Comments on: The no-tech Literacy Conference

By: Nancy

Nancy — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:30:50 +0000

The comment I tried to leave earlier this week echoes many of the things people have mentioned above. In my old school, having laptops and internet access in the lab or in the classroom was such a novelty for our inner city kids, that it was hard to get them to focus on using the technology as a tool, so think teachers sort of give up on using it, not to mention that resources were stretched thin and it was hard to rely on its availability on any given day or week, or month, even!

By: dogtrax

dogtrax — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:34:03 +0000

My guess is that your story would reverberate across many networks, Chris.
The key is to find meaningful technology integration that engages our students as learners and as composers in the new multimedia field. We need to put the computers, or devices or whatever, into the hands of the students. But we as teachers need time to learn and play and think and share and reflect on the possibilities of the changing face of technology and literacy.
What bothers me about our conference is that it doesn’t even reflect a semblance of reality of how kids are using literacy in their lives, outside of school. We know that there is rich literacy going on, but how do we tap into that interest and creativity and use it for learning?
Thank you for your comment. It was helpful.
Kevin

By: Chris McLean

Chris McLean — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:48:01 +0000

I read this with interest, because we are in a situation that is both similar and very different – my principal is gung-ho about technology but has not yet shown us something that the students can interact with. It’s all about what teachers can do – not about how to help teach our standards using tech tools. We all have Promethean white boards – but it becomes more about the cool flip chart that the teachers have made and less about what students have created.

What I also see is a push-back from teachers who feel that the technology is too time-consuming and too unweldy for them to use. We can check out a laptop cart, but not all of the laptops work or, as usual, the server is down. Our district curriculum maps do not allow teachers the opportunity to explore in the “old fashioned” way, much less the time to get into some technology.

As we have gotten more involved with technology, I see the concept of technology for the sake of technology being rewarded by some administrators, while many of my colleagues are burining out trying to meet district pacing guidelines. I am afraid, that as with all educational issues, the students are the ones who ultimately suffer.

Chris

By: dogtrax

dogtrax — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:05:10 +0000

I still think we are a light for others (ahem) and that is why I was surprised, I guess.
Good idea on admin connecting to our Writing Project site.
Kevin

By: dogtrax

dogtrax — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:04:25 +0000

Hmm
Not sure on the gender thing. (not sure on the diversity, either).
It prob just reflects the general state of teaching in our area — mostly white women.
A number of the presenters are my teaching colleagues and are excellent and wonderful people, by the way, so my rant is not again them.
Kevin

By: Mark Ahlness

Mark Ahlness — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:15:10 +0000

No need to apologize for the rant Kevin. You should indeed be upset by the lack of any tech-related offerings. As for what to do about it, hmmm…. thinking some sort of Tweeted gathering (led by you of course) where live-blogged preso notes lead to a live discussion somewhere (maybe somewhere like http://digitalwritingworkshop.ning.com/). Anyway, good luck. I know you’ll make the most of it.

Not looking to get into even hotter water here, but what’s with the no-male presenter Literacy Conference? Coincidence, I suppose… Just saying…

By: Bonnie K

Bonnie K — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:56:26 +0000

Seems so odd that you are writing this blog entry. I always think of you and your school as a model for others. It’s seems here, that you are a candle with very few lights around you. Sad but there has to be a way to move the power! How about administrators coming to your WP?
Bonnie

By: dogtrax

dogtrax — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:53:09 +0000

Thanks so much for your response, Janice.
You have some good advice, but as you point out, it falls short of what really is needed.
I guess that sometimes I feel like we are “in the moment” and other times, not even close.
Kevin

By: dogtrax

dogtrax — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:52:12 +0000

Thanks for your response, Gail. Your points are right on the mark, as usual.

Here is the link to Boolean and his non-traditional book report: http://sites.google.com/site/booleansquared/Home/book-report

Kevin

By: Janice

Janice — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:43:41 +0000

I’ve been in similar situations, where I saw a need, but knew that if I stepped up and filled that need, I’d miss out on being a participant. So m solution was to attend in participant role only, but one who viewed ALL the workshops through a “how could this be even better with technology” lens.
For example, when you’re moving to standardized report cards and you have the workshop on that, it would be a logical step to talk about creating shared report card comments, where all the grade six science teachers create their bank of comments to fit the grade six curriculum and THAT would be a logical place to introduce Google Docs or any shared word processing program. See what I mean?
So then what I did was I picked just ONE literacy workshop where I could offer a small improvement, and I ran a lunch and learn for staff that said, “If you liked learning about … I have some technology tips that will make … even easier to implement.

I know it’s not as exciting helping out one staff rather than an entire region, but it’s a start. Then hopefully, your principal will brag about what your staff is doing, and word will spread to another school, and they’ll ask you to share your ideas… and it will blossom.

Totally hear you though, on the lack of new literacies being presented. I don’t know about your board, but sometimes I think it’s because the people who end up being the presenters are older folk who are not very comfortable with the new literacies themselves, so they stick with what they know.
I remember how flustered a presenter got when, after the participants had used post it notes to complete a mind map on chart paper, I offered to just snap digital pictures of the results and throw them into a slide show, so that she didn’t have to bother gluing the post it notes down to the chart paper in order to preserve the maps for the follow up session which was a month later. She looked at me with stunned disbelief that it could be that easy and that she wouldn’t have to haul the paper back the next month. Tee hee. Just remember – a single small step is better than no step at all.