Week 3A: NWP: Afterword-Proud of FA

"Teachers integrate elements of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection into ALL unit plans, building from Understanding by Design.  Rather than starting with discussion about technology, SLA teachers collaborate by talking about teaching first"

Reading this quote in the afterword resonated with me.  When I began the journey teaching at a 1:1 laptop school 8 years ago the conversation always started with TOOLS.  Try incorporating this software-Inspiration, try this hardware-flip camera, try using this web 2.0 tool called a wiki they are so the thing of the future, try setting up a class blog on google, now wordpress, now edublogs........  I am so proud of the progression of the school in which I currently teach.  The upper school head, and administrators are still as committed as ever to valuing technology in the educational environment however, the conversations have altered greatly since 2005.

The message the last few years is the same as the one in the above quote.  First and foremost consider goals and objectives.  What are the essential questions?  What are the understandings students should gain?  Only once answers to these questions are established can the questions about how what tool to use be appropriately answered.  A few years ago we were encouraged as a faculty to read Wiggins text.  Several teachers recognized that if the goal and objective of reading this text was to foster discussion regarding the UBD philosophy a Literature Circle would be an excellent strategy to approaching this professional development.  These same teachers then recognized that a technology tool (ning) would make these discussions even easier.  That summer I participated in an online digital literature circle reading Understanding by Design.  Posting my reflections online and reading the critiques of my colleagues greatly enhanced the experience over simply reading alone over the summer and then discussing the book face to face upon return in August.  This example demonstrates the priority placed on instruction and learning at FA and how technology is creatively used to augment the learning experience....... for students and teachers alike.

Below is a link of a video from a student back in 2009 talking about how technology is used at FA to enhance learning objectives especially the reading and writing experience.  This video is over five years old and I can honestly say not only is this still the case at FA but it has only continued to improve over time.

http://www.fredericksburgacademy.org/cf_news/view.cfm?newsid=112

Week 2B: Stategic Writers-Prewriting

Chapter 2 of Tompkins, Developing Strategic Writers lays out the writing process and various strategies teachers should explicitly instruct, model, facilitate collaboration in, as well as help students independently apply.  The chapter certainly reiterates the importance of addressing the writing process and incorporating strategies that create "capable" writers.

Week 2A: NWP: Professional Development

When reading and reflecting on chapter 5 of NWP I quickly thought back to the very first grad class I took and UMW.  This course required a similar assignment regarding a writer's notebook connected to course readings and one prompt in particular asked students to reflect on professional development for educators.  Though this was not specific to technology or digital writing at the time I was very focused on this topic and therefore the bulk of my response centered around using both using tech to acquire PD as well as specifically receiving PD in instructional technology including digital writing.  Here is a link to that post back in 2011.  

Going back and rereading this post and considering NWP I still agree with much of my thinking from three years ago.  Since then I have reentered the profession, finished all but this course for my masters, led professional development specifically involving instructional technology and digital writing for my school, and will now have four children......needless to say much has changed and my life has only gotten busier making it harder to seek out PD on my own, something I commented on in 2011.  Making what NWP suggests "long sustaining" PLC's and networks so important.  I am blessed to work with so many talented teachers within my school that value PD and have helped instill a culture at the school that PD is expected however, the form and method are fluid and flexible even to go so far as differentiated depending on where you are as a professional (and in your life ie new mom).  NWP correctly recognizes that successful and meaningful PD is not a one day conference but forming relationships and networks that encourage lifelong learning and mastering of the craft of teaching.

In addition I was interested to read in NWP about the suggestion regarding involving students in the PD process for their community.  I have students assist their classmates, myself all the time in technology matters but I had never considered or heard of involving them on a more formal basis.  Very cool idea.

Also I want to recognize what NWP says regarding instructional technologists.  Wow those people can be great for PD.......the problem is WHO HAS THEM? Many schools can not afford this position and if they can the instructional technologist is often pulled away doing tech support or network support for teachers rather than conferencing with how to incorporate technology effectively into the classroom.  From what I have seen the instructional technologist is also tasked with serving several schools at once making it difficult for them to actually be available for teachers on a more regular basis.  Finally, I have seen instructional technologist that overtime begin to fall out of touch with reality.  What I mean by this is they forget just how much time and effort go into teaching making suggestions and goals can make a teacher feel overwhelmed, consumed, and ineffective.  This is why it is so important for experienced teachers to (when they can) take up the position of mentoring, coaching, or even just sharing their knowledge with colleagues.....leading others along the path of continued education. 

Week 1B: Tompkins: Assessment

Chapter 1 of Tompkins outlined the writing process. Presenting not only the elements of the writing process but also touting the value of direct instruction in the various parts of the process.  It is very obvious and clear to educators that direct instruction and ultimately varied and frequent opportunities for students to write is the key to helping students understand and apply the writing process to authentic writing that takes place outside of school.  Yet what message are we sending about the importance of writing and this process when it is not part of regular assessment.  Virginia SOL's do not regularly assess writing.  AP's incorporate writing however place the bulk of the weight on MCQ. When writing is assessed the process is not evaluated only the final product.  Students when "tested" in writing do not have the opportunity to draft, edit, revise, even pre-writing is short changed as many of these standardized tests are timed.  If educators want to send the message to students that writing and the process of writing are in fact valued then they need to regularly assess student writing. 

The next question then is are our schools set up in such a way to make this in fact possible?  Are teachers provided with the time in their curriculum to allow students to have choice in writing?  To work through the various elements of the process SEVERAL times a year?  Are teachers schedules and class sizes set up to accommodate writing conferences? Opportunity to provide thoughtful and motivational/encouraging feedback that also challenges student growth?  I would argue our public school model does NOT accommodate writing.  Teachers are given impossible curriculum's stuffed with content that needs to be "covered" because that is what is assessed.  Teachers are given class sizes that make it difficult to apply classroom management techniques in a way that allow for student writing conferences to take shape.  Teachers are given class loads that make it daunting to collect 100+ essay's for a draft to then turn around and edit reread for revisions and then turn around and re-read the final product once more.  This is why teachers turn away from writing assessment which sends the message that because it is un-assessed writing is unimportant in comparison to the knowledge and content. 

In addition I would like to add that I REALLY appreciated the simple rubric (Figure 1-8).  It will certainly help me organize student tasks and various stages and places of the writing process student may be in.  This will ultimately help in the differentiation process that needs to take place when providing instruction in writing.  

Week 1A: NWP: Audience

Promised Audience

Real Audience

In 2005 I took my first teaching job at a pioneer school during the first wave of the 1:1 laptop movement.  I have therefore NEVER taught in an environment in which my students did not have access to technology including web 2.0 tools.  I have attended technology conferences, taken technology courses, even lead technology professional development and feel very passionate about this subject.  I agree with most of what has thus far been laid out in the intro, chapter 1, and chapter 2 of the NWP book however, I do disagree with one point that being audience participation.

 In conferences, classes, and in this book I have been told time and time again one of the biggest benefits of digital writing for students is the expanded authentic audience that writing and publishing on the web can create.  Stories of students posting their work and the greater community commenting on this work.  Stories of teachers connecting students with other students around the world.  From my YEARS of experience asking hundreds of students to publish on the web using blogs, wiki's, web 2.0 sites like Xtimeline, nings, even when I joined a program that connected students from one school with those of another I have yet to have my students experience this new, large, participatory audience that is explained in PD, conferences, courses, or books (NWP included).  What I have experienced is my students publish to the web and I, the teacher, am still the main if not only audience my students are writing for. 

The web is flooded with content and what my students publish gets lost in the wave.  Digital writing certainly makes it easier to share content with their peers, but even their peers are not subscribing to, reading, or commenting on their classmates work unless I the teacher require them to do so.  My students wait and wait to receive feedback and comments from this promised audience and it never comes.  Even the year I partnered with two schools to hopefully ensure that my students audience would be authentic and expanded beyond the "physical walls" of the school the experience flopped.  Only one student from the other class in Canada ever commented on the work my students published to the web.  I even struggle getting parents to read and comment on their own child's work.  Digital writing has loads of benefits for students yet, I would have to argue that creating an expanded audience is not actually a REAL benefit for students since it is so seldom that it ever happens.  
   

Rationale for a Blog

After completing the first reading assignment in NWP and thinking about our class discussion topic, (my personal writing identity)  I realized that digital reading and writing is VERY much a part of who I am as a writer.  To me it only made logical sense after reading the directions below that my writer's notebook should also be in digital format.  This is especially true as I considered how a digital approach would only augment and facilitate my ability to follow the directions and meet the goals laid out for the assignment. 

Directions:
1. Start a writer's notebook using a 3 ring binder with plastic sleeves/pockets or some other easily transportable notebook to store writings and feedback from class (laptops are pretty transportable and a blog exists in the cloud).
2. Make at least two separate entries a week
3. Date each entry (a blog automatically does this)
4. Entries can be simple/elaborate, short/long, thoughts/visuals (blogging makes it so easy to embed media)/complete texts. Almost anything goes!
5. Can be typed or handwritten
6. Be prepared to share (digital writing makes sharing so easy) your responses
7. Bring your notebook to class