Jun 10 2008
About
G’day and welcome, Tony Searl here in Australia.
I have been a secondary school teacher in New South Wales since 1985 with a strong student welfare focus and a passionate supporter of inclusive public education.
More recently I have been critically evaluating emerging technologies that claim to enhance classroom learning. The hype surrounding continued quality learning through applied technology needs careful scrutiny.
Since engaging in this TPL, my belief is the semantic/read/write/web2.0 is THE best learning for me and suits my individual learning preferences. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea, nor my student’s, but I like it.
“Does this application, technology, resource, latest gizmo have learning merit for us in our classroom?” is our priority question.
A few other reflective questions;
- What exactly is the educational problem we are trying to redress, if any?
- What value does this bring me and my students?
- Is this really doing anything new and worthwhile?
- After applying, how are we going to measure improvement?
- Oct09 edit Ok now we have laptops, just what exactly DO we want?
DET NSW is circumspect, deep and unique in the technology changes they are introducing even if it slightly lags the early innovators. We trust this approach will allow DET NSW to get things better than just right.
Project Based Learning, flat classroom, connectivism and the New South Wales Department of Education & Training (NSW DET) Connected Classroom Project (CCP) are particular current interests. (click here for more)
I enjoy researching, vigorous conversation, alternate voices, consolidating thoughts and applying when I can with what we have. But to me the best part of my job are still the ‘light bulb moments’. Love them dearly.
Web2.0 Chronicles.
June 2008. Attended a refreshingly ‘non tech North Coast Region tech conference’ in May and decided I’d make web2.0 a personal PD project. DET NSW asked us to engage so I have.
July 2008. One month into my web2.0 expedition, I can see a whole new educational world opening. Work no longer seems like work as I find ideas and stories that inspire me and real people who know and share. Web2.0 is a place to reflect, retract, repeat and research. I like this learning.
August 2008.
- Sharing ideas daily with all students and interested staff, love these chats.
- I am100% convinced that all learners in the 21st Century MUST engage with this world.
- It is not acceptable for me to say “I am retiring soon” for my students aren’t.
- Enjoying my learning again and professional development is mine, not imposed.
- The read/write/semantic web2.0 is THE best learning for me since ’sliced bread’, hence the new blog title, suggested by my daughter. (note for non readers and Sunshine Band members, thats NOT my blog, dummkopfs lighten up, please)
- 70:20:10 rule is so true Thanks again Tomaz for the insight.
September 2008
Pleased with staff responses to our introductory web2.0 learning project. An acronmyn task promoted discussion as intended, many asked questions or sought help from the just in time learning team, staff ICT survey feedback, drop in/drop out Wednesdays are planned, another IWB ordered, a few ostriches remain but no suprises there, Click magazine was distributed to parents (also very useful for staff, hope they had a read)
The realisation that 21st century pedagogy is central to the changes in the next three years is the key point. Technology is but one tool and as we can, we will integrate more. Future education is not about the latest gizmo’s, or even VC which is a minor component of CCP NSW, but challenging all learners to understand the deeper implications of the changes facing education globally. Diagram credit: Andrew Churches in his article 21st Century Pedagogy.
Create a free edublog to get your own comment avatar (and more!)
Ok progress is being made with DET filters. I’m glad they are listening.
Wikis were finally unblocked, a BIG thank you to Elaine.
Now I’ll get my students to evaluate what is useful and what we need to chuck out.
Tony, your blog is looking great and we are on the same wave length re: Web 2.0 and how it has the potential to reinvigorate pedagogy and learning opportunities for us all.
We are waiting for our Connected Classroom – probably term 3 – but the experience of purchasing an IWB and havibg it installed by the ICT Fleet mamanagement process has been a debacle and very worrying. The centralisation of such a vast enterprize seems unwise – at best – and potentially will slow down the modernising of DET schools.
Are you on tweeter, tony?
…or rather, tweeting on Twitter.
Darcy, no twitter yet,
having DELL fleet “control” the ICT platform is to leverage cheaper prices, much cheaper, but I’d like to know who gets the savings? schools or a central global budget? Was the DET installed IWB a separate board or the connected classroom one? Why was the instal a debacle?
Took the plunge today to see what its all about.
Now tweeting on twitter as TonySearl
WT? am I geeking out or wot?
Hi Tony,
Your blog is looking very flash…how did you do the hand drawn clock thing? (Thanks Darcy, answering as an edit whilst our staff engage with a small PBL task we’ve got running for 3 weeks, can I ask for your input at some stage in a week or two? oh yeah, there is an embed link in the clock to get your own code)
Hi Tony,
I have also subscribed to your blog in Google Reader and it is now added to the history bloggers on these two pages:
http://blog.larkin.net.au/blogroll/
http://www.larkin.net.au/020_technology_blogrolls.html
Best wishes
John
Hi,
Just discovered your blog through Vicki Davis’ CoolCatTeacher Blog. What a great find…..
How you expressed your discoveries over the past three months is exactly the path I am travelling. I discovered all things 2.0 11 months ago and what a wild journey….After 33 years of teaching and enjoying it, I am in love with it again and the learning curve. There are not enough hours in the day to do and learn all that I want to do.
I have been so turned on by the whole topic and the future that I finally started that long put off Masters Degree. In what? Well, Integrated Technology Grades 3-12, of course.
I love the challenge.
Keep writing and thinking and I will follow your brain when mine is confused and fried.
Heather
G’day Tony,
Saw a comment from you on a post written by Anne Mirtschin and have spoken to you in twitter as well, so thought I would visit your blog to tell you about a student blogging challenge that will be starting in March 2009.
Students may use either a class blog or their own individual blog. There will be activities each week and they will be posted on my class blog http://wyatt67.edublogs.org
If any teachers or students are interested in registering, please do so here http://wyatt67.edublogs.org/2009/01/18/a-new-year-means-a-new-challenge/
A similar challenge was held last year and nearly 500 students from nine different countries of the world took part. These students are still blogging and running a collaborative blog at http://studentfriends.edublogs.org
Thanks for the heads up on blogging Miss W, a very timely offer.
My Year 7 may be a great blog target, we are setting them up now. Our email and log on issues are almost resolved.
NSW DET have been promising a “safe” in house blog spot for a while now and I am getting tired of waiting.
stay in touch
Hey Tony! You just requested to follow me on Twitter, and I had to regretfully decline — I use Twitter for personal, not professional, messages. But you look like a neat person and we clearly have a lot of similar professional interests. How did you find me? My apologies if we met at a conference and I’m blanking on it… I’ve been so doctoral as to be off the conference circuit for a while… Do you know my Australian colleagues Katina Zammit and Jon Callow, by any chance? Or Skud Roberts? Or did you perhaps find me through The Media Show? If so, I’d love your feedback… I’m interested in hearing more how it comes off to educators. Cheers!
Thanks Tony for getting “in touch” via twitter. Have popped in here to see who you are and what you’re about. And like where you’re coming from. Will definitely pop in regularly because am sure I’ll be able to get valuable info for my field. I’m ICT support at Nelson Central Primary School in New Zealand. Love the emerging tools, but like what you say about not rushing in under the hype etc …..even tho it’s all exciting. ULearn ‘09 in Chch was great. Ka Kite!
Always pleased to share ideas and resources with our Kiwi cousins, hey bro?
Many eduTools are over-rated and misused for improved learning,(but still fun to play with). Find a core selection of quality opensource (like voicethread, edmodo, flickr, gdocs) and become proficient in applying them for learning.
cheers & thanks for dropping by Tania.