David Raymond's List: EDIT419

This is the interview where Dr. Zhao talks about contributing to the community.
Supports my idea about extending the framework to the wider community.

Professor MacFarlane discusses many issues which ring true to me. In particular:
- lack of vision for what education could be like with new technology (around 4 min mark)
- the web2.0 and technology revolution is great for the 15% of people who have a good life anyway because of their suituation and culture (5:30)
- others don't benefit from the access to the technology - they need help (6:00)
- no change in classroom over last 20 years with computers and in danger of no change in next 20 years (7:30)
- instruction vs. construction (8:30)
- expect learning to change with introduction of technology (10:30) - but hasn't really done so
- student self-directed learning is separate from school work i.e. at home and not related to school (14:30)
- much of what kids do on computers at home is trivial (16:00)
- the ones that do have good experiences are the same 15% (16:30)
- kids that are missing out have a computer at home probably but no access to the community that enables them to have these experiences (17:10)
- doing something by themselves does not really benefit them - it is being part of a community that had benefit for learning
- what are we dong for these people? (19:10)
- talking about missing pedagogical model for how to teach (22:00)
- teachers are expected to use technology to provide innovative learning but no model against which to do so, some don't use it at all, some use it inappropriately - there maybe some individual examples but not overall (23:00)
- schools bad at connecting with their communities in a learning sense (26:00)
- talks about chinese online writing community and how they comment, collaborate (34:00)
- community (47:30)
- communitites aren't formed when people are brought together in schools etc.
- need to have a common problem or interest (48:30) - Plant's definition?
- in education the problem is because assessment is done individually (49:00)
- so forming groups and sharing ideas is not attractive for students - worried about not getting credit for their own ideas (49:30)
- needs a

key points (see also my bookmark to the BLC '07 keynote by Professor McFarlane)- technology is not helping learning (1:30)
- american high schools are counterproductive to success in knowledge society (Bill Gates) (2:30)
- have a model where kids produce their own digital representation of how they see the world - rather than just lookin at other people's (4:00)
- make learning deeper rather than try to cover a lot of content but shallow learning (5:00)
- one suggestion is teaching people to be able to recognise an evidence-based argument and not be susceptible to incorrect information (6:00)
- model for assessment based on this sort of change to curriculum, e-portfolios (7:30) - meaningful coursework - mainly in school - not allowing homework to restrict their self learning
- treat school like work in a way with emphasis on quality not quantity (10:00)
- need to connect with parents who see school as different than their schooling and unsure about its benefits (11:00)
- access to technology (12:00) - benefit based on having the access first bit also that their environment but also their culture at home helps them benefit\n- top 15% (from BLC keynote) are getting most benefit from access and their culture
- but these normally high achievers can't see school as relevant to them based on what they experience at home and are failing at school (13:30)
- community knowledge and learning capacity building in technology (14:00)
- "digital challenge" program in Bristol (14:40)
- community mentors that learn something then teach to others in the community
- giving more people access and that means they can have choices on what they can do

Alan November condenses a number of his ideas and those that come up in his interviews and presentations available from this website.

Alan November condenses a number of his ideas and those that come up in his interviews and presentations available from this website. There are also a number of suggestions on how students can contribute to their learning community.