Fanning the Flame: Reading and Writing in a Digital Age

Okay, I'm taking a deep breath as I type this, because I know this might start quite the conversation! But I think we’re ready for one.

As is often the case, I spent some time in a Penn Literacy Network class last  week, and we were talking about research related to literacy.

Research tells us that students should have 12 opportunities to write a day. That is not necessarily the standard 5 paragraph essay. It’s writing about content. It is writing as a tool for processing what you are learning. When students process what they are learning by collaborating, even better. Note-making is more powerful than note-taking. Research also says that we learn best when we form our own writing/letters (preferably in cursive). Typing, unless one is a fluent typist, has the least impact on learning, as the “writer” is not generating the actual letters. Why cursive? Writing in cursive fires a part of the brain related to creativity that no other type of note-taking or note-making does. That firing of the neurons promotes quick retrieval of content, even far into the future. Fluid writing, and yes, even fluid typing, builds a deeper connection with the content.  Writing ON the screen, with a good stylus, appears to have the same impact as it would if you were using cursive.

Students are doing research online and reading online textbooks. Research says that the most effective reading (close reading) requires our eyes to move in a Z pattern. This is how we read, while reading the printed page. We read in an F pattern, while reading something that scrolls and is back-lit. Research also tells us that annotating text helps students make meaning of what they are reading.

In his presentation, Joe Ginotti, PLN Director, cited:

Advances in Haptics, by Anne Mangen and Jean-Luc Velay,

National Centre for Reading Education and Research, 2013.

So, how are we addressing this and similar research in schools, particularly in 1:1 schools?

• How does/should the research impact hardware selection? 
• How does/should the research impact the teaching of keyboarding skills? 
• What are the tools our students are using that addresses this research the best?
• Some of our tests are now delivered online. How are students given the opportunity to apply literacy strategies? 
• With so many LMSs now available, we provide our students digital access to many of our handouts. How are they doing text rendering?
• What are the other questions we should be asking?

I know I have my own opinions, and some of you already know them. However, I’m hoping this blog gets a conversation started.

Rejuvenate this Summer by Exploring 21st Century Critical Thinking Tools

My most recent blog for the PA Institute for Instructional Coaching was posted today.

Summer is almost here!  It's time to rejuvenate, refuel and reflect. Picture yourself on a lounge chair, by the pool with your favorite beverage.  It just so happens that you have your computer and wifi as well!  Why not take this time to explore various critical thinking tools and their potential in different instructional situations? 

More...

How Coaches Help Teachers Integrate Digital Learning to Increase Student Engagement and Improve Student Learning

In our blog post for the PA Institute for Instructional Coaching, Stevie Kline and I discuss:

How Coaches Help Teachers Integrate Digital Learning to Increase Student Engagement and Improve Student Learning 

When a teacher comes to you with a new digital tool, how do you keep the conversation around changing instructional practice?

Today, the technology coach and the instructional coach cannot be mutually exclusive. Digital tools are simply more tools to add to your coaching tool belt. Coaches should experiment with the tools so that they know which will increase student engagement and improve student learning.

Do you agree?

Give Written Conversations a Chance

Back Channels. Discussion Forums. Twitter. Oh my!

A teacher recently asked me about students using online discussion forums. This teacher was wondering out loud if this was a 21st century skill, since it hadn't been discussed anywhere in the teacher's professional reading. This conversation made me reflect on when, in the real world, students will have the need to have rich written conversations using expressive language, rich vocabulary, and probing and clarifying questions. I didn't have to look far.

I am part of an online community that numbers greater than 3,000 individuals. The only thing that bonds us is the town in which we live. Our politics, religious beliefs, and sports teams differ. However, there is always something being discussed amongst "friends." Just after my traditional conversation about written conversations, this community was going through some self-reflection. 

Two of the most frequent contributors, without fanfare, had voluntarily left the conversation. They had had enough of what had gotten "ugly." This virtual water-cooler had turned into the wild west, and members had stopped self-policing. The virtual self-reflection had us wondering if frequent contributors were no longer policing themselves because they feared public humiliation or could it have been that they thought the name-calling and threats would be directed at them.

The only reason anyone knew that these two individuals had left the group was because of a comment made by someone else. Thank goodness! As a result, a valuable discussion took place - all as a written conversation. Questions were asked to clarify what had happened. Probing questions were asked about the proper way to interact online. Group norms began to emerge or be challenged. 

Students are part of such communities outside of school, even if educators are not. I propose that one of our roles as educators is to teach our students to be good digital citizens. (See the ISTE technology standards for students.). As I watched the conversation unfold, I couldn't help but think about the valuable learning opportunity to students. How would they respond to the questions that were addressed?

• Should trouble-makers be removed?
• Should those who are hiding behind false identities be exposed?
• If verbal attacks are made, should the attackers be banned from the group?

In any community, online and in-person, negativity is always going to take place. Online communities seem to provide those would not ordinarily speak up with a venue to vent. It's as if sitting in front of a computer screen and keyboard empower the individual. However, just like in-person, one negative comment often breeds another. In a short time, the bullies begin to tag team. What seems like condescending and rude to one person may be funny and joking to another. The most significant difference with online negativity is the fact the comments are in writing and have a long shelf-life.

How can educators model appropriate behavior in an online forum? According to recent research, students should be writing 13-18 times a day -- not just in English class but in every content area. A written conversation on a topic is a way to do just that. Discuss current events. Explain how you solved a math problem. Take on the persona of a character in history, math, or science and have a written conversation with a contemporary using academic vocabulary.


Sometimes those who are part of a written conversation will have the ability to add humor to serious topics, simply because they are writing. At the same time, this venue can also provide bullies with the opportunity to attack those who don't warrant an attack. This makes this environment uncomfortable for those who don't regularly participate, and it can even become uncomfortable for those who do. 

Back to our students…When the characters disagree, they have to figure out how to express the disagreement. When a student's solution makes no sense to another student, they have to respectfully challenge the solution. Providing students with opportunities for written conversation may empower the quiet ones in a positive way. Not providing them with opportunities for written conversation, I believe, puts them at a disadvantage. 


They need practice to prepare them for the readily accessible opportunities they will have to have written conversations as part of online research, the college application process, commenting about books, music, and restaurants, and recommending (or not) local business people. They need to have the chance, in a controlled environment, to think about things such as:

• What does it say about a written conversation when those who actively participate in it - or those who simply read it - consider leaving because of a few and forget that there are nearly 3,000 others who rarely contribute?
• Should written conversations be policed by other members of the group?
• When the opinions in the group disagree with your own or get negative, should you step away for a while?
• When an online community is by invitation or request, should members consider it a privilege to participate?

So, why do adults participate in a virtual water cooler? In my example, it could be that it's a wonderful resource for happenings, information sharing, and community networking. During difficult weather, it has been a lifeline. The number of dogs lost and then found because of this network is amazing. The number of casseroles made for the homeless is awe-inspiring. Opportunities for reputable small businesses to build up their clientele are regularly available.

The things these grown-ups have grappled with are the same things, I believe, your students could grapple with if given the chance to participate in a closed group of their classmates.

• Challenge your own thinking; challenge another's thinking: 
• Is it wise to block people you disagree with? 
• What could you learn from them? 
• What questions could you ask them, to better understand their point of view? 
• How could you share your point of view without alienating others? 
• Be civil: When someone disagrees with you, name-calling and threats are unacceptable. 
• Be supportive: 
• When someone is being questioned about their beliefs, have their back, even if you disagree with them. 
• Civil discourse is key. 
• Support those who stand up for each other, even when it's difficult. 
• It's hard to speak up, when you are concerned about being the next target. 
• Consider perception: 
• When thoughts are put into writing, it can be hard to decipher tone. As a result, bantering may be perceived as a slight. A joke may be taken seriously. 
• Sarcasm is not always read the way it is intended. 
• Write with intent. 
• Be mindful of what you are writing and the tone that you are using. If it is misconstrued, clarify what you meant. 
• Perception is reality, and you may not have a chance to explain. 
• Take it with a grain of salt: 
• Writers may not have given a whole lot of thought to what they've written. Five minutes from now, they may wish they had never written it. 
• Respond; don't react. Give yourself some breathing room before you respond. 

And why is it important that students learn this? In the real world, they could be writing in an environment that includes many "lurkers" who read but don’t write. Those lurkers could be a next-door neighbor, a business associate, a teacher, a principal, a college admissions officer, or a friend with different political beliefs. This is the world in which they live. They simply need to learn how to be good digital citizens. As educators, we need to give them practice.

Assessment FOR Learning

If we want to make data-driven decisions, we need data. Currently, you may be gathering informal data by having your students hold up X number of fingers to express their level of understanding. They may add a colored sticky note to chart paper to show you to stop and re-teach (red), full steam ahead (green), or to slow down (yellow). You may start the class with a bell ringer that tells you what they learned from watching the video the night before. Or you may ask them to write what they got out of today's class on an index card. What do you do with that data? How do you analyze it?

Digital tools are wonderful to assess FOR learning, while having access the data immediately - and, often, an a way that allows students to comment on the data or see it as a graph.

What are your favorites?

Define SUCCESS.

The Perfect Storm

In the past, I have written about my struggle with the merging of technology and the human and social lenses in education. I wondered if all of our devices have the ability to meet the need for students to connect with each other and to give them voice. In the past week, I have witnessed the human and social lens to a great degree in the world of social networking. 

This winter has been unprecedented. The eastern part of the United States has been in the grips of debilitating storms and frigid temperatures. In fact, there have been two major snowstorms within a week. One included a layer of ice that shut down the electric system for 92% of my community for upwards of 3+ days. I was among the fortunate who had power. 

During that time, I continually turned to a Facebook group created by a couple of township residents. It started out as a place to ask for recommendations on local businesses and to share local news. It has morphed into a community of nearly 2,000 individuals, and I do not use the word community lightly. Besides the need for heat, a key human need in this storm was the need to keep devices charged to stay connected to each other.

Most of these people do not know each other personally. In most cases, they would not recognize other group members in town. Some have decided to get together at a local establishment to argue politics or soothe wounded egos in person. Others have gathered at a local meeting hall to start a knitting club. There are groups who know each other as parents of children in the same school or in the same sports league. However, the vast majority have never met.

As the power outage stretched into a full day, community members used Facebook to warn of downed trees and wires, to announce sightings of out of town utility trucks rolling into town, to note where warming stations had opened, and to ask for instructions on how to set up generators. But that was just the start.

As one full day turned into a second, the venting began. The shared distress was evident. There were people who were caring for sick loved ones. There were children of the elderly trying to find nearby kids to shovel out their parents. There were complete strangers offering their homes for warmth, laundry, showers, and powering up. When someone went to another town and found generators, they were willing to buy one for another member who couldn't find one. A mother was at her wits' end when she found out that her power would not be restored for another 24 hours. Another mother reached out and offered her home, her kids' xBox, and a shoulder. A local restaurant running on generator power set up charging stations and free coffee. Come on down, and you don't need to buy a thing.

Once the power was restored, normalcy returned. When the next storm was predicted, the jokes began.

Now, as day 7 of school closings comes to a close, the community is tense. Some folks are voicing their concerns about the lack of civility in the group. They are wondering if they should leave it. Yet, only a week ago, it was a lifeline for so many. Last week, the good in everyone came out.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that nearly 2,000 are reading what you write. Most sit quietly in the background. 

It resembles a classroom from the social aspect. There is a vocal group, a group who responds when the topic is of great interest to them, and a group of bystanders  who take it all in. The Social lens is alive and well in this online community.

I saw the last week through the human lens by being part of this group. Had I been locked away at home, I would have merrily gone about my business. I would not have known what was going on in my community, until the paper came the next day. And, it would have told only the stories of a few. Instead, I participated in a real community. 

I am rethinking where this aspect of technology fits into education. Can technology play a positive role in the social and human side of education (and life)? Absolutely!

My community certainly is a great place to live.