Technology Matters Minigrant Application

Minigrant Title:

‘New Literacies’ Reshape Collaboration for the UCLA Writing Project

Contact Information:

Minigrant Personnel

UCLA Writing Project Director:

Faye Peitzman

peitzman@gseis.ucla.edu

310-825-6990

Technology Liaison

Lynne Culp

4350 Cartwright Avenue

Toluca Lake, CA 91602

Abstract:

This mini-grant proposes the formation and support of a “development year” for the UCLA Technology Leadership team. During this year, six selected fellows of the Writing Project will learn, refine, analyze, and practice “new literacies,” including blogging, wikis, podcasting, webcasting, and digital storytelling in ways to strengthen communication, collaboration, and partnership for the approximately 700 fellows of the project.

As a ‘sandbox’ for learning in their ‘intern’ year,  the TL team will employ technology to instruct and support members of the study group on ‘race’ as its members begin and complete a year-long collaboration that has developed over a several year investigation of the topic by teachers in a Thursday night study group.  Justice Matters brings together students and teachers throughout the city. Investigating race and its significance through a series of teacher-designed lessons, students will submit writings in traditional formats and “new literacies,” such as online blogs, discussions, website-creation, and digital storytelling. As a culminating activity on campus, in Spring, those same ‘new literacies’ will be used to celebrate student achievement. As students, teachers, and other WP fellows gather, Tech-Leaders will help create podcast-publications of student work and the afterthoughts-insights gathered thereby.

At key points, surveys/data will be gathered regarding this “intern” collaboration. We anticipate that feedback provided will strengthen efforts to integrate technology into all aspects of our Project.

Signatures:

Faye Peitzman, Director______________________________________________  Date_____________

Lynne Culp,  Technology Liaison_______________________________________ Date_____________

Inquiry Question

How can the ‘new literacies’ of Web 2.0 strengthen and deepen the professional bonds formed through our thirty-year old Writing Project? Specifically, how will the development of a Technology Leadership Team to learn and disseminate skills and practice in blogging, wikis, podcasting and other skills categorized as Web 2.0 strengthen our existing collaborations and excite new ones?

Background

In the near thirty years of its existence, the UCLA Writing Project has developed a renowned array of support systems for teachers and students of the city’s classrooms. The annual Summer Institute, the year-round Invitational Writing Project, and the Spanish-Speakers Invitational comprise the foundation. From these, teacher expertise fuels two main conferences— the annual Chancellor’s Conference on Composition, and With Different Eyes, where emphasis is given to English-Learners. Schools throughout Los Angeles and its environs benefit from the high quality professional development provided by these conferences. But, the demands of urban sprawl and the intensity of teaching on urban sites mean that teachers require more than ‘core’ activities to maintain connections across the barriers that isolate us. Year-round ‘Thursday-night’ Study Groups address this need. Three topics currently engage these teachers:  the nature of race in our lives; the ever-expanding role of pop culture; and ways to use literature and writing to combat homophobia. Bringing together the powerful contemporary relevance of such study group themes with Web 2.0 technology literacy will enrich our community. As technology becomes integrated with our practice, we see a day when technology supports not only the foundation of the UCLA Writing Project but all of its present support systems, and any we may develop in the future. In essence, we are making our project “new” again with the infusion of the ever-changing tools of technology.

Project Design:

To expand our members’ skills and implementation of technology, the mini-grant would be used to support a technology development-leadership team. Six members of our community will direct their efforts working with the Tech Liaison to assimilate the skills associated with Web 2.0, including social book-marking, aggregators, blogging, creation of wikis, podcasting, vodcasting, and webcasting.

Development of ‘skill’ will include analyzing effects, ‘best practice,’ and problem-solving techniques for technology use as well as software-hardware function. Our goal for this intensive year of study will be that each of the members becomes a Technology Leader for project work and presentations. Six Saturday mornings will comprise the calendar of face-to-face class meetings for the study group, though it is expected that many more interactions will take place online and through the various interfaces selected by members of the group.  Because our group members live and teach far and wide, video-conferencing and/or skypecasting will be employed for sessions between the scheduled Saturdays. Members of this team will create blogs, develop a UCLA Writing Project wiki, and employ skill sets to teach and present podcasting and webcasting.

Ultimately, our vision for the technology development leadership team is to provide technology instruction, practice, and support through and for all of the study groups, summer institutes and conferences that take place during the year. In this our “pilot” year of technology development, however, we will focus our technology internships on one project- event:  the activities surrounding “Justice Matters,” a project involving teachers and students throughout the city constructed around the topic of “race.” Although this project developed from the Thursday study group on race, all fellows will be invited to participate in the year’s writing activities. Equal to the importance of the topic is the need for support. Both the conversations and curriculum that develop require guidance. Many fellows will contribute lessons and seminar topics as well as readings. Our TL’s will consult and develop a web-based archive with appropriate technologies so that teachers and students may draw upon these for discussion and study. As TL’s themselves develop expertise in Web 2.0 technology, they will lend their support to the developing project, consulting with teachers regularly to determine use and manner.

As a culminating event, students throughout the city will submit writings in a variety of genres and  formats to be evaluated by a team of teachers and invited judges who will select choices for publication.  Authors will be invited for a day of celebration on campus to share their work in both traditional and “new” publications. Suggestions for the day include students creating reading-podcasts of their work or networking with students not physically on campus to discuss the work. Throughout the process, TL interns will have ample opportunity to exercise and acquire skills that will enhance this and future projects.

 Assessment:

By focusing on one study group this year, TL’s will also survey and gather data regarding the results of our efforts to integrate technology. Data will be analyzed both by TL’s and by members of the Writing Project board.

• An introductory survey will be collected from members of the study group to show entry level skills and knowledge of Web 2.0.
• TL’s will develop rubrics for blogging, wiki, podcast quality over time.
• TL’s will reflect on new literacy use with their students during middle and end sessions.
• Tech Liaison will communicate with NWP network of liaisons regularly online and in Nashville at the all-day tech session.
• Exit tickets will be collected after each ‘Saturday’ session.
• a TL blog will provide a forum for ongoing insight/input.
• Six participants will complete a surveymonkey evaluation in 2007, with the conclusion of work with the study group on Justice Matters.
• Collected data will be reviewed by UCLA Writing Project board in summer 2007.

III.             How Project Meets Grant Criteria

From the beginning, discussions with the board, directors, and members of the project has centered on ways to integrate technology into all areas of UCLA Writing Project work. Enthusiasm has grown with the attendance of the Tech Liaison to this summer’s national workshop, “Tech Matters 06.”  Support from national and state levels for technology deepens our efforts at the local site. Demonstrations of blogging and social bookmarking at the summer institute sparked high degrees of interest among fellows.  As the process grows, we expect to find new ways to integrate all the support systems that exist, new ways to support what happens spontaneously between and among the various groups. Technology is contagious and brings excitement with it as teachers begin to see the possibilities for their students to expand learning through new literacy. Because Los Angeles provides its own challenges geographically many students remain isolated even though they live within a rich, diverse environment. By focusing on one topic of study this year—an important one to all inhabitants of the community wherever they live—we hope to use technology to demonstrate ways that blogging and podcasting can transcend the geographic and social distances that divide us. The blogs and information gathering we do will be directed ultimately at these crossroads of isolation. By examining the problem of ‘race’ carefully, we will provide new insights to the connections and communication that engage all writing projects, all learners and teachers. Finally, the role of the Tech Liaison is to keep communication available and plentiful between all the segments of this ambitious project, attending meeting of the study group and inviting their participation with our six Technology Leaders will truly be pioneers in the process of re-thinking and re-casting the nature of the work we do. We expect much writing and exchange of ideas with tech leaders and liaisons through the NWP discussion groups, blogs, and skypecasts. Participation in next year’s Tech & Writing Institute will continue process of dissemination.

Timeline:

Dissemination Plan

Each Internet-based activity, including blogs, wikis, podcasts, Skype, or webcast will be publicly available when teacher-editors deem appropriate. In addition, TL’s will be encouraged to join NWP national networks, blogs, and discussion forums. In addition, we will report to fellows through the UCLA WP electronic newsletter. Finally, we will support our TL’s to disseminate tech strategies in presentations at school sites and districts. Regular reporting to the board, NWP, and the grant agency will take place at scheduled dates according to the timeline.

 
VI  Budget

Matching funds are found in the UCLA WP overall site budget.