Extracts from theRotorua Conference

2010

The intentions of this presentation:

1. Introduction of ICT ideas and directions for the 21st Century Learner

2. A brief overview of some philosophies presented at the Learning @ School

conference.

Overview

• 2 Broad categories;– State of Education & New Curriculum– The 21st Century Learners & their Teachers’

Role

Current StatisticsDr Stuart Middleton

• Starting school – promise that will lead somewhere

• 20% disappeared from education by age 16• 12.5% Secondary truants each day• 4500 leave primary but fail to enter secondary• Learning for all? Carry on doing same = will get

worse.• Similar in Aussie, Britain, Canada, USA

Future Outlook

• Won’t be able to sustain economy - similar development, similar issues

• Universal primary, secondary, tertiary• Unease socially and politically with

education• Unprecedented levels of disengagement

(Physical, Virtual, Unintended)• Disconnect between education and the

economy

Diversification

• Low skill / unskill jobs – immigration, now exporting

• Successful students are . . .

• 1980’s into 1990’s – diversity at bottom end of tertiary

• Creation of Disengaged – 3 form cohert irregular, retention for 5 years at school 15% to 65% stay

Disengagement

• Maori physical disengagement• Pacific Virtual disengagement• Marginally successful, unprepared to go

anywhere• Learning Triad – Readiness, Quality,

Progress• Container terminal• Bilingual brains are better, being Bilingual is

normal• Language based on same underlying skills

NZ CurriculumNZ CurriculumVision statementVision statement

Students will need 21st century skills to enable them to be

“confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners”

(Ministry of Education, 2007, p.7.)

What are schools doing to work towards this vision?

Cave teacher….

Read rocks 4 through 6Complete drawings 5 to 7

Read scrolls 4 through 6Complete exercises 5 to 7

Middle ages….

70s….

Read OHTs 4 through 6Complete exercises

5 to 7

Today…?

Read screens 4 through 6Complete exercises

5 to 7

So what has changed at school?

“A yawning chasm, (with the emphasis on yawning),

separates the world inside the schoolhouse

from the world outside.”

Wallis and Steptoe, 2006

“Schools are stuck in the 20th century. Students have rushed into the 21st

century.How can schools catch up and provide students with a relevant education?”

Marc PrenskyAuthor - ‘Don’t Bother Me mum, I’m Learning’

“Outside they are fully engaged in their 21st century lives. If educators want to

have relevance in this century it is crucial we find ways to engage students in

school.”

Question To Consider

1. How do you use ICT?

2. Where / How did you learn to use ICT?

3. Why would you want your students to use ICT?

4. Why would your students want to use ICT?

Some Background

• Average age of a Secondary Teacher is 49

• Significant lag between the emergence of a technology and its adoption in a school

What do these statements suggest?

If I’m 49

• I saw / heard the landing on the moon• I owned vinyl records and wanted a CD player• My family owned a B&W TV – with one channel• Video players were amazing and then whole

shops appeared that would rent me a video• Computers filled a room, then got smaller and

could be bought, but they were very precious

If I’m 16• The lunar landing is ancient history• I download all my music• A 32” LCD TV is small and I have lots of movies

on a hard disk• I constantly update my Bebo / Facebook /

Myspace• I communicate constantly by text and chat• Computers are a means to an ends. I take and

carry photos and videos on my cell phone

Technology Changes

• E-portfolio’s

• 24/7 learner

• Mobility, access,

• Challenge to current school policies / practices / beliefs

• Ban v Educate

• Value for money – connection, service

Professional Development or Professional Learning?PD

• Is usually focussed on 1 initiative at a time

• Staff meetings often feel fragmented

• It sometimes feels overwhelming – like we have “initiativ-itis”

PL• Embraces several

initiatives at once• Allows for

complementary staff meetings etc

• It sometimes feels more manageable

Some common examples

• Usernames/passwords• Photocopiers/printing• Laptop admin access• Access to SMS/LMS/email

from home• Cables• No formal way of

requesting ICT support• Teachers banned from

good PD sites• Favourites unused

• Slow Internet speed due to student abuse of system

• Notification of outages• No student voice• No teacher voice• Personalisation of

desktops blocked• Under-use of LMS etc• TTWWADI & Fear

…then we can end up with this…..(Beware of pain you get used to!)

The Teachers’ Role

Once seen as “Knowledge Holders” now replaced by Google.

To support the students with

• Advice

• Access

• Finding solutions

• Providing (some) resources

• Confirmation / review

From the e-learning strategy

“The lifelong ability to locate, evaluate, use, and create information”

To be information literate, a person must be able to

recognize:• When information is needed and have the

ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information and create new information.

Information literate people are those who have learned how to learn.

ICT In Schools

It’s not about teaching ICT

ICT is an enabler for learning!

From “They” to “We”

We need to make continuous progress, and stop blaming Them:

• Focus on Continuous Improvement• Not Every Step is a Success• Look out for “can’t” when what is meant is

“won’t”• Celebrate Any and All Progress• Remember that the Round Wheels are Already

In the Wagon• Engage and Enlist the Energy of All

But………

What is an e-Portfolio?

“An organised collection of digital and/or analog artifacts and reflective statements that demonstrate growth over time.’

Helen Barrett

School Culture

Implementing Change

Misalignment is bad enough in a business ….

But in a school where ICT can sometimes appear to be managed as

“yet another add on”:• Disaster is looming• Misalignment amongst stakeholders will

ensure ICT remains semi-detached from the needs of our learners, and…..

• …there are serious implications for how we develop and implement NZC

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world: indeed it is the only thing that ever has!” Margaret Mead.

So why are we here??

• Improving teaching quality and learning outcomes for all students

• Strengthening communities of professional practice supported

through the smart use of information and communications technologies.

MoE – ICT PD cluster objectives

Peter Senge said:

• "Success in the old paradigm becomes inertia in the new one" - a great quote when considering why current leadership practices may not be preparing us for the future!

• "Vested interests fight against change"

The end