Is the digital divide as wide as we once believed?

Often in education, there is a discussion of the “digital divide.” In 2001, Marc Prensky coined the phrases digital native and digital immigrant. He posed that the arrival of new technologies had changed the way that students process information. He also proposed that since students were growing up in a media-rich and digital world, they needed their educational experience to mirror that which they were a part of outside the traditional classroom. 

Since then, we have used the terms to describe those who are born into a world of digital devices such as cellphones, computers, and tablets. On the flip side, there are those who grew up without the digital devices who are entering the world as adults. The technology skills of the “digital natives” are assumed to be greater because of students’ exposure to digital devices. Similarly, teachers are assumed to lag behind students in skill level and understanding. Teachers and students are seen as being on opposite sides of the divide due to age difference, while skill level may not be a great divisor.

For some, this divide has created fear among teachers and a loss of confidence in teaching skills. Some teachers see a teacher’s role as being the expert in the room, which includes the need to be the expert in technology before it is incorporated into lessons. Some teachers see an opportunity to teach content to the students and learn from them about technology, creating a synergy around teaching and learning. Some teachers combat the fear by continuing to do what they’ve always done and avoid technology in the classroom.

As many are seeing in schools today, especially ones where the schools are implementing a 1:1 program (1 device per student), the divide may not be as wide in an educational setting as one may believe. Those who are “digital natives” have a lot more practice with using devices for personal reasons such as watching videos, texting, playing games, downloading apps, and other personal and social reasons. Understanding how to use the device as an educational or productivity tool is not as developed, and the gap may not be as wide in the educational setting.

While students are using the devices for personal enjoyment and entertainment, educators strive to find ways to incorporate technology into their lessons and use it to enhance learning opportunities. They create online quizzes, hold Mystery Skypes, participate in Google Hangouts with other classrooms, hold online book chats, and more. For many students, these opportunities are “aha” moments for them. 

Until these experiences, students viewed the devices as their personal connection to their friends, but teachers approach the devices in ways that allow students to connect with their classmates and the world. Once exposed to these opportunities, the students’ understanding of a global and collaborative society is deepened.  Also, these opportunities plant seeds for new ideas to be generated from students. Teachers and students can then learn together to use technology create transformational learning opportunities together.

It is important for educators to understand that a student’s limited viewpoint of his device is part of the process. Students' viewpoint can be changed and widened with teachers’ help. Educators must continue to close the digital divide for students’ sake.

All About PLNs - Are Online PLNs Necessary?

In this week's Friday Memo to our staff, the topic I focused on was Personal Learning Networks, or PLNs. I don't think just knowing what an online PLN is creates enough motivation for an educator to create one. Creating or joining an online PLN is a scary process for some educators. It requires reaching out (fear, vulnerability), learning something new (fear, vulnerability), and change/stepping out of comfort zones (doing something new, applying new learning, listening to conflicting viewpoints - fear, vulnerability). 

It caused me to reflect on the question, "Are online PLNs necessary?" 

Online collaboration is not a foreign concept. From entrepreneurs to business organizations, it is part of the natural workflow as well as networking. There is value from connecting with others in same career field to share ideas and collaborate on projects. Each individual brings different experiences, knowledge, and backgrounds to the table, which creates opportunities for growth by each member of the group.  

Educators must be part of this process for two reasons:  1) Students today will be entering this world in their future. We need to prepare them for those situations. 2) As educators, we have the opportunity to learn from others to improve what we do for students.

In the Friday Memo, I shared a quote from Tom Whitby (@tomwhitby):

"We must remember that lifelong learning requires effort. We expect this commitment from students. We should accept no less from ourselves."  

Something else I shared with the staff in the Friday Memo was an article by Lisa Nielson (@InnovativeEdu), titled The PLN Matures. The Progression of the 21st Century Personal Learning Network. 

In the article, Lisa shares a story of how a PLN progresses to a final stage she calls Collaborative Creation. She tells stories of edcamps that are organized by virtual collaboration and educators within the same area of expertise who collaborate on projects virtually.

I collaborate with my PLN often and in many different ways.

• When I organized a PD for our teachers on how to use Google Hangouts in the classroom, I got help from educators across the country. 
• For the PD I have planned for our PE teachers next week, I reached out to Justin Schleider. I'm not a former PE teacher, so I wanted input on how to maximize the PD for our teachers. I contacted Justin via Voxer, and he got back with me almost immediately. I was amazed at the level of support and assistance he provided to me so that I can provide an awesome day of learning for our teachers! 
• The Compelled Bloggers Community that I co-lead with Craig Vroom (@vroom6) is an incredible group of bloggers that stretches me to grow as an educator through reflection about my practice.
• The #ALedchat team and the weekly twitter chat continues to teach me each week about different education topics. The many different educators with varied areas of expertise help me to learn either more deeply about a topic or they introduce me to a new concept or tool.
• The Women in Education Leadership Voxer group amazes me each day with the empathy, expertise, and experience that we collectively use to support each other.

While I see the tremendous value of connecting online, I need to make sure that I help others to see the value. I don't expect them to automatically jump to Collaborative Creation, but I do want them to progress on the continuum. 

I also included the following video in the Friday Memo:

How to Build a PLN

If your device won't play the video above, click here to watch: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3JPa2mvSQ4

I have some experiences planned for our teachers this semester to help them get started and grow their PLN. I would also love to hear your ideas! 

7 Ways to Break the Cycle of Working on Autopilot

Working on autopilot is easy. Doing what you’ve always done is safe. You show up. You shut your mind off. Boring.

People who are working on autopilot are

• Bored
• Not emotionally invested in the work
• Not working up to their potential
• Putting in their time but not their passion

What can be done to break the cycle of just showing up and going through the motions?

IF IT’S YOU

Set your intention. To break any cycle, it must be intentional. Make a decision to be present at work, have positive self-talk, and meet your goals.

Re-acquaint yourself with your professional goals. Do they align with your organization? If they don’t, it may be time to look for another position, organization, or profession. If they DO align with the organization, re-commit to your goals and seek out mentors or leaders with whom you can share your goals and who will support you in reaching them.

Pay attention to your internal judgment messages, such as “Grading papers is monotonous ” or “Bosses can’t be trusted” or “My colleague is trying to show me up.” When you pay attention and let go of these messages, your emotional intelligence improves and the negative judgment messages won’t drive your behavior.

Practice gratitude. When you practice this daily activity, it redirects your focus from the negative to the positive, from what you don’t have to what you do have. Gratitude strengthens relationships and reduces stress.  Just five minutes a day of practicing gratitude can rewire your brain and create a more positive, productive, creative YOU.

WHAT CAN LEADERS DO?

Help your employee re-focus on the WHY. The organization has goals, and each employee is a vital part of the team working towards achieving the goals. Start a dialogue with your employee about the team’s goals, the meaningful work required of the employee, and your employee’s goals. Additionally, commit to helping your employee succeed in reaching his or her goals.

Avoid the “tell me what to do” trap. Employees who are on autopilot will ask the leader to tell them what to do. This perpetuates the cycle of showing up for work and going through the motions. As a leader, help your employee get clear on what he or she brings to the table that will help in achieving the desired goal.

Model the behavior you expect.  Model innovation for your employees. Show your employees that you are invested and giving your best. Collaborate with others, give praise, and say thank you. Model commitment and fortitude.

What other ways can we help ourselves or others re-engage at work?

How to Create a Custom Twitter Header Image

"How can I create a custom header image for my or my school's twitter account?"

I've gotten this question from several people who have purchased my mini-course, How to Tell Your School's Story on Twitter, so I thought I'd put together a blog post to help all levels of twitter users to create a custom image.

First, it's important to know the sizes of images that are needed for your cover photo (header image). This will help you in making sure your photos aren't too large or too small for the space. Hands down, the best way to create these images at the optimum sizes are by using Canva.

Canva, as I've shared previously, is an incredible resource for blogging and social media graphics. I discovered Canva last spring, and I've use it for all kinds of graphics, posters, flyers, and more! 

One of the many things I love about Canva is that it has pre-sized "templates" which makes it easy to find what you need quickly. That means more time for creating!

So let's get started on how to create a custom Twitter header image.

When you open Canva, you will see several options of sizes, but you will need to click the "More" square (see above).

Once you click on "More," scroll down to the section titled, "Social Media & Email Headers." You will see the option called "Twitter Header." This is the one you should select. It is already sized to 100px X 500px.

Another nice feature of Canva is that they show you where your profile picture will be in relation to the header image. This helpful when you have group photos, words, and other images with specific items that need to be visible in the header. 

Once you're at this point, it's time to customize! Use the options to the left to choose your background, image, text, etc. for your twitter header image.

Once you have created your image in Canva and downloaded it to your computer, open up twitter and click on yourself, then choose the button on the right (just below the header) titled, "Edit Profile." 

When you do this, you will see where you can make edits to your profile. In the photo above, you can see where there is an overlay on my header image that says, "Change your header photo." Clicking on those words brings up another small pop-up box where you will choose "Upload photo."

I recently changed my twitter header to reflect my 3 words for 2016. I'm trying to put them in as many places as I can so that they can be a visual reminder for me throughout the year. 

Twitter Tip: When you create images for a tweet, you need to use a specific size to for optimum viewing.

Guess what? Canva has this option, too! 

Just look under the "Social Media Posts" section for the perfect size.

When you create your custom header using these tips, be sure to let me know on Twitter (@jennifer_hogan)! I would love to see your creations!