May/June

My visits to Peninsula continue to be frequent. We are now assembling i-Movies of the students' reports. I have given another tutorial using the computer and projector in a whole group setting to explain how to access images and sound files and drop them into an i-Movie file. Linda has asked students to use three transitions as well as beginning and ending captions, and at least ten images to accompany their narration.

We have set up a computer station in the back of the classroom where I meet with two students at a time. One student is working on his/her report, while the other is observing the process. Once students demonstrate competence with the software program, they will be available as "experts" to teach others. This system is working nicely and one-by-one, i-Movies are being completed. The students handle the mouse and do the work on the computer; I am just there to trouble-shoot and answer questions as they come up. I like the idea of working with buddies. Two heads are much quicker to solve problems, like how to extend the time of an image so that it corresponds to a particular sound track, or how to edit the sound track, or how to add a particular transition, or caption. Overall, the students are learning the software quickly and seem to be enjoying the work. Linda is happy with the final products.

The last day of school, Linda and I met so that she could set up a blog to post the i-Movies over the summer. We used the Blogger platform. She found a template to start with, named her blog and downloaded one i-Movie report. The report that she posted was that of a student named Angel. Angel is a special education student who has struggled in Language Arts her entire student career. She is reluctant to complete assignments, yet she was highly motivated to complete this assignment. Angel's first draft of the writing assignment had to be completely rewritten because she had directly copied and pasted information downloaded from the web. Once her written work was accepted by her teacher, she had to practice reading her report over and over in order to pronounce words correctly. She worked hard to find images that represented the concepts she explained in her report. She was very proud of her final product and produced more than she would have had this been a paper/pencil report. In her case, the use of technology motivated her to do more.

Linda's goal is to continue downloading the i-Movies over the summer and then link the blog to Friends of the Dunes as an example of their work with students. Though not there at this time, it should appear by the beginning of the next school year. The blog, Peninsula Restoration, can be viewed now, in its very early stages. We will have to wait to see what kinds of comments, if any, the blog elicits once more posts have been made.

Working as an inservice provider/coach made this project different for me than last year's project, where I helped my own students create an i-Movie. I needed to adjust to the context of another teacher's classroom. I had the luxury of working with two students at a time without needing to juggle other demands of classroom management. This made the "teaching technology" aspect of the project much easier than it would have been otherwise. Linda was very happy with the outcome and feels confident she could work on her own now after having collaborated closely with me this year. I imagine she will be in a position to help other teachers at the school who express interest in implementing an i-Movie project or in creating a blog. It will take time to know how this plays out in the future at Peninsula School.

April

I am making very regular visits to Peninsula School now. I carry my camera to take photos of student drawings, and my flash mic to record student voices. The students all have completed a draft of a report of information about a plant. We sit down together, student and I, and I listen to the student read his/her report. I'm helping Linda, their teacher, respond to the writing. This has been an interesting experience for me because she used a structured format that included an "introduction" and a "conclusion" for each report. This structure has created a cookie-cutter feel to the writing. I had to giggle to myself (or sigh in frustration and exasperation) after the third, "In conclusion, _____________ is a very interesting plant." This problem required diplomacy on my part in dealing with both students and their teacher. I'm not sure how successful I was in trying to improve the conclusions, as some student grew weary of revisions. I also had the usual opportunity to talk about paraphrasing and the dangers of plagiarism.

I was surprised how much difficulty some students had in reading their reports aloud, and I realized I needed to spend time with them practicing if we were going to get a good recording. Students had different responses to the recording process. Some were highly motivated by the mic and by the prospect of hearing their voice. Others had the exact opposite response. One girl in particular couldn't "stand" the sound of her voice and wanted to be sure her project wouldn't be downloaded to the web.

At this stage, we are assembling the components--sound and images, and organizing files, clearly labeled, on one computer so that students may access them when the time comes to make an i-Movie.

February

I had the very unexpected opportunity to take a trip to Hawaii for a week with my two cousins. I brought along my digital camera and took over 300 shots. This gave me practice using Aperture, the program I bought to organize and edit images. I am still learning how to use my digital camera--refining my skill, reading and re-reading the manual and practicing new settings. I'm also now learning how to adjust levels, contrast, crop, and use layers in Photoshop. Photoshop is a limitless world that goes on forever. I feel like the more I know, the more I don't know, despite all the practice. I've downloaded some of my favorite Hawaii photos on Facebook so I can share them with friends and family. I'm struggling to get caught up on the sessions I missed at C.R. while away. My MTP is on hold until next month, but I am finding plenty of time to learn and practice technology.

January

I've met with Linda and her students to talk about generating ideas for a report of information and to describe the process we will use to publish student work. Linda has a projector linked to her computer which allows us to demonstrate the process of searching for, downloading, and saving images from the internet in a whole-group setting. In addition, we can demonstrate the features of i-Movie using this format. We watched student i-Movie projects completed last year by younger children at the school (my previous MTP), to provide an understanding of the capabilities of the software program we'd be using. The students are also working with a consultant from Friends of the Dunes, who comes each Friday and takes them into the field, where they learn about the plants found in the dune environment around the school.

I have begun my own course of study at College of the Redwoods to advance my tech knowledge. I'm taking a digital imaging class, as well as a digital art class. The first course makes use of Photoshop, and the second relies primarily on Illlustrator, but will include Photoshop and In-Design. I have some experience with Adobe CS3 from a five-session Extended Ed course at HSU, but these courses will last an entire semester and will be far more comprehensive. Not only will I be learning about digital art and imaging, I'll be learning how to teach technology from two teachers who have very different styles and approaches. Each course lasts three hours and is held in a Mac Computer Lab. I have assignments and due dates!

December

Peninsula School has contracted with RWP to provide inservice for the year. I am serving as the "coordinator" of the series. Linda Stewart, the 5th-8th grade teacher, is interested in helping her students create digital reports of information related to an exploration of plants in the dune environment. This study is being done in conjunction with Friends of the Dunes, a conservation/education nonprofit organization devoted to preserving dune habitat. Linda would like to post these digital reports on a blog that would be featured on the Friends of the Dunes website.

I will help Linda and her students accomplish this goal for my 2008-09 Modest Tech Project. This course alters from my original MTP plan which was to use Google Apps for Educators to help students set up e-mail accounts and Google Docs accounts to encourage digital exchange and response to writing. Linda was concerned about internet security and safety issues using this platform, and felt she was accomplishing the goal of sharing student writing by using a Shared Network folder on each of her classroom's computers.

Linda envisions each student writing a report of information about a native plant. Students will illustrate their reports with images from the web, scientific drawings, and photographs taken on site. Then, each student will record his/her report using a digital mic and assemble the narration and images in i-Movie. Finally, the individual i-Movies will be published on a blog and linked to the Friends of the Dunes web site. In addition, Stewart would like to create a podcast of the reports that could be used as an educational tool on a nature walk that features the plants on a trail at the school.

November

Adding to Delicious

I've added two bookmarks to my delicious account. The first is a reference to a book I read about on a blog about graphic design. The book, Decoding Design: Understanding and Using Symbols in Visual Communication, by Maggie Macnab, sounds interesting to me and is something I'd like to have in my own library at some point, but it is not yet available on Amazon. By bookmarking the link, I will remind myself to check in on it, so I'll know when to order it. The book explores principles of design found in nature and applies those same principles to visual communication in graphic design. This bookmark may appeal to Tracy, who shares an interest with me in learning more about designing blogs and web pages so that they are visually appealing.

The second is a site called Many Eyes. I think all teachers would appreciate this site because it posts sets of data, allows you to choose a means to visualize the data, and then allows you to customize and publish the data set. In addition, you can create your own data set and choose a "visualization option." Among the choices are: scatterplot, network diagram, matrix chart, word tree, maps, tag clouds, phrase nets.

Not only does this site have immediate application for use with students, it gives the reader an interesting look at the data sets that are being represented by users of the site. One can choose to view the information by date or by rating. For example, Vicki would be interested to have a look at a tag cloud of words used in Shakespeare's Sonnets posted on July 19, 2007. She could then read the comments related to that post, and could choose to register and make her own comments.

I will return to this site, just to snoop around. At some point in the future, I'd like to play with my communicating my own data set.

September/October

As a Redwood Writing Project Coordinator for a school partnership with Peninsula School, I met with the Superintendent/Principal, two teachers, and RWP Director, Sue McIntire, at a staff meeting to discuss the needs of the teachers related to the teaching and learning of writing. Both teachers identified the implementation of writing workshop as a priority. In addition, Linda Stewart, teacher of grades 5-8, was interested in using i-Movie to post student work in a blog. It was decided at that time that work during the first semester would focus on writing workshop (while TC Emily Gibson was available to present) and the second semester would focus on using technology in the writing classroom.

Having just completed a summer of ATI, I was keen to see what Google Apps for Educators would look like set up in a school. I was curious if 5th-8th graders would post to Google Docs and respond to one another's work in the same way we had at our institute. I liked the idea of setting each student up with his/her own e-mail account to use at school. I wondered how students would respond to designing blogs. However, this idea was more appealing to me than it was to the classroom teacher. She was hesitant about privacy/safety issues. Her students were already posting work to a "Shares" folders on her networked computers. She was satisfied with this system.

Instead, we decided to focus on using I-Movie as a platform to publish student writing of some form or another and then post those movies to a blog at the end of the school year. Harriet Watson's digital story workshop would provide the foundation for this work. Linda was familiar with my "Modest Technology Project" from ATI 2007 (Building Bridges to a Healthy World) and was eager to learn the process herself.

For me, it looked like "Modest Technology Project II" would look similar to "Modest Technology Project I." Rather than designing the blog and content myself, I would help another teacher explore and learn the process based on her classroom context.

Monthly Update Questions

1. What has happened?
2. What has worked?
3. What hasn't worked?
4. What do you have now that you didn't have last month?
5. Have your timeline predictions been accurate?
   
6. Are you meeting your goals?
   
7. Do you need to vent? gloat?
8. How can others assist/support you?

Please draft a document associated with your Modest Tech Project (MTP). The document might represent a set of directions for your students, an assignment, a letter to parents, an article for your school newsletter, a mission statement--anything you like. The only stipulation is that the document represents something you need to write for your project anyway.

We will have time during our August session to gather feedback on the document, so please do not feel the need to respond to others' documents (besides, you have enough homework to do without that additional step).

Park the document wherever you want: on your blog, in GoogleDocs, on a wiki page, on a GooglePage, on an actual piece of real paper. Make the decision based on the type of assistance you want from your colleagues in August (generalized response, in-text commentary, formatting/eding suggestions, etc.).

Please describe your current version of your Tech Project (TP). Why have you selected this TP? What technology (hardware, software, access) does it require? How do you plan to launch it? When will you launch it during the school year? How long will it take, and how do you plan to pace it?

I'm interested in setting up Google Apps for Educators at Peninsula School. I need to set up e-mail accounts/passwords and a program to help users learn the platform. I'd like to launch the program early in the school year by working with one teacher first. Then, I'd like to introduce students to the program by forming "tech partners." I'll begin by giving a small, specific assignment like post a picture to a blog, or post a short writing response on Google Docs. The focus of these discrete sessions will be on navigating, rather than on content. Once all students have had a partner orientation, we will view responses whole class using the overhead projector. We'll talk about qualities that are shared by interesting posts. I may consult with the ISTE standards or profiles at this point

Writing Response # 7

Please describe your current version of your Tech Project (TP). Why have you selected this TP? What technology (hardware, software, access) does it require? How do you plan to launch it? When will you launch it during the school year? How long will it take, and how do you plan to pace it?

I'm interested in setting up Google Apps for Educators at Peninsula School. I need to set up e-mail accounts/passwords and a program to help users learn the platform. I'd like to launch the program early in the school year by working with one teacher first. Then, I'd like to introduce students to the program by forming "tech partners." I'll begin by giving a small, specific assignment like post a picture to a blog, or post a short writing response on Google Docs. The focus of these discrete sessions will be on navigating, rather than on content. Once all students have had a partner orientation, we will view responses whole class using the overhead projector. We'll talk about qualities that are shared by interesting posts. I may consult with the ISTE standards or profiles at this point to choose assignments that have been tried before, and set up a pacing schedule with particular objectives based on the tech. standards.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Confucious

Read at least one tech-related article and

1) identify and summarize the article,

2) respond to it, and

3) develop a Writing Response prompt that grows from your reading.

Website Review:
Microsoft in Education has a website for educators with a search engine that provides access to lesson plans and how-to articles for educators, students and administrators. A search that included the key words: writing, grades 4-6, lesson plans yielded two lesson plan results, each of which identified required software, related links, and correlated the lesson plan to academic standards and ISTE Nets Standards for Students.

Four how-to articles included:
1. Add text to drawings
2. Align student documents with rubric indicators
3. Create assignment directions and prompts using hidden text in Microsoft Office Word
4. Save time when writing letters by using Smart Tags

Although the list of lessons and resources are not comprehensive, they do provide a useful template for teachers. The content of the how-to articles show practical ways to teach software applications.

The Home Page for Educators includes many links and access to information about grants, scholarships, and free tools for educators. Teachers may sign up for the Innovative Teachers Network. A My Site option allows for storage of personalized information, documents, and photo sharing.

Microsoft Higher Education sponsors an "interactive tour" to learn more about this feature

Writing Response:
Using the link to Microsoft Product and Technology Tutorials, select a lesson, how-to article, or case study to review. What advantages and/or limitations do you notice? How would you compare Microsoft offerings to those we've used on Google?

What will TP (tech. project) success mean to you? How might you measure that success?

TechLaunch: Peninsula School
This project will launch Google for Educators at Peninsula School. Students and teachers, grades 5-8, will explore this collaborative, on-line work environment that makes use of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation editor software. Each student and teacher will be assigned an e-mail account using the Peninsula School domain established through Google Apps. A sequence of activities will be introduced to student partners designed to teach navigating skills as well as writing/response skills.

Students and teachers will be given a pre-assessment and post-assessment to document knowledge and attitudes about technology, writing and response before and after the project. In addition, anecdotal records will be kept by the presenter after each session with students and teachers. Lesson plans will be formalized and archived as part of the project. A report at the end of the project will be submitted to the ATI:2008 participants, as well as the Superintendent/Principal of Peninsula School and the Peninsula School Board.

You have probably already been doing this mentally, so list the technology you have at your fingertips. Once it’s in black and white (or whatever color you choose!), it’s easier to consider.

• What is in your room? What do you have that you have not used fully?
• Next, list what is available to you outside your room. What do you need to do to be able to access it?
• Did your school pay for the video streaming package? Have you browsed it and bookmarked clips to use with specific units?
• List units that you could easily add a technology component to—either on your part or your students.

As you think of things, keep your lists going so you can refer back to it after your brain is saturated. Read over everyone else’s list and borrow ideas! Remember, no matter what the grade level—everything can be adapted.

I have a

• digital mic
• laptop computer
• digital SLR camera with flash drive
• wireless access to internet
• 3 classroom computers
• computer projector

Writing Response #5

Please take a few moments to share your activities, tech-wise or not, over the two weeks between Session One and Session Two.

I've been working on a Student/Teacher/Parent Handbook for Peninsula School. I've finished the content and my next step is to format the handbook using Adobe In-Design software. I took the Adobe Creative Suite class last semester through Extended Ed. at Humboldt. Already it seems a long time ago. I yielded to an Amazon ordering frenzy and purchased more "how-to" books than I care to admit, and I've been studying the "Creative Suite Bible," among others, trying to muster the courage to set up the master pages for my handbook. I still find comfort and courage by surrounding myself with books. I watch online tutorials and consult "help" menus, but my default setting is to try a book first. Let's see if that changes!

Finally, I've been snooping around our 2008 Tech blog, reading resources, reading the writing responses of my colleagues, and feeling very proud of our work so far.

June 28, 2008
Day Two: TechJourney

Day Two of my Tech Journey is drawing to a close. I've identified a project and I've learned how to build a blog with links. My new blog is more "navigable" than previous efforts, thanks to Tracy. I refrained from playing with images and design elements for a change, thinking more about the structure or "architecture" of my blog.

On a personal note, I'm looking forward to applying my new knowledge to my Jay Blog. In addition, I'll make some progress on my Adobe CS3 work.

As for my "modest tech project," here's my to do list:

1. Set up a prototype for Google Apps.
2. Design a series of sessions that will teach teachers how to use the applications.
3. Design a series of assignments that will teach students how to use the applications.
4. Complete Writing Prompt #4 and place a list of readings on my blog.
5. Work on the visual elements of my blog.

After reading Will Richardson's "The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web," please think--and write--about some element of your pedagogy that could benefit from a technology infusion. If you’ve already selected a tech project (digital storytelling, for example), please feel free to focus on how you want to infuse that thing into your curriculum, what you want it to support. I'm interested in exploring two ideas. I love hearing students voices. This leads me to podcasting. My experience has shown me that younger students will work harder to improve their reading and or writing if there is a culminating "audio" experience. I'm also interested in working with students to help them create Public Service Announcements that are informative. Our school is located on the Peninsula where tsunami warning signs advise high ground, where a new LEEDS certified (green architecture) recycling transfer station is positioned, and where a grassroots organization, Friends of the Dunes, works to restore natural habitat by pulling non-native plants. Each of these topics has been of interest to my students. By creating podcasts, they may be in a position to influence the behavior of those around them. In addition, I'm interested in using Google Apps school-wide. I'm curious to see how students react when their writing work is published on-line. I'm curious to see the results of written responses to drafts by teachers and other students. I believe the best way to accomplish this is to create a proto-type first, with inservice for both students and teachers. I know families and school personnel are concerned about safety and privacy issues, so I will need to be clear about safeguards. I'm curious to see how this format may enhance the learning community at the school. It has the advantage of more closely imitating "real life" learning. Students are highly motivated to use computers and will enjoy choosing the content of their own start-up pages. My sense is that schools are behind the "technology curve." I hope this project will bring technology closer to the surface of the day-in/day-out work done in one particular school. We have established a partnership with RWP for next year. This will provide the structure to implement these plans. Finally, I'm interested improving my own fluency in the Adobe Creative Suite 3 software: in-design/illustrator/photoshop. I have plenty of books just ordered from Amazon to help me. This is a more selfish interest at this point, but who knows where it will take me. I love the idea of having a series of podcasts that are PSAs, especially concerning matters that affect your school population. I need to know more about Google Apps it sounds like too, since you are interested in doing something that I'm interested in doing. ~Sarah I like that you recognize the fears/apprehensions of your school community and that you are planning to address these concerns. Set up for success!

Catherine Arnold will spend the 2008-2009 school year working with Redwood Writing Project's Advanced Technology Institute. In the company of eleven teachers, she will implement a "modest technology project" designed to promote critical thinking and writing.

Over the next half hour, please answer as many of these questions as you can. You may not be able to get to every question, so please start with the questions you find most interesting. Please also make full use of the full thirty minutes, returning to rethink / retool / re-investigate earlier responses if you finish before we call time.

• What technology do you want to learn?
• What technology have you heard about?
• What technology have you tried and hated? Why?
• What technology have you tried and loved? Why?
• Complete this sentence: I hate when my students. . . .
• Complete this sentence: I see opportunity with. . . .
• Complete this sentence: I’d like to be able to take this project / unit / lesson further. . . .
• Complete this sentence: This is a good project / unit / lesson if only it had. . . .
• Complete this sentence: If I knew how to do X, I would. . . .

Please do not share your document (although others will read and respond shortly); neither should you read / respond to others' posts. Yet. Thank you. 1. I want to learn how to do sound editing, how to create a podcast, and how to upload the file to a blog. I want to set up Google Apps for a school. 2. I have heard about screen capturing. I have NO idea what it is. I just heard the term yesterday. I'm sure it has nothing to do with escaping zoo animals. 3. The only thing I hate is getting comfortable with on-line help menus. I'm still accustomed to having a book, in my hand, with an index or table of contents. I know I have to get over it. I will get over it. I promise. Oops, I forgot. I also hate it when I'm trying to do something very specific and can't figure out HOW to do it. Sometimes it's as simple as figuring out to choose the best resolution for an image I want to e-mail. The good news is once I figure it out, I don't have to struggle again--it's like learning how to ride a bike. The bad news is the smallest of tasks can take WAY too long. 4. I LOVE Adobe Creative Suite 3--does software count as "technology?" I LOVE digital photography. 5. I hate it when my students fight over whose turn it is to be on the computer. 6. I see opportunity with digital sound. 7. I'd like to create Public Service Announcements with students. 8. This would be a good project if I could work with small groups of interested students. 9. If I knew how to....No...let me put it this way: WHEN I learn how to use Adobe CS3, I'll play with desktop publishing.