1-1 Measuring the Success and Adapting the Learning Approach Daragh Comerford Director of Whole School ICT Curriculum and Head of Computing at the British School of Brussels

Things I will talk about today… My Journey with technology The difficulty for Boards and Senior Management The ever increasing budgets How and if curriculums should change? Defining success??? Measuring usefulness of technology??? Producing sound methodology Can any of this be done?

The ‘ Digital Natives ’ are Naïve and under - estimate technology… MIT Attitudes and Aspiration Study Describe a piece of technology that has not been invented but you see as a realistic prospect in the next 15 years? 4% came up with a new idea 73% came up with something that had already been developed 23% came up with nothing !

Who am I? - Computer Science graduate from the 90 s /00 s - Avid cross platform user - Technology sympathizer - Technology immigrant - Technology truster - Technology firefighter

The road I have tread… - Electronic reporting system - Electronic room booking system - Death of the VHS - Death of the DVD - Death of software installations - The slow murdering of the IT Suite - Death of Internal SPAM - Birth to collaborative working techniques

What have I learned… - Never promise too much - Never expect the masses to be grateful for technology - Never ignore the naysayers - Never be afraid to turn a machine off and then turn it back on !

Boards and ICT - Modernisation of the students seems to cost a lot of money - Why … the answer to this although well rehearsed must be meaningful - Infrastructure is key

Curriculum and the scheme of work - Technology needs to have an impact but also it needs to be planned - Technology will not in itself facilitate better learning - The ability to turn off technology can be as powerful as the ability to turn it on

I measured documented curriculum change in 7 schools post one to one implementation ( crossing three countries, Belgium, Holland, Ireland and United Kingdom ) - Core subjects ( Maths, Mother Tongue Language, and Science )

Documented change Maths 12%, MTL 18%, Science 19% When I asked who used these devices most in school ( Survey Monkeys with teachers ) Maths said about 50% of the time MTL said around 25% of the time Science said around 60% of the time

The Parameters for success… - What do you want technology to do… Engage students Enthuse learning Deepen Learning Create Global Citizens

The Story about my Nest I live in Belgium and I was a hippy? Floating around the Glastonbury hills with dreads Energy Bills are expensive and I am letting technology help me…or am I What do I want my Nest to do?

Success is something that we must define - As teachers if we don ’ t define technology ’ s success someone else will do it for us - Is it feasible to measure and is the methodology sound? - What is important to your school? Why was technology implemented in the first place?

Methodology What is the accuracy of the data or the source? What is the timescale of the research? What is the inaccuracies of the data or the source? Do you have a control?

“ To be without method is deplorable, but to depend entirely on method is worse ” Lu Ch ' Ai Methodology but coursing through it…common sense

Success Indicators All students receive their homework in an online space where they can manage and reflect on what has been done, needs to be done etc.. Equality of Access for teachers and students We want our users to be satisfied with the platform that the school provides We want our communication policies to reduce to staff and encourage better direct personalised and direct communication to students and parents We want embedded technology through the school ’ s curricula That all tasks that have technology within them, or where technology is a focus within the task that this is reflected in the assessment of the work Staff and Students should feel that the technologies introduced work Staff and Students should have increased ownership of their technology Staff and students should have a feeling that technology enhances their learning experience and the richness of their diet

The whole thing is based on the idea of realism and achievable goals

Questions?