technology and role of the learning centre
What did I learn?
One of the biggest learning curves I’ve had during this course has been the exponential growth in knowledge, capability and ability to effectively integrate technology into my teaching practice. This is clearly demonstrated by reading my First Blog Post ever, where I admitted to being scared of technology with ETL523 Final Blog Reflection, where I am pumped and motivated to be a connected, collaborative and creative TL as I finally felt I had the skills to apply theory into practice.
EER500 offered a hint of the complexity surrounding the concept of Digital Citizenship (DC), as I chose to focus my construction and analysis of a research question on how effectively DC is being taught in Australian schools. This exposed me to a range of research methods literature and an introduction to Ribble (2016), an ardent advocator of DC. Ribble defines DC as the appropriate use and responsible behaviour of technology practice, however, educationalists cannot assume that DC is being taught and although many students consider themselves to be “tech-savvy”, there is no guarantee that they are cyber-safe (Australian School Library Association, 2013). The Information and Communication Technology (ICT), capability (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015), indicates that Australian educators have an obligation to teach students about the ethical use of technology, however, there is no explicit reference as to where it specifically sits in the curriculum or by whom it needs to be taught.
I then undertook ETL523 which highlighted the role of ALL teachers to expose students to DC and that it incorporated more than online safety. DC involves student exploration of technology-researched information that leads to the creation of a meaningful, original digital artefact, combined with appropriate online behaviour, which involved connecting and collaborating one-to-one and in teams, nationally and globally (Stripling, 2010; Wheeler, 2015). The group Wiki task for ETL523 was challenging as it made me appreciate personality dynamics and the different time-frames under which we all progressed with this assignment. In future, I will pay more attention to how I form student groups for GI tasks and ensure there is the necessary scaffold to assist students with completing their project. The Animoto digital artefact I created as a part of this Wiki task has been uploaded to demonstrate how even one as digitally-challenged as I, can persist and produce a semi-professional product, commending and acknowledging the support centres linked with popular Web 2.0 tools and their assistance.
One of the biggest learning curves I’ve had during this course has been the exponential growth in knowledge, capability and ability to effectively integrate technology into my teaching practice. This is clearly demonstrated by reading my First Blog Post ever, where I admitted to being scared of technology with ETL523 Final Blog Reflection, where I am pumped and motivated to be a connected, collaborative and creative TL as I finally felt I had the skills to apply theory into practice.
EER500 offered a hint of the complexity surrounding the concept of Digital Citizenship (DC), as I chose to focus my construction and analysis of a research question on how effectively DC is being taught in Australian schools. This exposed me to a range of research methods literature and an introduction to Ribble (2016), an ardent advocator of DC. Ribble defines DC as the appropriate use and responsible behaviour of technology practice, however, educationalists cannot assume that DC is being taught and although many students consider themselves to be “tech-savvy”, there is no guarantee that they are cyber-safe (Australian School Library Association, 2013). The Information and Communication Technology (ICT), capability (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2015), indicates that Australian educators have an obligation to teach students about the ethical use of technology, however, there is no explicit reference as to where it specifically sits in the curriculum or by whom it needs to be taught.
I then undertook ETL523 which highlighted the role of ALL teachers to expose students to DC and that it incorporated more than online safety. DC involves student exploration of technology-researched information that leads to the creation of a meaningful, original digital artefact, combined with appropriate online behaviour, which involved connecting and collaborating one-to-one and in teams, nationally and globally (Stripling, 2010; Wheeler, 2015). The group Wiki task for ETL523 was challenging as it made me appreciate personality dynamics and the different time-frames under which we all progressed with this assignment. In future, I will pay more attention to how I form student groups for GI tasks and ensure there is the necessary scaffold to assist students with completing their project. The Animoto digital artefact I created as a part of this Wiki task has been uploaded to demonstrate how even one as digitally-challenged as I, can persist and produce a semi-professional product, commending and acknowledging the support centres linked with popular Web 2.0 tools and their assistance.
ETL401 reinforced the notion that, a well-resourced library that has a strong library program focused on teaching IL by a highly qualified TL increases student achievement (Everhart, 2006; Spence, 2006). I learnt that TLs need to have a cooperative working relationship with the principal in order to ensure there is an adequate budget for material resources – both print and digital and support for implementing an IL model consistently across all curriculum areas.
What did I do with that learning?
As a result of ETL523, I have expanded and developed my ICT skills beyond what I initially thought possible. It is interesting to note the difference between my first attempt at writing a GI unit Seasons (Year 1) with the more recent Early Australian Explorers and Colonisation unit that is technologically-infused with appropriate Web 2.0 tools to support student learning. While there have been some minor failures such as connecting to specific Websites due to slow school Internet connection and downloading Skype, the students have been engaged and excited to experiment with Symbaloo (see the one I created for ETL523), padlet, diigo, and others.
What did I do with that learning?
As a result of ETL523, I have expanded and developed my ICT skills beyond what I initially thought possible. It is interesting to note the difference between my first attempt at writing a GI unit Seasons (Year 1) with the more recent Early Australian Explorers and Colonisation unit that is technologically-infused with appropriate Web 2.0 tools to support student learning. While there have been some minor failures such as connecting to specific Websites due to slow school Internet connection and downloading Skype, the students have been engaged and excited to experiment with Symbaloo (see the one I created for ETL523), padlet, diigo, and others.
The biggest change in 2015 as a result of my study, was overhauling the physical layout of the LC to allow space for the collaborative teaching of GI and the Principal’s wish to have a “Wow” factor (see previous wall displays above). Her belief is that the LC should be the hub of all learning in the school and supported the following changes to accommodate two team-teaching classes and a third class coming in to borrow and read:
- Moving Teacher Resources (TR) which was an eyesore, from being located near the entrance of the LC, into the nearby strongroom so TR are still easily accessible but no longer in the main part of the LC;
- Purchasing new shelving and relocating Picture Books closer to the entrance of the LC;
- Purchasing furniture for the new K-2 seating arrangement that comfortably accommodated a class of K-2 students who could then borrow and be read to by their class teacher without disturbing other classes working in the LC;
- Re-arranging the library office to accommodate two TLs and a Library Assistant;
- Redecorating the LC – Principal herself repainted circulation desk; a talented teacher assisted in creating new displays;
- Establishing a break-out area at lunch for students to be able read on beanbags with a separate area for playing games such as chess, other board games and introducing puppets to recreate stories;
- Weeding low quality, out-dated and worn books and replacing them with high quality, more modern, engaging books. This also involved the establishment of Series and Author Boxes which has been an absolute hit as students can easily locate and borrow books. A newly-established Graphic Novel section has proved popular.
What will I do next?
I’m still in the process of setting up a Mystery Skype between myself and a class in Singapore as an introduction to the Early Australian Explorers and Colonisation unit. Initially Skype would not download, but having requested assistance from the NSWDET Yammer group, feedback suggested installing an older version of Skype (as the government and personnel from Skype are in negotiations surrounding departmental use agreements) has successfully worked – “That’s one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind” (Armstrong, 1969) …This is now scheduled for next term in week 4.
The Common Sense Digital Citizenship Website has quality lesson plans, resources and interactive games that I’ve begun using to help build a positive school culture that supports the safe and responsible use of technology. In the future I would like to establish a formal whole-school DC program, that not only focuses on responsible online behaviour but also teaches students about how to cite Websites and other digital artefacts as well as the benefit of and sourcing images and other media using Creative Commons. The image below visually captures the key concepts that students should embrace as a DC learner and one that I will be incorporating into my teaching practice.
I’m still in the process of setting up a Mystery Skype between myself and a class in Singapore as an introduction to the Early Australian Explorers and Colonisation unit. Initially Skype would not download, but having requested assistance from the NSWDET Yammer group, feedback suggested installing an older version of Skype (as the government and personnel from Skype are in negotiations surrounding departmental use agreements) has successfully worked – “That’s one small step for [a] man; one giant leap for mankind” (Armstrong, 1969) …This is now scheduled for next term in week 4.
The Common Sense Digital Citizenship Website has quality lesson plans, resources and interactive games that I’ve begun using to help build a positive school culture that supports the safe and responsible use of technology. In the future I would like to establish a formal whole-school DC program, that not only focuses on responsible online behaviour but also teaches students about how to cite Websites and other digital artefacts as well as the benefit of and sourcing images and other media using Creative Commons. The image below visually captures the key concepts that students should embrace as a DC learner and one that I will be incorporating into my teaching practice.