Target Audience: Educators (a group of 4-8)
Materials: Each Learner has their own computer with an internet connection, and free access to Google Docs. They each also have access to a phone and have swapped contact information to use as a back-up.
Objective: At the end of the RILS the learner will be able to:
~ demonstrate a desire to know more about incorporating technology into their professional life.
~ commit to joining the Technology Integration (TI) Professional Learning Community (PLC).
~ demonstrate an understanding of how to open and post to three types of Google Docs- Document, Spreadsheet, and Presentation- by completing information on each document according to directions within each document.
~ become familiar with Google Docs in order to facilitate more convenient communication for participation in CBR Project.
~ become familiar with my blog, understanding it is a resource for information about Web 2.0 Tools and a place for sharing of ideas for implementation into lessons
Procedure:
~ I will hold individual meetings either in person or on the phone with each learner.~ I will share my excitement about what I am doing in my Masters program; all the discoveries I have made with Web 2.0 Tools and my ideas for incorporating them into teaching.
~ I will listen to the way they respond to my excitement to determine their comfort level with technology and with my proposal. With those I am not as familiar with, I'll also listen for information and attitudes about their teaching style to determine how closely Id like to work with them.
~ I will share my Blog, focusing on my "Welcome". Then I'll just skim through the topics of each of the other posts encouraging them to go back and look at them as they have time. We'll give particular attention to my posts about Google Docs. I'll prompt them to watch the YouTube presentation about Google Docs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sDA4Y4uGAQ and will be interested in what they'll have to say after viewing. Hopefully they'll be excited about the possibilities for these documents to be a valuable, time-saving tool in their professional world. If It seems like they're a little intimidated, I'll let them know I'll be supportive every step if the way, if they need me.
~ If the learner is comfortable working on their own, I'll explain that I'll send them an e-mail with a hyperlink to all the documents. It will also include brief instructions and my phone number that they are welcome to use before getting frustrated with anything. Please respond to this e-mail saying the task was completed.
~ If the learner is not comfortable working on their own, I'll still explain the above but will stay with them while they retrieve the e-mail and will walk through each step with them.
Web 2.0 Tool: Google Docs
~ Document (similar to "Word")
~ Spreadsheet (similar to "Excel")
~ Presentation (similar to "Power Point")
Google Docs is a free, manager controlled, secure, user friendly tool where you can create and/or store documents online, "in a cloud," instead of in your computer. Using them facilitates ease of sharing/collaboration, and management; saving both computer/e-mail space and time.
Social Participation/Social Learning:
~ We will collectively create each document.
~ The information on each document will be shared with the group.
~ There is anticipation of learner/community sharing in at least one real-world venue and more commonly in online meetings and through my blog.
~ Learners are aware the information on the Presentation will be shared publicly. In that presentation they made a comment to share how they felt about their comfort level with technology at the onset of their participation.
~All will have access to my blog where they know they are welcome to share in posting comments to have discussions.
Making Connections:
This project introduces learners to this professional learning community.
~ Learners might connect prior knowledge with E-mail, Word, Excel, Power Point.
~ Inadvertently they might make connections with telephone, keyboarding, and digital photography.
~ In future experiences with this TI-PLC, I anticipate encouraging connections with the collaborative process inter-professionally as well as with students of my learners.
Create/Produce:
Learners will collectively create all three types of Google Docs
~ a collaborative Document
~ a collaborative Spreadsheet
~ a collaborative Presentation
~ a Technology Integration Professional Learning Community
Assessment:
Through this experience I will be able to assess their commitment to the group, and technology comfort level plus proficiency level by observing the manor in which they respond to my requests.
5. Completed promptly, with self-reported ease; no help needed
4. Completed, self-reported pretty easy; had to figure it out but did
3. Completed, self reported it wasn't too bad; asked quite a few questions
2. Completed after asking many questions, self reported it was a little confusing
1. Did not complete, either said it was too difficult or just didn't communicate at all
Reflection:
All four Learners who completed this task almost immediately volunteered feedback when they were finished. Of the four, one needed my help to walk her through every step. However, I got the impression that she was happy to be learning and liked being pushed outside her comfort zone as long as I would "hold her hand"and not push too hard. Another who was somewhat familiar with Google Docs called to tell me she was going to ask a few of her friends who were also teachers if they'd like to join our group. Someone else expressed concern that she navigated the documents just fine but she might not have time to commit to one more thing. The last Learner said all went well and then began sharing some of the ways she & her co-worker have integrated technology into their lessons in the past.
I think I got good results from implementing this RILS. I lead four Educators to discover or at least become more familiar with a tool that they could now teach someone else about. My CBR Group has officially begun. Most notably, I was able to get my expectations in order enough to be able to finally talk confidently about what I'm doing and why. I didn't get a very good response from the first few people I spoke with, I think, because I wasn't so clear and therefore not too excited myself about what was going to happen.
Now I feel like I'm fairly proficient about some very useful Web 2.0 Tools. They're fun, free, and fairly intuitive. It's so much easier to talk to people when I believe I really know about something that's going to make their life easier and more fun!
The Document, Spreadsheet and Project are posted without anyone else's personal information in my last blog. You'll have to be willing to commit to joining our Technology Integration Personal Learning Community if you'd like to see the e-mail message, but, I'd like that, so just let me know!
