The Power of Connection

     This week I was asked to create a personal digital story for my multimedia course.  It seemed clear to me right away that my story would deal with my sons, who are the center of my life and the most powerful teachers I have ever had.  Joe Lambert of the Digital Storytelling Center describes relationships as a rich source of storytelling:  "How we love, are inspired by, want to recognize, and find meaning in our relationships are all aspects of our lives that are deeply important to us. Perhaps the majority of the stories created in our workshops are about a relationship, and in the best stories they tell us more about ourselves than the details of our own life story."  (Lambert, 2010)  As I began the project I had the advantage of a large, well organized catalogue of photographs, as many mothers do, and some prior experience with PhotoStory in my classroom.  My topic, while very close to my heart, exists as a part of my everyday life.  I expected this project to be entertaining, a bit sentimental, and benign. 
     In fact, the experience of putting a narrative to my emotions and memories was challenging as a writer and editor, and achingly lovely as a mother.  As I delved into the relationship between my sons, I had an opportunity to look at our family memories through completely new eyes.  Pictures that never left the computer's hard drive, deemed too rough or unflattering, suddenly became the true heart of the story.  Listening to the conversations between the boys, I heard tried and true words that suddenly spoke a completely new message.  In telling about what I knew the best, I found that I learned brand new lessons.
     This should be the learning expectations for our students when they use media to communicate.  Students who must create the narrative of their learning are forced to approach their knowledge from new perspectives.  Learning becomes personal, relational; and it is in this relationship that we gain our true education.  Marco Torres of San Fernando High School understood this well:  "What Torres remembers about his own education are the things he made in school: the plaster cast of his hand in kindergarten, the spouting volcano in third grade, the model of a California mission in fourth grade. His students, he finds, enjoy coming up with a tangible product as much as he did.” (Edutopia Staff, 2002)  Quite simply, children who do, learn.
Please take a moment to view my digital story, "The Way Brothers Do," in the Multimedia Gallery.
Works Cited:
Edutopia Staff. (2002, July 1). Students Find Their Voices Through Multimedia. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/students-find-their-voices-through-multimedia
Lambert, J. (2010, January). Digital Storytelling Cookbook. Retrieved August 27, 2010 from the Center for Digital Storytelling: http://www.storycenter.org/cookbook.pdf

Multimedia and Higher Order Thinking

     In his explanation of the SFETT (San Fernando Education Technology Team) at San Fernando High School, Marco Torres describes the connection multimedia creates between students and content:  "Media is the language of kids," Torres adds, saying that students who may not take to learning by reading a textbook or listening to a lecture often jump at the chance to understand complex concepts by presenting finished products in the form of a film or a Web documentary or a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation.” (Edutopia Staff, 2002)  A teacher can look at a student’s PhotoStory project and gain significant insight into her reasoning, perspective, and higher order thinking skills.   While the uses of multimedia tools for language arts and social studies assessment might be more evident at first blush, the implications for evaluating critical thinking in math and science are equally powerful.  One of the primary functions of an elementary science and math teacher is to show students how to merge process with product.  Educational technology advocate Marc Prensky shares, “As students share works in progress with the class for critical evaluation from both teacher and students, the teacher takes on the valuable roles of explainer, context provider, meaning maker, and evaluator/coach.” (Prensky, 2008, p. 45)  ISTE Indicator/task III.A.5 involves “us[ing] methods and strategies for teaching concepts and skills that support use of media-based tools such as television, audio, print media, and graphics,” and Indicator/task III.C.1 calls for facilitators to “use methods and facilitate strategies for teaching problem-solving principles and skills using technology resources.” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, pp. 227-228)  A significant number of my action research and internship goals involve making technology more accessible for all teachers, and therefore all students on my campus.  Because I realize that the catalyst for technology integration on my campus is ease of use, this PhotoStory project will act as a template to create a “try this” professional development for my faculty.  This speaks to ISTE Indicator/task V.C.2: “facilitate activities to help others in locating, selecting, capturing, and integrating video and digital images, in varying formats for use in presentations, publications and/or other products.”   I am a firm believer in the idea that teachers are most likely to integrate technology if they begin the journey with "one good lesson".  If I can bring that baseline of confidence and readiness to the truly excellent educators on my campus, student access and engagement with technology are sure to follow.

Works Cited

Edutopia Staff. (2002, July 1). Students Find Their Voices Through Multimedia. Retrieved August 23, 2010, from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/students-find-their-voices-through-multimedia

Prensky, M. (2008, March). Turning On the Lights. Educational Leadership, 65 (6), pp. 40-45.

Williamson, J., & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE's Technology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do. Washington: International Society for Technology in Education.

Ed Tech Goes Back to School

     Ready or not, the year has begun.  I am ready - my technology is not.

     Sadly, for want of approximately 12 inches of ethernet cable, my amazing interactive learning technology is dead in the water.  Projected completion?  One to two weeks.  Now, considering that quality control began final processing of my campus the second week of July, and only this Friday realized the infrastructure would not support "go live" on Monday, I'm definitely refining Plan B.  However, even the awkward introduction of Plan to Reality doesn't dampen my spirit.  I have ideas swirling around like a kaleidoscope:  I can hardly get them all committed to the page.      In the development of my PhotoStory project, I was reminded that the personal and the professional, the academic and the emotional often overlap.  This is not an obstacle to learning, but rather an avenue towards it.  When we take what we know and push it in new directions, we can find either a depth or a transparency of knowledge that might otherwise have never been brought out into the light.  Giving our knowledge life and perspective forces us to utilize not simply what we know, but what we understand.  What a powerful lesson for educators.  And so, I begin 2010-2011 ready to learn and grow with my students and my faculty.  In the heart of a learner, enthusiasm for a new year never wanes.  Welcome back to school!

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Web Conference - August 9: Time for Action

     The final web conference of the course did not disappoint. Dr. Jenkins was, as always, incredibly informative and supportive, and the group had a dynamic discussion. In the course of the conference, we learned that our action research projects would be monitored via either blogs or wikis that would be created for each cohort group; with an assigned professor that will monitor our progress during the course of our action research and provide feedback and assistance should we have the need. I’m pleased to hear that we will have an avenue for ongoing dialogue with a mentor who is familiar with our project. I strongly encouraged Dr. Jenkins to select a wiki format for this process; the linear nature of blogging does not create the kind of multi-faceted collaboration that I believe the professors hope occurs. Dr. Jenkins solicited participants’ thoughts and reflections on the course, and reassured those people who expressed concern about not yet meeting with their mentors or administrators to finalize their projects. I feel fortunate that I have had excellent collaboration with both my mentor and my principal, and I know that they will continue to support both my research and my internship.

     Although my action research will be ongoing, this blog post is the final formal task for 5301. My next stop – video and multimedia. I have high expectations for the course, and I think it will be a fantastic way to start the school year. “All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.”1

1.  Brackett, C. (Producer), & Wilder, B. (Director). (1950). Sunset Boulevard [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Bring on the Natives

     I walked into my classroom today - WOW.  On my desk was a shiny new docking station. On my shiny new laptop, interactive technology software and the registration key for the district Moodle platform.  On the wall, a brand new interactive whiteboard.  At the front table, a brand new ultra-high resolution document camera with remote and an interactive response system.  And sprouting from the ceiling, a fully integrated projector with 3-D capability and a digital surround sound speaker system.  


     My classroom is techno-glam, people, and I am ready to use it.  Welcome to the revolution.

Ready to Get My Feet Wet!

     I had the opportunity yesterday to meet with my mentor and finalize my research plan.  It was a validating experience to have Dee Ann look over my plans and support my goals and activities so wholeheartedly.  I discovered that the district has already begun to develop a lesson exchange forum through HEB Learning (the district’s Moodle environment) and will providing access to any teachers interested in participating.  The presence of the Moodle environment streamlines much of the logistical component of my plan.  Dee Ann also advised me to consider use of the interactive response system that is being implemented as part of our SMART system.  There are some significant disadvantages to using Survey Monkey as a data collection technique, including the size limitations of the surveys (on a basic membership) and the difficulty ensuring maximum participation in the survey.  Creating ‘quick questions’ for the response system ensures that every faculty member to participate in a survey while they attend a faculty meeting.  Results can quickly be shared during the meeting, or I can simply collect the data for later analysis.   Most importantly, it models the technology in a way that is engaging and non-threatening for faculty members. 

     My colleagues have also given me much to consider over the past weeks, and I owe them a debt of gratitude for their additions to the scope, depth, and overall quality of my research plan.  Sarah A. touched on the experiences of her campus, where the technology facilitator offered ongoing training that highlighted different features of the technology.  I hope to work together with my mentor, who is the technology facilitator for my campus, to supplement our PLC meetings with campus professional development that focuses on exploring the technology itself.  Sharron B. commented that success of the PLC might depend on the interest level of the teachers, and that the age/experience level of the teachers might have bearing on their willingness to incorporate the new technology. This is such an excellent point: there is no question that the makeup of the PLC will have a significant impact on the goals and pacing of the group.  If my initial presentation to the campus is received as I hope, I will have a wide spectrum of experience both in the classroom and with the technology.  This will afford opportunities for members of the PLC to coach each other on both integration of the technology and instructional best practices.  Sarah’s suggestion to offer ongoing training, taken in conjunction with Sharron’s suggestion to work closely with members who are reluctant to take chances with the technology, creates an entirely new action step in my plan: to organize and facilitate professional development for the faculty to feature various features of SMART Notebook, then work with the PLC to develop lesson templates that use those particular features. 

     I attended district facilitator training today, and the enthusiasm of the group for this technology and its vast potential has energized me.  I can hardly wait to return on August 13 and share my vision with the campus.  Enough planning – let’s jump in!