always learning

This has been an interesting year. Not only have I moved to a new school in a new country, but my actual teaching position (21st Century Literacy Specialist) is also brand new (both to me, and to the school).

I count my lucky stars every day to be working in such a forward-thinking school, but I have to admit that stepping into an entirely new position in such a large school, with complex protocol and history, has certainly been a challenge. Good thing I enjoy challenges!

So, after almost a full year working in a sometimes nebulous position, I think I’m finally able to start defining what I think a 21st Century Literacy Specialist would do here at ISB. A lot of what I’ve been thinking about is based on my previous experience as a technology facilitator, but with the focus of bringing technology and library together.

I see this role as a bridge between the library and technology, and therefore, a key aspect of this position, which makes it different than a traditional technology facilitation position, is the strength of collaboration between all three teams. Although they may be a natural fit, I am finding a real need to highlight those connections, to bridge those gaps, and to bring together the three (in my opinion) most exciting and most promising positions in the school.

Generally speaking, I spend the majority of my day either co-planning with teachers or co-teaching in the classroom. I am fortunate to have a flexible schedule which enables me to work wherever the need is greatest – from setting up a specialty celebration wiki, to developing our 21st century literacy framework, to planning and teaching with our students and teachers.

It has been my experience, as a technology facilitator, that personal (and personable) support in the classroom is the key to the success of any technology-rich program, and 21st century literacy is no different. My focus is always on making students, teachers and parents comfortable with new tools that can support and enhance student learning. Collaborating with our Media Specialist and Technology and Learning Coordinator enables our team to reach far and wide through the school – as we each have our own strengths and weaknesses that seamlessly and effectively blend together.

Of course this is still a work in progress, but here are my thoughts so far:

Overview

The 21st Century Literacy Specialist position combines the process and best practice approaches of successful technology facilitation with the wealth of resources available in the library. ISB is actively seeking to build a Learning Hub that successfully blends the traditional role of a library with the requirements of the 21st century global student. The role of the 21st Century Literacy Specialist is to bridge that gap. The focus of this position is to help core subject teachers utilize web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, to create a global and collaborative approach to learning. The design of authentic and engaging international projects which incorporate social networking, blogs, wikis, and podcasts, and whatever comes next, is paramount to the success of this position. The 21st Century Literacy Specialist works in collaboration with the Media Specialist and Technology and Learning Coordinator to ensure a seamless transition between traditional and digital literacy skills.

Job Description

The 21st Century Literacy Specialist is responsible for the successful integration of 21st century literacy skills across the curriculum by:

Teaching and Instruction

• co-planning, co-teaching, co-assessing units of inquiry which authentically embed 21st century literacy skills
• assist in differentiation for highly able or struggling students through the use of technology, including independently teaching smaller groups of students when needed
• ensuring 21st century literacy enduring understandings and guiding questions are authentically embedded into curriculum at each grade level
• closely collaborating with the Media Specialist to ensure seamless transition and use of both traditional and digital literacy tools

Leadership and Curriculum Development

• continue to develop, define, promote and share vision and framework for 21st century learning at ISB
• promote ethical use of technology, and develop authentic projects that actively work towards developing digital citizenship among staff and students
• collaboratively work with administration, curriculum and technology coordinators, Media Specialist, and grade level teams to further develop ISB embedded 21st century literacy program

Professional Development

• provide regular professional development opportunities to help build teacher’s understanding around 21st century literacy
• coordinate and run mentor program to help classroom teachers understand the paradigm shift of 21st century teaching
• work with staff to develop and promote use of 21st century tools for efficiency and productivity in their jobs

Communication and Collaboration

• promoting and sharing successful 21st century literacy projects with wider school community
• document teaching and learning experiences in a central place for all faculty and parents to access
• developing a truly 21st century approach to learning and teaching by working in partnership with:
  • the Technology and Learning Coordinator to coordinate hardware, software, and school-wide infrastructure so that focus can be on pedagogical support
  • the Media Specialist to coordinate and support traditional literacy

  

What do you think? Would this work in your school? Is this realistic?

Tags: 21stcentury, 21st century literacy, collaboration, framework, embed, technology, job description, role, specialist,

Recently I was asked to write an article for the European Council of International Schools Shortcuts Newsletter about using web 2.0 tools to develop professional learning communities for international school teachers, at an introductory level. Having just finished giving a presentation on that very topic in Qatar, I, of course, had lots to say (not quite as eloquently as others, unfortunately).

As usual, I figured I would share it here… Though if you’re reading this, you’ve probably already developed your very own (and totally fabulous) PLN, so any advice or tips you can add would be greatly appreciated!

The 21st Century Educator: Embracing Web 2.0 Tools in Your Professional Practice

After working as an international school teacher for the past eight years, I am all too familiar with the isolation of teaching abroad – being the school’s only teacher of a certain class or grade level, having limited professional development opportunities compared to your home country, and being without a support network for feedback and inspiration.

However, all of that changed when I started to embrace web 2.0 tools in my professional practice. I went from isolated and alone to supported and inspired in just a few short months! The power of web 2.0 technologies to help me communicate, collaborate and connect with like-minded educators amazes and inspires me. In all honesty, I have learned more in the last year and a half than I had in the previous six and a half years combined.

The development of a personal learning network (or PLN) is absolutely essential for any successful 21^st century educator. This interconnected network of learners whom you select based on interests, skills, or experience will soon become an integral part of your daily learning and thinking.

Here are a few tips and tricks to get started developing your own personal learning network:

Join a Social Network

We’ve all heard of MySpace and Facebook, and while those are great ways to connect with friends and colleagues, an even better place to start is a social network with a focus, like Ning. There are quite a few networks on Ning that center around teaching and learning. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Classroom 2.0
• The Global Education Collaborative
• NextGen Teachers
• Professional Development

Set up an RSS Reader

Once you’ve gotten a taste of all the amazing work that is being done by educators around the world, you’ll most likely want to keep up with those teachers you find especially interesting or insightful. The best way to do that is using an RSS reader like Google Reader or Netvibes.

Once you’ve set it up, your RSS reader will aggregate all of the new posts on those fantastic blogs in one place – like an e-mail inbox for websites and blogs. Instead of scrambling around trying to find all the best new posts, just sit back and let them come to you! Another excellent development is the new “shared” feature in Google Reader, which brings all of your address book contacts’ favorite posts into one place in your RSS reader.

For those who prefer listening to reading, Apple’s iTunes Store provides perhaps the easiest way to download and listen to the huge selection of educational podcasts available online – for free, of course!

Attend Amazing Conferences (For Free!)

Over the past few years more and more conferences are either happening entirely online, or offering unrestricted content from physical conferences online, using web 2.0 tools. These conferences utilize social networks like Ning, blogs, wikis, podcasts and vodcasts as a format for presenters to share their work.

Instead of requiring attendees to physically fly to a central location, all presentations are posted in a central place – available anytime, anywhere – for free! Not only is this a great way to learn about new techniques for your 21^st century classroom, but you can also see a wide variety of web 2.0 tools in practice. Here are a few highlights for the upcoming school year:

• Learning 2.008
• K12Online
• Future of Learning in a Networked World

Become a Blogger (and a Twitterer)

Once you’ve gotten an idea of the web 2.0 world in education, you may want to add your voice to the mix. Everyone has something different to offer and there is an audience for every author in the demographic “Long Tail” of global education. In order to really bring your network together, you will need to share your own thoughts and learnings with your PLN.

Blogs and Twitter go hand in hand. A blog is the perfect space for thoughtful reflection, a place to connect your learning and create something new. Twitter is a powerful tool for sharing quick snippets of your thinking, for connecting with others, and for widening your information consumption a little bit at a time.

Develop Personal Connections

There are many free, web-based tools to help you connect with your PLN through video or audio chatting. Many expats already take advantage of the free, and very easy to use VoIP provider, Skype, but there are many more ways to connect to your network. A venture into Second Life could be a great way to meet more teachers and explore new potential teaching tools. Services like FlashMeeting, WizIQ and Elluminate offer comprehensive options for teaching and learning together – with your PLN, and potentially with your classes.

Embracing the power of web 2.0 is as simple as having an open mind and a sense of adventure. There is more to see, hear and experience than one person could ever consume. Take a look around, you’re guaranteed to find exactly what you need, right when you need it!

Note: Of course as soon as I sent the article off, I realized I had forgotten a few key things like social bookmarking, and some helpful books I read before I started. What else am I missing?

Tags: 21stcentury, internationalschool, 21st century literacy, technology, curriculum, development, professional development, training, web2, teachers, ECIS, Shortcuts, PLN, network,