Future Vision Post 2 - Who and Why
I am glad for this week’s prompt, “Who is this for and why?” I was busy diving deep with exploring the tool, and this assignment pulled me out of that to take a broader perspective. My promotion/invitation to Book Creator is for teachers. Book Creator is a cool digital activity that they and their students will have fun with. But, that isn’t enough of a “why.” I need to be clear about how it meets a need for them.
When surveyed about “making” activities this September, Book Creator was the number one response.
There is already an interest. I wonder, though, is this because it looks like a fun activity, or do teachers already have an idea of where they want to use it? I think I will take a note from Shawnese T in her Future Vision Blog Post #1 and “gather some input” at this point. Ongoing dialogue is golden. Why not let teachers know that I design my Pro-D with them on my mind and heart. The input will help me develop the artifact I'm working on: which examples to include, where to dig deeper into the tools and capabilities of the app.
Beyond responding to their expressions of interest, there is a big picture goal with the Book Creator/Be An Author project that I need to address with teachers: centering student voice. I’ve been reading Safir and Dugan’s Street Data and wrestling with ways to work towards equity. They write,
“How do we reorient public education around another set of values and approaches? We begin by reclaiming the village, centering the experiences of children – particularly children at the margins – and working to heal the wounds of racism and oppression in our schools” (12).
In this video, they present “cultural wealth projects” as one way to do so (40:30). Whatever the template or prompt we use for student books, their chance to “Be An Author” is an opportunity for them to present their cultural wealth that should not be missed. Student books can be “cultural wealth projects,” even as they do other things. For example, the one teacher who has already scheduled Book Creator collaboration with me, wants to make it a holiday book about how they were kind this year. I’m going to suggest we bring in cultural wealth by prioritizing experiences from outside of school. How does their family/cultural group/neighbourhood show caring?
In the same video, Christopher Emdin describes the transformative power of “co-generative dialogue.” Where we keep students at the centre, collaborative projects with Book Creator can make this happen. Emdin’s discussion of this cypher-like model is a meaningful one to share with teachers (45:20-47:30). He speaks so powerfully here, about kids bringing their “raw, authentic self” to their learning! It really crystallizes what I hope we are working towards in our LLC and school.
Back to my artifact...
Once I somehow distill this vision into a Book Creator artifact (?!) I’ll need to share it with the teachers. I’m going to email it out, but also present it in more visible ways. The Be An Author month is a great tool to this end. Linking it with a school wide event always boosts engagement. Posters in the staff room, copy room, and office in January can announce the project. Meanwhile, we’ll explore Book Creator during Library lessons, giving teachers a head-start instructionally by building skills with students there. Kids love a new digital tool, so they will come into class energized about it as well. Finally, I am never shy in talking up projects during transition times and over lunch!
Works Cited
Corwin. "Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation." Monday Webinar Series. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69-hTpX9HRw&list=TLGG-c2PHKKXYJoxOTExMjAyMg&t=2890s. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
Mme T - The Happy Librarian. "LIB 477 Future Vision Blog Post #1." https://happymmet.blogspot.com/2022/11/lib-477-future-vision-project-blog-post.html. Accessed 19 Nov. 2022.
Safir, Shane and Jamila Dugan. Street Data: A Next-Generation Model for Equity, Pedagogy, and School Transformation. Corwin, 2021.
The 'cultural wealth' project sounds SO intriguing!!! And you said something really important here about teachers - why NOT let them know that you plan pro-D with them in mind? What a great way to build collegial relationships and gain toeholds into collaboration. I think teachers really appreciate it when they know that we take seriously our efforts to support them and the learning of their students. I'm really looking forward to seeing your project!
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Shawnese T.
I agree with "Madame T" about your shout out to your colleagues and how you should definitely share with them the level of respect that you hold for them, their interests and their time in your planning. With the vision of your project you have taken the book creator idea and elevated it to amplify student voices and the sharing of their stories. I am really intrigued by the work done with the Street Data team. Definitely worth the time for me to explore it further. I can't wait to see the final project as I am looking into digital book creation with my students in the spring and this is a new area for me.
ReplyDeleteI loved Amanda Gorman's book as well and it may also have some beautiful passages to share with your staff. It sounds like your project is well-formed and that your purpose is clear. I look forward to learning from your experiences with Book Creator!
ReplyDeleteYou are engaging in some strong work here. I appreciate your intentionality and the way that you are carefully considering the needs of your target audience. I also appreciate your thoughts about your big picture goals and the links to Safir and Dugan’s Street Data. This is something we are currently working on in my district.
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