“Bit by Bit”

Bob Sprankle holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Plymouth State College and a Masters of Education from the University of Southern Maine. After receiving his Masters, he continued his studies taking additional technology education courses at the University of Southern Maine. Bob teaching experience covers 3/4 Multi-Age teaching as well as his experience as the Technology Learning Leader and Technology Integrator. As Lead Technology Learning Leader, he has developed an implemented Technology Integration training for Southern Maine teachers through Spreading Educator to Educator Developements (SEED). From these effirtsto work with Apple for the Maine Learning Technology Initiative Project. Additional developed training at state, national, and international conferences, includes Building Learning Communities Conference, K12 Online Conference, York Maine School Department Summer Institute Keynote, National Institute of Aerospace/Nortel LeaniT, and Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference. He is the writer and contributor to a few publications including TechLearning Professional Blog and has been interviewed for his use of podcasting in the classroom.

He is currently holds the position of Technology Integrator for grades K-4 in Wells, Maine.

His website can be found here: http://www.bobsprankle.com

How did you get involved with technology?

I’ve always been a bit of a geek. (I have an early Mac to prove it!) When I first started teaching I luckily inherited a room from a cutting edge teacher who had internet access in the room. So I immediately wanted to take advantage of this gift and set up a classroom website so parents had a window into the class. The website served a purpose in the classroom allowing communication to parents, but unfortunately fell short of motivating writing because of time contraints. Blogging solved this. It changed everything. Students had their own writing corners and then eventually their blogs turned into podcasts!

How did you come up with the concept for ‘Bit by Bit’?

I started my own blog and podcasting around the same time back in 2005. The initial concept for my blog was based on the podcasting efforts in my class. My students were podcasting and they were getting world wide recognition. A lot of teachers were writing me for advice on how to integrate blogging, podcasting, and other technologies into their classroom so I decided to start to think of a productive way to address these questions. I found that I was much more comfortable podcasting and it also saved me a ton of time. Writing can be difficult to “let go of a piece” and publish, as I’m harder on myself with editing. Podcasting goes easier because it is more conversational. I’m definitely more of a podcast guy.

What is the benefit of podcasting?

I don’t see a benefit unless it supports a greater purpose than if you used other tools. Purpose is key. What are you really trying to do with your students? For me, it was mostly about writing and motivating them. That includes publication, authentic audience, as well as finding something meaningful to write about. There are plenty of tools that will break down the walls from the classroom and open them to a definite global community that will actually be interested in what your students are saying. When you compared blogging to podcasting, some find blogging easier. Podcasts scare people a little more, but it’s still just as easy because you just turn on a mic and upload onto your computer.

How important is your Personal Learning Network (PLN)?

I wouldn’t be the teacher I am without it. Certainly when I started teaching we were all closed up in our own rooms. Even now, there’s so little time in the day for any real professional development to happen on a daily basis with people within the same building. Attending conferences are great but then you leave and you don’t have time to overview and grasp everything you obtained. Using my PLN keeps everything alive for me and helps me continue to grow and learn. Many people blog to create their PLN, but you don’t have to. Blogging about everything because it can be overwhelming, but you can start one little thing, even if it’s Twitter, and it starts to grow itself. You have this community behind you and you can ask questions and respond to others. I would think you would agree with me that thousands of people are much more powerful than just one.

To read more about Bob’s PLN read: “What Should they See?” and “What Components Make a Successful Learning Community”

What advice would you give teachers who are hesitant about using technology?

“That technology can be integrated in manageable stages”, that’s how I first came up with the title for my blog, “Bit by Bit”. I go back to the concept of purpose, what kind of classroom do you need to have? Today and tomorrow? When you hear about the 21st century skills there’s a lot of talk about tomorrow and right now we need to talk about today and how we need our classes to resemble the world happening outside the classroom. In the traditional classroom setup, it was hard to find anything that resembled that in the real world. Part of me understands that those who aren’t tech savvy are very scared of this, that’s fine – I know things have changed and but I continue to find purposes to get my kids ready for the future by engaging them now. Let’s look at what exists now. Students come to the class already tech savvy and from this teachers feel a litte threatened. They also feel threatened by cellphone use in the classroom which part of it that they need to take in is that once you bring tech in you are disrupting what used to be. In Maine, we have 1 to 1 laptop initiatives. The program called Spreading Educator to Educator Developments (SEED), which no longer exists, allowed teachers to come together to teach each other about integrating technology. This program sparked conversation and created a great foundation for everyone to learn together.

What is the best way to engage your students?

Ask them what their interests are and the integrate it in the curriculum. Students were incredibly motivated to write when they were allowed to write about their own passions. They worked harder and produced higher quality work.

Do you have a favorite moment from teaching?

Every day there is a new one, that’s a tough one. There’s so many times I watch individuals or the entire class take on things that a 3-4 grade students could have never done. Some examples, we had a group of my students present to a group of adults in college and they wound up getting the world-wide recognition. Had another group speak to another group where I watched them write and create the whole thing on their own. I was there watching their backs and moving them in the right direction, but they worked together and motivated each other. I remember when I started podcasting, I had a 3rd grader who was very shy and looked like a deer in headlights, reticent to join the project. She didn’t ask what she would do; rather I encouraged her to take on parts that she was comfortable with. We had one podcast called, “Animal Corner”, which was dedicated to getting information from the local shelters to help the dogs and cats get adopted. The student who had originally started this segment was very vivacious and very theatrical and was quite the strong leader of the group. Well one day my shy 3rd grade, who then was in 4th grade, expressed interest in taking over Animal Corner since the other girl left for 5th grade. She was definitely going to have some big shoes to fill. She was basically going to have to run her own business. I told her I would help her in every what I could. So every week she had to use the phone in the classroom to call the shelter and get a weekly update. She would have to get the address and all the correct information and be able to write it all down for her to read for her podcast. One time at the end of the day, our class was all together sitting on the rug and this girl was sitting on the phone quietly talking to the Animal Shelter. She sounded so mature and professional. The other students started to listen in and was stunned to hear how well she was doing and all smiled. She thanked whoever was on the phone, hung it up, and walked over to the rest of the class. She expressed with excitement that she wasn’t nervous anymore! She became a real leading voice and director in our podcasts that year and then has also come back to volunteer and even helped out podcasting/interviewing parents on open-house night (her idea). You can see that this opportunity offered her a way to grow in many ways.

This is part of Schoology’s Behind the Blog: EduBlogger Series. The Schoology Team would like to thank all of the wonderful education bloggers who have participated in the series. For more information about Schoology and these bloggers, please contact Crystal Grandison, Schoology Community Manager, via email crystal@schoology.com.