Practical Application in an NT School
Bringing ICT into the school needs to be done with several factors in mind.
The investment in technology needs to be forward thinking. It’s not just about what is needed today, but what will be needed over the next five or more years. Internet connectivity, with sufficient bandwidth to supply the number of students is essential. Consideration must be given to the school’s plans regarding the increase of student numbers.
While the sciences have an obvious use for computers and robotics, attention must also be given to the arts. Individual Photoshop licenses may be expensive, though an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription per device could be useful. There are, however, free alternatives within open-source software. Programs like GIMP and Inkscape can be used for visual arts and graphic design. Blender can be used as a virtual creative space. Combine these with Unreal Engine 4 and you have an engaging, creative environment that can assist in the learning of design, physics, and computational thinking, along with even more creative uses such as the Minecraft English writing example given earlier.
Inkscape
GIMP
Training is essential. Teachers, ICT staff, and the principal will all need professional development in the use of digital technology in education. This includes behavioural management vis-a-vis students playing games rather than working, as well as the need to balance digital 'virtual world' work with 'real-world' activities.
Alan November: Who Owns the Learning
In this video, Alan November discusses how we teach children in the internet age. He suggests, from his students' feedback, that 85-95% of school assignments can simply be answered with a quick internet search. Teaching children to look deeper into a topic and think critically about different points of view is essential for their future.
As Alan November discusses in the video: Beyond even the technology, students need to be part of the learning culture, be the focus of that learning, and even be part of designing that learning, as well as being connected globally.
Alan November: "21st Century Learning -- a Deep Dive into the Future of Education"
In the first 3 minutes of this video, Alan November discusses how some teachers worry about letting go of control. They feel the need to have all the students working on the same maths problems, for example, at the same time.
Technology and online learning, using something like Kahn Academy, could free up the teachers to do
more in-depth guiding and practical application.
He goes on to discuss the use of technology for motivation (students can have a global audiencefor whom to publish their work), and how students can repeat recorded information as many times as they need to understand it (unlike a traditional teacher with limited class time).
All of this is not to replace the teacher, but to reinvent the position to give students the best learning experience.
Ari Wallach: 3 ways to plan for the (very) long term
Preparing for an uncertain future is difficult. Students need to be thinking not just in terms of jobs and economics but also world problems. In this video, Ari Wallach suggests people should stop limiting themselves to 'short-termism' and begin to use 1) Trans-generational thinking, 2) Futures thinking (beyond our popular cultural lens), and 3) Telos (to what end?) thinking.
Parental concerns will need to be addressed. Some parents may be uneasy about their children ‘playing with computers’ in class, or even with student-led activities in general. The school must therefore roll out ICT solutions in consultation with parents so that they understand how and why they are being used. ‘Student led’ still means ‘teacher guided’ and ‘internet-based research’ isn’t the same as giving students a computer and letting them do what they want.
EdModo
Red Critter
Teacher Aide Pro
The school can leverage software and apps to reduce the need for excessive printing. Apps like EdModo mentioned earlier, or Skoolbag, can increase teacher-student communication and crucially involve parents and carers in their children’s education. It should be noted that there will still be cases where printing is required. For example, highlighting and annotating a poem or an article by hand provides a different cognitive exercise from doing it on the computer.
Other apps can help students with their schoolwork, and yet more can help teachers record, evaluate and give feedback on student behaviour and performance. RedCritter, and Teacher Aide Pro both give teachers a flexible, paperless solution.