Blog #4 Letting Go

Letting Go

One of my greatest learning experiences came when I went on a Boy Scout campout to Cumberland Island with my son’s scout troop.  I was invited with the “dads” because they needed another driver from Atlanta to take troop members. (A dad had canceled at the last moment!)  I didn’t really know how things operated on their campouts because my husband always went with our son.  I learned so much.  The leader explained to me when I tried to help out a camper with a situation that their philosophy was for the scouts to make their own decisions and they would live with their decision and the consequences.  It was really hard for me as a mom to keep my mouth shut and let go when I saw situations.  I noticed they did not use the boxes to store food supplies.  That first night the raccoons got in the bags hung in the trees.  No one from our group will ever forget to use food storage boxes when they are available at a campsite!!  The leader explained to me the boys learn best from their own experiences. I agree! I had to take off my mom hat and wear a scout hat when I was with the troop.

I also had to learn to wear my teacher hat in the library at my middle school when I first started working there.  I was so happy to be working in the library! The kids learned I would look up books or information for them when they asked for help until the librarian explained she wanted the students to use Destiny to find books and information.  She explained we knew how to use Destiny but the kids needed experiences so they could become confident users! I agree with Grant Wiggins, “Transfer is the bottom line” for all of us!!

In the Connected Learning webinar, the discussion, “technology is like oxygen – something for all learners to use” hit home with me.  It is a part of our student’s lives and we need to make technology a part of every classroom.  Learning is not limited to our classrooms and libraries like it was when I was growing up attending school.  We are able to connect online to the world.  After viewing the video, I asked myself: why is BYOD working in England and Africa but not in my school?  We have had seven superintendents in the ten years I have worked for the county.  We are having to regroup with each change in administration.  I hope we have some continuity soon.  I know parents and voters recognize we need technology and better schools because they just voted on May 24, to renew Esplost for tax dollars to go for schools and technology.  I agreed with the comments in the video, “Technology isn’t optional!  The real world happens online. “

I think technology can help us build our best schools!  Students understand that’s one of the important life skills for their futures. I think project collaboration is a way to help students work with others and remove the stress of finding the correct answers to quizzes.  As we model acceptance and support for our students’ projects, it should help them build their confidence to explore new ideas and technology tools for their future roles in this 21^st-century. 

Blog #3 Reflective Searching

Blog #3 Reflective Searching 

I view searching on the internet as a fun challenge.  I know the information is out there on the internet and the challenge is to figure out a quick, direct path which leads to the desired information.  Developing appropriate search terms is the key to success. I know I need to develop relevant search terms so I am not overwhelmed by the huge number of responses.  I find I will edit my search terms constantly to obtain a better response to my query. I’ve observed in the library that I will stay with a topic longer than students in the school.  They get discouraged quickly and will close down their computers.  I like to engage them in a discussion about their searches and use questions to help expand their searching.

In the article, “Information Behavior of the Researcher of the Future,” it reports that 89% of college students from the Google Generation (born after 1993) “prefer a search engine to begin an information search.”  When I began working in the school in 2006, I noticed I would start a search with the information from the books in the library.  This was a comfortable pattern due to my years of experience using books, encyclopedias, and reference books in the library for term papers and research.  I see most students enter the library and immediately go to the internet to begin a search. 

As I become more familiar with the internet and the value of “current” information, I became a fan of going to google to find information.  Just like the majority of students, I find my typical search pattern is to begin with google and input several search terms.  I employ a similar “power browsing” technique of searching “horizonally” through internet sites without employing a deep depth of interest in the many sites that are listed.  I can usually locate the needed information from the summary information and quickly access the website and information I desire. 

My son has taught me how to expand the information filter bubble with his interest in politics and current news.  Each morning he goes online on his cell phone to several credible news sources such as CNN, BBC, or NBC and reads the news of the day.  At a young age, he realized the importance of obtaining different viewpoints about the same topic to provide a broad view of a topic.      

Blog Post #2 Digital Technology Has Transformed Education

Blog Post # 2

Digital Technology Has Transformed Education

In the four resources provided in Module 1 blogging information, I saw a common theme of digital, online information is constantly changing and how it has transformed the learning environment.  I felt the “Infowhelm and Information Fluency” youtube video helped me understand why I feel so overwhelmed by information overload with the chart that showed digital information had increased by 10,000% in six years.  The video provided many visuals and statistics that explained the tremendous growth of digital, online information.  However, it provided no suggestions for managing the information. 

The blog by Bran Alexander provided a system for managing information by providing an overview of his Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) process so educators can begin to provide to structure and focus the vast amounts of online information.  He recognized that information is constantly changing but he attempts to manage the input of information to topics relevant to his field. 

I felt Karen Lirenman’s statement, “I’ve changed the way I do many things because of technology” from her April 23, blog is very relevant to educators.  Diana Laufenberg echoed this thought when she discussed how she changed her lesson as a result of students’ request to prepare a video on drugs.  I felt each resource emphasize the need to remain current with new advancements in technology and information.  Students have embraced technology and we need to catch up to their use of information and technology tools if we want to remain relevant and engaging to our students.  There’s a reason our cell phone is called a “smart” phone now!  Students can engage online with vast amounts of information in a few seconds.

Initial Goals for FRIT 7234 class at Georgia Southern

Blog Post #1:

At the end of last semester, I reflected in my Digital Learning class I wanted to learn more information about utilizing blogging, tweeting, and wiki’s with classroom learning.  This class is going to be perfect to develop my skills and confidence in those areas.  When I visited the school librarian in Gwinnett County for our key assessment project, I observed she was very accomplished in using blogs and tweets to send out messages and information to teachers and students. 

The students at my middle school love using social media and digital tools. I want to become knowledgeable so I can design learning projects that really engage our students.  I also want to understand how to blog and tweet so I can connect to students and parents from the School Library website.