Kim Flintoff drew the attention of readers of the fantastic West Australian eChalk email list to this video - eSN TechWatch: Preparing Kids for 21st-Century Success. Kim observed:

Yet another smart person (Daniel Pink) recognises what needs to be done in education – why don’t things change? Interesting that embedded arts is identified as a key shift – and that current arts programs ore often tack on rather than fully integrated. Multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to break from disciplinary isolation – tear down the limiting walls of arbitrary learning area demarcation.

To which Bryn Jones replied and pointed out that Jamie McKenzie had added a critique of the video here. I love when people share elements of the wider conversation in the spirit of collegial interest. This is another aspect of connectivism that underlies the learning going on around our professional association with each other. I am started to observe this more and more as George Siemens says we “derive our competence from forming connections”. Karen Stephenson states:

Experience has long been considered the best teacher of knowledge. Since we cannot experience everything, other people’s experiences, and hence other people, become the surrogate for knowledge. ‘I store my knowledge in my friends’ is an axiom for collecting knowledge through collecting people (undated).

On the subject of ‘change’ it is interesting to compare the “Preparing Kids for 21st-Century Success” video with this one “Progressive Education in the 1940s”. I came across it on Gary Stager’s blog post here.

Weird huh?! Progressive, interdisciplinary education was mooted back then too. Who would have thought! Still I’d argue that OBE (outcomes based education) when used well by teachers allows for a multidisciplinary approach. Although, I was speaking with a teacher/leader today who noted that WA teachers have a natural aversion to sharing - let alone across disciplines; this hinders the whole approach somewhat! Are we wilfully ignoring the lessons of the past or are our systems simply morphing without focus to meet the economic needs of the times?

But in the 21C, what about the inventive needs of the knowledge economy where the right-brainers need opportunities to become equipped? I’m optimistic. Rudd is right. Empowering students with access to their own ‘digital pencil’ and the connectivism it brings is a good start, and will, with trust and time, help them form an aptitude for being creative, critical thinkers - hopefully with inquiring minds to boot.

This Technology Integration Matrix is a very handy reference point for school administrators, especially those ready to take the plunge and give students the opportunity of 1:1 access the Digital Education Revolution funding offers.

It is worthwhile clicking on the links under each indicator to see how the integration works in both shared and 1:1 learning environments. You’ll find video examples, objectives, materials/technology list, standards, and what amounts to basically a lesson plan. Incredible resource!

The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) illustrates how teachers can use technology to enhance learning for K-12 students. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, constructive, goal directed (i.e., reflective), authentic, and collaborative (Jonassen, Howland, Moore, & Marra, 2003). The TIM associates five levels of technology integration (i.e., entry, adoption, adaptation, infusion, and transformation) with each of the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments. Together, the five levels of technology integration and the five characteristics of meaningful learning environments create a matrix of 25 cells as illustrated below.

As @dswaters pointed out at the recent ECAWA unconference I am not the most social creature online these days! I do engage with some discussions on email lists and a little bit more lately on Twitter but in general this year I have not really been joining in the dialogue of the blogosphere as much. I have been considering the reasons behind this, and think it is simply that I am so busy with the new job, but most of all I think it’s because if I am going to engage with a discussion I feel I need to really immerse myself in the discussion to have my contributions be of any use.

This general demeanour leaves me missing out on a fantastic project is going on in the edublogosphere called the 31 day comment challenge. I would love to be part of it but instead I am just going to write about how cool it is instead :-). Sue Waters makes some valuable points here about the fact “that commenting on blogs is a crucial aspect of blogging conversations for achieving the greatest learning,” and this is put in context by an insightful reference to Derek Wenmoth’s diagram The Four C’s of Participation in Online Communities. Maybe I’ll be up for the next one.

BTW - Digital Chalkie is a multi-user web-blog. If you are a blogger who would like a different audience, register above, and blog away here to your hearts content. As an open group-blog anyone is welcome to share their posts.

Technology now dominates every area of our lives and educators need to make sure they are prepared for its inclusion into our schools. This may mean making a break from traditional teaching methods; but there is no denying the inevitability of technology being thrust into curricula around the country. Many teachers may be hesitant to accept this new world order but the key is to ensure they are ready for this new challenge. Here are some tips for preparing teachers for the future:

∙ Make teachers feel comfortable. Many, at first, will resist the influx of computers into their classroom but if you can make feel at ease by letting them know the full spectrum of possibilities out there, then they will warm up. Appeal to a teacher’s passion in their given subject area of expertise and show them a computer program that will open their eyes to new, different ways of teaching their subject.

∙ Teach the teachers. Keep in mind that teachers are just like the students in that they will learn at different rates. Develop a comprehensive training program, but allow the faculty to learn at their own speed. Avoid putting overt pressure on them to be at a certain computer aptitude. Eventually they’ll get the hang of it. Don’t rush them because then they’re more apt to abandon the training.

∙ Keep a slow, deliberate pace. There will be plenty of staff members that are already advanced when it comes to using computers but for the ones that are a little slower maintain a steady training pace. Technology training is not something that can be accomplished overnight. It is something that you will continually be working on with workshops throughout the year.

∙ Create a rewards system. Implementing such a training regimen may often require teachers to spend more time than the district allows for in a pay structure. Anyone will be more apt to quit on a project if they’re not being properly rewarded. Compensate teachers if they’re spending more than the allotted time on the training.

∙ Be strict. If teachers are resistant to using computers then you may have to come down on them harder than you would desire to. Warn them that if they don’t use computers in the classroom they will lose them. Consider adding their adherence to the technology policy into their evaluations. If you’re serious about the program, then chances are your staff will get on board as well.

By-line:

Heather Johnson is a freelance writer, as well as a regular contributor for OEDb, a site for learning about online education. Heather invites your questions, comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address: heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com .

10 years is a long time in digital life, especially when you are quietly prompting your own education revolution(sic). But when you are based upon open-source organically created tools, it becomes easier to weather the times. Education Network Australia (edna) has been well managed to be flexible enough to move with the technologies of the times. The professional learning scaffold they have built provides for thousands of teachers (and now students) Australia-wide and is a remarkable success story.

I work within a few of these communities of learning and what continues to impress me is that for all intents and purposes they have become self-sustaining. This is remarkable simply because we 21C teachers often require guidance and multiple learning opportunities to get to grip with the digital tools of the age. However, edna’s mash-up of tools offer an engaging, easy-to-use toolset of open-source technologies based mostly upon social constructivist pedagogy - this simple formula leads to strong social support networks (crucial to scalable lifelong learning).

In this spirit of utilising the free, open-source and social tools of the web, edna has set up a LiveClassroom webconference, a VoiceThread and a party in SecondLife. I love this spirit of fun and adventure they bring to their learning events.

Via Kerry Johnson:
edna is going to be holding an event in SL on Tuesday 27 November — and I thought you’d be interested in attending.

Here are the details:
“Official” start time is 2:45pm Adelaide, South Australia time - check your timezone here - on the island of Terra Icognita - click this slurl to access. But you’re welcome to drop by any time after 2pm.

We’ll have free ‘tedna-shirts’, virtual cake and champagne and, after a live broadcast of speeches including the launch of myedna, your avatar can rock out to popular Second Life band Space Junky.

We have a 10th birthday page on the edna site with more details and info on the Live Classroom event Kerrie Smith is hosting also. It’s located at: http://www.edna.edu.au/10birthday

Sounds like fun! Thank you to Kerrie Smith, Kerry Johnson and the rest of team for personally taking the time to engage with the communities of learning you support. I can’t even begin to imagine what your 20th anniversary party will be like.