Aim/Objectives:

“Change happens when individuals understand the need for the change, consider it to be reasonable, and possess the knowledge and skills to implement the change.”
– Michael Fullan, from Change Forces. London: Falmer Press, 1993.

Teacher librarians and enrolling teachers in S.D.#59 want to learn to use available technology and teach students to use it with ease. They have the knowledge that we are in the Information Age and that students must have skills to manage information to succeed. We are endeavoring to give them the skills and knowledge they need to implement the change. Participation in the program is voluntary and funding for teachers, administrators, or Support Staff time comes from District or school Professional Development sources. Software and hardware are provided from District or school sources.

“A painting is a creative work. To make it, the artist uses his palette and has the skills to put the parts of the painting together. Information technologies are like the artist’s palette and his knowledge of how colors and patterns work together. But the picture was from within the artist. We can teach our students to use the tools of information technology. With Big Six they create the pictures.”
– Dave Nybakken, Asst. Superintendent, S.D.#59 (Peace River South) Opening Address for Summer Institute, August, 1996.

Our program is aimed at giving enrolling teachers and teacher librarians the knowledge to implement an Information Problem Solving Process Big Six), and enabling them to acquire the skills to enable them to allow students to acquire information electronically, extract, organize and clarify data, and to synthesize, to repackage or create knowledge, and present it with a variety of technological tools. We do not intend that traditional sources of information be no longer considered to be of importance. At this point in time the need is to develop electronic and technological expertise.

Program:

(Participants agree to a two year program): Information Literacy -Big Six- First Year, Barbara Jansen and Bob Berkowitz, second year and succeeding years, Local Workshop Leaders Information Technologies- Local Workshop Leaders.

Goal:

To enable teacher librarians and enrolling teachers to acquire information literacy and information technology skills to, in turn, allow students to become proficient in these areas.

Certification Criteria:

Participants decide when they have achieved the criteria and apply for a certificate.

Level One:

1. At least one student project as a result of a unit of instruction will have
text/graphics
photographs
video
animation
Internet Source
Sound

All of these could be included in one project or it could be combination of projects.
2. A newsletter produced by a student.

3. A newsletter produced by the participant.

4. An instructional presentation produced with technology and multimedia- no paper.

5. A completed unit plan, formatted in ClarisWorks Draw which includes Big Six Process, technology to be used and an explanation of why this technology was selected, and evaluation of the process, products and appropriateness of the technology for the purpose.

6. Develop a personal technology learning plan. Share it with someone and send a copy to the trainer group.

7. Address the question “Why should students be trained in, and have the opportunity to apply technology in acquiring information and in demonstrating their learning”, in a statement of not more than one page. This statement to be shared with one other person and a copy sent to the trainer group.

The trainer group will be happy to meet with and coach anyone on any part of this. There is no particular order for the meeting of these criteria.

Level Two:

1. Plan, deliver and evaluate technology in-service to a group of three or more persons (colleagues, parents….).

2. A completed instructional project with a group or class which includes the Big Six Process and multimedia.

3. Show evidence of an established on-going process which has resulted in student created newsletters, computer clubs or some manifestation of information technology integration in the school.

4. Establish a school or class process which results in student straining or troubleshooting for other students.

5. Articulate the completion of at least one goal of a personal technology learning plan.

6. Demonstrate, to personal satisfaction, mastery of the District Computer Skills list.

7. Submit a summarized list of at least six problems which formed the basis of curriculum integrated cooperatively planned projects addressed through the Big Six process. The problem summaries should include the problem statements, technologies used and an evaluation of the process.

Process:

In-service and implementation based on:
Theory
Theory +Practice
Guided Practice
Feedback
Reflection
Coaching

Two day Summer Institute and five days throughout the year,- sessions 5hours, spaced throughout the year. Each session:
Deepening Big Six skills.
Skill building in using and managing software and hardware.

Software focus for presentation skills is ClarisWorks- Draw, Database and Spreadsheet and Hypermedia- either “The Digital Chisel” or “Hyperstudio.”

The technology team decided to focus on developing skills with ClarisWorks Draw, because, when individuals have expertise in this software application they will be able to transfer to other applications, and all schools, teachers and students in the District have access to this software. Participants bring their own computers to the in-service and know that what they have done they will be able to doing their own locations. A minimum of one copy of targeted software is provided for each school site.

By the end of year one participants can create Newsletters, slide shows into which graphics and video are inserted, a hypermedia presentation. They can install software, manage their computers, and use laserdisks, CD ROM, digital and video cameras. (This year they will also be able to gain experience in using Internet).

By the end of the second year participants can create databases and spreadsheets, search the Internet and we hope, create a web page. They can edit video and digital pictures.

Information Sources:

CD-ROM (Encyclopedia, magazine indices, Topic Programs, instructional programs etc.), laserdiscs, videos, Internet not totally successful as yet, but now we have a Wide Area Network which will make access more equitable).

Hardware:

Computer management- each session there is some time devoted to examining system operations, management of files and documents. Peripheral equipment- participants learn to hook up and use laserdiskplayers, Digital Cameras, LCD panels, capture video from video sources, among others. This is accomplished by following manuals and instructional brochures.

Network Management:

Network architecture, planning.

We are now into the second year of our program. The second year group are expanding and consolidating skills, the first year group are learning new skills.

A typical workshop is designed as follows:
Feedback- How did you use what you learned last time? -in small groups, round robin- report out to the group. (Technology and Big Six). (Feedback in this context is not from an observer to the practitioner, but the practitioner relating experience) This may involve sharing of artifacts- a student slide-show, a Library Program Newsletter, or, the planning process using Big Six with a colleague ).

Reflection- What do you feel you could do differently- coaching one another in pairs.
Instructional sequence- Technology. e.g. inserting graphics in a Draw document, install software for the Quick take cameras, take a picture, download and insert into the Draw document.

Guided practice in using the technology. Engagement in new information, synthesizing.

Dialogue and coaching- the application of the new learning between workshops. Set a goal. Determine how it fits with the personal plan.

Set criteria for achievement of the goal.

Big Six Extension- e.g. discussion of B6 Organizer and how it could be used in the school setting, sharing of participant created organizers.

Computer management- e.g. memory allocation for running programs, what are extensions and which ones do we need?

We are now in the second year of offering this program. We have found that we need to be very flexible to meet the needs of our participants. Workshops are not “packaged” because we are still learning how to involve busy practitioners in ways that they will be able to apply what they learn in their everyday situations.

To date no-one has yet applied for first level certification although we know that several people have met most of the criteria and that there are many instances of projects completed following the Big Six process, but as yet we have no firm documentation. We do know that participation rates for our workshops are constant, and that teacher-librarians and teachers are becoming less afraid of technology and have acquired problem solving skills in dealing with software and hardware glitches. Several schools have now developed Technology Plans because practitioners are now having a glimmering of what is possible. The plans are coming from informed and pro-active practitioners who are becoming aware of what is not just probable but possible.

We have District level support in implementing Big Six, but need to attend to getting building level support for this initiative. Researches overwhelming on the topic of the need for administrator support and we still have to fully address getting our school level administration to visibly support the program.

Anne Symons, Resource Centre Librarian,
District Resource Centre,
10512 13th St.
Dawson Creek, BC V1G 3W6
Ph. 604-782-6336
Fax 604-782-1470