The PR Hat – Brim Backwards

When the PR hat is worn backwards, the ET is focusing on student PR instead of school PR. For the most part, when talking about PR with students, we're really talking about teaching kids to be aware of their digital footprint. A lot of students don't realize that what they put on the internet stays out there for good and, depending what it is, can affect their future education and employment opportunities.

When it comes to talking about your digital footprint, there has been lots of talk about how "Google-able" you are (see one example from Will Richardson). I'm not sure how authentic a Google search is to assess someone's character or personality, but the reality is that many companies, schools, scholarship committees, employers, etc. have started to check people out on Google. As such, ETs need to help students understand how what they put on the internet can affect their future and then teach them how to manage what they put online to ensure they are proud of the digital parts of themselves. In most cases, digital footprint discussions with students are going to revolve heavily around smart social networking.

I got a few really great ideas from this blog about some "recap apps" that help students get a glimpse of the kind of personality they are projecting on sites like Facebook or Twitter. The author of the blog, Lisa Neilsen, suggests trying things like status clouds or creating a year in pictures. This quick glimpse of the whole allows students to see the general image they are presenting of themselves. I really liked this idea because you are able to teach about the pitfalls of these sites by using them. (See my previous rant on the ridiculousness of locking kids out of sites to "keep them safe".) This site also stresses the importance (yet again!) of the teacher as a digital model. Before we try helping kids get their digital footprints under wraps, we better make sure we've got our own under control. You're also not in a great position to be preaching the importance of what is being shared on social networks if you've got pictures of you wearing a beer helmet riding a hobby horse at a rodeo plastered all over your Facebook. You know what they say about the pot and the kettle....

It is also a good idea to encourage your students to do a quick reflection on things they want to post before they actually post them. Have students ask themselves, "If I post this and _________ see(s) it, will I be proud to have it posted?" Have them try putting the following people in that blank: my friends, my parents, my grandparents, and my teacher. This strategy is especially handy when dealing with gossip/cyber bullying posts as well as with party pictures at the high school level.

In my search for information on digital footprints, I encountered a couple websites that offer a plethora of resources for kids, parents, and teachers on the subject. For example, mydigitalfootprintSD offers lesson plans for teachers including a digital footprint handbook assignment that explores all sorts of topics like online ethics, legal responsibility, market safety, and appropriate online conduct. It also has a section devoted to elementary students that is presented through video (cheesy as they may be) instead of text. A lot of the information on the site is written from the perspective of a middle years' student, so the language has some definite appeal to that audience. KidSMART offers a lot of similar content but has a much flashier presentation and includes games and online activities for students to participate in. This site also covers a much wider range of topics relating to online smarts. I also love this site because there is a "Skills School" link that provides kids access to a video tutorial on Facebook privacy settings (HOORAY!) and under the "I work with kids" tab there is an entire video series aimed at the elementary group. The series, called Know IT All, is animated and should keep younger audiences engaged.

As you can probably tell from my verbosity on this topic, student PR is a reasonably complicate hat to wear. There are almost no limits to what could be covered while trying to teach kids about their digital footprint. That being said, I think the most critical aspect of this topic is simply the awareness that what you do online can have far reaching consequences. Our students (generally) have good common sense and once they are made aware of the possible consequences of their actions, they will probably take some form of action even without our assistance.

Here's one more link to a blog entry that focuses on social media in the classroom. Written from a teacher's perspective, it puts some of the fears we all have about how using social media in the classroom might affect the digital footprints of our students and possibly ourselves.

The PR Hat – Brim Forward

The PR hat really has two sides to it. For those of you who need a visual, I picture a baseball hat – worn brim forward for school PR and brim backwards for student PR. So let's start with the brim forward, you know, business first.

Believe it or not, schools need PR. I don't even mean the division itself (not that they don't need it, too) but the schools specifically. My principal recently asked me about my thoughts on teacher recruitment and retention in our rural division. I gave a stack of answer that were not technology related, but when I got thinking about my own job search, technology definitely played a part in my job search. To be more specific, when I was checking out websites to get an inside track on the vision and purpose of these schools (you know, to really wow them at the interview!), I was more than a little worried that most schools had very dated websites if any website at all. This painted a picture for me that I really was going to be moving to the sticks where my social life as I know it would end and I would have no communication with the outside world. Okay, so maybe it wasn't THAT bad, but you can see what I mean.

If we want to attract families, teachers, visitors, etc. to our school, we need to get our name out there in a positive way. Since I've come aboard, our school website has improved dramatically (and that has nothing to do with me). It is bright, vibrant, and representative of our school environment. It is updated regularly and includes links for students, teachers, and parents to use from home. It includes a calendar of events for our school and community and copies of our past and current newsletters. I realize that for most city-dwellers, this isn't a big deal. Your website has probably had a lot of these features for a long time, but for a school that previously had a website that listed staff that had retired more than 3 years ago under "Our Staff Roster"; it's a big step toward good PR.

Getting me to a rural school (especially this one) was an easy sell for me. I didn't want to be in the city and this school was offering my dream assignment. I wanted this job regardless of where it was. Most new grads, however, want to stay in a larger center or at least within commuting distance of one. They want the opportunity to have a social life (and if you are like me, access to the arts!). It is these people we need to convince. We need to use all the PR resources in our reach to show them that we can offer rivals what the big cities offer. The ETs need to come up with a PR game plan and see it through. A simple change like updating your school website is an easy start and makes a way bigger impact than you might think it would.

The Bathing Cap

This quote: "Trying to prepare students for their future and teach them about Internet safety without Web 2.0 in schools ~ is like trying to teach a child to swim without a swimming pool!" (found here) has been thrashing around in my head all week. It's just so....true. However, I'm left wondering: Who are the lifeguards, what do we do if kids head for the deep end before they're ready, and are the ETs in the pool or shouting from the sidelines?

The Advocate Hat

Educational technologists need to be the advocates for technology change in their schools/divisions. The field of technology is defined by change and that is tough for an education system that is generally wary of change, so ETs need to be there to lead the way. ETs need to present their ideas, create awareness and swing the vote to make sure our students are getting a technology education that will serve them in the tech-driven business/work world.

Not all change is good change and change should not be made simply for change sake. However, if you have a valid researched idea for change, you need to be ready to fight/advocate for it. In my educational foundations class in my first year of education, we had to write a paper advocating for change in an area we felt passionate about. Our stand had to be thoroughly backed up with proof and research for what we were advocating for. One of the goals of the assignment (I think?) was to prepare us to fight for change at an institutional level in an intellectual and useful way. Only now do I understand the significant importance of that assignment. As ETs, we need to take part in this same process. This is especially important since technology usually comes with such a large price tag; we need to be prepared to prove why changes need to be made. We need to be ready to answer the questions, "Why do we need this new _____?", "How will ________ affect student learning?" and we need to be ready with a better answer than, "Because it is awesome new technology!"

I also think that ETs need to be selective in what they advocate for or else they risk losing credibility – both with the people who are paying the bills and those are trying to adapt to all the new software/hardware/programming. Start advocating for every new gadget in your school and your voice will quickly be ignored. The old adage holds true in this case: Know when to pick your battles.

One area that I feel really merits the battle is the idea of a technology curriculum. In Saskatchewan, we don't have a traditional curriculum (like math, language, sciences, etc.) for technology. Some divisions have developed their own continuum of sorts to guide their division's technology education, but it needs to be more widespread than that. At the itSummit in Saskatoon this year, there was a debate in one of the sessions I attended about whether or not typing should still be taught with the prevalence of texting and the seeming success of chicken-pecking.* As noted in my last post, there is some discrepancy about who should be teaching internet safety. Some schools teach social networking, some teach how to do internet searches, some focus on word processing or image enhancement. As a group of professionals, we can't even agree on what should and shouldn't be taught. We need to collaborate and come up with a core set of outcomes to teach technology to our students. With a provincial curriculum in place, think of the parts of the ET's job that would become so much easier – shared resources, pooled money for PD, easier access to technology (thanks to mass ordering...in theory). This is a battle I think it's time to pick.

I've shared my two-bits...now I'm interested to know: If you had to advocate for one change right now, what would it be? What are you fighting for and why is it worth the fight?

 

 

*Just for the record: I think we DO need to teach typing to our students. Texting and chicken pecking is all fine and dandy for communicating with friends, but can you imagine what will happen to these kids when they reach post-secondary education? I don't think many professors accept text-essays. Would you, Rick? I dare someone to submit their paper via text. NO. I double dare you! (ooooooh!)

Whose hat is it??

I had intended to write a post about how one of the many unadvertised jobs of the ET is teaching cyber safety to teachers and students in the division. Then I ran across some statistics that mentioned a large part of teachers feel that teaching internet safety should be the parent's responsibility. I had never even considered that cyber safety would fall into a hat box not belonging to an educational professional of some sort....but those stats really got me thinking: Whose hat is it? And whose hat SHOULD it be??

On one hand, I can understand why teachers would be hesitant about teaching cyber safety. There is no standard curriculum that outlines what should be taught and no ready access to resources. (Speaking of which, why isn't there a curriculum model for teaching technology?) I'm sure many teachers, especially those who have limited technology knowledge, aren't even sure where to start. It doesn't help either that a lot of divisions have decided that internet lock-down is an easier way to deal with cyber safety. If the kids can't access it, it means they are safe, right? Instead of addressing the problem, we're putting blinders on, somehow thinking that will help. If that is the division stance, what is motivating teachers to take the initiative to learn (or even care) about online safety?

Things also get really tricky when you think about the values of the people involved. If I think social networking is offensive or dangerous, should I have to teach them how to use it safely (thereby having it to use it myself, assuming the teacher as model theory)? Or what if I think that blogging is a great way to start making a mark in the digital world but parents feel that attaching their child's name to things put on the internet is inappropriate? I feel like this argument is as complicated as the whole sexual education issue. How do you separate your values from what needs to be taught and how do you respect the values of others while teaching the information that is needed?

On the other hand, aren't we educators? Isn't it our JOB to teach kids the information they need to survive in our world? Whether we are ready to admit it or not, we are living in an increasingly digital age. These kids are already playing a part in that digital world and a lot of them don't know the rules. Are parents any more equipped to teach this than teachers are? Who is supposed to help parents find resources and make sure they are presenting accurate information? Who is going to train the parents to teach their children what they need to know? And what about families who can't afford a home computer or internet service – do those kids not need to understand how to be safe online? Everyone deserves the right to be educated in the ways of being safe online, not just those who are lucky enough to have regular access to the online world.

I still think that the ET should be wearing the cyber safety hat and it is pretty obvious how an ET can help provide training, guidance, support, and resources for cyber safety. The real question is who is the ET sharing this hat with: parents or teacher?

 

More on the statistics that inspired this post: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0226/Internet-safety-Whose-job-to-teach-kids-about-it

A great site to help with the development of a cyber safety program (for teachers OR parents): http://csriu.org/ (This link is also provided in the news story above.)

 

The Computer-Fixer Hat

As mentioned in the previous post, computer fixing takes up a fair chunk of an ET's time. I've already found that a lot of the problems I've been asked to fix really do not require any degree of technological expertise to fix. Most problems could be address by the user themselves if they knew where to look. I'm hoping that this post provides some resources that you can share with your teachers so that your time is spent fixing problems that actually need your expertise to be fixed.

The help menu would seem to be a logical place to start. Try pointing out where this menu is and how to use it (like how to type in questions or keywords to actually get the results that you want). For some people, the help menu isn't the best option because it is text based. This is a problem for two reasons: First, users without the vocabulary necessary to navigate the help topics are not going to find much help. Second, many users are looking for a quick solution and reading isn't really the fastest fix - it's faster to track down the ET than it is to read 6 paragraphs on photo resizing. As a result, help topics with more visual components like screen capture stills or videos might be an easier sell on the self-help front. Here are a few links to get you started.

http://www.actden.com

This site features various tutorials on common educational software applications like PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, IE, etc. Another really neat feature this site offers is online "classes". These classes are really just detailed tutorials - and in some cases, activities - in graphic design, information technology, math, writing, etc. Judging by the design, language, and content of the site, the target audience is really student based. If teachers are willing to get through some of the cheesy themes, they may find portions of the site are helpful for them. The instructions provided are very simple and include visual examples. This is a wonderful site for beginners. The absolute best part of this site? It's FREE! (Although some parts of the site do require registration.)

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line2.htm#pp

This site is more of a hub for online tutorials. It has an extensive list of links that are supplemented by a short explanation which helps to pinpoint what you need. That being said, you need to willing to sift through a lot of topics to find the one you want. The nice part of this site is that it offers a nice mix of text and visual help topics and provides some very specific areas of focus so that you aren't stuck watching a 15 minute video to get the 30 seconds of information you were actually looking for. It is free to use although some of the links will ask for payment depending on what site you are directed to. This site is not as user friendly as actden, but if you are really determined to learn what you need, it is a pretty decent site. If you are looking for a quick fix, don't go here.

www.Lynda.com

This is a wonderful site with an awesome variety of tutorials. The site itself is easy to navigate and offers comprehensive and user-friendly tutorials. Most (if not all?) tutorials are presented as videos with instructions narrated along side of a screen capture of the task being performed. Of the three sites I've listed, this is really the best option for educating teachers. The only downside is that it is reasonably expensive for a personal account ($25/month or $250/year). However, this cost could be a lot more manageable if a school purchased an account and shared the username and passwords with the staff. I'm not sure if you can have more than one computer logged on under the same username at the same time, but I'd imagine that the occasions for simultaneous usage would be few.

If none of these options appeal to you or fill the need at your school, you may consider creating your own video tutorials. This is relatively easy if you can get some screen capture software downloaded onto your computer. (I'd recommend some, but I haven't had much luck finding a program I love...) Then you can narrate the procedures in language you know your teachers would understand. Then you could post these videos to your school website or wiki for teachers to access. This is a nice option because you are able to add your personal touch and teachers still feel like it is YOU helping them. It does take some time to setup, but would be worthwhile in the end if staff were consistent in using it.

This is really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the computer fixing hat, but hopefully with a small investment of time teaching teachers to help themselves, you will be able to put your efforts where they are needed most and will make the biggest impact for your school.

 

The Juggler Hat

I know I started this blog telling you this wasn't about magic tricks, but ETs really do need to know the delicate art of juggling. I was sitting in on a software sales pitch the other day when the conversation led to some of the challenges tech departments face. One of the presenters commented that schools need to have more technology personnel in place to help teachers make the adjustment. More specifically, he thought we needed people that go from school to school helping out where they can. Our technology leader commented that we actually had a designated person IN each school to help out and that this arrangement worked out better for a school division that covers so much geography. He was quick to disagree with her and explained that in-house technology leaders tend to get burnt out very quickly because everyone comes to them with the expectation that they will know how to fix everything. He also commented that a lot of people come to look at the technology leader as a computer fixer instead of a leader...so much so that people don't even try to troubleshoot on their own; they just go to the tech leader as soon as there is a problem.

I'm not going to lie, what he said kind of freaked me out! I'm not even in that position this year and already people seek me out to help them figure out how to change templates on PowerPoint, troubleshoot error messages, and hook up the projectors. In the TIL position next year, I am expected to do most of the things listed in the original hat box post as well as lead computer classes for K-6 students. And that only takes up 50% of my contract! The other half of my time will be spent teaching French classes. Add into the mix the extracurricular expectation, completing my master's degree, and being the community cake lady, and suddenly I'm infinitely aware of the number of balls I've got up in the air. The same rings true of most ETs, I'm sure! So what can we do to make sure all those balls STAY in the air and don't come crashing down into a fiery pit of burn out?!

I've got some ideas that I'd like to try like some very simple instructions to FAQs, picture models of projector hook ups, a troubleshooting process, etc. I always encourage my students to pay attention when others ask questions because they just might learn something they didn't know they needed. Maybe if I take that same philosophy and apply it to working with teachers, I can create more 'experts' to help out. The more people working together on juggling the balls, the easier it is to keep them all up in the air.

**I am aware that classroom teachers and other school personnel have a lot to juggle as well. I do not mean to diminish the expectation on any other member of the education team.**