This is me !
Growing up as a child I was considered one of the lucky ones at my school. We had a computer at home – a Microbee that ran on a tape. So from the time I was learning to read, write and play sport competitively, I was also learning basic programming and keyboarding skills. I was very good at turning the tape over to play Space Invaders and Pacman.
This first exposure to computers has continued throughout my life. I was lucky to attend a primary school who identified in the early 80’s the need to integrate ICT into the curriculum. We had a lab of computers that once a week we were allowed to practice our keyboarding skills – Commodore 64’s! Then in my secondary school there was the same commitment and access to technology. It was valued and encouraged!
At home we progressed from our Microbee to our Windows machines of different generations, and my access to technology was broadened with the introduction of DIAL UP! At the same time, my father became a lecturer at the local university in Information Technology – programming language and web publishing. Computers have never been unusual in my life, and have always been valued as tools to support learning, social connections, collaboration, information and knowledge searching.
When I became a primary teacher 10 years ago, I was surprised by how little technology was being utilised with students in classrooms – and I worked in a school that was well resourced with a Principal who had a passionate ICT vision. I guess you could say I was ‘groomed’ to become a bit of an ICT nut, and really did start to see that my purpose was to inspire learners (teachers, students and parents) to embrace, rather than fear, the potential that ICT has. So for the first seven years of my teaching I was given the great opportunity of leading the integration of ICT into our schools curriculum and life. I was given money to create classrooms that were rich with technology, and time to spend with teachers and students to support and nurture their learning with becoming competent users of this technology.
One of my proudest moments was when a class of 3/4 students walked down the red carpet at ACMI to present their stop motion animations to their audience of parents and friends at the inaugural ‘Mousecars’. Another moment of amazement that really proved to me that there is no limits with technology was when I was teaching Prep, and 3 students took themselves down to the library to ‘borrow a computer’ so that they could do some searching on You Tube for the story that they wanted to read, but were having trouble because it had ‘big words we don’t know’. This kind of exposure and empowerment is crucial to learning.
So after a year of being an Ultranet coach, which was a very interesting experience to work with many schools Principal’s and staff on planning for 24/7 interaction with learning, I now find myself as a Student Engagement and ICT Learning Leader in a school of 700 students with a rich technology environment. My challenge this year has been to really put rigor around the use of ICT to improve learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy for all students – a tough ask but one that I’ve found highly challenging and rewarding.
The use of Web 2.0 tools has been my main learning area and being part of the PLP has really broadened my knowledge and understanding of how different schools are approaching this same landscape differently. It amazes me the pace of change in our world, yet schools and teachers are STILL so the same – even when our students are VASTLY different.
Twitter: @lilbet05
Global2: http://elash.global2.vic.edu.au/ - it’s empty at the moment… I find the hardest thing is writing about yourself and admire those who do it so well!
This first exposure to computers has continued throughout my life. I was lucky to attend a primary school who identified in the early 80’s the need to integrate ICT into the curriculum. We had a lab of computers that once a week we were allowed to practice our keyboarding skills – Commodore 64’s! Then in my secondary school there was the same commitment and access to technology. It was valued and encouraged!
At home we progressed from our Microbee to our Windows machines of different generations, and my access to technology was broadened with the introduction of DIAL UP! At the same time, my father became a lecturer at the local university in Information Technology – programming language and web publishing. Computers have never been unusual in my life, and have always been valued as tools to support learning, social connections, collaboration, information and knowledge searching.
When I became a primary teacher 10 years ago, I was surprised by how little technology was being utilised with students in classrooms – and I worked in a school that was well resourced with a Principal who had a passionate ICT vision. I guess you could say I was ‘groomed’ to become a bit of an ICT nut, and really did start to see that my purpose was to inspire learners (teachers, students and parents) to embrace, rather than fear, the potential that ICT has. So for the first seven years of my teaching I was given the great opportunity of leading the integration of ICT into our schools curriculum and life. I was given money to create classrooms that were rich with technology, and time to spend with teachers and students to support and nurture their learning with becoming competent users of this technology.
One of my proudest moments was when a class of 3/4 students walked down the red carpet at ACMI to present their stop motion animations to their audience of parents and friends at the inaugural ‘Mousecars’. Another moment of amazement that really proved to me that there is no limits with technology was when I was teaching Prep, and 3 students took themselves down to the library to ‘borrow a computer’ so that they could do some searching on You Tube for the story that they wanted to read, but were having trouble because it had ‘big words we don’t know’. This kind of exposure and empowerment is crucial to learning.
So after a year of being an Ultranet coach, which was a very interesting experience to work with many schools Principal’s and staff on planning for 24/7 interaction with learning, I now find myself as a Student Engagement and ICT Learning Leader in a school of 700 students with a rich technology environment. My challenge this year has been to really put rigor around the use of ICT to improve learning outcomes in literacy and numeracy for all students – a tough ask but one that I’ve found highly challenging and rewarding.
The use of Web 2.0 tools has been my main learning area and being part of the PLP has really broadened my knowledge and understanding of how different schools are approaching this same landscape differently. It amazes me the pace of change in our world, yet schools and teachers are STILL so the same – even when our students are VASTLY different.
Twitter: @lilbet05
Global2: http://elash.global2.vic.edu.au/ - it’s empty at the moment… I find the hardest thing is writing about yourself and admire those who do it so well!
My Reflection !
I have sat down today to write a reflection for you all, but have just had one of those days.
Firstly, I apologise for having been a 'silent partner' of the group of late. Some of my absence has been a conscious decision on my behalf and some of it has been created by things which I cannot control. This reflection will be to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences about being part of this group.
So I will begin with explaining my absence. Like most of us, the run to the end of Term 3 was ridiculous! One of the members of our leadership team went on maternity leave in about week 6 of the term, and while you think that one less person in a team of six is something that you can cover, it really does have an impact on the workload of everyone. I also find it interesting that in the life of a school that Term 3 is always seen as the 'relaxed' term because there is no significant events such as report writing, NAPLAN, transition programs of starting or finishing school and so on. This usually results in teachers saying 'Oh, it's Term 3. We have nothing on in Term 3, so let's do everything we wish we could do in the other terms in the 'nothing' term!' and we end up running around like chooks without heads for the most part of 8 weeks!
Needless to say when I got to the end of term, like all of us, I was spent. And I read the posts in the Ning that encouraged us to reconnect with our PLP but quite frankly, I found that in these recent holidays I was in much need of 'powering down' and almost disconnecting myself from my online existence. Usually I am someone who enjoys 'surfing the web' as a leisure activity and I certainly find that when I connect Ning, or read Twitter or explore Global 2 I find fascinating and thought provoking stuff that I really do find quite enjoyable and nourishing to read and immerse myself in. But for some reason, these holidays, the idea of connecting online was not a thought that generated pleasure or excitement, but rather tension and annoyance. So I made a conscious decision to limit my use of technology these holidays. I read my emails the weekend before school went back. I was a social participant only on Facebook, and my presence on Twitter and PLP was ghostly.
But what it did do was spend my time exploring the feeling of annoyance that was generated when I did consider logging on and reconnecting at different stages during the break. What I decided was that the annoyance was in two parts. Firstly, I was annoyed at myself for letting the team down. Can I just say that the amount of work that you guys have done is INCREDIBLE. Watching the conversations that the students have participated in through EdModo and watching their work grow on the Wiki and your collegial conversations in the Ning has just been inspiring. And to have all this hardwork culminating in the Flashmob event is awesome - a real credit to all of you. I have been an intermittent participant, but I thank you for allowing me to call myself a 'member' of the team!
The other part of my annoyance though was at the feeling I had that my online identity and network was starting to encroach on my real life existence, and this got me thinking about how we manage balance in a world when 'connecting' and 'sharing' is so easily done 24/7. John Lennon's quote came to mind 'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans' and I really got to thinking about how being part of an online social network is not just an option any more, it is an expectation - both in our professional lives and our personal ones. I was starting to feel like I was a 'slave to the conversation' and was resenting this feeling. Disconnecting was my way of taking back a bit of control, and I guess finding the balance and passion again to contribute and participate in things like the PLP not because I'm obliged, but because I have an interest that I want to foster.
This then got me thinking about my role in the PLP Environment group. Firstly, I have felt so privileged to be working with a group of teachers who are so obviously passionate about their profession, and without question are driven by wanting to create the opportunities for their students that ensure they get the most out of their learning and understand their true potential in being challenged and achieving success. I have felt lucky to be able to call myself a ‘member’ of the environmental team; even though I feel my contribution to the group has been minimal. Watching the way that your students have taken ownership of the project and worked with each other online, it occurred to me that so much of this still relied on the face-to-face interactions between each other and you as their teacher, prior to their online work. As a member of the group who did not have a student cohort that I was working with here at my school, trying to generate discussions through Edmodo or the wiki with an audience who I didn’t know and who I had no influence over was very tricky. It really made me aware of just how much we still rely on ‘human contact’ and ‘realness’ to motivate us with our learning, and fostering our social and professional connections. I completed my Masters last year, and while it was a course that I could have completed by distance using the online community and participating in lectures via Skype, I cherished the trek to uni once a fortnight to sit in a room for 4 hours with like-minded thinkers, and the online experience just wasn’t the same.
This brings me to the beginning of Term 4, and my renewed commitment that I made with myself to get back into the PLP and give as much support as I could for the Environment group in getting ready for the Flashmob, and preparing for our face to face in November. I was really looking forward to the Elluminate session from last Wednesday and having the opportunity to listen to the journey that other groups had taken, and support Margo and Delia who were presenting the environment group’s journey.
Then October 16th was one of the most beautiful days of my life. My partner of 5 years proposed, so the week started with a sparkly, beautiful ring and things were pretty good. Wednesday night I went to dinner with a girlfriend of mine to share all the wonderful news, and was on my way home to logon for the 8pm Elluminate when I had a phone call from my partner, to inform me he was at hospital with his grandfather who was gravely ill. So Wednesday night went from being on the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, sitting beside an aging man who had decided he was too tired to fight anymore. So since last Sunday there has been a mix of meeting with friends to celebrate our engagement, and meeting with family to celebrate the life of a great and loved individual.
And now I find myself writing this reflection to all of you, and somehow (although I’m sure it is no great surprise) by writing all this down on paper (or in pixels!) I am feeling some calm and order being restored. What I have gained from the PLP has been very selfish. I feel that I have been a taker rather than a giver, and I have gained much food for thought and personal and professional growth by watching and reading the interactions of others in the space. Thank you for continuing to inspire me and for being so understanding with my absences from time to time with the group.
I’m looking forward to seeing you all hopefully at the Flashmob, but if not, definitely at the Face to Face in November.
Liz
Firstly, I apologise for having been a 'silent partner' of the group of late. Some of my absence has been a conscious decision on my behalf and some of it has been created by things which I cannot control. This reflection will be to share with you some of my thoughts and experiences about being part of this group.
So I will begin with explaining my absence. Like most of us, the run to the end of Term 3 was ridiculous! One of the members of our leadership team went on maternity leave in about week 6 of the term, and while you think that one less person in a team of six is something that you can cover, it really does have an impact on the workload of everyone. I also find it interesting that in the life of a school that Term 3 is always seen as the 'relaxed' term because there is no significant events such as report writing, NAPLAN, transition programs of starting or finishing school and so on. This usually results in teachers saying 'Oh, it's Term 3. We have nothing on in Term 3, so let's do everything we wish we could do in the other terms in the 'nothing' term!' and we end up running around like chooks without heads for the most part of 8 weeks!
Needless to say when I got to the end of term, like all of us, I was spent. And I read the posts in the Ning that encouraged us to reconnect with our PLP but quite frankly, I found that in these recent holidays I was in much need of 'powering down' and almost disconnecting myself from my online existence. Usually I am someone who enjoys 'surfing the web' as a leisure activity and I certainly find that when I connect Ning, or read Twitter or explore Global 2 I find fascinating and thought provoking stuff that I really do find quite enjoyable and nourishing to read and immerse myself in. But for some reason, these holidays, the idea of connecting online was not a thought that generated pleasure or excitement, but rather tension and annoyance. So I made a conscious decision to limit my use of technology these holidays. I read my emails the weekend before school went back. I was a social participant only on Facebook, and my presence on Twitter and PLP was ghostly.
But what it did do was spend my time exploring the feeling of annoyance that was generated when I did consider logging on and reconnecting at different stages during the break. What I decided was that the annoyance was in two parts. Firstly, I was annoyed at myself for letting the team down. Can I just say that the amount of work that you guys have done is INCREDIBLE. Watching the conversations that the students have participated in through EdModo and watching their work grow on the Wiki and your collegial conversations in the Ning has just been inspiring. And to have all this hardwork culminating in the Flashmob event is awesome - a real credit to all of you. I have been an intermittent participant, but I thank you for allowing me to call myself a 'member' of the team!
The other part of my annoyance though was at the feeling I had that my online identity and network was starting to encroach on my real life existence, and this got me thinking about how we manage balance in a world when 'connecting' and 'sharing' is so easily done 24/7. John Lennon's quote came to mind 'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans' and I really got to thinking about how being part of an online social network is not just an option any more, it is an expectation - both in our professional lives and our personal ones. I was starting to feel like I was a 'slave to the conversation' and was resenting this feeling. Disconnecting was my way of taking back a bit of control, and I guess finding the balance and passion again to contribute and participate in things like the PLP not because I'm obliged, but because I have an interest that I want to foster.
This then got me thinking about my role in the PLP Environment group. Firstly, I have felt so privileged to be working with a group of teachers who are so obviously passionate about their profession, and without question are driven by wanting to create the opportunities for their students that ensure they get the most out of their learning and understand their true potential in being challenged and achieving success. I have felt lucky to be able to call myself a ‘member’ of the environmental team; even though I feel my contribution to the group has been minimal. Watching the way that your students have taken ownership of the project and worked with each other online, it occurred to me that so much of this still relied on the face-to-face interactions between each other and you as their teacher, prior to their online work. As a member of the group who did not have a student cohort that I was working with here at my school, trying to generate discussions through Edmodo or the wiki with an audience who I didn’t know and who I had no influence over was very tricky. It really made me aware of just how much we still rely on ‘human contact’ and ‘realness’ to motivate us with our learning, and fostering our social and professional connections. I completed my Masters last year, and while it was a course that I could have completed by distance using the online community and participating in lectures via Skype, I cherished the trek to uni once a fortnight to sit in a room for 4 hours with like-minded thinkers, and the online experience just wasn’t the same.
This brings me to the beginning of Term 4, and my renewed commitment that I made with myself to get back into the PLP and give as much support as I could for the Environment group in getting ready for the Flashmob, and preparing for our face to face in November. I was really looking forward to the Elluminate session from last Wednesday and having the opportunity to listen to the journey that other groups had taken, and support Margo and Delia who were presenting the environment group’s journey.
Then October 16th was one of the most beautiful days of my life. My partner of 5 years proposed, so the week started with a sparkly, beautiful ring and things were pretty good. Wednesday night I went to dinner with a girlfriend of mine to share all the wonderful news, and was on my way home to logon for the 8pm Elluminate when I had a phone call from my partner, to inform me he was at hospital with his grandfather who was gravely ill. So Wednesday night went from being on the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, sitting beside an aging man who had decided he was too tired to fight anymore. So since last Sunday there has been a mix of meeting with friends to celebrate our engagement, and meeting with family to celebrate the life of a great and loved individual.
And now I find myself writing this reflection to all of you, and somehow (although I’m sure it is no great surprise) by writing all this down on paper (or in pixels!) I am feeling some calm and order being restored. What I have gained from the PLP has been very selfish. I feel that I have been a taker rather than a giver, and I have gained much food for thought and personal and professional growth by watching and reading the interactions of others in the space. Thank you for continuing to inspire me and for being so understanding with my absences from time to time with the group.
I’m looking forward to seeing you all hopefully at the Flashmob, but if not, definitely at the Face to Face in November.
Liz