Thrashing Towards the Digital Classroom Rocks, Blocks, and Friction Using Project Organizers and Multi-Media
to Support Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
...the sin quo non of education is whether teachers know how to make complex subjects accessible to diverse learners... The Right to Learn- by Linda-Darling Hammond
Web-Based Project Organizers provide a one-to-one workspace for students to access and respond to teacher developed units of study and two-way communication between student and teacher.
Project organizers support whole-class instruction, small group instruction, collaborative learning, and individual learning both within the classroom and from any location which has a computer and internet access.
Project Organizers may be developed to present: a single concept, a mini-lesson, a multi-week unit of study on a major topic. Organizers can be developed for any grade-level.
Organizers may include multiple media: text, images, audio, video, web-based games, activities, and website links etc. – as appropriate to reach and engage students of all levels and learning styles. Teachers can create their own media and/or access media which is available via subscription and on the web.
Teachers have web-based access to project organizer student responses – which allows them to review student work, write individualized comments, answer student questions, and share and develop instructional mini-lessons based on student work.
Project organizers support classroom instruction to ensure success for all students.
From 1980 to 2004, Sarah Chauncey worked as a business strategist, system’s analyst, computer consultant, and web developer implementing high-profile applications for major corporations including Morgan Guaranty, First Boston, Citicorp, Equitable Life, Newsweek and for several small businesses.
As a technical instructor, she wrote and presented technical training courses to companies in the Northeast.
Between 1989 to1993, as Vice President and co-owner of StarTech Software Systems, Inc., she co-developed and marketed a report management and distribution system which was used by companies in the United States, Europe, and Mexico.
Education
BA ~ English and Education (Summa cum laude),
MLS ~ Syracuse University's School of Information Studies (Summa cum laude)
MBA ~ NYU Stern School of Business / Minor Computers & Systems (Magna cum laude)
A Career Change Memoir...
In 2004, I made a major career decision. I decided to combine my technical and business expertise with my commitment to public education and continue the next phase of my career as a library media specialist.
I created an online portfolio and sent the link with a cover letter to school districts in Rockland County. By the end of August, I was offered the position of School Library Media Specialist at Grandview Elementary School (K-3) in the East Ramapo School District.
First Days
I will never forget the day I was escorted to the library at Grandview. The room felt heavy, gray, and cluttered. I remember thinking – boy does this place need Feng Shui. I wandered around and took a couple of books from the shelves – they were worn and not grade-appropriate. There was a large desk in the middle of the room blocking shelves which held picture books by authors U-Z. There was no technology. I sat behind the desk and thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” I began opening drawers – surely I’d find some clues to my question, "What do librarians do these days?” I opened a file box that held index cards with little checkmarks indicating that magazines had arrived successfully in September, October… I thought, “Every month has a checkmark – all magazines, for more than one year, made it to the library.” I made an executive decision -- don’t worry about the magazines – the magazines will make it – and what’s the worse thing that could happen if a magazine doesn't show up one month? I chucked the index cards into the trash can. With that one act, I felt empowered to set a new course, lay out some goals, and get started. I decided to view this job as one of those consulting challenges – figure out what’s working, what isn't working, and get things on track. But I knew I couldn't work on “school time”, I had to work at a pace that made me feel comfortable – fast.
The first thing I did was get rid of the desk – it was removed the third day. Then I wrote out goals for the year which were, in a nutshell: clean, weed, develop, and automate the book collection; ask for an interactive white board and at least four computers; use my own notebook computer until I could purchase one; build a library website as my communications and management center; and find out how I could support and collaborate with classroom teachers.
Week one came to a close. I knew what I’d gotten myself into – and it was good.
Presenting the Plan
I presented a special story and my goals to principal, Dr. McCarthy. I had written the story, “Reading and Children” years ago. The story helped me to communicate the importance of sharing stories with children. After listening, she asked that I meet with each grade level to share what I’d presented to her. On the third day, the teachers trooped in one grade at a time. We sat around a table and I shared the “Reading and Children” story and my goals for the year. While technology would play a big part in the library program, everything was about literacy, not technology. Technology was easy for me – putting technology to use to promote literacy would be the focus and challenge.
One teacher did ask me if I was serious about accomplishing those goals in one year. She reminded me that this was a school system – not the business world. The warning was a good one – I’d probably have to invest more than time to kick-start the effort – the goals would be accomplished.
College of Information at Florida
State University
April 2007 ~ Graduate Student Ruth Elder
~ Research Project looks at Grandview Library Abstract:
The project looks in depth at podcasting in an elementary school library. Podcasting is explained and its potential value for learners is addressed. The Grandview Elementary School Library in Monsey, NY is described in the case study section. Grandview contains grades K-3 and its library program involves students in podcasting. Students use podcasting in many ways to enhance their learning. The Grandview Newspaper includes podcasts voiced by students who are sharing book reviews, movie reviews, podcasting tips and much more.
Received from Anita Fletcher on November 5, 2007
Here are two links to a newspaper article and a tv video.
Thanks again. I’ll remember you when I get to Hollywood.
St Thomas Aquinas - Literacy Extravaganza Presentation
Bill Moyers sits down with Mark Johnson, the producer of a remarkable documentary about the simple but transformative power of music: PLAYING FOR CHANGE: PEACE THROUGH MUSIC. The film brings together musicians from around the world — blues singers in a waterlogged New Orleans, chamber groups in Moscow, a South African choir — to collaborate on songs familiar and new, in the effort to foster a new, greater understanding of our commonality.
FLYP is about what moves America and Americans, covering everything from politics to lifestyles; social issues to cultural developments; war to peace; music to movies. Our goal is to connect the dots in ways that both inform and entertain.FLYP combines video, text, animation, high-quality design and interactivity in a new kind of storytelling that blends the best from the world of print with the latest from the Web.Digital Media International, LLC creates FLYP biweekly.
I first started working with computers in the days of mainframes. Mainframes were massive in size and expensive. A 5 million dollar mainframe could have less than 32 meg of physical memory (Today we think in Gigs - my computer has 4 Gig of memory or 4096 MB). As computer programs became more complex and memory hungry, and the need to run multiple programs or jobs "concurrently" became a necessity -- virtual memory -- an area on a computer's hard drive -- was used as an extension of physical memory. Instructions sat in their own areas of virtual memory until they were needed -- then they were read into physical memory.If the number or tasks (processes), or a single task, did not have enough physical memory, the computer would spend all of its time loading instructions and data from virtual memory into physical memory -- thrashing -- and not doing meaningful work (computing). So what's the point ... I think we're thrashing ... and we have been for quite a while -- both in the "what" and the "how" of executing our work as educators. I think we all have our ways of dealing with the thrashing -- and I believe some ways are better than others.... and that's where this story begins.
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LET'S ROCK
The story goes that a speaker was addressing his audience at a conference. He pulled a large glass jar from under the podium, placed it on a table and proceeded to fill the jar with rocks. He looked at the jar, then looked at the audience and asked, "Is the jar full?" Everyone responded, "Yes." He pulled out a bag of pebbles and emptied the pebbles into the jar. They settled amongst the crannies between the rocks. When he couldn't fit another pebble into the jar, he asked, "Is the jar full?" The audience was not as quick to respond, but most answered, "Yes, now it's full." He pulled out a bag of sand. He poured the sand into the jar. The sand filled the spaces between the pebbles. He asked, "Is the jar full?" By this time, the audience wasn't sure what would happen next, but finally responded, "Yes, now the jar is full." The speaker paused, looked at the jar, and said, "If I hadn't placed the rocks in the jar first, I wouldn't be able to put even one rock in that jar." Think of a rock as a goal which leads to a significant accomplishment.
Learning to use any technology takes time. What I consider a clean, intuitive interface may seem like a convoluted maze of menus from your point of view. After browsing through a product's technical manual, you estimate that it will take a lifetime to learn how to edit a single digital photo -- that's if you figure out how to get it from your camera into the computer. Producing a video clip might happen in your next life. The Unschooled Mind Takes Over!
That kind of thinking is just one of the blocks you'll have to deal with. The other blocks might be: getting your district to purchase software and install that software on your computer; convincing the powers that be that learning to use this technology will give you a new toolset to produce content which engages students; finding time to train your students to use the same technology so they'll have new tools to share what they learn. (Come to think of it, they may be training you.)
FRICTION
Finally, you'll have to eliminate the friction. Friction is anything that comes between you and your rock. Put your digital camera on your desk, wear it around your neck if necessary -- but don't put it in the zippered black case in your classroom closet. The camera is your friend. Start taking pictures of children reading, talking, writing etc. Do the same with your video camera. Mount it on a tripod and keep it charged. Put it as close to the action as possible and turn it on. I use a standard digital camera and a mini-digital camera (FlipVideo Ultra). Let the children take pictures and shoot video when you go on field trips. Use the footage to inspire a writing assignment which is podcasted and combined with the video -- share it with the entire school community. Keep your Digital Recorder in your pocket -- or hang it around your neck -- you will use it. Collect the images, audio and video -- the raw materials you will need to present your next lesson or to share student work. At first, you may do this spontaneously in response to some part of your teaching OR to help children share their work. In time, it will feel natural to pre-plan the use of technology within your lessons and units of study. Once you are comfortable, you will invite students to become your production assistants -- why should you have all the fun?
Web-Based Project Organizers provide a one-to-one workspace for students to access and respond to teacher developed units of study and two-way communication between student and teacher. 
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Project organizers support classroom instruction to ensure success for all students. 
