Category Archives: Future Directions

The world (school) in 2007…. 2027?

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Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt shares his views of the world in 2007 – putting things nicely in context for those new to appreciating the significant changes taking place in our networked world. A good read, and lots of “oh yeh” moments.

Some highlights:

The internet is much more than a technology—it’s a completely different way of organising our lives. But its success is built on technological superiority: protocols and open standards that are ingenious in their simplicity.

In 2007 we’ll witness the increasing dominance of open internet standards.

Driving this change is a profound technological shift in computer science.

Sophisticated browsers and technologies like LAMP or AJAX—not neon lights or Greek heroes but simple building blocks that enable people to produce and distribute content—are critical in this new world. They are the kind of technologies that transform audio, video, text and digital data into intuitive, easy-to-use services. They make Google, MySpace, YouTube, Gmail, Yahoo! and Microsoft Live possible, and they haven’t even entered adolescence.

Today we live in the clouds. We’re moving into the era of “cloud” computing, with information and applications hosted in the diffuse atmosphere of cyberspace rather than on specific processors and silicon racks. The network will truly be the computer.

The lesson is compelling: put simple, intuitive technology in the hands of users and they will create content and share it. The fastest-growing parts of the internet all involve direct human interaction. Think about the blogging phenomenon and social networking sites like MySpace in America, Bebo in Britain, Orkut in Brazil, CyWorld in Korea and Mixi in Japan. In 2007 the virtual communities so prevalent in Asia and among students will become mainstream. Online communities are thriving and growing. The internet is helping to satisfy our most fundamental human needs—our desire for knowledge, communication and a sense of belonging.

So what do we do about learning 2007? Spot the difference to start with!

Recognise that our learners are involved in “an architecture of participation” rather than just being consumers of information and knowledge.

whatdowedo.jpg

Now they are

  • creators
  • contributors
  • communicators
  • collaborators
  • co-ordinators.

Online learning from a school’s perspective looks very different from online learning from a students perspective. Schools are still talking content management systems, learning management systems – getting excited about rolling out online classrooms. Well, they are nice for sure. But let’s not forget to plug in the web-based social networking tools – particularly if your version of LMS doesn’t include blogging, bookmarking, photosharing, chat, document collaboration, slidesharing, etc etc.

If you need help in grasping (planning for 2007 or 2027) take a look at FutureSight and discover what case-studies can tell you about the e-enabled future primary or secondary school.

Then join the conversation through School 2.0. and take a long hard look at Learning 2.0 school map. There is no one path to the school of tomorrow, so this brainstorming tool is idea for getting your planning underway.

I would say that there is nothing surer than the fact that learning and ‘cloud computing’ go hand in hand, so we had better get our school 2.0 designs underway now!

Learning! New approaches, new spaces, new tools

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Recently we held a 1-day mini-conference looking at the issue of learning – in new spaces with new tools. Our keynote speaker, Leanne Cameron from the Teacher Education Program Instructional Technology Centre, Macquarie University , presented some thought-provoking ideas about kids learning, and the changes they have made in adapting to the learning modes of digitally native tertiary students. Changing Learning space design, incorporating digital tools, and a 24/7 approach to learning was what it was all about. Of particular interest was the physical changes of classroom environments and resulting assessment tools – e.g. use of chat as an assessment tool.

Even just one example shows the changes possible if we use web 2.0 tools in a blended way to support learning.

For instance, running chat discussions and learning frameworks via the LAMS system, offered innovative opportunities.

..three chat sessions of the prescribed readings accounted for 20% of the total marks (and will be lifted to 25% in 2006); authoring of a LAMS sequence was compulsory, but marked only as pass or fail, with an accompanying analysis and reflection of the pedagogical design worth 35%.over a topic allows remote access, and for the teacher leader, provides a ‘transcript’ of conversations far more powerful than the usual groupwork method – particularly when tied to assessment processes.

Discussion about the changes needed in creating a Library 2.0 environment was the natural extension of these changes being noted in student learning needs.

In the blogosphere these conversations are being had all the time. I recently picked up the Conversation about the Future of Libraries from David Warlick – check out the podcast and circulate it to your colleagues. We need to keep this conversation happening.

Leanne also showed us the future automated system at Macquarie uni library for storage and delivery of books. Remember the old stacks that postgrads used to use? Catch the concept at Sonoma University Automated Retrieval System. The retrieval system provides quick access to an additional 750,000 items housed in a three-story, computer-managed shelving system located within the library building.

So where does that leave us with information management? and access to knowledge repositories? and building wise connections from what we read online or off, and as we engage with others?

On this topic I was much taken by Dave Pollard’s Adding Meaning and Value to Information. Let’s take it from another angle – the real world rather than the school world that educators seem to live in – though not our digitally native kids!

He shows us a great table exploring how we make what is written down more meaningful, more valuable. Whether online or off, this is what it is about isn’t it? He then draws an example of the cognitive and metacognitive pathway of that process.

Finally he says:

The great challenge in this task is enlightening management — the majority of executives still seem to see IT as a means to disintermediate information and get rid of the Information Professional role entirely. It has been my experience that no one in the modern organization is as under-utilized and under-appreciated as the information professional.

OK – can you hear the highly relevant echos of this sentiment in our schools?

Internet futures

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Interesting to think about the future of the internet locally and globally, as Web 2.0 launches the digital future.

BBC news reports on the global Internet Governance Group. In a column for the BBC News website, Mr Desai said: “The forum will give voice to the citizens of the global net and help identify emerging issues which need to be tackled in the formal processes.” The forum is not a decision-making body but instead is designed to give stakeholders in the internet a chance to form consensus around key areas.

The four key agendas for the conference are security, diversity, openness and access.

[The forum] is about the future, the net as it will be some years from now and how we can give a voice to all who use it…… Nith Desai

Two things of particular interest:

  1. Have Your Say: What is the future of the internet? Read the comments!
  2. BBC Net safety guide The pdf is worth downloading, as the focus is broader, as it includes security and network issues.

You might like to Read the views of the global internet panel.

Well, this delightful picture of the Dharamsala wireless mesh and the latest addition to the Mesh at the Lower-TCV School shows how the expanding technology blanket is being wrapped around the globe.

Global Summit 06 – Geetha Narayanan

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How do you measure the personal value of such a succesful event as the Global Summit hosted by Education.au? As John Connell pointed out so well, we had the opportunity to meet such a good group of leaders as well as practitioners, and we had the chance to engage in deep dialogue for two whole days. I was thrilled to have the opportunity!

However for me the highlight of the second day was the opportunity to see and hear Geetha Narayanan. Gerry White of Education.au said to me just before the start of the session that Geetha would be wonderful. I expected clever, or good ideas, or something along those lines. What we got was humbling and inspiring all in one magical combination.

Geetha has dedicated her life to finding and establishing new modesl of learning that are creative, synergistic and original in their approach. To know that she worked for many years with Seymour Papert indicates the type of thinking that energises her work. Geetha talked fervently about bringing people, technology and learning together within a new conceptual framework.

She suggests that what predominates is conventional thinking.WE need to ask more of technology. Can new technologies create a sense of well-being? Rather brilliantly, she argued against the ‘flat-land’ rhetoric of the digital age.

Working with literacy in the slums Geetha has moved to a new Project Vision, and is working with a hypotheses that embraces an ideology of critical pedagogy through media arts.

Now that we can do anything what will we do?

As a Science Fiction buff, I particularly enjoyed Geetha’s use of the movie Matrix, and the choices that Neo was asked to make being used as methaphor for significant life-shaping decisions.

She told us that there is NO better example of personal choice than that portrayed by Neo in the matrix – the choice between red and blue pills – the question is what will you choose?

BLUE PILL: if we concsioulsy make that choice it will leave us in the secure, routine, everyday, conventional thinking. We will stay as we are with habits and secure in the safety of our beliefs.
RED PILL: represents critical and transformatory thning – it involves risk, doubt, and questioning. The blue pill, will leave us as we are , in a life consisting of habit and secure in the safety of our beliefs.

So let’s ask ourselves

What is the truth and reality I want? Where is it that I want to go?

Personas of Practice (practicing teachers) Geetha’s description of the kind of characteristics she sees in educators:

Techno-skeptics
Nothing can or should change people – back to basics movement in education type of people. Sequential thinking. Perspective on culture is classical. Value technology as tool so long as it is in the right place – lab, specialist, computer studies teachers. They privilege the authority of the printed word. Promote drill and practice. Cannot trust internet information

Techno-evangelists
Come from a wide range of disciplines. World view is that a combination of speed and simultaneity and virtual simulation and distributed cognition will facilitate survival in 21st century world. Information is key and must proceed learning to deliver promise. Use research on brain, learning styles, constructivism etc to foster project-based inter-diciplinary approach to education. Technology must soak into the culture of the school. Endorse the inventive and innovative mind

Techno-mimetics
Settle for the latest fads and fashions in education. Interest in technology is short-lived and transient. Imitate skeptics and evangelist, with their style of verve. ‘state of the art’ is there logo. Brochures reflect rhetoric on technology learning. Education is like a shopping mall or theme park. No original position on culture. Engage in bricolage. Tinker. Preserving and innovating culture is not part of their brief. Such school can hire an event manager to deliver and promote.

Geetha refers to conventional thinking as having resulted in bricolage of learning with technology that preserves and perpetuates everyday schooling. It is a qualitative patter of thinking that has stabilized our current schooling.

ON the other hand, Geetha’s typology is very specific and vital to crafting a new approach to learning. She asks us to consider deeply what the impact of the technologicl revolution on society and education really is.

What I was particularly interested in and will pursue further were her key focus points and explanations of the following:

  • literacy as code
  • ways of world-making or sense-making
  • the impact of vulnerabilities or deprivations
  • the value of capabilities or substantive freedoms
  • the consideration of linkages, networks, and flows in our society
  • our status of “freefall” – culture of immediacy (Stuart Brand, Clock of the long Now)
  • fast knowledge
  • knowledge which is valued because it is measured.
  • The error of no distinction between information and knowledge
  • The need for the right information at right time
  • The fact that intangible knowledge is (unfortunately) considered irrelevant
  • That Content is considered as the only relevant source/formof learning
  • That the cultural impact of this view has been a negative and the professional knowledge of school teachers has been increasingly disconnected from their very valuable tacit knowledge base
  • The major problem of alienation or our tacit knowledge base

THE SLOW SCHOOL

My favourite learning…Geetha explained that deep and systemic change is representative of ‘punctuated’ evolutionary approach – one that is reverse engineering – moving education to a view that encourages slowness and wholeness to become living institutions.

Slowness as an idea. Frames of reference for today – one that centres the wellbeing of the individual, the community and environement.

Slowness is not just an antidote to fast knowledge, it is a reaction to it.
Slowness is a value that works at the level of knowelge, culture, and preserves culture and heritage.

Slow schools – move beyond unnecessary digital access and unnecessary access to digitized information. They truely embedd and use technology for slow learning – deep, critical, responsive, personalised learning.

The rhetoric of change

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Back from a delightful harbour cruise, I find that I am distracted and disturbed by the overall discussions in the Global Summit.

I have been reading the posts by John Connell and am heartened by two things – namely the indepth reflection of the sessions and succinct summary that John is able to provide so quickly and in such a timely fashion as he goes about his business. On the other hand, I am aware that many of our ‘thought leaders’ and other leaders in education are attending, but focussing on ‘networking’ [playing politics?] without sharing any public reflection of what is happening or what they are thinking as a result of the sessions.

I find this disturbing and frustrating all in one.

I enjoyed George Seimens presentation, but found nothing new to what is already discussed with vigour in the blogosphere. Yet for many delegates his thoughts were challenging, new and exciting. What this tells me is that there should have been a bigger grass-roots representation at the Global Summit – that our educator leaders should have encouraged their practitioners to attend.

What this also tells me is that there are already two levels of global discourse: First, the discourse between the grassroots workers, the doers who are testing and challenging the pedagogy of learning, the ones who will really make the changes happen, and who can be found in the blogosphere in growing numbers. Second the discourse of ‘leaders’ who are in danger of’ talking about’ rather than doing. All the best turn of phrase will not equate to knowing how to create change and how to work with kids, because in not ‘doing’, in not discussing, and not sharing, the leaders are in danger of repeating the errors of their predecessors whom they now reflect upon harshly.

Doug Brown also presented well, but revealed nothing new overall.

It was Leigh Blackall who was young enough to express vehement loathing for education as it stands and as it seems to be still going despite all the best rhetoric. Sometimes it takes challenging statements to confront – though the politics of life will often mean that opinions expressed this way will be be counter-productive.

Doug Brown told us that

  • Learning is personal
  • Connected learners collaborate, create and innovate
  • Successful learners achieve

As learners I hope that the outcomes of this Summit will show that we have achieved something, and the potential possibilities created by this Education.au initiative are great. I have certainly heard many conference delegates declare that this is the best professional event that they have attended in a very long time.

I would agree, but I remain disheartened. I hope we actually look at what this change looks like ‘on the ground’ tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it have been nice to meet and talk with all the thought leaders – it would certainly be a quick way of finding out if the ideas for the manisons of the future are built of stone or straw!

Media change – from cigarettes to the future

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From the past to the future…at the Internet Archive. (Early advertising film from the Edison Manufacturing Co.
In his presentation at the Global Summit Leigh Blackall referred to this early media in his eclectic presentation at the Global Summitt. Through images and talk he asked us ‘how can we possibly think that internet isn’t essential to our lives?”.

I’ve used this to show how far we have come in our use of communications technology!

Leigh hammered the ‘cencorship’ filters of the Department of education – or similar approaches. In talking about networked learning – and what we have lost in our teacher training programs – what was most highlighted for Leigh in relation to his teaching experience was the lack of reference to key thinkers such as Ivan Illich in his training program – but known by all ‘baby boomers’. Baby boomers are now in charge, but who talks about Ivan Illich?

Full text of Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich

Knowing Knowledge – George Siemens at Global Summit

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Knowledge is changing. It develops faster, it changes more quickly, and it is more central to organizational success than in any other time in history.

Our schools, universities, corporations, and non-profit organizations, need to adapt. We need to change the spaces and structures of our society to align with the new context and characteristics of knowledge.

Knowing Knowledge book site – and email request page

Knowing Knowlege available in pdf format

Knowing Knowledge – .pdf Files  for the book Knowing Knowledge:

Section 1
Section 2
Section 3

Color images are also available on flickr: Knowing Knowledge Photoset

…and if you are interested, you can contribute to the wiki and correct the errors of my ways: Knowing Knowledge Wiki

Knowledge explosion – future directions!

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Robert Cailliau, co-developer of the WWW, acted as Provocateur for Session 1. His aim was to explore emerging trends in a connected world and to delve into concepts of knowledge explosion and the ability of an individual’s brain.

I enjoyed listening to his session, in particular his ‘take’ on ideas and issues that have significant relevance to our work in education. He has, of course, an in-depth and longstanding understanding of ICT and ‘informatics’.

He asked

How will people cope with the world as it might be a decade from now, if that means ever more informatics and ever more ‘intertwinglings?

Interestingly he focused on science as a research tool, and the relationship between science and common sense. He suggests that the use of common sense in daily life is the norm, but the scientific approach focuses on observation of facts, formulation of hypothesis, predictions, hypothesis etc. He also recommends that scientific methods should be the basic tool for all thinking. We should use scientific methods and common sense in all subject matter, not just in science classes – BECAUSE – thinking is very ‘effort-full’.

However, Robert seemed to focus on science research as an empirical tool and did not include qualitative research processes, evidence-based practice, and evaluation as a process approach of change. Measurement tools of social research can enable thinking and conversation in order to create deeper understanding of our actions and our learning endeavors.

Robert reminded us that knowledge is increasingly becoming more difficult for the average brain to understand – things we know that the average person cannot grasp – e.g. quantum mechanics. There are things that cannot easily be explained, discussed, etc

Overall the audience was following his words closely – and his reference to SecondLife and other tools from a Web 2.0 environment was good to hear. However, his ‘take’ on SecondLife was rather skewed I thought. OK, only a few hands went up to the question ‘who has an avatar in second life’. Robert said that people go into interactive virtual worlds in SecondLife because

  • People don’t like the real world
  • Imagination is better
  • It can now be yours to build!

He then asked

Will education cope with people who are increasingly disinterested in the real world?

Oh dear – a very bad representation of the potential of SecondLife environments, and no recognition of the valuable education uses for which SecondLife is already being used.

So finally, because we will have to save the planet…keep learning and developing…we can only do this with

Real knowledge, good tools, and good leadership

Technology Connected Futures

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I am attending the Global Summit 06, hosted by Education.au, and reporting and reflecting on sessions over the course of the next two days.

The conference program has a telling quote from Marchall McLUhan which sets the framework for the Summit discussions. I’ll share it with you here:

Our Age of Anxiety is, in great part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools”.

A great quote, and good setting for the Global Summit.

Our first Keynote address was delivered by Keynote: Andrew Cappie-Wood, Director General NSW Department of Education. He reminded us that education is about engaging young minds in stimulating curriculum, amongst other things to develop decent, thoughtful, resourceful students. He also highlighted that the intent and the use of ICT isn’t different across the different states of Australia – but that there is a tendency for comparison and competition. Bragging rights!! Are a common problem as people show ‘how good we are’.

Since ICT is just part of the competitive advantage Andrew said ‘lets hear the brag!’ We heard about email for students across the state, and ‘leveraging the size to engage in ‘efficient’ procurement and system architecture’.

There are many key drivers for the system for ICT to deliver quality education to everyone everywhere.

Imperatives in action are:

  • Demography
  • Community expectations
  • ICT developments in personalized portals, personalized learning etc
  • Federal rollout of national education system will be strongly underpinned by ICT – ICT will be the binding that will hold this all together
  • Digital Divide – Capacity to take up innovation is lagging because of staff capability
  • Digital Draw – to facilitate change – e.g. ICT tools such as interactive whiteboards

Change is expotential – and technological changes are providing challenges for safe working environments. The example was YouTube, and the question was asked as to what we do to effectively respond and adapt to challenging technologies. There are superb opportunities, and many factors that will influence our adoption. There is no future for us without ICT in an increasingly global world.

How can ICT improve our educational outcomes? I would have liked to hear Andrew go beyond the generalized summary of ICT potential and infrastructure developments and get closer to the social networking imperatives of Web 2.0 beyond a brief mention of change with a YouTube example in the last minutes of the address.