Tuesday, November 22, 2016

In the war on fake news, school librarians have a huge role to play

Campbell, Renee

Tiffany, Kaitlyn. (2016). In the war on fake news, school librarians have a huge role to play: Talking to an information sciences professor about the challenges ahead. The Verge. Retrieved from http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/16/13637294/school-libraries-information-literacy-fake-news-election-2016.

Summary:
Interview with Professor Nicole A. Cooke of the University of Illinois School of Information Studies on how, as information specialists, to teach how to identify “fake news”. Cooke discusses the “all or nothing” approach people today have towards news. That “a lot of people say that they ‘distrust’ something not because it’s not trustworthy but because they actually just don’t agree with it.” And, how our students, who are the most technologically savvy, may also be the least informed because the speed of the internet and social media allows little time to adequately test credibility.

Evaluation:
This is a very timely article with useful tools for librarians, teachers, and students. In these past two weeks, I have had numerous discussions with all three groups and am thankful for the insight and applicable tools. I especially like her advice to “meet students where the are” on Wikipedia, Facebook, and Twitter, and being a guide through the wilderness of information and misinformation.

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Digital Citizenship: A Holistic Primer

Coulterpark, Rebecca

ET
IL

TeachThought Staff.  (2016, October 28).  Digital citizenship: A holistic primer.  Retrieved from https://www.imperosoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Digital-Citizenship-A-Holistic-Primer.pdf

Summary:

This white paper discusses digital citizenship, its definition, its current role in schools, and how it should be employed in the future in schools. The team from Teach Thought discusses the history of digital citizenship, and how this new form of citizenship has developed as internet use has become more prevalent, especially as online resources have become more pertinent to education. They introduce the core themes involved with digital citizenship, proposing that they are 1) respect yourself and others; 2) educate yourself and others; 3) protect yourself and others. The paper continues by discussing the necessity of digital citizenship at all levels of education, and how to employ it and teach students about how to be good digital citizens. They conclude the paper by discussing how digital citizenship might evolve in the future and answering potential questions about digital citizenship with continuing technologies, and how to teach digital citizenship.

Evaluation:
The Teach Thought Staff take an in depth look at digital citizenship, and discuss how it should be employed not only at the K-12 level, but also in higher education. This article does a good job of looking at, and explaining, different components of digital citizenship and what types of responsibilities we have as digital citizens and the important pieces to teach to students who are new to the digital world.
The breakdown of the sections makes it easy to navigate, and takes an easy to read approach to the topic of digital citizenship.

Makerspaces in the School Library Environment

Gina Ruocco

Daley, M., & Child, J. (2015). Makerspaces in the school library environment. Access
(10300155), 29(1), 42-49.

ET = Maker Spaces
CO = Collaboration

Article summary:
This article exams the experiences of two teacher librarians in Australia and how they have perceived the development of Makerspaces in school libraries. The article outlines key understanding of the “makerspace movement” and shares both personal and practical accounts of how a particular school has adopted the Makerspace framework in a Junior Library. Makerspaces promote shared ideas, knowledge, and using skills to work towards a common goal. However, as technology is used more and more to solve everyday problems, less time is spent questioning, inquiring, fixing, re-inventing and tinkering. Makerspaces can change that and provide a space for students to build and refine these skills.

Evaluation:
I thought this article was both helpful and inspiring. It clearly defined the term “Makerspace” which I found to be ambiguous in other readings and it explained why establishing this type of student-centered environment is so relevant. It also acknowledged the idea that not every project in a Makerspace has to be high-tech - which added a bit of realism to the article. Towards the end of the article, the authors provided examples of student-centered inquiry-based projects that were completed in the school libraries. It gave insight into real Makerspaces in action.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

How to Design a Successful STEM Lesson

Gina Ruocco

How to Design a Successful STEM Lesson


Jolly, A. (2016). How to design a successful stem lesson. Education Week Teacher.
Retrieved from: http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2016/09/23/how-to-design-a-successful-stem-lesson.html?qs=STEM

IL = Information Literacy and 21st Century Skills
CA - Curriculum
ET - Inquiry and Problem-based Learning


Article summary:
This article helps to explain what STEM lessons are and the components of a successful STEM lesson. According to Jolly, STEM lessons engage students in creating and engineering solutions to real-world challenges and problems. These lessons encourage critical thinking, cooperative group work while incorporating aspects of science, math and “creating technologies”. STEM lessons should foster inquiry because the tasks should be open-ended and allow for multiple solutions and innovative approaches. Jolly recommends seven considerations that teachers and co-teachers should keep in mind when planning a STEM unit or lesson:

  1. Design your STEM lesson around a grade-level science or math topic that students have studied, or are studying.
  2. Grasp the content and big ideas for the lesson.
  3. Keep the challenge realistic.
  4. Be familiar and comfortable with the Engineering Design Process (EDP).
  5. Consider the criteria and constraints needed for your STEM lesson.
  6. Have a good grasp of inquiry-based teaching and learning.
  7. Know how to successfully engage students in purposeful teamwork.

Evaluation:
As a teacher who has no experience with STEM units, I found this article helpful. It offers realistic considerations on how to plan a STEM lesson or unit, and teacher-librarians can use these considerations to guide their collaborative endeavors with Science teachers. I like how the article stressed the idea of allowing students to develop and create multiple solutions to complex, real-world problems. This would surely foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills. It would also encourage conversation surrounding the rationale for these approaches and would give students a chance to respectfully discuss their opinions on how effective they believe the solutions would be. The school library can be the center for these STEM projects that require research and students to utilize their information literacy skills, so it is important that teacher librarians understand the components of an effective STEM unit.


3 Critical Competencies for the Future - Preparing Students to Thrive in 2020

Gina Ruocco

3 Critical Competencies for the Future - Preparing Students to Thrive in 2020

Holland, B. (2016). 3 Critical Competencies for the Future - Preparing Students to Thrive

CO = Collaboration
IL = Information Literacy and 21st Century Skills

Article summary:
This article discussed how we have now entered the “Fourth Industrial Revolution”, and this will result in changes in the way we live, work, and interact globally, creating new jobs, new opportunities, and even new forms of government. Therefore, in order to be successful, students will need to learn skills that will allow them to competently participate in all aspects of society and competitively in the workforce. The author posits that the recent election has proved that facets of our lives, from politics to education, are changing, and that it is critical that students become competent in Media Literacy, Computational Thinking, and Empathy in order to thrive and effectively contribute to a changing society.


Evaluation:

I found this article helpful as it defined the skills and competencies that students should possess by 2020; these competencies include complex problem solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordinating with others, emotional intelligence, judgment and decision making, service orientation, negotiation, cognitive flexibility. Many of these competencies can be developed through library activities that encourage cooperative group work and tasks that encourage the demonstration of collaborative intelligence. One thing that would have been helpful would be for the authors to provide examples of activities for librarians and teachers that can foster these competencies.

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Teacher power: The exercise of professional autonomy in an era of strict accountability

Matthew Hill

CA

Webb, P. T. (2002).  Teacher power: The exercise of professional

autonomy in an era of strict accountability.  Teacher Development, 6(1), pp. 47-62. doi:10.1080/13664530200200156

Summary:
In this article Webb discusses the issue of professional autonomy among elementary school teachers at a school in Washington state.  He takes certain teachers who teach at the school as case studies of teachers who alter established, state-mandated curricula to better fit the students needs.  Webb uses this case and argues that K-12 teachers should be given more autonomy, discretion, and decision-making power rather than less, and that the tendency to micromanage K-12 teachers is degrading not only to the individual teachers but to the profession of teaching as a whole since it assumes the incompetence of teachers to direct their own classes without direct supervision and scripting of classes.

Evaluation:
I loved this article because it gives power to the teachers to determine the best way to teach students based on personalized evaluation and long experience.  One of the most important ideas that Webb explores here is that in order to develop greater professional competence and autonomy teachers should be given the opportunity for professional development, through participation in councils, national conferences, individual courses, etc, and that time, resources, and money should be dedicated to increasing the educational and professional competence of teachers so that they can exercise their profession without the condescending oversight of "expert" administrators and curriculum developers.  This argument for greater autonomy and decision-making power for K-12 teachers is not a cover-up for bad teaching or incompetence.  Rather, it is a stimulus for greater competence and a show of trust that teachers are able to make the correct decisions for their students.  More power to teachers, not less, is the key for high-quality education, and local, state, and national governments should be dedicating much more resources--both material and monetary--to accomplish this goal.

21st Century skills map: World languages.

Matthew Hill

IL

Partnership for 21st Century Skills. (2011).  21st Century skills map: World languages.  Retrieved Oct. 26, 2016, from https://www.actfl.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/21stCenturySkillsMap/p21_worldlanguagesmap.pdf

Summary:
This is less an article than a "map," or an articulation of how so-called "21st-century skills" should manifest themselves and be evaluated in the foreign language classroom.  It appears on the webpage of American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) though it is not an ACTFL-published document.  The map goes through the different aspects of 21st-century skills and gives broad process goals for each aspect and sample activities that can be done that put those goals and skills to use for novice, intermediate, and advanced language learners.

Evaluation:
It is interesting to see the specific articulation of 21st-century skills as it relates to foreign language teaching, though the skill definitions seemed abstract and not rooted in learning a foreign language; rather, they seemed to be very general and could be applied to any field of knowledge instead of specific content or a specific discipline.  One thing that I found simplistic and an example of inaccurate hyperbole was the "Then and Now" section, especially the condescending and arrogant proposal that before 21st-century skills, "Students learned about the language (grammar)" whereas now, in the progressive and enlightened 21st century, "Students learn to use the language," as if no one ever learned a language in times past to an acceptable level due to antiquated and inadequate teaching strategies.  I am living proof that that assertion is false.

Co-teaching defined

Matthew Hill

CO

Friend, M. (2007).  Co-teaching defined.  Website.  Co-teaching Connection.  Retrieved Oct. 19, 2016, from http://www.marilynfriend.com/basics.htm.

Summary: 
In this article, Marilyn Friend, one of the foremost proponents, practitioners, and scholars of K-12 special education co-teaching, gives a very brief description of the fundamental elements of co-teaching.

Evaluation:
I liked this very short page because of the simplicity and clarity of its descriptions of what co-teaching really is, something that up to the moment I read it was not very clear to me.  It makes explicit the most common and appropriate setting for co-teaching (inclusion classes in K-12) and makes this statement regarding a fundamental "rule" for co-teaching: "Two or more professionals with equivalent licensure and employment status are the participants in co-teaching.  Co-teaching is based on parity.  When paraprofessionals or other adults assist in classrooms, the contribution is valuable, but it is appropriately considered support rather than co-teaching."  From my perspective as a librarian in higher education, it says to me that co-teaching is not appropriate at the university level unless the librarian has an equivalent degree of education with the co-teaching professor, something that does not always occur.  Furthermore, even if there is an equivalent educational level, the greater experience of the non-librarian in teaching and the potential for a lack of subject knowledge on the part of the librarian make it a shaky proposal at best at the university level, and something that should be occasional, exceptional, rather than the rule.

The co-teaching professorship: Power and expertise in the co-taught higher education classroom

Matthew Hill

CO

Ferguson, J. & Wilson, J. C. (2013).  The co-teaching professorship: Power and expertise in the co-taught higher education classroom.  Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly, 5(1), pp. 52-68.  Retrieved Oct. 19, 2016, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ942564.pdf.

Summary:
In this article, Ferguson and Wilson discuss their experience co-teaching "an undergraduate reading methods course" for pre-service teachers.  They describe their experience organizing, planning, and carrying out the course, and address some of the two big issues that people in co-teaching experiences often encounter, id est, the fear of losing control or power over the class, or losing ownership; and the fear of looking bad in light of the expertise and experience of the other teacher.  They describe their methodology and experiences in detail and are very self-reflective about the whole process.  They came away with a very positive experience of co-teaching at the university level.

Evaluation:
I chose this article because it is one of the very, very few articles that discussed co-teaching at the university level.  In reality it has many things in common with other articles that describe methods and case studies of co-teaching, including the need to learn to work very closely with the co-teacher, the absolute necessity of extensive planning beforehand, and the initial discomfort.  However, in my opinion it suffers from the same issue as all the other things I viewed or read regarding co-teaching in higher education: it was aimed exclusively at pre-service teachers, aka, student teachers.  I never once came across an article that discussed co-teaching in subject areas where the purpose was to communicate content rather than teaching to teach.  Without exception, the only other context I found for articles on co-teaching was K-12 inclusion classes, that is to say, where special needs students were integrated into general education classes.  So while Ferguson's and Wilson's experience was indeed unique in that it finally talked about co-teaching in higher education, it still does not address the issue of co-teaching content to university students outside of the contexts described earlier.  This is a serious gap and should be addressed if co-teaching is to gain any traction at all beyond pre-service teaching, and this does not even take into account the difficulties inherent in co-teaching with librarians, who may or may not have the same level of education or classroom experience as a professor.

Monday, November 7, 2016

How Progressive Education Gets It Wrong

Matthew Hill

ET

Evers, W. M. (1998).  How Progressive education gets it wrong.  Website.  Retrieved Nov. 1, 2016, from http://www.hoover.org/research/how-progressive-education-gets-it-wrong.

In this excerpt from a larger book (adapted for website presentation) Williamson Evers discusses the educational reformer and theorist John Dewey and the Progressive educational movement in general from the perspective of the late 1990s.  Evers is a proponent of what he calls direct or explicit teaching and he details the original progressive movement of the early 20th century with more recent iterations of this philosophy and how he disagrees with some of the major tenets of Progressive education.

Evaluation: 
I find this article useful as a counterbalance to many of the theories we've been learning in class, a different perspective if you will.  I do not agree with everything Evers writes here (and as an excerpt from a longer book, it is obvious that we only get a portion of his argumentation), but one thing I definitely agree with his description of his role of the teacher: "Teacheras are expected to know more than the students and should seek to transmit that knowledge."  I also like his emphasis on the necessity of disciplines and the necessity to emphasize content as the focus of teaching beyond simply "learning how to learn," though this also has merit, in my opinion. 

STEAM by Design

Alicia Morales

CO

Blog STEAM by Design retrieved from https://www.smore.com/nts29-steam-by-design October, 2016.

Summary: Blog that collects stories from other schools/teachers who are implementing STEM projects. Blog connects reader to a series of links to other sites that focus on design, technology, science and content making. There are also links to other useful articles. Most of the examples are contributed by teachers working with young students, elementary level. Great show of creativity.

Crafting Professional Development for Maker Educators

Alicia Morales

CO

Graves, C. (2016). Crafting Professional Development for Maker Educators from Edutopia retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/crafting-professional-development-maker-educators-colleen-graves on September 2016. 
Summary: Maker spaces are a growing trend in many libraries, public or school, they usually involve hands on learning, crafts, and student collaboration, they are great ways to learn. This article's focus was taking this same concept, maker spaces for student learning, but instead of student learning, it's moved to teacher learning. Maker Spaces for Teacher PD's. Creating successful professional development should focus on getting teacher/learners involved in thinking about the process and creativity of learning. It an be messy yes, but in the end teachers experience what students experience when making content. 

ET-Project-Based Learning: Rigor and Relevance in High Schools

Emily Ratica

ET

Harada, V. H., Kirio, C., & Yamamoto, S. (2008). Project-based learning: Rigor and relevance in
high schools. (Cover story). Library Media Connection, 26(6), 14-20.

This article provides an excellent introduction to and several examples of Project Based Learning. This practice fits well with the greater implementation of the inquiry process in schools. Students pick projects that extend their understanding and relate to the real world they will soon encounter, and provides them more control over their own learning. During projects, teachers become facilitators who share the educational control with their students instead of simply directing it to them. This articles shows how using projects increases student engagement and encourages students and teachers to move beyond the traditional lecture/note taking model. It also advocates for the increased role of the teacher librarian, as they can "assist the teacher with the process or thinking skills necessary for students to create meaning for themselves. The synergy of working together provides a learning frame that can be a seamless blend" (20).  Project based learning is a perfect example of how educators can better implement 21st century skills that will help students truly be college and career ready.

PBL is best done in an environment of collaboration between teacher and librarian. This article makes what feels like a complicated task, managable. The examples are thorough and doable without having a huge amount of training or experience using PBL. After reading it, I am excited to share it with my colleagues and see what projects we can work on together with our students.

CO-Dispositions of Exemplary School Librarians as Identified by Graduate Students

Emily Ratica

CO

Long, L., & Jones, J. j. (2016). Dispositions of exemplary school librarians as identified by
graduate students. (cover story). Teacher Librarian, 43(4), 8-12.

This article provides an insight into the important dispositions of what makes a good school librarian, at least according to graduate students working toward their MLIS. These dispositions include collaboration, leadership, life long learning, compassion/caring, and flexibility. These are all essential characteristics for a teacher librarian, and by developing these dispositions, professionals in the field can "cultivate their own dispositional strengths and improve any weaknesses in order
to hone their practice and provide the best library services to their patrons" (11-12).

While it is very insightful and a good reminder of professional practices, the article is also rather sweet in its naiveté.  It rather reminded me of what it was like to be in my teaching program - a lot of discussion about strategies, practices, and lesson planning, but no amount of discussion could prepare me for what real teaching was like.  The same applies to being a librarian - I did a lot of reading and discussing about professional dispositions, but I was not prepared for what would truly be expected of me as a professional as soon as I took this role.  The things discussed here, while extremely important, of course, are just the very basic functions of everything a good librarian does.  This is a hard profession, and definitely not for the faint-of-heart.  These "dispositions" are a good start, but there is so much more to learn that can only be gained through first hand experience on the job.

CA-Starting the conversation about school libraries and ESSA

Emily Ratica

CA

Church, A. (2016). Starting the conversation about school libraries and ESSA. Knowledge
Quest, 45(1), 4.

This short snippet, written by Audrey Church, the 2016–2017 AASL President, quickly reviews the American Association of School Librarians' official position on the importance of school library programs in light of the new Every Student Succeeds Act.  She reestablishes that "an ESLP [effective school library program] is led by a certified school librarian who is a teacher and instructional leader...[and] school librarians play in instruction in various types of literacies and learning" (4). 

While short, this article gives a clear message which is an important reminder for all: Librarians and libraries are IMPORTANT! It is easy to get caught up in our daily activities as we go throughout the school year, but this reminds us that it is essential that we advocate for our programs at our schools and now we have federal legislation to back us up.  
  

CA-What Educators NEED TO KNOW about ESSA

Emily Ratica

CA

Fennell, M. (2016). What educators NEED TO KNOW about ESSA. Educational Leadership, 73(9), 62-65.

The new "Every Student Succeeds Act" replaces the previously frustrating and often baffling "No Child Left Behind." Many educators are honestly excited about this new legislation, as it removes items like the necessity of each school to meet their AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), specific federal teacher requirements (in addition to state requirements), and changes to teacher evaluation. It also adds in items, like how schools will implement new standards that gear students toward college and career readiness, more funding toward professional development and teacher-led professional growth, and, most importantly for librarians, actual funding for school library programs.

This article provides a good overview of the new legislation and how all professionals can become involved it its interpretation and implementation. It is essential for all educators involved in every level of education to get to know and fully understand ESSA, as we must be the ones actively advocating for our programs within our sites and districts.

CO-A Collaborative Journey: The Learning Commons

Emily Ratica

CO

Kolod, L., & Ungar, B. (2016). A collaborative journey: The learning commons. Teacher
Librarian, 43(4), 22-27.

This article discusses both the impediments that many schools are facing in establishing a "learning commons" and the steps that can be taken to overcome those impediments. Many schools are attempting to establish a 21st century skills based curriculum with more technology integration, more access to information, and better inquiry and project based learning. However, space issues, lack of proper funding, no support from site or district administration, and a myriad of other problems often block the efforts of enterprising individuals to create a collaborative space on campus. These educators are inspirational in their attempts. They began small, with a specific plan in place, but relatively no funding, and have gone on to create something functional, useful, and fitted to their specific campus needs.  

I love how these educators sought buy-in from every area of their school. They asked students, parents, teachers, specialists, and administrators for input in order to create a space that everyone could use. They branched out everywhere, thus insuring total participation from everyone. They demonstrated how a learning commons is truly supposed to be a place where all can see themselves working together, regardless of subject area or grade level. The started with an empty classroom and Legos, and through their efforts, were able to obtain funding and support to create a Learning Commons with a Story Lab, Makerspace, Tech Lab, Media Studio, and Research Lab. Their experience gives me hope that as I start this process in my own library, that I too can transform my traditional space into a collaborative commons for my entire school.

IL-The Challenge of Piloting the Inquiry Process in Today’s Learning Environment

Emily Ratica

IL

Lambusta, P., Graham, S., & Letteri-Walker, B. (2014). Rocks in the river: The challenge of piloting the inquiry process in today's learning environment. Knowledge Quest, 43(2-), 42-45.

This article reviews the steps the librarians and teachers in elementary, middle, and high schools in Newport News, Virginia took to further incorporate a more detailed and thorough Inquiry Process Model into instruction. Most significantly, these educators, after putting in place an initial model, took the time to reevaluate that model, then remove and adapt that model in order to improve their students' experiences and final results.

The most significant idea they discovered in implementing their inquiry process, and the main reason I share this article here, is the "Explore" stage they added after the fact. At all levels of education, elementary through high school, they realized that students were not engaged in the process because they had not had time to get "hooked" by exploring their own ideas. Starting with a research question, like so many inquiry processes do, was problematic because "students often did not have enough background knowledge to generate questions...many of us individually modified the model in our practices to give students opportunities to search for information on a topic before they began to generate questions" (42).  For an inquiry process to be successful, students need time to be inquisitive.  

This seems like such a simple idea, but it was revolutionary to me.  I work in high school, and I figured that most of the students I encountered as they were doing research already had a subject/area in mind when beginning.  But by allowing them time, even if it is just a little, to explore topics within a subject, I agree with the authors, it will increase student engagement and buy-in, and further develop inquiry skills.

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Will Your Students Be Ready For College?

Jeselyn Templin

ET

Cahoy, E. S. (2002). Will your students be ready for college? Connecting K-12 and college standards for information literacy. Knowledge Quest, 30(4), 12-15.

Summary: This article talks about the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) standards and the teacher librarian's role in helping to implement them in all levels of education. The subject is presented with the intention of encouraging the reader to evaluate the educational standards in their immediate vicinity in order to make sure their students are getting what they need in the long run, not just to pass standardized tests.

Evaluation: This article has two downsides. First, it was published in 2002 which makes it the oldest source I explored for this class. Second, it is very specific about the ACRL standards and a few other sets of standards, all of which are rather old and not widely used anymore. However, the spirit of the article is relevant to teacher librarians of any generation. Teacher librarians are an important part of the educational system, and can take the initiative to make sure their students are getting what they need from the educational system.

Digital Literacy and Why It Matters

Jeselyn Templin

IL

University of Derby. (2014, November 5). Digital literacy and why it matters [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2k3C-iB88w

Summary:
This video is a comprehensive introduction to why digital literacy matters for everyone. It mentions many everyday things that require a certain amount of digital literacy such as filling out job applications online and syncing up your calendar to a friend's in order to make plans.

Evaluation:
I enjoyed this video because it reminded me that not everyone is lucky enough to have been exposed to technology throughout their life like I have. Whether it is because of their age, the amount of technology exposure they can afford, or other life circumstances, the video reminded me that not everyone instinctually knows what to do when they sit down behind a computer. This lesson was especially prevalent for me now, working in the public library with patrons of all different backgrounds. The video effectively reminds people with the privilege of natural digital literacy not to take these skills for granted.

The Challenge and an Invitation - Kohn - 2009

Jeselyn Templin

CA

Kohn, A. (2009). The challenge and an invitation. Knowledge Quest, 38(2), 12-13.

Summary: Kohn likens the techniques of standardized testing to the concept of reading being "more than decoding." The article explains that many school programs decontextualize their materials and only teach to the test, instead of putting curriculum into a real-world context that students will be able to retain and use later in life.

Evaluation: I would have liked this article to be longer than two pages because I feel Kohn has a lot of valuable insight on the subject. Well-researched and interesting. The article explains why standardized testing is not effective as a basis for widespread education in a succinct way that anyone can understand.

Friday, November 4, 2016

Connected learning

Ramos, Tara

ET, IL

Connected Learning.  (n.d.). Connected learning principles.  Retrieved from
http://connectedlearning.tv/connected-learning-principles

and
Connected Learning Research Network and Digital Media & Learning Research Hub.  (2007). Connected learning infographic.  Retrieved from http://connectedlearning.tv/infographic

Summary: The Connected Learning website provides many resources for teachers who are interested in learning in the 21st century.  The principles spell out what connected learning means for both students and teachers.  For students, connected learning is interest-powered, takes place in the context of peer interaction, and academically oriented.  For teachers, instructional design principles are also provided.  Connected learning environments must be constructed around a shared purpose for both students and adults.  Everyone is learning around a common set of interests and contributing to a common purpose as they learn.  They are also production-centered, meaning that students are actively involved in creation of digital and physical products.  And lastly, they are openly-networked so that the flow of knowledge has no boundaries and students are linked to groups, institutions, etc. beyond the school walls in their learning.  

Evaluation: I find the Connected Learning principles both exciting and daunting. When I read them, I think "Yes, yes, yes!!! This is what should be happening in schools!," the keyword being should.  My on-the-ground experience in schools is that we are far from existing in these connected learning environments.  Teachers are bound by educational policies that encourage them to continue to be the holders of information that they must transport into students' brains.  There have been some small shifts to these type of ideas in recent years, but teachers are still not getting the support that they need in order to become the designers of instructional experiences like those described here. Nonetheless, theses principles are very useful for teacher librarians who work with teachers and can help to build this type of learning environment for at least part of the school year.  

Thursday, November 3, 2016

Older Video Explores Still Current Ideas

Cooper, E. J. (1991). Integrating thinking, reading, and writing across the curriculum. Hamilton, N.J.: Films Media Group.

I found this video in the Films on Demand database that the library where I work subscribes to. The item record showed the publication date as 2011, but that must have been when it was digitized and uploaded, because it was definitely made in 1991. Despite its age, I found it very interesting and relevant. It take the format of a panel with an audience, and in between the panelists answering questions, there are clips of teachers applying the techniques discussed in their classrooms. These clips include interviews with students who discuss how they feel about these classes compared to their classes with teachers who use more traditional methods.

Although no one ever claims these methods as adhering to any particular theory or philosophy, the methods and ideas that are discussed are clearly constructivist, and it is illuminating to see theory put into practice. The term "cognitive coaching" is used a lot, and it seems to refer to encouraging inquiry and metacognition. This video is pretty old, but the ideas hold up. 
Ramos. Tara

IL 

TeachThought Staff.  (2015, October 7).  Moving students from digital citizenship to digital leadership.  Retrieved from http://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/digital-citizenship-the-future-of-learning/moving-students-from-digital-citizenship-to-digital-leadership/

Summary:  The graphic below sums up the article nicely.

Evaluation:  I like this reframing.  It would mean teaching students to go beyond being citizens and participants in a digital world created by others and teach them that they can help to change and create new digital worlds.   I believe this would be empowering to students and it would engage them in learning in very meaningful ways.

The SAMR Model In-depth

Romrell, D., Kidder, L. C., & Wood, E. (2014). The SAMR Model as a Framework for Evaluating mLearning. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks18(2), 79–93. 


I appreciated how this article went into some depth about each level of the SAMR model for technology integration in the classroom with emphasis on the use of mobile devices. In addition to explaining what each level was, it also presented example scenarios for what each level would look like in a classroom setting. It also explored some of the downsides of devices, such as providing distractions from instruction, or problems that arise from everyone not having the same kind. This article is a great resource for anyone looking for a comprehensive introduction to the SAMR model or planning to make use of mobile devices with their students 

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

How we can assess in a 21st century learning environment

Ramos, Tara

CA

Barnes, M. (2016). SE2R can revolutionize how we assess learning.  Retrieved from
http://www.advanc-ed.org/source/se2r-can-revolutionize-how-we-assess-learning

Summary: This article gives an idea of how assessment can work in a 21st century learning atmosphere.  Mark Barnes, author of the book Assessment 3.0 proposes that narrative feedback is most useful to student learning and he suggests teachers use his SE2R model for providing that feedback.  The SE2R model can be summarized as follows:

  • Summarize- the evaluator gives a short statement about what was accomplished with the work
  • Explain- the evaluator explains what learning was demonstrated and/or what was missing  
  • Redirect- when learning outcomes are not demonstrated, the evaluator redirects students to prior learning, to resources or to seek help from teachers or peers.   
  • Resubmit- Students are asked to resubmit their work after making changes.  
Evaluation: I found the SE2R model to be very helpful and I feel that it aligns very well with the type of learning experiences and environments that we are building in the INFO 250 course.  We must not let assessment fall by the wayside as we create 21st century learning experiences.  Narrative feedback and the chance to resubmit goes hand-in-hand with the growth mindset that we are trying to foment.  It views learning as continuous and makes the point of learning learning, not a letter grade.  It also allows for each student to start at their unique starting point and grow as much as possible.  Lastly the SE2R model need not be only limited to teacher use, but students could also learn to use it as a tool to evaluate their own and their peers' work.  I highly recommend this article and this author to others in the INFO 250 course.  

Informal Science Education Programs in Indigenous Communities

Mack, E., Augare, H., Different Cloud-Jones, L., Davíd, D., Quiver Gaddie, H., Honey, R., … Wippert, R. (2012). Effective practices for creating transformative informal science education programs grounded in Native ways of knowing. Cultural Studies of Science Education7(1), 49–70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-011-9374-y

In this article, the authors explored the common features in successful informal science education (ISE) programs in indigenous communities around the world, but primarily in North America. Although constructivist theory is not specifically mentioned in is this article, the strategies that are listed are recognizably constructivist. These include building on student's pre-existing knowledge, and making the content relevant to their lives. It also notes the importance of collaboration, especially with community members that students will recognize as leaders. This reinforces the relevance of the content instruction by showing that Person X is on board with it, and helps counter any notion that the science being taught contradicts traditional knowledge. 

Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Instruction

Gupta, S. (2014). Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Instruction: An Extension of Task-Technology Fit. International Journal of Information and Communication Technology Education10(2), 25–35.


In this article, the author explores how the Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and discussion boards have become common practice in K-12 education, but how there are not really clear guidelines as to when the use of Web 2.0 tools is appropriate or how to select them. The author proposes a model based on "Task-Technology Fit" theory. 

The author tackles the problem of balancing process instruction with content instruction when using Web 2.0 tools. "Underfit" is the term used to describe scenarios in which the technology tool doesn't adequately allow students to explore/express content, while "overfit" is used to describe scenarios in which the technology tool is so complex to learn that content instruction is sacrificed. 

Task-Technology Fit is optimal when pedagogical tasks are complemented by a technology's characteristics, and result in positive impact in performance