2007-2008
National Writing Project Renewal Grant

Scott: Add a report of what our site has done with technology and what we plan to do.

Janelle: Add a report of what our site has done with ELL and what we plan to do.

Janelle: Add a report of what our site has done with Community Activities (Young Author) and what we plan to do.

Jill: Add a report of what our site has done with professional development and what we plan to do. (You can certainly use some of your paper that you wrote at the retreat in this part)

Janelle/Scott/Jeannine --Janelle and Scott will you take the lead in writing a report on what we have done with our staff development and continuity online and what we plan to do. I'll add what I need to.

Joyce--Will you copy in your report about what we've done in continuity and what we plan to do (this includes last year and this year's midwinter conference).

Katherine--Will you add in any information you can see that we might apply for grants for (it would probably be in one of the above areas). E-mail the leader in that area with your report and y'all discuss how to integrate it.



Thanks so much. I want to pull this together on December 1, 2006, if possible.

Scott, I'm updating our Inverness information --the staff development part and I"ll send that to you and cc you on what I"m sending to Allison from Inverness to add to our report! Thanks!

Do You recognize this pic?

"Containing" Curriculum?

Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Many Countries/Similar Issues


I'd like to list the countries that were represented at this conference: Spain, Portugal,Ireland, England, Australia, Germany, France, Slovakia, Norway, Italy, USA, and I'm sure there are more, but that's what I can remember right now. It was so interesting that we all dealt with similar issues: how to access the technology, take advantage of the features mobile technology offers, and use that technology in a way that supports a new kind of learning rather than replicating traditional pedagogy.

There was a continuum of support from various countries--some embraced the new technology and a more socially constructed curriculum, and others just poured the technology into the same curriculm container.

posted by TX Bluebonnet Writing Project at 11:06 AM

IADIS at Trinity College

I'm in Dublin, Ireland attending the IADIS Conference on Mobile Learning. One of the most interesting features of this conference is listening to so many people from aroundthe globe discuss how and why the implement mobile learning in K-12 or Higher Ed.
It's also very eye opening to look at the accessibility issues some countries and universities face. For example, I listened to a professor from South Africa today talk about the incredible poverty in which some of her students live, and how some of their homes may not have running water or electricity; yet, whenever they get a chance, these students are eager to experience cell phone technology. This professor wanted to use cell phones in the classroom for collaborative learning, but the expense of the phones in South Africa and the minutes, caused her to look elsewhere for mobile technology. She ended up using PDAs, but in her particular area of South Africa, the lack of broadband and low bandwidth limited her access. She patched together a system using bluetooth whereby students used PDAs to collaborate in small group projects and then they sent their work to the teacher/facilitator who had a laptop at the front of the room that was connected to a lowbandwidth internet. Amazing to what extent this professor went to utilize mobile learning in less than optimal circumstances.

Her motivation was that her country is changing from a behavioristic model of learning to a more socially constructed model.

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