Technology :The classroom, the challenges

and the future

Peter LasscockDepartment of Education

Victoria, Australia

““The focus of the Department of Education’s The focus of the Department of Education’s communication and multimedia strategy is to realise communication and multimedia strategy is to realise the potential of technology to enhance the quality of the potential of technology to enhance the quality of all aspects of education, especially student learning. all aspects of education, especially student learning. To compete and be successful in an information rich, To compete and be successful in an information rich, technologically-enhanced and rapidly changing technologically-enhanced and rapidly changing environment, students need to be highly skills and environment, students need to be highly skills and flexible in their ability to use technology in all its flexible in their ability to use technology in all its forms.” forms.”

(Learning Technologies in Victorian Schools 1998-2001:8)(Learning Technologies in Victorian Schools 1998-2001:8)

1. effective planning: all aspects of the school’s 1. effective planning: all aspects of the school’s operationsoperations

2. computer networks: information,communication 2. computer networks: information,communication and collaborationand collaboration

3. Internet: a powerful learning tool3. Internet: a powerful learning tool

4. Intranet: a private network4. Intranet: a private network

5. expanding role of library5. expanding role of library

Key findings of navigator schools

6. learning technologies has challenged teachers6. learning technologies has challenged teachers

7. integration of learning technologies: a whole7. integration of learning technologies: a whole

school processschool process

8. collegiate culture8. collegiate culture

9. changed classroom practice9. changed classroom practice

10. electronic links between home and school10. electronic links between home and school

Statewide Vision

• All schools developed information and communication technology plans by the end of 1998

• All principals have implementing these plans as part of their performance review

• All teachers must improve their skills • Financial support to schools

Government to provide AUS$26 million over 4 yearsGovernment to provide AUS$26 million over 4 years for 63,000 new multimedia capable computers. for 63,000 new multimedia capable computers.

Government to provide AUS$9 million over two Government to provide AUS$9 million over two years for improved access to technologies by years for improved access to technologies by teachers. teachers.

Computers in schoolsComputers in schools::

Improve the computers to students ratio to 1:5 Improve the computers to students ratio to 1:5 by June 2000. by June 2000.

• 40 hours of professional development.40 hours of professional development.

Notebooks for teachers:Notebooks for teachers:

Notebook computers to be provided to 36,700 Notebook computers to be provided to 36,700 principals and teachers over a period of five principals and teachers over a period of five years.years.

• wide area network - Min 64 Kb link wide area network - Min 64 Kb link

• 1,900 sites including:1,900 sites including:

SchoolsSchoolsTAFE collegesTAFE collegesDepartment administrationDepartment administration

VicOneVicOne

Re-engineering delivery of education at both Re-engineering delivery of education at both curriculum and administration levelscurriculum and administration levels

CASES 21CASES 21

Whole school approach to Whole school approach to re-engineering school’s administration processre-engineering school’s administration process

• system administrationsystem administration

• student/academic administrationstudent/academic administration

• asset registerasset register

• student absence and accident registerstudent absence and accident register

• finance and payrollfinance and payroll

• curriculum and assessmentcurriculum and assessment

SINASCHOOLSNET INTERNET NETWORK

ADMINISTRATOR

mailbox manager

access manager

web manager

An example from one school:Bendigo Senior Secondary

College

http://www.bssc.edu.au

Background

• 1993 - Steering committee established, Spending put on hold for 2 years

• 1993/94 - Staff visit state, interstate and overseas

• 1994 - Whole college plan developed

SOSE example

Background

• 1995 - Learning area plans developed, network rolled out

• Dec 1995 - Laptops for all staff• Jan/Feb 1996 - Classroom machines • 1996 - Learning are plans updated, coaching

team established• 1997 - Timetabled professional development

Background• 1730 Students in year 11 and 12 in 1999• Every classroom has between 2 and 6

computers - all networked and connected to the internet

• 600 families connected from home via 60 dial in lines

• Staff connected from home

The Network Any Computer

Library

The Home

Any Student

Digital Resource Centre

All Staff Rooms

The Internet

All ClassroomsAny Teacher

curriculum driven network

not

network driven curriculum

Evolution

• The power of letting go• The physical space• Professional development

Letting go

Teachers need to:• Understand the potential of what students can do with

computers• Implement structures to facilitate this happening• Build their own skills but not be scared that they don’t

know how to do it themselves • 89% of staff at BSSC are happy that students know more

about computers and software than themselves.

LOTE example

Evolution of the classroom • What will the classroom become?• Laboratories to classroom machines• Distinct information technology classes to

appropriate integration into all subject areas• One place and time to many places and times• Technology in control to learner in control

Triple science example

Low expectations of the teacher - Narrow learning outcomes

High expectations of the teacher - Broad learning outcomes

User has control

Technology has control

SimCity etc

Drill and practice eg Math Blaster and many CD ROMs

HyperStudio, Microworlds, PowerPoint, Clarisworks, Kid Pix, Office, Web

Publishing Software,Email

Software PyramidGraeme Oswin 1997

Professional development

• Skills in context– Make the main focus what you can do in the

classroom - this gives a need to learn the skills

• Share & celebrate– develop teams with expectations of outcomes– share - students and staff– create support structures

English discussion forum

Support for staff

• Emotional• Pedagogical• Technical

Art - teacher

Art - student

Support for Staff

• Teaching and learning– 4 teaching and learning coaches– PD based around teaching and learning, in teams

• Technical– Technology development manager– 2 full time technicians– 2 full time web support– 15 students part time

Support for Staff

The future

• What future do our students face?• What skills will they need?• What skills will a teacher need to equip our

students for the future?• What outcomes are possible?

PhotoShopIRCWebsite

80% of the children currently in Years 6 & 7 80% of the children currently in Years 6 & 7 will enter careers which don’t exist now.will enter careers which don’t exist now. 90% of the technology to be used in the year 90% of the technology to be used in the year 2000 has not been invented or is not available 2000 has not been invented or is not available yet.yet. Graduates will have been exposed to more Graduates will have been exposed to more information in a year than their grandparents information in a year than their grandparents in a lifetime.in a lifetime.((Commission for the Future/Finn Meyer Report, 1992)Commission for the Future/Finn Meyer Report, 1992)

mailbox manager

• Manage email accounts from school through a web browser

• Secure administrator logon• filter mail• batch accounts for students

access manager

• View all sites visited• View all searches made by students• Control and breakdown of costs• Snapshot toll allows administrator to

see what sites all active users are on

web manager

• Allows creation of school, teacher and student web pages through a browser interface

• CGI tools - counters, chat etc• Access statistics• Filters and control tools through

censorman.