Punxsutawney Phil and Crumbs of Discovery

Earlier this month, good ole' Punxsutawney Phil said we will have six more weeks of winter and I, for one, am okay with that.  The longer winter hangs around, the easier it is to stay inside and read, do homework, grade papers and waste precious time trying new apps on the ipad!  This past week brought each of these activities in abundance, but not all to good ends.  I think one of the biggest obstacles I have had as a learner this week was staying focused.  One article leads to another, trying two apps leads to four, and the next thing I know I've spent two hours wandering when I should have spent 20 minutes targeting. 

This week I read "Preparing Students for the 21st Century: How can teachers incorporate new literacies into elementary classrooms?" (found here) and decided that perhaps I need to read more about preparing myself for new literacies.  This article was full of exciting ways teachers can connect their students to the internet not just to simply locate and consume information, but to connect to the world and create! I found the article inspiring.  So inspiring, in fact, that I wandered another hour. There is nothing really wrong with wandering, we can find some terrific inspirations this way, but I can also see why some teachers try an app or two and then go back into their cozy classroom of textbooks and whiteboards.  Like Punxsutawney Phil, we see the shadow of our tiny classroom in comparison to the blinding sunlight of the digital world and head for our hole; it's safe, it's known and we don't get lost in the wandering.

So I wonder: How do I use the internet wisely?  How do I use it to save time instead of lose track of time? How do I learn from the ways I do my own reading and searching online so I can help my students be more efficient?  More than once I've finished wandering and wondered, "Why did I sit down at the computer in the first place?"  These are "new literacies". I am making the decision to continue to venture out and wander, but I have to find a way to leave a bread crumb trail so I remember where I have been. This I way I can return to the good stuff! 

As promised, here are my crumbs this week:

Tech: My favorite website this week was recommended by a colleague in my Ed.Tech course. Sara R. recommended http://www.commonlit.org/ .  This website has  poems, short stories, news articles and primary source documents that are are collected around themes like America, Prejudice and Discrimination, and Resilience ( just to name a few).  Once a theme is selected you can choose one of two discussion questions (i.e. How does prejudice emerge? or What are the effects of prejudice?) and the texts associated with the chosen theme and question are sorted by level (grades 4-5; grades 6-7; grades 8-9) for you to see.  This could be a terrific way to add text sets to required basal readings and/or to inspire deep and meaningful discourse in the classroom.  These texts lend themselves to close reading and annotated notes as well - so many ways to use them! While this site initially seems to be one to "consume", it doesn't take long for creative juices to flow.  How could I collect my own favorite texts in this way? How could they lead to group projects or community activism?  How might students go on to find other texts/videos/images to wrap into the theme?  Endless possibilities.

Talk:  My "talk" each week will focus on what I am learning about educational research. I am new to the "talk" of researchers and this week in my "Qualitative Approaches to Research" class we focused on the philosophical foundations and epistemologies associated with qualitative research. This is all new to me. In true Vygotsky terms - it might be just out of my "zone of proximal development", but  I will get there.  I have more questions than answers, but it is my hope to address these questions throughout the semester as I read and learn more about the roles of a researcher.  Questions so far:

• What is my worldview? What do I believe to be the nature of "reality" and how the world works? Am I a realist?  Or a nominalist? What is the difference?
• What is my epistemology?  In other words, what are my beliefs about knowledge?  What is knowledge?  What is "truth"? And what will lead me to "knowing" more?  Is knowledge always there or do we construct it? 
• What is my goal in research?  To understand the world? To change the world? 
• Where do I want to situate myself as a researcher?  Am I an observer? A participant? Am I finding facts or stories? 

Texts: This week I read January's Sparrow by Patricia Polacco.  It is a story of slavery, the underground railroad and the realities of life for young girl, Sadie, and her family when they courageously attempt to escape to the north for freedom.  If you are already a fan of Patricia Polacco your love for her storytelling will only increase.  Like Pink and Say this story is based on the real-life story of a family.  Her ability to weave storytelling through both text and illustrations is a true gift. Given the topic, I would recommend it for 4th grade and up.  I read it with adults and we had rich discussions on single pages, illustrations and themes.  The possibilities are endless.  Don't miss this book! 

Here's the other gem of a book I was introduced to this week: The Arrival  by Shaun Tan. This is a wordless picture book that brings one man's immigration story to life in illustrations.  Teachers of upper elementary or middle school English Language Learners with immigration experiences of their own might also appreciate "Reading between the Pictures": Immigrant Students' Interpretations of The Arrival in NCTE Language Arts (2011), Vol.88 No.3.  Link to the New York Times review HERE

Tech, Talk and Texts

My course list this semester is like a three course meal.  My appetizer is a course that will study the use of educational technology in the elementary language arts classroom.  I am not a techie by nature so getting more use out of the iPad and keeping up with current trends will probably be just a "starter" for me.  (This blog is actually part of the class requirement!) The entree' is my Qualitative Methods and Design in Research course.  If I want to be a researcher, and publish more than a blog, this class will be my meat and potatoes, bread and butter, full course meal.  It is the "talk", or discourse, of researchers that I need to experience, practice and devour. Lastly, my dessert: Multi-ethnic Children's Literature for Children and Adolescents.  This delectable course will allow me a continual excuse to hang out at the public library and taste picture books and Young Adult novels like an assorted box of chocolates. 

Semester Goals:

I know that goals are most attainable if they are shared so here they are:

1. Tech: I hope to not only become a more confident and competent techie, but also to share at least one great website, app or new application of technology each week that might be useful in the elementary classroom.  

2. Talk:  I plan to note new research ideas, list possible research questions and keep an annotated bibliography of research I find readable and practical for teachers in the trenches.  That's one of each per week.  (because goals should also be measurable!)

3. Texts: I will summarize and review two books for children or adolescents each week.  I will also keep a "journal" of evolving thoughts and attitudes about multi-ethnic literature and it's importance in classrooms. 

The Journey Begins

The idea of a blog scares me.  I'm not sure why exactly, but I have this fear that I'll press the "publish" button and then change my mind about everything I've written.  Part of this fear must be a direct result of entering into my PhD program and realizing how much I do NOT know.  So, I begin by offering this disclaimer,

"Each blog reflects my thinking at a specific point in my educational journey. I will consider my journey a success when I find that my thinking has changed, emerged, broadened or is challenged by new learning."  

This blog will offer me a way to track my thinking and document thoughts, ideas, theories and practices that I want to consider.  I am a teacher by trade, but a learner at heart so let the learning journey begin!