My first thought or reaction is that much of the articles; discussions are based on wide sweeping assumptions about the nature of children, families and education systems. I concede that it is important to look at the 'majority' when discussing such issues; however I feel there is danger in doing so, as it often works on stereo-types and class/ethnocentric dominated paradigms. Some of these include that all families have access to and availability to technology. In addition it assumes that those families that do have access and availability to technology automatically engage with it. I was please that Thrupp's article was intelligent enough to recognise the assumptions made, and provide some research to support 'children' are not homogeneous identities.
" That is, the identities of children are inextricably linked to the use of ICT at both home and school (Silverstone, Hirsch, & Morley, 1992). " wow, that’s a very mainstream, western, white, classiest assumption - where does that leave Steiner education whereby technology use is actively discouraged for many of the schooling years???
Furthermore, the 'engage me or enrage' me argument is an insult to the many children who are engaged in ICT use, but not consumed by it, or who can function quite successfully without technology : the title reminds me of A Current Affair episode - the need to demonise our youth.
" That is, the identities of children are inextricably linked to the use of ICT at both home and school (Silverstone, Hirsch, & Morley, 1992). " wow, that’s a very mainstream, western, white, classiest assumption - where does that leave Steiner education whereby technology use is actively discouraged for many of the schooling years???
Furthermore, the 'engage me or enrage' me argument is an insult to the many children who are engaged in ICT use, but not consumed by it, or who can function quite successfully without technology : the title reminds me of A Current Affair episode - the need to demonise our youth.
Having searched a little wider around the topic 21st Century learning, and viewing the Learning Wikis videos on the subject, I can understand the need for a more contemporary model of education. The move away from the industrial era response to more student centred approached based on the nature of the changing world of globalisation and digital technology. It’s a time of change and challenges for the education system, and I imagine an interesting time to be entering this profession.
PMI ACTIVITY
Greg Whitby: pedagogical dna for schooling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72UFXqa8ZU&feature=related
And
21st Century Learning Matters
Pluses (good points for your teaching context) all the benefits of the ideas presented in the readings.
- · Innovative
- · Reflective: looks at historical patterns, foundations, and power dynamics within current model
- · Critical: able to recognise and name flaws in current model
- · Child focussed: recognises the needs/behaviours/experiences of the students and identifies need for teachers to adapt rather than the child to adapt
- · Recognises the value in shared, cooperative learning and co-constructive learning
- · The digital world offer greater access to information ( and should the technology be provided to all schools for students to access) this then allows students greater exposure to information, including less mainstream ideas and alternative sources of information.
- · Discusses the importance of teaching critical analysis skills to children, in that there is so much information students can access over the internet, the role of the teacher is not providing all the information, but rather the skill to critically evaluate the information and how reliable/ authentic/correct it may be.
- · Engaging educators in a new discourse of teaching in the 21st Centaury
- · Recognising the need for a new skill set for the digital age
Minuses (areas of the learning theory that will make your teaching difficult or ineffective) all of the dangers/problems associated with the ideas in the reading
- · May encounter entrenched ways of thinking from other colleagues who do not share the same belief in the need to redesign teacher/learning in today’s context.
- · May encounter parents who are challenged/unsupportive of new models of teaching/learning
- · Parents may struggle to support students if they feel out of touch with teaching models
- · No clear/ accepted model for 21st century learning – i.e same teaching methods from industrial age still happening within the classroom.
- · Risk of again creating a model that is based on wide stereo-types and assumptions about 21st century children and as such risk a one size fits all approach.
- · The rapidly changing nature of technology often leaves families/ schools needing to update technology to ‘keep up. This excludes smaller school and lower socio-economic families
- · Often relies on having access to technology – what about our rural and remote communities
- · Reinforces, and promotes the notion of a global world, which can further isolate children and families from their local communities. Alternatively this can lead to education models that do not fit some communities ( e.g. remote indigenous communities).
- · Creates education as a response to the digital era (as opposed to the industrial era) and as such is still often corporation driven and as such has the potential to focus on overall corporate needs rather than individual/family /community needs.
- · Applies that the teaching methods of the 21st Century are “fundamentally mismatched”… Is that true??
Interesting (areas you have just learned about, areas that may create a heap of opportunities when you teach, areas that may be plain unpredictable when you teach) anything else you identify of note in the reading. Elements that are ambiguous, or difficult to make decisions on. Elements that are outstanding
and work explaining further.
- · The world of the Unknown – being in a time of development whereby there is recognition of the need for a new model/pedagogy, but not having that perfected or implement as yet – this leads to an interesting time in the education environment.
- · I’m thinking of the resistance education may have to this thinking as it really is a huge power loss for teacher – from being seen as having the knowledge and handing it out to students to providing a supportive environment and co-ordination the facilitation of/access to information.
- · Term DNA of pedagogy
- · Role of the teacher is shifting to a mediator
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