MUWP Case Study: Rich and Interactive Information
Karen McComas, Technology Liaison
mccomas (at) marshall (dot) edu
Problem/Context
At the Marshall University Writing Project we’ve used technology for almost 10 years in various forms and fashions to support the Summer Institute, continuity events, and in professional development. The primary forces behind our work was a visionary director (recently retired) and myself – invited to participate to help “…lead the site into the technological age.” After numerous starts, and mis-starts, we began to realize the enormity of the task before us and the necessity of developing a strategic plan for accomplishing our goals. Simply exposing teachers to various technologies was not increasing intentional and purposeful uses of technology in the classrooms of our Teacher Consultants.
Process
With the support of the National Writing Project, our site began a period of self-study. Fearful that I might be “hit by a bus” (or a car as I play Frogger across Third Avenue every morning and evening), our first step was to assemble a team of teachers, one each from an elementary school, a middle school, a high school, and college/university. We participated in a study group around Gilster’s book Digital Literacy and began to think of our task as one of supporting teachers as they engaged in teaching practices that facilitated the development of literacy in their students.
Result
Out of our study group emerged a “technology curriculum.” Then, our curriculum was a succession of smaller workshops that we presented and revised during the SI in the hopes of using these as professional development offerings. Multiple technologies, utilities, and spaces have been used, including but not limited to: manila blogs, wordpress blogs, google reader, bloglines, flickr, and moviemaker.
| Process | Procedures |
The ask, access, analyze, and announce steps are similar to our collect, select, reflect, and connect steps – although I suspect the latter resonates more readily with teachers.
Other significant changes included a move to spending 2/3 of our days in a computer lab for the past two years and asking participants to create an e-portfolio that last two years instead of the traditional portfolio secured in a three-ring binder.
Case Study
Question
Collect
Select
Reflect
- Explanation for inclusion: I chose this piece for inclusion because it focused on probably my greatest professional epiphany during Writing Project. Like my personal writing, the creation of this piece also gave me an opportunity to focus on deep revision since I began with a loose hodgepodge of ideas blurted out during sacred writing time and took the piece through several drafts as I carved it into the “finished” product presented here.
Connect
Application for the TL
The same resource that is helpful for managing information in a broad sense has been exceedingly useful to me in following the work of our TCs, particularly after the SI is over. I subscribe to their weblogs so when they post something I can immediately (or within 24 hours usually) provide some kind of response for them.
- Newsreader