Confidence

As we begin the work of collaborating with another teacher for our project, I suspect several of you are a bit worried about how this is all going to go. You may feel like you are imposing on a friend or colleague. You may be concerned that your work isn’t completely your own - that you are dependent on other people for completion of your collaborative project. These are all valid and understandable concerns.

I also suspect that some of these concerns come out of a doubt about what you might be able to contribute. Let me put any such doubts to rest. You have much to give and contribute in a collaborative process. You understand the process of design much more completely than most teachers do and have a variety of tools at your disposal to utilize in that process. You have an understanding of a large number of technologies and pedagogical strategies to meet a wide variety of learning needs. Think back to all of the different examples and the incredible resources you saw last semester. You understand too, the value in pushing a bit beyond your comfort zone and so you will be able to empathize with your colleague if they begin to get a bit freaked out.

And you care about quality work and quality teaching. I know that because of the work that you’ve done in this program thus far.

You’ll get a few more tools this semester to help you out - some of the softer skills - but you are ready to go now. I am so looking forward to seeing what you come up with. I know that it will be great!

Social Interaction Styles

You know, it doesn't matter how often I either sit through or facilitate a session on social interaction styles, I always walk away reminded of things that I tend to forget - both about myself and those that I work with. And family. I wasn't surprised at all when someone mentioned how this relates to their interactions with spouses (ex or otherwise) - it is very easy to see how this maps to our personal lives.

I also have to realize as a teacher, that just because I might provide, "a," "b," and "c" for my students as activities/structures/job aides that there's always that one kid/student that needs "d" too. I think the biggest takeaway for me from Monday's class was a reminder that when I get frustrated with others, I should consider their interaction style as a lens by which to reframe that frustration in a more positive light. Doing so allows me to respond in a better manner that helps build the relationship instead of potentially harming it.

I'm also reminded how impossible it would be to do anything (nevermind how boring life would be) without the strengths and talents of everyone. So here's to all the analysts, drivers, amiables, and expressives out there - thanks for being you!

Creating a common vision

As we begin to engage in our collaborative projects, I am reminded the extent to which ongoing communication is important. I am continually surprised in design projects when everyone’s interpretation of what can and should occur differs from everyone else’s. Even when you’ve talked through something, often the end results are different than expected. I see design - any design - as an iterative process. A constant flow of sharing one’s vision, listening to your partner’s vision and trying to work to make sure they overlap as much as possible.

In high school, I was very active in stage crew work. Even in set design and building, it would take multiple conversations and iterations to come up with the set that the director imagined, largely because I couldn’t crawl into her head and see it. :) Drawings, sketches, initial builds were all important steps in bringing our visions together. Even with all of that, there usually was “something missing” that needed to be addressed only after the set was complete. Some tangible that was unknown until we got to that stage. So, despite all the pre-work, inevitably there was a need for flexibility at the end of the process.

That’s why I think the collaborate form of consulting is better than pair-of-hands or expert when possible. It allows for the vision to be co-created, revisited, re-created, and fully realized in a way that collaboration alone allows.

ADDIE

I enjoyed class last night. Even if we didn't get as far as I had hoped, I thought the discussion at the end about the types of information that would have been useful to have in the ADDIE activity was helpful. I've since posted what we came up with (as well as some additions I thought were missing or we just ran out of time to add) in WebCT. I look forward to the modifications that the class will suggest next week.

I had a great question at the end of class. Tony asked if this was to be documented as thoroughly as the EDIT 6170 projects had to be. On one hand, you want to be as fully documented as possible - after all, that’s one of the purposes of this program. On the other hand, it may be unreasonable to think that teachers and LSTCs will document projects that thoroughly in real life. Now, the nice thing about graduate classes is that they offer an opportunity to be much more thorough than real life usually allows. My response to him was - somewhere in the middle between that project and real life.

My whole purpose in weaving ADDIE in through this course is that I believe it provides a nice, reasonable framework for planning and executing a plan. We just don't always have the luxury to be so purposeful in the course of being busy teachers.

Tensions

So as the group is beginning to find collaborative partners for their class projects, I am reminded that this process, while a lot of fun and full of learning opportunities about oneself, the role of technology in the classroom, etc. is also one that is fraught with tensions.

• Meeting the needs of this class vs. needs of the teacher your working with.
  
• Using technology to engage students in new ways vs. easy outs.
  
• What you know technology can offer vs. what you collaborating teacher knows/doesn't.
  
• Believing you have something to offer others vs. fearing you don't.
  
• Beginning to think of yourself as an instructional consultant vs. thinking of yourself as a colleague.

And while these tensions can be difficult to navigate, it is also in exploring them fully that the most growth occurs. They can't be ignored, and they can't be swept under. I hope the students in this class will use this project as an opportunity to fully explore all of these tensions and not be afraid of them.

Out into the blogosphere!

One theme for my fall class has been "Fearless Curiosity!"

We will be using blogs in the spring semester of EDIT 6200 as a way to share and get feedback on our spring collaborative planning projects. Since I will be asking my students to blog - I felt I should too. I look forward to using this as an avenue to share ideas and engage in discussions around collaborative planning, instructional design, and technology leadership.

Well, here goes.