The "Webbies": Recognizing the Ups and Downs of the Journey

photo © 2009 Veronica | more info (via: Wylio)
 Hello and welcome to Miss Nielsen’s “Webby” awards!  This week I will be discussing the highlights (and lowlights) of my journey through the land of Web 2.0 over the past couple of months.  It has been, at times, a long and arduous trip, but looking back on my exploration I can safely say that I have learned A LOT about web 2.0 tools and their application to me both in my personal life and in the classroom.  Of course, I could not have made it alone, this journey has been made a little easier with the support of my fellow travellers (full disclosure: some were people, some were bottles of red wine).  So, to my classmates, professor and local liquor store employees I must extend a warm thank you.  Without further adieu, here are my picks for the inaugural edition of the "Webbies":

photo © 2009 c__ | more info (via: Wylio)

Most Likely to Succeed

Throughout this journey I have tried to stay as connected to the real-world of the classroom as possible.  One of the most important aspects of this course for me was the fact that it required me to take the time to fully explore and use these technologies, a crucial element of the process that most teachers do not have the luxury of experiencing.  Surprisingly, when I reflect upon the tool that is most likely to stick with me beyond the course, blogging comes to mind.  I know that I will continue to use blogging in some capacity in the future.  I would like to continue to blog in a professional manner about tools and my learning as I progress through my masters program and I will definitely explore blogging for my classroom and with my students when I return to teaching in the fall.  Some honourable mentions in this category include my newfound Diigo account for the convenience and organization it offers me no matter what computer I am working on and my Google Reader, which has become my best friend this term (but, more on that later).  

Least Likely to Succeed

Conversely, there are some tools that I do not see having immediate impact on my teaching.  While I loved learning about using social networking in the schools, Facebook is not a tool I will use in my teaching in the near future.  I am slightly torn on the concept since I think it makes sense to leverage a tool that students are already using, but I just can't get over the blurry private/public line that emerges when you invite students into the mix.  I loved exploring Edmodo, I thought it was a great tool that I will share with the junior high teachers at my school, but I wonder if it would be just another thing to keep track of.

Most Powerful Teaching Moment

Hands down, the best teaching experience I had during this process was the afternoon I spent doing some "guerrilla" podcasting with a group of grade sevens.  It was unbelievable to see (and hear) what came out of a mere two and a half hours of class time on a Friday afternoon.  In this time we went through the process of introducing the concept of podcasting, listening to some examples, brainstorming ideas, recording segments and putting it all together into a finished product just as the bell rang.  We had an afternoon together full of laughs and I think the students felt empowered to have me work alongside them with their ideas rather than fulfill a traditional teacher role.  It made me smile when the homeroom teacher of this class informed me that the host of this particular example was normally a fairly quiet, reserved member of his class:

In this introductory afternoon, we mostly focused on the process and skills required for podcasting (such as getting the hang of Aviary's Myna audio editor) but there are so many ways I can see podcasting as a valuable classroom tool to meet and enhance curriculum objectives.  Students could create podcasts on a variety of purposes such as broadcasting school/classroom news, planning and recording debates, audio tours, character profiles for literature, virtual field trips and interviews are just a few ideas that come to mind.  It also represents a relatively safe way to represent students on the Internet without images or video; voices only (with pseudonyms) will assist in obtaining the green-light from even the most squeamish administration or parents.  Podcasting is definitely a tool I will utilize when I make my return to the classroom next fall.  

Most Frustrating Roadblock

The first tool I explored in this journey was the photo sharing site Flickr.  I enjoyed learning about the tool and was amazed at the massive amounts of Creative Commons licensed content on the site for students to use in the wide variety of school projects they complete these days that contain photos.  I was excited about the tool and talked to a few teacher friends about the potential of the site.  One friend of mine that teaches for a large school board in the area was excited about it as well and wanted to have her grade three students use images from the site for a research project she was planning.  She was dismayed to find that the site was blocked in her school and asked her principal about it.  He also saw the value in such a tool and sent an inquiry into the tech department for the district to ask why.  This is the correspondence that ensued (names have been changed):

Hi James, 

Any chance we can get www.flickr.com (sign in) link unblocked?  We are trying to upload pictures to this site that we would like to link from our school's website.  We would also like to access the vast amount of Creative Commons licensed content on the site.

Thanks

John

Hi John, 

The login for this site, is a yahoo login for groups also, groups that subscribe to gambling, occult, pornography etc. Opening this up proposes a serious risk can you suggest an alternative site.

The login site also was compramized last year and credentials stolen, can you suggest another way to share photos.

Thanks,

James

That was it, end of conversation.  Just like that, the site was deemed inappropriate with no consideration to its potential.  This is a story that is being played out, again and again, in districts everywhere over a wide variety of tools and sites.  I think this push and pull between teachers wishing to use various web 2.0 technologies in their classroom and district red-tape is going to continue to escalate as we move forward.  One of the best quotes I came across during my journey on this issue comes from Danah Boyd:

“All too often we blame the technology for problematic human behaviours. We fail to recognize that technology makes them more visible but the human behaviours are rooted in larger issues. In turn, we treat the symptoms rather than the disease. The solution is not to bandaid the problems by taking away or limiting the technologies, but to make the world a better place from the inside out.” 

 Will Richardson (2010) adds to the discussion:

"The other alternative, of course, is to teach students the skills they need to navigate the darker side of the Web safely and effectively.... My students and I spent a good deal of time talking about how responsible use meant not just refraining from actively seeking out these inappropriate sites, but also reacting appropriately when they were happened upon." (p.12-13)

And, William Kist (2010): 

"So, whether due to scripted curricula that leave no room for new media or whether due to schools' fears of new media or educators' lack of knowledge, many students are left to do their networking after school, often without adult supervision." (p.6)

As 21st century educators it is our job to prepare students for success in the future (even if we're not sure what that will be yet).  A big part of this is teaching our students how to be responsible digital citizens and to use critical thinking skills to evaluate and discern good or appropriate sites from others, something they cannot practice in overly sheltered environments.

Most Confusing Dilemma

When I think about using these tools in my teaching, I am a little worried about overload.  I love the idea of maintaining a classroom blog, perhaps even extending it to individual student blogs for my primary students (in time).  I also love the idea of a class wiki to invite collaboration and am intrigued by the possibility of using Edmodo.  I would love to broadcast podcasts and use tools such as Voicethread to share with potential audiences.  What I have not quite sorted out however, is exactly what I'm going to do.  Do I maintain a class wiki AND blog?  Do I branch out and have students blog individually or keep it all together?  I wonder about how all this technology will be received by the parents.  Will it be too much, too fast?  Too much for them (and me) to keep up with?  Too confusing?  Unfortunately, there are no easy answers or "how-to" videos on YouTube to guide me in this dilemma.  I suppose the only solution is to take a deep breath and recognize that these are things that will build in time, slowly scaffolding each tool into practice with lots of communication with colleagues, students and parents throughout the process.  

Most Likely to be Shared With (and Appreciated by) Colleagues

When I return to the classroom next fall I know that I will be looked upon by administration to share my knowledge with my colleagues.  My excitement for this is high, right now my brain is buzzing with the potential of all these tools and the powerful learning experiences and connections that can take place when implementing them.  But... then I remember what it is like to be in the middle of a school year with all sorts of things thrown at you from every direction: new curriculum, Individual Program Plans, Christmas concert, parent-teacher interviews, behaviour issues, extra-curricular clubs and sports to run (and the list goes on and on and on).  Suddenly, the fresh-faced colleague returning from her year-leave at university with all these "amazing ideas" comes in and shows you a million confusing things that just sound like more work.  For this reason, I think it will be important to choose very carefully which tools I will share and the pace in which I share them.  I think a good place to start would be in sharing some of the presentation tools I explored as a part of this class and some I had worked with on my own prior to this term.  Tools such as Animoto, Voicethread, Glogster and Storybird allow students to create very impressive, powerful products that students love to create and can be shared immediately with parents with high-impact.  They also have the potential to be seamlessly integrated into projects that teachers may already have planned for their students.  At my school students complete at least one independent study each year in which they create a product of their choice.  Teaching students to use these tools would give them more options when it comes to the products so we are not seeing Powerpoints or posters again and again.  Then, if teachers want to know how to share their successes with these projects I can show them how to start a class blog or wiki, and then, if they want to know how to aggregate the feeds from all their class blogs, I can show them that, and then if they want to know how to..... Anyway, you get the picture: baby steps with lots of support to help ensure that my colleagues begin (or continue to) bring some elements of these technologies into their teaching.  

(As I was reviewing the final draft of this blog post, this interesting link popped up on my Twitter: 10 tips for starting a technology revolution in your school - a perfect example of how Twitter is bringing relevant information to my fingertips! - see below).

Most Surprising Tool

My exploration of Twitter was by far the most surprising to me throughout the process.  Before this course I had absolutely no idea of the potential that Twitter holds for creating and extending professional learning networks.  I had this preconception of this tool to be a trivial waste of time.  I will continue to use Twitter after the course, and I hope to extend my role beyond that of a lurker; I will work towards adding to the conversation to give those that have chosen to follow me something of value!  

Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

My Google Reader, hands down, wins this award.  When I was required to set this up in September I had no idea how much of an impact this would make on my life.  My Google Reader has become my "personal assistant" throughout this journey and I will ABSOLUTELY continue to use it to bring the Web to me.  The ability to log on and view my "Daily Me" has been a key method in avoiding information overload!

photo © 2008 mollypop | more info (via: Wylio)
Packing up and going home... as this course draws to a close I wonder about how I will continue to stay connected to research and information about Web 2.0 tools.  Through our class discussion boards I have "met" other educators who, like me, are passionate about finding a place for these tools in our schools, libraries and classrooms.  I'm sure that, in one way or another, we will continue to stay connected and I know that I can turn to them with questions I may have as I continue my journey without the training wheels.  My Google Reader brings me new insights, information and tools to my fingertips each day and Twitter provides a wealth of links, bursts of information and a network of helpful, like-minded educators at my beck and call.  As this post (and class!) comes to an end I reflect upon some final findings:

In the Networked Student, a vision of a truly connected, 21st century learner is presented.  To me, this is the type of learner I would like to be a part of creating, and this would begin with using web 2.0 tools collectively and collaboratively even in the primary grades.

This video also addresses the important question of the changing role of the teacher in true 21st century learning environments.  The teacher...

• teaches him how to build this network and take advantage of learning opportunities
• offers guidance and models how to communicate properly on the web
• teaches him how to differentiate between good information
• helps him organize the mounds of information he comes across

If the teacher acts effectively in this newly defined role, he or she will be helping to develop in their students "the skills he will need to solve the worlds problems – to maintain his learning network and use it to navigate his future and creatively solve the world's problems".  To me, this is a powerful revelation. These skills would go a long way towards preparing our students for their future, even if we're not sure what jobs will exist by then.  

At the beginning of my journey one of the main things I was concerned about was how to effectively integrate new technologies into the classroom; not simply using them because they are new and flashy, but ensuring that they are grounded in knowledge of good pedagogy and best teaching practices.  It is critical that we collaborate and plan activities that incorporate these technologies that do not simply repackage traditional learning activities.

photo © 2009 Lloyd Morgan | more info (via: Wylio)
When I began this journey, I felt as though I was looking up on a gigantic, nearly insurmountable staircase.  The amazing amount of discovery and learning I have experienced over the past couple of months has done a lot to make that staircase seem a lot less steep and scary.  I feel that this is truly only the beginning of my true journey, but now I feel that I can enjoy the scenery a little more as I go.