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For my professional development goals as an instructional specialist and future school administrator, I am reading a few articles by Will Richardson and posting my thoughts here. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments. From MySpace to SchoolSpace: teaching kids the social networking skills they need. District Administration - September 1, 2007
Summary: Seattle Public Schools have been using their own network to help students and teachers utilize the many benefits of social networking within a safe, controlled environment. Besides teaching students responsible and safe networking skills, the tool has allowed teachers to consider different pedagogies that are more student-centered and inquiry-based.
What I Think: I am a huge advocate for allowing social networks in schools. Sure, some will point to the risks, but that's just a bigger reason for why they should be addressed in schools. The best way to protect students from harm is to facilitate that learning. Why not provide a safe space for them to explore the virtues of social networking?
How does this help me with my work? The Seattle project is a great example of how a school district has adopted social networks to work for their purpose of educating their students. I can point to this example as a success story. Schools wouldn't have to create their own networks. They could utilize MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter as well as create their own networks on Moodle or Ning.
For my professional development goals as an instructional specialist and future school administrator, I am reading a few articles by Will Richardson and posting my thoughts here. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments. Administrators who blog: give administrators in your district online voices. District Administration - April 1, 2007
Summary: School administrators, particularly building principals, are faced with a growing number of issues. Blogging can help them process these issues and open their thinking to multiple perspectives. An audience of other administrators as well as students, teachers, and the community can help an administrator see solutions not normally found on one's own. Additionally, blogging can add to an aura of transparency not often found in schools. Despite these benefits and the growing use of blogs, too few administrators are utilizing this tool.
What I Think: As I work in various schools, it worries me that so many administrators are not participating in the learning process aside from running their respective buildings. Students and teachers are blogging, opening their discussions to outside perspectives. Principals should be doing the same.
I understand why this happens. Principals are bombarded with issues concerning building maintenance, personnel, curriculum, etc. Who has time for blogging with so many issues requiring their attention? That is specifically why they should blog. Draw from other administrators' experiences or consider the perspectives of staff, students, and families.
How does this help me with my work? This fits in with my work and professional development in two ways. First, I am always looking for angles in selling administration on the educational benefits of technology and the Internet. Second, my studies in earning an administrative certification fits with this sort of topic well. This idea of administrators blogging bridges my current work with my future work seamlessly.
For my professional development goals as an instructional specialist and future school administrator, I am reading a few articles by Will Richardson and posting my thoughts here. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments. Building a Web presence: Weblogs are becoming essential in school districts across the country. District Administration - May 1, 2007
Summary: Schools, like almost any organization or enterprise these days, have to play an active role in their online presence. The best and most useful way to do this is to provide opportunities for students and teachers to write blogs, post videos, or record podcasts to be shared over the Internet. Schools need to make these sorts of networks accessible as well as teach students how to best utilize Web 2.0 tools in order to improve their web presence.
(Link to Example Class Blog)
What I Think: I am a big fan of this idea. Schools feel so helpless with all the bad press they receive. Google your local elementary and you're just as likely to come up with a site for parents to rate your school as you are to find the school's official web page. I say beat them to the punch. Encourage students and teachers to publish all over the place. Teach students the best ways to communicate, collaborate, and advocate for themselves and their educations online.
How does this help me with my work? I work with a lot of teachers who are very concerned with perceived risks and dangers associated with Web 2.0. On top of that, their administrators and techs block most blog, podcast, and video-hosting sites. Richardson' argument of taking control of a school's online presence just gives me another avenue in trying to change minds about Web 2.0 in schools.
For my professional development goals as an instructional specialist and future school administrator, I am reading a few articles by Will Richardson and posting my thoughts here. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments. Building networks in schools: creating your own social network is easier than you might think. District Administration - December 1, 2007
Summary: Today's student is all over social networking. Sites like MySpace and Facebook occupy our students' every moment outside of school. Now, with the highly adaptable Ning, educators can utilize social networking within the classroom (virtual or real) to teach them not only how to collaborate but also how to properly manage their social networks. Additionally, Ning could be utilized for professional development purposes.
What I Think: Ning has been around for a while, but I don't think it's properly caught on. Teachers seem to be turning to various versions of Moodle and related hosting sites. Regardless, a Ning is so highly adaptable that a teacher can disguise learning, collaboration, and interaction as social-networking. I belong to Nings for both my work in edtech and for my craft beer/homebrewing hobby. A friend has used a Ning for her college composition course. I don't know if the problem is interest or an over-saturation of social-networking. Either way, I'll be interested to see how things develop over at Ning.com.
How does this help me with my work? It's nice to realize that there is something out there that resembles a Moodle less and a Facebook more. I've had plans to start a Ning for teachers in my network, but they seem so bogged down with so many other networks. A good alternative is to simply utilize the Nings that already exist out there for eMINTS and to encourage their use whenever a teacher is looking for a new way to engage students.
