Sliced Bread

 
It is always fantastic learning from and sharing knowledge with another NSW DET High School. It feels good. Darcy’s blog should be compulsory reading for all NSW DET learners facing the same challenges in implementing change in the next 3 years. I appreciate Darcy sharing the hard work of their school’s team. 

How do 2200 schools move forward together in the digital age ? Mammoth task.

How is contructivism or heutogogy or put simply, teachers rethinking how they teach made a priority? Quality teachers will change, as they have always changed. But this time, it’s a biggy. I still enjoy re-reading the TWAIN debate that asks learners to think about time, ability, new philosophers and the whats in it? question. I can see so much of that where I work.

Is there a political guarantee that the appropriate support from DET and governments is there, long term? I still question IF a big enough and ongoing Fed/state commitment has been made to this “digital education revolution”, but it is a start, albeit in my opinion a far too small one, especially in terms of PD support.

There are pioneer digital learners throughout the world who have been doing fantastic things in schools for a long time now.  Talent, goodwill, motivation and most importantly extensive support from their organisations is why they have been successful in implementing real change. Budgets are always limited so priorities towards technology have obviously been made.

Our public education state wide challenge, as more NSW DET schools receive laptops and connected classrooms, and we can only hope, QUALITY professional development support, will be for each teacher to reflect on, and change where neccessary, their own QTL in the classroom.

As more learners use web2.0 tools, like blogs, to develop personal learning networks, they will make connections with other like minded learners, pedagogies will easily change, all our 21st century students will have enriched, relevant learning and Quality Teaching and Learning for all students in all DET schools will result.

Watched any good fairy stories lately? This is what will happen in DET NSW Utopian Central School. The Big Dreamers are great and I support them, but NSW society has to hold our governments more accountable to deliver the realistic budgets to actually turn Utopian Central School into real schools.

It has happened in smaller, properly funded, more flexible learning organisations not hamstrung by bureaucracy or sheer size, but for a massive public system such as DET to move forward will be mind blowing.

The challenges NSW DET schools face will escalate IF governments do not address the key ingredient to success in the next 3 years, quality fully resourced professional development. Time, money, resources are all mentioned.

As I sit here engaged in PD on a Sunday as there is little time at school in my professional day, I would like to think the work/home balance is kept in context. I’m doing this because I’m interested, not because I’m good at it. No chance at work, not enough time.

If my school does not ‘get it’ or my department of education or my state/federal government do not provide funding and quality support for the face to face classroom teacher to change pedagogies, then why would they change? Many teachers I know are asking these questions now. 

This is where the real NSW DET quandry arises. To those not ignoring DET schools on a daily basis these are the real issues. I hear many of the following legitimate concerns articulalted far better than I’m doing right now.

We still wont have anywhere near enough computers post laptop roll out, our school will have at best 3 IWB’s in 3 years, we have an insufficient budget to establish a wireless network, we currently have unreliable or limited access to computers/ICT and will continue to have this post roll out. Why should I change and integrate more ICT is what teachers are saying. I disagree, but variety is the spice of….

Other more hard hitting questions include.

Why can’t our kids use a toilet that works at a school when “they” want us to embrace underfunded technology implementation?

Why does my decrepit demountable classroom leak, is too hot/cold and they want me to be an expert IWB teacher within 3 years?

If I can’t have reliable and regular access to ICT, a genuine wireless one to one network, an on site accessible technician for when it goes pear shaped, quality PD that is point of need then why should I commit? Private schools have this, why cant we? The government has not really committed long term to digital change in schools, they just want to win the next election.

All of these concerns are raised by DET teachers on a daily basis. Who is listening? The list goes on.

Why is school xyz in such a perilous state of disrepair, overcrowded, under staffed or staffed by untrained subject specialists or does not have enough specialist teaching spaces in even relatively new schools and yet ”they” want us to spend our time changing to something that has been unreliable to this point?

It is a two way street for many DET teachers and I hope the big end of town is listening, hey Maurice and whoever this months State Education Minister is?

I embrace the digital changes and will do so in my classroom when I can, but I can see why many may not.

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