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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>Hi<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>Very big
question!<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>I read an
article this morning, </span></font><span lang=EN>Schools debate bogged down in
negatives,</span><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span lang=EN
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'> </span></font><font
size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><a
href="http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22623552-27197,00.html">http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22623552-27197,00.html</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'>I thought the
wish list was a good idea, to have goals/aims/ideals. Maybe something like this
from an IT perspective needs to be worked out so that we can “</span></font>really
help our students make this world a better place for us all to live in?”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
Anne-Marie<br>
<br>
</span></font><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:green'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=5 color=green face=Webdings><span
style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:green'>P</span></font><font
color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial;color:navy'> </span></font><font
size=1 color=green face=Arial><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:Arial;
color:green'>please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to.</span></font><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=blue face="Trebuchet MS"><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Trebuchet MS";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
yr7-10it-bounces@edulists.com.au [mailto:yr7-10it-bounces@edulists.com.au] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Roland Gesthuizen<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> 23 October 2007 17:14<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> <st1:PersonName w:st="on">Year
7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [Yr7-10it] RE: Year
7-10 IT structures</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>I am really excited to
read all these posts and all the right questions that we seem to be asking each
other.<br>
<br>
I agree with Bill. The OLPC is a fascinating invention. Like the student that
freely dips into the wireless access spilling over the school fence from his
neighboring home, the mesh technology has even enough range to bridge between
the different islands in the Solomons. Whilst the original vision for the
telephone was that it could be used to pipe music directly to homes, we would
be equally narrow minded to think that the Internet was for edumail and piping
music to pockets filled with iPhones. <br>
<br>
I have some Sudanese lads who are struggling with renaming files yet can
happily play computer games and chat online. Is it appropriate to measuring
their learning from their understanding of a computer desktop, a metaphor based
upon the workings of a small business office? The different ethnic groups at
our school have vastly different traditions and ideas of what it means to 'be
working together'. I am now not sure if the collaborative, learning model that
I carry about in my head is best and only way forward. <br>
<br>
I have had some indirect contact with of the huge technology issues faced by
countries on our doorstep. From young computer technicians trained in Melbourne
to set up Ubuntu Linux networks for East Timor, the KhmerOS group that has
managed to retain a Cambodian keyboard and recover their language using Open
Office and the network manager on Naru who is experimenting recycling old
hardware using Kbuntu. <br>
<br>
I would like us to engage with what it really means to transform ICT education,
beyond rubbing the latest shiny new toy or unboxing the latest bit of
commercial software. I like asking the big questions in my IT classrooms so
here is one. What can we do to really help our students make this world a
better place for us all to live in?<br>
<br>
Regards Roland<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailquote><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 23/10/2007, <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Bill
Kerr</span></b> <<a href="mailto:billkerr@gmail.com">billkerr@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>hi Cameron,<br>
<br>
The OLPC has wireless mesh networking and a new user interface (sugar) based on
a community metaphor, which invites extensive collaboration with each child
having their own laptop. In that respect (and some others) OLPC is superior to
its new low price rivals from Intel etc. <br>
<a href="http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/05/community-user-interface.html"
target="_blank">http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/05/community-user-interface.html
</a><br>
<br>
If each child owns the laptop then that open up potential for home use - as
well as the clearly important "sense of personal ownership" <br>
<br>
I agree with you that if the laptops are introduced and teachers keep to their
old techniques and lesson plans then its not going to work very well at all<br>
<br>
That is sort of the point of this discussion - where would / should it lead? <br>
<br>
Papert has argued for years that maths could be transformed with one laptop per
child but that it doesn't work with other ratios. The pencil argument, it
would be poor education to chain up pencils in a lab or to insist on sharing of
pencils<br>
<br>
As you say:<span class=q><o:p></o:p></span></span></font></p>
<div style='margin-left:30.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>The laptop struggles to break out from being a glorified
word-processor, file storage and email client to the off the shelf tool that
gets used as needed, to develop a solution for the problem at hand.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
With OLPC the laptop does or should develop or appear to develop some sort of
agency of its own, it demands to be used in new and different ways - are the teachers
up to it?<br>
<br>
btw I attended a conference at Methodist Ladies College (Melbourne) in circa
1980 when every child had a laptop and they were using logo extensively
(David Loader was the Principal). <br>
<br>
Your points about forcing collaboration are interesting and I'd like to hear
more about the tool you mention that facilitates a process whereby students
"produce work that reflects their own knowledge, not the groups
knowledge"<br>
<br>
I'm wary of formalising collaboration in an institutional sense. I think learners
have the right to choose their time and place for collaboration. When setting
up groups I often do permit a group of one. I'm aware of one very good
educational blogger who has been arguing this for some time: <br>
blog of proximal development<br>
<a href="http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/" target="_blank">http://www.teachandlearn.ca/blog/</a><br>
(I will dig up some of his posts about this particular topic if you want) <br>
<br>
cheers,<br>
<span class=q>-- </span><br>
<span class=q>Bill Kerr </span><br>
<span class=q><a href="http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/</a></span><br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div><span id="q_115caf70be47e010_4">
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><span class=gmailquote><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt'>On 10/23/07, <b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cameron
Bell</span></b> <<a href="mailto:bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au"
target="_blank"> bell.cameron.p@edumail.vic.gov.au</a>> wrote:</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000">
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>But Bill, lots and lots of schools have implemented laptop programs -
some for many years now. We have found that you don't need one laptop per child
- in fact, I believe that insisting each child having their own laptop can
stifle pedagogical progress. When each child has their own laptop or they are
working in a lab, the teacher is generally just using the same teaching
techniques and lesson plans they always have, insisting on personal work,
students working in isolation (communicating, but in isolation) with the whole
class doing the same activity at the same time. The laptop struggles to break out
from being a glorified word-processor, file storage and email client to the off
the shelf tool that gets used as needed, to develop a solution for the problem
at hand.<br>
We have run with a one-between-two program here for the past couple of years (I
was skeptical as I had just come from a 1-1 school) and apart from a couple of
dedicated labs, we now deliberately aim for one-between-two for all our
technology infrastructure. It means students <u>must</u> collaborate as teams
on producing work and we are being forced to develop methods for students to be
able to collaborate- but then produce work that reflects their own knowledge,
not the groups knowledge. It's tricky but I have found a very useful little
tool that enables that to happen in my classes and the rest of the staff have
adapted too! Some of us are creating digital portfolios, this requires group
prac work, but individual reflections. How do you do this with one-between-two?
You are forced to examine individual learning plans, multiple lesson plans
within a lesson, rather than the one-size-fits-all approach that we have always
done. (Primaries have done this for years!) While 1/2 the class use the laptops
for part of an activity, the other 1/2 are doing another part. For us, this is
also essential to break up a 72 min period and help keep the students focussed.<br>
One between two is cheaper too! ;-) <br>
Cheers<br>
Cameron<br>
<br>
Bill Kerr wrote: <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>There is a large elephant
in the room that no one has referred to so far: the OLPC<br>
<br>
The one laptop per child non profit project not only plans to deliver millions
of laptops to third world children but has also become a hand grenade in the
commercial world - and has succeeded in forcing down the price of other laptops
now on offer <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div style='margin-left:30.0pt'>
<p class=MsoNormal><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>"... the whole global
mind-think around technology has changed. <o:p></o:p></span></font></i></p>
</div>
<p style='margin-left:30.0pt'><i><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-style:italic'>No longer is low cost computing in
education a fantasy, no longer are big technology companies secondary, and
everyone wants to sell technology into classrooms. Intel introduced </span></font></i><a
href="http://www.olpcnews.com/countries/brazil/olpc_classmate_mobilis.html"
target="_blank"><i><span style='font-style:italic'>Classmate PC</span></i></a><i><span
style='font-style:italic'> to Brazil, Asustek is </span></i><a
href="http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/intel/negroponte_100_laptop_asus.html"
target="_blank"><i><span style='font-style:italic'>selling Eee PC's</span></i></a><i><span
style='font-style:italic'> in the USA, and even thin-client manufactures </span></i><a
href="http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/competition/stephen_dukker_anti_olpc_campaign.html"
target="_blank"><i><span style='font-style:italic'>compare themselves to OLPC</span></i></a><i><span
style='font-style:italic'>."</span></i><br>
<a
href="http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/countries/sales_inhibiting_xo_distribution.html"
target="_blank">http://www.olpcnews.com/sales_talk/countries/sales_inhibiting_xo_distribution.html
</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>How will schools and
education departments in the wealthy west react to the fact that in a few years
we will have the capability for every child to have their own laptop? <br>
<br>
Will we treat them like mobile phones and ban them or try to figure out a way
to utilise them for optimal educational development?<br>
<br>
The use and misuse of computers in schools has up until now been based around
the idea that computers mainly belong in labs and / or that access is limited.
The fact of limited access has acted as a powerful brake for many teachers not
to extend their knowledge much beyond the basics. <br>
<br>
Most (all?) of the maths curriculum could be taught using laptops. In fact MIT
produced a series of books in the 80s for teaching much of maths and aspects of
language and art using logo.<br>
<br>
Shouldn't we factor this potential into the discussion? If we are talking about
the future it might be incorrect to assume that the pattern of distribution of
computers in schools will remain similar to the present. <br>
<br>
-- <br>
Bill Kerr<br>
<a href="http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<br>
<br>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
<br clear=all>
<br>
-- <br>
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Westall</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Secondary</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">College</st1:PlaceType></st1:place><br>
<a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br>
<br>
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret
Mead _______________________________________________ <br>
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Year 7 - 10 IT Mailing List kindly supported by <br>
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