I enjoyed getting a glimpse into education and students in another country. It was interesting to see what we have in common and things that differ a bit. I found the choice of using a blog for the school website interesting. Most of the schools in my area that are public are connected on the district's website for their school. Private schools in the area have their own websites, but not blogging platform websites. I wonder about the different policies for school communications across countries, states, and communities. One thing that would come into play in setting up the school communications in the way they have is cost. They have a great platform to distribute information and interact for far less money than keeping up a private website.
One of the things that looking through the sites connected blogs made me think about is who ultimately is in charge of the school blog and things connected to it. From using a small class blog for reflection in my presentational communications class, I know that reading entries and making sure everything posted is appropriate is a time consuming process. If the class blogs were private for students and parents, I wouldn't think it would matter as much but if content is available to the public, I know my school would be all over it to make sure it fit with our mission, values, even rules about logo use etc. I wonder what it is like to balance the class blog with the other daily activities of teaching.
I did notice there is a cybersafety agreeement that the parents and students sign that says a student won't post listed personal information without permission from a teacher, but in today's world I wonder if that is enough? Cyber predators could use the first names of students, their work posted, and their pictures to make contact or start a conversation with a student without much effort. Now, in reality, is that any more likely than with students' personal social media use or family posting pics on facebook etc.? Probably not, but I wonder about the school's legal responsibilities in the US regarding stuff like this. Perhaps, it's just that I work in a school district where we have tightly controlled social media and postings.
Do I think it's awesome? Do I like what they are doing? Absolutely. The blog site for the school is engaging and the class blogs are being used in a way that lets students use critical 21st century skills. I just wonder if the blogs being available to the public as opposed to available to the community (including parents) is that much more beneficial. While publishing work is something all students should be learning to do and a necessary step in PBL etc., how do we archive or deal with the years of student work that will be available to the public over their academic careers. Will these posts they wrote in 3rd grade be a part of their digital footprint? I wonder what things we haven't thought of yet, will come into play in the future with this new frontier of learning.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Russell Street School Blogging
Guest blog post by Cassie Davenport, technology instructional coach with DC Public Schools.
While looking through the blogs of the Russell Street School, a few questions and thoughts came to mind. First I think it is phenomenal that all the teachers have a blog and seem to update them fairly regularly. I wondered what was the work behind the scenes to set the stage for this level of participation? Who is the admin team that is so committed to asking/requiring this lift from their teachers? I wonder if all classroom teachers were onboard due to a conference, a training or a personal mindset they already had when they were hired. I wonder if this is shared at potential new teacher interviews and thoughts and mindset are gauged then - when they are seeking to bring new staff onto the school team.
This does not seem easy to get the whole school blogging. And more importantly, I would imagine a lot of work went into presenting this idea in a way that didn't feel like another requirement of the teachers, but rather something they believed in doing. And then the big question, what sort of training did the school use for their staff?
Then I was also curious about what the requirement is for staff. Are all of the classrooms blogging? Are they asked to produce a certain amount of content or is it up to the teachers? And then what are the media release or confidentiality laws or district rules for this school? And also, without belaboring the point, who is in charge of the website at their school site? Is this a teacher, admin, district office employee or volunteer? It would be very cool if a researcher did a case study with the workings around this program at Russell Street or if the school were to panel at a tech conference, it would be fascinating to hear their thoughts on logistics and impact.
Of course, there are ways you would want to see the blogs be used differently. I wondered how long the school has been using the blogging model. Increased student contribution seems to be something teachers are using the SeeSaw blog for now. I noticed quite a few blogs that have the SeeSaw e-portfolio pulled into the blog as the home page or separate tab. This is where I noticed the most student talk or contribution through photos of writing or videos in the Educreation/ShowMe style. And when parents commented, I noticed it was through SeeSaw and not the blog posts themselves.
Lastly, I wondered what the students thought of the blogs. Are these authentic and motivating for students? Do students feel that this is a great way to share their work with their parents, peers, teachers and the world. In the world of project-based learning, such an emphasis is placed on presenting work for others in an authentic way. I wondered if these blogs are impactful and motivational for the students to keep learning and sharing. I would imagine that they are, but would love to know if this is the case for the students at Russell Street.
Again, I think getting a school site to this level is amazing. For this many classes to be trying their hand at blogging is commendable. I have lots of questions, however, they are in a great place to motivate student learning!
So many thoughts...
While looking through the blogs of the Russell Street School, a few questions and thoughts came to mind. First I think it is phenomenal that all the teachers have a blog and seem to update them fairly regularly. I wondered what was the work behind the scenes to set the stage for this level of participation? Who is the admin team that is so committed to asking/requiring this lift from their teachers? I wonder if all classroom teachers were onboard due to a conference, a training or a personal mindset they already had when they were hired. I wonder if this is shared at potential new teacher interviews and thoughts and mindset are gauged then - when they are seeking to bring new staff onto the school team.
This does not seem easy to get the whole school blogging. And more importantly, I would imagine a lot of work went into presenting this idea in a way that didn't feel like another requirement of the teachers, but rather something they believed in doing. And then the big question, what sort of training did the school use for their staff?
Logistics & Impact
Of course, there are ways you would want to see the blogs be used differently. I wondered how long the school has been using the blogging model. Increased student contribution seems to be something teachers are using the SeeSaw blog for now. I noticed quite a few blogs that have the SeeSaw e-portfolio pulled into the blog as the home page or separate tab. This is where I noticed the most student talk or contribution through photos of writing or videos in the Educreation/ShowMe style. And when parents commented, I noticed it was through SeeSaw and not the blog posts themselves.
Student Thoughts
Again, I think getting a school site to this level is amazing. For this many classes to be trying their hand at blogging is commendable. I have lots of questions, however, they are in a great place to motivate student learning!
Thoughts about Russell Street School
For the past two years I have tried to up keep a blog for my parents/guardians. I love any chance I can get to see other classroom blogs, so naturally I was drawn to Russell Street School and had a great time browsing their website and google site. I don't know if I was visually blown away about the technology in the classroom. I definitely got the impression technology was used and implemented in a successful way. What blew me away was the resources the students have access to. I was impressed with the unity of the school that was shown through blogs. I appreciated the tab aspect to help organize and steer visitors. It was exciting to see blogs in action as a school.
I loved how simple each post was. They were just trying to highlight something going on in their classroom. I like to imagine they have kept it simple to maybe strike up a conversation with their child about their day. The school seemed to be family centered and maybe this was a way to bring com munition within the family.
Russell Street School...An example to follow!
If only American schools could exude the same enthusiasm for learning as the Russell Street School. I was struck by the value placed on the arts, creativity, and self-reflection. I thought about how the class blogs captured the learning in a way that even someone from another country could appreciate.
The teachers use of pictures with caption-like descriptions give a glimpse into the classroom without overwhelming the reader. While the teachers did the majority of the blogging, their posts were written in “kid language” and from the student perspective. This gave the feeling that the classroom really did belong to the children. What a powerful message to send to the community. I also really enjoyed seeing the evolution in peer feedback between the grades. The younger children primarily gave their schoolmates compliments such as “great work!” while older children have obviously been taught about constructive feedback and offered concrete suggestions for improvement. The incorporation of digital portfolios within the blog gives students a purpose and an authentic audience for their work. Many of these principles are things that I could easily incorporate into my own classroom. I think this would go a long way towards increased parent involvement and support.
The teachers use of pictures with caption-like descriptions give a glimpse into the classroom without overwhelming the reader. While the teachers did the majority of the blogging, their posts were written in “kid language” and from the student perspective. This gave the feeling that the classroom really did belong to the children. What a powerful message to send to the community. I also really enjoyed seeing the evolution in peer feedback between the grades. The younger children primarily gave their schoolmates compliments such as “great work!” while older children have obviously been taught about constructive feedback and offered concrete suggestions for improvement. The incorporation of digital portfolios within the blog gives students a purpose and an authentic audience for their work. Many of these principles are things that I could easily incorporate into my own classroom. I think this would go a long way towards increased parent involvement and support.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Russell Street School - NZ
So this school is doing a great job in using technology and blogs to share events, learning, and activities. It is interesting to see the student blogs that share their learning and events and the school pages that share school information such as sports programs, reporting frameworks, and other school related events such as concerts or celebrations. They have an excellent support page for e-learning that provides information and help for parents and students regarding cyber safety and digital learning. I did look at a student page from a class post and was surprised to find out how much information they are allowed to share. I wonder whether sharing of personal information is not covered in cyber safety lessons from the teacher or administrator? I did think the navigational organization was a bit confusing in some class pages that also incorporated student developed pages.
Anyhow I do like how they incorporate google applications in class presentations and use both media and images to share their experiences when blogging. In fact I like how they use the blog as a portfolio of learning not only for students but for classes as well. I suppose I quite enjoyed seeing this example since the infrastructure and technology I am afforded is in the dark ages and it is nice to see a vision and potential of e-learning possibilities for schools and children. This is great example of student centred learning. Thanks for sharing.
Anyhow I do like how they incorporate google applications in class presentations and use both media and images to share their experiences when blogging. In fact I like how they use the blog as a portfolio of learning not only for students but for classes as well. I suppose I quite enjoyed seeing this example since the infrastructure and technology I am afforded is in the dark ages and it is nice to see a vision and potential of e-learning possibilities for schools and children. This is great example of student centred learning. Thanks for sharing.
Impressions of Russell Street School
After viewing the site for Russell Street School I had a few reactions. At first, I was blown away by the amount of content that the site (and each sub site) had and consistently it was updated. I explored more looking at the school's "About" section and was quite impressed by the student-centered culture that they have established. It seems as though they have admin, staff, and students highly involved in the production of the digital format, which is great! Checking into the classroom side, it was awesome to see that all grade levels were represented in a unique, grade-appropriate way. I especially enjoyed the Jump Start groups' pictures with them writing their names.
My other impression of the site is that it is quite overwhelming. With multiple social media platforms, email, class website, newsletters, etc. I felt as though it was just another place to check for information. If I were a parent of a student at this school, it would be awesome to see what they were doing on a daily basis, looking at their specific class. As a teacher, I first thought, "Hey! this is awesome, I could totally do this!" Then selfishly, (just being honest!) I struggled, thinking about the extra time that it would take to not only post, but add in multi media such as photos, video clips, etc. which I can imagine takes time. I would love to see a high school version of this, as I would be interested in seeing the student accountability for posting. I also wondered how do you decide whose work is represented? Having 100+ high school students a year, it would be unrealistic to post each student's work in every post. I do similar posts like this for my classroom Twitter, randomly choosing students and their work and wonder how many parents actually see/appreciate these posts. I wonder the same for the traffic of this site.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great site that definitely didn't happen over night. It is encouraging to see all staff involved and they seem to hold one another accountable. Getting the students involved is another positive. If parents are frequently visiting and using the site as a means of receiving updates and communication, then it would definitely be worth implementing. I personally would prefer a short and sweet tweet that gives class updates because it is the quickest and most effective way that I can get information out about what is going on in my classroom. It may be different for you depending on the subject, grade, and school in which you teach. What do you think? Do you prefer blogging or Twitter? Or do you like a combination of both?
My other impression of the site is that it is quite overwhelming. With multiple social media platforms, email, class website, newsletters, etc. I felt as though it was just another place to check for information. If I were a parent of a student at this school, it would be awesome to see what they were doing on a daily basis, looking at their specific class. As a teacher, I first thought, "Hey! this is awesome, I could totally do this!" Then selfishly, (just being honest!) I struggled, thinking about the extra time that it would take to not only post, but add in multi media such as photos, video clips, etc. which I can imagine takes time. I would love to see a high school version of this, as I would be interested in seeing the student accountability for posting. I also wondered how do you decide whose work is represented? Having 100+ high school students a year, it would be unrealistic to post each student's work in every post. I do similar posts like this for my classroom Twitter, randomly choosing students and their work and wonder how many parents actually see/appreciate these posts. I wonder the same for the traffic of this site.
Don't get me wrong, I think it is a great site that definitely didn't happen over night. It is encouraging to see all staff involved and they seem to hold one another accountable. Getting the students involved is another positive. If parents are frequently visiting and using the site as a means of receiving updates and communication, then it would definitely be worth implementing. I personally would prefer a short and sweet tweet that gives class updates because it is the quickest and most effective way that I can get information out about what is going on in my classroom. It may be different for you depending on the subject, grade, and school in which you teach. What do you think? Do you prefer blogging or Twitter? Or do you like a combination of both?
Takeaways From Russell Street School
As I clicked through the various links and blogs on the Russell Street School site, the impression that grew ever stronger was how student-centered this school is. The kids are the highlight of almost everything I looked at. Their words, images, dances, and achievements are noticed and celebrated publicly. Teachers are woven throughout the site, with their support evident everywhere I looked. Technology is immersive, and it is obvious that it is second nature, rather than an afterthought.
Every class has a blog, and each blog has several tabs, making it very easy to find information. Most have an information tab for parents to quickly see what is happening in the classroom and any upcoming events or activities. The Superheroes Notices page contains lots of great information, including evidence of a theme for each term, which they are calling an inquiry. The focus is health if anyone is interested. Whole school collaboration is mentioned, and it is obvious that there will be some project based learning happening within this theme. There is a second theme that falls under Te Reo Māori, which, if I am using my knowledge of language correctly, probably translates to “I Am Māori”, but when put into Google Translate, translates to simply “Language”. This terms language theme is about family, furthering the already strong commitment to keeping families actively engaged in their children’s learning. I love seeing the pictures of the students, students posting, teachers posting and many asking for parents to participate in the blogs by responding to anything that catches the eye. Looking through this site is making me rethink my stance on creating a classroom blog. I am still not sure what this would look like without breaking confidentiality, but it is now definitely something I am considering.
Every class has a blog, and each blog has several tabs, making it very easy to find information. Most have an information tab for parents to quickly see what is happening in the classroom and any upcoming events or activities. The Superheroes Notices page contains lots of great information, including evidence of a theme for each term, which they are calling an inquiry. The focus is health if anyone is interested. Whole school collaboration is mentioned, and it is obvious that there will be some project based learning happening within this theme. There is a second theme that falls under Te Reo Māori, which, if I am using my knowledge of language correctly, probably translates to “I Am Māori”, but when put into Google Translate, translates to simply “Language”. This terms language theme is about family, furthering the already strong commitment to keeping families actively engaged in their children’s learning. I love seeing the pictures of the students, students posting, teachers posting and many asking for parents to participate in the blogs by responding to anything that catches the eye. Looking through this site is making me rethink my stance on creating a classroom blog. I am still not sure what this would look like without breaking confidentiality, but it is now definitely something I am considering.
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