Making Learning Just a Click Away - LIBE 477 63A Module 8: Developing World Libraries/Mobile Devices

Module 8: Developing World Libraries / Mobile devices

image from dreamtime.com

In order for students to learn any new concept, they need multiple, dynamic opportunities to develop the skills required.  Right now, I am teaching place value in grade 3.  We are using number lines, base tens, counters, H/T/O charts, hundred charts, dice, cards, etc. to help students explain their learning.  So, perhaps little Johnny Q may not be able to show 104 in numeral expanded form, but he is getting more confident using base ten blocks, so the jump from concrete to symbolic form will come eventually with practice.

image taken Abbotsford, B.C. November 1, 2020

In saying this, students need access to devices to be able to maneuver the changing technologies that rules school and everyday life.  The opportunity to use different devices: smartphones, laptops, tablets; the better!  Not only does the technology support collaboration between students, teachers, classrooms local and global, and home, it can provide rich online resources like online libraries, educational videos, and museums.  Experts and expert material is available to all learners with the help of technology.

Visit the British Museum here --> https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection 

image from visitlondon.com

In the world of history and culture, the British Museum's collection online provides patrons with access to collections, exhibits, and galleries.  They stay connected with their own blog, social media like Twitter and Facebook.

https://twitter.com/wdlorg?s=21

image from bitmoji.com

The museum is still open to the public and e-mails newsletters if you subscribe.  They offer a summer program called the Youth CollectiveThey used to offer on site learning sessions and now offer virtual visits for school-aged children.  For youths, the Museum hosts a summer program called the Youth Collective.  Adults can experience talks, debates, performances, and coursework.  Community-led initiatives, exhibitions, programs, events and workshops are offered to the public.  

image from pinclipart.com

You can visit the World Digital library here --> World Digital Library.  WDL is operated by UNESCO and the US. Library of Congress and sports manuscripts, maps, photographs, rare books, and other cultural documents from as far back as 8,000 BCE.  You can follow them on Twitter @WDLorg.  Having the opportunity to bring these authentic invaluable pieces of human history within a click to your classroom is efficient on time, money, and resources.  As long as there is one piece of technology in the classroom, students despite socio-economic status and access to devices can participate in learning.

image from onebillion.org

https://onebillion.org/impact/partners-and-projects/

Onebillion.org is a UK non-profit organization that creates software globally that is made to bring technology into the hands of children. 

 

One tab is a created tablet that delivers learning: reading, writing, and numeracy activities to children in their own language. Onecourse also uses tablets for children in developing nations to play activities, games, and read stories through a structure literacy and numeracy course.  I truly recommend readers to take the time to visit their website and see the impactful work they are doing.

image from onebillion.org

image from bitmoji.com

This is not to say that the global community should stop making efforts to put physical texts in the hands of children to provide them with equal opportunity to learn how to read.  22 years ago, John Wood, a Microsoft executive visited Nepal and was affected by the state of school libraries.  He left his tech job and founded Room to Read.  You can read up more here as well --> John Wood's story. "During its seven-year existence, the organization has opened nearly 5,000 school libraries and about 400 schools, donated more than 1.4 million English-language books, published 146 local-language titles, and touched the lives of roughly 1.5 million students in developing countries" (Bernard, 2008). 

image from bitmoji.com

At my own school level, University of the Fraser Valley human kinetics students volunteer their time to help with teaching PE, put in volunteer hours teaching activities, and supporting our annual Sports Day events.  They also collect books from our school to send to Antigua schools.

Do we need 1:1 at our schools?  Do educators need to be experts of each app/device platform?  https://theconversation.com/ten-reasons-teachers-can-struggle-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom-101114 My personal feeling is that there is not enough opportunity for in-service when districts introduce new platforms.  The expectation is that teachers use their own time.  As we are discovering, PLNS are necessary to further deep understanding of concepts and it does not happen independently.  I am not a "digital native" and I am learning as I go.  I am having great difficulty trouble shooting programs like MBP, Mathletics, and Teams when I myself am no expert. Then there is the inconsistency of workability with wi-fi at school, differences in technology at home, and devices working in proper order when needed.  

In order to continue to support 21st century learning, there needs to be at least one opportunity to provide as many ways to connect students to the world and collaborate with families and stakeholders to bring the information to the student.  This means putting in the footwork of finding grants, communicating with administrators, PAC, and community businesses to find funding to support this.

image from pbs.org

Works Cited

Bernard, S. (2008, January 12). Room to Read: Building Libraries, Schools, and Computer Labs in Developing Countries. Retrieved October 31, 2020, from https://www.edutopia.org/global-education-libraries-developing-countries

Brendon Hyndman Senior Lecturer and Course Director of Postgraduate Studies in Education. (2020, February 13). Ten reasons teachers can struggle to use technology in the classroom. Retrieved October 25, 2020, from https://theconversation.com/ten-reasons-teachers-can-struggle-to-use-technology-in-the-classroom-101114

Children. (n.d.). Retrieved November 01, 2020, from https://onebillion.org/impact/partners-and-projects/

LIBE 477 63A Supporting Teachers’ ICT Curriculum and Pedagogy: On-going Professional Development

Sharing is Caring

In TED Talks, The Way We Work series Robert Reffkin gives viewers suggestions to stay connected with their co-workers.  He claims that "technology has made it easier to communicate.  But it hasn't made it easier to connect with other human beings" (2020). How evident is this now?  I can only imagine being a part of a new school right now.  Making meaningful connections at present require more time, creativity, and effort amidst all the other challenges that face educators today; a special type of brew.

image by Bitmoji

The three that I really appreciated are:

👍 show gratitude - be thankful for your peers' abilities, skills, talents, and willingness to share them.

👍 share and inquire - share resources/ideas/your point of view and be open to receiving others'

👍 be honest - go beyond the "niceties" of small talk and really get to know the people you are working with.

At the moment, I am co-teaching the Seven Sacred Teachings (this is a full unit plan if anyone may be interested) with our school indigenous support worker.  Some of the ideas that Reffkin offers tie in with the teachings: 

image from southernnetwork.org

Just to use as an example, the grade 3 curriculum is focused entirely on indigenous studies.  I am quite aware that I am not an expert in the field, however, I do know there are many in the district that are trained to support my students' learning in this subject area.  Instructors from the district have come to the school to explicitly teach peace/sharing circles.  To promote awareness and understanding of indigenous cultures, the Aboriginal Program offers classroom presentations, for example in grade 3, Ms. Gabriel teaches students about Sto:lo tools past and present.

Image from Bitmoji.com

Who knows what hidden talents, skills, and professional development your colleagues have?  I worked with an intermediate teacher and I would like to think I was friendly enough with him, but I had no idea that he was opera trained!  He never volunteered for the Christmas concerts and just by chance our friendly conversations turned into this little treasure revealed.

How can we best respond to the needs of our staff, in their wide spectrum of abilities and experiences, with the most appropriate and useful professional development?

We need to know what the actual needs are of our staff: being a part of school based team meetings, school goal committees, action plans, and other groups within the school that focus on student needs and improvements will give us a more thorough understanding of what professional development would be appropriate and useful for fellow staff members.

In our district, we use Microsoft Teams, and the TL having a channel of his/her own would help teachers look back at any staff meeting presentations available for viewing later, instructions for using tech tools in the learning commons, link to book TL/llearning commons facility, etc.  Because it is a program that each teacher in the school has to use on a regular basis, it is easy access for peers.

Image from Bitmoji.com

How can we, as educators and TLs share what we've learned with our wider communities of practices?

As we all have experienced, in order for learners to engage, there has to be a "buy in".  I believe the same goes with adult learners.  Canvasing co-workers, be it personal drop-ins or an inquiry note in their mailbox,, noticing frequently checked out teacher resources and print material for the classroom, observing what teachers are attending for professional development days, or using online surveys to gather intel.  Most administrators will give their TLs time during staff meetings to up to date everyone on what is happening in the learning commons, so I feel that is a great start - something short, sweet, and enticing.  I have seen TLs use SWAY, Bitmoji Classroom, Prezi, and Keynote.  

image from sway.office.com

image from weareteachers.org

image from prezi.com

What tools and strategies are best implemented to meet the professional development of staff?

As the professional development representative at my school level, I have found that scheduling presenters to come into the school for Pro D days have been more meaningful and has created team-building opportunities.  BCTF offers quite an array of speakers on various topics.  We have had speakers come in for conflict resolution, self-regulation, mindfulness, and balance.  Understanding where our co-workers are coming from and taking common professional development has been quite nurturing.

Caskey and Carpenter's article on Building Teacher Collaboration provides an explicit organizational model that promotes teacher collaboration within a school.  The biggest take away has been that collaboration must be meaningful - teachers that are working together share the same vision for their students on their focused topic.  Educators are willing and voluntarily carve time out to work, professional develop, gather data, and discuss students' needs, then put it into practice.

imagefromamle.org

                                                                  

Image from bitmoji.com

As a TL, providing mini-workshops to familiarize teachers with programs within the learning commons and resources has created an on-going professional development for teachers and EAs within the school.  Our previous TL held a "Tech Tuesday" after school for anyone and for any topic regarding technology that wouldn't be appropriate for the district IT team to problem solve.

What about the stakeholders?  TLs should be making a regular appearance in PAC meetings; there is a beneficial reciprocal relationship in the rough here.  As well, making connections with the local public library and their programs could support the school learning commons.  For example, if the public library is using coding tools like this one here: Spheros at FVRL and Ozobots at FVRL perhaps co-teaching and collaborating with teachers in the school to use these could also create on-going professional development and lead to new technology discoveries.

Image from Bitmoji.com

 

Works Cited

Caskey, M. M., & Carpenter, J. (2014). Building Teacher Collaboration School-wide. Retrieved October 22, 2020, from https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/446/Building-Teacher-Collaboration-School-wide.aspx

Coalition, O. (Ed.). (2020). Teachings of the Seven Sacred/Seven Grandfathers. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://onlc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/7-Grandfathers-Student-Manual1.pdf

Reffkin, R. (2020). 5 ways to create stronger connections. Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://www.ted.com/talks/robert_reffkin_5_ways_to_create_stronger_connections

LIBE 477B 63A Developing ICT Skills and Pedagogy

 How Do my I.C.T. Skills and I Live Happily Ever After?

(image from Bitmoji)

With the rapidly evolving technology that grows infinitely as I write this post, the need for continuous professional development is mandatory.  As educators, we are often given websites, blogs, digital videos, and apps that are supposed to enhance our learning in the classroom. These tools are as extremely relevant as the quantity of them is overwhelming, 

Author, John Green discusses cartography and learning communities that inspired his learning https://www.ted.com/talks/john_green_the_nerd_s_guide_to_learning_everything_online/transcript. He goes on to say,” I do believe that while maps don’t show you where you will go in life, they show you where you might go,  You very rarely go to a place that isn’t on your personal map” (Green, 2012).

I.C.T., for me, also stands for 

Identify Focus

Connect, Collaborate, and Co-Teach

Training

Skills for a Digital World This policy brief outlines 4 key priorities for skills policies to meet the challenges of a digital world. The article focuses on the general work force, but I interpreted the emphasis put on:

1. formal and informal education (MOOCs, Youtube tutorials, OERs)

2. staying relevant with the needs of your students

3. teamwork, but also autonomy

4. training offered by your school and district

My effervescent, high-spirited, boisterous daughters played a large part in mapping my professional development for the past decade.  I felt like I was pulled in different directions in the past from numeracy to literacy and back to reconciliation, but then there’s the Reggio Method and nature-based play to check out.  So, every year or two years I would set off on a singular quest.  First, there was self regulation and classroom management.  

  (personal image taken in Abbotsford, B.C. October 15, 2020)

Then there was numeracy and open-ended questioning.  https://www.pims.math.ca/

                                                (image from www.pims.math.ca)

After that, was re-visiting my literacy teaching practices, which was mostly visiting Teachers Pay Teachers and purchasing a lot of Adrienne Gear texts.

  (image from google.ca)

Most recently, it has been this magical librarianship adventure.  Most of my professional development was based on physical texts until now...

(image from Bitmoji)

This is where the connection, collaboration, and co-teaching is of utmost importance.  I am motivated to continue reading academic articles that tell me about ICT, but to actually put some of these strategies, tools, and resources into quality practice? I need a fairy godperson or two.  Anytime I have tried something digital be it creating a weebly website, using Class Dojo for home/school communication, or Pixton to create comics, I always searched out like-minded individuals that would be willing to go on this journey of unlearning and relearning.  We would meet regularly to plan, execute, and reflect.  If the online tutorials were not able to help, I would seek out a mentor like instructional coach or school lead.

  (images from www.google.ca)

At this point, I am a bit at a crossroads. I feel like I am coming up for a breath from my digital wanderings without a treasure...because there was too much!

This is where my last concept of training explains my ordeal.  At the district level, there is so much that has already been vetted, FOIPPA approved, and organized with instructions and support.  SD 35 uses Microsoft Teams, where materials needed for digital instruction as well as any curricular instruction is organized by grade and subject area. Pertinent files are included, experts are always a click away, and there are many scheduled webinars, virtual visits to the classroom offered for free.  We also use One Drive and other applications of Office 365 like Notebook that helps staff members share files. I can bravely say, that my ICT skills with navigating this platform alone, is pretty bare.  With remote learning, a lot of this especially Teams was just sort of handed to us and we were expected to start using it and get parents to use it, before we even knew how to!

                    (images from www.google.ca)

To further develop my knowledge, expertise, and skills with ICT, I can confidently say that before I go down a virtual rabbit hole, I am going to use the platforms and apps that are district-approved, not so much because I am not a risk taker, but if I want to continually develop my learning, I want to ensure I can find peers to be genuinely invested in my personal focus as well as have access to trained individuals or thorough resources to support my ongoing development.

 (image from Bitmoji)

At this point, when I look back to my inquiry on MyBlueprint, a digital portfolio for students to reflect on the curriculum’s core competencies and development of their self-awareness and metacognition skills, I have already begun the process of identifying focus, collaborating, and getting training.  I have completed a webinar with our district lead on MBP and I am scheduled for a virtual visit with my students to start on a second activity in their portfolio.  This upcoming October Pro D, I have set aside time with my cohort teacher and grade group to explore MBP together and develop a plan of action for the school year.  My personal map of learning involves people over programs.  This year may involve more of a reliance on technology be it walkie talkie apps, cloud sharing, and digital notebook platforms, but the quality and effectiveness will be attributed to the users and the team.  

Works Cited

Green, J. (2012). Transcript of "The nerd's guide to learning everything online". Retrieved October 14, 2020, from https://www.ted.com/talks/john_green_the_nerd_s_guide_to_learning_everything_online/transcript

Oecd. (2016, June 02). Skills for a Digital World: 2016 Ministerial Meeting on the Digital Economy Background Report. Retrieved October 12, 2020, from https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/skills-for-a-digital-world_5jlwz83z3wnw-en;jsessionid=l62mEeWdjOf68OC0uKCsYAaz.ip-10-240-5-59

How to Feed the Need to Read?

LIBE 477 63A Fostering Reading Cultures in School: Reflecting on classroom and school wide literacy plans

Image from Pinterest.com

Figure 1. A photo of personal notes taken in Abbotsford, B.C. October 6, 2020.

A quick brainstorm of activities that I feel have helped nurture a love for reading made me realize how much I myself, love reading.  I can admit I do not have the best retention of plots I read, so re-reading the same book  still brings me joy, wonder, and curiosity the second and third time round.  So, how have I promoted this in my classroom without outright demonstrating it?  Believe me, I have thought about it and I have tried it a handful of times, but the guilt of losing so much teaching time has made it one of the few activities I have not included in this list below:

• utilizing Daily 5, a balanced literacy program that focuses on five essential literacy habits (Read to self, read to someone, listen to reading, word work, work on writing) and allows differentiation to occur while the teacher is able to work on specific skills in small groups.
• Mem Fox stresses the importance of Read Alouds with children: https://youtu.be/OxcHy59_Q84

          and most recently, the class and I set a goal of 100 books read aloud and chart them on our wall. 

          Our reward?  A movie based on a book complete with pyjamas, stuffies, and snacks.  Of course we

          we will be celebrating differently this year.  We are at 25 already!

• As a grade 3 class, we are gifted with a kindergarten/grade 1 buddy class.  We collaborate weekly on various playful learning and curricular activities.  During read to self every day after lunch, a group of grade 3s will head down to the K/1 wing and read or listen to reading with our buddy class.
• Each student has a reading bin with “Right Fit” books that they have access to at all times of the day.  My PAC funds and personal money go into my every-growing classroom library.  I hope to think the texts reflect student interest (Dog Man and Raina Telgemeier graphic novels) as well as diverse text, genre and non-fiction.  Along with a classroom library that is set up as a mostly genrefied collection similar to their school learning commons, there is a bin of student-made books that peers can enjoy reading.
• Quick Post-it reviews: I encourage students to add a little sticky note in a book they have finished reading for those peers that have difficulty choosing something to read.
• District Media story kits:  our district learning commons has prepared grade-level story kits with lesson plans as well as kits that cover genres from habitat non-fiction readers to indigenous graphic novel sets.
• Book swap: Around Christmas I do a classroom book swap.  Students can trade in their very good condition books for someone else’s.  It freshens up their home library and gets them excited to read something a classmate also loved!
• Book talks:  Before I introduce new titles into the classroom library, we often do book talks.  I will show a video of the author talking about the process or have students in pairs take a new book and gather some quick information to present to the class (author, genre, recommendations).
• Home Reading: in previous years, I have been graced with lots of adult volunteers who are able to come in every day and listen to the students read, check their home reading, hand out incentive tickets.  The focus is not on the amount of books read, but making time each day to read to someone for at least 20 minutes and talk about what they are reading.  We have reading draws and prizes as well.  I know we have naysayers about extrinsic motivation.
• Skype in the Classroom offers virtual meets with authors.  I have had Sarah Giles and Cressida Cowell booked in the past.  I am very disappointed I just missed Todd Parr, but we have one scheduled with Howard Binkow next month.  There are also many robust webpages that authors have, like Peter H. Reynolds, Robert Munch, and Mo Willems, which offer readings of their books, insight to the writing and illustrating process, and interactive activities.  
• I used to have the Langley Rivermen, a junior hockey team, come in and read with the kids.  They would challenge the kids to 21 days of Reading straight, and award them with signed swag and tickets to their games.  The players would tell the kids about their favourite books growing up, and stress the importance of reading.
• Reading groups are alive and well in the grade 3 class, and due to the prolonged absence last year, I feel like students more than ever, need small group instruction to support their decoding and comprehension skills; being able to discuss the same text with their peers.
• The problem of not always having access to quality books right away has been more evident this past month.  Websites and YouTube playlists like Story Line Online and Save with Stories have celebrities, natural storytellers, read quality picture books.  
• Epic! My children at home and my students love this free digital library.  It has kid-safe, engaging videos on how to make slime, audio books, read to me books, of all different levels, genres, and types of texts.  This library was a game changer for remote learning. Unlike Raz-Kids, which uses levelled readers, Epic! allowed students to use any text of their choice to explore reading and writing elements.
  
• I don’t want to discredit Raz-Kids at all, but as we know, we read for different purposes.  Especially for those lower readersRaz-Kids ensures that students are not missing important sight words along the way, and have a chance to record and listen to their reading.  There are also comprehension questions so this can help parents and educators decide whether or not the book level is a “good fit” for the child.  There are lots of incentives for the students to read as they gain points to do more to their account. 

What makes a reading culture weave magic and wonder?  What measures have created an ineffective concoction to promote reading as a daily, positive habit?  

By the power of School-Wide reading, what can be conjured up to support and nurture a community of readers?

Our B.C. teacher’s contract was stripped and school funding was bare in the early to mid-2000s.  During this time, non-enrolling staff like teacher librarians were cut.  In Langley, the learning commons positions began to open up about four years ago.  Having a skilled co-teacher available to a school to support literacy as well as other subject areas, including A.D.S.T. has made a huge impact.  With a hub in place, our TLs have been able to connect, collaborate, and support whole-school goals like literacy.

Here are some tools and implementations I have seen at my K-5 school (pre-Covid):

• Book club for students that are reading chapter books: students come from all grades and classes and meet with the TL, have some hot chocolate, and enjoy discussing their book of the month.
• Family Literacy Night: Parents come with their children to the school and learn about ways to help with home reading.  They sit and read books with their family and play literacy activities with support of teachers that make reading a part of the family’s activities.
• Connecting with the public library and hosting author visits; advertising summer reading program, and participating in the Langley Reading Link challenge (schools create teams that read chapter books freely given by the public library, which can be sourced into the school library,  and answer comprehension questions)
• Langley Picture Book of the Year is something that the district TLs started.  They pick a handful of quality picture books for K-3 and chapter books for intermediate classes.  School TLs purchase the texts and teachers read them to their classes.  The school votes on their favourite, all the schools participating votes get pooled, and the book winners are announced with special stickers to mark their significance in the school library shelves.  This used to be done by the classroom teachers, but TLs now incorporate it into their teaching. 
• The Scholastic Book Fair is always a sure-fire way to get families into the school and purchasing books for their kids and their kids’ classrooms.
• The TL has an instagram account for parents and students to follow.  They can see the new reads and what they are doing in the learning commons.
• Many school groups like the Garden Club, Legoclub, Makerspace club, etc. meet in the learning commons creating a community atmosphere in the learning commons.
• During remote learning, our TL created a page with activities and on-line reading material.  Activities ranged from school staff reading a chapter of a book each week, emoji clues to guess a book title, and a reading of a story while the PE teacher led students in a yoga exercise.

Sounds fanciful, but what is missing here?  What are some other ideas that will strengthen that Home-school connection and engage even the most reluctant of readers?

https://www.weareteachers.com/build-reading-culture/

Some great ideas that I have pulled from this website:

📕Making a “What I’m Reading” bulletin for the entire school community to SEE from students to teachers and perhaps, even parents!

📗Spice up morning announcements by having students share a quotation from a book, a joke, a poem, etc. to get students excited and engaged.

📙Following literacy movements like #WorldReadAloudDay or start a school-wide reading challenge and publish an ongoing tracking system in public areas of the school

📘Using social media, start fake profiles for book characters

You haven’t mentioned anything about “what is not working”?

The years vary, like one such as this, and I think as educators we do what works, until it doesn’t and we try something new.  Asking your class what they are interested in, why they like reading, why they don’t, will help guide your literacy practice for that year.  Knowing whether or not a digital platform is redundant or produces more benefit to engaging readers is also a critical skill to practice in today’s classroom.

Bibliography

Barrett, Lindsay. (2019, March 18). 25 Ways to Build Your School's Reading Culture. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.weareteachers.com/build-reading-culture/

Bitmoji.  Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.google.ca/search?q=bitmoji

Daily 5. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.thedailycafe.com/daily-5

Inc., E. (n.d.). Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic. Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.getepic.com/

Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.raz-kids.com/

Rockets, R. (Director). (2004, April 23). A Passion for reading aloud [Video file]. Retrieved September 09, 2020, from https://youtu.be/OxcHy59_Q84

Save with Stories - Coronavirus Response. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/emergency-response/coronavirus-outbreak/save-with-stories

Skype in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://education.skype.com/

Storyline online. (n.d.). Retrieved October 09, 2020, from https://www.storylineonline.net/

LIBE 477B 63A Reading Review #3 October 4, 2020

Reading Review Synopsis

I included the following links and added a synopsis to each:

https://www.edutopia.org/video/whats-metacognition-and-why-does-it-matter

https://www.ted.com/talks/thandie_newton_embracing_otherness_embracing myself?language=en

https://web-a-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=1&sid=b5421165-6ce3-4db1-93bf-af2dc96c4325%40sessionmgr4008

They served primarily to define key words like metacognition, self-awareness, and  e-portfolio (EP).  

As I focused on key words like metacognition, e-portfolio, and self-awareness, I cam across numerous articles using the UBC Library on studies made to find empirical evidence that yes, EPs and digital reflection increased meaningful learning.  Many focused on certain EPS created and university students that were able to complete questionnaires independently.  It was challenging to find resources on school-age children. 

 

Here are my thoughts on pertinent articles:

 

Ashley, G. C., & Reiter-Palmon, R. (2012). Self-awareness and the evolution of leaders:

                        Applied Management, 14(1), 2-17. Retrieved from

                        http://ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/login?url=https://www-   

                        proquestcom.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/1082324501?accountid=14656

 

BC's New Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved October 03, 2020, from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/english-language-arts/3

Church, Allan H. (June 1997). Do you see what I see? An exploration of congruence in ratings 

            from multiple perspectives. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27(11): 983-1020.

 

Ashley & Reiter-Palmon focused on “...how self-awareness may be related to the context of ... leadership development” (2012).  The outcomes of their study demonstrated that “...leaders higher in self-awareness tend to get better outcomes than those with lower levels of self-awareness” (2012).

 

In early literacy, students are expected to learn that “stories can be understand from different perspectives”, as taken from the BC’s revised curriculum Grade 3 Language Arts Big Ideas.  When children are given more opportunity to interact with more than one side of the story, they are also given the experience to interpret perspective other than their own.  As we try to guide 21st century learners and prepare them for their global community, it made me think of collaboration, empathy, and inclusiveness.  All in all, practicing activities, digital, oral, or written, that support self-awareness would benefit students to become more flexible learners.

 

The study involved a large population of young American university students using an online survey program, like Survey Monkey to answer questions on cognitive and affective qualities of self-awareness and their perspective, as well as using a role-play activity between employer and employee.   Ashley and Reiter-Palmon found that “although a good case can be made that self-awareness is related to all four of these causes, self-awareness especially is important in the context of adaption, transition, and changes because this context speaks most directly to the issue of self/standard gaps” (2012).  They found traits like creativity, emotional intelligence, empathy, feedback, and metacognition played a large role in what the students believed a strong leader would possess. 

So, is self-awareness and the reflective process teachable?  According to the researchers and Church, “...interventions could be used to increase self-awareness” (1997).  This study does not pertain to using EPs and its benefit or lack thereof, towards supporting metacognition and self-awareness, but it does give strength to the encouraging thought that we have the means to help students foster this skill and be more effective learners.  Is this something that we could do in one year, or share and collaborate with colleagues to start at a very young age, continue through to middle school and so on, and gather empirical evidence ourselves to show its efficacy, using a common digital platform?  Perhaps.  MBP is designed so that the year could be archived and saved.  The student’s EP follows them to Grade 12 as long as they are in the same school district.

Abrami, P.C., Venkatesh, V., Meyer, E.J., & Wade, C.A. (2013). Using electronic portfolios to     

        foster literacy and self-regulated learning skills in elementary students. Journal of 

        Education Psychology, 105 (4), 1188-1209.  Retrieved from https://doi-

        org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/10.1037/a0032448

Zimmerman, B. J. (2000). Attaining self-regulation: A social-cognitive perspective. In 

        M.Boekaerts & P. R.Pintrich (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 13–39). New York, NY: 

        Academic Press. doi:10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50031-7

 

This next study helped me better understand how electronic portfolios support elementary students and whether or not skills of self-awareness and metacognition were being fostered.  Finding research on age-appropriate learners (for my own inquiry), Canadian, and using a e-portfolio similar to that of MBP (My BluePrint) gave me more specific insight before I delve into putting focused lesson plans in to place for my present classroom.  ePEARL, the e-portfolio in the study used, focused on forethought, performance, and self-reflection to promote student learning.

Researchers in this study used Zimmerman’s model of self-regulation.  Forethought outlines goal setting, planning, intrinsic interest.  Performance includes self-control, attention-focusing and task strategies, and self-observation (self-recording), and the last phase is self-reflection.  Zimmerman’s model “...puts great emphasis on social, environmental, and personal influences in efforts to self-regulate effectively” (2000).  This model also involves not just the participant, but also peer and teacher feedback; collaboration that really supports 21st century learning.

Some thoughts came from the researchers’ initial posits: If my students have no background knowledge on self-regulation, goal-setting, I cannot realistically expect them to practice self-awareness tools on a digital platform right away.  There needs to be more teaching around forethought and practice before introducing the technology bit.  At present, I will be taking a virtual orientation on MBP next week, and a district support teacher will be working with the students virtually (as well) as we are on iPads and just beginning to log on to the program.  In this sense, my progress with using e-portfolios as a tool for fostering metacognition and self-awareness will be a lot slower than I expected.  From the images of ePearl, I can tell already that MBP is a more engaging and accessible platform for students, teachers, and parents.  Because MBP is backed by the Langley school district, I feel support is put in place.  I have ensured a class set of iPads between my cohort teachers, and have asked for co-teaching support from our TL.  Our school theme is the “Power of Yet” so I can tell we will have technology “bumps” and we will be making many mistakes, but it will all be done in the sake of learning.   

The study described the frequency of use of ePearl and sample reflective comments by students.  It gave me some insight as to how many times I would like to use MBP monthly and how I could help students with meaningful, reflective observations.  I noticed students would enter “I had fun.  It was okay” as responses which doesn’t really give clear, thoughtful feedback on the item/assignment/project being entered in the portfolio.  Because I know many of my students already have low written output, I will be giving the recording video option, and perhaps even interview students with guiding prompts to help with their e-portfolio entries.

The study itself focuses more on metacognition when entering data into an EP (e-portfolio).  It follows the template of entering a task description, criteria, goals, goals re-visited, strategies used, strategies re-visited, content (picture/video of task), reflections, feedback.  In the end, the results of student/teacher interviews, questionnaires before/after, showed a positive impact of EPs on students’ literacy skills and self-regulation strategies.  I found this research article to be extremely helpful and plan on using it as a guide when using MBP with my current class.  It helped confirm that it is worthwhile to use an EP to practice self-awareness and metacognitive skills as it is 1) engaging and dynamic and 2) technology piece supports 21st century learning.

Paris, S. G. (1994). Becoming reflective students and teachers : With portfolios and authentic assessment American Psychological Association.

Paris’ book on Becoming reflective students and teachers may have been published in the early 90s, but has relevant examples and processes that can be utilized for today when assessing EPs.  Portfolios have been endorsed because they offer viable alternatives, or at least mean- ingful supplements, to traditional testing, and because portfolios can foster self-regulated learning in ways that testing cannot (Paris, 1994, 62).  The seven dimensions of literacy development that seem important for students in all elementary schools include:

 - engagement with text through reading

 - engagement with text through writing

 - knowledge about literacy,

 - orientation to literacy

 - ownership of literacy

 - collaboration, and

 - connectedness of the curriculum.

(Paris, 1994, 63)

As this author focuses on literacy for their portfolio, and the portfolios mentioned are physical, I can see the benefit of EPs here.  The multimodality of EPs as well as the differentiation that can occur, would benefit all learners as opposed to a physical portfolio.  The ideas presented that portfolios in themselves, help students learn to value their own work and due to the collaborative piece, can examine their work from other perspectives.

To be truthful, I have yet to put the assessment piece in my inquiry.  I can see the benefits of establishing a third point when conferencing with students and parents, or giving guidance to our one-to-one feedback interviews when a student has clearly reflected on their goals, the process of reaching them, what changed, and how they see themselves as a learner.

The book offers many templates and examples of ways to assess portfolios that I can take into consideration when carving a more succinct view of the inquiry question: how can I best use EPs to foster metacognitive and self-awareness skills?

images from Bitmoji