Not much is happening.
This makes me very nervous. I can't seem to allow any downtime for this project. If I am not moving forward I feel I am moving backward, not pausing.
5th Grade
They are not using their blogs yet. They are not using the software Read Write Gold yet. They are not doing what I want them to do!
There are lots of reasons for this. There are only three teachers, two regular ed and one special needs. Actually, the special needs teacher has started teaching her students to blog. But in her class each student has an iPad. The regular ed teachers have 5 laptops per classroom, so that is more of a challenge to schedule. One regular ed teacher was out for more than a week, so they are still catching up. They are swamped with other initiatives.
Still...
If I accept that they just haven't used their laptops yet, which I can, what can I do next? I cannot figure out more useful ways to help them integrate writing in blogs into their classroom routines. My plan right now is to be at all their planning meetings and just talk about it every day. Cheerfully, positively, and helpfully. And keep thinking of ways to make technology useful enough so they are attracted to it :)
2nd Grade
They are not using their blogs yet. But I have a different attitude toward this group because they are definitely asking me to do things!
They are starting to teach more content with their reading and writing. So they ask me for books, for websites, for videos, for anything I can find that will help them teach content. This is very fun for me, my favorite part of being a librarian, so I help them all I can. They also ask about how to embed videos into the software for our Smartboards, and other technology questions, so they are getting more tech-savvy themselves.
As I am finding stuff for them, I am starting to understand a little of how their classrooms are working. So I think blogs will fit into their classrooms very well. They are on their second unit of science, which will be about weather. I am again giving them lots of support material. But I will also do the same thing as the 5th grade. I will go to their planning meetings and talk about how blogs could help them. I will talk cheerfully, positively, and helpfully. I have more hope with this group that they will actually use them :)
On reflection, I am not moving forward or backward, I am paused...
(In first sentence you say you are not pausing, but moving backward. In last sentence you say you are paused, not moving backward. Do you want this contradiction?)
Possibilities and problems implementing technology in a K-5 school.
You are doing great! Could you set up a 5th grade blog that students use during the week= maybe with your word of the week? If you can get the KIDS excited- maybe, just maybe you can get the teachers on board!
ReplyDeleteWe are very lucky at our school to have such a helpful person like you! I know if I ask you for a book or anything- there will be quick response. I LOVE IT! I'm making a list of books for my room that I could use next week if you have them in the library- if not, that's OK! Thinking about your statement- moving forward, backward or being paused I think you are trying to move FORWARD but other people's attitudes are causing you to be stuck in the mud- it's NOT YOUR FAULT! PUSH, PUSH, PUSH! I never would have thought I could blog- but I do and I LOVE IT! Hoping some students will blog this week- maybe I'll use their sentences to add to the class blog.... I couldn't have done this without YOU!