Dr Eileen Lento spoke about the fact most students are living in a digital and mobile world, and when they come to the physical school building, this is a disconnect with their “real” world.
Intel have a very interesting PD program which is a mandatory 400 hours per year, scheduled every Friday morning. This training is technology based and done mostly as coursework in a virtual setting.
Leaning into the 21st century
If the rate of change inside an institution, is less than the rate of change outside that institution, then the end is in sight – Jack Welch, CEO of GE
What does this mean for education? Are our schools keeping up with the change outside the building? Or are schools the same as they have always been?
If we look at what is happening outside of schools, technology has progressed at an amazing rate. Internet traffic is doubling every year. Web 2.0 is about interaction – technology is not the “geeks” sitting in front of a computer – it is everyone interacting using digital tools and media. Online gaming brings in eight times the revenue of Hollywood!
Futurists are predicting that 21st grand challenges – solar energy, energy from fusion, access to clean water, enhanced virtual reality and advanced personalised learning. The people and organisations who come up with solutions to these problems are going to be market leaders. What does that mean for educators in schools (primary, secondary, tertiary), in Australia?
US Policy
Four drivers - Teacher quality, common standards, data driven standards (longitudinal data), and digital text books (and open commons).
In the leading countries, technology is embedded horizontally in the curriculum, it is not an isolated silo.
The question becomes how do we do it differently?
Information in transition
Yesterday –> to –> the future
Print –> Broadcast –> Collaborative
This year, household consumption of computer technology was, for the first time, larger than business. This means homes have more, and newer, technology than business!
What are students saying and doing
The project tomorrow “speak up” survey was described. This is interesting for me, as I have been following the results of this survey for the last few years. You can see the yearly results at the project tomorrow website – I’ll post a link later. What is interesting about this is the data coming from the survey of the students. Grade three females are wanting more technology, more science, more engagement in schools! What does this mean for older students? What about kids in Australia.
Students are also saying they want tools like digital media, personal learning devices, access to IM, email, online content, unlimited internet. They want to have experiences that involve communicate, collaborate, creativity, productivity, use online learning that is outside the classroom.
Attack of the show – new “TV” the students watch – this “TV” is interactive, with the viewers becoming part of the media, live and real time. Highly technologically based, with fast pace, comments, reviews all driven by young adults – you can see this at www.gtv.com
We need to shift the learning paradigm
Moving from Instructor centric, where the teacher is the expert telling the students what to do.
to…
Student centric, surrounded by the instructor, resources that they need, internet, class, real world.
Would it be so bad to listen to and learn from the kids? Would it be so bad to change the way we teach?
Pedagogy
The technological shift will mean some changes in teaching. Just in time data (real time data) means that teachers can respond to students now, real time. Misconceptions can be addressed, teachers can vocalise met cognition, modelling this for the students. With real time data and analysis, a response that used to take weeks can take seconds, and this saves teachers time, energy and ensures that the learning journey that students are taking is efficient and timely.
Latest research and design for education targeted machines (from Intel)
Microtouch optimised machines
Micro-mobile devices
Largest screen, smallest form factor (balance)
On screen digital readers
Web cam (or flip camera)
Microphone
This must be tied with data collection and back end systems that allow us to monitor the effects and progress these have!
Summary
Education needs to change to develop the skills needed for the 21st century. These skills are best taught in eLearning environments that include integration of ICT. Schools worldwide will benefit from this change!
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