Planning for learners and learning in the 21st Century

Robert FitzgeraldFaculty of Education

University of Canberra

ICT in Learning Symposium, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney, 1 May 2009

Talking about an Education Revolution

• Revolution: “… a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving” Source: wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

• “… age of discontinuity we have to be very much aware of how our own lenses create a form of tunnel vision. We must learn new strategies to overcome the tendency to interpret the world with narrowly construed assumptions even if they worked for us in the past” John Seely Brown, Former Scientist of Xerox Corporation and the director of its Palo Alto Research Center

The Blind Men and the Elephantby John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)

It was six men of IndostanTo learning much inclined,Who went to see the Elephant(Though all of them were blind),That each by observationMight satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,And happening to fallAgainst his broad and sturdy side,At once began to bawl:"God bless me! but the ElephantIs very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,Cried, -"Ho! what have we hereSo very round and smooth and sharp?To me 'tis mighty clearThis wonder of an ElephantIs very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,And happening to takeThe squirming trunk within his hands,Thus boldly up and spake:"I see," quoth he, "the ElephantIs very like a snake!"The Fourth reached out his eager hand,And felt about the knee."What most this wondrous beast is likeIs mighty plain," quoth he,"'Tis clear enough the Elephant Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,Said: "E'en the blindest manCan tell what this resembles most;Deny the fact who can,This marvel of an ElephantIs very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begunAbout the beast to grope,Then, seizing on the swinging tailThat fell within his scope,"I see," quoth he, "the ElephantIs very like a rope!"

And so these men of IndostanDisputed loud and long,Each in his own opinionExceeding stiff and strong,Though each was partly in the right,And all were in the wrong!

Emerging technology…

So oft in theologic wars, The disputants, I ween, Rail on in utter ignorance Of what each other mean, And prate about an Elephant Not one of them has seen!

Vision: The need for big ideas

“…we must develop not only the technical capability but also the intellectual capacity for transforming tacit pedagogical knowledge into commonly usable and visible knowledge“

“We have an opportunity to change the way we create and exchange information, knowledge, and culture [and offer greater] opportunities for cultural self-reflection and human connection.”

An educational lens

Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A new framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record. 108(6), 1017-1054.

Source: http://tpack.org/

At the intersection…

EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE

•formal/informal

LEARNERS AND LEARNING

•formal/informal•formal/informal

Focus our attention, not narrow our focus