Sacha van StratenDirector of eLearning

Heads in the Cloud, Eyes on the Future – how schools

can promote independent learning using technology

! He’s lurking in the Toblerone logo.

! Did you notice the Amazon arrow tells you the company sells everything from A-Z?

! Did you realise the Museum of London shapes = the boundaries of the city of London over time?

! Did you find the cyclist in the Tour de France logo?

Did you see the Bear?

! There’s a lot of confusion and misconception. The truth is in there, not out there. Look at what you want to achieve.

! IT projects in schools fail because the wrong questions get asked.

! Solutions begin with people, not technology. How do we make learning better?

Sight & Perception

Video: Sir Isaac Asimov on the rise of the Web

Video: Adam - Mechanical Assault

! Students come with wide ranging skills

! Teacher uncertainty can’t be a barrier

! Technology can be liberating

! Teachers can’t know everything

! What is core in the curriculum?

Students as Change Agents

! Normal expectations don’t apply

! Notions of literacy need updating

! Assessment of intelligence/ability is mutable

! Digital Natives

Students as Change Agents

! Are they wired differently?

! Do we need to adapt to them?

! E.g. Livingstone & Bober (2005) found 21% of 12-19 year old students had copied web based content.

! Digital Literacy - new core skills?

The Net Generation

! Technology moves faster than educational institutions.

! Cost of access to tech is minimal.

! Exist beyond school boundaries. More personal to the student.

Fast, Cheap & Out of Control

Video: Alison - Romuald & Juliette

Video: Alison - on the making of Romuald & Juliette

Theories & Perspectives

THE THEORY:Technology should make learning more effective, enabling teachers to

produce meaningful resources that can be adapted with the minimum of fuss.

THE REALITY:Technology can overwhelm busy teachers and become an obstacle to

success, rather than a tool that supports learning objectives.

Theories & Perspectives

‘Many teachers resist being taught to use technology. This also makes sense ! teachers should resist, because it is not they who should be using the technology to teach students, but rather their students who should be using it, as tools to teach themselves.

The teacher!s role should not be a technological one, but an intellectual one " to provide the students with context, quality assurance, and individualized help.

(Of course, those teachers who love technology are free to learn and use it.)’

MARK PRENSKY (2008)

Theories & Perspectives

‘We should see learning as a set of relationships, rather than as a system.’

Leadbeater (2008)

The sage on the stage becomes the guide by the side

Theories & Perspectives

Ultimately, it is not what technology you use that counts, but what the learner takes from it that really matters."

Dror (2008)

#With the advent of Web 2.0, teachers and administrators need to recognize that there [has] been a shift of power away from institutions and towards learners." Heppel (2006)

Theory into Practice

Pedagogical aims:

! Synchronous versus asynchronous learning

! Physical spaces for 21st century learning

Practical Considerations:

! ‘Normal way of working’ (JCQ)

! Online examinations (AQA)

! Higher Education experiences?

Theory into Practice

Pedagogical aims:

! Scaffold ideas and concepts! Build ‘communities of practice’ (Wenger)! Promote independent learning! Develop research and assessment skills

Theory into Practice

In a time of knowledge stability, teach; in a time of rapid change in knowledge, learn! Batson (2011)

Laura Doggett - Head of MFL

on iPads

! The rationale – make learning collaborative, always available, and more student focused

! Make life easier for teachers, learning better for students

Technology enhanced learning

Freeware - Google Apps & Moodle

Google Apps in Moodle

! Four main tools for collaboration: Email, Docs, Calendar and Sites

! Google Apps makes it easy to put existing content online, create new content online, and edit it within the web browser

! Documents can be edited live, with multiple users

Google Apps in Moodle

The Impact on Student & Teacher Usage:

From 50 users a week To 800 users a week

Google Apps in Moodle

$%&'()'*((+,&'-(.%'/%'&012&3'3&/456301&'.(,,/7(3/1(3%'(3'.(81&81'.3&/1(3%

Google Docs

Google Docs allows real-time editing and collaboration – individually or whole class

Year 12 live writing

Video:Rosie McColl - on using Google Docs with sixth form English students

English – Creative Writing

English – creative writers

Video: Naomi - creating the Inkspot

Video: Alison - thoughts on using Google Docs at A Level

Google Analytics

Google Analytics

Helping students to be independent learners:

Working online - blogs & Diigo

Video: Felix - on using Blogs & Diigo

Helping students to be independent learners:

What the future holds

#$%&'()*+$,*-./&(,0

1/'23'()*4.(53,(4,

6'789+%8'()

:')'+%2*./+;/+*%(3*7$.<4%7'()*<.&8

:,='4,*.<(,&7$';

>/+/&,;&..5()

Sacha van StratenDirector of eLearningsvanstraten@berkhamstedschool.orgTwitter: @svanstraten

OPEN DAY at Berkhamsted - FEBRUARY 28TH 2012eLEARNING IN ACTION

Contact: