I know we are not supposed to discuss our reading of Whither the Postmodern Library? yet. We are to save it for tonight's class discussion. I have been reading the book for only the last two days because I have put if off in favor of other things in my hectic schedule. So, not proudly, I admit this, but because I have read it so fervently and in a relatively short amount of time, I have been moved by the author's perspective moreso than I think I would have been if I had read in short pieces. At two or three points in the book and of course, at the end of the afterlogue, I was moved to tears. Granted, I am an inherently emotional and empathetic person, but I don't think I've ever cried while reading a textbook for a class before! That reaches a new level of empathy or perhaps even insanity! I am looking forward to tonight's discussion of the book. Hopefully I can get through the discussion without embarrassing myself.

Planning a Delicious Day

Today, I think I finally received personal acceptance that the direction I am heading with my Action Learning Project is a good fit for the school. I had been struggling with how to introduce the delicious account to teachers and today I have my final answer. I am planning a "delicious day" where I will spend the school day on Tuesday, April 13. I am going to be available all day to help teachers as they drop in to the computer lab during their planning time. I will help them set up their delicious accounts and be able to show them some sample web pages on the account and show them some of the features of "delicious.com" as well. I will lure them in with the promise of something else delicious--tasty snacks. I've already got the Principal and Instructional Coach on board and they are planning to help bring in snacks. My challenges now are to prepare the advertising to lure teachers in, to prepare a handout with complete instructions to be used as a reference tool for teachers, and to prepare my information to be presented on "delicious day." I definitely have my work cut out for me.

WWLD--What Would the Librarian Do?

Today, I went to Salem Elementary to attend a training session for 3rd grade teachers on the use of the Smartboard in the classroom. It was taught by the Instructional Technologist at the school and she gave me permission to sit in on the training like a "fly on the wall." I was unable to attend the first session of training on March 15 because of babysitting issues, so I missed the introductory lesson in a 3 part training series. The teachers have previously had some training on the smartboards and have been using them in their classrooms, but they are at the phase of experimentation and limited use. What I hoped to gain today was insight into the wants and needs of the teachers with regards to their Smartboard use and network for my project with Delicious.

The training session was very informal, with the IT demonstrating a few techniques of creating screens to be used in lessons incorporating the Smartboard. The trainer also reviewed some pre-fab designs for lessons and gave the participants a chance to try out these techniques. For the next meeting, teachers were asked to bring ideas on projects to work on so that the session can be a work session and the IT will be available to help. That is going to be next Thursday, April 1. I asked about whether or not teachers could download Smart Notebook software for use on their home computers; I was hoping to be able to use Smart Notebook at home for a little while, but I would have to be a school employee. My husband is an employee at another school in the same district, but that school doesn't have any Smartboards, so he doesn't have access either. I would need to come to the school to use the computers. I'm not sure if I can schedule any more school time. The teacher in me wants to do a little more to teach actual smartboard use, but I am continually reminding myself that the project is about "what would the librarian do?" In this case, the librarian is more of a resource person or teammate in the teaching process, so I think our original plan is going in the right direction.

Learning Set meeting and groupwork pitfalls

Last week, we had a Learning Set meeting during class. It was helpful to meet face to face. I was able to discuss my project in detail and get some much needed feedback. The bottom line I gleaned from discussing with my group was that I need to do a little more research into the needs of the teachers, perhaps through a survey or by talking with more teachers to get a feel for what they need in relation to the smartboards. The meeting also served to provide networking opportunities. Both Tammy and Ann offered some help to me by sharing. Tammy shared a wiki that her school system used for a technology conference. Ann promised to send a list of websites she uses for her smartboard. Both of these have proven to be helpful, in different degrees.

Working with groups has been an interesting experience. Different people react to groupwork in different ways. Some people like to share what's going on and get feedback; some like to just give feedback; some people just tolerate the groups long enough to complete the requirements of the assignment. In our other class, we've had written projects that we have had to complete in groups and there are certainly pitfalls of working with other people. Sometimes it is difficult to find a time when everyone is able to meet. Sometimes a person in the group doesn't pull their weight and the others have to pick up the slack. No one enjoys pulling up the slack for someone who isn't doing their fair share of the work. These are not new issues; it can happen any time students work with other students. It is important for us to realize this, also, as teachers. It has helped me to know who I want to work with and whose group I will avoid in the future.

To wiki or not to wiki . . . That is the question.

I've toyed with the idea of changing the direction of my project mid-stream toward creating a wiki for the teachers at Salem. I have done a little exploring and set up a sample wiki on wikispaces. It is truly pretty easy to set up. However, given that even using a delicious account is new for me, the librarian, and many of the teachers at Salem, I have decided to stay the course and continue working on my project in the same direction. The teachers are already having to adjust to the new technology of the smartboard. In our readings, we learned that it takes a while for groups, as a whole, to adjust to new technology and embrace it. So I don't think it would be most productive to introduce wiki contribution yet into this mix. I feel confident that this project would eventually be served well by a wiki, but for now, it is too soon. If I can sell teachers on delicious, it will be a great introduction to social cyber-sharing and should naturally lead toward the kind of participation needed for a successful wiki.

wiki not wookie

After reading the chapter on Wikis, I have to say that I am intrigued and want to take a look at some real wikis out there to get a feel for how they work. I have only used wikipedia a few times, and even then, I had no idea that content was input by consumers. Very cool! Wikis sound like some kind of cute character on a children’s cartoon show or fuzzy and lovable creatures in a Star Wars movie. They are actually a very interesting tool with a variety of uses. I really like the characteristic of flexibility of the wiki. The text outlines 3 ways wikis are useful: for promoting internal communication, providing virtual space for group collaboration, and create dynamic content for the user population. The aspect of wikis that I am most interested in is to create dynamic content. For my action learning project, we are trying to create a resource for teachers at an elementary school that will help them share ideas, websites, and how-to’s on using their new smartboards in their classrooms.

I get to be a fly on the wall for training

This week, I am excited to be able to participate in a Smartboard training session that the IT person from the school is giving to 3rd grade teachers. I found out about it quite by accident, when the teachers were soliciting parent volunteers to help monitor kids so they could attend training. I spoke with the IT, and she agreed to allow me to participate in the training session. I want to see, firsthand, where they are in their smartboard experience so that I can better understand the focus of my own research. Also, I could use some help myself, understanding the versatility and getting the know-how on the smartboard. If I just had one of these at home to practice on, it would be easier. There was one training session yesterday, but I couldn't attend because of babysitting issues, but I am planning on attending the 2nd training on Thursday. I am hoping to be able to present some of my project ideas for the third training session on April 1 but I need to check with the IT to see if that would be workable.

lots going on

I haven't blogged in so long. Sometimes I feel like my life is just spiraling and I'm doing my best just to hang on. My kids have taken turns being sick and I've been sick; I have new responsibilities at church and I have been trying to keep up with the work from school. I've been blogging in my head; does that count? Anyway, there's a lot to catch up on.

I am excited about where my project is heading. I am working with an elementary school librarian on a project that she is also excited about. I am helping her to use technology she hasn't used that much and she is also helping me to learn. I feel we are doing something that will be practical and helpful for the teachers and will be something that will grow and continue after I am out of the action. I just wish there were more hours in the day to do all I would like to do on this.

Here it is in a nutshell: A few weeks ago, Ms. Hampton sent out an email to the staff and let them know she and I would be working on gathering resources for teachers to use in their lessons, specifically for use with the new Smartboards. At the suggestion of the Instructional Technology Specialist at the school, we have set up a delicious account which the librarian maintains. We are adding websites that have activities related to topics teachers have requested help with. Anyone in the school can access the account and we are adding sites to it as we go along. I have gone to the school to get some experience on the smartboard and to research activities that require software available at the school. We have found some really neat sites that directly relate to the curriculum needs of teachers at their request. One challenge is getting the teachers to be more specific about what topics we should research. For instance, one set of teachers said they needed help finding resources for a unit on sound. If the teachers could take a few moments to give me some more information, like maybe a list of vocabulary words they need to cover within the topic of "sound" that would help me focus my research so I can find activities to fit what they are planning to teach.

I had thought about putting links to these activities on the school website, but per the librarian, the website is currently under construction and out of our hands. I think the tech people are trying to revamp the websites of schools in the county so they will be alike in format. For now, we can't focus on the website. Also, I heard there is smartboard training later this month for the teachers and I am currently trying to see if I can be present for some of the training and maybe present information at the last training on April 1.