One of the greatest challenges for school leaders is to find ways to deliver realistic and relevant professional learning inside schools. While many of the discussions around educational technology are high on the teacher, librarian and leadership agenda, the reality is it is often hard to break free of orbital questions, and start to look at ‘what does this learning look like’.
What is it that we know now, that maybe is less important that we thought? What can we afford to unlearn to create sustainable ‘new’ curricula?. etc.,
There are numerous challenges in moving from a passive curricula to a vibrant two-way interchange. There are strands of inter-connected discussions from the IT Manger to the classroom teacher, each presenting a viewpoint founded on experience, belief and policy. While it is possible for ‘innovative’ teachers to do amazing things with Web2.0, it is equally important to consider ‘instructional’ teachers continue get ‘results’ in exams – which is what students and parents think is the key to future success. We are therefore having to be strategic in work though ideological and technological barriers and must find ‘common’ ground and avoid polorisation.
There are established imperatives from Education Systems that actively require schools to develop ’softer’ skills throughout a blended curriculum. Taking the ideas and innovation of a small number of teachers to scale is perhaps the hardest challenge, in light of the pressure on teachers and students to attain ‘marks’ in exams. How do we then teach students ‘how to learn’, using skills and strategies outside of ‘traditionalist’ methods.
A changing world, the maturation of internet based services challenges us accept we live in a world where there is too much information on offer to students and our old ideas promote surface learning as we struggle to lead them though it. Students become strategic in how to ‘pass’ rather than deeply involved with learning itself. The new skills of the 21st Century include online collaboration; co-operation and co-production. Learning is increasingly in formal and out of school. Understanding how to teach todays Youth Online requires us to develop measurable, motivating classrooms.
In the work I do with teachers and leaders, they are encouraged to not only hear about the metaphoric tools and ’shifts’ in how students learn, but how to start the change process by providing supported professional learning though measurable goals. It is for me, about modeling ‘how’ to do it within existing frameworks. Identifying ‘key’ issues and working to over come them over a period of time. Change is not as immediate as often people think. Many of the issues today have been present since we introduced the microcomputer into learning. Todays difference is that teens have massive access to massive information, and technology is now responsible for large amounts of ’social activities’. How to we harness the intrinsic motivation of students ‘outside of school’, to renew learning environments … at the practical level. That’s what we’re exploring.
I am working with a number of associations and groups to do this … but if you want to know more … just drop me a line.
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