ISTE - International
Society for Technology and Education
San
Diego June 24 – 27 2012
This was THE conference that opened my eyes to 21st century learning in the classroom!
(a
collaborative file containing notes from the conference - a quick reference for me)
The ideas from this conference
inspired me to continue with what I had been dabbling with in the classroom. It
also made clear to me that I needed to share the information from the
conference with the staff back at school, as the message that the world of
education was changing hadn’t got through yet – we were still ignoring the changes going on in other schools that were making ICT an integral part of the everyday classroom programme - our teaching techniques had not moved forward in ICT for 10 years!
Mainly because:-
Mainly because:-
We
had an IT suite of 30 computers with an IT specialist teacher that took IT
with each class for an hour a week for the last 10 years. The children were
getting an hour of ICT each week, but the teachers were not. No computers in
the classroom for the children to use also made it impossible to integrate IT
into the everyday classroom programme. Hence a vicious cycle eventuated.
·
Children
of the 21st century are wired differently and need a different style
of learning and teaching
·
Teachers
have an obligation to their children to up skill and present them with rich,
stimulating programmes that get their attention and switch them into learning
· iPads, iPhones and mobile devices were THE way forward for IT in the classroom
·
There
are LOTS of FREE web tools that can be used in class programmes
·
Digital
storytelling and encouraging student voice were popular themes
·
Classroom programmes need to have lots of visuals, include online games that challenge
and use flash simulations, avatars etc
·
Class
programmes need to include lots of socialization and movement – talking,
discussing with each other, moving/actions rather than static listening (to the
teacher)
·
Teachers
need to provide constant feedback and scaffold lessons - children need to
clearly know what is expected of them so provide clear targets and success
criteria
·
They need
opportunities to collaborate with each other, get involved in authentic, real
life issues and to share with others in a global community
