2008 NWP Annual Meeting AM 18 - Writing in a Digital Age

1. 2008 NWP Annual Meeting AM 18 - Writing in a Digital Age Thursday, November 20, 2008 9:00am - 12:00pmGrand Hyatt San Antonio 4th Floor, Salon D - Texas Ballroom San Antonio, TX

2. Welcome and Overview Felicia George, NYC Writing Project Sarah Hunt-Barron, Upstate Writing Project Rebecca Kaminski, Upstate Writing Project Seth Mitchell, Maine Writing Project Jason Shiroff, Denver Writing Project Laura Stokes, Inverness Research

3. Time to Write What are the implications for writing in a digital age?

4. Dimension  #1 On the discipline: The Nature of Literacy in 21st Century Laura Stokes, Inverness Research Rebecca Kaminski, Upstate Writing Project Felicia George, NYC Writing Project

5. Building NWP Capacity to Strengthen the Teaching of Writing in the Digital Age: A Framework Laura Stokes and Katherine Ramage Inverness Research

6. Inverness Research studied the NWP’s technology initiative • Tracked growth in numbers of NWP programs that include attention to teaching writing with technology • Documented sites’ strategies for developing the capacities they need to provide more professional development on the teaching of writing with technology

7. Data on growth in NWP programs that include approaches to teaching with technology Number of all NWP programs Number of invitational summer institutes Number of continuity programs

8. Data on growth in NWP programs, continued Number of inservice programs Number of teachers participating

9. Building site capacity demands “R&D” work along several dimensions • Knowledge of the discipline—writing in the digital age • Effective approaches to teaching the discipline—classroom practice • Designs for teacher development—effective inservice programs in real contexts • Strategies for developing teacher leadership (TCs)—the engine of all NWP work Notes • There is overlap…teacher-leadership is central and generative of all

10. A framework for examining site capacity-building NWP SITE—DIMENSIONS OF CAPACITY SERVICE AREA— DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS TC LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT KNOWLEDGE OF DISCIPLINE RANGE OF TEACHING CONTEXTS PRIORITIES? TECHNOLOGY INFRA - STRUCTURE? NEW LITERACIES LEARNING GOALS FOR STUDENTS PD DESIGNS TO SUPPORT TEACHER LEARNING IN CONTEXT OUTCOME EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM TEACHING APPROACHES INSERVICE PROGRAMS *FOR TCs *FOR Ts IN SERVICE AREA (CONTENT AND DESIGN)

11. Building Teacher Leadership to Strengthen the Teaching of Writing in the Digital Age:One TC’s Story Rebecca Kaminski Director, Upstate Writing Project Clemson University

12. One TC’s story

13. Building Site Capacity to Strengthen the Teaching of Writing in the Digital Age: NYC WP Experience Felicia George Associate Director, NYC Writing Project Lehman College-CUNY

14. Overview Of NYCWP’s Technology Program Moderated listserv with more than 200 subscribers Nicenet or blackboard used in NYCWP sponsored courses Summer Advanced Institutes: beginning in 2000 through 2008School Year events:“First Saturdays” monthly technology “workshops”Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) – meetings 4 – 6 times a yearTechnology retreats – Friday evening and all day Saturday event once or twice a yearShoot and Write Flickr Marathons – an adapted writing marathon meeting periodically Technology Thursdays – monthly to bi-monthly meetings Teacher Teaching Teachers weekly webcast Teacher to Teacher annual site-sponsored conference featuring technology presentations Friday Teacher-Consultant Meetings

15. Teacher-consultants use Nicenet to extend classroom conversations

16. Example of teachers’ conversations about course readings

17. Teacher-consultants are introduced to Google docs and use of technology takes off

18. Exploring Google Groups to Extend Conversations beyond meeting times

19. We use a Ning to share our writing and stories during the 2008 Summer Invitational/Summer Tech Advanced Institutes

20. Dimension  #2 On teaching the discipline: Integrating Technology into the Teaching of Writing/Literacy Sarah Hunt-Barron, Upstate Writing Project

21. Online Writing Communities in the Classroom Inquiry questions: How can I engage diverse students who may or may not want to be in my classroom? How can I help all students become better critical thinkers, researchers, and writers?

22. A little background… Where was I? Snapshot of Berea Middle Why did I start using online writing communities? reluctant writers students appeared to write more extend these benefits and see where online writing could take us

23. Impact Post-technology changes More democratic classroom Discussions were enriched Students were able to explore their own culture and interests Peer/ social groups were expanded Community outside the classroom walls Students were able to collaborate

24. Wikis: Online Writing Example

25. Blogs: Online Writing Example

26. Lessons learned • “Roadblocks” are opportunities • Start small, be flexible My work with wikis pushed me to: • Think about how technology can enhance practices • Evaluate my definition of what it means to be a literate, critical thinker • Yield my seat as an "expert" to my students • Share what I learned with others The teacher becomes the student.

27. Table Talk What are the implications for the definition of writing in the digital age on the work of your site?  For goals for literacy instruction?

28. Take a short break….

29. Dimension  #3 On teaching teachers: Building Site Capacity Seth Mitchell, Maine Writing Project

30. Work at MWP exposed two major themes: • People need to be given time to experiment. “Play is trial without the possibility of error.” • Extended support from mentors or thinking partners encourages learners to move beyond comfort zones.

31. What Doesn’t Work What Doesn’t Work The traditional hit-and-run approach to PD: • Spending too much time discussing theory • Offering little room for experimentation • Providing one-shot opportunities for participants to draw on presenters’ expertise • Focusing on specific content or tech projects

32. What Does Work What Does Work Meeting for “play” on the tech playground: • Discussing enough theory to sell the technology • Offering wide range of models • Establishing formal and informal opportunities for mentoring relationships • Supplying tools for a variety of content and the time to consider application • Providing options (when possible) • Scheduling plenty of time to “play”

33. MWP Tech Capacity & PD Development

34. Table Talk What are the implications for the design of your site’s professional development programs with technology?

35. Dimension  #4 On developing teacher leadership: The Tech Liaison Jason Shiroff, Denver WP

36. Jason Shiroff Denver Writing Project

37. No one is an island: The case for building teacher leadership • 2004 – Very little technology in the DWP • How do we build new literacy skills among teachers? • How do these skills get transmitted to students? • My Goal: Build digital literacy skills by building teacher leadership.

38. Building Teacher Leadership with a Technology Team

39. Building my skills • Exploring technology with my students • How do I make technology as ordinary and invisible as a pencil? • Big Goal: Give students lots of practice with technology so it becomes a natural part of learning. Improving technology support at DWP • I’m a TL, now what? • What does the site need? • How do I help DWP use technology more, better, smarter?

40. Networking on a national level • Attended Tech Matters • Formed a national Network: Common Threads • Networked, shared success, woes, and technology. • Big Goal: Develop Teacher Leaders • Formed a technology team. Now what? • Technology needs assessment for the DWP • Build our own skills and capacity as a team

41. Building Teacher Leadership with a Technology Team • Clear leadership goals and roles • Practice what we preach in our own classrooms • Once our Leadership capacity is developed, reach out to the DWP community • SI sessions, offer advanced technology institutes, etc, • Big Goal:Share what we know with other teachers so it reaches more kids

42. Building my skills • Success? • Yes! Formed a very capable technology team • Yes! The team is using technology in their own classrooms (grades 4 – college) • Yes! Summer Institute technology integration • Yes! Website redesign (twice…) • No… Canceled advanced technology institute • No… Feeling like our roles and goals are not so clear now Networking on a national level Improving technology support at DWP Building Teacher Leadership with a Technology Team

43. Lessons Learned? • Connect all the resources • Networking locally, nationally • Learn your technology • Have a clear role and purpose for Teacher Leaders • Troubleshoot • Try again!

44. Table Talk What are the implications for developing technology leaders at your site? • What are your technology leaders’ goals and roles within the project?

45. Planning for Our Sites Reflect on what you have experienced during this session that you will take back to your site. How will it impact teacher knowledge, leadership, or site capacity related to writing in the digital age? Consider: Who would I talk to? What resources would I need? What do I do next? What would my site do next?

46. Time toshare Any questions?