How long is it since I have blogged? Far too long. My busy schedule has made it difficult, combined with dealing with personal tragedy. Not a great mix.
But time to try to put my fingers to the keyboard as I spend another day of my weekend commuting for an early start interstate on Monday.
I thought I should reflect on Ulearn08. I was fortunate enough to be an invited speaker to the Ulearn08 conference in Christchurch New Zealand to deliver a presentation “Web 2.0, how exciting learning has become.”
The conference attracted over 1,700 delegates and provided a great smorgasbord of keynotes, spotlights and workshops. The planning was enormous and everything seemed to flow extremely well. There was a significant trade show with strong support from the corporate sector to enhance the use of technology in schools.
Will Richardson and Sheryl Naussbaum-Beach provided the opening keynote and as always inspired the audience with a focus on Professional Learning Communities and the part they play in education. It was a strong theme as the use of twitter through the conference seemed to highlight the power of professional learning communities amongst educators. I will blog about Twitter and my thoughts in the next few days.
There were many Australian’s like myself providing spotlight sessions with our New Zealand friends. Many were practicing teachers who were sharing their journey. There was also a strong presence of early childhood educators, which highlights how early the use of technology has shifted to a much younger sector in education.
What stood out to me was how well New Zealand was doing in the integration of technology in education. I look back ten years ago in Australia, when the Victorian Education Department was seen as the world leader. We were one of the first to provide every teacher with a laptop; we followed this up with a state-wide Wide Area Network to enable high speed internet access to all schools. All documentations was moved online, Technical support was provided to schools and much, much more. More recently the department invested in leading schools and now are working towards the Ultranet (although its already several years behind schedule).
So why is it that New Zealand teachers are far more skilled in the use of ICT, far more skilled in the integration and use of ICT in the classroom and far more knowledgeable in what ICT can do? In my workshops (I ran 4 workshops in addition to my spotlight,) I was continually surprised at the ICT skill level and knowledge of the average teacher. Most were blogging and using a range of web 2.0 tools, however my experience in Australia would indicate that a smaller percentage are at this level and we still have teachers who are excited because they used power point for the first time (technology that is more than 15 years old in education).
Why is this so? Because New Zealand has invested in the most important area of ICT. Teacher professional development. They have provided significant funds to cluster to run professional development over three year periods. Twice this year I have been to NZ to work with clusters who are using their funding in innovative ways. I am talking about significant funds. In many case more than a million dollars. Many clusters have put in specialist coaches and run a range of PD programs, one on one support and regional conferences. Putting money into PD instead of equipment and hardware as Australia has done has made a significant difference.
I look at ULearn08 with 1,700 participants and reflect on Australia’s peak ICT conference (ACEC) which a week earlier drew less than 600 people for a country 4 times or more larger.
I look at the ICT programs being run in Australia and it is now school based or run by subject associations. The regional and state based events seem to be in the minority.
Australia, let’s look at ourselves and look at where we are headed. Significant money is being spent on ICT professional development and learning programs in NZ, Singapore, Honk Kong, and now India and China.
Yet in Australia, we keep investing in hardware. How many Interactive Whiteboards have we put into schools without training our teachers?
Yes we have our innovators and visionaries who are doing great things in many schools; however the average teacher is falling well behind what is happening internationally.
It is time to invest and invest in new ways. Let’s get our teachers up to speed and then think about what resources we need.
We were the leader. We were the best. Our top educators and being poached, our top visionaries are being recognised more and more abroad, yet not locally. It is time for change in teacher professional development in Australia. Let’s get back to where we once were. Let’s Sho w the world again.
Showing posts with label web 2.0. Show all posts
Showing posts with label web 2.0. Show all posts
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
Ulearn08
Goanimate - Looking forward to Ulearn08. I am running a workshop which has goanimate as one of the web 2.0 softwares. Thanks to Betina Sho who found this site.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
staying safe online
This week I spent two days working with girls at an Australian school, working through issues relating to internet safety.
It is interesting to see how many students under 14 have social networking sites. About 95% with 100% using MSN messenger (windows live).
Myspace is still the most popular social networking site, followed by Bebo, however Facebook is challenging both sites when it comes to senior classes.
It is always interesting to finish my presentations and ask for questions. This week and all other weeks are met with similar responses. To begin, no one wants to ask a question, but eventually one student does. This is like opening the floodgates, and hands pop up from everywhere. The students have genuine concerns and often want to share an event that has happened to them online.
There is always someone who has a bad experience and wants to share it with others, while some students are unsure if they are being deceived and want further clarification. Often they ask, do you think this is risky, should I worry about this person I am talking to, who should I report an issue to. I usually have 1 out of every 100 students come up and ask for advice as they now recognise that someone they chat to is quite possibly an adult and they have given out all their personal information.
I have found children very good at protecting themselves online, however the hard part is to make the concerns real so that children put in place safe practices. Once children are aware and its real, they make very sensible decisions.
Let’s hope that students can educate each other within their own networks as they have the ability to reach out to far more than adults can reach.
It is interesting to see how many students under 14 have social networking sites. About 95% with 100% using MSN messenger (windows live).
Myspace is still the most popular social networking site, followed by Bebo, however Facebook is challenging both sites when it comes to senior classes.
It is always interesting to finish my presentations and ask for questions. This week and all other weeks are met with similar responses. To begin, no one wants to ask a question, but eventually one student does. This is like opening the floodgates, and hands pop up from everywhere. The students have genuine concerns and often want to share an event that has happened to them online.
There is always someone who has a bad experience and wants to share it with others, while some students are unsure if they are being deceived and want further clarification. Often they ask, do you think this is risky, should I worry about this person I am talking to, who should I report an issue to. I usually have 1 out of every 100 students come up and ask for advice as they now recognise that someone they chat to is quite possibly an adult and they have given out all their personal information.
I have found children very good at protecting themselves online, however the hard part is to make the concerns real so that children put in place safe practices. Once children are aware and its real, they make very sensible decisions.
Let’s hope that students can educate each other within their own networks as they have the ability to reach out to far more than adults can reach.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Why block so many great educational web sites
As some of you know, my work involves the delivery of Internet Safety Awareness Programs all over Australia. In my other life, I am a great advocate for Web 2.0 technologies and their use in education.
I can argue the case for both sides, for and against.
So I thought I should share a few of my thoughts and observations.
The innovators and early adopters in teaching have moved to Web 2.0 tools just as quickly as students have. They see great value in these technologies and are keen to integrate them into their classrooms. These are the teachers you meet at most technology in education conferences.
Many have are using blogs, wikis, and podcasts in the classroom and playing with more.
There is also a small group of teachers who are beginning to look at ways that they can use mobile (cell) phones for education purposes in the classroom. Perhaps this will be the future, when students provide the technology for schools, especially in state education.
We must remember that these are the early adopters and most other educators have still not heard of web 2.0 or if they have, do not understand it or have not dabbled with it.
The early adopters are voicing significant concern at the moment about their ability to use web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
In many schools, school districts and at state levels there is an increasing reaction to the use of these web sites by blocking them. This is the easiest option.
The first to be blocked was myspace, then bebo and other social networking sites.
Then came google images, flickr and youtube.
There is a small number of students who used these sites in inappropriate ways, however for many, it has become the world that they live in. They update their social networking sites on a regular basis and become connected each night when the log on to their own personal community.
The VELs (Victorian Essential Learning’s) standards that have been introduced into Victoria schools have the same ICT outcomes as similar standards in Tasmania and Queensland, with Western Australia to follow suit.
Students are expected to:
· Create Digital Portfolios
· Collaborate using blogs, email etc
· Present information to others
· Manipulate information on web sites and in presentations
· Test and evaluate web sites
· Manage files and desktops
These are the skills we are expecting children to display and demonstrate in schools. Most students are already achieving well above these levels at home, yet they are given basic technology tasks in schools that match teacher comfort zones. Even more of a concern is that these students are publishing content for a global audience, yet coming to school and creating content for one. Their teacher!
In fact many cannot even showcase their ability to their teachers as the sites they use at home are blocked in their schools.
At the Navcon 2007 conference recently held in Gosford, NSW, Australia, I continually heard the frustration from teachers.
The new web 2.0 technologies, blogs and wikis are being blocked more and more. PBwikis and wikispaces are the two most common sites for students to work in a collaborative on line manner, yet many schools or sectors are now blocking these to go with youtube and myspace.
Youtube has some of the best video footage available yet it is often blocked at the state level. We also want students to publish to a global audience, however too often this is not possible due to restricted access to web 2.0.
Some teachers tell me that they are not even telling their school leaders or technology administrators about the innovation in their classrooms, for fear the web 2.0 sites they are using will be blocked the next day.
I think it’s time for education bodies to come up to speed on web 2.0 and the positive impact it can have in classrooms. Yes there are risks to children who use these sites in an inappropriate way and if anyone should know about this it’s me, however we need to start educating children about their responsibilities as digital citizens.
We cannot expect students to use technologies in schools and homes without informing and educating them about how to keep safe on the internet and how to ingrain responsible use of the technology. Students who are immersed in this technology have to understand that they have a moral responsibility to use this technology wisely. They are the digital natives and need to develop their own code of conduct. For many, this cannot be done without the help of educators.
This is our role.
Too often the easiest outcome is to block, ban or remove the access. Web 2.0 provides low cost, easy access to technologies that will be a large part of every child’s future. Schools, Districts, Education Sectors!!!!!!! Come up to speed. This is the new world of technology. Students who use the technologies are meeting most of the learning outcomes we set for children. Unfortunately, most of this is occurring at home and can only be achieved at home.
I can argue the case for both sides, for and against.
So I thought I should share a few of my thoughts and observations.
The innovators and early adopters in teaching have moved to Web 2.0 tools just as quickly as students have. They see great value in these technologies and are keen to integrate them into their classrooms. These are the teachers you meet at most technology in education conferences.
Many have are using blogs, wikis, and podcasts in the classroom and playing with more.
There is also a small group of teachers who are beginning to look at ways that they can use mobile (cell) phones for education purposes in the classroom. Perhaps this will be the future, when students provide the technology for schools, especially in state education.
We must remember that these are the early adopters and most other educators have still not heard of web 2.0 or if they have, do not understand it or have not dabbled with it.
The early adopters are voicing significant concern at the moment about their ability to use web 2.0 tools in the classroom.
In many schools, school districts and at state levels there is an increasing reaction to the use of these web sites by blocking them. This is the easiest option.
The first to be blocked was myspace, then bebo and other social networking sites.
Then came google images, flickr and youtube.
There is a small number of students who used these sites in inappropriate ways, however for many, it has become the world that they live in. They update their social networking sites on a regular basis and become connected each night when the log on to their own personal community.
The VELs (Victorian Essential Learning’s) standards that have been introduced into Victoria schools have the same ICT outcomes as similar standards in Tasmania and Queensland, with Western Australia to follow suit.
Students are expected to:
· Create Digital Portfolios
· Collaborate using blogs, email etc
· Present information to others
· Manipulate information on web sites and in presentations
· Test and evaluate web sites
· Manage files and desktops
These are the skills we are expecting children to display and demonstrate in schools. Most students are already achieving well above these levels at home, yet they are given basic technology tasks in schools that match teacher comfort zones. Even more of a concern is that these students are publishing content for a global audience, yet coming to school and creating content for one. Their teacher!
In fact many cannot even showcase their ability to their teachers as the sites they use at home are blocked in their schools.
At the Navcon 2007 conference recently held in Gosford, NSW, Australia, I continually heard the frustration from teachers.
The new web 2.0 technologies, blogs and wikis are being blocked more and more. PBwikis and wikispaces are the two most common sites for students to work in a collaborative on line manner, yet many schools or sectors are now blocking these to go with youtube and myspace.
Youtube has some of the best video footage available yet it is often blocked at the state level. We also want students to publish to a global audience, however too often this is not possible due to restricted access to web 2.0.
Some teachers tell me that they are not even telling their school leaders or technology administrators about the innovation in their classrooms, for fear the web 2.0 sites they are using will be blocked the next day.
I think it’s time for education bodies to come up to speed on web 2.0 and the positive impact it can have in classrooms. Yes there are risks to children who use these sites in an inappropriate way and if anyone should know about this it’s me, however we need to start educating children about their responsibilities as digital citizens.
We cannot expect students to use technologies in schools and homes without informing and educating them about how to keep safe on the internet and how to ingrain responsible use of the technology. Students who are immersed in this technology have to understand that they have a moral responsibility to use this technology wisely. They are the digital natives and need to develop their own code of conduct. For many, this cannot be done without the help of educators.
This is our role.
Too often the easiest outcome is to block, ban or remove the access. Web 2.0 provides low cost, easy access to technologies that will be a large part of every child’s future. Schools, Districts, Education Sectors!!!!!!! Come up to speed. This is the new world of technology. Students who use the technologies are meeting most of the learning outcomes we set for children. Unfortunately, most of this is occurring at home and can only be achieved at home.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Navcon 2007
Ok, Ok. I am at Navcon 2007 and have just conducted a session on web 2.0 and in particular how I subscribe to Blogs using Google Reader. I was talking about Blogfluenza and how every one is blogging and realised I was a Bluker (reading blogs but not commenting or adding to the community). But then again, with my on-going travel there is little free time to blog.
Rather than spend time focusing on the conference, I thought I would reflect on some of my observations.
Firstly the range of knowledge at the conference is again so diverse. We have some of the leaders in the use of new and emerging technologies in our groups, however we also have many who have never heard of Web 2.0.
The most popular themes are blogging, podcasting, RSS feeds, animation and wikis.
There is some reference to some of the newer web 2.0 sites, but not a lot.
Keynote speakers were:
Dr Yoram Harpaz - Beit Berl Teachers College, Isreal
Leigh Blackall - Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand
Dr Adam Lefstein - Oxford University, United Kingdom
One of the interesting delegates I meet at lunch was John Larkin from StJosephs Catholic High School. John is a great fan of Jaiku, a mini blog program with a social messagging feature.
Oh my apologies to Kathy Schrock, as I have used her blog Kaffeeklatsch, as the sample to sign everyone up in my work shop using google reader.
Links to web sites and videos shown in my spotlight and workshops can be found here. Greg's Navcon2k7 Workshops.
Rather than spend time focusing on the conference, I thought I would reflect on some of my observations.
Firstly the range of knowledge at the conference is again so diverse. We have some of the leaders in the use of new and emerging technologies in our groups, however we also have many who have never heard of Web 2.0.
The most popular themes are blogging, podcasting, RSS feeds, animation and wikis.
There is some reference to some of the newer web 2.0 sites, but not a lot.
Keynote speakers were:
Dr Yoram Harpaz - Beit Berl Teachers College, Isreal
Leigh Blackall - Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand
Dr Adam Lefstein - Oxford University, United Kingdom
One of the interesting delegates I meet at lunch was John Larkin from StJosephs Catholic High School. John is a great fan of Jaiku, a mini blog program with a social messagging feature.
Oh my apologies to Kathy Schrock, as I have used her blog Kaffeeklatsch, as the sample to sign everyone up in my work shop using google reader.
Links to web sites and videos shown in my spotlight and workshops can be found here. Greg's Navcon2k7 Workshops.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
