The Fuse is Lit... It’s Time to Change. From whatever it’s called that we have now (a mish-mash of 150 years of school education) To Interactive Classrooms. Stuart Hasic March 2008

Shift Happens…

Isn’t 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 this ocean 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  Today’s teachers must help to build the new teaching playbook

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

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 we’ve taught students how to protect themselves from inappropriate content Now we have to teach them to CREATE appropriate content

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

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.”

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 teacher’s ?)  If School Education is going to remain relevant in this ever-changing world, the change MUST be Bottom-Up. Individuals must change.

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

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

Now Let’s Take a Step Back…

The Move to Interactive Classrooms How can you move to them if you don’t know what they are?

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

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

What Isn’t 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

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 – it’s engaging, but it’s not interactive

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 people’s blogs or wikis  Connecting to other students/teachers via , video conferencing or telephones  Moodle – where a teacher is the audience  Creating and presenting lessons/games for others

It’s 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.

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 that’s 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?