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
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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
• Collaboration has been called the single
  most important factor in sustaining the effort to
  create a professional learning community and
  there is evidence of improved student learning in
  schools with collaborative norms. (K20 Center,
  University of Oklahoma.)

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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!

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Role of 21st Century Teachers

• Todays 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

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Moving to Education 2.0

• This clip entitled Shake it Up from Teacher
  Tube reinforces our need to change our approach
  to educating todays students and the need to
  embrace some new approaches, such as Web 2.0
  Tools

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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? Lets
  take a look at Blogs in Plain English!

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Benefits of Blogging on Learning

• Learning Specialists Fernette and Brocke
  Eides research shows a great potential for
  positive impact on students (Will Richardson,
  2006)
• Promote Critical Analytical Thinking
• Promote Creative, Associational and Intuitive
  Thinking
• Promote Analogical Thinking
• Increase Access Exposure to Quality Information
• Combine the best of Solitary Reflection Social
  Interaction

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Lets Take a Closer Look!

• Lets 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

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Check out some Student Blogs!

• Powell ES Math Specialists 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

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Elementary Science Blog

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

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Research, Reflect Respond

• Its your turn now to take on the role of a
  student and investigate this ecological disaster
  and share your recommendations!

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Stepping Back in Time

• Lets 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 Readers
  Theater!
• Heres a clip from the
• Declaration of
• Independence Road
• Trip to set the stage!

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Using Tools of the Future

• Now, well 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!

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Research, Reflect Respond

• Its 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!

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Reflection on Student Blogging

• Why does it make sense to incorporate the
  social aspect of the Web in our classrooms?

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Reflection on Staff Blogging

• Do you envision ways to engage and educate
  your staff members through blogging?

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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

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Our Recent and Future Steps

• After being pleased with blogging tools
  available for student use, weve 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 Administrators 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

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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!

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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

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Thank you for Joining Us!

• Thank you for joining us to focus on reaching
  todays Administrators, Teachers, and Digital
  Natives by collaborating to harness the power of
  Web 2.0!

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Contact Information

• Jana Knezek, Director of Library Services
  JanaKnezek_at_nisd.net
• Joyce Stevens, Director of Academic Technology
  Services JoyceStevens_at_nisd.net
• Technology Services Division
• Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX
• www.nisd.net/technology