- Thank you to Agnieszka for hosting
- Kathy will attend one of our PLC meetings, but was also wondering whether we would be interested in showcasing our learning in the Jan/Feb success team meeting (information just received)- any thoughts?
- Forest of Reading program registration on
- Cindy and Ann are looking for TLs who have notebook lessons that they are willing to share and write. December 2nd, 2009 will be a day devoted to creating lessons that can be used in the library through notebook - email Cindy if you are interested in attending
- Books for boys reading club in our family are available at Kimberley. List of books there will be shared
- Thank you to Debra who shared the inquiry that her school is working on
- Shared frustrations over alligning enduring understandings, OFIP pathways and inquiry...still working through
- please continue to share inquiry questions and resources on our wiki
- please continue to share ideas on our wiki
- We will be cancelling our December meeting and will be meeting again on January 13th for our half-day PD (12:30-4:00) at the Duke- Thank you April for hosting this!
- Agenda for our PD in January will be determined and shared
- Thank you to everyone who attended on such a busy month!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Minutes from November 19 meeting
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Conservation of Energy Pathfinder
Recently I learned about pathfinders. At the elementary school level, pathfinders are an important part of the guided inquiry process. Pathfinders can provide students with a step-by-step model of the research process from initial investigation to the creation of a well considered inquiry question and forward into the research resources. Taking into account the understanding that a library is more than a book room, I set out to create a research tool for the 21st century information environment or "learning commons."
Working with two grade five teachers at Secord, I created a pathfinder on the topic of Energy Conservation. The site is particularly effective when used within the library since the library provides a great shared space in which to use both virtual and paper resources.
The first links in the menu cover the basics: Keywords, Research Strategy, and Rubric. These can be edited by the individual teachers to match their class' needs. The rest of the links are the resources and I chose to begin with virtual resources and then the hard-copy Secord resources (circulating and reference collection) follow.
Ideally, students begin their research with whatever medium appeals to them. The library, with its Smartboard and hard-copy collection, provides a space in which students discover and share with small groups or with the whole class.
In regards to the virtual aspect of the site, in particular the Web Sites Recommended section, our elementary audience gets a very broad selection of hand-picked sites and, of course, at least one teacher (but preferably a teacher and a teacher/librarian) is at hand to ensure "safe" Internet practices. But the most important aspect of this part of the pathfinder is the demonstration of the wealth of information to be found in virtual resources, be they National Geographic Kids videos or the Grolier online encyclopedia.
This is a web 2.0 tool. Students will see this when they find the word list and rubric edited by their teacher to reflect their class' research process. I hope to see each teacher create a page for their class rubric. Each grade 5 teacher has access and I'm working with two teaches who will lead the way for their colleagues.
Working with two grade five teachers at Secord, I created a pathfinder on the topic of Energy Conservation. The site is particularly effective when used within the library since the library provides a great shared space in which to use both virtual and paper resources.
The first links in the menu cover the basics: Keywords, Research Strategy, and Rubric. These can be edited by the individual teachers to match their class' needs. The rest of the links are the resources and I chose to begin with virtual resources and then the hard-copy Secord resources (circulating and reference collection) follow.
Ideally, students begin their research with whatever medium appeals to them. The library, with its Smartboard and hard-copy collection, provides a space in which students discover and share with small groups or with the whole class.
In regards to the virtual aspect of the site, in particular the Web Sites Recommended section, our elementary audience gets a very broad selection of hand-picked sites and, of course, at least one teacher (but preferably a teacher and a teacher/librarian) is at hand to ensure "safe" Internet practices. But the most important aspect of this part of the pathfinder is the demonstration of the wealth of information to be found in virtual resources, be they National Geographic Kids videos or the Grolier online encyclopedia.
This is a web 2.0 tool. Students will see this when they find the word list and rubric edited by their teacher to reflect their class' research process. I hope to see each teacher create a page for their class rubric. Each grade 5 teacher has access and I'm working with two teaches who will lead the way for their colleagues.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Web 2.0 Aps and Distractability
While reading about the issues and challenges of using web 2.0 tools in the classroom I came across some pretty interesting things that I'd like to share with you in regards to distractibility and whether or not the new social networking tools have a place in our classrooms.
On the heels of a story about a Ryerson science professor who attempted to have a student expelled for creating a social network where students discussed work done in his class (the teacher wanted students to work completely independently) I learned about a professor who has incorporated Twitter into his class. Twitter, the most distracting social networking application yet!
Distractibility is an important part of our own nature. 2-million-years ago, human-like creatures that were not distracted by something rustling in the bush didn't survive to be our ancestors. Distractibility is an important part of our nature. It has followed that as we read a hypertext-rich text, we tend to go off elsewhere following related stories or background information. We do this because distraction is an integral part of our nature and therefore it has been built into digital media. Researchers may prove that this is actually a good thing.
When we read we build meaning by stopping and considering how new information fits into what we currently know. Our brain links existing knowledge to knew information via synapses or links of understanding. (Such links may also be destroyed if they don't stand up to tests of credibility.) Therefore, reading and then following suggested links provides us with extended means to make sense of information. The distractable nature of online reading actually provideds greater opportunity for deeper understanding.
So now I return to the professor who uses Twitter. Here is a medium that only allows users to publish 140 characters at a time, usually answering the question, "What are you doing?" I had seen how it was used and couldn't get past its banality.
This professor, however, simply rephrased the question. He asked his class, "What are you THINKING now?" and took advantage of those flash thoughts we have during lectures. Traditionally we write them in our own notes, sometimes we share then with a neighbour, but there are no opportunities to broadcast those little revelations. Using Twitter, however, this guy grabs onto the opportunity tobroadcasts these little observations to the entire lecture audience.
Overhead, accompanying his PowerPoint presentation is a parallel screen displaying a view of Twitter responses to what he is talking about.
A lecture on its own is a monologue but here the professor is allowing a multitude of ideas or connections to be broadcast, noted by others, and hopefully provide meaningful connections for some. His screen and and the Twitter screen take advantage of our innate tendency to be distracted during prolonged activities such as lectures, weddings, etc where our minds wonder. Ideas flickering onto a screen naturally attract our attention, making the lecture a less passive activity than a monologue.
This type of note exchange is being called back channelling and it provides the opportunity to think more deeply about concepts before they drift out of our short-term memory.
While I look forward to seeing how the battle will fare between academic spelling and txt speak in a medium challenges users to express themselves within 140 characters, I do look forward to the interactive nature of such lectures and the richer learning experience they promise.
On the heels of a story about a Ryerson science professor who attempted to have a student expelled for creating a social network where students discussed work done in his class (the teacher wanted students to work completely independently) I learned about a professor who has incorporated Twitter into his class. Twitter, the most distracting social networking application yet!
Distractibility is an important part of our own nature. 2-million-years ago, human-like creatures that were not distracted by something rustling in the bush didn't survive to be our ancestors. Distractibility is an important part of our nature. It has followed that as we read a hypertext-rich text, we tend to go off elsewhere following related stories or background information. We do this because distraction is an integral part of our nature and therefore it has been built into digital media. Researchers may prove that this is actually a good thing.
When we read we build meaning by stopping and considering how new information fits into what we currently know. Our brain links existing knowledge to knew information via synapses or links of understanding. (Such links may also be destroyed if they don't stand up to tests of credibility.) Therefore, reading and then following suggested links provides us with extended means to make sense of information. The distractable nature of online reading actually provideds greater opportunity for deeper understanding.
So now I return to the professor who uses Twitter. Here is a medium that only allows users to publish 140 characters at a time, usually answering the question, "What are you doing?" I had seen how it was used and couldn't get past its banality.
This professor, however, simply rephrased the question. He asked his class, "What are you THINKING now?" and took advantage of those flash thoughts we have during lectures. Traditionally we write them in our own notes, sometimes we share then with a neighbour, but there are no opportunities to broadcast those little revelations. Using Twitter, however, this guy grabs onto the opportunity tobroadcasts these little observations to the entire lecture audience.
Overhead, accompanying his PowerPoint presentation is a parallel screen displaying a view of Twitter responses to what he is talking about.
A lecture on its own is a monologue but here the professor is allowing a multitude of ideas or connections to be broadcast, noted by others, and hopefully provide meaningful connections for some. His screen and and the Twitter screen take advantage of our innate tendency to be distracted during prolonged activities such as lectures, weddings, etc where our minds wonder. Ideas flickering onto a screen naturally attract our attention, making the lecture a less passive activity than a monologue.
This type of note exchange is being called back channelling and it provides the opportunity to think more deeply about concepts before they drift out of our short-term memory.
While I look forward to seeing how the battle will fare between academic spelling and txt speak in a medium challenges users to express themselves within 140 characters, I do look forward to the interactive nature of such lectures and the richer learning experience they promise.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Minutes for October 6, 2009
Agenda:
-Welcome
-Welcome to Katina and Cindy again and thank you for your time
-Success Team Meeting November 25th- idea to share with Kathy at our PLC instead...how do we feel about this?
-email Kathy the dates of our PLC and see if she can join us on a date
-Questioning Circles- what is happening at our schools- Ellie
-Welcome
-Welcome to Katina and Cindy again and thank you for your time
-Success Team Meeting November 25th- idea to share with Kathy at our PLC instead...how do we feel about this?
-email Kathy the dates of our PLC and see if she can join us on a date
-Questioning Circles- what is happening at our schools- Ellie
- Post questions on the blog that each grade team is presenting
- Post resources that teachers are using to gather resources
-Astrid and Anastasia will discuss how to organize this
-History of PLC: Formerly always had a book that we were reading, this year not a book connected to it. We have 3 half days covered for release and Katina and Cindy to support us. Continuing on with the PLC model. A lot of web 2.0 tool training in the last year and the year of the Inquiry for SE6 for this year.
SE6 Year of Inquiry
What inquiry questions are schools working on and how is the library supporting this focus?
How are school teams using questioning? Overarching inquiry, 5 over the year
Action: Guided Inquiry, p. 3-5, 14-16
-Fundamental Concepts in the Social Studies and Science Curriculum are important to help us plan guided inquiry questions
-goal of guided inquiry is that students will develop their own questions by the end
-pick one opportunity where you are doing something with one teacher and focus on this
-one inquiry question with one teacher
-modeling in a read aloud the type of questions that are required in an inquiry
-along with everything we have been doing, let's take a look at what is already going on in our schools, understand it, common understanding
-when we are all working towards a goal, confusion will come around when dealing with change
-share our inquiry questions, contribute towards the blog and the wiki, post the questions online to share...Astrid and Anastasia will organize how this is done
How can we use web 2.0 tools to support collaboration with staff and guide student inquiry in the SE6 Planned Inquiry Units?
-Katina will email the presentation on TEL
Minds On (watching), Action (practice, participation, collective intelligence) , Consolidation (reflecting)
-mobi: like a tablet, comes with a pen, kids in group: one mobi to each and share their ideas
-BLOG: great for discussions, building upon knowledge, can be shared and open, question of the week so that the students can answer, K-3 best
-McMurrich JPS: Grade 6 Flight: grade6flight.blogspot.com
WIKIS: culminating activities: grades 4-12
-kinders on the move: healthy living http://www.kindersonthemove.pbworks.com/
-All blogs and wikis that Katina showed us are on our Blog list on the left hand side of our blog
-edublogs are best
-Agnieszka shared her wiki which is also located on our bloglist
-explore the web 2.0 tools to complement the inquiry units
NEXT MEETING
-November 19: 2:30-4:30: Secord
-December 8: 2:30-4:30: Kew Beach
SUGGESTIONS FOR NEXT MEETING:
-sharing of inquiry questions
-bring texts in that support question
-any other suggestions, please email them to Astrid or Anastasia and we will post them
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
PLC for 2009-2010
Welcome Back!
Here is what we need for our next meeting:
A request to bring to the Oct. 6 meeting:
Guided Inquiry text
record of school’s inquiry questions
video, digital and audio capture of student work (i.e., of student practice in Questions Circles, Planned Inquiry Unit and/or to develop culminating tasks or Library classes)
&
to read p. 3-5 & 14-16 in Guided Inquiry (will post pages on SE6 TL conference)
More information will be posted on our conference
Here is what we need for our next meeting:
A request to bring to the Oct. 6 meeting:
Guided Inquiry text
record of school’s inquiry questions
video, digital and audio capture of student work (i.e., of student practice in Questions Circles, Planned Inquiry Unit and/or to develop culminating tasks or Library classes)
&
to read p. 3-5 & 14-16 in Guided Inquiry (will post pages on SE6 TL conference)
More information will be posted on our conference
Friday, May 29, 2009
Minutes for May 28, 2009
- Katina will be able to support us again on the three half days that have been requested: October 6, January 13, April 15
- Requested meetings for next school year: November 19, December 8, February 9, March 24, May 5 from 2:30-4:30
- We are still waiting for approval of these dates from Kathy
- Suggested PD for our next school year's half days with Katina: review of web 2.0 tools, copyright, new tools
- Other PD ideas: literary genres, author study, research process, Be the Change, Smart Board Library
- movie editing found at boinx.com
- wordle.net: great new web tool
- reminder that there will be no smart barcodes provided to any school in 2009/2010. TLs are responsible in creating their own- see Horizon
- update Smartboard lesson activity toolkit to 2.0
- Showcase of TL work at our first Success Team in September...Thank you to all who have volunteered to show what they are doing.
- Please send URL of wikis/blogs/podcasts to Astrid or Anastasia so that we can put them on our wiki.
- Thank you to Katina for her guidance, support and assistance this year.
- Have a wonderful summer!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
SE6 TL PD Survey
Please visit this site to complete our survey. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=GBH_2boGWJVwqt66yfoeMlMA_3d_3d
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=GBH_2boGWJVwqt66yfoeMlMA_3d_3d
Monday, March 2, 2009
Minutes for February 18
Ministry Fair:
March 5th and 6th
Where do we go from here?
-how will we celebrate our learning?
-sharing our learning with others
-perhaps create a wiki and each teacher can have her own page to share
-redesign TEL conference with blog and wiki address
Podcasts:
IPOD + Broadcast
-deconstruct podcasts first
-listen to one (music, how they speak)
http://portableradio.edublogs.org
March 5th and 6th
Where do we go from here?
-how will we celebrate our learning?
-sharing our learning with others
-perhaps create a wiki and each teacher can have her own page to share
-redesign TEL conference with blog and wiki address
Podcasts:
IPOD + Broadcast
-deconstruct podcasts first
-listen to one (music, how they speak)
http://portableradio.edublogs.org
Monday, February 2, 2009
All about school libraries
Just wondering what your thoughts are on the following site:
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/librarycoalition
http://www.peopleforeducation.com/librarycoalition
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Minutes for January 7, 2009
Cindy:
-more e-books have been purchased
-really great elementary books on Natural Disasters and Canadian Provinces
-Vendor Fair possibly March/April
-Afterschool meeting on Smartboards has been scheduled the same day as our next PLC: Wed. Feb. 18th from 3:30-4:30.
Ann:
-Grade 4-8 Book Launch
-Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
-invited to attend a 50 minute book launch time on January 28th at G.A. Brown
-Time slots available: 10:40-11:30, 1:25-2:15, 2:15-3:05
Katina and WIKIS:
-most important buttons: Edit and Save
-these are collaborative, fast webpages
-Blogs are best used for short bursts of writing, conversation, and reflection (all grade levels), whereas wikis should be used for project work and the gathering of resources (junior - intermediate)
Some examples of wikis shared:
http://learningmaineresources.wikispaces.com/
http://sfxschool.pbwiki.com/
http://librarylearning.pbwiki.com/
http://kidpedia.info/
http://fourstage.pbwiki.com/
http://libsuccess.org/
http://silver09nf.pbwiki.com/
How can you use wiki's in your program? What are some of the challenges that you encountered when learning about this? What are some of the benefits that you can see in this?
-more e-books have been purchased
-really great elementary books on Natural Disasters and Canadian Provinces
-Vendor Fair possibly March/April
-Afterschool meeting on Smartboards has been scheduled the same day as our next PLC: Wed. Feb. 18th from 3:30-4:30.
Ann:
-Grade 4-8 Book Launch
-Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
-invited to attend a 50 minute book launch time on January 28th at G.A. Brown
-Time slots available: 10:40-11:30, 1:25-2:15, 2:15-3:05
Katina and WIKIS:
-most important buttons: Edit and Save
-these are collaborative, fast webpages
-Blogs are best used for short bursts of writing, conversation, and reflection (all grade levels), whereas wikis should be used for project work and the gathering of resources (junior - intermediate)
Some examples of wikis shared:
http://learningmaineresources.wikispaces.com/
http://sfxschool.pbwiki.com/
http://librarylearning.pbwiki.com/
http://kidpedia.info/
http://fourstage.pbwiki.com/
http://libsuccess.org/
http://silver09nf.pbwiki.com/
How can you use wiki's in your program? What are some of the challenges that you encountered when learning about this? What are some of the benefits that you can see in this?
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Chapter 4 WIKIS
- Wiki is short form of the Hawaiian wiki-wiki which means "quick" (p. 55)
- First wiki was created by Ward Cunningham in 1995 (p. 55)
- A wiki is a website where anyone can edit anything anytime they want (p. 55)
The reliability of a wiki has been questioned since everyone can contribute and edit. The understanding is that you have to have faith in the collaborative efforts of the group to keep it safe and reliable. What are your thoughts on this?
The idea of working together, collaboration and negotiation skills are enforced when using a wiki. It is the idea that "everyone together is smarter than anyone alone" (p. 57). How can wikis be used in our library program?
Wikis to read:
Global warming: http://www.tinyurl.com/33885n
Simple English Wikipedia: simple.wikipedia.org
Pedagogical Potentials for Wikis: http://tinyurl.com/2zu6fb
South Africa High School Curriculum: http://tinyurl.com/nvu9v
Wikijunior: http://tinyurl.com/ma7hw
Welker's Wikinomics site: http://tinyurl.com/6ruy3y
Shelley Paul's book study on a wiki: http://tinyurl.com/36sy57
PlanetMath: http://tinyurl.com/9orxf
Please add more wikis to our list as you discover
"Wikis teach students much about how to work with others, how to create community, and how to operate in a world where the creation of knowledge and information is more and more becoming a group effort." (p. 69) This fits in nicely with our Character Education Trait in January: TEAMWORK
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