…technology with a twist

After Week One of Staff preparation days and Day One with students in class, the school year for 2008 begins to take some shape.

I am adjusting my thinking about my classes to narrow my focus to the individual needs of students before I move that focus again to a wider view of what it is I need for the class as a whole.  It’s a readjustment in my approaches so as to achieve a sound basis at this end of the year AND win the revolution, battle by battle.

So how is it that different to the beginning of any other school year?? It isn’t. Quite simply, it is no different to any other year, save for one SMALL consideration….integration of ICT into my programming for non-independent learners.

The class I have in mind at present is my Core class and in that group there are 3 ‘integrated’ students, 6 or 7 with specific literacy learning needs, 2 ESL students, a handful of students who have previously shown their colours as being a “handful” in terms of behaviour and a small group whom I believe will eagerly respond to independent learning approaches. An enviable mix for a class of 25 Easily enough identified, now comes the shimmy in the shadows, the dancing behind the scenes, and who to choose as my dance partners??

(I haven’t yet done a similar break down/ needs identification on my other 3 classes yet….but if the published lists are correct I have at least one more class of students with several literacy learning needs as well as an Aspergers child in Yr 9)

Our Learning Support Team have allocated me 4 lessons (out of the 12 lessons I have with my Core class) for LH to be working with me within this classroom. LH and I will also have 1 lesson per fortnight when the two of us plan together for the class.  In addition, the ESL teacher will allocate time, on a needs basis, to work with me in the classroom.

So…the twist? Previously my thinking has centred on integrating ICT with independent learners – who just take all innovations, apply their imagination and passion for learning and shoot for the stars. It’s been stimulating being their teacher and tracking an orbit around the learning world with them. But, in the last couple of days, my satellite has been rocked by a meteor shower and I am in the process of recalibrating my orbital path….trying very hard NOT to just spin off into deep space and get lost altogether.

What does this all mean? I need to learn a new dance. the Klingon carillon perhaps?

…..and a then a step to the right, with your hands on your hips …..Let’s do the Time Warp again!

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“…it seems as much as our political and educational leaders talk of the move to a revolutionary, or at least transformational, digital world of learning, the reality is quite the opposite. It seems as much as we have public acknowledgment of the need to invest in professional development to encourage teachers to adopt “bold” practice, the private reality is an insignificant investment in this support. And as much as we build excitement around transforming the learning experience for our young people, nothing or little changes.

Too often it comes back to being a simple case of technology distraction, rather than disruption!

So let’s kick off ‘08 with a combined will to do something to change all that. Let’s take this emerging era of “affordable computing”, and start setting more ambitious goals for what might be possible. We talk about anytime, anywhere learning, but even at its simplest level, too many 1-to-1 schools are still trying to contain the learning inside their walls. We all know that we are still too often looking at subjects like math and even science through “pen and paper” eyes.”

It would seem that, without knowing it, Bruce Dixon has responded to my clarion call to take up arms against the dispassionate! My own emphasis of the statement above highlights the problem and supports my earlier suggestions that the time for pussy footing around is over.  It’s like I always tell my kids; you might be one person, but you can make a difference.

What will my difference be?

I intend for my tablet to become as ubiquitous as my sunglasses are in summer! That’s the first thing….in staff meetings, in discussions, at coffee….anywhere, anytime ME actively demonstrating my umbilical link to the world.

In my classroom?

YES of cause…and not just for research purposes!! (grrrrr!! on that archaic practice)

In the classrooms where the kids don’t have access?

Book up the laptop pods, make permanent bookings into the computer labs….

Not much of a revolution there do you say??

Ah, yes, but it most certainly is to those who see teaching and learning through pen and paper eyes!! In fact it’s seen by some of them as positively REVOLTING

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“If you really want to ramp up your teaching have your students create content that educates. That will naturally engage them at a higher cognitive level.”  This whole idea is not new to classrooms, but the means (Web 2.0) by which we can assist our students in publishing their work is. I am enthused by the number of teachers using wikis and blogs to make student writing REAL. A live audience at their fingertips. And not just the classroom teacher either.

“You can require your students to demonstrate their understanding of what they are learning by having them apply their knowledge analysing and evaluating relevant novel situations or problems. This I plan to do with two of my classes in first term. Both will be reading class novels & will be required to keep an online journal about their reading (one will have a pbwiki and the other will use edublogs) They can then read each other’s work, share ideas and discuss the different perspectives that emerge in their reading. I have given some though to suggesting that we invite the authors to join in our discussions at some point.

Better yet, get them to create content that educates an interested learner and they will automatically incorporate all those levels of engagement while they make their learning sticky. I don’t need to tell you that there’s nothing like having to teach a thing to make you really learn it. One class will use their journals as a beginning point in a collaborative project to prepare a ’sell’ on the film version of the novel.

I thought I might show this triangular thinking to the two classes and have them discuss what they see. Given that there is so much food for thought I may even send it home with them to discuss with Mum and Dad as well.

It would be an interesting exercise to have the kids change the triangles into learning timelines and then to plot some examples of their own experiences to assess what they have achieved and then to set themselves some goals for the term.

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It’s time to get my frame of thinking out of holiday mode and into school mode. Not that I really want to. Not that its ever easy after this long break. BUT…here are some notes to myself, for periodical review, for kicking myself in the backside when the term kicks in and the holidays are tucked away as photos on flickr and picassa…

I resolve to have….

Courage - to keep finding the energy and the twist to keep the revolution alive via my classrooms. To keep presenting the ideas wherever possible. Suggest the twist even when I know its going to get the thumbs down.

Strength – To not be tempted to be complacent and take the easy way out by falling back on 20th century teaching methods. To keep biting at that elephant!

Structure – in the short term – integrating technology into the Core programs at all stages NOT just during assessment blocks…and long term – more 1:1 in MS

Laughter, Coffee, sleep, and more time spent finding more and more twists.

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