The 2010 ACTE national conference is winding down. It seems everyone is talking Web 2.0 and 21st Century skills. There appear to be a few disconnects in my opinion.
1. We want our students to collaborate via web tools but restrict access to the Web.
2. Web policy is often dictated by limited web users.
3. Teachers often are trying to apply hi-tech tools to 19th Century pedagogy.
4. Teachers find it difficult to embrace tools they neither use nor understand.
We have a long way to go but at least we are talking. To be fair there are many who are doing admirable things. The challenge is to move things out of episodic isolation, systemically to scale.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Global Achievement Gap-Call to Action
Minister of Education for the Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Dr. Majid bin Ali Al Nuaimi outlines what must change.
• We must move from a system that is rigid to one that is flexible.
• We must reject a system of homogeneity in favor of one that provides for diversity.
• We must move from a system that fosters a culture of narrow theoretical knowledge to one that requires mastery, quality and professionalism at all levels and in all subjects.
• We must move from the old industrial model of rote learning and begin to foster innovation, creativity and collaboration across disciplines.
• We must stop taking things for granted and insist on self-evaluation and accountability.
• We must reject a culture of responsive behavior in favor active behavior.
• We must reduce dependence on delivery by teachers in favor of self- dependence and responsibility.
• We must reject short-term learning in favor of life long learning.
• We must eliminate the culture of easygoing education in favor of one of reflective teaching and learning.
• We must cease teaching and learning focused on exams and encourage learning for being, knowing, working and living.
• We must move from a system that is rigid to one that is flexible.
• We must reject a system of homogeneity in favor of one that provides for diversity.
• We must move from a system that fosters a culture of narrow theoretical knowledge to one that requires mastery, quality and professionalism at all levels and in all subjects.
• We must move from the old industrial model of rote learning and begin to foster innovation, creativity and collaboration across disciplines.
• We must stop taking things for granted and insist on self-evaluation and accountability.
• We must reject a culture of responsive behavior in favor active behavior.
• We must reduce dependence on delivery by teachers in favor of self- dependence and responsibility.
• We must reject short-term learning in favor of life long learning.
• We must eliminate the culture of easygoing education in favor of one of reflective teaching and learning.
• We must cease teaching and learning focused on exams and encourage learning for being, knowing, working and living.
Global Achievement Gap-Seismic Shift
The current educational buzz surrounds the success in Finland. Jaana Palojarvi, Director for International Relations of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture credits a “culture of trust in education professionals” as being a key component.
In this environment schools are autonomous. Community stakeholders are involved in collaboration. Assessment is school based. There are no school districts.
The government’s responsibility is to insure that schools and teachers have enough resources and technical skill to complete their mission and to insure a balance between diversity and public standard.
In this model, schools and teachers have enough skills and freedom to innovate. The focus is on teaching and learning not testing.
Dr. David Hogan, of Singapore’s National Institute of Education concurs suggesting that any improvement model must be “neither too tight or too loose.” That of course is a challenge but the basic design principles are quite similar.
A systemic improvement plan needs to:
1. Balance strategic top down movement with bottom up flexibility that provides room for innovation,
2. Reconcile relevance and rigor within the context of stakeholder partnerships,
3. Provide a consistent, sustained, task oriented focus on improving instruction,
4. Focus on capacity building, distributed leadership and high quality professional development,
5. Have a tolerance for failure as a matter of principle and
6. Tolerate downstream implementation.
In order to implement whatever model is designed, Dr. Kevin Knight, Director of School Improvement Services for the New Zealand Graduate School of Education insists that teacher preparation is key.
It must begin with defining of the job. It is difficult to focus on outcomes when there are constantly changing and conflicting expectations.
Second, identify what a teacher should be doing. That includes timing of minute skills including management, workflow, collaboration, classroom management, presentation techniques, facilitation of collaboration, structuring inquiry, and developing relationships with students.
Less time needs to be devoted to lesson plans and more to the art and skill of delivering those plans. This is best provided in a non-judgmental system of teachers helping teachers.
Finally, recognize that teacher training is a specialty best practiced and learned in the practical classroom and not in the university laboratory.
According to Andrew Blair, President of the International Confederation of Principals our current crisis of confidence is exacerbated by the fact that schools are given additional responsibilities of dealing with parenting, family dysfunction, basic care, health and student well-being.
Furthermore the process of teaching and learning is eroded by the proliferation of high stakes testing and “perverse incentives” that serve to narrow curriculum.
The general consensus is that “teachers have lost their long term vision and lost touch with their goals.” Mr. Blair reiterates that educators have forgotten how to deal with the “What could be in education because they are mired in the “What is.”
In this environment schools are autonomous. Community stakeholders are involved in collaboration. Assessment is school based. There are no school districts.
The government’s responsibility is to insure that schools and teachers have enough resources and technical skill to complete their mission and to insure a balance between diversity and public standard.
In this model, schools and teachers have enough skills and freedom to innovate. The focus is on teaching and learning not testing.
Dr. David Hogan, of Singapore’s National Institute of Education concurs suggesting that any improvement model must be “neither too tight or too loose.” That of course is a challenge but the basic design principles are quite similar.
A systemic improvement plan needs to:
1. Balance strategic top down movement with bottom up flexibility that provides room for innovation,
2. Reconcile relevance and rigor within the context of stakeholder partnerships,
3. Provide a consistent, sustained, task oriented focus on improving instruction,
4. Focus on capacity building, distributed leadership and high quality professional development,
5. Have a tolerance for failure as a matter of principle and
6. Tolerate downstream implementation.
In order to implement whatever model is designed, Dr. Kevin Knight, Director of School Improvement Services for the New Zealand Graduate School of Education insists that teacher preparation is key.
It must begin with defining of the job. It is difficult to focus on outcomes when there are constantly changing and conflicting expectations.
Second, identify what a teacher should be doing. That includes timing of minute skills including management, workflow, collaboration, classroom management, presentation techniques, facilitation of collaboration, structuring inquiry, and developing relationships with students.
Less time needs to be devoted to lesson plans and more to the art and skill of delivering those plans. This is best provided in a non-judgmental system of teachers helping teachers.
Finally, recognize that teacher training is a specialty best practiced and learned in the practical classroom and not in the university laboratory.
According to Andrew Blair, President of the International Confederation of Principals our current crisis of confidence is exacerbated by the fact that schools are given additional responsibilities of dealing with parenting, family dysfunction, basic care, health and student well-being.
Furthermore the process of teaching and learning is eroded by the proliferation of high stakes testing and “perverse incentives” that serve to narrow curriculum.
The general consensus is that “teachers have lost their long term vision and lost touch with their goals.” Mr. Blair reiterates that educators have forgotten how to deal with the “What could be in education because they are mired in the “What is.”
Global Achievement Gap-Attitudes and Myths
In order to even begin the discussion a few “educational myths” need to be exposed.
First and foremost, Rigor means mastery. It is the continual constant accurate application of all that is learned not the addition of more demanding content.
Second, develop a language common to both industry and education. Even though the same words are used they often have different connotations for each of the stakeholders.
Third, recognize that learning how to learn is more necessary than what is learned.
Fourth, ethical behavior, individual responsibility and the ability to function with and within diversity are critical.
Fifth, use cognitive science to challenge our traditional distinctions between:
• head and hand,
• academic and vocational
• knowing and doing,
• abstract and applied knowledge
• education and training; and
• school-based and work-based learning
Sixth, recognize and eliminate commonly held mistakes concerning education and training. Contrary to popular belief:
• Skills are not like building blocks one learns in a specific order each building on the last. In fact human beings-even small children are sense-making problem solving individuals. Failure to involve them at the earliest age in refining problem solving skills creates barriers to learning itself.
• Students are not “blank slates” waiting to be written upon. Most traditional curriculum is based on memorization and analysis of subject matter and does nothing to modify what is already in an individual’s head. As a result, many become adept at taking tests or solving “book problems” and equations but when they encounter real world problems they become confused and unable to apply the book-based theory.
• Students are not empty receptacles into which knowledge is poured. In fact, learning only really occurs when the learner constructs, invents and solves problems.
• Students are rarely able to apply skills and theories learned in isolation without practice in applying them to real situations.
• Although “learning to know, learning to do and their application” are often separated, there is no effective learning or understanding of one kind without the other two.
Finally, all stakeholders must become committed and willing to make “whatever changes are necessary” to assist our youth in becoming productive, effective, successful members of society. The implication for schools is that they must become committed to learning in context and break down the distinctions between knowledge and practice.
This requires re-designing learning and using appropriate contextual methodology for teaching rather than simply applying new technological tools to old methods. Ultimately it requires the merging and cooperative use of resources, leadership, experience and expertise available among diverse stakeholders.
First and foremost, Rigor means mastery. It is the continual constant accurate application of all that is learned not the addition of more demanding content.
Second, develop a language common to both industry and education. Even though the same words are used they often have different connotations for each of the stakeholders.
Third, recognize that learning how to learn is more necessary than what is learned.
Fourth, ethical behavior, individual responsibility and the ability to function with and within diversity are critical.
Fifth, use cognitive science to challenge our traditional distinctions between:
• head and hand,
• academic and vocational
• knowing and doing,
• abstract and applied knowledge
• education and training; and
• school-based and work-based learning
Sixth, recognize and eliminate commonly held mistakes concerning education and training. Contrary to popular belief:
• Skills are not like building blocks one learns in a specific order each building on the last. In fact human beings-even small children are sense-making problem solving individuals. Failure to involve them at the earliest age in refining problem solving skills creates barriers to learning itself.
• Students are not “blank slates” waiting to be written upon. Most traditional curriculum is based on memorization and analysis of subject matter and does nothing to modify what is already in an individual’s head. As a result, many become adept at taking tests or solving “book problems” and equations but when they encounter real world problems they become confused and unable to apply the book-based theory.
• Students are not empty receptacles into which knowledge is poured. In fact, learning only really occurs when the learner constructs, invents and solves problems.
• Students are rarely able to apply skills and theories learned in isolation without practice in applying them to real situations.
• Although “learning to know, learning to do and their application” are often separated, there is no effective learning or understanding of one kind without the other two.
Finally, all stakeholders must become committed and willing to make “whatever changes are necessary” to assist our youth in becoming productive, effective, successful members of society. The implication for schools is that they must become committed to learning in context and break down the distinctions between knowledge and practice.
This requires re-designing learning and using appropriate contextual methodology for teaching rather than simply applying new technological tools to old methods. Ultimately it requires the merging and cooperative use of resources, leadership, experience and expertise available among diverse stakeholders.
Global Achievement Gap-Understanding the Situation
Amidst the scathing indictments of our current educational system there is much that is positive. Changes are being made at local levels. In fact as Charles Leadbeater, consultant for innovation in education in the United Kingdom suggests, “Education + Skill training + technology = Hope.”
Educators must however realize that: “Most innovation comes from collaboration. Most effective learning occurs as a result of collaboration. Our current system of education can’t deliver the necessary outcomes with the current teachers and techniques that are in place.”
Systemic transformation will only occur when new attitudes and delivery techniques are universally used to address the needs of the workplace and the motivations of what is now being described as the “Net Generation.”
The current generation of learners is very different from their teachers. They are accustomed to instant gratification. The “always on” connection has resulted in a physical re-wiring of their brains.
They use the web for extending friendships, interest driven learning, self-directed inquiry and view the Internet as a tool for self-expression.
They are constantly connected, creating and multitasking in a multimedia world everywhere except school. Young people aged 8-18 spend 7 hrs and 38 minutes a day using electronic devices. If you factor in multitasking that time increases to 13 hours.
They have less fear than their predecessors. They have less respect for authority and want coaching or mentoring not lecturing. They want and need to “make a difference.”
In order to truly transform education, educators must reframe everything to address the needs of the world and its learners.
Educators must however realize that: “Most innovation comes from collaboration. Most effective learning occurs as a result of collaboration. Our current system of education can’t deliver the necessary outcomes with the current teachers and techniques that are in place.”
Systemic transformation will only occur when new attitudes and delivery techniques are universally used to address the needs of the workplace and the motivations of what is now being described as the “Net Generation.”
The current generation of learners is very different from their teachers. They are accustomed to instant gratification. The “always on” connection has resulted in a physical re-wiring of their brains.
They use the web for extending friendships, interest driven learning, self-directed inquiry and view the Internet as a tool for self-expression.
They are constantly connected, creating and multitasking in a multimedia world everywhere except school. Young people aged 8-18 spend 7 hrs and 38 minutes a day using electronic devices. If you factor in multitasking that time increases to 13 hours.
They have less fear than their predecessors. They have less respect for authority and want coaching or mentoring not lecturing. They want and need to “make a difference.”
In order to truly transform education, educators must reframe everything to address the needs of the world and its learners.
Global Achievement Gap-Assessment
Schools at all levels around the world fail to prepare students for the workplace.
This was the clear message from business, government and education leaders of 50 nations participating in the Bahrain 2010 Global Education Conference. The global achievement gap between what industry expects and what education delivers is not caused by a lack of content but of context and practical application.
The basic problem stems from the fact that educational institutions mistakenly interpret rigor as adding more difficult coursework rather than demanding mastery of existing content at all levels. They are also mired in an archaic assembly line system that fails to deal with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy that is agile, pull oriented, media rich and increasingly accessible.
The result is both business and students are unhappy. Fewer jobs require a 4-year degree but more technical skill. Mobility has increased and students at all levels feel increasingly unprepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century workplace.
According to Dr. Mona Mourshed partner and co-leader of Global Education Practice of McKinsey and Company:
• 30% of available jobs internationally remain unfilled because companies are unable to find qualified talent to fill them.
• 70% of students leaving school at all levels lack practical experience.
• 56% of students leaving school lack any specific career training.
• 58% lack a sense of work ethic and professional conduct.
• 62% lack the ability to adequately communicate in both oral and written form.
• Students entering the work place (including those leaving university and graduate schools) are generally unable to produce immediate results.
Only 20% of the unfilled 7.2 million jobs require a 4-year degree. Most of those unfilled postings are high pay positions that require a high degree of relevant technical skill.
Business leaders recommend several core competencies or “survival skills” necessary across the board for success in a 21st century workplace. These universal requirements are in addition to mastery of job specific theoretical knowledge and technical skill.
Dr. Tony Wagner co-director of the Change Leadership Group at Harvard Graduate School of Education defines the core 21st century survival skills as:
1. Critical thinking and problem solving,
2. The ability to create, collaborate and communicate across media rich networks and systems,
3. Agility and Adaptability,
4. Initiative and entrepreneurship,
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Accessing and analyzing information and
7. Curiosity and imagination.
Increasingly, the worldwide challenges are remarkably similar. Dr. Wagner suggests three areas of global concern.
Global equity must be achieved in the areas of basic literacy, access to education, and availability of web based access/infrastructure.
The methodology of teaching and assessing knowledge and skills must be drastically overhauled to accommodate altered learning styles, motivational and knowledge based economy demands.
The understanding of what motivates the “net generation” to excellence must be accurately understood and addressed.
According to John W. Scott, CEO of Bahrain Polytechnic, “Employability Skills must take priority for both students and employers.” He suggests that in order to produce work ready graduates educators must collaborate with industry leaders to:
• Determine the desired outcomes and employability skills.
• Develop behavioral descriptors that can be measured.
• Design a “Universal Curriculum” around competencies.
• Use learning strategies that develop competencies through problem based learning opportunities.
• Create a transparent assessment methodology.
• Provide evidence of performance and industry recognized portable credentials.
In order to facilitate systemic transformation the education community must alter a few perceptions.
First and foremost employability skills can no longer be considered secondary “add-ons” or by products of the education process. They must be integrated into every level of teaching and learning.
Second, educators must be willing to reflect the face of change in business, industry and the professions. A knowledge-based economic system requires students and educators to prepare for a rapidly changing future. This preparation cannot be based on what is rapidly obsolete knowledge, pedagogy or technology.
Technology and pace have changed the workplace but not education. The world requires technology as a tool that facilitates learning. It is place neutral and time independent. In contrast, educational institutions are increasingly focused on locations and seat time.
This disparity demands a change in the traditional content, teaching strategies and notions of a “knowledge only” education.
Meaningful change is inhibited by:
• entrenched pedagogy and vested interest,
• lack of political will,
• lack of confidence in the new paradigm
• uncertainty as to the implications with respect to international competitiveness,
• old world teachers and the lack of or interest in retraining,
• old world designed curriculum,
• inflexible facilities and a lack of resources to change and
• unwillingness to accept that an entirely new approach to teaching and learning is required.
This was the clear message from business, government and education leaders of 50 nations participating in the Bahrain 2010 Global Education Conference. The global achievement gap between what industry expects and what education delivers is not caused by a lack of content but of context and practical application.
The basic problem stems from the fact that educational institutions mistakenly interpret rigor as adding more difficult coursework rather than demanding mastery of existing content at all levels. They are also mired in an archaic assembly line system that fails to deal with the requirements of a knowledge-based economy that is agile, pull oriented, media rich and increasingly accessible.
The result is both business and students are unhappy. Fewer jobs require a 4-year degree but more technical skill. Mobility has increased and students at all levels feel increasingly unprepared to meet the challenges of a 21st century workplace.
According to Dr. Mona Mourshed partner and co-leader of Global Education Practice of McKinsey and Company:
• 30% of available jobs internationally remain unfilled because companies are unable to find qualified talent to fill them.
• 70% of students leaving school at all levels lack practical experience.
• 56% of students leaving school lack any specific career training.
• 58% lack a sense of work ethic and professional conduct.
• 62% lack the ability to adequately communicate in both oral and written form.
• Students entering the work place (including those leaving university and graduate schools) are generally unable to produce immediate results.
Only 20% of the unfilled 7.2 million jobs require a 4-year degree. Most of those unfilled postings are high pay positions that require a high degree of relevant technical skill.
Business leaders recommend several core competencies or “survival skills” necessary across the board for success in a 21st century workplace. These universal requirements are in addition to mastery of job specific theoretical knowledge and technical skill.
Dr. Tony Wagner co-director of the Change Leadership Group at Harvard Graduate School of Education defines the core 21st century survival skills as:
1. Critical thinking and problem solving,
2. The ability to create, collaborate and communicate across media rich networks and systems,
3. Agility and Adaptability,
4. Initiative and entrepreneurship,
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Accessing and analyzing information and
7. Curiosity and imagination.
Increasingly, the worldwide challenges are remarkably similar. Dr. Wagner suggests three areas of global concern.
Global equity must be achieved in the areas of basic literacy, access to education, and availability of web based access/infrastructure.
The methodology of teaching and assessing knowledge and skills must be drastically overhauled to accommodate altered learning styles, motivational and knowledge based economy demands.
The understanding of what motivates the “net generation” to excellence must be accurately understood and addressed.
According to John W. Scott, CEO of Bahrain Polytechnic, “Employability Skills must take priority for both students and employers.” He suggests that in order to produce work ready graduates educators must collaborate with industry leaders to:
• Determine the desired outcomes and employability skills.
• Develop behavioral descriptors that can be measured.
• Design a “Universal Curriculum” around competencies.
• Use learning strategies that develop competencies through problem based learning opportunities.
• Create a transparent assessment methodology.
• Provide evidence of performance and industry recognized portable credentials.
In order to facilitate systemic transformation the education community must alter a few perceptions.
First and foremost employability skills can no longer be considered secondary “add-ons” or by products of the education process. They must be integrated into every level of teaching and learning.
Second, educators must be willing to reflect the face of change in business, industry and the professions. A knowledge-based economic system requires students and educators to prepare for a rapidly changing future. This preparation cannot be based on what is rapidly obsolete knowledge, pedagogy or technology.
Technology and pace have changed the workplace but not education. The world requires technology as a tool that facilitates learning. It is place neutral and time independent. In contrast, educational institutions are increasingly focused on locations and seat time.
This disparity demands a change in the traditional content, teaching strategies and notions of a “knowledge only” education.
Meaningful change is inhibited by:
• entrenched pedagogy and vested interest,
• lack of political will,
• lack of confidence in the new paradigm
• uncertainty as to the implications with respect to international competitiveness,
• old world teachers and the lack of or interest in retraining,
• old world designed curriculum,
• inflexible facilities and a lack of resources to change and
• unwillingness to accept that an entirely new approach to teaching and learning is required.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Put the Big Rocks in First
Managing your workflow in a pressure packed digital environment doesn’t have to be as difficult as herding cats in a windstorm. Most problems occur due to a lack of planning, failure to understand the process and keeping an eye on the “end game.”
Here are some very basic steps that work and can make the difference between meeting and failing to meet a deadline.
¬Prepare in advance. – Know your gear. Prepare your gear. Clear your computer workspace of anything that will get in the way or slow down your processor.
¬Name it and save it. – As soon as you open a project in your NLE, name it and save it somewhere you can easily find it.
¬Put the Big Rocks in First. – A Physics professor once made me fill a bucket with large stones. When he asked if it was full I said yes. So he gave me some sand and had me fill in the cracks. Again… same question and answer. So he gave me some water to add to the mix. HMMMMMM? What’s the point?
I would never have gotten the big rocks in had I filled the bucket with sand and water first.
Short story…. rough cut the main stuff first then worry about the fluff. Special effects, fancy transitions, sound effects, music and fancy edits won’t make your story better only prettier.
¬Save now and often.
¬Render frequently.
¬Export or cut to tape before you do a final polish. - You never know when a computer will crash, a processor will freeze, or someone will trip over your power cord. If you have a hard copy
that is mostly finished you can re-load and at least have a chance.
¬Save again.
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