Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

I ma still trying to process the entire NECC 2008 experience, though it is difficult. This year was the year of the C’s if someone had to ask me–there were many buzzwords that began with C, and not k–just those from the theme:

Connect

Convene

CoLearn

Collaborate

Create

Some highlights:

The keyring that Kevin Honeycutt brought. Teachers come to short trainings (Fifteen minutes?) aand at end of sessions, receive a plastic laminated tag for their keyring. The front has the 2.0 tool name on it (i.e. Twitter, Plurk, Flickr, etc.) and the back has the URL and sometimes the name/contact of a helpful person.

Here we are –rocks stars for the moment right after our session at necc, but in all likelihood more like glowing in the shadow of Joyce Valenza, certified teacher librarian rock str–the rest f us, back up singers/players who may eventually grow into our own. (Picture bottom l-r:Carolyn Foote, Joyce Valenza, Diane Cordell, Judy O’Connell, top row, l-r: Anita Beaman, me.) Where is Joyce’s badge? She such a known entity here at NECC, none is really needed.

My dinner mates (minus Scott McLeod, who is taking the picture) form Tuesday PM. We went to Rosario’s on South Alamo, and it is true I’m afraid. Doug Johnson, while in all his greatness in libraryland, is a self professed curmudgeon! (Pictured l-r: Mighel Ghulin, Ann Johnson, aka LWW, Wes Fryer, Dough Johnson, me)

EBC was fun–not the same as 2007, but I didn’t expect it to be. I expected more participants, and i was not disappointed. Conspicuosly absent for me–> John Pederson.

Still trying to figure it all out.  Can anyone else think of the C words that were buzzing?

I arrived for the UTC around 7:20 AM and was very surprised at how quickly that happened.  It was just under a 2-hour drive and easy.  I was dismayed though to discover my sessions were scheduled for Thursday and not today as I had planned, and had to apologetically withdraw/cancel my sessions for tomorrow.  I have a meeting in Columbia at the State Department of Education, and it is one I cannot miss. I (along with others) will be working with other educators across the state on a curriculum project and even though I am not sure of the exact details, this is an opportunity to demonstrate that teacher librarians are partners in instruction and collaborative planning, and can be an asset in the development of standards-based instruction. Since way too many schools use the teacher librarian as holding area so teachers get a planning period, I want to do my very best in this project.  I love brainstorming project design.  Hopefully I will “represent” teacher librarians well.  It is important that teacher librarians help change the view that so many have, that which is incorrect.  So I feel this is more important than the UTC tomorrow. I am disappointed though because I am leaving the conference with 2 empty spots, and this is the first time ever I’ve done this.  I am also missing what I’m sure will be fabulous sessions and a keynote by David Jakes.

Mind Boggling

Today’s material was mind boggling and terrific.  I commend the planners for the UTC.  I really thought it would be difficult to top attending a conference the day before that featured a keynote and 2 sessions by Marc Prensky, but Ewan McIntosh blew my mind.  He is probably the strongest “think outside the box” speaker I’ve ever heard.  I left with many ideas on rethinking my approach to teaching, using video games in a classroom, and how to have fun with pictures that tie into the curriculum.   I remember reading McIntosh last July while BLC was happening (in both his blog and a skype backchannel), and he wrote some outstanding material about Resnick’s contribution, which focused on keeping the term “play” relevant throughout all grade levels, not just preschool/kindergarten.  I wondered if Ewan would be able to top it from back then, but he has shown me even more, taking it to a higher level for me.  If you do not read Ewan McIntosh, you should.  Ewan, you are a ROCK STAR in the field of education for me, forging a new way to think about learning.

Like brothers and sisters

I am still processing all that I learned today, and trying to collect my pictures.   I’ll share them as soon as I get them.  Pat (aka Loonyhiker) sent me one we had taken together today (but it’s not available under creative commons.).  It was nice to group up with so many in my PLN, like Ewan, Jakes, Chris Craft, MaryAnn Sansonetti, Julia Davis, Pat, Heather Loy, and others.  We had a great time today, and oddly enough each session I attended had me sitting with or by several from this group. I guess we all think a little bit alike, though that would make sense if we are truly a PLN.  When I first arrived after meeting up with Pat, I followed Chris Craft into the auditorium, where we saw David Jakes and Ewan McIntosh.  Ewan hopped down from the stage, greeted me warmly by calling me by my Twitter name, and then firmly planted a kiss on each of my cheeks.  He exclaimed, “You look just like your avatar picture!”  That’s the beauty of a PLN—we all feel some kind of brotherly/sisterly connection.  These people are not strangers at all. They frequently mirror my thoughts and extend my thinking/learning.

P.S.  I did sit right in the front row as I vowed yesterday! Best, I had David Jakes on my left, and Chris Craft on my right! What more could a girl ask for? Brilliance all around.  Oh no, I guess I really am some sort of edtech groupie.  Pictures to come, I promise.

“Mitch Resnick”
Photo by Ewan McIntosh licensed under Creative Commons Attributon 2.0 Generic

Okay so Wordle has been the rage in the bloggosphere of late, and many are making tag clouds for their Delicious Accounts. I can’t because I hate to admit this, but my delicious account is a mess, one that I seriously need to take the time and clean up. Why? I have tags that only have meaning to me. My tags would not mean anything to anyone else. Like what? Well like dates for when I need something–it is a tag. See what I men? Meaningless to anyone but me.

So I was missing out on the Wordle fun! This morning I took time to check out Wordle, and wow the possibilities. I discovered that Wordle will make a cloud out of any writing. I made a cloud (above) of my June archive in my blog. My hot topics are school, blog, learning library, media, teachers, & students. I’m pleased to see I focus more on “learning,” but disappointed that the word “teacher” and “student” still seem to be prominent words in m vernacular. I had a goal not too long ago to try and replace those two words synonymously with “learner.” Well at least I can see the effort is there.

I can definitely see the possibilities of this in the classroom, particularly a classroom where writing is emphasized. It will help writers see what words are used in abundance (or overused). I can just imagine the word “like” hugely displayed in most middle-schooler’s writing. I can also imagine a lot of txt-talk there as well. I am looking forward to sharing this with the learners who lead in the classroom at my school.

I’ve been reading in different places (Blue Skunk, Leader Talk, Dangerously Irrelevant, just to name a few) about how k12 education has such a stronghold on tradition, despite evidence that tradition is holding us back.

Examples that come to mind:

• 9 month calendar instead of year-round school
• Textbook driven courses
• Curriculum driven test scores
• Students still required to have paper and pencil
• Rows in the classroom that face the teacherBoard at the front of the room
• Teacher imparts knowledge on studen
• Mastery is demonstrated only through testing
• Grades decide success (data driven decision making rules)
• Computer labs have rows of tables with computers side by side and numbered, all facing the front of the room where a teacher may lead instruction

I even see much of tradition affecting my context – the library:

• Gatekeeper of books
• The need to scan every book out of place for an “in-library use” so circ stats support keeping the library
• Books constantly straight and even, almost pristine and untouched.
• Labels to say checkout, don’t check out, read me, you can’t read me in their own special way
• Heavy emphasis on literacy and reading programs, with little emphasis on literacy of the digital side.

So what signs would tell a different story? Even when I visited the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, without the students there, I would have suspected a traditional school. The only difference I saw were in the ways of the learning, where I saw tables instead of desks, laptops instead of textbooks, groups of varying sizes in each class, some appearing on task, others seemingly off. Evidence of project based learning. But the difference here was the students seemed to be learning despite their focus or lack of focus on the teacher.

What characteristics help identify a more progressive school setting? The human factor and their actions can say it all. Our schools for the most part continue to be designed in the traditional sense. A new, first time opening school in most areas will still have desks for kids, desks for teachers, boards in the room, and depending on the wealth of the location, some technology including projectors, interactive white boards, and other gadgets. But what sets apart a traditional from a progressive school in ideas and thinking is still the human factor.

I sure wish more of the human factor would join the ranks of progressive thinking in K12 education. I am tired of tradition and feeling behind.

Image Attribution:

Image: ‘Ecological consequences‘
www.flickr.com/photos/31929257@N00/345712329

Image: ‘final exam‘
www.flickr.com/photos/34017702@N00/74907741

2 incidents–and I’m thinking…

This evening I was reading my reader, and branched out to comment on Mr. Granito’s Blog. You see, he was lamenting many variables about testing that he cannot control, like what kids bring to school with them as a mindset on test day. I tried to relieve his concerns with a comment and then cheer him on with an upcoming really cool project we (mostly he) has planned. But I wanted to assure him that I’d be there to help, which made me think of this song.

Also this afternoon, I relieved some concerns for a group of 8th graders who came a couple of days ago looking for cool sound effects to use in their skit for English. As we looked online, we found many–for sale. And much of even those were blocked. The boys left disappointed but vowing to get their sound effects from home, even it meant making them on their own. I contacted higher ups, and was promised a cd of sound effects by Friday. I expressd as much to the teacher over this skit project, who responded with a lot of shocked thanks and she wished she had thought to collaborate with me from the get go on ths project. She had no idea the lengths I would go to meet their needs. Afterall, it wasn’t a research project. The boys returned this afternoon just before dismissal, upset b/c they could not get their edited sound effects (I guess they could not wait for the promised free ones Friday) off the computer they worked on. Of course I suggested they save it and let their teacher fish it off the network, but they turned away, had a small chat, then turned back to say they were not on the network, and their work was on a computer with no CD or floppy. (Of course I’m wracking my brains b/c I can’t figure out what computer is in the building that wasn’t on the network or even able to log in, but usable. No matter, it was time to go. So I asked guys if it had a flash drive port, which brought smiles all around. I assured them I’d make sure they had a flash drive firsst thin in the morning, so the happily left. (I really don’t think they’ll be back to get one from the library, but I helped them think up a solution-I imagine if they did not have one this afternoon, they will bring one tomorrow. Note: They have my curiosity piqued, so I’ll be sure to go and hear their sound effects, and beg to see the skit. I also now want to check what workstation in my building will not get on the network–a ws with no floppy tells me it is NOT old.)

It is days like this when I realize I am in the perfect job. My job allows to me to be a point of need type person. Teachers, students, and more seek me out to help them think through their problems. I spent the morning helping Granito by seeing a program get loaded on al workstations for his project newt week. I worked with our resource office to video a one act play for a presentation planed next week. I helped some guys think through their dilemma. And I boosted the morale of a teacher worrying of uncontrollable things. I even sent this one a link to a song I remembered from my elementary years!

“I’ll be there….”

The more I thought about the song, the more I realized the words really fit and describe how I feel about my job…what it is I’m supposed to do. It’s weird, but this is really why I love my job. I do what I do because 1) I really want to help, and 2) I really want to see others be successful.

So I ask you to listen to the song. And remind yourself if you are in any position that allows you to serve your entire school environment, you should feel just like this–here are the words:

“I’ll Be There”

You and I must make a pact, we must bring salvation back
Where there is love, Ill be there

Ill reach out my hand to you, Ill have faith in all you do
Just call my name and Ill be there

Chorus:
And oh - Ill be there to comfort you,
Build my world of dreams around you, Im so glad that I found you
Ill be there with a love thats strong
Ill be your strength, Ill keep holding on - yes I will, yes I will

Let me fill your heart with joy and laughter
Togetherness, well thats all Im after
Whenever you need me, Ill be there
Ill be there to protect you, with an unselfish love I respect you
Just call my name and Ill be there

Chorus

If you should ever find someone new, I know he’d better be good to you
Cos if he doesnt, Ill be there

Dont you know, baby, yeah yeah
Ill be there, Ill be there, just call my name, Ill be there

(Just look over your shoulders, honey - ooh)

Ill be there, Ill be there, whenever you need me, Ill be there

Don’t you know, baby, yeah yeah
Ill be there, Ill be there, just call my name, Ill be there…

Do not read this as a love song to any one person, but rather why I help the ones I work with. A very large part of my job as a teacher-librarian is to teach students and supplement instruction through partnerships, collaboration and support. This song totally nails it for me, huh?

This week SC marks the annual state-wide testing known as PACT. PACT stands for Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test, and yes our state testing program is truly a challenge, much more rigorous compared to other state testing programs. While SC traditionally falls low in state ranking for performance, we equally rank high for our rigorous standards and this test being a pretty tough assessment program. Most SC teachers I know lament many issues with the test, including the fact that the length of time to get results back is way too long–and the test does not really give any diagnostic information to assist teachers in improving student performance.

The answer to that in many districts across SC is to implement the MAP Test, which supposedly correlates highly to PACT.

Here is the funny part–the test, claimed to be flawed even by the Jim Rex, our state superintendent, is funded again for another year. But look at one of the headlines in the Sunday paper today (really this is the opening line):

The House approved a final version of the state’s $7 billion budget Thursday that falls short of meeting a basic state function: getting children to schoolhouses.

Essentially it will pay for testing, but not for gas to get our kids to school on our SC Buses. Oh well, unless we speak to our legislators, this will continue to be the case. At least there is evidence in Anderson of a legislator asking the hard question–why do we continue to use PACT. Best, State Superintendent Jim Rex answers this letter, pointing that his hands were tied regarding this year’s state assessment, and that until the governing body comes up with another acceptable state assessment, this one will continue to be used. Read that letter and Rex’s response here.

SC is not the only state arguing the merit of high stakes testing. So as we educators (and our student and parents) face arguably a 2 week period of stressful testing, turning our schedules and routines upside-down, and making some endure self inflicted suffering, let me leave you with this video titled “Not on the Test.” NOTE–this is intended for educators, not students.

Last, remind educators to be positive with students no matter how you feel about the assessment program. Having high expectations and a positive attitude can go a long way in relieving student pressure, test anxiety, and tension, and that can mean the difference b/w advanced, proficient, basic, and below basic, which defines our students performance according to PACT.

About a month ago I noticed my MacBook Pro was not able to stay on very long without warning me that it was low on battery power. I usually keep it plugged in at home most of the time anyway, but a new kitten and dangling cords usually meant I would be unplugged without realizing it until that pop up warning message would let me know about being low on power and suggest I seek alternative power.

WARNING-Seek Alternative Power Source

Last week, though, the warning stopped coming, and the mbp would just suddenly die midway through whatever I was doing. I noticed upon reboot that the battery indicator stopped showing me a percentage of charge at all, and instead had a little x across the battery. I figured okay, the battery is dead and now unchargeable. So I planned a trip to the Mac store. The only one I knew about close was in Charlotte, just a short drive north on I-77 (exit 5) and over to South Park Mall.

I need a reservation? U are kidding, right?

Upon arriving Saturday around noon with laptop in tow, I was saddened to be asked for my reservation time, then told I could make a reservation and they would look at it in roughly four hours. The store was packed. I was shocked, but thankfully my husband said in a rather discontented voice–”Just to check her battery?” The sales rep running triage for the help area said she could check that, and the manager came over too. They opened my laptop, determined the battery was indeed dead, plugged me in, and then chastised me for the many desktop icons, telling me those little things drain power too, and make my laptop sluggish. The manager brought over a new battery right out of the package, popped it in, and made my battery icon show itself charging. The bottom underside also lit up with green dots. Guess what else? After the admonishment of proper mac use of icons, they sent me on my way, and did not even charge me for the replacement battery. (Of course I do have an extended warranty, so if it had been checked, they would have done this anyway.) That they didn’t shows they have great business sense, and are in tune with clients’ needs.

Full-fledged mac convert–finally!

So, I have cleaned off the desktop–guess that was my last holdout to the pc world. And the battery is now fully charged. I don’t have to worry about little Willow (the kitten) unplugging me in her quest to conquer all loose and dangling cords either. I’m once again a happy Mac user.

Attribution:

Another Meme fluttering wings to take off in the blogosphere. Thanks Lisa.

Write out your view of education using the “This I believe…” format.

Since I have done something similar a while back, I will simply point to that post here.   I hope it will suffice. My feelings have not changed.

Tags:

• Fran Bullington, another SC media specialist and friend
• JenuineTech Wagner, Jen to her friends.
• Al Doss, a new voice in the blogosphere–new to me anyway.
• Jon Becker, another new voice to me, and recently touched off a hot topic (a cocktail party in the blogosphere)
• Chris Lehmann because my last post was written to point to some awesome k12 administrators who blog, and I left him out because he resides in my folder reserved for “expert voices.” Note to Mr. Lehmann: I apologize for the oversight but not for the location of your feed. Sorry!

Okay, I hope they see their pingbacks, or maybe I’ll @them in twitter.

Attribution:

Today I had a young 20 something year old teacher share with me the ringtones that students use that supposedly adults can’t hear (but she can–she’s but a babe!). She invited five of us into her empty room, and played the tone (which apparently is a free download.) I had heard of it before, but not sought it out to test it. And to be honest, I was leery of whether or not the tone existed. Of the five of us, one other teacher was a young 20 something year-old, and she suddenly clutched her ears and begged for the sound to be stopped, exclaiming how uncomfortable a sound it was. Amazingly enough, the three forty-something year-olds in the room did not hear it at all. We were surprised at the demonstration, and quite taken aback. I shared with some network friends and CRStengel of Pittsburg sent this link to me. Horrors I’m getting old! See my scores at the bottom! (<blush>)

This opened an interesting conversation anyway, both at school and with my network.  You see the same teacher shared with me that her students could manipulate a streaming video in her class with their little bluetooth phones (which according to our school policy, must be OFF during the school day.)   The video would stop and start for no apparent reason. She tested her suspicions with her own phone after class and discovered the kids’ phones were indeed causing interference (though she wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not.).  So she remembered me showing that you could use the bluetooth on the computer to detect active bluetooth devices in the room, and has since each day showed her students that she can “see” their phones which are supposed to be off.  Her students have also tested her with the ringtone that is supposed to be silent for adults, and they know she can hear it. So she has a power I do not have–young ears that can hear. But I enabled her to be able to see and count the number of devices interacting or interferring with learning, though I’m sure this teacher could probably find a way to channel this ito something positive.  It was an enlightening experience today even still.

Don’t laugh at my scores from the ringtone test. Try it. You may be surprised.

Attribution:

Image: ‘Blackberry‘
www.flickr.com/photos/13604571@N02/2094946972
Image: ‘Mi abituo al silenzio‘
www.flickr.com/photos/58971759@N00/2110611859

What can you do in just fifteen minutes?

• Write a “to do” list
• Fold a load of clothes
• Start supper
• Take a short nap
• Read a Newspaper
• Take the dog out for a walk

Now obviously this list could go on and on, and I don’t mean to belittle any of the tasks that I list above, as I frequently do any and all of the items I have listed daily.

This weekend I listened to the EdTech Posse podcast, and one f the reoccurring statements said was that many things just take fifteen minutes. What were they talking about? Professional Learning. In today’s world of connectivity, there is no legitimate excuse that teachers do not know about many of the newest applications, be it web 2.0 applications, open source software, or picture/video editors. There are MANY opportunities on the web to provide one’s self with self directed professional development, and much of it in just fifteen minutes a day.

So, where does one start? I recommend you begin with a reader, like Bloglines or Google Reader. Some people like PageFlakes too, though I haven’t experienced using it before.

Then collect a few blogs and a couple of podcasts. Start small, after all this is just supposed to take fifteen minutes. I would subscribe to the following:

Dean Shareski’s Ideas and Thoughts

Will Richardson’s Weblogg-ed

Wesley Fryer’s Moving at the Speed of Creativity

Liz B Davis’ The Power of Educational Technology

Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog

Seek out some local flavor too, like those in your district or state. I found many local ones by serching the words blog+South Carolina+education+technology (and even + library). Then add them by subscribing with your reader. Your reader becomes a one stop shop for professional learning.

BEST, these blogs DO NOT focus necessarily on the technology, but rather the learning and keeping it engaging for our students. Talk about think out of the box kind of people!

How?

Look for a bookmarklet that reads “subscribe here,” or just copy the URL in the “add” feature of your reader. Then select the choice that has rss at or near the end. Look to see if the blog also offers a subscription to comments. Shareski and Richardson both have healthy comments feeds.

Then visit your reader once a day, and spend about fifteen minutes learning, learning, learning. Soon you’ll realize just exactly what you can get from all this, and then begin thinking “how can I tap my students into this?” And that’s a whole new post for some other day.

Read this helpful piece too:
InfoTech Column
Due Dec. 20, 2006
Information Outlook, Feb. 2007 Issue
15 Minutes a Day: A Personal Learning Management Strategy
By Stephen Abram

Attribution:

Image: ‘FifteenMinutes‘
www.flickr.com/photos/94272988@N00/100273292