The Fuse is Lit... It

1
The Fuse is Lit...Its Time to Change.

• From whatever its called that we have now (a
  mish-mash of 150 years of school education)
• To Interactive Classrooms.

Stuart Hasic March 2008
2
Shift Happens
3
Isnt this just Information Overload?

• The two-way Internet is growing exponentially
• How is it possible for us to keep up?
• How do teachers survive in thisocean of
  information that their students seem to swim
  through easily?
• We may be afraid to enter that world, but we MUST
  for our students often swim in uncharted waters
  without the benefit of adult guidance
• Todays teachers must help to build the new
  teaching playbook

4
Digest this Statement

• The Answer to Information Overload is to Produce
  MORE Information
• ...because it is in the act of our becoming a
  creator that our relationship with content
  changes
• When we create content, we become more engaged
  and more technologically capable at the same time
• In a world of overwhelming content, we must swim
  with the current or tide

5
Help Build the New Playbook

• How do you teach to a generation of students who
  are so tech-savvy?
• The reality is they NEED you.
• For centuries we have taught students how to seek
  out information
• Now we teach them how to sort relevance from an
  over-abundance of information
• For the last 10 years weve taught students how
  to protect themselves from inappropriate content
• Now we have to teach them to CREATE appropriate
  content

6
Help Build the New Playbook

• Our students may be Digital Natives, but their
  knowledge is actually surface level
• They have no Fear
• They have not developed Patterns
• They desperately need training in real thinking
  skills
• Teachers MUST enter their world because their
  world is fast becoming the Real world

7
What our Governments are Doing

• NSW Government and NSW DET
• Connected Classrooms Project
• Digital Learning Resources
• Technology 4 Learning
• Federal Government
• Digital Education Revolution
• Or in other words, here is a whole lot of stuff
  coming very soon you make it work.

8
And They are Right!

• Real Change NEVER Occurs Top-Down
• The more governments and educational authorities
  try to force teachers to change, the more they
  will resist (remember what happened with
  teachers e-mail?)
• If School Education is going to remain relevant
  in this ever-changing world, the change MUST be
  Bottom-Up. Individuals must change.

9
Shattering the Paradigms We Need to Move
From Consuming...
To Producing
From Authority...
To Transparency
From The Expert...
To The Facilitator
From The Classroom...
To Any O/W/T
From Access to Information...
To Access to People
John Seely Brown
10
Shattering the Paradigms We Need to Move
From Learning About...
To Learning to Be
From Passive Learning...
To Passionate Learning
From Presentation...
To Participation
From Publication...
To Conversation
From Supply - Push
To Demand - Pull
John Seely Brown
11
Now Lets Take a Step Back
12
The Move to Interactive Classrooms
How can you move to them if you dont know what
they are?
13
What is an Interactive Classroom?

• In general terms, an Interactive Classroom is
• Student-Centric rather than Teacher-Centric
• Collaborative rather than Individual
• Involves Active Learning rather than Passive
  Learning
• Involves one or multiple forms of Interactive
  Technology

14
What are Interactive Technologies?

• In general terms, Interactive Technologies
• Allow for users to produce input rather than just
  consume output
• Can be either software or hardware or a
  combination of both
• Can be locally accessed or available on-line
• Interactive Technology refers to interaction
  between HUMANS through technology

15
What Isnt an Interactive Technology?

• Interactive Technology is NOT interaction between
  a User and a Computer or Device (as most people
  think)
• Online and Offline searching and browsing
  (surfing the Net)
• Using Encarta
• Online Banking and paying bills
• Typing up and printing out an assignment

16
What is Psuedo-Interactive Technology?

• Some technologies call themselves Interactive,
  but their interactivity is canned
• Learning Federation DLRs (Learning Objects)
• Playing educational games like Reader Rabbit
  and Math Blaster
• Completing Hot Potatoes online quizzes
• Interactive Whiteboards these just let an
  individual control a computer while others watch
  its engaging, but its not interactive

17
So, What is an Interactive Technology?

• Creating videos or podcasts for others
• Creating docs/presentations for others
• Creating blogs, wikis, websites and EduWeb pages
  for others
• Contributing to other peoples blogs or wikis
• Connecting to other students/teachers via email,
  video conferencing or telephones
• Moodle where a teacher is the audience
• Creating and presenting lessons/games for others

18
Its All About the Social

• Students use mobile phones to connect with
  others
• Students share their iPod Playlists to connect
  with others
• Students use computers to connect with others
• Students use MySpace and Bebo to connect with
  others
• Students create videos for others to watch
• Since 2005, most students have produced more
  work independently than at school by the time
  they graduate.

19
Your Challenge

• We have seen and heard many things in the past
  two years of ICT Days that are directly having an
  impact on our schools. We need changes to many
  educational and even administrative activities,
  and thats sooner rather that later.
• How will you, as a leader of school ICT, help to
  bring your school, teachers, administrative
  staff, students and community into the world of
  21st Century Learning?