Comments on: Some thinking on Education, from New South Wales http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:49:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: links for 2009-​​10-​​10 | acidlabs http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-284 links for 2009-​​10-​​10 | acidlabs Sat, 10 Oct 2009 12:01:58 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-284 [...] » Fea­tures » Some think­ing on Edu­ca­tion, from New South Wales Nice think­ing from Darcy More in NSW on edu­ca­tion reform for the 21st Century. (tags: edu­ca­tion inno­va­tion) [...] [...] » Fea­tures » Some think­ing on Edu­ca­tion, from New South Wales Nice think­ing from Darcy More in NSW on edu­ca­tion reform for the 21st Century. (tags: edu­ca­tion inno­va­tion) [...]

]]> By: Russell Darnley http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-252 Russell Darnley Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:11:40 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-252 It's refreshing to read such an eloquent account of the challenges and the possible futures for education. Stu's comments that follow are alarmingly true. Being prepared to learn skills and when they are no longer relevant learn new skills is essential. It's clear schools aren't yet creating sufficient opportunities for students to develop the skills required in the 21st century, nor are they testing the extent of their acquisition. Working with my staff over the past two years I've been slowly introducing digital strategies and talking about it almost everyday. While TALE was still a bit problematic and a bit clunky, before dedicated TALE servers, I loaded up TLF Learning Objects directly to the school server and with support from the school executive, managed to begin to introduce them at Teaching and Learning staff meetings and on Staff Development days. A few people really took them up. We've now started to point people in the direction of Web2.0 strategies. I sense that the DER roll-out is challenging a few old habits, in fact I think it has the potential to act as a real catalyst. Thanks for the Blog. Just sorry I hadn't found it sooner. It’s refreshing to read such an eloquent account of the challenges and the possible futures for education. Stu’s comments that follow are alarmingly true. Being prepared to learn skills and when they are no longer relevant learn new skills is essential. It’s clear schools aren’t yet creating sufficient opportunities for students to develop the skills required in the 21st century, nor are they testing the extent of their acquisition.

Working with my staff over the past two years I’ve been slowly introducing digital strategies and talking about it almost everyday. While TALE was still a bit problematic and a bit clunky, before dedicated TALE servers, I loaded up TLF Learning Objects directly to the school server and with support from the school executive, managed to begin to introduce them at Teaching and Learning staff meetings and on Staff Development days. A few people really took them up. We’ve now started to point people in the direction of Web2.0 strategies. I sense that the DER roll-out is challenging a few old habits, in fact I think it has the potential to act as a real catalyst.

Thanks for the Blog. Just sorry I hadn’t found it sooner.

]]> By: Stu http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-156 Stu Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:13:01 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-156 It is a very stark comparison indeed. Just look at the issue of email for teachers (in New South Wales public education anyway). I've had email as an IT professional since 1989 - sure, it was internal email only withing the organisation I worked for, but it was an email address and it was used everyday. I joined DET in 1993 and I had email that worked between every office in the state. Then internet capable email appeared for me in 1994 and I never looked back. Throughout all those years, I got no training is "how" to do this stuff. It was expected that I would know how to do it - as a professional who must keep up with the times. Conversely, email for teachers was announced in 2001 and was ready to roll in 2002. But as soon as it was ready, the teachers union chose to ban it outright. It remained banned for FOUR years. When the ban finally was lifted in 2006 it came with a proviso that if any teacher wanted to OPT-OUT of email, they could. Sadly a large percentage actually did opt-out. And today in 2009, you can go to just about any high school in NSW and identify a significant number of teachers who to this day will not use email. If they won't use email, what chance is there of them taking on seemingly more complex ICT resources? And we wonder why the classroom hasn't changed much? It is a very stark comparison indeed. Just look at the issue of email for teachers (in New South Wales public education anyway). I’ve had email as an IT professional since 1989 – sure, it was internal email only withing the organisation I worked for, but it was an email address and it was used everyday. I joined DET in 1993 and I had email that worked between every office in the state. Then internet capable email appeared for me in 1994 and I never looked back. Throughout all those years, I got no training is “how” to do this stuff. It was expected that I would know how to do it – as a professional who must keep up with the times. Conversely, email for teachers was announced in 2001 and was ready to roll in 2002. But as soon as it was ready, the teachers union chose to ban it outright. It remained banned for FOUR years. When the ban finally was lifted in 2006 it came with a proviso that if any teacher wanted to OPT-OUT of email, they could. Sadly a large percentage actually did opt-out. And today in 2009, you can go to just about any high school in NSW and identify a significant number of teachers who to this day will not use email. If they won’t use email, what chance is there of them taking on seemingly more complex ICT resources?

And we wonder why the classroom hasn’t changed much?

]]> By: darcy http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-22 darcy Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:29:40 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-22 Thanks Peter, Troy and Colin for your positive comments (and link). Some would see it as cynical, but the assessment is the key to actually transforming any ed. system, the pedagogy will catch-up. I just worry that we do not have time to wait, something needs to be done yesterday. PJ, I think poltics is being transformed and that all of us are potential politcians now that we have tools that allow organisation (Alfie Dennen's point with this site one would imagine). Cheers, Darcy Thanks Peter, Troy and Colin for your positive comments (and link).

Some would see it as cynical, but the assessment is the key to actually transforming any ed. system, the pedagogy will catch-up. I just worry that we do not have time to wait, something needs to be done yesterday.

PJ, I think poltics is being transformed and that all of us are potential politcians now that we have tools that allow organisation (Alfie Dennen’s point with this site one would imagine).

Cheers,
Darcy

]]> By: Colin Campbell http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-20 Colin Campbell Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:01:19 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-20 I agree that changing assessment is a key path to changing the way a school operates. I heard a podcast of a lecture by Erica McWilliam talk about the move from sage on the stage --> guide on the side --> to meddler in the middle. That struck a chord with me. It's long but worth the listen, it's called 'Unlearning Performance' and can be found on itunes u or click through http://www.griffith.edu.au/podcasts/ Thanks for the post...cc I agree that changing assessment is a key path to changing the way a school operates. I heard a podcast of a lecture by Erica McWilliam talk about the move from sage on the stage –> guide on the side –> to meddler in the middle. That struck a chord with me. It’s long but worth the listen, it’s called ‘Unlearning Performance’ and can be found on itunes u or click through http://www.griffith.edu.au/podcasts/

Thanks for the post…cc

]]> By: Troy http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-19 Troy Mon, 26 Jan 2009 08:52:57 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-19 Thought provoking article, I love the comparison of the images...I've had the same discussions with family and colleagues and the “operations are much more serious than teaching – they’re life and death,” sometimes comes up, in a various forms. 'Our images of schools need to change and focus on learning more than the ‘bricks and mortar’.' I am finding myself agreeing with everything you post! Thought provoking article, I love the comparison of the images…I’ve had the same discussions with family and colleagues and the “operations are much more serious than teaching – they’re life and death,” sometimes comes up, in a various forms.
‘Our images of schools need to change and focus on learning more than the ‘bricks and mortar’.’ I am finding myself agreeing with everything you post!

]]> By: Peter Johnson http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239&cpage=1#comment-18 Peter Johnson Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:40:51 +0000 http://agit8.org.uk/?p=239#comment-18 You're right Darcy! Politics is your forum Darcy - consider it. You will be able to make more change impact from outside the system than from within (imho) PJ You’re right Darcy!
Politics is your forum Darcy – consider it.
You will be able to make more change impact from outside the system than from within (imho)
PJ

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