time for “learning environemnts”?
Blog response to – Technology to Support Learning
Bransford, J., Brown, A., & Cocking, R. (Eds.) (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Ch. 9. (link to article)
Although this is an American site it does relate to the Australian school environment nicely. My response is in particularly focused upon the chapter of the digital community in the history classroom (p 144) where the teacher created a learning community and spends weeks with her schools following their personal passions! How inspiration! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to let imaginations run wild and filter into the exciting elements of education! But no… we cant…. The high demand on the curriculum is leaving teachers with a workload that is to much to power through in the lessons that we have. This idea of a learning community is one that I would aspire to create but in reality I have two problems-
1) I have no chance in the curriculum to follow the passions of my students. Everything is so stick that I can not venture off the track for half a second.
2) Taking students to computer labs where some computers work and some don’t, having to re set passwords and forgetting usernames and so it becomes a logistical nightmare!
If Mr. Rudd is going to give my students computers then give me space in the curriculum to create learning environments where personal passions can be explored digitally! What is the point of school if it is not relevant and is not firing a passion for learning
November 7th, 2008 at 1:09 am
This learning environment in which students can pursue content which interests them is key to my own educational philosophy, and is central to the Montessori ethos. What I find facinating in the way the NSW History Syllabus is constructed is how there is an obvious struggle between those taht believe the focus of HIstory should be on “thinking historically”, that is, learning history as a skill, and those that believe there are things that all NSW students should know “about”, ie. facts.
Early on in the Syllabus, the content is flexible enough to allow students to persue their own interests. In the kind of learning environment outlined in your reading, it would also give students the opportunity to learn about other areas of study by monitoring their classmates work too.
While it can be done with the current Syllabus to an extent, I think the real issue is the availability and access of appropriate and well-functioning technology in the puiblic education system. Education, and particularly the integration of ICT into educational environements, is not a priority for the Government, let alone the public. Until such time as it is deemed important, unfortunately I am pessimistic about change.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:09 am
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