Learning is Social: AASL Common Belief

[Laura Brooks]

Hi All,

I am writing an article for Knowledge Quest's 2009 AASL Conference issue. The issue is themed on the Nine Common Beliefs that form the framework for the new information literacy standards. I am focusing on:

Learning has a social context.
Learning is enhanced by opportunities to share and learn with others.  Students need to develop skills to share knowledge and to learn with others, both in face-to-face situations and through technology.

Specifically, I'd like to know:

1) Are you implementing the student assessment techniques discussed in the standards? If so, what assessment strategy is working? e.g. rubric, student log, etc.

2) Are you designing projects with social learning as a goal?

3) Do you feel that students are gaining or building toward a mastery of social learning? In other words, they're learning the importance of social interaction in the learning process, not merely how to use social collaboration or technology tools like PowerPoint, wikis, blogs, etc.

4) Do you feel students are more active in their own learning through using social technology tools? Are they choosing their own tools for presenting and sharing information/knowledge or is it mainly librarian and teacher directed?

Please see AASL link for a review of standards.

Please let me know that I may quote you or refer to your experiences by including your full name, position, and e-mail address. I have a short lead time, so I need to gather all responses by Tuesday, January 6th.

Thank you for your participation.

Laura Brooks
Library Media Specialist
Northville Public Schools
Northville, MI
[e-mail]

[Cathy Nelson]

Laura, while I feel ready (experience wise) to provide resources that will allow much more social learning, the k12 area where I work is slow to embrace social tools of any kind, even in the name of learning, other than the walled-garden variety. The powers that be continue to filter out the tools that I have embraced. With the large quantity of tools filtered, teachers in general have been slow to learn them as well---feeling why should they learn the tools they will not be able to use. So it continues to be a struggle. I myself feel teachers of all levels should get in the mix, otherwise how else will one realize the potential. I evangelize it as I can, but it is a slow, uphill climb. Right now in my own context, my principal, who has two teen-aged sons of her own, fully embraces the ideas, but is hesitant to make waves at a higher level. So when we use tools in our teaching context that allow for learning to be social, the kids realize it is with limits (l.e. walled garden, similar but not the real thing).

I have conversed with kids before about how they use their tools for school purposes. I was amazed at the mention of regular study groups meeting online to prepare for units of study or big tests, but outside the school day and school filter. These kids talked about setting up groups (i.e. AP calculus) in Facebook to talk through problems, get help, and review in preparation for tests. I asked if it was just their classmates, and they said yes and no--anyone who wants to be in the group is allowed, but most of the time it is just them. In terms of assessment, I'm no where near thinking of assessments with tools yet b/c first I must fully wrap my mind around relevant use as well as get other educators to embrace and make the tools relevant in learning before thinking about assessment. Lofty goals, I know. Here's to hoping the new year will bring about this shift in thinking that is so needed.

Cathy Nelson
Library Media Specialist
Conway Middle School
Horry County Schools
Conway, SC
[e-mail]

[Laura Brooks]

Cathy,

Thanks so much for your thoughtful response. Does your district completely forbid (i.e. through written policies) use of social technologies like blogs or wikis? I'm wondering if it's more a cultural norm you're experiencing or an outright policy mandate.

My district will verbally express uncertainty with 2.0 tools, but I use them as they're not outright forbidden. I'm in a fixed schedule K-5 environment and have been able to develop extracurricular reading review blogs and have collaborated with teachers on class project wikis. I feel that if the door is slightly open, I'm going in :) Still, it's frustrating to know that most of our students lose out on using key tools in social learning.

Kind Regards,

Laura

[Cathy Nelson]

No--no written policy. But we did recently change web page software that includes some 2.0 features, and right now we are encouraged to highly protect them. We have been told to "disconnect" any teachers who previously linked those kinds of tools to the school sites, mainly because the district wants them to use the web service it is paying for as opposed to open source or independently paid for domains. But it is a beginning.

[Rob Darrow]

Hi Laura - Great questions. And I'm writing the article in response to the Core Belief following yours: "School libraries are essential to the development of learning skills. School libraries provide equitable physical and intellectual access to the resources and tools for learning in a warm, stimulating, and safe environment. School librarians collaborate with others to provide instruction, learning strategies, and practice in using the essential learning skills needed in the 21st century."

And as I look at your questions and think about this one, I'm thinking that to create "intellectual access to tools for learning in a warm, stimulating and safe environment" that the social context of learning is integral to creating a safe online environment.

Sharing and learning with others is critical in this 21st Century world. Makes me think about the Partnership for the 21st Century Skills (http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/) where social networking is highlighted over and over.

In answer to a few of your questions...unfortunately, in my observations, class assignments, especially at the high school level, do little to challenge students to do ongoing presenting let alone choosing their own tools for presentations. The types of assignments need to change in order for students to make use of social networking tools. Students are in MySpace and Facebook, and I've seen very few evidence that these types of tools are being utilized by many schools. However, the exceptions that I'm aware of are probably best summed up in this blog post from Jeff Utecht at the Thinking Stick: http://www.thethinkingstick.com/?p=402.

Now, for all those reading this, I'm writing the KQ article about Core Belief # 9 in quotes above...here are two questions I'm pondering:
1. In this 2.0 world, what are some examples of what a "warm, stimulating and safe environment" for physical and intellectual access? Aside from the physical part, how do we create a stimulating school library online environment?
2. What does "collaboration with others" mean for school librarians in the 21st century?

[Laura Brooks]

Rob,

Thanks so much for replying and sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate the blog link.

I wonder if one of the reasons MySpace and Facebook are under-utilized has a connection to your first question. In my experience, schools see these social networking sites more as a threat to child safety than a learning tool. This, in spite of the fact that Facebook offers the capability for setting up private groups.

As to your second question, I think "collaboration with others" for school librarians in the 21st century involves looking beyond our traditional teacher-collaborator role. We need to start being more active in student learning through direct collaboration with them on projects. I also would like to see us collaborate more closely with the technology coordinators in our schools. If we want to see our students benefit from social technologies than we need to educate our colleagues on piloting programs and breaking through outmoded perceptions that Web 2.0 tools are unsafe. We need to start working with others to change or shape policies, so our students can actually take advantage of these resources.

Best,

Laura