Paige's Minigrant Proposal and Final Report

Mobile Bay Writing Project: Leadership Unites and Ignites to Explore and Expand the Potential of the Digital Read/Write Web

The purpose and intent of the work facilitated by the minigrant was to strengthen the technological knowledge and expand utilization among the current leadership of the Mobile Bay Writing Project (MBWP) through intensive training, analysis, and reflection using open source technologies. A retreat among the leadership was attended to unite the leadership and ignite the initiative, followed by technology supported communication and continuity meetings that focused on utilization and dissemination of new technological knowledge and abilities and preparation of future Teacher Consultants. Additionally, collaboration with the technology liaisons from Writing Projects across the United States has occurred to share ideas and strategies for building technological prowess among leadership; increasing advocacy and dispersion of knowledge of technologies that facilitate and amplify communication through writing.

This minigrant strengthened the technological knowledge and utilization among the current leadership of the Mobile Bay Writing Project (MBWP). The retreat united the leadership and was followed by technology supported communication and continuity meetings that focused on utilization and dissemination of new technological knowledge and abilities. This grant supported the leadership of the MBWP and their efforts to understand the current digital landscape and more effectively prepare future Teacher Consultants to adapt to the stance of being an explorer of the changing technological landscape. Specifically it allowed site leadership during the retreat to consider strategic applications of technologies in the work of the site.

Collaboration with the technology liaisons from the Alcorn Writing Project, Denver Writing Project, and Redwood South Central Writing Project to share ideas and strategies for building technological prowess among leadership; increasing advocacy and dispersion of knowledge of technologies that facilitate and amplify communication through writing is also an ongoing result.

The goals and corresponding activities of this proposal were threefold:

First, promotion and facilitation of collaboration and communication among the MBWP leadership team; specifically about technology and its increasingly important role in what it means to become literate in an environment and context conducive to professional development through a retreat.

Secondly, the goal was to provide an intensive opportunity, with resources, to engage in training, and knowledge acquisition related to new open source technologies available on the read/write web. Aiming to allow MBWP leadership to increase awareness and competencies specifically with blogging (with images), wikis, podcasting, , and social networking; serving to introduce the leadership team to the use of collaborative technology-mediated communication as a genuine, purposeful practice that they may wish use in their own classroom practices as well as integrated with future professional development and site priorities, such as integration into the Invitational Summer Institute.

The third aspect of the goal of uniting and igniting educators to strengthen their technological awareness involved collaborating regularly with the technology liaisons from the Alcorn Writing Project, Denver Writing Project, and Redwood South Central Writing Project (Common Threads) to share ideas and strategies for building technological prowess among leadership. This network is currently reflecting upon the actions taken; comparing and contrasting ideas and outcomes, and preparing to present results at the 2007 NWP Conference.

Goals, Progress, Challenges, and Changes:

Goals
Projected Date
Progress, Challenges, and Changes

Contact MBWP Leadership and coordinate dates
September 15, 2006
accomplished

Technology Liaison meets with director to organize and plan for Technology Leadership Retreat
September 15, 2006
The original fall retreat planning was problematic due to schedule conflicts

Skype Conversation with Common Threads
October 15, 2006
This conversation took place on October 29th, 2006 (see Google Doc)

Technology Leadership Retreat: Unite & Ignite (attended by the MBWP Leadership)
November 2006
The retreat did not occur in November and was postponed until Spring

Online collaboration with MBWP Leadership to follow-up on personal and professional utilization of technologies explored at the Technology Leadership Retreat
November 2006—August 2007
This occurred following the spring retreat

Tech Talk

Newsletter Meeting
November, 2006
The paper version newsletter idea was abandoned and the website is in progress

Common Threads Meeting in Nashville
November 17, 2006
accomplished

Leadership meeting—continue work on Tech Integration of new tools; begin work on Tech SI ideas
December 2006
Due to interest among MBWP leadership, digital storytelling was explored. Professional development ideas from NWP threaded discussion inquiries were pursued. Based on this pursuit, I wrote an award proposal offered through the university and was awarded additional technology resources for digital storytelling. I am in the process of ordering a LCD projector and will have funds to attend the SITE conference in Las Vegas!

Skype Conversation with Common Threads
December 2006
I was not able to make this conversation for personal reasons

As with all of our writing project pursuits, we shared our mini grant progress reports prior to submitting to NWP. This practice has been supportive, comforting, and educational as we each have had the advantage of comparing and contrasting our perceptions and experiences.

Tech team meeting—draft technology SI plans


January 2007
Accomplished – to my delight, it was decided the SI theme would be an exploration and inquiry of how the web 2.0 facilitates writing, communication, and collaboration

Tech team meeting—continue technology SI plans


February 2007
Accomplished – we decided each day would include a “tech talk time.” This was very productive and gave TC’s a scheduled chance to inquire as they explored the tech together. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Dr Will Richardson as well as Teaching and Learning Multiliteracies: Changing Times, Changing Literacies by Michèle Anstey and Geoff Bull, as I suggested, were chosen as SI readings. These books were purchased for each SI TC.

Skype Conversation with Common Threads
March 2007
We “met” Thursday, February 15th

(see Google Doc)

Tech Talk

Newsletter Meeting
March, 2006
The newsletter idea was abandoned due to lack of interest. The website is in progress.

Tech Team Meeting—finalize SI technology plans
May, 2007
The May meeting was cancelled - We met at the retreat in June to finalize SI plans. On June 21st, I met with the MBWP director and co-director at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, AL. We finalized our vision for SI and plans for the next day’s retreat with the team leaders. On June 22nd our 5 team leaders met with us in a beautiful conference room over-looking the water at the Point Clear Resort. We spent the day exploring ideas for the presentation of web 2.0 for writing at SI. Team leaders were provided with copies of the tech readings and we continued our planning through lunch and the afternoon. I feel that the resources from the mini grant that allowed me to offer this retreat elevated my status as a leader in the project and the technology focus

Skype Conversation with Common Threads
June, 2007
We “met” April 1, 2007 (see Google Docs). As indicated by a comparison of projected dates and documentation, I think it is interesting to note that our Common Threads Skype conversations occurred more often than originally scheduled; an indication of the support and mutual learning that occurred through our interaction!

Summer Institute
July, 2007
Of the four years I have been involved, best SI yet! This is also the perception of our co-director.

Tech Team Meeting
August, 2007
This meeting did not occur due to scheduling conflicts.

Skype Conversation with Common Threads
September, 2007
In lieu of this conversation, we developed and shared our Final Mini Grant Reports

(Google Docs were shared by each Common Threads member)

Plan NWP Annual Meeting presentation and Article Planning
September - October, 2007
Our presentation plans our in progress…

Present at NWP meeting
November 2007
This is in the planning stage

Publish Common Threads article
December 2007
TBA


Venues for Sharing, Future Work & Follow-Up

The in-progress MBWP website will include teacher consultant professional development resources including digital storytelling, and podcasting samples and teaching/learning ideas. These will be shared across the school district through inservice facilitated by our TC’s.

The Common Threads will continue their collaboration beyond the NWP 2007 Annual Meeting through Skype and Google Docs.

A digital story representing MBWP is currently being developed for SI advocacy by a new teacher consultant.

As a result of the work initiated with the NWP Technology minigrant, an additional university award was earned to attend and present at the Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education (SITE) International Conference.

Pre-and Post Data representing TC experience with and attitudes toward the web 2.0 applications explored during SI was collected through a questionnaire. Results are being analyzed and an article proposal for e-Voice is in progress.