Week #6 - Personal Learning Networks

I work in a small school where I am the only Library Media Specialist and I'm new to my position this year. My position is 60%, so I'm only in the school 3 days/week. During the time when teachers meet for collaboration, I am on recess duty or teaching a class. I have very little time for teacher collaboration or connecting with other Library Media Specialists during the school day.

My Professional Learning Network (PLN) allows me to connect with other professionals when the time is right (late nights usually). I can get questions answered and learn great ideas, lesson plans, new technology and more through Web 2.0 tools which help me to connect to other Library Media Specialists and Teachers. At this time, much of my PLN includes students from Plymouth State University where I am currently getting my M.Ed. in Library Media. Since the beginning of this Web 2.0 class, I have found many more people to add to my PLN and many more tools to use for professional networking.

My teaching is positively impacted through this social network of professionals, I couldn't do it without them!

Power Up Your Professional Learning Network

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Week #6 - Professional Development

According to the textbook, Web 2.0 New Tools, New Schools, the effort to implement technology in schools are sometimes held back by teachers. Teachers are not applying what they are learning during professional development programs on technology. Here are some of my thoughts as to why some professional development is not working.

1) Programs are given in the afternoon or summers when teachers are tired or not engaged with students.
2) Programs are offered before the technology is available in the classroom so teachers aren't able to jump right in and use what they learn.
3) Requirements are not made of teachers to use new technology.
4) Support after the program is lacking, teachers get a one-time introduction to the technology, but no support while using it in their classrooms.
5) Learning new technology is time consuming.
6) Infrastructures or equipment don't support the technology so teachers are concerned about starting projects in the classroom. Computers, programs or the internet do not work when teachers need them to.
7) Fear that the students may know more then the teachers do about this technology.

Three important things that should be present to increase technology use in the classrooms are:

1) A requirement that teachers are to be using technology in the classroom. I believe that parents, administration and school boards should raise their expectations as to what is being taught in the classroom and how it is being taught. If it is only suggested that teachers use new technology, they may choose not to.

2) "Just in time" education and training is needed for teachers. Web 2.0 tools can make it possible for teachers to learn when, where and how they need to. Through Professional Learning Networks and online tutorials, blogs, wikis, podcasts, and videos, teachers can get the professional development they need to bring more technology to the classroom. If programs are paid for by the school and experts are brought in, the technology should already be in place so that teachers have an opportunity to use the technology as they learn about it.

3) Funding and support for technology must be available.

Testing Audacity Podcast

Testing, Testing to see if I can create a podcast on audacity then upload it to my blog.

Week #5 - Podcasts

There are so many great educational podcasts out there, but can I just say how much fun I have listening to NPR! I love listening to several of the NPR Programs such as Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me and All Things Considered, but I rarely get to listen to them. My daughters are ages 7 & 11 and when we hop in the car to go somewhere they always request music (although my oldest does enjoy Prairie Home Companion). I'm thrilled to find the NPR podcasts.

Without having heard his podcasts, I would not be able to hear David Sedaris' voice in my head as I'm reading his hysterical books such as Holidays on Ice or Dress Your Family in Denim and Corduroy.

I'm thankful for this assignment. I now have to go listen to another podcast and politely ask my family to not interrupt me...I'm studying.

Week #5 - Streaming Video

This video titled Future of Learning: How Technology is Transforming Public Schools features Scott Kinney, the VP of Discovery Education, discussing technology use in classrooms. This started me thinking about streaming video.

For next school year I was hopeful to get streaming video into our classrooms. Currently our school has a few outdated VHS tapes and even fewer DVDs which our teachers use in their classrooms. In addition our District collectively purchases videos and we pay approximately $1100/year for our K-8 Elementary School's use of the videos and a few other items.

I believe that this money would be better spent on streaming video (we will have bandwidth to support this). I'm hopeful for either Discovery's United Streaming or SAFARIMontage.

Do any of you have schools which subscribe to video streaming? Is it worth paying for subscriptions like these if we can access Teacher Tube or other free videos from our school?

Week #5 - Blogs

Blogs are like the Opinion Column and Letters to the Editor from a newspaper all rolled into one. Blogging is an opportunity to share your personal commentaries on whatever you'd like (opinion column) and it allows other people to make comments on your blog (letters to the editor).

One great advantage I see to blogs is that you can create a professional network. I am a Library Media Specialist (LMS, f.k.a. Librarian) and this could be a lonely job if I didn't search out other professionals in my field. Many schools only have one LMS. I meet once/month with other District LMSs and I'm on a ListServ for New Hampshire LMSs, but sometimes I want to read more about Library Media.

I can find a particularly knowledgeable and experienced LMS blogger and learn all sorts of new information by adding their blog to my RSS and reading updates as they appear.

A few interesting blogs I've found today are:

School Library Media Activities Monthly

ALSC (Association for Library Services to Children)

NH Media Makers

Booktalks --Quick and Simple

Week #4 - Kindles

I know that this class is about Web 2.0 tools, but since we are posting on a topic of our choice, I thought I would look for comments about Kindles. I figure this is a tech savvy group and getting savvier by the minute. Do any of you own a Kindle? You can order newspapers, books, access blogs and Wikipedia anytime, anywhere with your Kindle - does that classify it as web 2.0?

I have considered purchasing a Kindle, but I'm not really certain I would benefit from one. I do quite a bit of reading. Typically I read 2-4 books a month (not including children's books). One of the biggest selling features of the Kindle is that you can save money. If the average cost of a book is $20 and you can get it on a Kindle for $9.99, you could be saving money. However, if you go to the library and get the books you want to read , with the exception of a few that you really want to own, isn't this an even bigger savings?

For pleasure reading, getting books from your school or public library saves the most money!

Kindles have other benefits such as being easy to transport because of its light weight and small size and no wait if you want a book immediately. I'm just not sure if it is worth the cost to me.

Week #4 - Wikis in the Classroom

I could spend hours looking at classroom Wikis designed for and by students. Actually I did spend hours, but I could spend even more. If so many other teachers can use Wikis, why can't I? I'm looking forward to returning to school this year with a Wiki site ready to go so that I can present it to the administration. I think if they can see a site for the School Library Media Center where I am the Library Media Specialist, then they would want to see it used and hopefully other teachers would want to do the same for their classrooms.

I found a great number of Wikis used in classrooms at Wikiswork. Here you will find lots of examples of sites and ideas for Elementary, Middle School and High School Wiki useage.

Another inspiration in my desire to build a Wiki is this 28 minute video by Vicki Davis which explains Wikis and how to use them in the classroom. Watch Vicki's Video to learn more. Also visit the Wiki for Westwood Schools in Georgia, where Vicki Davis teaches. I find this site interesting and easy to use!

If you visit the links in this blog, I think you will agree that every school should be using Wikis in the classroom. They are fun and educational! And if you are like me you will end up linking and linking and linking while you continue to find "Wiki'd Good" ideas. (ok, I'll admit it, I really am a Mainer)

Week #4 - Students and Learning

As I was reading "World Without Walls: Learning Well With Others" by Will Richardson I was moved by 11-year old Laura Stockman using her blog page to help with a community service project. I'm not so much surprised by the fact that an 11-year-old would have a blog page, but the creative way in which she was using it for a good cause. My daughters, ages 7 and 11, have their own blog pages which they currently use for linking games, sharing pet photos, and sharing their Voki avatars.

Although I think that it is great that my daughters are learning how to use this technology and they are having fun with chickenmama.com and elizabriggs.com, I can see other ways in which they could use this technology as they grow and become more comfortable with it.

I am inspired to help students discover new ways in which they may use their sites to benefit others. Students today have the technology and they are using it, but as teachers, can't we still teach them ways to use it better? Thanks for raising the bar Laura Stockman!

Week #3 - Media Sharing

Who knew I was sharing (and borrowing) media all along. I use Flickr, Facebook, Snapfish, YouTube and other media sharing tools and I never thought to lump them together under one title - Media Sharing.

I've been reading a lot about globalization in connection with Web 2.0 tools. The above video is one I enjoy and many of you are probably familiar with already. Click here to learn how Stride gum paid for Matt's trips around the world - Where the Hell is Matt. It reminds me to always look at what we have in common with others, rather than to look at our differences. I also marvel at Matt's simple brilliance. As someone who loves to travel, I think this young man is very smart and very fortunate.

Week #3 - RSS

With RSS (Really Simple Syndication), why would anyone purchase a newspaper anymore when you can save the trees and get only the news you want? Years ago I stopped reading newspapers or watching the news on tv. I found myself becoming too depressed and was angered by a lot of misinformation we receive from the media. Have you ever verified the details in a local newspaper? There are misprints in most articles, quotes taken out of context, and sometimes lies or deceit. Lemony Snicket knows what I'm talking about! I love the newspaper in The Series of Unfortunate Events, called the Daily Punctilio. Don't believe everything you read in print or online!

When I stopped receiving the daily news by print and tv I was worried that I might miss something big. The sky could be falling and I'd never know it. It turns out that through small town gossip, small talk with friends and co-workers, and conversation with my significant other I hear just about everything I ever need to know. The gaps are filled in by my Yahoo homepage where I choose the news and headlines I would like to read. I never realized I was already using an RSS.

Now with my knowledge and use of Google Reader, I can hear the news and opinions from classmates and other blogs I choose to read. I can choose the information I find most trustworthy from a much larger number of news sources.

Although I love using RSS, a question I once heard comes to mind. Will the ability to choose the news we want to hear narrow our opinions? Yes, it is nice to read articles that make me happy or that support my own personal beliefs, but will this escape prevent me from hearing two sides a story and close my mind more around my existing beliefs. I hope that my awareness of this possibility will help to keep me open minded.

Week #3 - Social Bookmarking

Yeah! Diigo is the solution I've been looking for. Learn more about Diigo 2009.

I can now easily locate websites using Social Bookmarking with Diigo. I work on my computer a lot, as I'm certain many of you do as well. I wear many hats and they all involve time on the computer. In the past year I have been an Arbonne Independent Consultant, Library Media Specialist, Graduate Student, Mom, Partner, Daughter, Friend and PTA President. I have several websites which I use every day and many more I want to remember for repeat or future use.

Whether placing an order for Arbonne, checking the swim meet schedule or reading the PTA emails, I visit a lot of sites daily. I have 6 email accounts. Our family has 5 computers and I use a desktop at the school where I work. With the addition of new sites I've been introduced to and I'm now using for this course, I was feeling overloaded, unorganized and frustrated when I would forget how to access a site and would have to search through stacks of papers to locate a URL address. I needed a quick easy way to get to the sites I need from any computer I'm using.

The solution is social bookmarking and I can easily link from Diigo to any site I want. By using tags, I have organized the sites so that I can easily find them. I have a lot more bookmarking and annotating to do, but it is an easy process and I will continue to add to Diigo as I use or discover new sites. The next challenge for me is figuring out how to keep track of all of my login ID's, usernames and passwords.

Week #2 School 2.0

The Department of Education's School 2.0 website offers tools for schools and communities to estimate their needs and dream big in regards to technology needs for their students and community members. There are some good ideas as to how 2.0 tools can be used in schools and communities everywhere. I particularly like the video interviews by members of the school and the community.

I currently live in a town where we are building a new K-8 school and now is the right time for us to make considerations as to how this building will support future generations of students during times of rapidly changing technology. The information found on the School 2.0 page reminds me that many people are stakeholders in this new school and should be involved in the decision making for this new building. We need to consult individuals who are knowledgeable about bandwidth and design needs for the building during the progression of the building so that we will be up and running when we move to the new school in Fall, 2010.

Week #2 - Learning about Web 2.0 through PSU's online course

Less than two weeks into the Plymouth State University course "Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom" taught by Kimberley Tufts, I have learned more about Web 2.0 tools than I imagined possible. Not only have I learned what Skype, Blogs, RSS and Wikis are, I have actually had an opportunity to use these tools as well.


Most of what I knew before this course I learned from a YouTube Video about Web 2.0 which my significant other, Mike, shared with me. Until I began using these tools, I was not sure what the real purpose or benefit of each one was. I kept wondering why I would ever want to use Skype when the phone itself is easy to use and I already have great long distance service. I then realized I have great service in the United States, but not beyond. I began to see the benefit of global use with free calling services. I started to think bigger and outside of the box which holds the tools I already use everyday.

Also, with Skype's video call option, my daughters can show off their new kittens in action to Grammie in Maine...something they can't do over the phone.

Web 2.0 is about thinking outside of our existing "toolbox" and connecting to the world. All of this global thinking reminds me of a video I recently watched which touched my heart and reminded me how much we are all connected. Read this short introduction and watch the video, "Stand by Me", while you think about ways new technology tools can be used to reach out and keep you connected to the world.

I am currently enjoying vacation in Maine with Mike and my two daughters. We will be home for a couple of days and I plan to catch up on my coursework, including this blog, before heading to Cape Cod for the weekend. I've been doing some work while away, but mostly enjoyed the sunny days kayaking and golfing. Let's hope for more sun!