Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

In lurking around the SLJ’s “All Together Now” Netvibes page, I’ve discovered many new blogs by school librarians to follow. Quite obviously some are rather experienced, but many others are very experienced. The new bloggers are using a variety of platforms to test the waters, and I’ve seen many Edublogs, Wordpress, and Blogger blogs. I have always had a strong dislike to the Google Platform known as Blogger or Blogspot.

One reason for this dislike is of this particular platform is it seems to be blocked a lot by k12 schools, more than likely due to the bar that rides across the top and includes a link to the “next blog” which is randomly loaded. The issue here, I imagine, is the chance that the next blog will be significantly less than educational. I initially tried blogger, but when I decided it was risky due to that little feature, moved over to Edublogs, which I’ve grown quite comfortable with, and must say the behind the scenes helpers have been immensely nice and generously helpful with any issues I have had. (thanks Sue!!)

Another issue I had with Google’s Blogger platform was the feed. While it behaved like a blog, allowing comments and feed I could subscribe to in my reader, it lacked a feature I liked in Wordpress and Edublogs–>a comment feed. The comments feed allows one to read blogs in their reader as if they are a conversation. When people asked me what platform they should try, I would suggest first Edublogs, then Wordpress, and then strongly steer them away from Blogger, no matter how easy it was reported as being. Why? No comments feed available. Well, I guess Google got wind of this complaint (surely not from little ol’ unimportant me). They have made the fix and made it possible for Blogger users to add in their subscription feeds to their side bars–both for all posts and all comments. (How? Simply go into the dashboard, find layout, add a page element, and select subscription feeds.)

What does this mean? It means now I can subscribe to their posts and comments, and really feel a part of a conversation happening in a blog. As it was, if I followed a blogger user, I had to leave my aggregator to read comments. Now they will come to me in my reader. W00T.

No, I’m not going back to Blogger. But I will stop steering newbies away from it. I will recommend it AFTER Edublogs, and then only as a last resort. Sorry Google–lose the risky and totally unecessary “next blog” feature. Make that an optional feature instead.

“Blogger-Logo.”
http://www.elertgadget.com/images/blogger-logo.JPG

“Edublogger.”
http://edc.carleton.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/edublogs.jpg

“Wordpress-Logo.”
http://www.breakitdownblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/wordpress-logo.png

The SLJ All Together Now version of 23 Things is now in its 2nd week, and “thing 3″ calls for us to subscribe to a podcast or two and tell why we like it. Yesterday I wrote about Bob Sprankle’s Bit by Bit. Today I thought I’d plug the upcoming K12 Online Conference, which starts its 3rd annual event October 13, 2008 (with an introductory keynote) followed by two weeks of forty presentations (October 20-31, 2008.) I have participated in the last two years, and plan to be there for the 3rd annual conference too. Best, it is ALL online, so I don’t have to go “anywhere” in particular, and even better, it’s totally FREE. It has been promoted as free, flexible and forward thinking. This is last year’s logo, but it really speaks to what the K12Online Conference is all about. Free is self explanatory–it doesn’t cost you a dime in travel, hotels, lodging or any of the other amenities we commonly associate with attending a typical conference. Flexible describes it well, because participants choose when and where they partake of “most” of the offerings–there are a few events that are live, but most of those are even archived. Forward Thinking (Progressive & Practical) is also used in describing the K12Online Conference too, as participants can capture a true vision for forward thinking from great presenters who share fabulous and usefull tried and true tips for engaging learners using 21st century skills. (Gee I sound like a commercial.) But its true! There is something for everyone here, from the true novice beginner to the professional keynoter who alredy knows it all. This year’s theme is “amplifying possibilities.”

I know I will blog about this again nearer to the actual dates of the conference, but for those out there who have decided to participate in “All Together Now” 23 Things, here is a wonderful podcast series that you can go ahead and take advantage of now. Subscribe to the K12 Online Conference and GRAB learning on the go that will NOT disappoint you. Yes, it will be last year’s content, but the content is still wonderful. I think this picture from a set in lynetter’s photostream says it all. This is true especially for podcasts, no matter when, where, or even how we consume them.

Where are the K12 Online feeds? Here

Image Attributions:

“Online Things Can Live Forever.” 1 February 2007. lynetter’s photostream (set “interesting Snippets”). July 29, 2008. <http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/376632696_3f4d7a3755.jpg?v=0>

K12 Onlince Conference Banner 2008
http://k12online.ning.com/

K12 Online Conference 2007 Image
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2247/1520649674_db1606ee7d_o.jpg

Today is an optional staff development day in my husband’s school district. He is as busy as ever making sure 120 presenters have their needs met including making sure there are students for the session that calls for it. Yes–students. Marc Prensky is in the building, and I’ve just sat through 2 sessions–a keynote titled “Engage Me or Enrage Me: Educating Today’s Digital Learners” and then a panel discussion with students titled “Interview with the Digital Natives.”

Brutally Honest

The kids were fabulous! All I could think was once they had their nerve up, they were more than willing to tell it like it is! When asked about the amount of time students spent using technology in school, across the board students said very little. When asked to speak about a memorable project or assignment, the students visibly struggled. And when they were describing it, you could almost read “guilt” on their faces for not being able to share something really dynamic. Only one could share about a memorable project that allowed him creativity and to reallly think outside the box, and his was in a “technology” course–>he worked with a business to design a website that would allow them to showcase and advertise their product. Authentic–real world. The school has had an influx of interactive boards and technology, but across the panel the kids said their teachers did not seem to know how to use it effectively, and gave examples of it being an expensive screen for the projector or a super-sized worksheet. I loved it when a student described how the teacher would scan writing, and then the teacher and/or kids used their board to edit. I was embarrassed, as I have done exactly that activity myself before. My question is how is this any different from former complaints by teachers of the “one computer in the classroom?”

What’s Next?

I go back after lunch to hear Prensky again, and the title of that session is “Turning on the Lights: Why Schools Must Compete, and How to Do It.” My guess it is going to be about taking the learning global. I was fairly familiar already with his keynote, so hopefully he will give me something new to take away. I’m carrying my laptop to the next one, even though I won’t have connectivity. I will be able to take notes, and maybe post them here in my blog to share. Pictures to share later this afternoon! (I don’t have the cord for the camera with me.)

After Lunch take away–>Get on YouTube

Well I went after lunch to his session, and he was as relaxed as ever, and encouraging folks to just voice concerns and ask questions. It was interesting to hear the fear in their voices–a fear I do not have. One teacher brought up his comment form this morning that kids should be allowed to use calculators, and that long division and multiplication tables were time wasters in the class (my phrasing, not his.) I loved his example of how the clock became a standard piece of classroom teaching–how formerly we learned to tell the time by the sun. What did I leave with? Gaming, while very relevant to kids, has yet to be made into a concept ready for school. (Oh no, I don’t know if I’m ready for gaming to become “schooly.”) He says those in the field who are doing great things should post their great things to YouTube. He strongly suggests teachers while gathering resources for units of study check YouTube to see what is there. He says we as teachers can bring down the walls of our classrooms by using social networking tools geared towards educators. OK, so nothing really new here. But it pleased me that the educators there were very much in-tune with his message and recognize that he is like a fountain slaking their thirst to be better educators, and they want learning to be relevant to our 21st century learners.

Image Attribution:

Image: ‘Thirst for Knowledge‘
www.flickr.com/photos/7809479@N08/1632564574

Image: ‘Prensky-HiRes‘
www.marcprensky.com/speaking/default.asp

I am working on my slides for the panel discussion. I’m sure i will tweak them again and again before the big day. But here is round one of the editing process. They may take on a whole different look before then, but who knows?

My contribution focuses on professional development–us getting it and giving it–using 2.0 tools. Anyone have any suggestions? I’ll gladly take them!

| View | Upload your own

Draft 2

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BUMMER! I’m having difficulty with the embed feature, and so while I work t resolve it, you can see my work in progress here. UPDATE: Fixed! thanks to Sue Waters.

June 18, 2008 I am scheduled to give a half day a.m. workshop on Web 2.0 tools and I’ve been given some freedom and flexibility on what I do and how I do it.  I am planning to show a few short videos, get a Twitter hello w/ advice, and Skype in a few folks.  I have personally contacted a few already, but have decided to use my blog (and Twitter) to solicit more volunteers.  I just want some people to allow a skype (w/video or not–the choice is yours) to talk to my audience about how you personally use any 2.0 tools for professional development or projects with students.

I am not talking an hour commitment or anything like that, just a short, sweet “hello” and “here’s an idea or example I’d like to share.” Actually I’ll limit volunteers to no more than 10 or 20 minutes at the most.

Please contact me if you are willing. I am on the east coast, so eastern time rules. I’ll help with the time conversion if you need it. This would be so AWESOME, and what better way to talk about and/or showcase 2.0 tools than to utilize them in my session?

Did I mention my target audience is teacher-librarians–AKA school library media specialists?  These are your potential head collaborators at your schools, and I want to equip them with some knock-your-socks-off project based learning ideas they can take back to their schools.

Okay, if you can’t be available to help out, perhaps you can make a video or podcast hello with a tip, example, or advice?  I would be MOST appreciative! Use the comments here or the contact form on the blog to join me for this endeavor.

Attribution:

I haven’t written in a while. I’ve been really busy, and I’m on the final checkout sheet that teachers must have initialed before they can leave, so I sit here ready to go, and just waiting for the ones who still need a signature by the library/technology statements. Earlier this week a school library student ( a current practicing teacher working on a grad degree in library science) contacted me asking if i would be her interview for a paper she was writing in one of her grad classes. The topic? Blogging and 2.0. We tried a couple of times to arrange a skype interview, but my crazy schedule kept getting in the way, so finally she asked if i would just respond in an email. After doing my best to complete it, I decided to post some of it here (removing specific school references that I did not feel at liberty to publicly post.)

I say it is an “End of School Year Reflection, Sortof” because it is more like a summary of my knowledge at finger-depth’s level in the world of blogging and 2.0. While I seek to be a role model and exhibit best-practice, this makes me realize I have such a long way to go and grow. But that’s the nature of 2.0–ever evolving and changing daily, isn’t it?

So this may be long and tedious to read, but I will post anyway. So much for my promise to post shorter entries from back in January.

The Interview: Questions and My Answers

Question 1: How do use your school media center blog? What are its purposes?

I have used my school media center blog as a forum for discussions. I thought (or intended) to use it for book discussions) but never did really push it in that direction. I may even scrap the whole school blog next year, and go with a wiki for different projects or discussions so I can invite students to add. Right now the school media center blog has too much “ownership” by me and not the students.

Question 2: Describe the responses to your blog by Administration? Teachers? Students? Parents? Other community members?

Ho Hum. When I push it, kids will use it to respond to discussions. But if I don’t remind or point blank ask students to use it, it basically goes unnoticed. One of my teachers reads and comments on my blog. I have made him a 2.0 convert and junkie. It seems to have made him more interested in lesson plans and collaborating or brainstorming for ideas, and his students seem to get very excited about his class.

Question 3: What inspired you to first create your both your school blog and professional blog?

My inspiration began several years ago (maybe 2004) when Alan November was a keynote speaker at 2 different conferences that I attended (and both were basically state level conference.) But he awakened a part of me that no other educator on a speaker circuit had ever done before. He introduced me to Skype then too, which I used for a while, but gave up. It was too new then. I got back into skype in 2006 and actually intro’d it to my Mom. Now my Mom says, “Do not call me, Skype me.” Lately though I’ve had very little time to use it. But the point here is that Alan November introduced me to global learning and global tools. I began to seek out other educators who blogged, as it was becoming a buzz word in the educational technology world. In 2005, I decided to attend NECC in Philly. I literally had my eyes opened. Now my district then was way into the Schlecty material (engaged learning, Working on the Work.) The educational technology mantra then seemed to morph into relevant and meaningful learning with 21st century tools embedded–NOT teaching and then trying to find a way to integrate technology. So suddenly I was gaining a richer understanding of meaningful work for students. Here (NECC) is where I learned names of some of the top movers and shakers in educ’l tech and library, like Alan November, David Warlick, Will Richardson, David Jakes, Gary Stager, Kathy Schrock, Joyce Valenza, & Doug Johnson.) At least those were my “first” bloggers that I followed. I wasn’t brave enough then to write one, but i devoured these bloggers’ written word. Since then I’ve attended many conferences, specifically NECC annually, and these conferences help me network with other forward minded educators that inspire me to explore and do more.

Question 4: What advice would you give to others, whether classroom teachers or media specialists, who want to start blogging?

I would say find a group of bloggers who resonate within, and read them. Once you have begun reading more than a handful, learn to use a reader (like google reader or Bloglines) for management (as these free programs will tell you when there is new content, and you won’t waste time visiting blogs that do not have anything new.) Learn about the bloggers you read. Learn who they read. Once you have done that, decide if you want to be a blogger. One doesn’t have to jump in to be a part of it. Being a reader/commenter can be just as rewarding. If one decides to develop a blog, seriously reflect on who the intended audience is as well as the purpose for the blog. Research the blogging platforms well. Ask what other bloggers use and why. (I currently use Edublogs, primarily b/c it is not blocked as much as other blogging platforms. I also find the interface easy to use. Many beginners use Google’s Blogger, but I seriously detest it. I find it somewhat unprofessional in the look and feel, though they have made some improvements and changes.) If one creates it, don’t get discouraged if there are no comments for a while. That will come. To cultivate a readership is a difficult thing to do, but it can be done. Simple things like adding your blog to a signature file can help. The best way to draw readers is to comment on other blogs, and leave the URL for your blog in the place calling for a URL. Often times bloggers will visit the links that commenters leave, including your own blog. If your comment resonates with them, they may add you to their reader. Also other visitors to that blog may read your comment and decide they want to “follow” you as well. Eventually you will have cultivated a readership. So don’t get discouraged or feel like you are writing to yourself. Reflective writing is very rewarding in itself.

Question 5: Have you encountered any issues concerning privacy, access, etc. that you would consider noteworthy? If so, please describe them. What are your thoughts on blogging and copyright issues?

I have not faced any issues of privacy or access. But being in a public school that uses filtering, it is constantly on my radar. I try to cite all photos used in my blog, and I also strive to use pictures that have a creative commons license. As an LMS, I feel I should model citing when I use material (especially pictures) that are not mine.

Question 6: I also saw that you have a professional blog called TechnoTuesday that offers lots of useful information and technology tips for both classroom teachers and media specialists. Can you tell us a little about that blog and how it differs from your school media blog?

This is my primary blog, the one I spend more time on. It allows me connections to other educators, both teachers and LMS’s. Networking through the tools gives me a wider perspective on issues. I like to consider this a vital part of my professional learning network (PLN).

Question 7: Have you involved any students/teachers in blogging? If so, how, and what were some of the results?

Being in the library has not really afforded me an opportunity to do that. It may be that I just have not pushed it either. But I have tried to get other educators on board, and I can say I have successfully gotten other LMS’s to do some, and I have 2 teachers here who have created blogs. Only one uses it regularly, and he loves it. He uses it for parent information as well as student info. He is at http://mrgranito.edublogs.org. I am very proud of his accomplishment as a new blogger, and yes, we collaborated a good bit on his creation, and even got a few kids to do it. They are in his class, and they have their blog in his blogroll.

I was asked back in March to do the “teacher” career for career day here at school. I wanted the kids to hear a fresh voice instead of me, so I arranged for several educators from all around to speak using Skype to my 3 groups. I had a 5^th grade teacher, Lisa Parisi, from Long Island, New York. I had a 6^th grade teacher, Chrissy Hellyer, from New Zealand. I had commitments from Dean Shareski and Alec Couros, both educators from Canada, one a k12 level educational technologist, and the other a college level professor. I had Doug Johnson, media coordinator from Mankato, MN. All were to skype in at certain times. Too bad after my first two, we lost our school’s internet connection. It was very memorable though.

Question 8: I noted from your professional blog that you have been involved in several professional development activities with blogging and using other
Web 2.0 applications. Can you tell us a little about those? Were you facilitating the workshops? What are some highlights you would mention to
listeners?

For the last few years I have been presenting at local and state conferences, and recently I have begun to present on the 2.0 topics. I have done several presentations on the value of reading blogs and using a reader at the library conference, a couple of teacher conferences, our state technology conference, and our annual administrator’s conference (3 yrs in a row for them.) I have also begun visiting schools and districts to do workshops (half-day) on podcasting or just global 2.0 in the schools. I wrote in my blog a good while back about a parent workshop i did at school. This garnered me an invitation to come to Charleston, SC to do this same preso at school for their parents. I said I would come if they would modify it some, and include a panel of experts that included an admin, teacher, guidance, social worker, SRO, lawyer, college entrance officer, and students. Yes Students. I suggested they allow me to do my spill, and then turn it over to a panel discussion that included me and the others they could get, and it was beyond belief how well it went, AND how wonderful the discussion was. OH, and they paid me. How awesome is that? This one is the one that stands out the most, but I do love spreading the message to parents, students, and teachers. It seems the toughest sell is teachers. Go figure. The administrators who have heard me have been highly complimentary, and they are the reason I get invited to do workshops around the state. I say I am cultivating my next job in 6 years when I can retire–>Consultant. But who knows, in six years I may not be as up on the tools. I can’t back up a lot of what I’ve learned with real world classroom experience–yet. And my interest and focus could change too. So who knows?

9. Are you aware of other media specialists in your district who blog? If so, what is the level of collaboration among them in developing this tool?

No other school level LMS’s in this district blog, but I do have a folder in my reader of SC LMS’s that blog. I am sad to report its very small in number but the ones who are blogging, either through their library or personally are very progressive. Our district media coordinator has set up two blogs for summer reading, but it is in its earliest stages–very knew to many in the district. (The rest of my answer here has been cut for personal reasons.)

10. What do you consider the biggest advantages to blogging in the school media center?

I’m not sure I see any advantages yet for students. They see blogging as “schooly” if I can use that word. But I think educators who use it in the classroom have caused that, which is another reason I have not totally pushed the media center blog. I don’t want it it be like school-work. But it does allow students to read and see that they have different perspectives, and it does give them a forum to express their opinions.

11. Can you provide any insight as to the future of blogging in school libraries and classrooms and what the implications are for students and
their achievement?

Blogging per se I fear will be molded into something schooly, and lose steam. Like most new things, schools adopt them and then “beat them to fit, paint them to match.” It will lose its authenticity then. I don’t want to say blogging will not work, but I do want to say that the use of them will have to be authentic and engaging for student learning, and not just something else students and/or teachers have to do. I can only think of a few examples where educators use it as a vehicle for learning, and they have a “walled-garden” type set up, either with private blogs, moodles, nings, or class blogmeister. I don’t necessarily agree with the walled-garden concept. If educators can create social network atmosphere similar to face book or myspace, they will probably have more success. Students want to see the tools they use out of school in school. Having a blog will not necessarily meet that need, especially if it is not provided with exciting, interesting school lessons. I hope that makes sense.

12. What are you thoughts on/experiences with using some of the other Web 2.0 applications (podcasting, social networking, etc…) either separately or in conjunction with blogging?

I love the tools and use them myself quite frequently for my own learning. I have used Twitter for quick help or a place to vent. I am on some of the nings (Classroom 2.0, TeacherLibrarian, etc.) as well. These allow me to network with other educators who use 21st century tools. I can get many ideas for real classroom application as well. Ustream is really beginning to play a big roll in my use of 2.0 tools as well, and I’ve heard that much of NECC and November’s BLC Conference will be Ustreamed so virtual attendees can participate. I follow many podcasts, and have gotten teachers to explore podcasting as a vehicle for demonstrating concept mastery. We are also playing a lot with video editing, though we are not publicizing it through the 2.0 tools yet.

I still feel very much like a beginner at a lot of this stuff, and don’t really use it as much as others. This summer at NECC in San Antonio I will be sitting on a panel discussion with Joyce Valenza and others to discuss using 2.0 in school library. I can only hope I have the expertise they have.

Image Attribution:
Steffon. “Skype Phone” re-ality’s Photostream. 8 September 2005. 7 June 2008. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/re-ality/41676755/>.

Who holds the keys to the locked gate for Internet Access?

Recently a colleague posted a survey to a list I’m a member of, and in essence shared that all mp3s, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and virtually all Web 2.0 tools are filtered where she works. It has added some interesting comments to the mix — geez I wish it were on a blog!

So I’m going to put it here – at least my contribution. I want to know what others think.

My thanks

First I must say I am thankful for the ability to login and bypass blocked content for instructional purposes. I also feel my district listens to requests from teachers for unblocking content, even if only for a little while.

Why do we need filters?

But honestly, in my opinion unengaging classes and unstructured time at a computer is the root for the most part of students’ quest to get to blocked content, and there are hundreds of proxies that grant access, despite the best filtering software. Sometimes I think the filters are for lazy teachers who are not engaging their students or worse, causing teachers to be lazy — i.e. I don’t feel good so let’s go to the lab for “research” or “free-writing.”

I may be wrong too, but I think if the social networking sites that teens are into, like MySpace, Facebook, and more were not blocked, kids would be all about it for one week or so, and then be so over it. They clamor for it now b/c its the “forbidden fruit.”

You will always have that 10-20% who make bad judgments, and then rules are made for the 80% + who never even thought to break them. Completely blocking is not the answer either.

But the heavy handed way some districts are blocking (like NO incoming mail from gmail–what on earth is with that??)

It just seems there should be significantly more conversations and real communication b/w students, parents, teachers, taxpayers, and the gate keepers for the filter. We are all stakeholders in this. Allowing our input or voices to be heard gives us ownership for why the filter is used, and why we filter out some content.

Where do kids learn the tools now?

If we are to prepare our students for the 21st century, we have to let them use a few of the 21st century tools. Let’s not forget that a structured classroom environment is a better place to expose students to the tools, rather than in the student gathering places at schools, like courtyards, parking lots, and hallways, or away from school and supervision, like friends’ houses, where for the most part the time and location is unstructured and wide open for misinformation AND misuse.

The cellphones of today are all that is needed to post a video to YouTube. Is it any wonder we are seeing more and more educators rants plastered there? (visit this link from Scott McLeod’s Dangerously Irrelevant to see six samples.)

If we must filter, then give us some flexibility with the filter.

I am not against filters. I am against the total way some districts block everything, and turn a deaf ear to teacher requests.

Thank you HCS for offering me a portal to use material that is filtered, and allowing me as an educator the ability to request material to be totally unblocked, or unblocked for a short time. It does make a difference in my happiness on the job. It makes me feel respected as a professional adult who can make judgment calls about what tools I choose to teach with.

Your Turn

Tell me what your district or environment does, how it makes you feel, and most important, how to help the districts that unlike mine, offer no way for educators to bring in 21st century tools for 21st century learners.

• What advice can I offer my colleague who wants their filter loosened a bit?
• Is it better to offer us a way to get by that locked portal, or continue to challenge students to find proxies?

Attribution:

Image: ‘Prison Planet‘
www.flickr.com/photos/10646468@N02/1003163361

Image: ‘rusty-lock‘
www.flickr.com/photos/8323834@N07/500995147