Some fear the consequences of sensory deprivation
over the long haul with excessive exposure to things digital. A Digital Waste Land is a poor substitute for the rich flavors, smells and touches of the real world.
Leading psychologists have signaled their concern in reports like Fool's Gold. FaceBook, MySpace and Second Life are poor substitutes for face to face ommunities
and the playground" (http://www.fno.org/nov07/nativism.html).

So, while I will continue to encourage my boys to try Web 2.0 tools, I will also work hard to encourage a balanced approach to technology in our life. I will conclude this final assignment with a few photographs of my boys, highlighting some of the ways we will spend our off-screen time.

We will continue to explore the great outdoors:

We will continue to foster a love of reading, both on-screen and in the more traditional ways:

We will continue to engage in playful pursuits:

We will continue to nurture one another:

We will strive to strike a balance in our lives:

CONCLUSION OF THOUGHTS - CONCLUSION OF THE COURSE

I hope that my vision for myself as an educator is not viewed as an overly conservative one (or an incredibly scattered one). I just feel it's important to walk wisely and make sure that when we are integrating technologies into our teaching, that we are doing so in a thoughtful and insightful manner. Digital wisdom is something I hope will be cultivated as schools embrace Web 2.0 technologies, and more teachers find a balance between old and new literacies.

So ends my virtual adventure with Dr. de Groot and the EDES 545 community of learners. I have enjoyed stretching my mind and Web abilities during this class - and have been amazed at the creativity and wisdom of my fellow learners. They are truly an inspiring group of educators! Dr. de Groot, it has been a pleasure taking a class with you again, and hopefully it's only the beginning.

And as for me and my Tea for [Web] 2.0 blog? I may take a little rest, but don't be surprised if I'm back here trying to make sense of my thoughts in the near future.

finis (for now)

Professional Development - and Muppet Grumps 2.0

As a beginning teacher I entered each Professional Development opportunity with enthusiasm and a willingness to change and become enlightened about best practices in education. I imagined that time spent in PD was like a trip to the service station - I could recharge my batteries, get a tuneup, and if I was lucky, all the kinks would be worked out. I would return to the classroom a better, more fuel-efficient teacher. Yes, I was a PD nerd - and I openly admit that.

Imagine my shock and dismay when I realized that not everyone shared my vision! At one of our PD events a small group of teachers were chosen to lead the School Division in it's literacy initiative, a couple of teachers sat at the back and openly ignored our colleagues' presentation. One of the reluctant teachers read the paper, while another marked assignments, and occasionally they whispered loudly to one another about the hockey game. It was obvious that they thought this PD event was a waste of their time, and they made not bones about it. I could not believe they wouldn't give their colleagues the courtesy to at least pretend to listen. They reminded me of the two old grumpy Muppets who sat in the balcony interjecting their negative comments about the performance. I was really disheartened about it, and I quickly learned that teachers have to be willing to develop - they have to "buy-in" - or PD is useless.


Photo courtesy: Alex Watson

While this Professional Development event was about literacy, it could easily have been about technology. It got me wondering - what was wrong with this whole PD experience? Why were there dissidents amongst our ranks? I now believe there were two main problems:

1. This PD session was delivered as a performance to teachers who had to buy-in to the change that was expected to take place. Teachers were told what they needed, rather than asked what they felt they needed. Participation wasn't optional, and there was no customization in play. We were all treated equally - regardless of our subject areas, our teaching experience and our grade levels. As Judi Harris so eloquently put it, when it comes to educational professional development, "One size doesn't fit all."

2. PD should no longer be broadcast through a manual or a CD Rom - Professional Development - especially in technology - should match the very interactive, constructivist and social nature that parallels the very web 2.0 technologies it seeks to support.

Creating a Buzz

How would the two old Muppet grumps at the back of the room responded had this professional development occurred through a different medium than the old standard intructor-led presentation? Consider what would have happened had the "buy-in" premeditated the workshop. Imagine if the Director and School Administrators had followed Camilla Gagliolo's advice in Help Teachers Mentor One Another. Gagliolo's steps for creating a mentoring environment include:

• Identify early adopters and risk-takers who are ready to explore emergent
technology integration ideas
• Plan collaboratively with a focus on student learning
• Create a network of support by holding regular meetings and short training sessions
• Provide extra training and learning opportunities outside the regular network (e.g., attend a conference together)
• Co-teach in the classroom (e.g., provide the extra support when implementing new ideas in the classroom setting)
• Provide personal, ongoing, technical, and pedagogical support
• Observe classroom learning with constructive feedback
• Celebrate success (e.g., share at staff meetings, post on a Web site,
co-present at a local conference, co-author an article)
• Create professional development

I think if even a few of these suggestions were followed, the School Division would have experienced much more success in their PD initiative. Of all the points, I feel "celebrating success" is one of the easiest to institute, but it's also vitally important because it helps to create a buzz in the school, and the ripple effect may actually lead reluctant teachers to become curious about new methods. In One Size Doesn't Fit All, Judi Harris remarks:

"[o]ne of the most popular forms of collaborative learning ETPD [educational
technology professional development] is sharing best practices. This can be done
face-to-face or online, and in multiple formats, such as study groups,
conference SIG (special interest group) or birds-of-a-feather meetings, and
online communities of teachers."

This sharing of success at a grass roots level (such as at your staff meeting), helps to invite bigger professional development opportunities such as mentorship and collaboration; or could lead to an acknowledgment that an expert speaker is needed to facilitate a preferably hands-on workshop experience that teachers are eager to attend and learn from.

Muppet Grumps 2.0

Imagine a 2.0 version of The Muppet Show - the two old grumps would have their i-pods on while texting their comments to Kermit the Frog on their cell phones. They would be blogging their critical reviews of the performances on their laptops even before the fat piggy sings.

Enter from stage left a critical thinker like Judy O'Connell. In Learning Is a Multimodal Conversation she makes a very valid point, that in today's web 2.0 world - the on-line community is already engaging in professional development.

"Bloggers regularly write about Web 2.0 online applications for students,
sharing ideas, tips, and tricks for engaging our digital natives in learning. . . .
As we pour our own words, tags, sounds, images, and multimedia into the
ever-increasing global knowledge and information pool, we have to become adept
at patterns of connectivity in these learning contexts."

With this in mind, I would be very tempted to follow PD activities with an on-line access point to continue to share/think/create. Blogs, nings, podcasts, video and wikis have made it easy for teachers to participate in the "global multimodal conversation" that O'Connell calls "[l]earning."
If we ourselves are using the Web 2.0 tools to further our own education, then it is only a matter of time for reluctant teachers (or grumpy Muppets) to see how useful these tools can be in our student's learning.

How do you Eat an Elephant? Integrating Technology One Byte at a Time

When I was an Education student in 1996, I had a professor who was incredibly dynamic and had a genuine passion for teaching. At exam time our class was feeling pretty fatigued and overwhelmed by the mountain of work we felt we had to climb before the end of term. I'll always remember our professor's pep talk because it was so simple: How do you eat an elephant? (one bite at a time.)

Dining Together - Munching on Collaboration

The process of integrating technology into our libraries and classroom spaces seems daunting at first, much like climbing a mountain or eating an elephant - but if we simplify the process, start small and work our way up and out, great things can and will happen.

When David Loertscher was invited to speak to teacher librarians in Winnipeg last year his big push was to have teacher librarians collaborating more with classroom teachers. His mantra seemed to be: two heads are better than one. Loertscher suggested we revamp the way library time is scheduled - stating that teacher librarians should make extra room for those who wish to collaborate, so that higher-level activities could take place. He was quite practical in saying that not everyone wants to collaborate at first, but once they see the quality of learning that can take place, that collaborative style of teaching will become more valued and valuable. The main point I want to make is that Loertscher had the wisdom to see that a collaborative approach to integrating technologies like wikis and blogs could be done in smaller steps. Teacher librarians need not approach all staff at once, we can start small - with those classroom teachers that are most willing. Then, over time, we can invite the more reluctant teachers to join us (by then, hopefully, they will understand the benefits of collaboration by witnessing it in classrooms around them).

In Avoiding the Digital Abyss, by Rebecca Mullen and Linda Wedwick, we are also presented with a simple approach - they shared 3 practical and relatively easy ways to integrate technology into our schools:

1. Use YouTube to share meaningful - just in time - clips with students.
2. Create Digital Stories - I appreciated their suggestion to focus on storytelling first and technology second - warning that stories tend to become watered down if emphasis is too heavily weighted on technology.
3. Blog - setting up a classroom blog provides an excellent place for homework reminders, book suggestions, podcasts, etc. What I like about the blog platform is the various other Web 2.0 tools that can be used within that space.

Mullen and Wedwick's approach for integrating technology into our classrooms could easily be achieved by many teachers as advanced technological skill to use these tools is not required.

Glimpsing - a Fly on the Wall


My first teaching position was at Davison Elementary School in Melville, Saskatchewan. I would like to spend a little bit of time highlighting this K-6 school because it has, in my opinion, been extremely successful in their integration of technology.

Back in 2000, the grade 4 teacher was interested in documenting her students school year by creating a video which she shared at our year-end assemblies. A couple of years later, the school was designated a Community Access Program (CAP) Site in which the school received a digital video camera and a computer to be used in the school and community (with the intention that the community could access these tools as well). Around this time, a grade 6 teacher pursued her Master's in Education and brought a knowledge and interest in new technologies back to the classroom using SMARTboards and blogs. In 2005, Davison School received the Saskatchewan Public Access Network Award for Excellence and Innovation in Technology, and they received a research grant from the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation. Today, if you view their website and classroom blogs (such as the Grade 1 class blog) you will see students engaging with technology as part of their daily learning.

Why has this small-town school been so successful at integrating technology into their classrooms? I believe there are several contributing factors:

1. A willingness by administration to explore new technologies without an over-protective use of filters.
2. A foreword-thinking Principal that encouraged her staff to learn about emerging technologies.
3. Acquiring funding by applying for technology grants and participating in research studies.
4. Two highly motivated teachers who went on to do their Master's degrees and shared what they were learning about new technologies (such as SMARTboards) with staff. One teacher took on a mentoring role and supported her colleagues in learning and integrating these new technologies. (Incidentally, this teacher is now the Principal and recently won the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence in Teaching; the previous Principal has gone on to be a Superintendent of Schools).
5. A willingness by staff to be mentored.
6. A staff that frequently collaborated on school-wide initiatives such as First Steps with morning breakfast meetings. The collaborative climate was already in place as new technologies emerged.

What I hope I have shown through this glimpse at Davison Elementary School is the idea that small steps can have a tremendous impact on our integration of technology. A couple of highly motivated teachers can pave the way for others to incorporate technology into their classrooms.

Like David and Margaret Carpenter say in their article, All Aboard: "The ripple effect for introducing 21st century learning opportunities can become an unstoppable force in your school’s learning community."

A Mantra (or 2)

I have 2 mantras that move me through those times when work seems overwhelming. One, I've already shared - that is to eat the elephant one bite at a time. The other came to me as I sat in the taxi after my 5 month old son had heart surgery. We were on our way to the airport and were quite rushed for time. The taxi wouldn't start. The driver was apologizing and trying everything. Normally, getting to an airport on time would stress me out. Not anymore. I was calm. I had just handled the hardest situation of my entire life. I was peaceful, and I was certain we could handle any mountain we had to climb. My 2nd mantra is, it's not heart surgery; we'll be okay.


So, while integrating technology into an already crammed curriculum may seem like an overwhelming task, it isn't. It's just technology. It's just another tool to add to the stew. It's not heart surgery. And like eating the elephant, we don't have to wolf it down all at once. Small bites/small steps can be a highly effective way to go. With each step, our comfort level will increase. If we just realize that we're not alone in this - we can experience the strength of collaborating and facing the journey together. We can learn with/alongside/from our students. As Don Knezek (ISTE CEO, 2008) has remarked:

"Teachers must become comfortable as co-learners with their students and with colleagues around the world. Today it is less about staying ahead and more about moving ahead as members of dynamic learning communities. The digital-age teaching professional must demonstrate a vision of technology infusion and develop the technology skills of others. These are the hallmarks of the new education leader."

If we accept the challenge to collaborate in the digital-age, we'll all benefit from the ripple effects.

Privately at odds with Privacy Issues

I gave my privacy away the day I became a mother. No matter where I am in the house, one of my 3 boys finds me. I never imagined washing my hair with a 5 year old on the other side of the shower curtain telling me all the details of his Star Wars Transformer. But, it has happened, and it seems like I'm never alone. And yes, someone is always watching me or listening to what I say.
This week's topic about Privacy has made me realize that I am also being watched on-line. Everything I do on-line is being recorded somewhere. But in the grand scheme of things, does it really matter?

After watching the video Does what happens in the Facebook stay in the Facebook? I was a little shocked that Facebook wants all rights to anything I post there. It doesn't seem very socially polite of them, if you catch my drift (I'm a firm believer in social netiquette). I was also extremely interested in the negative comments regarding this video. One of the cleanest comments (there were several with profanities that I came across) reads as follows:

. . . what exactly does this person put on their facebook that they don't want
other companies to see? For that matter, what does ANYONE put on their facebook
that they don't want others to see? God forbid that they give away the pictures
of her at her college reunion! The only thing anybody would want with your
information is surveys. Do you care that people you don't know know you read
Harry Potter? (Comment posted by nommayomnom 2 weeks ago)

This got me thinking:

Do I care if my information is used in surveys? No. It's a little creepy to think my information is being shared without my knowledge, but I don't post information that I want to keep private anyway, so why does it matter?

Do I care if people know what I read? No. If I post a book on Shelfari that I've read, I'm aware that it's out there for people to see. If I did care, I wouldn't mention it.

Would I care if they gave my photos of my children away? This is where I do care. I believe it's common courtesy to be asked before photos are used elsewhere. I would probably get a little upset if I saw pictures of my children published without my consent. I have to weigh the possibilities of this happening with the joy of sharing with friends and family.

Should I share this knowledge about privacy with staff and students? Probably. I think that it is good to help others be aware of what rights they are giving up while using social networking sites like Facebook, but I think we have to realize that a lot of them simply don't care.

So, why is it a non-issue for some, while others feel so strongly against the lack of privacy that they refuse to use Facebook and such? I realized earlier today while muddling through this issue that there is a lack of urgency for many youth regarding on-line privacy. Look at their privacy role models - Paris Hilton is the one star who comes to mind with regards to their privacy being violated on-line. And look what happened to her - fame. Ms. Hilton has not been jumping on the privacy bandwagon as a result of this experience. As far as I can tell, she hasn't been asked to do school visits to spread the word about protecting your privacy on-line.

Deeper Reasons for Protecting our Privacy Rights

I think we can all agree that there are more serious issues on-line than simple marketing surveys.

In the video clip, Facebook Killed the Private Life, Clay Shirky (author of Here Comes Everybody) asks us to comtemplate: "what are we going to say as a society about looking into other people's lives?" Is it right for employers and schools to search out information about you on Facebook and Myspace?




The most relevant piece of information about privacy that stood out for me from this interview was Shirky's comment about the effects of technology on ones private life:

"What the technology makes possible is colliding with our social sense of this
kind of semi public, semi-private sphere - that's what is being contested,that's
what being fought over. The most serious negative consequence of this is: if we
don't carve out some space for documented personal action that's okay, then we
will really have robbed young people of something they won't even know they're
missing because they never leave the web of surrveillance. "

When it comes right down to the bottom line - there is no bottom line. We have never experienced such a blurring of private and public life before - so we don't know all the answers.
For me, I've been witnessing 2 types of response:

1. Engage in a knee-jerk reaction saying to avoid Facebook and Myspace - such as the recent warning from B.C. College of Teachers (see, Warning for teachers: Facebook can kill career).

2. A proceed with caution approach- and with an awareness that whatever you post can be viewed by anyone, and possibly misunderstood or misinterpreted.

As an educator, I definitely think we should be engaging in these conversations with our staff and students. I also believe this is just the beginning. As a parent I will continue to educate my own children as they grow up with this "web of surveillance" (Shirky) using Doug Johnson's sage advice as presented in Lighting Lamps:

• Write assuming your boss is reading
• Gripe Globally; praise locally
• Write for edited publications.
• Write out of goodness.

I appreciate Johnson's straight-forward manner, and his words are quite wise. These guiding principals to on-line writing could easily be shared with staff, students, and probably pre-service teachers as well.

If we traverse the web of surveillance with knowledge and awareness, and follow guiding principles like Johnson's, I believe many of us can enjoy the benefits of on-line writing and sharing, while at the same time model the public/private balancing act for our students and children.

Book Blog Tour - how Exciting!

I was so excited to read about a Book Blog Tour on a colleague's blog, that I just had to advertise it here. Carol from Edmonton was in the first half of this on-line class with me - but when that class ended - her blog, Teching Around with Web 2.0 kept going! She's hosting the Book Blog Tour for:


Engaging the Eye Generation: Visual Literacy Strategies for the K-5 Classroom by Johanna Riddle


Carol (the other Carol) invites you to "post questions about 21st century literacies and technology integration to the comment section prior to March 6th and [she] will post her responses."

I thought this idea of a book tour on a blog was too good not to share - and also a marvelous truth that even when the class stops, the learning keeps on going.

Teaching - a Slippery Slope to Criminal Activity - Intellectual Property and Copyright

When I first became an elementary teacher I wondered how I was ever going to have enough "stuff" to fill a year of teaching. I felt I had to have thousands of engaging lessons and resources to compliment and guide my students through the curriculum. I had no idea how I was going to build up my resources at hand, but I learned quickly. . . I begged, I borrowed, I stole (just like the teacher before me).

What I discovered is that teachers are like magpies - we steal whatever shiny object we can get our greedy little beaks on - but our thieving ways are totally justified because we're motivated by the needs of our sweet, innocent students. That is our trump card - our students needs.

Do you think I'm exaggerating? I should add that in my 2nd year of teaching I attended a workshop called "All the Good Things I Know I Stole" - by a highly respected educator in the International Reading Association. She modeled stealing intellectual property very well!

Teaching Magpies like Me

Last year I attended a presentation about Copyright in Winnipeg. The speaker provided wonderfully frightening anecdotes about teachers being charged hundreds of dollars for showing movies they didn't have the rights to show. He told us that copying an illustration/character from a book and using it in a bulletin board display was indeed breaking the law. Posting the jackets from picture books around the library, also illegal. Altering a story from it's original format, against the law as well. I'm not entirely sure if the speaker discussed alternatives because I was too busy going through the list of numerous offences I had participated in during that week alone.

Something I learned from this experience is that teaching awareness of copyright is not enough to effectively persuade teachers/students to respect intellectual property. Awareness without providing alternatives is disempowering, and creates a culture of fear. What I needed - and probably what a lot of educators need - is an empowering method of unlearning how we've previously used (stolen) intellectual property so that we can navigate our way legally through the waters of intellectual property.

Luckily, this notion of providing alternatives to stealing is also noted in Mike Ribble's document Passport for Digital Citizenship. Ribble recommends a four-stage cycle of technology integration which "helps the user begin to internalize those issues. It is a cycle because there is no real end to learning. We are constantly learning, relearning, and unlearning information about technology" (p.16). The four stages include: awareness, guided practice, modeling and demonstration, and feedback and analysis.

I believe working through such a learning model with our students will make them more confident with their digital endeavors and make our job as copyright leaders more rewarding. We will be moving away from the thou shalt not.... stance on copyright to the here's what we can do instead stance - that alone is a more powerful and more fulfilling place to locate ourselves.

Free Culturalists & Creative Commons

Doug Johnson discusses intellectual property much more eloquently than I ever could in Changing how we teach copyright Pt 3. In his post, he mentions a growing movement of individuals called "free culturalists" who

"argue that everyone in a society benefits when creative work is placed in the
public domain where everyone is allowed to use and build upon it, that current
copyright laws give the owner too much control and for too long a time."

I feel this all-is-fair-because-it's-out-there approach is somewhat unfair and disrespectful to creators (ironic considering I confessed my thieving ways here). Artists should still have rights over their work, while at the same time, they shouldn't be afraid to display their work for fear that it will be stolen. Like Ms. Janesko in Do Students Respect Intellectual Property, who required her students to gain written permission to use copyrighted materials, I feel it is important to teach students that we have an ethical responsibility to acquire permission to use intellectual property. It may seem like a hassle, or a waste of time to require students to do this, but if we truly value intellectual property, then it is simply something that must be done.

That is why I feel Creative Commons came along just in the nick of time. Creative Commons Licences make it so much easier for students to use images ethically. The following video not only explains very well why Creative Commons was developed, but also illustrates, through it's images, the breadth and depth of the creative artistry we have access to through the Creative Commons:



In this video - two statements stood out for me:

1. "Creative Commons is designed to save the world from failed sharing. For people who actually want to share. . . "
2. "We have all these new technologies that allow people to express themselves, take control of their own creative impulses but the law is getting in the way."

Providing space for artists who want their work to be used is a brilliant idea. I am astounded by the quality of works - one might have assumed that it was a dumping ground for poorly constructed art, since many were providing free access - but there is actually everything from the amazing to the absurd. The very nature of Creative Commons is exciting - I would enthusiastically share this video with staff and higher grade students when discussing copyrights. As I said before, it is not enough for us as Teacher Librarians to say what we can't do -we need to provide an alternative for staff and students that fills their need - and Creative Commons came along at the right time to fill that need.

A Note from the Magpie Gallery

While Situating myself with the other magpies, I've come to realize that what I've actually been doing is modeling bad behaviour. If I expect my students to act responsibly, then I too must act responsibly, and stop stealing. A few years ago, I wasn't ready to make this shift in my thinking - because it seemed too difficult to follow the good life. I turned a blind eye to copyright because I was worried about where I was going to get all my teacher stuff. After I attended the workshop about copyright, I started asking permission from the photographers on Flickr to use their images for my bulletin board displays. I was really excited by their openness to share, and their interest in my use of their photos. It was a positive experience for me.

Now, with the creation of places like Creative Commons, and the feeling that the world is shrinking, and that permission is often just an e-mail away - I have hope of finding it easier to walk the straight and narrow copyright road with a clean conscience.

A Web 2.0 Tool for Families

The boys and I created a smilebox postcard for Valentine's Day. I thought I would share it here as many of you have young children, and those who work in Elementary Grades might like to create a scrapbook for your classes. You can post photos, add text - and your friends/family can comment back to you via the Smilebox page. Lots of fun and easy to set up in the home environment. I wonder if it is as easy at school, or if filters block this too? Anyway, I thought I would post it for you.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Make a Smilebox postcard