A Starting Point this Year
One of my least favorite stories growing up was the Tortoise and the Hare because the moral of the story "slow and steady wins the race" goes against my Tigger-like personality.
Thus, when a colleague unknowingly challenged me with a simple question, it forced me to slow down and think about whether or not maybe slow and steady really does win the race.
The question? Well, a simple but very important one: "if only one thing 'stuck' with the teachers this year, what do you hope it to be"?
Honestly, this question had me perplexed. With all that needs to be done to create a 21st Century learning environment (school 2.0, classroom 2.0, or whatever 2.0 you choose to use) and my wanting to move on these things yesterday, it was a challenge to stop and think about that first step, the step for this year.
After much thought, the answer is really quite simple. The one thing I want to stick this year, my major goal, is fostering the development and implementation of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) for each teacher and administrator.
Something is Missing
In 2001, my PLE consisted of professional literature, conferences, course work, colleagues within my school, and the most powerful piece at the time, a list-serv for English teachers. While all great and still important to me today, something was missing.
I wanted the dialogue to occur more often than random moments in passing, but the daily grind of school didn't allow for much time with colleagues. I wanted the networking to continue beyond the time spent at conferences. I wanted the collaboration of the list-server to expand into a larger audience. I wanted to read about challenges and a host of topics coming from educators spanning the globe to come more frequently than books and professional journals allowed.
Plain and simple, I wanted more control of my learning through a daily dose of professional dialogue, networking, collaboration, engagement, topical challenges, and growth.
The day I launched into the world of an aggregator, I felt I had found the means of centralizing the various tools that would give me that daily dose of professional learning that I had been craving.
I was right and it is why an aggregator is the perfect starting point for fostering the development and implementation of a powerful, dynamic PLE for your teachers and administrators.
Why an Aggregator?
David Jakes' recent post "What is in your Network" on Technology & Learning says it best when discussing an aggregator as one of four tools in his PLE: it offers "a different level of understanding, learning, connectivity and, humility, because there are simply amazing people out there".
Right on! That is exactly why an aggregator is the starting point for developing the one "sticky" that is so vital for educators: a 21st Century PLE. This one simple application allows individuals to shape their professional approach on a daily basis as it pools from a vast array of professionals and their wealth of knowledge. In other words, it is an entry into powerful professional growth that is both efficient and effective.
I Already New This
Those of you reading this more than likely have an aggregator and know the value of it but what about your colleagues? How many of them have one? The reality is that many probably don't and some would even confuse it for a cheap knock off of Crocs (you know, Fruity Stones instead of Fruity Pebbles).
Given this reality, isn't it time we not only introduce the concept of an aggregator but really work with our faculty on developing and utilizing one as a foundational piece to their PLE? I'm not saying your run of the mill training on an aggregator that leads to "wow, pretty cool". I'm talking about a complete understanding of how this can shape one's PLE so that teachers find themselves interacting with the blogs in their aggregator as part of their daily routine.
As you begin your school year and look to determine what you want to stick with your teachers and administrators, step back and ask yourself the same question my colleague asked me: what is the one thing you want to stick with your teachers and administrators this year?
Remember, we can introduce them to all sorts of tools, philosophies, and guidelines but what will extend this learning beyond these introductions? What will help to ensure that teachers are constantly growing in the area of education beyond formal learning offerings? What will cause teachers to run to their instructional technology coordinator, department head, or curriculum director with an idea they want to implement into their class?
Yep, fostering the development and implementation of a PLE starting with a packed aggregator that teachers and administrators both embrace and utilize daily.
Comments
Ryan,
I think that you are right on in your thinking about the "First Step". Starting with an aggregator is a cool idea. Unfortunately, RSS, social media participation and blogging are tools that are still not too familiar with the majority of teachers. Consequently, you have to introduce, sell and educate teachers on the benefits.
I think that the starting point must be with a unit that teachers are already familiar with. This way you don't have to educate on a new concept. The unit that we chose to start with was the lesson plan. Everyone does them, but to many do them alone and don't benefit from the community's knowledge.
I think that in order to break education open to social media we need to start with a familiar unit that can be immediately impacted by social networking and Web 2.0. Lesson plans seems like a unit with a lot of potential to benefit from social technology.
Posted by: Tyler Fonda | September 1, 2007 6:08 PM
Tyler makes an excellent point. Making a connection to prior knowledge is very useful in hooking your attended audience. How are you doing this Tyler? What are you doing in regards to lesson planning and social networking?
On the other hand, I agree with Ryan in that RSS (atom and the rest) are very powerful. I think RSS and the power that come with that genre of technology have more potential than anything we usually talk about tech ed wise. Personally, I think we short change our students by not having them plug into these technologies as well.
There are so many tech ed people on the digital story bandwagon and not enough pushing the RSS cart. Digital storytelling can be very powerful when done well, but is it something of a fad? RSS completely changes the educational landscape because it is an outlet to advance one's learning in virtually any direction one wants to go.
Posted by: Scott Meech | September 3, 2007 3:19 PM
Scott,
We are building a collaborative lesson planning platform/social network at www.PlansForUs.com.
At this point it is composed of two elements. An online word processor. It's a variation on the open source TinyMCE editor and a user profile. Over the next few months we will beef up the user profile so that a user can make connections with other teachers and leverage those connections to find relevant teaching ideas.
We are heavily influenced by the Bokardo Del.icio.us lesson and so are focused on showing teachers the value of online word processing as it pertains to simply sharing their ideas.
Sign-up and take a look around. We have a way's to go but the idea underpinning the application is correct...I think.
Best,
Tyler
Posted by: Tyler Fonda | September 3, 2007 6:11 PM
I couldn't agree more, Ryan. I was just thinking this morning that aggregators are the main thing I'd like to get across to teachers first semester this year. As a technology trainer, I was going through the "I can't be all things to all people" frustration this morning - there's just too much out there. I thought about the fact that connecting people with other experts, users, teachers, etc. is probably the best way for me to assist people with their professional learning goals.
Posted by: Lisa Sly | September 6, 2007 4:31 PM
Great point Scott about students utilizing the power of RSS and I especially like this line:
"RSS completely changes the educational landscape because it is an outlet to advance one's learning in virtually any direction one wants to go."
I'm off and running with this in my school with educators and the next stop is with teachers. I'll be anxious to read about how it is working for you on your blog.
Posted by: Ryan Bretag | September 8, 2007 5:34 PM
Hi Tyler:
You raise an interesting point that on some levels is built on the premise I laid out: a community environment offers much for educators.
Your idea of using social networking to drive lesson plans is strong but this is very similar to what list-servs have been accomplishing for a long time.
For me, it was the NCTE List-Serv that became the Talkies List Serv as well as the College Board's AP List Serv. It was an open forum for discussing methodology, sharing resources, and building lessons together as a community. Today, Nings hold a similar concept and I find this fascinating.
I do understand your statement about introducing teachers to something new, but social networking as a whole will be new for many. If you begin with lesson plans through a networking site, this will be new to them even though the concept of lesson plans isn't.
An aggregator will be a new tool but the idea of reading and interacting isn't.
Thanks for the great thoughts and for expanding my thinking in this area.
Posted by: Ryan Bretag | September 8, 2007 9:31 PM
It is a tough thing for many of us to come to terms with when thinking about our roles.
I know I want to be involved in anything and everything because I love my field. I want to share the latest with teachers. I want to be investigating everything.
The reality is the educational technology landscape continues to shift at such an immense rate that it is quite a challenge for small departments in the area of instructional technology to keep up.
With aggregators, there is the opportunity to offer a professional learning network that expands globally. When this network is formed, there is a life long learning environment in place.
As I look to fostering teachers' PLEs, the aggregator seems like a natural first step. However, only time will tell. As Tyler pointed out, there are some initial obstacles, but I'm anxious to get started :-)
Posted by: Ryan Bretag | September 8, 2007 9:38 PM
Ryan,
This is fabulous. I left your office 15 minutes ago, read this article and feel "the missing link" has been found. I wear so many educational "hats." I have tried to tie them together for years in a manner that fostered connections AND conversations with many people from many different "worlds." It's been tough to keep track of all the information gathered through e-mail, the internet, podcasts, etc., much less to synthesize and utilize that information! I did it when I could, but it was time-consuming. I think this will do the trick. This is really wonderful! Thanks!
Joan
Posted by: Joan Gallagher-Bolos | September 10, 2007 7:39 PM
Welcome to a whole new level of being connected, Joan! I'm excited to see you embracing this piece as a part of your personal learning environment and can't wait to see it spread throughout GBN.
Posted by: Ryan Bretag | September 13, 2007 3:51 AM