Researching ICLT 'Best' Practice

Researching ICLT 'Best' Practice

Opening activityIntroductionWeavingWeb 2.0 laboratoryScrapheap challengeParadoxes around digital learningKnowledge producing schoolsKnowledge producing classesKnowledge producing teachersDebrief

Michael RyanFaculty of Education, QUTm.ryan@qut.edu.au

All Hallows' SchoolApril 23, 2010

In groups: • Who could use this in class, and out of

class? For what purposes?• How might it promote learning?• Come up with at least one speculative

classroom application.

Mindmeister Activity

Mindmeister Wrap-up

• ! an appliance with low-barriers to entry but long scope• ! reappropriation (Feenberg, 1999)• ! informed opportunism• ! sharing risks• ! spill-over• ! learning fractals• ! reflection *• ! collaboration *

Introduction

Introductionobjectives:weaving new pedagogy, for blended learningfocusing on collaborative knowledge production

Introductionobjectives:weaving new pedagogy, for blended learningfocusing on collaborative knowledge production

clearing myths:digital immigrants; significance of CMS; latest moral panic; primacy of static paper-based textbooks; best practice; transformative potential of IWBs, laptops, ....; bureaucratic innovation; education revolutions

Introductionobjectives:weaving new pedagogy, for blended learningfocusing on collaborative knowledge production

clearing myths:digital immigrants; significance of CMS; latest moral panic; primacy of static paper-based textbooks; best practice; transformative potential of IWBs, laptops, ....; bureaucratic innovation; education revolutions

the plan:experimentation around Web 2.0 appliancesparadoxes around digital learningresearch around knowledge production

Weavingcurriculum resources

(Learning Federation, Wikipedia, etc...)

knowledge work appliances

(word-processor, Mindmeister, etc...)

Web 2.0 Appliancesfeatures:very simple UIsinvitation to contributeidentity syndicationclouds without filestools for audience & contribution settings

pedagogic leverage points:mobilitylow barriers to entryidentity playcollaborationreificationgenre appropriation

Web 2.0 Laboratory

In groups: • Experiment with Quizlet and slinkset• Who could use them in class, and out of

class? For what purposes?• How might they promote learning?• Come up with at least one speculative

classroom application for each.

Scrapheap Challenge

In groups: • Experiment with listphile, survs,

springnote• Who could use them in class,

and out of class? For what purposes?

• How might they promote learning?

• Rate them at: http://bestapps.slinkset.com

Paradoxes around digital learninglate age of print ←→ a post-typographic society

Paradoxes around digital learning

Warshauer's (2007) paradoxes:

the what paradox: ... what do students need to learn in the new digital classroom? what is replaced? ... but traditional literacies can provide gateways to the new, and are more valuable than ever.

the how paradox: ... the ability to learn autonomously will indeed be critical in the digital future. However, paradoxically, strong mentorship is required for students to achieve this autonomy, while an overemphasis on student independence can leave students floundering.!

the where paradox: ... at the same time that new opportunities increase for powerful out-of-school learning, formal education is actually rising rather than falling in its impact on peopleʼs lives.

late age of print ←→ a post-typographic society

Paradoxes around digital learning

Warshauer's (2007) paradoxes:

the what paradox: ... what do students need to learn in the new digital classroom? what is replaced? ... but traditional literacies can provide gateways to the new, and are more valuable than ever.

the how paradox: ... the ability to learn autonomously will indeed be critical in the digital future. However, paradoxically, strong mentorship is required for students to achieve this autonomy, while an overemphasis on student independence can leave students floundering.!

the where paradox: ... at the same time that new opportunities increase for powerful out-of-school learning, formal education is actually rising rather than falling in its impact on peopleʼs lives.

late age of print ←→ a post-typographic society

Warshauer's (2007):

rejects determinist and instrumentalist positions

advocates a critical, interventionist position involving stronger roles for teachers.

Knowledge Producing Schools

Knowledge Producing SchoolsBigum's & Rowan (2009) see:

schooling is no longer the job of providing a set of skills to equip students for a stable, non interrupted career

the focus shifting to dispositions: critical understandings, strong sense of self, harmonious living in diverse cultures, life-long & life-wide learning, potential to contribute.

the schoolʼs role as future proofing: all students to have the potential as skilled, active, productive members of (overlapping) communities

Knowledge Producing SchoolsBigum's & Rowan (2009) see:

schooling is no longer the job of providing a set of skills to equip students for a stable, non interrupted career

the focus shifting to dispositions: critical understandings, strong sense of self, harmonious living in diverse cultures, life-long & life-wide learning, potential to contribute.

the schoolʼs role as future proofing: all students to have the potential as skilled, active, productive members of (overlapping) communities

Bigum's & Rowan (2009) envisage KPS with:

authentic tasks, with authentic products, associated with the production of knowledge supported by experts and/or specialist communities

exposure to, and feedback from a real audience (beyond the school)

meaningful use of contemporary technologies in achieving goals, rather than a focus on technological mastery for its own sake

fundamental and substantial interdisciplinary connections

multiple forms of student contributions allowing identification with the category 'good student' by diverse children."

Web Inquiry ProjectsFrom the work of Molebash & Dodge (2003), Webquests are a model for inquiry involving, structured, role-based collaboration, construction of productions for authentic audiences and reflection on processes.

Web Inquiry Projects are a more open-ended form, suitable for more sophisticated productions in middle, upper and tertiary sectors.

Knowledge Producing Teachers

Knowledge Producing TeachersBreuleux (2001) advocates communities of interpretation that:

represent and share emergent good practice

share risk and innovation load

tackle reforms across-curriculum, across-time

Knowledge Producing TeachersBreuleux (2001) advocates communities of interpretation that:

represent and share emergent good practice

share risk and innovation load

tackle reforms across-curriculum, across-time

In groups:

• Sketch out a professional learning project that involves designing around a cross-curriculum and/or cross-time issue.

• It should involve authentic, purposeful knowledge production by students.! !

• Who would need to get involved? How? What evidence would you gather? How long would it take?

DebriefWhy do Web 2.0 appliances need to be “interpreted” or “reappropriated”?

What are some of the down-sides of using Web 2.0 appliances for classroom work?

If we donʼt completely replace traditional literacies while accommodating more (visual, information, interaction, collaborative, etc), wonʼt it make our jobs harder?

Getting students to work with real world issues and audiences is risky, messy and hard to assess. Why should we bother?

Canʼt we just buy a book on best practice?

ReferencesAllen, M. (2010). Using Web 2.0 in your teaching: ideas, applications and affordances for enhanced educational outcomes. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://netcrit.net/content/2010handoutallenweb2presentation.pdf

Breuleux, A. (2001). Imagining the present, interpreting the possible, cultivating the future: Technology and the renewal of teaching and learning. Education Canada, 41 (3). Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.education.mcgill.ca/profs/breuleux/onlinepubs/BreuleuxEdCanFall2001.html

de Brun Design (2007). listphile [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.listphile.com/

Education Services Australia (2010). The Learning Federation. Retrieved April 22, 2010 fromhttp://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au

Enough Pepper (2010). Survs [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.survs.com/

Feenberg, A. (1999). Questioning Technology. London: Routledge.

MeisterLabs (2010). Mindmeister [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.mindmeister.com/

Molebash, P. and Dodge, B. (2003). Kickstarting inquiry with Webquests and Web Inquiry Projects. Social Education, 67(3), 158-162.

Openmaru Studio (2010). Springnote [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.springnote.com/

Posterous.com (2010). Slinkset [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://slinkset.com/

Sutherland, A. (2010) Quizlet [Computer software]. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://quizlet.com/

Warschauer, M. (2007). The paradoxical future of digital learning. Learning Inquiry, 1(1), 41-49. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://www.gse.uci.edu/person/warschauer_m/docs/paradox.pdf

Wikipedia Foundation (2010). Wikipedia. Retrieved April 22, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org