edna.edu.au

Managing Complexity and the Issue of Cyberbullying

I think one of the most complex issues facing teachers at the moment is that of cyber bullying and digital citizenship.  Ria Hanewold in the Australian Educational Computing journal cites a study by Shariff and Gouin conducted in 2001 and again in 2005 that demonstrates a 20% rise in the number of students who had experienced cyberbullying and in her paper discusses the complex intersection of real world dynamics, online behaviour and blurred boundaries.

I believe the nature of understanding the social and collaborative elements of the web is that you must struggle with them yourself to understand their dark and light sides.  This is problematic for many teachers as they might feel this is an intrusive process that does little to solve the problem.  However simply handing down policy or blanket educational programs does little to get at the underlying problems.

I recently read an article by M Fullan that helped me understand the complexity of managing change, in all situations but particularly in education.  He cites the following lessons as being useful for understanding a new paradigm of change to deal with complex problems such as this one.

1. You can't mandate what matters.  The more complex the change the less you can force it.
2. Change is journey not a blueprint. Change is non-linear, loaded with uncertainty and excitment and sometimes perverse.
3. Problems are our friends.  Problems are inevitable and you can't learn without then.
4. Vision and strategic planning come later. Premature visions and planning blind.
5. Individualism and collectivism must have equal power.  There are no one-sided solutions to isolation and groupthink.
6. Neither centralisation nor decentralisation works.  Both top-down and bottom-up strategies are necessary.
7. Connection with the wider environment is critical for success.  The best organisations learn externally as well as internally.
8. Every person is a change agent.  Change is too important to leave to the experts, personal mind set and mastery is the ultimate protection.

So if we look at this from the cyberbullying perspective it is clear that centralisation is a requirment, without the education system is risking the mental and physical health of it's most vulnerable students.  However this will only ever keep a cap on the problem and in no way will it solve the problem it is necessary therefore to have decentralised approaches as well, asking teachers and students to identifying the problems on an ongoing basis and provide localised solutions for their own classrooms.   However I believe the best change management systems will not only provide both approaches but also provide mechanisms for feedback and integration between the two so that centralised solutions such as policy decision provide support and momentum for effective decentralised solutions.  This could be in the form of virtual communites, the use of student representative councils or a myriad of other solutions that if tied effectively into policy making could make the lives of students the responsibility of students and therefore the management and service of those same students partly the responsibility of the students involved.  Additionally it is these students who will own the vision of this issue for the future, cyberbullying will continue in various forms for longer than most of us will be alive, it seems only right that students should be part of setting the agenda for change.  If policy makers go in with some sort of vision for appropriate use of technology it may provide teachers and students with guidelines for dealing with todays problems but as we can see with the new geo-tagging features of phones there is a whole new set of issues.  What teachers and students need are the skills to identify when action will need to be taken, identify the correct course of action, share this with the broader population including policy makers before moving onto the next challenge.

For me this negotiated and empowering strategy seems particularly effective as it is difficult for us to see the unintend outcomes of providing only one solution or the other.  Fullan quotes another prominent author Senge (1990) in saying that 'when cause and effect are not close in time and space obvious interventions do not produce expected outcomes'.  Instead when it comes to dealing with highly senstive, highly interactive and related issues such as cyber bullying it is about finding patterns and pathways through the terrian to enable the best possible outcomes for the current issues.

I think this approach probably rings true for most situations and types of change if you look at the core issues.  For example if the core issue ismoving toward a more constructivist curriculum then implementing laptops to support this process will need careful considerations of managing effective change as describe by Fullan.  However if the core issue is just to provide more technology without a clearly understood reason then it is going to be very challenging because if you ask the end users to build a vision they may come back and tell you that there is no possible vision.  In some cases they might be right and in some they may not be.  Which probably just means you don't get past step one and there is change but it is superficial.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Identifying Resistance to Change (brighthub.com)
• Education is complex. Teachers should be learning. (drapestakes.blogspot.com)
• Bill Gates on Science, Education, the Future (blogs.forbes.com)

Tags: complexity change management
Posted at 03:24PM Aug 14, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  |  Comments[0]

Semantic blogging is simply indispensable

I've just had another go at really putting some effort into my blogging.  I forgot how enjoyable it is, especially when you have the right tools.  My tips for blogging:

• Stick to the point - have one, blogs are more than journals, what is in it for the reader
• Link often - to describe things, link to websites, remember the names and locations of software
• Share other bloggers writing
• Add images

I have used Zemanta for about 3 years now.  It is a semantic search for your blogging that brings up recommended blogs to read, creative commons images, automatically adds links to webpages mentioned and even brings up recommended tags.  This is all really valuable when you are blogging, in fact for me it is indispensable.  I wonder if it works with the DET blog?  It would be amazing if it did.

Warning don't rely on it for everything, you will probably find more specific and relevant information through traditional search structures. 

Tags: semantic search macict education zemanta
Posted at 05:51PM Aug 01, 2010 by meedu  | 

Cyber Citizenship

Today I attended the very professionally run Cyber Citizenship session with ACMA (The Australian Communications and Media Authority).

Key points from the day:

• Consider activities to implement within your learning area to encourage an embedded approach
• Consider setting up a cybersafety committee (include students)
• Consider how to keep staff, parents and teachers informed and how to have input into cybersafety policies
• Teaching one tip everyday or putting the tips on screensavers.
• Geo-tagging safety skills needs to be considered and taught.  This might have implications for Local Ecostudy Project.
• Facebook is the number one visited website. (45% of primary school kids)
• Kids are using MSN for homework.  (My thought - to build this into the homework is more inclusive.)
• Two mobile phones are very popular with high school kids.
• Messages can be traced.
• Some schools are having special 'boy' and 'girl' cyber-safety days.  The Lauren's Ordeal.

Cyberbullying:

• It has to be repeated.
• Don't reply.  You can become a cyberbullying yourself.
• Collect evidence.  Print screen to collect evidence of chats etc.
• It's a federal offence.
• Bystanders can play a big role in.  Let's fight it together. Great resource. Talk about how would you feel?
• If you want to report their are ways.  Eg CyberSafety help button.

Appropriate communication:

• Think about use of emoticons
• Encourage positive online behaviour

Critical literacy

• Ask students to provide at least 2 websites or references for any information they provide.
• Bogus websites can be a useful resource in teaching about this area.
• Copyright

Sexting

• Even if students are sending cartoons with for example, underage cartoon characters, they can still be committing a child pornography offence.
• It may go on the sex offenders register.

Social networking

• Employers are going into Facebook profiles.
• Photos that are uploaded of you because they can appear on Google search.
• Useful video social networking on Hack.
• Your online identities are not seperate.  The information on one website can be used with the information from another website and this can then be used for cybertheft etc.
• Only allow real friends into your online world.
• Teachers not to contact students on social networking sites.  Teachers are not covered for any incidents.

e-Security

• Limewire is a great way of sharing viruses.
• Updates are important.  Virus checks etc
• Don't get free ringtones.  This can cost you hundreds of dollars.

Reminders about the law:

• At school or engaged in school activities
• David Ford - traditional bullying cases take 8 years, we are getting close to the period where definative changes have occured
• Important to think about access to inappropriate content.  Professional diaglogue is important.  Eg is the duty of care of the teacher to check every link that is shared, every comment etc.
• Restorative justice is being thought about, but it takes a long time.
• The policy should include explicitly that 'it was a joke or I didn't mean it' is not an excuse.

Questions:

• What about positive online behaviour eg responding to the 'How many friends do you have?' question?

Other resources:

• Students use of technology research - Click and connect
• Book a presentation with ACMA - Click here
• Students thoughts on technology - Click here
• Technology audit -
• Covert bullying
• Order resources - click here

What I'm going to try to implement:

• When I'm in school talk about one cyber citizenship issue each time I visit.
• Implement more research on social learning in relation to the Learning Design project.
• Use the 'Student Technology Use' audit.
• Build in time at the beginning of the project to actually go through the appropriate Cyber Smart materials.
• Still need to investigate 'social isolation'.
• PNI tool - use to view changes in websites visited at schools involved in projects.
• Get the students to change passwords.

What MacICT could think about doing:

• Help teachers organise a student led internet safety session
• Implement a cyber citzenship management plan and inform teachers.  This should include: previlence and evidence, potential consequences all stakeholders, proactive strategies and reactive strategies, relevant cybersmart resources, strategies and solutions that are curriculum based.
• Think about parent, teacher, student information nights.

Activities for our professional learning day:

•  Work through the strategies and solutions worksheet
• Think about a wholistic approach for our workplace
• Look at the teaching resources available

Tags: learningdesign cybercitizenship macict
Posted at 02:43PM May 12, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Student Learning Design Project Reflection 1

One of my responsibilities during this project is reflecting regularly, and I thought it might be interesting for everyone to see this.  Teachers and students can you please use the three questions I used to reflect in Edmodo, it only has to be a sentence or two (if you haven’t already done this in LAMS):

·         What did you learn about learning/teaching?

·         How did this project help you think about your own learning?

·         What are the challenges in learning about learning/teaching?

What did you learn about learning/teaching?

So far the main thing that I have learnt about teaching and learning is that no matter how high you set the bar for students they will always exceed it in some ways and miss the idea in others.  So many students are already really 'getting the concept' of becoming teachers.  Comments like this one 'I think this project will help us learn about different vital aspects of intuition, such as communication and organisation. It can also teach us a more efficient process of learning and conveying opinions, such as providing the information on Edmodo, where it is more likely to be read and thought about ' amaze me.  This student has articulated a deep understanding of what I think it means to be a 21st Century learner so well.

How did the project help you think about your own learning?

I work best and learn best by doing and making mistakes.  This is great because I'm pretty good at solving problems, it is not so great because sometimes I miss the little things.  I love that the student are all reminding me how hard it is too be a teacher and to meet the needs of lots of different personalities and learning styles.  At the same time I feel like the benefits of using social learning spaces like Edmodo are really clear, I have been able to communicate with students individually and help students understand their personal learning needs and goals.

What are the challenges in learning about learning/teaching?

For the next iteration of the project I definitely think that the introductory process needs to be more streamlined.  Students are really focused on the first activity in each section but not as much in the others.  I think it is good to consider each element in the project eg Learning Design, Group Work but probably more important in stage 2or3 once you have started thinking about your project.  In the beginning it is important to understand being in a project and quickly identify the ‘big idea’ that interests you.  Also maybe using branching in LAMs so that students who finish quickly can advance and think more deeply about more of the concepts.

You can publish your own Tagxedo by clicking here: http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html

Tags: learning design
Posted at 10:39AM May 06, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Get students thinking. Sign up to participate in this MacICT project.

This is a project design to get students thinking differently.  We use LAMS software to teach students to become online teachers, from the planning through to the assessing learning.  All the teachers involved in this project have been surprised by the transformation of teaching and learning in their classroom through participating in this project.

Why you should participate:

• Increased student motivation and self-esteem
• Knowledge and skills in the application of ICT in the classroom
• Explicit teaching of meta-cognitive skills
• The opportunity to practice using technology to create an enquiry-based, collaborative curriculum for your students
• Meet other teachers who are interested in integrating technology in the classroom
• Individual feedback for students on learning designs provided by MacICT

This year our project will be focused on creating designs that are linked with the DET Year of Sustainability.

Click here to book your spot on the LAMS Basic training day.  Or email me concetta.gotlieb@det... for more information.

Tags: macict studentcentredlearning lams thinking
Posted at 11:27AM Feb 09, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  |  Comments[1]

Project Management Part 1

Task management:

• We are using Basecamp.  The great things are the ease of setting up tasks, integration with Outlook and iPhone.  The not so great is it costs and it doesn't do meeting invites.

Tags: project management iphone macict
Posted at 09:54AM Feb 03, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Innovation

I really like the application of three of the ideas in this video to my project:

• Providing a prize as motivation to shift a thinking paradigm
• Providing a learning space where ideas cross over
• Providing a big challenge as a launch pad to learning

Tags: motivation lams innovation macict
Posted at 09:51AM Feb 03, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Student Learning Design Project 2010

Imaged from Flickr user  pandiyan CC licence

I like this picture because you can look at it in two ways - in a way letting students design learning for each other was a bit like sending students to tend to crocodiles.  But like the kid in this picture they also showed strength of character, calmness and passion that makes you remember what teaching is all about.  Click here to read a beautiful reflection by one of the teachers on the project.

Some of the successes of the 'Students As Learning Designers' project included:

• Gaining a better understanding of the choices students make when they use technology
• Uncovering the thinking processes behind what happens when students learn
• Developing empathy and teamwork skills in the groups that participated in the project
• Increased empathy and understanding of what the teacher was asking them to do in all learning tasks 
•  

[Read More]

Tags: lams macict learningdesign studentcentredlearning
Posted at 08:58PM Feb 02, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Managing my information

This is a problem I guess all web workers need to come back to again and again and again.  So just as I got half a handle on doing it on my laptop I have really embraced my iPhone and I'm finding that I actually want to do a lot more with it.

So why do I like the iPhone:

• Because it doesn't yet feel as though I'm working
• Because it's not hot on my legs
• Because I can  walk around

[Read More]

Tags: macict informationmanagement
Posted at 07:49PM Feb 01, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  | 

Project Management

Testing out a few different project management tools.

The main criteria for me:

• Email updates
• Calendar integration
• Ability to see a whole projects tasks and meetings

Testing:

• Basecamp - has all the functionality but costs $24 a month
• Zoho - has google integration for the calendar but not outlook - makes it a bit more difficult for teachers
• Edmodo - has the email updates and a calendar but no 'tasks' and no calendar integration

all this equals a massive bummer.  What to do?

Tags: macict projects processes
Posted at 02:57PM Jan 29, 2010 by Concetta Gotlieb  |