Digital Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship?  Manson Northwest Webster describes it as using technology responsibly, appropriately, and safely.   It's one thing to use a tablet or computer and its apps to learn basic literacy skills.  In fact digital natives are quite adept at just that.  However, learning to create, read critically, use online content responsibly and be a respectful digital citizen are not always skills that can be learned without the guidance of a teacher.

We know students in many instances are much more savvy in using technology than the adults. However, putting technology in the hands of a child at any age does not automatically make them a good digital citizen.  Even at only two years old, my granddaughters know that an iphone, ipad, and a laptop are for communicating, reading books, and playing games.  But obviously they don’t know anything about using technology safely and responsibly.  They will need to be taught what digital citizenship means and given many opportunities to apply it meaningfully as they grow through their years.

Recently an experiment was conducted by the nonprofit organization One Laptop Per Child.  OLPC dropped tablets into a remote Ethiopian village and found that the children, without an adult teaching them, figured out how to use the tablet and in doing so used the apps to learn the English alphabet and basic literacy skills.  But again, there are many levels of using technology.  While these children were able to figure out the basics of the technology themselves, learning to read critically and create and participate online responsibly and safely was not possible without the guidance of a teacher. Sure, we can place a tablet in the hands of children who have never seen print, and they can figure out how to run it. But what happens when and if those children become connected to a global online community?

For many people digital citizenship encompasses much of what they do. With students maintaining and commenting on blogs, uploading videos and engaging in online learning, playing online games, and participating in social communities, it is imperative that they understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to content creation and consumption, as well as how to conduct themselves socially online. That’s why MNW has a K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum.  The district believes teaching students to use technology safely and responsibly is an important part of 21st Century Learning.  All K-12 teachers use this curriculum to embed elements of digital citizenship into their lessons and units so it can be taught explicitly and practiced regularly.

Matt Ivester offers “10 Tests of Good Digital Citizenship”  that may help people of all ages judge their actions and make digital decisions. These are good considerations relative to Digital Footprints that are constantly being made. This resource is via a blog by Marcia Connor of the business world.

Most of you who read this post probably consider yourselves very proficient with technology use. But, after looking at MNW’s Digital Citizenship Curriculum and reading Ivester’s 10 Tests of Good Digital Citizenship, how do you rate yourself in the Digital Citizenship category?  Are you a good Digital Citizen?

What Will the Iowa Core Look Like in 

Manson Northwest Webster Classrooms?

The purpose of the Iowa Core/Common Core is to transform teaching and learning in all classrooms so students are college and career ready. So what does that mean for the teachers and students at Manson Northwest Webster?  The Iowa Core/Common Core highlights five shifts that should be happening in every classroom when the Core is fully implemented.

·         Lead high level, text-based discussions –This is as simple as  when  asking students to discuss a text as a whole class or in small groups, make sure the questions are grounded in the text, and  that students refer to the text in their responses.  While personal reactions and opinions are important, they should first be in response to what is being read.

·         Focus on process not just content – Teachers are passionate about their subjects and we are glad they are serious about students learning the skills and concepts because content obviously matters.  However, we cannot merely fill students’ heads with content; we should no longer ask students to just to memorize facts and details.  Instead, we should engage students in the learning process. Give students the opportunity to really understand the concept and connect it to their own lives. When students make multiple connections between a new learning and their own experiences, they develop a better understanding of what they are learning and learn the details along the way.

·         Create assignments for real audiences with real purposes - Of course teachers can create fake situations or simulate audiences for projects.  However, if our goal is to prepare students for life beyond school, they need to be given experiences like those they will have later. 

·         Teach argument, not persuasion - Logical argument convinces the audience because of the  merit and reasonableness of the claims and proofs offered rather than either the emotions the writing.  It is more for college and career to know how to create a logical argument and to be able to persuade someone.

·         Increase text complexity - It’s not just about the textbook anymore!  Besides making sure that an individual text is challenging enough, teachers can also raise the level of content in their classroom by using multiple sources of information. Providing multiple sources on the same topic can help students see a variety of perspectives, and it can help students adjust to texts at varying levels of difficulty.

Although the MNW staff  has been learning about the Iowa Core for a couple of years and thinking about what it means for the classroom, teachers are now in the process of furthering their study of the Core by taking part in area-wide professional development sessions.  During these sessions, the teachers collaborate with colleagues in surrounding districts and schools and follow an Iowa Core Investigations process that will help them discover what the Core is all about. While there are a lot of great learning opportunities going on in MNW classrooms, it’s quite likely not all classrooms have been transformed to reflect the Iowa Core/Common Core.  Learning the Core documents at a deep level during these inservice days is a first step to changing instruction and learning in the classrooms.

Even though we could approach the Iowa Core/Common Core as a compliance issue, we have chosen to look at the Core as an opportunity to prepare our students for their life beyond school.  The Iowa Core/Common Core is about learning and that’s what we’re about at Manson Northwest Webster.

Technology at Manson Northwest Webster Elementary

I have been intrigued by infographs and have been wanting to try one.  The influx of technology at Manson Northwest Webster Elementary seemed like a good place to start.  I used the free version of the web tool Piktochart.  Although the tool wasn't foolproof and the graphics options were limited in the free version, I think I was able to capture the essence of the information and data about technology at Manson Northwest Webster Elementary.  As you can see, however, the information is too small and in many places too fuzzy to read.  The tool didn't allow me to convert it to a pdf, and I ended up having to save it as a image in order to upload it here.  Then, of course, I wasn't able to make it larger for this posting. Although...maybe all the issues were just me...  Next step - a program that will do a more complete job of displaying my information.

I recently wrote this blog post for Manson Northwest Webster's Professional Learning Network class. You can follow this class on Twitter at #mnwpln and the blog at MNWPLN.

Digital Literacy

When I was growing up, the word literacy was strictly associated with reading. Being literate meant you were able to read.  Now when we combine the word “digital” with the word “literacy”, it has a much bigger meaning. Here are three points that help describe what being digitally literate means to me.  These points are actually nothing new and really get to the heart of digital literacy for everyone.  The italicized words in each bullet point are ones that I believe are crucial to the meaning of Digital Literacy. So, it’s about doing as well as knowing.

Digital Literacy is:

• the ability to use technology, communication devices or networks to locate, evaluate, use and create information. 
• the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources that are presented using the web. 
• the ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment.

The way I do my job has changed dramatically over the last ten years.  I have learned how to become digitally literate in the context of my work and many times in a “sink or swim” situation.  I have learned many skills I need to navigate technology devices and web tools to do my job efficiently and effectively. My social networking tool of choice at work is Twitter.  I have come to depend on the professional network I’ve created over the last two years to help me do my job.  I’ve learned to problem-solve out of necessity as well as find and create information.   But I’m not there yet!  I know I will always be learning how to improve my digital literacy.

I have spent more than twenty years in education and much of it has been at Manson Northwest Webster.  I am passionate about making sure our students are prepared for the future, and I believe being digitally literate will go a long way to get them ready for life beyond our school.  

A Road Map? Seriously?

               A real 21^st century learning kicked me in the head this weekend while traveling to Michigan to see my daughter, her husband and our granddaughter.  Heading out, we had the Garmin, and our  phones.  At one point, I was driving through Chicago and my husband was navigating.  Our course just didn’t seem right, and I felt I really needed to see the big picture of where we were headed, not just the next exit.  And, maybe there was a better route. So I said to my husband, “Just get out the Illinois road map.”  And then added, “But keep it down, it’s embarrassing to be seen using that thing.”  But actually it did help.  I figured out the big picture and there wasn’t a better route.  I felt much better.

                At some point during the weekend, I casually mentioned to my daughter that we had to get out the Illinois map.  She looked shocked and horrified and said, “A ROAD MAP? WHY?”  I became embarrassed and defensive and started making excuses about how I hated my Android  Map App,  the Garmin wasn’t updated,  how we did try to keep the map out of the view of other motorists, and if I had an iPhone instead of an Android, I’d have been able to use it.   Finally, I just said, “Actually the map did help.”  We laughed and she shrugged.

                I did notice during the course of the weekend that my daughter used her phone for everything.  I guess I just haven’t quite made that leap.  

Talking About Tech

Christine Sturgeon, the K-12 Librarian and Tech Integrationist at Manson Northwest Webster sent out a tweet from the ITEC conference that went something like this, “We need to do a better job of talking about why technology is important.” Wow, how true! If we believe that tech is important, then we’d better be able to defend it, answer questions about it, have a conversation as to its value, and articulate the role it plays in 21^st Century Learning.

I think everyone will agree that while technology has never been viewed as the silver bullet that will guarantee improved student learning, it plays a vital role in preparing our students for their future. As Michael Fullan writes in his recent article, “Choosing the Wrong Drivers,” technology shouldn’t be one of the main drivers of any district’s school improvement. I agree with that, but will also say that it deserves to be a front seat passenger.

When folks question the value of technology by saying texts and paper are less expensive, we can say, of course that’s true. But that’s not the issue. That’s not even a logical argument. We are preparing our students for a world after high school and we can’t deny that technology is significant part of the world we live in, so let's be able to talk about it!

Now 21st Century Learning is Personal.

If you've read any of my blog posts, you know that I'm a big proponent of 21st century learning. But now it's personal. These are my two granddaughters, Madeline and Nora. Since they both live a good distance away, and I don't get to see them very often, we use Skype to connect. They are only 6 and 8 months old, and look at the learning that is taking place as they use technology to get to know me. I hope our schools will be ready for them!

Changing Teaching and Learning With 140 Characters

The staff at Manson Northwest Webster uses a variety of social networking tools for teaching and learning, but in conversation among the staff, Twitter stands out as the number one professional learning tool. Learning is part of being an educator, and Twitter has had a tremendously positive impact on the adult learning environment district-wide. The staff has become empowered as they join in on continuous conversations in Twitter that allow them to make connections, share, learn, ask questions, and get answers to improve their own teaching and learning. As I browse Twitter in the evening, it’s not uncommon to see teachers sharing and connecting or participating in live chat sessions such as #elemchat, #sschat, #mathchat, or #edchat just to name a few.

Most teachers were first introduced to Twitter during the spring and summer of 2010 – over a year ago. The early adopters realized this was a gold mine as a supplement to our own district professional development. They soon saw that they had access to other educators around the world and joined in on the daily and self-directed learning. With Twitter, they were able to begin cultivating their own Personal Learning Networks (PLN) of people and information sources.

A year later, results of the Manson Northwest Webster's Technology Integration Survey indicate that over 70% of K-12 teachers are using social networking for professional use on a regular basis. The tool of choice across the district is definitely Twitter. A few examples will help illustrate how teachers use it in their classrooms.

Annie Schreier, a 2nd grade teacher who was once skeptical of Twitter, has now built a valuable PLN. She says, “I have gotten so many ideas from Twitter and found so many dedicated, passionate teachers to follow and collaborate with. When I first joined Twitter about a year ago, I was convinced that it was way too time consuming. After I began using it for professional reasons to help build my PLN, I began to see the benefits and its potential. The opportunities Twitter provides are overwhelming. One of the benefits this summer was joining the #Daily5 hashtag because it allows me to tap into an amazing community of people around the world who discuss, share, and collaborate about reading.”

Mike Richman is a teacher at MNW Jr/Sr High School. Over the last year Mike and I have had many conversations about Twitter and his PLN. He is one of several teachers who have taken Twitter into the classroom and had students use it. Currently he is teaching a leadership class and is now using #leadmnw for his students’ microblogging platform. Through a tweet last year, Mike connected with Shaelynn Farnsworth, an English teacher at BCLUW. Mike elicited Shaelynn’s senior AP English class to talk with his 9th graders as he introduced blogging. Through skype, the seniors taught the freshmen the ins and outs, of blogging. What a powerful lesson!

Jodi Jacobsen, a 4th grade teacher, talks about using Twitter for connecting and collaborating. She says, “I have made many connections with great teachers using Twitter. A few of these connections have led to classroom projects, such as our Skype partners in Ohio. Following hashtags has led to useful websites, resources, and live chats with other 4th grade teachers.”

Christine Sturgeon is the new Teacher Librarian/Tech Integrationist at Manson Northwest Webster. She talks about the value of Twitter for making connections. “Twitter has been indispensible in reaching out to librarians across the state (#iowatl) and the country (#tlchat). Just now, I checked the #iowatl search and a librarian from Solon has a link to U of Iowa football coach talking about being safe online. Perfect as I work on my first lesson plans in elementary tech! I also follow library leaders like Doug Johnson and Joyce Valenza. A Doug Johnson tweet a few weeks ago led me to the ebook program we're now implementing at the secondary school.” Twitter will also be instrumental in a PLN class Christine is co-teaching with high school TAG teacher Kandice Roethler. Students will have Twitter accounts and will use these to reach out to leaders in the field of their study. Without social media it would be nearly impossible to find such specialized instruction, help, information or advice.

And how do I use Twitter? While I depend on it for learning, sharing, and stretching my thinking, it has also become part of the way I do my job. As an example, here is yesterday’s use:

• Shared information and asked questions about the new version of the Iowa Tests
• Asked a question and received input on my district’s APR
• Gave a thumbs up for the new #alignchat, to discuss alignment issues and the Iowa Core
• Had a short conversation with Prairie Lakes AEA Chief Administrator, Jeff Herzberg, about the ROWE pilot he is starting
• Commented on question from MNW’s Leadership Class #leadmnw
• Read and retweeted a blog post by Jason Glass “Learning From International Experience.”

Excitement is in the air as we begin a new school year, and the #mnwcougars hashtag is busy! The staff continues to learn, share, and connect via Twitter. We strive to prepare our students for life beyond school--to be self-directed and independent learners. Twitter is one avenue that helps our staff model that kind of learning,

Making 21st Century Learning Real with IACoPi

Below is my guest blog post for Iowa Communities of Practice and Innovation. IACoPi is leading the way for creating online/face-to-face blended courses which will be housed in a state repository for all districts to access. It is exciting work and MNW has three teachers involved in the project. Thanks to Kayla Gaskill, Marcey Gerke, and Andy Jacobsen for their dedication and hard work. For more information, visit the IACoPi blog.

As I think the importance of the Iowa Communities of Practice and Innovation work and what it means for school communities, teachers, and students, I think about an article written by

Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel entitled, “I Just Want My Kid to be Happy…and Successful.” The authors express what we, and particular parents, all want for our students. They say we want all kids to be, “Happy, motivated, college-bound, work-ready and prepped for success…”

So, what does this mean? My connections with my own work and learning are a simple example. My definition of work has changed. Because of technology, I can now conduct my work from anywhere and it is more driven by results rather than driven by time and place. But more importantly, the way I learn has changed dramatically. My learning has changed from attending meetings and trainings, reading books and articles written by a handful of tried and true experts in the field of education, to attending webinars, reading blogs, websites and comments of experts and practitioners from all over the world. Some are educators, some are not. While I still value my face-to-face meetings with colleagues, my learning has expanded to include a greater community, and I depend on this new personal learning network as I learn, share, and do my job. My thinking has been challenged in ways that I never thought possible. I have become much more of an independent learner which in turn has motivated me to stretch and learn more. As I think of the IACoPi work, and the blended learning courses the teams are creating, I imagine students experiencing similar changes as we move away from the traditional classroom, instruction and learning. How exciting!

As we prepare kids for their future, we know that the traditional fact-based, rote curriculum of the past won’t cut it. We need the work of the Iowa Communities of Practice and Innovation which is project-based, research-driven, and taps into the digital lifestyle our kids are growing up with. As I follow the Twitter hashtag #IACoPi, and read the Better Together Iowa blog entries, I’m excited about what is happening in the content teams. The curriculum is incorporating higher order thinking skills, technology, multimedia, and the multiple literacies of the 21^st century. The teacher teams are striving to create the kind of online experiences we want for all students. And while some may still worry, “what about the facts and the basics?” the teams are not forsaking foundational information, but instead are creating experiences that enable students to gain that information through investigation and relevant activities.

These blended learning opportunities will create a new learning environment that will enable all students to be engaged, motivated, independent learners. Students will still have face to face contact and instructor support, but also experience expanded learning outside the classroom. It’s the best of both worlds and is what we need to prepare our students to be “Happy, motivated, college-bound, work-ready and prepped for success.”

The IACoPi teams are truly pioneers in the field of online learning. I want to thank Nancy Movall, the IACoPi leaders, and Iowa teachers who are creating the blended courses. Together you are reshaping what it means to teach and learn in Iowa.

My Reading is Changing. What's Going On?

I finally got started on Shelfari yesterday. It was something I’d wanted to do for a while. As I was entering a few of the books I’ve read in the last year and books that I plan to read over the summer, I realized how my reading material has changed. And as I reflected, I realized the way I read has changed as well. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad, it’s just different than it used to be.

I always believed that when you read a book, or article, or anything for that matter, you read the whole thing – beginning to end. I have even finished books I didn’t like. Maybe it’s that philosophy I have, “when you start something you finish it.”

My reading habits have also changed with a huge increase in reading online news and blogs. A couple of years ago, I never would have dreamed that I would be reading blogs and be so interested in what other folks have to say. I used to equate blogs to talk radio, and I really dislike talk radio. But I've found I learn so much from bloggers. They really stretch my thinking as I continue to learn.

Another change I’ve noticed is the speed at which I read. I do a lot of skimming and scanning. Hardly ever do I hang on every word authors have to say even if I do respect them and consider them to be experts.

I also like to listen to music while I'm reading. Noise in general doesn't bother me anymore. What can be more distracting is the silence. Not so a couple of years ago.

This change in reading has wreaked havoc with my reading for pleasure. Or maybe not. Maybe it’s the fact that the genre of my pleasure reading has changed. I used to lead a book club. In fact we were together for three years, and I really enjoyed it. I relished not only my reading (every word, cover to cover) but also the discussion that went with each selection. Now I rarely read for pleasure the old way, and when I try, I find myself skimming and scanning—not exactly the best way to enjoy a good novel.

I wonder what’s going on. Is it a physiological change? Is it simply a change in my preferences? Have I become impatient and expect instant access to all kinds of online material? Or does it really matter? What I do know is that I read so much more now than I ever used to even though it is a different kind of reading. And, I am enjoying it.

However, it's summer. And I AM going to get back to Madame Bovary, the classic novel I started several months ago, and I AM going to read it word for word, cover to cover. I’ll do that though, after I skim the first few chapters—I don’t remember what the book's about.

Personalizing Learning to be Successful in the 21st Century

The Manson Northwest Webster School Board had it's monthly Education Board Meeting on March 3, 2011. The agenda focused on reform and preparing our students for the future. It was an exciting evening and there was rich discussion about education in the future, preparing students for life beyond school, and what Manson Northwest Webster might look like in the years to come. I feel priviledged to have facilitated such a rich discussion about what's best for students. We used this guiding question as an umbrella for conversation.

What do our students need to know and be able to do to be successful in the 21st century?

The basis of the discussion was framed around the report that came out of the Personalized Learning Symposium that took place on August 4-6, 2010 in Boston. The symposium brought together three key groups of education leaders – local and state practitioners, national thought leaders, and senior technology executives – with participants selected for their vision, leadership, and expertise with personalized learning.

The following five essential elements were identified as being central to personalize learning. These elements provided the framework for the MNW Board's discussion. The bullets under the elements below are summary points of the discussion.

1) Flexible, Anytime/Everywhere Learning

● you don’t need to be in the building to learn (or access curriculum)

● learn at their own pace

● don’t have to be with peers

● focus on student interests

● kids need to be engaged and accountable for their own learning

What does this look like, might look like? Do we know for sure?

● Kids coming and going to see instructors

● might be referred to as the open campus model.

● It could mean a more automated system

● more access to experts (Kahn University)

● is there a base or core knowledge that all students need to have?

● teachers become facilitators of the learning

2) Redefine Teacher Role and Expand “Teacher”

● Teacher is facilitator

● Students may not always go to the teacher for information

● Students have advisors

● Perhaps not one teacher per group of students, but a team of teachers with differentiated roles.

● Teacher would not necessarily have to be in building

3) Project-based/Authentic Learning Opportunities

● We don’t want virtual learning without collaborative projects

● What is the role of project-based collaboration in virtual learning?

● If teachers trust student inquiry--children will discover great things.

● Classrooms become nation-wide/ world-wide and students collaborate online

● When technology increases, the authentic learning opportunities grow

4) Student Driven learning Path

● Long range planning needed

● Gives individual students more opportunities to learn, their method of learning

● Students would have more control of the pace of their learning

● Time should become the variable, not the learning(mastery)

5) Mastery/competency-Based Progression/Pace

● The only place this happens now is in the alternative program

● Quarters, semester, trimesters wouldn’t work in this type of learning

● How does this impact funding?

● Reauthorization of NCLB will be based on the growth model (Jeff H.)

● Does this system lend itself to year around school?

● As soon as a student masters a topic, s/he moves on.

The meeting was live streamed, collaborative Google notes were taken and shared, and several teachers and anonymous viewers joined in via the u-stream and Google Doc.

The discussion will continue at the April Education Board Meeting.

Metacognative Thinking in 4th Grade? Yes!

Jodi Jacobsen is a 4th grade teacher at Manson Northwest Webster. Besides that, she wears several other hats. She's on our District Leadership Team, the Elementary Assessment Team, and our Iowa Core Leadership Team. In her "spare" time she agree to write a post for my blog.

As I read it I was impressed with how succinctly she describes the importance of questioning and metacognition. I recently did a walk-through in Jodi's class and I can tell you that her blog post isn't just a description. It really happens in her classroom. The deep thinking, and collaboration that went on among the 4th graders during my visit was remarkable. It was concept-based, 21st century learning all the way.

Jodi writes:

"When you were a child, did you ever have a teacher or parent ask, "What were you thinking?" It typically had a negative connotation. I'm pretty sure that was my dad's first question when I had a fender bender at age 17. This was, of course, a legitimate question. He wanted to know what I was thinking when I took that corner too quickly. I didn't know it at the time, but maybe he was on to something. He made me think about what I had done, and why I had done it.

Now that I'm a teacher, I realize the power of that question. It is my favorite one to ask my students, and I do it often - probably to the point that they now answer it before I even ask. As we study the Iowa Core Curriculum and its Characteristics of Effective Instruction, questioning seems to be at the heart of good teaching and learning. As teachers, we strive to develop life-long learning in our students. To achieve that, we must nurture thinking - and thinking about thinking. Metacognition develops in my fourth graders when I ask them appropriate questions. I see them grow when the questions I model for them are not necessarily about what answer they want to give, but why they want to give that answer. The challenge is to pose questions that will encourage them to think more deeply than they thought possible. When faced with complex questions to ponder, students develop confidence and higher-order skills. This means teaching with flexibility and being ready for those teachable moments. I used to worry that I was getting off track when that happened. Now I realize that these moments can sometimes benefit students more than planned out lessons. I have also decided that asking myself, "What were you thinking?" is very valuable. It helps me reflect on my day-to-day teaching in a way that encourages relevancy and strategic instruction.

A positive effect of open-ended questioning with students is that they tend to pick up these habits themselves. When listening to small groups collaborate, I often hear them ask each other questions like, "How did you get that idea?" To me, that's the end goal - that students are naturally able to ask each other and themselves questions that will make them think things through before making decisions. When they are able to do that, and learn more about their own thought processes, life-long learning is sure to follow. "What do you think?" "

Twitter: JodiJteacher

Diigo username: jodijj

Wiki: http://awesome4thgraders.wikispaces.com/

Chatting About Iowa Core

Last night, January 9, I participated in the first Iowa Core chat on Twitter. The topic was "What is the Iowa Core?" I always learn a lot from my PLN, and last night was no exception.

Comments and questions came from administrators, teachers and DE folks alike. I always appreciate teachers' comments as they bring the reality to implementation - in this case the complexity of the Iowa Core.

What did I like best about the chat? Once again, I'll put in a plug for Twitter. I previously spent two years on the State Network Team through Prairie Lakes AEA and during that time learned SO much about the Iowa Core! Now that I'm back at Manson Northwest Webster full time, and even though Prairie Lakes does a good job with the Iowa Core roll out in our area, I still feel at times that I'm out of the loop. I depend on my Twitter colleagues to bridge the gap and help continue my learning and growing.

The chat was organized by Matt Townsley of Solon CSD, and he did a great job facilitating. Those of you who have participated in a chat know how easily the conversation can get side-tracked, and Matt did a good job of keeping the discussion focused while providing helpful resources.

I'm looking forward to our next Iowa Core chat. I hope some of MNW's District Leadership Team will join in! For others that may not be as aquainted with the Iowa Core and all it involves, besides participating in the next chat, I'd encourage you to check out your AEA's website for resources.

Classroom Climate is Changing!

Jennifer Pearson teaches 3rd grade at Manson Northwest Webster Elementary. A few days ago I asked her how her classroom environment has changed this year because of her professional learning and the district's emphasis on technology integraton. She was kind enough to write about it. I want to share it on my blog. You'll find as you read, she is definitely a reflective practitioner. I'd encourage you to visit her blog and website. And, she's a great follow on Twitter.

Jen says:
"Recently I have been doing a lot of reflecting on the look and feel of my 3rd grade classroom as compared to previous school years. As a teacher, I have always been focused on pouring lessons through my relevancy filter. I try to ask myself about relevant work and assessments. Here are some questions I have asked myself: Is it useful to teach cursive handwriting? Why would I expect my students to copy or rewrite (with pencil and paper) a writing project knowing that I would never do the same? Is it important for my students to identify sentences that are written correctly? Wouldn't it be more relevant for them to create their own sentences? Is it relevant for my students to cut and glue and do 'crafty' things?

I have been able to answer some of these questions and, some, I have not. However, these many questions, and the addition of a twitter handle, helped me discover my passion for technology in the classroom. This school year has brought a new atmosphere and new set of partnerships to my classroom. My classroom has become a place to experiment, explore, share ideas, and try something new. The conversations that I hear between my students is evidence that this is a place to learn and share. It's exciting for all of us to be in a place where we frequently try new technology and new learning strategies. The use of websites like kidblog or todaysmeet have given my class a place to work and connect at school and at home. We are now at a place where making global connections is more than possible, it's expected.

Although, I know that my classroom has many aspects that can be improved, I feel like we are headed in the right direction. I still ask myself those questions about relevant work in my classroom. And now I've learned that some of the most relevant work is in the exploration and experimentation of trying something new."

Class blog: http://www.pearsonclassroom.blogspot.com/
Kidblog: www.kidblog.org/pearsonclassroom
Twitter: mrsjpearson
Skype: mrsjpearson

Related Reading:
Mike Richman's Classroom Blog: http://mrichman.blogspot.com/

A 21st Century Resource

Thanks to Julie Harabedian for a copy of 21st Century Skills, Learning for Life in Our Times by Bernie Trilling and Charles Fadel. As agreed, this is a short review in context of connections to Manson Northwest Webster. Before I do that, I’d like to suggest the book for any district that is studying 21st century learning. It’s based on the P21 Framework, and I think it has a lot to offer Iowa schools in terms of implementing the Iowa Core and the Core’s identified 21st Century Skills and Universal Constructs.

The authors talk about the 21st century skills all students must develop to be successful beyond high school. They focus on critical learning skills and innovation. In my opinion, these are essential and should be infused into all content areas. MNW is focused on doing just that. Our Iowa Core and professional development plans focus not only on the Characteristics of Effective Instruction, but also 21st century skills and technology integration. As the authors say, these skills are at the heart of what it takes to unlock a lifetime of learning. MNW's leadership believes all students need to experience learning environments in which they have many opportunities to solve problems, collaborate, communicate, create, and innovate within and across each content area.

I like the authors’ description that our time in education is the “perfect learning storm” for developing new ways of learning. They suggest that Knowledge Work, Thinking Tools, Digital Lifestyles, and Learning Research are all merging and in doing so, will cause us to teach and learn differently. How exciting! I like the big picture look and the analogy they created. Now the challenge comes in making the most of that perfect storm in every district, building and classroom!

Making Sense of Professional Learning Networks

Preparing to present on the topic of Professional Learning Networks at the Iowa Tech Infused Learning Conference, hosted by Newell-Fonda on Oct0ber 20, really helped me to examine and clarify my own journey with my PLN.

I believe building a Professional Learning Network can help you become a connected learner. As educators, if we aren’t connected learners, how can we understand and expect our students to become 21^st century connected learners?

Nothing New

The concept of a Professional Learning Network has been around for a long time. A PLN has been the people and information sources that help you meet your needs and accomplish your goals either personal or professional. Included are your co-workers, your supervisor, your friends, the magazines you subscribe to, books you read, experts you consult, etc.

My PLN used to be administrators and teacher leaders—mostly in the area and a few throughout the state along with a few professional journals and web resources. My professional life took a huge leap last spring when my colleague, Shawn Holloway, and I got started on Twitter. Since then I have been cultivating social networking as a way of professionally connecting with others. As a result, I’ve been able to learn and share with other educators across the US and around the world. The real-time web has dramatically altered the way I do my job, the way I collaborate and communicate with others, and the way I learn. New tools for organizing digital networked information, have allowed me new kinds of networks that extend far beyond my old PLN and immediate location and face-to-face connections.

The construction of a PLN enables educators to harness the power inherent in 21st Century technologies in order to create a professional growth tool that is accessible whenever, wherever. My PLN provides me with a constant supply of resources, thought-provoking discussions, knowledge, leadership strategies, help with compliance issues and state initiatives, and ways to successfully integrate technology. It gets me outside my box and outside my small rural community.

To justify social networking as a sound professional learning strategy, I’ve included a short summary of a learning theory behind PLNs.

Connectivism - George Siemens

According to Siemens, “Considering technology and meaning-making as learning activities begins to move learning into the digital age.” Inherent to this new viewpoint on learning is the idea that we can no longer personally experience everything there is to experience as we try to learn something new. We must create networks which, simply defined, are connections between entities. By using these networks - of people, of technology, of social structures, of systems, of power grids, etc. - learning communities can share their ideas with others, thereby “cross-pollinating” the learning environment (Siemens, 2005). For more information about Connectivism, visit this website.

Below is a sample of PLN starting points and resources. The presentation by Kevin Wood, Shawn Holloway and myself included the first four bullet-points. Thank you to Eric Sheninger for compiling many of the resources on the list.

• Twitter: Microblogging platform that allows educators from all corners of the globe to communicate in 140 characters or less. Allows for the sharing of resources, discussion of best practices, and collaboration. For more information on Twitter check out this video.
• Social Bookmarking: Method for storing, organizing, and sharing bookmarks online. Popular sites such as Delicious, Diigo, and Symbaloo allow you to add descriptions as well as categorize each site using tags. Educators can even join groups and receive email updates when new bookmarks are added. For more information on social bookmarking check out this video.
• RSS Readers: RSS stands for "Real Simple Syndication". An RSS reader is a tool that allows you to keep up with educational blogs, news, wikis, and podcasts all in one convenient location. By subscribing to various RSS feeds educators then have a customized flow of information that is continually updated and accessible through the use of mobile devices or the internet. Educators can even create their own RSS feeds! Popular RSS readers include Google Reader and RSSOwl.
• Digital Discussion Forums: Consist of communities of educators interested in similar topics. One of the most popular sites is called Ning where educators can create or join specific communities. Ning sites offer a range of learning and growth options such as discussion forums, event postings, messaging, news articles, chat features, groups, and videos. Popular educational Ning sites include The Educator’s PLN, Classroom 2.0, English Companion Ning, and Ning in Education. Another fantastic digital discussion forum is ASCD Edge (you must be a member of ASCD to join). In addition, the new 1:1 Laptops Schools Ning has attracted many members as a place to collaborate and share resources around 1:1 technology.
• Link-In
• Facebook
• Blogs
• Wikis

Professional Learning Networks have come a long way. As I mentioned earlier in the post, my newly developed PLN has changed my professional life. It's exciting to be a self-directed and self-propelled learner. Thanks to all of you in my PLN!

Helping Struggling Learners with IRIS

How do we help struggling learners at the secondary level? It doesn't seem to be as easy as it is at the elementary level.

I'm so excited about what we're starting at Manson Northwest Webster Jr/Hs to help our struggling students and IRIS (Iowa's Rapidly Improving Schools ) grant has made it possible. We are in our 2nd year of IRIS support that has helped make possible the development of a sustainable framework for helping all young adults that struggle.

Last week, I spent 3 days with our team consisting of teacher leaders and our jr/hs principal. The first day was spent in a site visit with the state IRIS team. During that time we discussed, 1) our framework and criteria for identifying and meeting the needs of students who struggle, 2) the process for assisting those kids and 3) the data collection methods for determining our success. We've worked hard to make sure this framework is one that not only follows best practice, but is one that can be sustained after the IRIS support is gone. During the site visit we talked about using our well established collaborative teams to work with the strugglers and within each team assigning a teacher advocate for each identified student. We all agree that kids need to know someone cares about them and that there is an individual teacher who will be their advocate--will look out for them, check up on them, and go to bat for them. I'm so fortunate to be part of a team who cares about what's best for all kids. Our IRIS team of @shawn_holloway, @mike_richman, @kyleteeselink, @briannelsonmnw @valeriejergens, @pjobgen and myself are all committed to doing what it takes so all kids will learn.

The last two days of IRIS consisted of a fall kick-off meeting in Ames with the nine other schools in Iowa. Our facilitators, Warren Weber, Peter Holly, and Mark Draper dedicated a great deal of time to collaboration. We not only learned from each other, but spent time developing an online network for learning and sharing. Thanks to Marcia Powell and Shawn Holloway for creating a Google Group and helping get everyone connected on Twitter. It's all about collaboration and doing what's best for all kids. And IRIS is providing support.

What is 21st Century Learning Anyway?

21st Century Learning is in the title of my blog and I’ve come to realize the phrase is rolling off everyone’s tongue. It’s almost cliché. So what does it mean? A reflection written by a colleague on MNW's Summer Book Study Wiki sticks in my mind. Concerning 21st Century learning she said, “Understanding what students are doing as they work on an authentic learning project is not always easily understood for people not involved in this important movement. Bringing the projects into the community as presentations or displays could help to make the learning more evident.” She is so right! We need to educate our whole school community about what it means to learn in today’s world. This includes considering the kinds of skills kids will need in the future for they are growing up in a different world than the generation before them. So, what skills do they need for the future? They need meaningful opportunites within each discipline and across disciplines to develop skills as problem-solvers, communicators, creators, innovators, and collaborators.

Do students and teachers have to use classroom technology in order to achieve these characteristics? No. Does it help? Absolutely. Technology, and in particular the Internet, can eliminate barriers and give students the opportunity to create authentic work that has real meaning in the world around us. It’s the read-write web. They can collaborate literally 24/7 with others across the state, the country and the world, and their products can be published and disseminated at no cost. We just need to give them opportunities to do it.

Helping educators understand and implement a 21st Century vision of meaningful and relevant learning can be a challenge. We can look at our PreK12 Vision for Teaching and Learning and say, “There it is—Manson Northwest Webster has it covered.” Of course, not so. As I suggested in an earlier post, our vision is only the beginning. If it doesn’t move into the classroom, it was a wasted effort all around—teachers’ time and tax-payers’ money. Educators (this includes all educators in the district, not just the teachers) need to:
• Change the classroom environment, leaving behind memories of their own traditional learning experiences.
• Get rid of old, outdated “default” teaching practices.
• Examine the concepts and skills students really need to know and forget the sound bites of information that will be long forgotten.
• Use assessments and timely feedback to guide instruction and learning,

In a recent post in Weblogg-ed, Will Richarson talks about unlearning teaching .
"I think that’s one of the hardest shifts in thinking for teachers to make, the idea that they are no longer central to student learning simply because they are in the room.”

There are great things happening at MNW. Teachers are changing the traditional environment perhaps by "unlearning teaching" and more than ever are involving students in real, meaningful work. Here are a few examples.
• Recently, 3rd grade teacher, Jennifer Pearson used her classroom blog for posting a “homework assignment”. Together parents and students explored a website that she had introduced and blogged about their learning. Jennifer used the postings with the class as a start to a new unit.
• Mike Richman, a co-teacher in 9th grade Language Arts, recorded a recent classroom experience. He partnered with Shaelynn Farnsworth and her Creative Writing students at BCLUW. Mike writes, “we called them on a video chat with Google...Yes, we had seniors teaching freshmen about blogging, it was awesome.” I watched the live U-Stream and I agree with Mike. Yes, it was awesome!
• Jodi Jacobsen recently introduced her class to their new learning partners, via Skype. Jodi’s 4th graders are partnering with a school in Ohio. They will be collaborating on projects and learning together. I was there for their first “meeting.” The excitement was unbelievable.

I hope this post for now, begins to answer the question—What is a 21st century learner? What are your thoughts on the topic? I’d love to hear from you.

It's All About Learning

I’ve been recently working with district and building professional development plans in addition to re-examining how we do professional development at MNW. Our board has always been very supportive of our inservices because they know they are a critical component to improving. Our professional development goal has always been to increase teachers’ knowledge and skills to improve student learning. That will remain the same.

As I reviewed and learned more about current best practices in professional development, I found a quote by Linda Darling-Hammond that sums it up well. She says, “Effective professional development is intensive, ongoing, and connected to practice; focuses on the teaching and learning of specific content (reading, math, science, social studies);…and builds strong working relationships among teachers.

With that in mind, here are the bullet points of professional learning at MNW:
• All staff participate—it’s not optional
• We choose our content based on what students need. In other words, what do teachers need as a result of what students need?
• Our collaborative teams meet to discuss and analyze what’s happening in the classroom as a result of what teachers are learning and implementing.
• Our initiatives are based on current best practice and are implemented as they were intended.
• Everyone, including teachers and administrators are committed to sustaining our efforts. Our efforts are ongoing.
• Although there is a K12 focus, the inservices meet the needs of the students and teachers in individual buildings.

Where does technology fit into professional development? Technology integration comes with a high learning curve for some staff members. We appreciate this and have had many technology rich inservices as well as informal summer learning sessions (see my August blog post). We believe integrating technology with sound pedagogy is at the heart of authentic learning and preparing students for success in the 21st Century. Integrating technology is also part of our K12 Vision for Teaching and Learning. While technology is new and exciting and very engaging for students, it’s important to keep the goal in mind—student learning.

I recently participated in a live, interactive web interview with George Siemens, a social media strategist and learning theorist. He talked about technology integration and suggested that whenever you partner technology with anything, for example student learning, technology becomes the dominant partner. If this is true, we must be very careful about what our technology integration looks like. It should be based on the strong content of the Iowa Core and implemented with a sound instructional foundation such as the Characteristics of Effective Instruction.

Even though there is some angst around the technology integration and a 21st Century Learning emphasis, there is also excitement with students and teachers alike. I think most teachers will agree that we are learning with and from each other. Our professional development is about learning. Our inservices are learning environments.

Henry Ford says, “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty.” Since I consider myself a learner first and an educator second, does that mean I’ve stopped growing old? If that’s the case, anyone want to join me?

Summertime Learning at MNW

As I write this post, I’m reminded of the song “Summertime,” a current hit by Kenny Chesney. Some of the lyrics go like this--School's out and the nights roll in…

For many staff members those lyrics meant a time for learning and sharing.
It was exciting to see teachers voluntarily participating in informal professional development focused on integrating technology to change their classrooms.

Highlights of the informal learning include:
1) A book study wiki. http://mnwbookstudy.wikispaces.com/ The District Leadership Team read and reflected on 21st Century Skills, Rethinking How Students Learn, an anthology published by Solution Tree. Teachers and administrators shared their insights into what 21st Century Skills mean.
2) Flexible sessions were held to learn the basics of Twitter, Diigo, Blogging, and various Web 2.0 tools. It was fun to tweet back and forth as teachers learned Twitter and started to develop their individual Professional Learning Networks.
3) Teachers learned about connecting with others as they participated in #edchat, #elemchat, and #mathchat while making connections with teachers all over the world.
4) Several teachers and administrators attended The Reform Symposium, an online conference for educators, administrators, parents and students. This year the conference focused on innovative practices in education and what role these practices play in educational reform.

After a summer packed with learning and sharing, two teachers shared their thoughts. One said, "Building a PLN through Twitter has provided me with amazing professional collaboration opportunities. I have found other passionate educators that have given me tools to use in my classroom. This year I believe my students will be immersed in a 21st century learning environment. Without my PLN through Twitter, I don't know that I would have had the tools or connections to provide this for my students."

Another said, "I have been trying to use technology in my every day life to catch up with those digital natives! What I really have enjoyed about this process (informal learning) is that I can collaborate (ie...Twitter, meetings, etc.) with other teachers, while also doing some independent learning."

So, for many, summertime at MNW doesn't reflect the stereotypical 3 months off. Our staff has an ongoing restlessness and passion for improvement and our informal summer learning is a great example of continuous learning.