Staff Issues

Johnson nails it in the reading on collaboration when she describes it as: create, disagree, experiment, fail and improve.  I don't think teachers are looking for perfection out of collaboration, just support and to learn from eachother.  Thats the one thing you miss out on when you get thrown into the classroom.  All of a sudden you are doing it all on your own and have no more time to observe and learn from anyone else.  Trust is developed  to be able to try new things.   I have always thought that teachers appreciate the inclusion of technology such as the use of iPads in the classroom to create projects in more student centred ways.  I have noticed that many have appreciated the TL to take a lead role in helping to teach these platforms such as Book Creator, Keynote, Draw and Tell ect...  I am happy to do this and do so on the regilar basis, however Johnson's article made me think about how technology is introduced to students that affects their motivation.   I really liked how in their collaborative partnership they made a concious decision on how and when to introduce whatever technology they were going to have the students use as a presentation format because I agree that motivation and learning can be lost when students are invited to use technology to share their learning.  Immediately they want to jump to the technology before taking initial steps researching and synthesizing information.  I will certainly take this to mind as I see it all too often. In looking at the article outlining the many research models, I feel it is important as a TL to be able to understand and able to teach at least two of these models to classroom teachers as well as their students.  If we can offer to do it for the teacher the first time through, then they will be more trusting of our ability to support them.  They may be so overwhelmed with other situations and I think the offer of help to teach research would be warmly accepted.  I feel it is our job to master this one.  Even though I do not, yet, I plan to be able to soon.   I particularly related to three models that emerge from constructivist and affective model theory: Thoughtful Learning Cycle (TLC)- Stripling and Pitts: As a class using a big idea to start I feel this process although tedious allows for group learning on a subject generally while allowing students to decide what angle they would like to explore more thoroughly. Information Seeking Process- Kuhlthau: I like that this process takes into consideration the feelings that students go through as they experience the research process.  It is also more simple in it's description. I-Search Process- Macrorie: I have noticed that students are more driven to do work they find valuable.  This model allows students to have choice of what they research as well as connect whatever it is to their lives, thus creating knowledge through the process because we learn from things that are important to us. In whatever model I choose, I think a pictographic description should be used when teaching the model so that students know what each stage looks like to them. I also can see the benefit of inquiry based models as they produce intrincic motivation, but the steps seem vague and less concrete.  I wonder what teachers would prefer.