The staff at our school are currently completing (what looks like) a survey on the current level of their ICT skills, obstacles and aspirations. The ‘survey’ is in fact a fairly simple database activity in Moodle, designed to kill several birds with one stone - we get more than just a snapshot of where we are at and what we need. Through this simple, easily searchable database, people can quickly see who in the school has the skill(s and attitude) they (may) need, sometimes literally on the spot, just-in-time, where there is neither chance or time to attend some PD but simply problem-solve and learn from it. Staff can update their entries, comment, thank each other, inquire and so on in a way true to the 70:20:10 principle underpinning our ICT-related PD efforts this year. It is working really well but I might describe it in more detail in another post - back to the ‘12th thing’.

getting teachers up to speed when it comes to using technology in a classroom.

For my 20 cents - it is because we have not got yet a generation of decision-makers, the real powers-that-be, who have directly benefited from the ways of learning (or I dare say schooling) we talk about and put to work every day with increasingly awesome results and with growing numbers of educators on board. To use an analogy, can you imagine a (prime) minister or head of corporation, for example having a successful organ transplant using an innovative use of new technology in a skilled way that allowed him to live and thrive - and then arguing, funding, even legislating for the older, ‘back to basics’ way of doing these kinds of transplants. I don’t think so!

For my 20 cents - it is because we have not got yet a generation of decision-makers, the real powers-that-be, who have directly benefited from the ways of learning (or I dare say schooling) we talk about and put to work every day with increasingly awesome results and with growing numbers of educators on board. To use an analogy, can you imagine a (prime) minister or head of corporation, for example having a successful organ transplant using an innovative use of new technology in a skilled way that allowed him to live and thrive - and then arguing, funding, even legislating for the older, ‘back to basics’ way of doing these kinds of transplants. I don’t think so!

A study of a comprehensive effort to integrate technology into schools shows a increase in test scores related to the use of technology.

n a randomized study in Virginia, use of digital video clips to supplement instruction resulted in increased student achievement (Boster et al., 2002)(Boster et al., 2004).