Capitalizing on Collaboration: Professional Development in Blogging Triads

1. Capitalizing on Collaboration: Professional Development in Blogging Triads Presented by: Northside ISD Library Services and Academic Technology Services, San Antonio, TX

2. Role of Technology and Library Integration in Advancing Learning • Promising results from the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET) • Library Research Service (www.lrs.org) & Educational Research Service (www.ers.org) also show great results! • One key to both is the power of collaboration: “Collaborationhas been called the single most important factor in sustaining the effort to create a professional learning community and there isevidence of improved student learning in schools with collaborative norms.”(K20 Center, University of Oklahoma.)

3. Focusing on 21st Century Learners In the Framework for 21st Century Learning, the Learning and Innovation Skills focus on three strands: • Creativity and Innovation • Critical Thinking and Problem Solving • Communication and Collaboration These higher-order thinking skills really focus and engage students!

4. Role of 21st Century Teachers Today’s technology provides a perfect platform for developing such skills. The 21st Century Teacher moves from a “primary role as a dispenser of information to an orchestrator of learning.” Such teachers strive to: • Experiment with Emerging Technologies • Explore New Ways of Teaching • Expand their Professional Expertise

5. Moving to Education 2.0 … This clip entitled “Shake it Up” from Teacher Tube reinforces our need to change our approach to educating today’s students – and the need to embrace some new approaches, such as Web 2.0 Tools

6. Promise of Web 2.0 for Learning Web 2.0, sometimes called the Read/Write Web has excited educators regarding some new approaches – one of the most promising being blogs,or weblogs. What is a blog exactly? Let’s take a look at Blogs in Plain English!

7. Benefits of Blogging on Learning Learning Specialists Fernette and Brocke Eide’s research shows a great potential for positive impact on students (Will Richardson, 2006): • Promote Critical & AnalyticalThinking • PromoteCreative, Associational and IntuitiveThinking • PromoteAnalogicalThinking • Increase Access & Exposure toQuality Information • Combine the best ofSolitary Reflection & Social Interaction

8. Let’s Take a Closer Look! Let’s examine “7 Things You Should Know about Blogs” as well as two blogging programs which are available to educators free of charge: Class Blogmeister Edublogs

9. Check out some Student Blogs! • Powell ES – Math Specialist’s blog on Hands-On Equations with Student Video • Luna MS – Blogs as Book Reports with Student Audio • Holmes HS, Stevens HS & Warren HS – Cuban Missile Crisis - Propaganda

10. Elementary Science Blog Our triads worked in teams, taking the role of students, investigating a curricular blog based on Elementary Science objectives. We’ve delivered it using both blogging tools discussed: Class Blogmeister – Ocean Blogs and later reformatted in Edublogs

11. Research, Reflect & Respond … It’s your turn now to take on the role of a student and investigate this ecological disaster – and share your recommendations!

12. Stepping Back in Time Let’s step back in time for a moment, and think about a document our forefathers penned with a quill pen. We invite you to engage in a Reader’s Theater! Here’s a clip from the Declaration of Independence Road Trip to set the stage!

13. Using Tools of the Future Now, we’ll use the laptop and our Web 2.0 blogging tools to discuss the historic document! Declaration of Independence Set up initially in Class Blogmeister under Thomas Jefferson, and later reformatted in Edublogs!

14. Research, Reflect & Respond … It’s your turn now to take on the role of a student and investigate the background of our Declaration of Independence, and share your thoughts on the issues!

15. Reflection on Student Blogging Why does it make sense to incorporate the social aspect of the Web in our classrooms?

16. Reflection on Staff Blogging Do you envision ways to engage and educate your staff members through blogging?

17. Our Response from Campuses • Delighted by nearly 100% attendance of invited participants • Very enthusiastic Principals - and numerous invitations to present to entire campus faculties • Invited to present blogging to secondary English Department Coordinators – and then to some HS English departments • Sample quote from an ES Principal now serving on our Cabinet – Betsy Wynn

18. Our Recent and Future Steps After being pleased with blogging tools available for student use, we’ve investigated self-hosted Word Press software for staff use • CIT Blogspot – unveiled in Spring to Secondary CITs, to be shared with Elementary CITs in August • NISD Administrator’s Blogspot – unveiled to NISD Cabinet this month – to be shared with Campus Administrators this Fall • Librarian Blogspot – intended for librarian sharing with faculty – planned for this Fall

19. “Check” for Understanding … How did we do in hitting our intended targets of particular ISTE NETS for: • Students • Teachers • Administrators Feel free to share your suggestions for improvements and enhancements!

20. Food for Thought on Web 2.0 As we go our separate ways, this clip which has been a big sensation on You Tube may help us ponder the power of Web 2.0 – “The Machine is Us/ing Us” Professor Mike Wesch, KSU

21. Thank you for Joining Us! Thank you for joining us to focus on reaching today’s Administrators, Teachers, and Digital Natives by collaborating to harness the power of Web 2.0!

22. Contact Information: • Jana Knezek, Director of Library Services –JanaKnezek@nisd.net • Joyce Stevens, Director of Academic Technology Services –JoyceStevens@nisd.net Technology Services Division Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX www.nisd.net/technology