Aug 15 2008
iCommunicate iCollaborate iCreate
The paperless conference, “Technology Enhancing Quality Teaching” to launch NSW DET Interactive Classrooms was held on June 24th. CCP Bulletins update us on the progress of the CCP, a succinct read.
Trevor Fletcher, Deputy Director General DET NSW, said teachers who integrate ICT effectively are “mindful of their knowledge of pedagogy, content and technology”. Onya Trev.
My belief is a sound knowledge and appropriate application of current learning research in the digital age is a significant factor in the successful integration of ICT. If we explicitly know how today’s younguns learn best, then we should have even more successful lightbulb moments. How cool is that?
Steven Wilson, DET Chief Info officer, also announced gmail as the new DET student email and that school staff email will move into corporate email later in 2008. Hang on for a few bumpy rides in the DC3 of DET NSW as the turbulance of change descends rapidly on those who just got their heads around the current 6 year old email system. Yeeha me thinks, ‘your emergency exits are here, here and here’
I am glad the boffins said regional training for CCP will meet local needs and develop key competencies in Activstudio. But I’m really really really disappointed this free shareware cannot be installed more easily at work. I guess a month of waiting will all be worth it. Just hope its not 2 months waiting for a simple install.
Hopefully these installation issues can be resolved next week. It is extremely frustrating to want to learn and apply new ideas, then be told by our DET leaders that these free programs are available to download and then not be able to install them due to whatever issues. How do I get my voice heard?
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Hopefully activstudio can be installed soon, I need it to start playing with IWB technology before our CCP IWB is installed.
Tony,
Just picked you up via me.edu.au. Trying to get my head around what the CCp is supposed to do. I guess this is a matter of how creative teachers go about creating emergency exits.
I’m a little lost. If you (teachers and students) are going to have access to the google platform ( I take it you get this cut down version http://www.google.com/a/help/intl/en/edu/index.html )
then why would you be downloading activstudio? Why wouldn’t you just have (something like) it included in the platform?
I take it everyone inside the walled gardens wants something like this. https://eq4.janison.com/eq/default.asp
It’s not as if Google won’t have a product near to what you want. http://www.google.com.au/intl/en/options/ or would develop an extension if they saw a demand.
And so far as Trev saying “teachers… mindful of their knowledge of pedagogy, content and technology”, you might ask him to learn a little about IP technology, or start a blog.
Simon
Thanks for your input. Sorry about any confusion caused.
I too wish more NSW DET learners (eg Trevor and those of his ilk) were blogging and sharing directly with us underlings who were told at our regional IT conference back in May; learn more about the ‘digital revolution’ and 21st century learning. So I am.
Activstudio is already freely available in the DET intranet, schools just unzip and install it, but as I said even this simple task is blocked for me as a classroom teacher. I am waiting on others to do this for I am not allowed. The boffins announced their big political decisions that grab the headlines but then the implemetation at grass roots is laborious. No wonder innovation or early adopters are not supported as well as they should be in the ’system’, except at grassroots level. I appreciate my school because people are listening and doing what we can. The Queensland DET model of leading/expert/pioneer schools is far more advanced and will ultimately bring about real change at a systemic level, not a one off “digital academy” level.
I am from a non ICT background and want to engage with web2.0 because students enjoy learning more by using these technologies. It is also my PD future so I’m trying to engage using the 21st century skills we are told we must develop.
Only gmail is going to the students as far as I know, not DET staff, we are moving to corporate email. (.edu I guess accounts?) Currently gmail is one of many useful educational sites blocked or heavily filtered in NSW DET schools. I’m not sure but NSW DET is not accessing the whole google platform per se, just gmail, may be wrong, just not sure.
The antiquated, unfriendly,difficult to search walled garden of the NSW DET portal and intranet is currently counter intuitive to the flat world web2.0 philosophy, hence the conundrum for future learning under this system. I have found other world edu systems better than what is currently available to us in NSW. I do remain optimistic that when available, out tools will help learners learn in ways that are meaningful and fully connected to the world.
The disparate and conflicting nature of current NSW learning resource sites like TaLe, CLi and Skool needs reassessing and streamlining under a simpler system IF non ICT classroom teachers are going to access or use them regularly. Digital resources are available (and despite all of these agencies doing good work independently) BUT it is still harder than it need be to access, locate, and store them for easy classroom application.
The QLD Learning Place you link to is open to a degree, the interface is intuitive and welcoming and the tools (like blogs, chats, forums and project rooms )that are currently blocked in NSW are supported and promoted by QLD DET.
I’m hoping, assuming, guessing the yet to be launched NSW DET ebackpack/tools will fulfill a similar role for learners in our system.
My understanding is also a blurred on parts of the CCP as well. As DET NSW teachers we are awaiting more information on the tools as the CC program roles out slowly over 3 years into 2200 schools.
The monolithic bureaucracy that is DET, despite leveraging DELL procurement discounts because of it, is also slow to react to ICT changes. Non of this CCP technology is new or cutting edge, politically it sounds good, but we as end uses are left to implement it, often with layers of support that are also well intentioned but ultimately counter productive. As much as it frustrates me, I am adopting a wait and see approach for I can do nothing else.