Can I suggest you speak with John Anderson, c21@igc.apc.org browse
through
the I*EARN Pacific NorthwesT Centre's pages..
In particular you may want to contact the Centre for Improved
Student
Learning in P.N.W. John is co-ordinating this and has a study over
the
last 5-6 years that is quite remarkable.
http://www.ospi.wednet.edu/CISL/I*EARN_PNW.html
(IEARN PNW)
http://www.ospi.wednet.edu/CISL.html (Centre
for Improved Student Learning)
I would also suggest you contact Dr. Kristin Brown at
krbrown@igc.apc.org.
She is the I*EARN International Programmes director and
would I am sure be
happy to provide you with assistance.
I am also happy to provide you with my writing regarding the
changes
"completed" and "needed" at Broadford SC and the work I have done
relating
that to changes in assesment and reporting procedures.
At 7:29 PM 27/5/95 -0400, Ian Reid wrote:
>Help
Needed.
>
>The school system in Victoria, Australia is
interested in developing an
>image of the "Classroom of the
Future". We have had a number of groups
>making recommendations for
the support of school systems but we do not have
>a picture of the
changes that might be expected in *classrooms* as a result
>of the
new communication and information technologies.
>
Although such a list is not the place to have extended discussions, I
would
like to share some of these thoughts.
These questions, for me, are asking; can we STILL justify our
structures
and methods when we have a suite of technologies and opportunities
that
REALLY are allowing us to DO the things we say we have wanted to do in
our
classrooms for a long time???
In 1975, Connell,Stroobant,Sinclair and co.. in their work "Studies of
City
Youth" really "hit the nail on the head" when they articulated
the
structural flaw in our schooling.
QUOTE: "The school has an intellectual culture which the teachers
wish to
convey to the pupils; and its system of competitive
assessment is the main
sanction by which it controls the
student's learning. The result is curious
and ironic. The
system does not convey the intellectual culture to the
mass
of students...What the school's socialising effect does,
rather, is
to select out from the mass of pupils a sholarly
type, to which it accords
success. Rather than promoting
the development of intellect generally, it
makes intellect
a specialty, associated with a certain type of work
and
aimed towards a certain path in life.
END QUOTE
Chris Bigum from Deakin University, whom I am sure you have met a
few
times, is also responsible, in my opinion, for really assisting to
clarify
this issue of schooling and the new technologies.
He was (in my opinion as a teacher) correct when he spoke of the
technology
"acting more like doors or gates" and ultimately assisting
curriculum to
DECOUPLE from schooling..
This is what is beginning to happen in classrooms today.. This is
certainly
what has happened in my classroom over the last 6 years.
Unfortunately, we are looking for historical solutions to adapt or
"DEAL"
with this unrest..change...
>* the teaching and learning skills;
>* the role of the
teacher;
Change from directed, teacher centred, competitively assessed activities,
to
Individual-goal based, collaborative activities.. Internetworking...
This requires quite complex support structures to maintain.. At times
the
needs of the "school" and the needs of the "student" are
quite
contradictory. When students begin to grasp and apply the benefits of
this
technology to their everyday lives, we are clearly promoting the kinds
of
things that Kevin Harris from Macquarie in NSW points out... We
are
promoting empowerment, autonomy and democracy.
The role of the "teacher" becomes one of guide, mentor,
instigator,
providor,judge, leader,follower.. In other words.. The
MONO-CULTURE of the
historical role of "a teacher" is clearly diminished.
>* the knowledge and skills required by students;
The notion of building an ethical school, as put forward in RJ
Starratt's
work is also worthy of much consideration...In many cases we are
still
dealing with a senior school structure in many countries that is
continuing
to narrow in purpose towards tertiary qualification.. At times..
it appears
that year 10 11 and 12 are designed ONLY for this purpose??
Do we currently have an answer to this question?? We have key
learning
areas and Curriculum standards frameworks that are moving in this
area....
>* school buildings;
>* the relationship between school,
home and the community in providing
>education
Can I suggest you contact Gideon Goldstein at ortisrael@igc.apc.org and
ask
him about the work of (I think) Professor David Gordon, whom I met,
at
Gideon's invitation, in Israel in 1993.. The work the Israeli's are
doing
here I thought was quite impressive.
These are clearly the discussions one must have if we are to have
any
chance in effecting systemic change that will benefit from what
these
communication technologies offer for the learning environment.
Bill
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I*EARN
AUSTRALIA
Y O U T H M A K I N G A D I F F E R E N C E T H R O U G H
__ |\ T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
/ |_| \
.' \
--------------------*------------------------
/ I*EARN \ William A. J.
Coppinger
\ / Centre Co-ordinator: Australia
\ / Chairperson: Executive
Board of Directors
\_.-'\_*/Broadford International Education and Resource
Network
v
Australian National Office Ph. (61)-057-843452 (National
Office)
P.O. Box 268 Broadford 3658 Fax. (61)-057-841028
Victoria,
Australia Ph. (61)- 03-4825085 (Melbourne office)
INTERNET:
bcoppinger@peg.apc.org
wcoppinger@nexus.edu.au
URL:http//www.peg.apc.org/~iearn
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~