My Personal Learning Network

My Personalized Learning Network is the start to an interactive group of teachers that I selected and will keep selecting according to my specialized needs and interests: Science, high school teaching, and everything around that. It is a support system for me, and allows me to continually grow professionally, in accordance with NETS-T No. 5.

My PLN consists of RSS feeds that I access through Feedly, of a Diigo library for social bookmarking, a TWITTER account, a Classroom 2.0 membership, this blog that I maintain on google blogspot, and my facebook site. 

I have subscribed to several sites on RSS (really simple syndication or rich site summary) and access this information through Feedly (http://feedly.com). If I go into my Feedly app, I automatically see news from the sites “npr Education”, TED Education, and TED talks. These sites are in my education folder and provide me with constant insight, it is a very neat general education update. I also subscribed to NYT science, and sorted that feed into my science folder. I added to 2 podcasts, Education Week (focus on High School), and NYT Education. I will keep expanding my followings.

A good starting point to my PLN was my Twitter account. On Twitter, I am following several educational sites, as well as sites highlighting science or my personal interests: National Science Foundation, National Geographic, Smithonian, Science News, Discovery, and more. I also follow TED talk and Ted Education, as already mentioned. I will add more personal sites, so far I am following high school principal Mark Burlington. Through the hashtag #422su14 I can tweet with my 422 course fellows. I have not yet investigated more interesting persons from the education community to follow, I am hoping this will come naturally as I get further into my credential program and teaching education. My main interests so far are science related sites. I have not tweeted much, as I feel I do not have to say too much as of now, and want to tweet only significant content.

Another part of my PLN is my blog under http://astridlaido.blogspot.com. I am blogging about news from the ISTE magazine about technology in the classroom. I also comment on my fellow course participants’ blogs to this theme, so the exchange and learning is mutual. I plan to extend this blog to other education topics as my training in this area moves forward. 

One of my favorites on the Web 2.0 is my Diigo library. This is a social bookmarking site where I store and sort information I found on the web, and share it with colleagues. I am sorting my findings in several lists, to distinguish education related, science related, and personal interest finds. With Diigo I can highlight, post notes, and add tags to easily find resources in my or other colleagues’ libraries. This is a great collaboration tool. In searching for a social justice related theme together with fellow course 422 members, I realized how we found many articles relating to the same theme, that I did not detect myself.

In order to accelerate my professionalism and learn more from fellow teachers, I joined Classroom 2.0. This is a network of teachers who can post questions and share information. It is quite overwhelming at first, so I joined the group “Classroom 2.0 for beginners” to find my way in. Host Sue Walters offers advice on elements of the web 2.0 in form of webinars and personal communication. Diving further into it required me to sign up for new pages, edublog and Classroom 2.0 live. I also found several teachers offering lesson plans and ideas for using teaching unconventional teaching material. I established my own site, invited a couple teacher friends, and would love to download my badge if just my defective computer would let me (I only get a “blocked plug-in” notice picture and an embed code http://static.ning.com/socialnetworkmain/widgets/index/swf/badge.swf?xn_version=124632088). I posted a question about that but have not received an answer so far. 

The only web 2.0 tool that I used before the 422 class, was facebook. This is mainly a tool to interact with friends, but is also my interface with my EnCorps STEM teacher organization that I belong to, as well as a messaging board for fellow teachers within this group.

The possibilities for a PLN are unlimited. I am only at the starting point, and it is very exciting. My PLN will help me find and filter information tailored to my very own needs and interests. My best access seems to be Twitter. I can easily sign up to follow all kinds of sites relating to my interests and to education. It will take much more time to fully explore and develop my personal learning network. I will use my upcoming credential program year to develop contacts, filter out the sites just right for me, and become an actively participating member taking full advantage of the interactive learning and teaching community, to develop myself and provide my insights as well.

RR 8: Fusing Art and Technology

Allison Downey describes a graphic arts class at an urban school in a low income neighborhood where students learn to produce works of art with Adobe Photoshop, which will be exhibited at a citywide art show, the Art Hop. She describes an artwork by a student that especially fascinated her, a Four Square assignment that had students create their own image in 4 ways similar to Andy Warhol's print of Micky Mouse. The student's work "exuded a sense of pride and power" she states, as well as a"high level of artistic capability". The students learn basic and advanced photoshop elements and apply them in dynamic assignments to practice these techniques, that also ignite their imagination. The graphic arts class at the school which receives a federal grant through the GEAR UP program, requires students to produce works of art suitable for public display using Adobe Photoshop. The students use technology to create art, they develop imagination and creativity, are introduced to the world of graphic arts, and apply basic design skills. They develop pride in their work by showcasing it citywide.

This graphic arts class is an excellent example for a creative curriculum design. It relates to NETS-S no. 1, creativity and innovation, and especially to point 1 a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes, and 1 b. create original works as a means of personal expression.

By creating an artwork, the students truly express themselves, and the use of technology for the process eliminates the problem of self consciousness that often hinders older students' artistic expression. I love this approach. The arts have been proven as very successful at engaging students living in poverty. Art transcends barriers of language, and there is no right or wrong, just your own way of expression.  By selecting assignments that relate to the students' interest (e.g. self portraits, imaginary news front page), the art teacher makes sure they really engage and explore the techniques the program has to offer. This exposes students to the world of graphic arts, and shows them real world applications for skills they learn in school. I have personally put a lot of work and effort into installing an art program in a Title One elementary school that had no art program. We create age appropriate art and display it community wide. I am always amazed how creative and artistic children can be, without ever realizing themselves what they are capable of. Art gives a wonderful chance for self expression and developing a sense of ownership, already in young children. I am excited to see that our technology driven world offers ways to engage students artistically and shows them a real life use for it as well.

Downey, L. A. (2009). Fusing art and technology. Leading and Learning with Technology 36 (6), 30-31.

RR 7: DIY Space Exploration

This article describes an interesting activity offered by NASA Education, which allows students to build their own podcast about different space-related topics, e.g. space suits or Newton's laws. The website offers information on the topics in different media formats, such as printed text, video or audio clips, and links to photo galleries, and teaches students how to use this information to create their own podcast as well as share it through an RSS feed. Students will become engaged in learning through this hands on approach in which they use their own camcorder or computer to record their own narration and integrate the material that the NASA website provides: www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/diypodcast/index.html.

This is a wonderful example for NETS-S standard 1 a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes, as well as 1 b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. It also applies to 3 a. plan strategies to guide inquiry, and 3 b. locate, organize, analyze, synthesize ...information from a variety of sources and media. Also standards 6 a. understand and use technology systems, and 6 b. select and use applications effectively and productively, come into play here.

The number of performance indicators addressed in this article shows already what a great idea is presented here. I love the approach to offer a selection of information in a safe environment, presented in a multitude of different media. Space related topics are very interesting for a large group of students. The program encourages the students to engage, combine knowledge from different content areas, such as science, technology, engineering, and math, and has them apply their knowledge in a creative way that also fosters language use, something that may often get lost in our technology driven school world. The program is supposedly useful for students of all ages, which should also allow inclusion of special learners: They have a variety of media available and can select personal preferences. This is a program that I will keep in mind for future years, it just seems to be a really great idea. Oh ja, and it contains a blog to keep students updated on NASA projects. Cool.

Hardin, K. (2009). DIY Space exploration. Leading and Learning with Technology 36(7), 31.

RR6: Web Adventures: Explore Science One Game at a Time

Web Adventures are a set of games, developed by the Rice University Center for Technology in Teaching and Learning. They are interactive games and simulations under the address http://webadventures.rice.edu. There are five themes: MedMyst for infectious diseases, N-Squad about alcohol impact, Reconstructors about substance abuse, CSI about forensics, and Cool Science Careers as a virtual apprenticeship game. Teachers can search for learning objectives to integrate appropriate games into their lessons, or create stand-alone units. The article shows examples for each of the five game categories, and states that they align to many of the National Science Education Standards as well as to several National Health Education Standards.

This digital tool for learning applies to NETS-S in the categories 1 c "use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues, and also 5 a "advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology", and 5 b "exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports...learning...".

This website makes use of our young generation's being accustomed to be "plugged in". I really like the idea to have a new media tool to change up a science class, and tap into well developed games that align with education standards. Obviously students are enthusiastic about this online tool, as well as teachers. It seems to be easy to use as a teacher, to search for certain science concepts and find a fitting game. I am sure this will have great benefits to use in a class room for me as well, as a prospective science teacher!

Bowling, K., & Miller L. (2012). Web Adventures: Explore science one game at a time. Leading and Learning with Technology, 39 (6), 34-35

RR5: Video on UDL and "Build an Assistive Technology Toolkit" by K. Ahrens

UDL stands for Universal Design of Learning and addresses the ways a curriculum can be flexibly designed to include all kinds of different learners. Curriculum needs to maximize learning for all students, needs to be understood by all students, and should meet needs, interests and strengths of all students. To reach this goal and take down any barriers in a classroom, 3 UDL principles are to be applied:
1 - provide multiple means of presentation (e.g. multimedia, highlighting), to stimulate the knowledge network in the brain for recognition (the "what")
2 - provide multiple means of action and expression (e.g. models, feedback), to stimulate the skills network in the brain (the "how")
3 - provide multiple means of engagement (e.g. taking risks, choices), to stimulate the enthusiasm network (the "why").
K. Ahrens' article extends this video by offering suggestions how to actually implement the flexible curriculum design. She uses the term "assistive technology (AT) for online tools that can enable diverse learners to be equally included in a flexible curriculum. She offers information on free AT tools for PC (under "accessibility options") and Mac (under "system preferences"). There are many online libraries for visually impaired students, or online spell check programs, or concept map programs. The author suggests working with the school IT department and offers concrete advice how to help shorten the complicated process of installing AT tools in a school district.

This video and article relate to NETS-S standards 3, "Research and information fluency", a-d, by enabling diverse learners to use technology that helps them apply digital tools for their special needs to gather, evaluate, and use information. It also addresses standard 6 a, understand and use technology systems, and 6 b, select and use applications effectively and productively.

As a teacher I will face situations where diverse learners need special support to follow our lessons without feeling being excluded due to learning impairments. This video and article are very encouraging to inform me that there are many technology tools out there to create a flexible curriculum for diverse learners, and I know where to start find effective tools. I will know where to look to adjust and optimize an AT tool for the student(s) that need them.

Ahrens, K. (2011). Build an assistive technology toolkit. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39 (3), 21-23

www.udlcenter.org: Universal design for learning.

RR 4: Making it Personal: A New Approach to Teaching Digital Citizenship

Author Alecia Berman-Dry describes a new "Issues in Technology" class that six graders at her school are participating in.  The idea for this class came after students as well as parents reported cyberbullying incidents outside of school. The teachers concluded that not enough was done at school to teach their students to be good digital citizens. They started 12 week classes dealing with Digital Citizenship and chose a debate form for the students to personally connect with the problem. During one of the classes one student actually wrote insults about a fellow debate team member, not realizing what he did. The teacher used this incidence to make the connection for the students. It was this moment that made the kids aware of what cyberbullying actually means, and that it related directly to them: "they were the bullies and the victims". Both teacher and students thought very positively about this class. Many students said it changed their behavior because they now know what can happen on the internet.

This article relates to NETS-S No. 5, Digital Citizenship, specifically a -understand and use technology systems, and d - transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies. The class teaches the students to use new technology responsibly, to make good choices in their behavior on the internet in private settings in the the same way as in school.

As a parent of a middle schooler, I feel guilty of not monitoring my child's internet behavior enough.  We just assume they know how to behave responsibly, however reality is often different. I would very much appreciate similar classes at my kid's school, because even though I do not want to shed my own responsibility as a parent, I think it may be more successful to teach these general rules in the school setting with teachers and fellow students. Kids respect rules learned there better, the parental involvement can be seen as too much criticism and invasion into their privacy.
I like the approach the teacher took here. By choosing a debate style forum, the children got close and personal, and even had a first hand experience to show them how insult does not hurt less when it is not told to an actual face. I will suggest classes like this at our school!

Berman-Dry,  A. (2013). Making it personal: A new approach to teaching digital citizenship. Learning & Leading with Technology 41(1).  24-26.

RR 3: Vanquish the Clutter Beast with a Schoolwide Intranet

In her article, "Vanquish the Clutter Beast with a Schoolwide Intranet", Rhonda Spradling describes her experience about starting teaching at a high school years after the introduction of computers, and finding a "stockpile of digital clutter". This caused "perpetual frustration" and waste of too much time just finding out what existed where. In her "quest for order" she became the leader in creating an "intranet in shining armor", a solution in form of a school wide intranet, which she describes as "one-stop-shopping community". The intranet she created and keeps developing,  features places for announcements, blogs, calendars, content pages, discussions, document storage, forms and surveys, popular staff links, as well as personal spaces, team spaces, and not to forget fun factor space for photos or inspirational videos. She garnered support from many involved parties, and created a team spirit project with regular training for all, resulting in a effective intranet that keeps being edited and improved.

This article does not directly relate to a NETS-S, but to most NETS-T standards, namely No. 3 "Model Digital-Age Work and Learning", a-d, and no. 5 "Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership", again all subcategories here. The teacher uses many up-to-date digital tools combined in one big organized system, which will also enable students to learn from and use in the fulfillment of many of their NETS-S standards.

I enjoyed reading this article, not only because of it's great content but also because of the very skilled and picturesque use of the English language here, I could not help but quote her quite often. The author is an English teacher alright!  The feat she accomplished is not less impressive, creating a school wide intranet with space for professional but also fun pages, a safe intranet for the students and organizing tool for the staff.   Interestingly, she talks about new models for educator effectiveness and evaluation systems ("pay for performance") that first increased the problem by more educators adding to the "information overload", but then brought on the awareness that a solution needed to be found. The solution was found in a corporate model, adjusted for an educational setting. Impressive.

Spradling, R. (2013). Vanquish the clutter beast with a schoolwide intranet. Learning & Leading with Technology, 41(2), 18-21.