Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Today I did a session at our annual principal’s conference on social networking. Since the vast majority of tools like MySpace, Facebook, and even professional networks like Classroom 2.0 are blocked, I took the stance that we as educators must educate ourselves and our parents, especially in light of how issues stemming directly from student online interaction seems to find its way into our classrooms, guidance offices, right up to the administrators desks. I’ve presented at the conference several years, but usually in the morning. I was taken aback by the “ghost-town” feeling I had for my 2PM afternoon session. I had roughly fifteen participants. One lady assured me that my topic was popular and relevant, but after lunch folks attending this conference seem to find to “other” things to do. Factor in that it is the next to last day, and well, the lure of the beach was calling too. But honestly, when I attend conferences, I go to 90% of the offerings, and many times you can find me near the front row if I can get to a session early enough. Does this make me an uber-geek? Even in my session today, only one participant sat near the front. This was a new experience for me.

Don’t Preach to the Choir

My attendees seemed generally complimentary, and even one of the conference directors greeted me warmly by name when I arrived. But today I was a wee bit disappointed. Our SC State Department of Education library liaison (Martha Alewine) encourages us to get out and speak at different conferences besides our own. She suggests if we are to gain respect in the field, we must stop “preaching to the choir” (presenting to ourselves at our own conference) and branch out and spread our message about information literacy, ICT, and standards-based collaboratively taught engaged learning by presenting at other conferences. What better way to market what you as the teacher librarian have to offer the school and its curriculum? We must help the teacher population see that we can address standards and impact student achievement.

Spread our Message, Support our Colleagues

I generally try to present at our state edtech conference (SCEdTech), the middle school conference (if I remember to do the proposal), and this one. There are not very many “techy” sessions at this conference, as my friend Dennis Richards has noted before, and from his post here, this goes all the way up to the national level. I really like SCASA’s SLI, as I strongly feel administrators are the ones who MOST misunderstand what should be happening in a library, particularly a 21st Century Library. They are also in a position to “from the top down” help us become more of a collaborating and contributing partner for student learning. In years past, I’ve had wonderful reception and positive feedback from my sessions. My session today was later than I’d ever had before, 2PM. I never expected such a low turnout. It was quite frankly a little disheartening.

I Solemnly Promise…

I promise to all future presenters who draw an afternoon or late presentation I will strive to attend if I’m at the conference. Been there, done that. I know what if feels like now to present to an empty room. I’d have liked to have been out on the beach today too. I especially thank the ones who came.

Attribution:

I read this quote today and thought about making a motivational poster to display in the library. It seems to go hand-in-hand with what we in the library world are all about. This one shows reading or researching print resources. I may make a matching one that shows a library patron using online/digital resources too. KEWL!

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My final response started like this:

(T said)….considering what is blasting into their ears from their ipods, and what they see on television, and the content of some of the most popular video games, i’d recommend putting them in quiet rooms to read and discuss good books!

Perhaps instead of opening the door to all their toys and tools with no restriction, we develop policies that embrace them and teach students about using them responsibly, sensibly, and with limits. Why not teach them to be analytical about the tools they are so mesmerized by, and help them make well thought out, educated, wise choices about the said tools? Gosh, this just may sound a bit like, um, media literacy?

(T said)…teenagers have been bored in school since there have been teenagers in school, and while i support most of prensky’s principles and his recommended practices, i become wary, dubious and skeptical when consultants, educational game designers, and microsoft vp’s suggest that we aren’t doing enough to make education fun and entertaining…

I do believe Prensky said as much, that boredom has been long withstanding in many classrooms throughout the 20th and now 21st century. No surprise. But some are missing the point here. This is not about grabbing their attention with their preferred tools as much as it is about “engaging” students. Very few students who are engaged become bored, cause discipline problems, and best of all, they WANT to learn. Kids are bored because school is focusing on concepts covered on the test, and making it more of a priority than making sure their kids are engaged.

(Heather Loy said) They aren’t used to the “sit and get” methods and/or WON’T get them simply because they will tune us out as we are boring.

Bingo! I myself as a veteran “student” having many years of experience in the classroom learning can vouch for the fact that it is so difficult to have a “sit and get” style class today. And in this day and age of 90 minute blocks, OMG, I pity our students who must endure 90 minutes of this. I’ve been through k-12, college, and 2 post college degrees, and I can promise you the ONLY ones that bring back memories I care to remember are the ones where I did not “sit and get” the whole time. As an adult who LOVES attending conferences, I find that I cannot even stand to sit in one hour sessions that are the sit and get variety. For that reason, I have begun carrying my laptop everywhere, and pray I’ll have wireless, so I can self-stimulate if it gets too boring. I’ve developed the attitude—Engage me or enrage me. There is no in between.

(L said)…LOL “T”…I’ll give you the Microsoft research point…kinda like Renaissance Learning research finding conclusive evidence that AR works.

I think all corporations can find research to support their theories and/or products. It is why we have all bought into such programs as Renaissance Learning, CCC, SuccessMaker, Read 180, and so many more sure fire cure-alls to what ills education.

(P said)…I am currently serving on an EOC Tech Think Committee and I guess the individuals on that group must be as uninformed as well since we all concur on the use of technology in the classroom to engage students.

So glad to hear a state department of education contact saying this!! Also pleased as punch there is representation that understands our roles in the library.

Thank you ALL for this healthy debate. Some may feel it is not part of the library media program, but I beg to differ. We are poised to be a catalyst for true technology integration and modeling engagement in our libraries. We should be doing just that. No educators, especially those in the library, are off the hook. Engage them or enrage them.

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For the last few years I have asked annually three times during the school year to attend Alan November’s Building Learning Communities Conference. I would ask in August near the beginning, just before Christmas break, and again in March.  Each year I was turned down due to lack of funding.  I didn’t overly complain b/c one, it is expensive, and two, I feel the conference concept best benefits a group from the same school or district. It takes more than one person to return and help formulate and then cast a vision.  Many of my readers know I changed school districts this year. Again, I began my tactic of asking about the BLC conference. Being new, I  had to describe it, share my knowledge of what it offers, and really sell the idea that a collective group could really bring back a lot to share.  I spoke to my principal and media coordinator on the district level in August. I planted that second seed in December. Today, before I could nourish my little planted seed, I was told that a a sprout had fomulated as a group from the district office was going (just that it did not include me.) When I expressed shocked indignation (yes, lots of pouting out loud!), I was then told that a few principals around the district are putting together small groups of educators from their schools, and that I should inquire with my principal. My principal is not only supportive of me attending with the groups from the district, she is recommending I take one other teacher from our school–someone who can help cast that vision. I did ask her to go with me, but she feels it should be a teacher. I even (shock, i still can’t believe I did it) suggested that instead of me, she send two teachers who are leaders but not necessarily totally bought-in to 21st Centruy Learning, and she said no, you deserve to go Cathy. W00T!

I am extremely happy. Now our school will totally benefit from this, as will my district.  And I really feel no one–not one of us–would be going if I hadn’t pushed it.

So I will have my brain so totally tickled this summer! Here’s how my summer is breaking down:

• June 16-20, 2008:  South Carolina Association of School Administrators Summer Leadership Institute, presenting Schools & Dealing with Social Networking, Myrtle Beach, SC

• June 25-26th, 2008:  Upstate Technology Conference, Greenville, SC

• June 29-July 2, 2008: ISTE’s NECC 2008 in San Antonio, Texas; presenting with panel of experts on School Library Web 2.0

• July 16-18 , 2008: BLC 2008, Boston, Massachusetts

Yes, my brain will be so totally tickled this summer.  Who needs vacations when this much fun & learning can be had?

Today we had Career Day at school and I had industrious plans, which you can read here. Snafus from the get go ensued, as the guest speakers physically present had been invited to a breakfast, which unbeknownst to me was in the library. It took quite a bit of encouragement to get the “project director,” one of our guidance counselors, to get the guests to finish and move on to classrooms where they were presenting. By 9:00, I was frantic, so I went ahead and called my first guest, Chrissy Hellyer, a Year 7 teacher from Taradale Intermediate School in Taradale, Napier, New Zealand. Chrissy had to get up at 3:00 a.m. to participate, and I can happily report she showed up webcam style complete in her “jarmies” as she called them, happy to help us out. Chrissy was all smiles as she described the differences in grade levels from the US vs. NZ. She talked about the job being a passion and one that is a calling to serve. Next we skyped Lisa Parisi of Long Island, NY (who declined to be on video before a morning shower!) and she talked about bringing in the newer tools to keep her and her kids excited, which is why she continues her career as a teacher. She described for us her global project of connecting through a collaborative wiki with a class from New Zealand so her kids could test misconceptions and theories about how things are different “down under.” The funniest story she shared was about the classes comparing the toilet flush to see if it spun in the bowl an opposite direction if one lived in the southern hemisphere. She said the classes compared notes on a lot of things, including gravity, but essentially came to the conclusion that the only real difference was the seasons. But what an AWESOME way to learn why the seasons are different. I wish I had thought to see if she had worked with Chrissy. Hindsight is always 20/20. I also wish I had thought to record it.

We changed sessions, and that is when Murphy’s Law kicked in. The internet was down district-wide, ending all plans to skype any of my network into other sessions, even though I had six people contacted, four of them scheduled. Oh well. My purpose for having different people from my network was two-fold. One, I didn’t have to worry about kids being bored by me, and two, these extra voices could talk about the diversity of jobs in education. My back up plan included a looping ppt containing pictures or screen shots of them in their work or element (Chrissy you are very obscure on the Interent!) I had put together this powerpoint that would loop while I was not in a skype conversation, and I wound up using it to talk about my area of education (library media) as well as all their different areas to the best of my knowledge. I even challenged these students to consider this career, and come back to make learning even better for future students.

Was I successful? I don’t know. I had shared my plans with my district media coordinator, and he came to observe. He witnessed all my snafus, like a minor late start and then after two video skype calls the Internet going down. He even worked diligently calling our district office to find out if the problem could be fixed or how long we would be down. His support really made me feel once again that I made the right choice in leaving my former school district (and family) to come to this one. His name is David Bell, and he is awesome!

But this incident reinforced what I’ve learned from previous presos—relying on the Internet is a crap shoot, and if you are using it for a live presentation, be sure to have a back-up plan or two! At least I haven’t had any of Wes Fryer’s problems like this and this. I do have comfort though in that he offers solutions to consider. Will I give up? Nah. Just plan better back up plans. I had thought yesterday to tell my skype presenters if they wanted to, they could make a three - five minute video of what they would share, and then send it to me to download, but that was probably too late notice as well. Oh well. My mantra is to “learn by doing.” I learned a lesson today.

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Recently my school underwent a migration from Novell networking software to Microsoft networking software. It was pretty painless and I’m surprised at how easy we all made the transition. There have been a few snafus:

• Our keyboarding lab had the oldest computers in the building, and they are struggling to accept the new script. We are trying to transition less older computers in there as we find them in storage or find that they are not being used in classrooms. The workstations are Gateway E series. I inherited a situation where I don’t think a true inventory of hardware has been done in a while, and this migration is showing it really bad! Guess what’s on my to do list now?
• I’m having to go around and reset the email client (Outlook) as well.
• I’m in the process of teaching folks (or in some cases doing it for them) finding their printers and setting them as default. I love that “print screen” function!

I write though about the students’ responses to the migration. At the beginning of the year the district rolled out individual student logins. We were told the migration was coming, so we decided as a school to “sit” on the individual accounts until the migration. Our students used a generic “student” login, which caused its own set of problems. Once the migration took place, the generic student account would fall by the wayside, and all students would be required to log in. As the liaison at my school for student accounts, I disseminated the info, and each grade (6,7,8) had teachers who would give out information. I talked about it briefly on the morning news program, giving a few details and then sat back and watched. I had exlained that all document saving would go to the student’s indivivdual folder on the network, and anything saved to the desktop or C drive would be deleted at the next log in. Of course I knew kids would have to try it. They did not let me down. The very next morning my “regulars” who like to come to the library in the morning before school were all around the 20 computers trying out their logins. They were “decorating” their desktops with crazy backgrounds, creating paint pictures, ppts, word documents and more to the c drive, and then logging off to log back in and try it out. They shrieked with indignation that none of the changes or saved material was there. I used it as a teachable moment, explaining that the default saved to the network folder, and all their material would be safe unless they gave out their logins and passwords. I also talked about students who make bad choices and now they could access their work from anywhere in the building without worrying that someone else might delete it.

But I did “mess up” a little. You see their exploration into what the log in was like was my first exploration too. As I observed and answered the questions asked, I also found myself mildly surprised at the students’ desktops. They were all a simple solid royal blue, with only the user name subtly displayed, and a start menu/task bar. Right click was disabled. There were no icons. The only way students could maneuver around the computer was to click on the start menu, and access programs via that route. I know I said it, but didn’t realize a student had picked up on it.

What did I say? I said, “This is not real-world. How am I going to teach students to be ready for the 21st century if normal computer standards like desktop icons and right click are not available?” Yes I distinctly remember putting voice to that comment. And only now do I realize how keenly the crowd that gathers in the library each morning listens to me. You see we have an 8th grade current events exploratory class. The class is creating a newsletter for students–target audience–> students. One of my morning “regulars” is in that class, and his group is creating a “critic’s corner” for their newsletter. After getting a “no” on anything that might criticize a specific teacher or student, and getting shot down on love, sex, drugs, or profanity, the group has finally come up with a new topic they are enthusiastically researching for their contribution. It will be a critique of the new student login and restrictions on the computer. The plan to write about blocked sites, no icons, the inability to make a workspace that is “theirs” (translated they want a cool background on their desktop, their own bookmarks, etc.) and get this: they are going to QUOTE me making my statement.

Ouch. Yep, I said it. Yes, I said in front of students. No I did not realize they were paying me any attention. So what should I do? Their teacher is so happy to see them enthusiastically researching their topic, and came to tell me how excited they were. Then she asked me had I indeed said what they were using as a quote. Color me shocked!

So, my network, I need some feedback. Should I nix allowing them to use my comment? Perhaps I should allow it on the grounds of anonymity. Maybe I should allow them to use my name and stand by my quote. What would you do?

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Today on our SCASL-listserv, a fellow teacher-librarian asked about how schools are dealing with students who bring their own laptops to school. The posted question also inquired about how schools are using webcams, with the follow up statement “couldn’t they be used to help our homebound students.” Of course we had quite a few respond, and it was divided relatively 50/50 on good vs. bad reasons to allow the laptops. No one, however, addressed the posed supposition about the benefit of webcams in school. I sat on this all day today (though I did individually reply to a couple of people about what I knew about my former district, and the value of the concept. But I wanted to see how others would respond. The following is my posted reply after seeing everything from kneejerk reactions (almost denial) that student owned laptops have a place in our schools, to some obviously very accepting and most welcome to the idea. I shared 3 issues in my response, and they are as follows:

1) More and more districts are looking into wireless as a more feasible means of providing access in their building(s) and district offices, and removing the costs associated with wiring. It is becoming the norm for more and more wireless places, and this is no different for schools. A school or district can go wireless with secure networks, and all one has to know is the password to gain access. The IT hardware folks can lock down a wireless network and make it secure in a relatively easy manner. Even the routers and such you buy at Best Buy and other electronics stores can easily be secured. I predict that in probably 7, but more likely 5 years, there will be more wireless workstations than not. You almost cannot buy a laptop anymore that does not come equipped with wireless capability, and many laptops are also coming equipped with an internal webcam, which brings me to my 2nd thought.

2) This initial thread also asked about the use of webcams in schools. Brian Crosby (author of the blog Learning is Messy and recipient of NUMEROUS awards) out of a school district in Nevada was able to completely and efficiently serve the needs of a former student diagnosed with Leukemia who b/c of her illness had to stay at home. Brian arranged for the student to have a webcam and for his classroom to have a webcam, and through a program called skype, involved this little girl in the everyday activities that took place in his class. This gained him national attention and notoriety, and caused many educators to rethink what possibilities a webcam can bring into a school. Most shockingly, this was not recently, but I want to say 2 years ago. I personally use a webcam and skype to talk to other school librarians around the nation, and would like to explore bring guest speakers into my library program in an effort to show that our world is truly global today, and students can gain insight and perspective from folks they might never have had the opportunity to see, hear and interact with before. Carolyn Foote of Austin, Texas recently had an article in School Library Journal about hosting an author at her school using Skype and a webcam, and I have participated frequently in conferences from around the world I might never have had the opportunity to participate in, all b/c a friend (Lisa Parisi) who had a webcam found a way to include me in the session (using Skype and Ustream as the vehicle to transport me there.) These 21st century tools are here, and we must embrace them. I promise our students have.

3rd) and last, more and more students are going to be bringing their laptops into our schools. There is no denying it, and with the difficulty (especially in SC) with budgeting for Technology, why not embrace this concept and allow the students who have the capability to provide their own means to connect at school? With them bringing their own, and students without access using the schools resources, we would definitely come closer to a 1:1 program for providing computer access, and maybe join our counterparts from around the world in global projects and 21st century learning.

Yes, it does open up a can of worms, and yes, the higher ups will have to develop guidelines and policies. There are already schools in our state that allow students to bring their own laptops to school, and it is ludicrous to deny them when they have the means. Let’s not bemoan this, but rather celebrate it. We as school librarians can be a part of the solution instead of the problem by assisting our building level admin with policies and procedures to accommodate this growing trend. It is not going away.

I wish I had included one more thought. As we prepare students for college, it is
practically inconceivable that anyone would send their child to study at a post high school institution with out a computer of some kind. I read somewhere earlier this year that nearly 87% of entering college freshman bring either a personal desktop or laptop computer with them, and identify it as a critical tool for their success. In my opinion, it is inevitable that this will trickle down to our k12 schools. It is a futile battle to try and keep them out. We cannot hold back the flood of 21st Century Learning.

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I’m still reeling with the knowledge that my wonderful advisor from the University of South Carolina, Dr. Donna Shannon, is reading my blog. This just blows me away! Look at the bottom of this email she sent me:

W00T! Best of all she wants me to “virtually” join her SLIS 761 class to talk about Web 2.0 Tools with current students and educators working towards school library media specialist certification. Ain’t technology grand! She assures me since I use Skype, it will be fairly simple! I remember my days in library school and having visitors (back then it was not really done virtually other than one tv studio to another–i can’t believe I think that is so old school now!!) The visitors for the most part were highly successful practicing educators in the field. One of my favorites was a class where we had the “standards” folks in charge of testing from our very own state department of education. That was a powerful class. Lots of great discussion about “the test.”

So now I’m slated to be that practicing educator who will visit the class to offer words of wisdom. Oh geesh am qualified? I still feel like I’m such a beginner, learning new things in on-the-job training everyday.

So I ask you, my collective brainpower here in the blogosphere! What 2.0 tools do you think I should share and focus on? Blogs? Readers? RSS? Twitter? Social Networks? Aye-aye-aye where do I begin? Maybe I should regenerate and tweak an old preso? Let’s hear it! What do U think oh-collective-brainpower that I know as MY NETWORK!!

PS–You better believe I did a spell-check and proofed this one folks! I have a reader who can hold me accountable!

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Image: Doctor Donna Shannon, Ph.D.
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Do Ostriches really bury their heads in the sand when frightened? According to “Phrase Finder” this is a myth. Ostriches basically when frightened lay down and flatten their heads along the ground, so as to disguise themselves from possible predators. But this reminds me very much of how our schools and IT deal with content they block at school.

I really, really, really try NOT to write about filters and blocked content so much. After all, I am a mother of one teen-aged son, and one young adult son in college. Living w/ guys you kind of know what their world revolves around, and how easy it is to be sidetracked by less than academic content, especially online.

But it is infuriating to know that I cannot access the Nings set up at school, even though many of my PLN resides there. I must wait until I get home to actually partake of the plentiful servings of rich content and collaborative opportunities that are there! Why are they blocked? They are classified as a blog, a social network, and a forum. I am getting ready to participate in a collaborative project, and yes, I want TOTAL access 24-7. I don’t want to wait until I get home from school. This opportunity could actually lead to GLOBAL projects for classes at my school, and egads, yes, during the school day! I belong to several nings, including Classroom 2.0, TeacherLibrarian, and most recently Powerful Learning Practice for Teachers and Students. These are NOT risqué, profane-laced sites, but rather places where I can learn more, and pass the learning on to students and teachers, even at my own school. If there was ever a place to see authentic 21st century learning, the Nings I am a member of are it. And best, its members are ready to open their arms and welcome all, and can answer JUST ABOUT any question.

This has been nagging me for some time, but it has become really frothy and ready to fizz right over. You see I tried to network w/ another friend, and low and behold she wasn’t getting any of my emails b/c her email filters out all incoming mail from gmail. Now what’s with that? I know many of the EXPERTS in the field use GMail as their primary email for professional contacts. Is this district making the implied statement that only pedophiles, rapists, child-killers, and prostitutes use gmail? What about parents who use email and want to contact their child’s teacher?

Well, very soon I will be participating in a learning/leading excursion and will be charged with leading a group of newbies into the fray we know as web 2.0. Our main portal will be a Ning (called Powerful Learning Practice for teachers and students,) and my goal is to hopefully generate some collaborative projects for my school and students, and therefore we will need that portal (Ning) open. Yes folks, its time to approach IT about loosening this clamp on Nings. All blogs, nings, wikis, and social networks are not bad for kids.

Let us be the professional and offer guidance into sites where we can teach our students to evaluate situations and circumstances and exhibit making good choices–what an authentic teaching scenario—instead of sticking our heads in the sand, like the fabled ostrich.

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Our school is considering an investment in Interwrite Boards for teachers.  We have roughly five teachers who already use them, as the Interwrite Pads were in one of the rounds of laptop  initiatives the teachers could sign up for.  In just searching the Internet I found a price of an estimated $600. Not bad for a device that pretty much transforms your pull-down screen into a interactive white board (via the IW pad in you hand.)

One of our teachers who used one unexpectedly had to leave his job, thus turning in his laptop, projector, and Interwrite Pad.  I was told I could use the Interwrite pad in the library.  I have played around with it, and can definitely see the potential. The very best part of using it is that you are not tethered to your laptop, but can roam around anywhere in the room.  I DETEST seeing a teacher stand at the front of the room to teach.

Our school also has one SmartBoard, and one of the new teachers (Mrs. P.) who will begin second semester has ogled it daily since she started her “workdays” before the new semester.  But it was slated to be placed in a classroom already, and when they installed it today, she came to me so very disappointed. She was hoping to campaign for it since she had used one daily in her student teaching experience.

If you know me, you know exactly what I did. I went to my closet, pulled out the Interwrite pad, and said, “Try this–I think you’ll like it better.”  She was confused, so I had her follow me to the nearest classroom where a teacher uses one. Our luck, Mr. C was gone to lunch, but I had a master key. So I went in, turned on his projector, picked up his pad, and handed it to her, saying one simple word — PLAY.

Suddenly Mrs. P had the vision for what this little $600 pad could offer her curriculum, and realized what a gift I had given her.  She ran back to her room to install and set up the Interwrite Pad. (I love young teachers who are so enthusiastic and can load, install, setup, and work most anything hardware and software wise you give them!)

Of course I returned to Mr. C’s class to confess our “breaking and entering” since his class was returning from lunch as I left Mrs. P setting up her Interwrite Pad. He was delighted that yet another teacher has the “fire” for using the hardware in their class, and forgave me for leaving his projector on–Mr. C is a green soul who is currently trying to save the world one canvas bag at the grocery store at a time, which, I might add, is not a bad trait.)

One good deed–and now I’m out an Interwrite Pad. Here’s to hoping I get another one soon!

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