I recently read an article in The Australian written by Natasha Bita, which quotes Dr John Vallance (Former Headmaster of Sydney Grammar School), as saying that ‘computers in classrooms are a scandalous waste of money’. I was disheartened to see that the article gained as much traction as it did. I’m always bewildered to hear people say that computers are a distraction in the classroom, (particularly if the technology is being used to compliment and enhance traditional teaching strategies). As an open minded learning community, we need to examine these claims, (and the impetus behind them) in light of the directions we have recently taken in our school.
You see, when Dr Vallance says that teaching is a social activity, it’s about interaction between people, about discussion, about conversation, he’s absolutely right. At Lewisham we pride ourselves on the relationship based education we provide our boys and our community, we pride ourselves on putting the relationships we have with each other, above and beyond everything else. But how do we interact, discuss and converse? Part of the answer is face to face. Face to face conversations are an important part of the formation of our social ‘selves’ and our identity. There is much to be gained and learnt from each other through these real types of social interactions. At Lewisham we love to talk! Our boys gain a tremendous amount from these very real discussions had in an out of the classroom. We talk about subjects studied, about faith and our God, about social justice and about sport. Another part of the answer however, is ‘online’ - in a virtual world fraught with danger, joy, hope, love, despair and sadness, with all the subtle nuances and etiquette of the real world - distorted, amplified and altered to serve the purposes of the creators of the information. Like it or not, this is our students real world, they do not step out into the artificial construct of a world without laptops or phones. So what do we do? Do we bury our heads in the sand? Or do we give our boys the skills to deal with it and use technology for the powerful tool that it is rather than a distraction? ( Yes… we need to remind ourselves that it is a TOOL) Doctor Valance poses the following scenario “If I had a choice between filling a classroom with laptops or hiring another teacher, I’d take the other teacher every day of the week.’’ With all due respect to Dr Vallance, this is a foregone conclusion. More teachers would mean smaller class sizes, smaller class sizes means greater individual care for each student and what school leader wouldn’t want that? What Dr Vallance touches on here, is the heart of the problem ‘good teaching’. Laptops aren’t teachers, they can provide anywhere, anytime access to information, but they can’t TEACH. Teachers TEACH and good teaching means adopting sound contemporary pedagogy. I couldn’t agree more with the OECD finding that technology can amplify great teaching, but great technology cannot replace poor teaching. I would go as far as saying that technology has the potential to amplify poor teaching practices. With the incredible potential technology has to engage students with content in meaningful ways, I find Dr Valance’s comments incredibly narrow minded and somewhat misleading. Laptops provide an opportunity to refine teaching methodologies, because we know that laptops don’t teach, teachers do. Good teachers will use technology in measured, meaningful ways, not for its own sake. Good teachers will strike a balance (depending on the subjects they teach) between the use of laptops and personal devices, handwritten exercise and verbal conversations. Good teachers will use technology to enhance direct learning experiences rather than use them as substitutes for direct learning experiences. Good teachers will use technology to create learning experiences that allow students to connect and collaborate in ways they simply could not, without the use of technology. Good teachers will inform students when and if it is appropriate for them to use their laptops in class - and when it isn’t. Good teachers will know which of their students learn best through engagement of content using technology and which prefer other methodologies. Good teachers will know how to personalise learning with or without technology. So rather than adopting Dr Valance’s approach and simply removing the tool - it would make more sense to adopt an approach that uses that tool in measured and meaningful ways. I think the BYOD approach we have adopted does just that. Coupled with adequate teacher training, monitoring and guidance, the use of laptops and iPads, sits hand in hand with traditional teaching methodologies at Lewisham. Dr Valances comments on the logistics of school supplied laptop programs are absolutely true; they’re broken, stolen, occasionally require maintenance and after three years generally need to be replaced. A BYOD approach allows schools to invest money in reliable technology infrastructure, human resources and yes, leaking roofs and toilets. I am well aware of the arguments against BYOD; arguments of fairness, arguments of financial pressure, but with the implementation of sound equity policies, discussions, dialogues and conversations, these complex issues can be tackled by committed learning communities and in fact make our community all the more stronger. Dr Vallance’s claim of computers “robbing children of the chance to debate and discuss ideas with the teacher” and “the possibility of questioning things has been taken away from them”, have been contrary to my experiences of using technology in the classroom. Verbal discussions and debates can coincide with virtual ones. Often, technology gives a voice to those students who are reticent in joining debates and can act as a mechanism for bringing quieter students into a debate or conversation. I think that Dr Vallance’s claims here are highly inaccurate and out of touch with contemporary classroom practice which utilises technology as a communication enabler rather than a communication blocker. As I write this article, there are three hundred comments both agreeing and disagreeing with Dr. Valance’s statements on The Australian website. They are not voicing their opinions through handwritten notes, but through a comments section on the website and our students do this outside of school. Isn’t it better to teach our boys how to communicate informed opinions (and if necessary disagree), using technology with real audiences? Of course it is, because in their world, outside the physical boundaries of the school walls, this is done on a daily basis. There are many points with which I both agree and disagree in Bita’s article. (and subsequent articles written on Dr Vallance’s views). While I applaud Dr Vallance for having the courage to question the status quo and while I agree with him on many of his ideas on the National Arts Curriculum, I disagree with him on the use of technology in classrooms, (particularly in junior years). I believe that to remove the tool (laptops and technology) because of a lack of self discipline by students or misuse by teachers, is a mistake. We have a responsibility to ready our students for the world outside the boundaries of our school and to improve teaching standards within our school (no matter how good we may think we are). We have to teach our teachers to use technology in meaningful ways without negating sound pedagogy. In whatever field they enter, whether they continue with their studies or learn a trade, our students will have to utilise technology as a tool and grapple with its distractibility. Isn’t it better to equip our students with these skills now, rather than make them count the cost later? I for one will continue to advocate for the use of laptops and iPads, because I have seen the benefits. I’ve seen how a measured, balanced approach to the use of technology can open up worlds for my students. I will continue to ask my students to read real books and articles on the internet, I will continue to ask my students to produce both handwritten and typed evidence of learning. I will continue to use technology in my teaching in measured, meaningful ways, because I am a teacher ... and I teach. I will use whatever tools I, and my students have at our disposal to engage, question, discuss and converse, agree and disagree, because for me, this is how learning happens.
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Technology is everywhere, entwined in almost every part of our lives. It affects how we shop, socialize, connect, play, and most importantly learn. With an increasing presence in our lives, it only makes sense to have mobile technology in the classroom. I have encountered some scepticism from parents who believe that the drawbacks of using technology outway the positives. Digital distractions, screen time and cyberbullying are often used as arguments against the integration of ICT in the classroom, but if we don’t teach our students strategies to cope with these issues, then we are doing them an enormous disservice.
Part of providing our students with the best possible education is preparing them for the world outside the boundaries of the school walls, for a future quite different to ours. This means that they need the ability to learn both independently and collaboratively. It means teaching our boys to utilise technology so that they may not only have strategies to deal with the negatives, but comfortably and confidently utilise its benefits well into the future. For most of us, this means we’re going to be learning right alongside our children (or in some cases, allowing our children to teach us!). It might not be in our comfort zone, but once we recognize that our students are going to need these skills in order to be successful, it becomes obvious that we really can’t afford not to prepare them properly. Here is a list of ten reasons why we should continue implementing technology in the classroom. 1) If used correctly, will help prepare students for their future careers, which will inevitably include the use of wireless technology. 2) Integrating technology into the classroom is definitely a great way to reach diversity in learning styles. 3) It gives students the chance to interact with their classmates more by encouraging collaboration. 4) Technology helps the teachers prepare students for the real world environment. As our nation becomes increasingly more technology-dependent, it becomes even more necessary that to be successful citizens, students must learn to be tech-savvy. 5) Integrating technology in education everyday helps students stay engaged. Today’s students love technology so they are sure to be interested in learning if they can use the tools they love. 6) With technology, the classroom is a happier place. Students are excited about being able to use technology and therefore are more apt to learn. 7) When mobile technology is readily available in the classroom, students are able to access the most up-to-date information quicker and easier than ever before. 8) The traditional passive learning mold is broken. With technology in the classroom, the teacher becomes the encourager, adviser, and coach. 9) Students become more responsible. Technology helps students take more control over their own learning. They learn how to make their own decisions and actually think for themselves. 10) Student can have access to digital textbooks that are constantly updated and often more vivid, helpful, creative, and a lot cheaper than those old heavy books. Last night, an attendee at the Parent Forum / IT Master Class asked about tutorials on Google Apps for the iPad. Here are a few. I hope they help!
A very big thank you to all the parents who attended the inaugural Parent Master Class last night. All who braved the cold we introduced to 'Technology for Learning at CBHS Lewisham'. Your attendance was a testament to the value you place on your son's learning. I hope the evening was as informative and productive for you, as it was for me. As promised, below is a copy of the slides I presented throughout the evening
Some of you may be aware of The Horizon Report released each year by an organisation called The New Media Consortium (NMC). The NMC is an international community of experts in educational technology. The Horizon Report charts the landscape of emerging technologies for teaching, learning and research. I’ve attached a copy of the 2014 Horizon report (preview version) which outlines key global trends in education, significant challenges and important developments (note here the inclusion of BYOD and Cloud Computing). I think the report provides us with a brief glimpse of what we can expect as teachers not only in the Lewisham community, but in a global community of teaching and learning.
More information here: http://www.nmc.org/horizon-project Google have announced a very exciting new product in their education line-up called Classroom. I think it essentially does the same thing as a product called Hepara Dashboard, but free! Bad news for Hepara, good news for the rest of us. Check it out here: http://www.google.com/edu/classroom/
Our eLearning YouTube Channel has been up and running for some time now. You can access it here, or alternatively, at the top right hand side of this website. ( the social icons next to the search field) Let me know if you come across content about eLearning you feel is worthwhile sharing. I'll be happy to add or create new playlists.
A couple of videos about Google Apps The Year 7 BYOD Trial was announced on Friday 13 June. Year 7 boys enthusiastically asked a range of well-thought-out-questions and were very keen to started. Documents distributed to boys on the day can be downloaded by clicking on the links below.
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AuthorThis Blog is Maintained by Mr Vince Papa - Assistant Principal Learning Innovation at CBHS Lewisham. Archives
April 2016
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