This is a little unexpected, I was on the BBC website and I found this link to "Global Best School Buildings" Its a slide show of a number of schools showing interesting architecture and design. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14975270 The images show external and internal images of some schools around the world, including Finland, India, Japan, Australia and Spain. There are some interesting and stimulating designs, some showing agility, but many are nicely presented versions of the traditional classroom. The Lilley center, at Brisbane Grammar school, is interesting but in the case of the lecture theatre is a well presented traditional space. I wonder how appropriate a lecture theatre is in a school? Some of the indoor/outdoor flows are very nice - the Kindergaden exaple from Japan is very good as is the other Australian Example from Dandenong Senior high School. Food for thought. What is missing, and I guess the article is focused on the macro elements is the furnishing and workspaces, the details that enable teaching and learning. In my Classroom, all the furnishings are mobile, designed to quickly move from one mode (the rooms is in board room mode at the moment) to the next

I am working on Junior School version of the digital citizenship materials. I would love comments and suggestions on this rework of some earlier stuff I put together. Junior School Computer use Guidelines as a PDF JS internet-computer use guide (PDF) Computers at school We come to school to learn. Here at school, we have computers and the internet for our learning. We only use computers, ipads, ipod, the internet, printers or cell phones for our learning. Using our Computers We do not play games without our teachers permission. Sometimes we see stuff that is rude, nasty, mean, dangerous or inappropriate, we must click on the HOME button immediately and tell their teacher. We will not download movies, music, videos or games. This is stealing. We will look after ourselves online. We will not put any personal information about ourselves on the internet. We won’t post photos or videos about ourselves. We will not share information like their address, phone numbers, hobbies or daily activities. We will look after other people. We will not share any personal information about other people over the internet. We won’t post other peoples photos, videos or share information. When we write anything about a person we will asks "how would I feel if somebody said that about me?". If it is mean or nasty don’t say it. We will look after ourselves and other people by telling their teachers or parents about people who are being mean or bullying. Using other people’s stuff We will acknowledge all stuff we use in doing our research from websites and include web addresses in our work.

TVNZ has today reported that Rangitoto College is going to allow its students access to youtube and Facebook! Controversy!!! YOUTUBE how could they allow that and Facebook …. OUTRAGE http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/college-keeps-youtube-facebook-in-digital-strategy-4457086 I mean, really, what planet are they living on? My students make very good use of Youtube, they access how to videos, revision clips and posted lessons. Youtube has recently started a teaching channel called http://www.youtube.com/teachers Why when you have ultra-fast broadband would you block a premium resource like this? I know that some people will say that the students will be distracted and off task. But the likelihood is that they would have been distracted and off task with or without access to youtube or Facebook. Off task behavior is a classroom management issue. Part of the strategy of rolling out a 1 to 1 program should be classroom management, providing the teachers with the techniques and strategies to manage student use of technology. The solution isn’t to block it. Do you take pens of students because they might write a note or doodle a picture? But what about FACEBOOK I hear them cry… What about it? Do you think they can’t get access to Facebook at school already? When every 2nd mobile device connects to Facebook? When you iPhone at 2 clicks can set up a personal hotspot which by-passes filtering? Yes, students could use Facebook inappropriately, just like any other technology be it a pencil or a iPad. Yes, you can use Facebook for bullying or it can be distracting. But as I previously mentioned distraction is a classroom management issue. And bullying? Well, bringing Facebook out into the open will actually prevent bullying. Consider this. Most people are NOT cyberbullies Most people use Facebook in an acceptable manner Students are able to access Facebook from most mobile devices Since these devices do not connect through school networks they are essentially untraceable Cyberbullying can therefore happen whether the school blocks Facebook or not By opening up Facebook the school has a mechanism of tracking. There is a clear trail which (depending on the registration of the machines onto the network) will lead directly back to the user. You now have a clear mechanism for checking and therefore identifying the bullies. Underlying all of this must be a Solid DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP program. A program that reinforces individual responsibility, is supportive and protective and clearly explains why the policies and guidelines are in place. The real outrage here is the sensationalizing of what is an educationally sound decision. If this is Controversy, then I am sad, we have a long way to go.

Thanks for the feedback and the comments - I have updated the JS guidelines and invite comments and suggestions. JS internet-computer use guide Computers at school When we aren’t at school we use computers for lots of reasons. When we are at school, we use computers, ipads, ipods, the internet, printers or cell phones for our learning in class. Using our Computers We use our computers for learning. We do not play games without our teachers permission. We will not download movies or videos, music or games without permission. This could be stealing. We will check with our teacher. We will look after ourselves online. Sometimes we see stuff that is rude, nasty, mean, dangerous or inappropriate, we must close down the application and tell the nearest teacher. We will not put any personal information about ourselves on the internet. We won’t post photos or videos about ourselves. We will not share information like our address, phone numbers, hobbies or daily activities. We will look after other people. We will not share any personal information about other people over the internet. We won’t post other peoples photos, videos or share information. When we write anything about a person we will asks "how would I feel if somebody said that about me?". If it is mean or nasty, don’t say it. We will look after ourselves and other people by telling our teachers or parents about people who are being mean or bullying. Using other people’s stuff We will acknowledge all stuff we use in doing our research from websites and include web addresses in our work. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They are not fond of rules. And the have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can not do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They Explore. They Create. They Inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Think Different. This came from an advertisement from Apple in the 1990′s. Here is the youtube video clip. Its worth watching. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dvn_Ied9t4M

This isn’t really a surprise, but a recent BBC article has reported on a study of teenagers that indicates their IQ can change - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15369851 The study indicates that IQ is still developing in the teenage years. The most telling part for me was this quote by a participant in the studywho imitially needed remedial maths and is now doing a doctorate in computer engineering "I think the change came in school I started doing subjects that really interested me, that I was engaged in, then I found it easier and far more interesting." A second article points to what I believe is one of the core elements of IQ testing and in fact any assessment - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-13156817 - this article states that IQ tests, test not only IQ but also motivation. Again this is no surprise either. If you are motivated and engaged you will strive to perform better and therefore do better in testing and assessment, and this includes IQ tests. So again the performance of our students whether in IQ tests, state examinations or internal assessments is effected by the level of engagement and motivation that the student has. An engaged and motivated student will perform better than an equivilent but unengaged/unmotivated one. Stands to reason really. If we look at the school system, our schools, our classes and if we drill down enough the individual we teach  - do we motivate and engage them? Do we set them learning and assessment tasks that are? Challenging and problem solving Require higher order thinking Relevant to them either personally, as a member of a group or community or relevant to them on a global scale? Are in mediums that they enjoy working in? Require active participation Do we understand the difference between boys and girls in terms of what motivates them to want to learn and succeed? Do we also understand the developmental difference between the genders and consider this in terms of assessment tasks and activities? Do we understand the difference in development of language skills and of course and fine motor skills? Do we take into account the different learning styles and preferences that our student have and the differences we often see between the genders? I have to agree with this last article too - is there a genius in all of us? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12140064 which stresses the huge importance of the environment we are in, in developing our and their potential.

Source: http://bossysmile.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/pyramid1.gif?w=287&h=265 Periodically, people challenge me about the use of Edgar Dales learning cone. They cite that a number of papers have been produced showing that the figures Dale used are inaccurate and I have to agree with them. In fact when I present a session and I use this one of the first things I say is that the numbers are question. But the underlying principle is correct and I think I would be hard pressed to find anyone who would disagree. Who could say that listening to some one talk about a topic is more memorable than actually doing it. There is no substiute for the real thing. The reason I persist in using Dale’s learning cone is the underlying structure rather than the dubious numbers associated with it. The progression is logical. In a nut shell the more senses engaged the better the learning, the more active the learner the better the learning; The more challenging the learning the better the learning. TEaching others and immediate use is engaging multiple senses, active and challenging. Consider too Daggett’s Application model which eludes to the same thing - the best learning outcomes are achieved in a real world unpredicatable situati. The more realistic and real world the activity that we use for learning and reinforcing learning the better. It would be easy to dismiss Dales Learning cone because the numbers are inaccurate, but actually measuring or assessing learning is a fuzzy area anyway, consider the impact of motivation and engagement on assessment, but the flow makes sense. What about this attempt from me. source: http://davidwarlick.com/images/IDEAPlotter-20100128-174054.jpg

The headlines read as "School’s iPad plan could ruin Christmas. I struggle with this, because it is not accurate or fair reporting. If you actually look at the Orewa college website the parent do have an option of buying the product over a two year period, rather than outright - http://www.orewa.school.nz/uploaded/file/downloads/CycloneComputers.pdf but this aspect is convienently over looked. The base cost is $8.51 per week. Ruining christmas is not accurate or fair as there are a range of options available, though these are not mentioned. The second aspect that concerns me is the comment "I’m furious. I don’t see how it is beneficial from an education standpoint. We feel bullied into this," There are two aspects, but both relate to communication. The benefits of the use of technologies are clear. Who in their employment is not using technology, who looking into the future can not see more technology use - as educators we need to prepare our students for not only today but also the future  - part of this is the use of technology. The use of technology has been shown to be engaging for students, and engaged students work and achieve. The benefits of using these tools for communication, collaborating, analysis, evaluations and creativity are obvious. Well,  I would have though so anyway. Which brings up the second question of communication. Has this been effectively communicated to the parents and community? It is interesting that Rangitoto College is launching a similar scheme, but the media for what ever reason has not given them the same degree of scrutiny as they have for Orewa - http://www.rangitoto.school.nz/uploaded/File/Rangitoto%20College%20-%20IT%20Vision%202012_WEB.pdf </Rant>

I was asked yesterday what I considered to be the four components of effective digital learning. (Why four? The person who asked me wanted four, there may be more but this is the parameters I was given.) The question intrigued me. The focus was a little bit to do with tools to use for learning, but also pedagogy was an underlying core. So I have pared down my four core elements, but I have embedded these in a number of underlying assumptions. The underlying assumptions are core values and processes that enable Digital learning to flourish. They are: A relevant and contextual curriculum Assessment that is both challenging and transparent (since this lies in a relevant and contextual curriculum, it is also by definition relevant and contextual) An emphasis of higher order thinking skills (analysis and evaluation - creativity is a core aspect of Digital learning) Valuing student voice and providing the students with ownership of their learning and assessment. My four focuses or core elements of Digital Learning would be: Effective pedagogy - a starting point would be the flipped classroom, but this is just a start. I would also add into here changing the classroom as the layout and design of the classroom predicates the approach and type of teaching you do. Here to I would add in the core values of being challenging, risk taking and inquiring, being principled and caring, being considered and deliberate. Into effective pedagogy we add technology that is enabling and empowering (rather than closed, controlled and restrictive or disempowering) Feedback and reflection - We know the importance of feedback, that when honest, timely, appropriate, and learning focused it has the greatest impact on learning outcomes. We also value the students being reflective, self aware and self critiquing. These are core elements of digital learning (and any other learning to). This aspect is enhanced by the use of e-portfolios and blogging where the student, his or her peers, their teacher, parents and colleagues are able to comment, discuss, critique, reflect and celebrate the learning outcomes and the learning process. Collaboration - a critical motivator for students is working with their peers. We live in a world with out boundaries or border because of the digital environment. Our students collaborate, as do we, actively using a range of tools and technologies. Collaboration is challenging, from effective collaboration you lawn about your self and others, are exposed to different views, perspectives, religions and cultures. By sharing and working with their peers locally or globally the students are learning more than just the curricula elements. I would see tools like wikis, social networks (ning is a great example) and collaborative documents like Google documents as core tools to facilitate and enable this key facet. Creativity - an element of higher order thinking, but a critical focus. We must teach creativity, encourage it, foster it. We teach it by experience and value. Experiencing the many many examples of creativity and valuing them for their practicality or aesthetic worth. By encouraging reflection and self critique, by celebrating success and failure as opportunities to learn and grow. The digital mediums provide our students with a huge tool set that they can use to be creative, to be imaginative, to take risks and experiment, to try and to fail, to try and to succeed. Making these creative tools available is critical. So when you bring all of this together, the tools, the mind set, the curriculum and the processes, then you can have effective learning. These are not separate elements but intrinsically linked together.  The emphasis is not on the technology, but what the technology allows you to do! Have I missed something out?

I just got tweeted a nice diagram showing iPad applications against different levels of Bloom’s revised taxonomy. Its a good and well considered diagram and I like it. Some applications there that I haven’t seen yet and I will have to look up. The only thing I would say is that the applications are just the medium in which the student demonstrates the level. They facilitate the cognitive action. - This is NOT a criticism, rather a statement from me and one I know that Kathy Schrock has definitely taken into account. I know a number of people who have questioned whether tools like animoto should be included because it can be so easy, but the reality is yes you can "throw" music and images at Animoto and get a good product. But the deliberate and considered student who designs, considers, structures and evaluate will make the excellent product. Puppet Pals, which is also in the creative slot, is another excellent tool which can be used (I have seen this one work really well with my own kids) to produce creative, well considered, planned and evaluated products. Tools like Pages and Touch Draw can be used across the taxonomic levels depending on the task and purpose. Taking notes is understanding where as authoring a book is creative, both would use the same tool. Copying a diagram  and making an infographic are at different ends of the spectrum, but still would utilize the graphic development capacity of touch draw. Nice work and thanks for sharing

A collegue asked me the other day "what is next?" We were discussing email and how this very simple and now relatively old system has changed the face of communications. The first APRANET email was sent in 1971, and use of email has grown exponentially. In many instances, email has replaced the letter as our means of communication. It isn’t to far from the truth to suggest that infact email is just a letter in digital form. The speed, ease, simplicity and flexibility of emails has led to the current situation. Consider this: "294 billion messages per day means more than 2.8 million emails are sent every second and some 90 trillion emails are sent per year. Around 90% of these millions and trillions of message are but spam and viruses. " Source: http://email.about.com/od/emailtrivia/f/emails_per_day.htm So what is next? or are emails here to stay? Is the co-operative document/wiki/post going to be the next "letter" and the comment button the reply tool? Is instant messaging going to develop beyond the current word/charactor limits into a suitable communication tool? We are already seeing the merging of text and IM in apples iOS 5 - imessage system. Will video become accepted as a form of legal medium, can we sign agreements via VC as we do with letters and email? With any change like this we will also have to consider the etiquette that  accompany these changes. What of txt-speak? will this be acceptable or does it leave too much for room for interpretation. Or in video communications, the subtle application of irony or sarcasm, of humour, anger or aggression, the nuyances of body language can and will completely change the meaning of a message. So "what is next?"

I love the concept of BYOD (Bring your own device) on a number of levels. We have a successful BYOD program at the senior school and it works. From a administrative and financial aspect BYOD makes sense. You don’t have to provide the students with either laptops, leases or access to machines the cost savings are brilliant. You do still have to provide the students with network & internet access but that’s something that most schools do anyway. Source: http://viewology.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/DSC_0245-MacBook-Pro-13-On-for-First-Time.jpg You also have transferred the onus of responsibility and care of the device to the students as opposed to the school. The students are responsible for caring for their own device and insuring it. Interesting the student DO take much better care of their own machines compared to one leased from or provided by the school. The students also make more use of their BYOD too. Its their device and they have customised it (this is a trait of 21st century learners) to suit themselves. One of the issues people do raise is the distribution and access to materials, this too can be easily solved. We have not stated the software students can use but have stipulated the files formats. For example: Documents - Microsoft .doc format - this is accessible from MS office products from 2003 upwards, iWorks pages, Open Office Writer etc Presentation - Microsoft .ppt format -this is accessible from MS office products from 2003 upwards, iWorks keynote, Open Office impress etc Spreadsheets - Microsoft .xls format -  this is accessible from MS office products from 2003 upwards, iWorks numbers, Open Office calc etc Uneditable documents - adobe .pdf format Audio - .mp3 format video - .avi and mpeg4 formats images - .jpg format By specifying the file format rather than the product we have enabled the students to use any operating system or hardware. This suits different preferences and different budgets. Connection has been streamlined and uses some great technology that allows the students to register the devices using the mac address and then access the network via a login. These are the easily solved bits of a BYOD program and the easy advantages. The more challenging aspects are the control and safety questions. The challenges faced are what do the students bring to school in their laptops? unacceptable, inappropriate or illegal materials. In our system they can not access blatantly inappropriate material. We track and monitor all other sites. But this is only effective for active online access not what is brought in from either cached or deliberately saved personal activity. Nor does this cover the inappropriate use of the laptop - the student playing games etc. source: http://km.support.apple.com/library/APPLE/APPLECARE_ALLGEOS/HT4517/HT4517_06----en.png We can not stop  the students using their own personal network connections - We had earlier in the year a contractor who cut our internet pipe. It was fascinating to watch, as the students lost connectivity, the number of personal hotspots and alike that popped up as the students sought other methods of resolving the internet outage. Using these methods, personal hotspots etc,  students can easily connect to social media sites which many schools do try to block. So…….. The shift to BYOD is fundamentally based on a trust model. The school has accepted that they no longer have control. They have realised they no longer have the same rights of search and seizure that leased and school owned machines had. They no longer have the same level of monitoring of software, internet etc that they previously had.  A question worth pondering is how much of the students appropriate use at school is made by choice and how much is derived from the restrictions that school system have in place to prevent unacceptable activity? The importance of Digital citizenship is PARAMOUNT in a BYOD school. If inappropriate activity has been curtailed by restriction, what will happen when you remove these restrictions? What will happen when the students can install their own software (legal or illegal), connect to their own internet connection, avoid school based filters. We must instil in our students a strong ethical and moral approach to the use of technology, an approach that is respectful to themselves, to other people and to property. This ethical and moral approach is backed not by a regime of "these are the rules, now follow them" rather by understanding and transparency. "Here is our approach, this is why we do this, here are the impacts of this, these are the people who are effected" Its only by being transparent and open, honest and clear, that the students will accept and follow the behaviours and norms that the organisation requires. And this is the only way a BYOD program will flourish IMHO  

Yesterday I attended the Horizon Projects New Zealand meeting. One of the exercises we undertook was to use the Hype cycle, a visualisation tool produced by Gartner to examine the different technologies identified in the New Zealand Horizon report The hype cycle allows you to plot where either you are or your organisatiuon is on the use of a technology. The cycle is divided into a number of stages which a technology will usually progress through. The initial high expectations. the disappointment where it isn’t delivering quite what was expected and then a steady climb to effective use. The depth and height of peaks and troughs is dependent on the process and investigation that an organisation implements. In the meeting we went through the three different technology horizons in the reports and then mapped where we consider ourselves to be on the hype cycle from an educational perspective and from a business perspective. The horizons were: 1 year or less cloud computing collaborative environments mobile apps tablet computing 2 to 3 years digital identity electronic publishing game based learning personal learning environments 4 to 5 years augmented reality gesture based computing next generation batteries smart objects It was an interesting exercise and one that for me provided insight into many of the projects I have been involved in. Where are we on this process? Are we still in the early stages of high expectations or in the trough of disillusionment. I can also draw parallels to what we see in change management. While often we miss the peak of high expectations we do see the four stages that correspond to the trough and slope of enlightenment and plateau of productivity denial bargaining depression acceptance Here is a challenge for you. Pick a technology you have or are thinking of implementing. Now consider where you are on then "cycle". Now considering your position, what can you do to move quickly to the "plateau of productivity"? How can you reduce the steepness of the slope to the trough or avoid it entirely? It strike me that with due process and realistic expectations you can avoid most if not all of the roller coaster ride? Thoughts?

One of the things that I found interesting at the Horizon project meeting this week was the concept of  "Challenging the Examination". The concept or process was described to me in the context of a tertiary setting, where a person enters the university with significant experience and is able to sit or challenge the examination immediately rather than covering a course of study and then taking the examination. Should they pass the paper or papers they are given the credit for this and if they fail it the are expected to undertake the course of study to be able to resit the paper at a later stage. I like this as a concept. Imagine if this was applied to a school situation. Imagine if our students could challenge the examination and were able to, with out a prescribed course of study and then  gain these qualifications. How many of our students would be able to do this? Would our school system have the flexibility to be able to do this?  If we were to pre-test the students with an assessment and they succeeded would we be happy to give them the credit they have earned? Are we doing our students justice by making them undertake a course of learning or alternatively by excusing them from it. Why shouldn’t they be able to do this? This  concept raises questions about so many aspects of our teaching and our institutions. Our entire education system is based around a progression of teaching and learning culminating in assessments. It adds a level of rigidity and structure that is comfortable and reassuring. It means we know what were are teaching and when and that we don’t have to cope with learners at completely different places. But this is based around the premise that assessment and therefore qualification is the sole purpose of education. Is it? or is there more to what we do? If there is more is this reflected in how we structure teaching and learning in our schools? And if our students could "rock up" and pass the assessment without a course of study, what questions would that raise? It would be interesting to give the students an "assessment grade" pre test and see if they could pass it? And if they could?  

Its been a while since I had the time to do a on the wire update, but I have taken a moment and I want to share a couple of interesting articles and resources with you. Seven things you should know about….. This is a brilliant series of resources produced by educause that examine an emerging technology and how it could be applied to education. There are several new one out that are worth examining Seven things you should know about organising files in the cloud Seven things you should know about personalise digital magazines Seven things you should know about Gamification Seven things you should know about word press Seven things you should know about service design Seven things you should know about MOOC Massively open online course These are brilliant resources available in PDF and ePub formats The second item on my agenda is the national geographic videos about the worlds population reaching  7 Billion. http://youtu.be/JwL4mNa2eaQ - this is the typical person video http://youtu.be/sc4HxPxNrZ0 - this is the timeline video http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/7-billion Home page 7 billion typical person 7 billion timeline

Global Digital Citizenship is a critical element of any teaching program at any level. Our students are connected. Irrespective of the age of the student they are wired. We are seeing devices reducing in cost, increasing in availability and entering most classrooms and almost every school. If you ask a students a question there first response is likely to be to "google" it. If you go to a library for research, the students are most likely to use the computers.The digital world is a world almost universally without boundaries (Some countries do still attempt to restrict access, but these are usually the same countries that are restrictive with their people as well). Visiting, talking, chatting, messaging are seemless, real time and simple. The distance between two people is now measured in milliseconds rather than miles. All of this, the speed, immediacy, accessibility and ease of use means that Global Digital Citizenship is paramount. But how do we teach Global Digital Citizenship, a fluency that is critical at all levels of education? I think there are four aspects of this. Clarity and rationale - Whether we are giving the students guidelines (my personal preference) or sets of rules there must be clarity and a transparent rationale behind the statements we make. Too often the communications that the students and staff sign to are not explained, written in quazi-legaleze and are too specific. I have seen schools and school districts present year1-3 students with documents to sign, stipulating what they can or can not do, written in language that I struggle with. The fact that the language used means the kids DO NOT understand it and therefore it is irrelevant AND the reality that a minor signing an agreement is immisable is often ignored. So a better option is to write guidelines that are flexible, encompassing and age specific. This adds CLARITY. The guidelines must have a logical basis - this is what we need from you and THIS IS WHY WE NEED IT - this is the rationale. If you can not provide a reasonable explanation for a decision or guideline then it is a POOR decision. Understanding and Purpose - this is the communication aspect with the students and  the community. You have to develop and instil in the students an understanding of WHY we are making these recommendations and setting these expectations. They need to see the bigger purpose of respecting and protecting themselves, other people and intellectual property. They need to understand about their actions and the consequences of these. They must be aware of global considerations and inherent in this the cultural difference that exist. Again this is age specific. Monitoring and consequences - As critical as rationale and purpose, monitoring and consequences should be transparent, timely and appropriate. We are building a trust model, which digital citizenship inherently is, but there must be a process of keeping safe and learning lessons. It is appropriate to have filtering of the internet at different age levels, it is critical to have tracking and recording of use and access - but these MUST be CLEARLY communicated. There needs to be immediacy in dealing with actions that are unacceptable, whether it is inappropriate content, actions or communications. The consequences must reflect the action. I would guarantee that most schools would have different levels of consequences for similar real and virtual actions. Consider this…. a student goes into the music department and steals a CD of the latest popular music  - the consequences of such theft would be severe. Take the online equivalent the student uses the schools network to pirate (steal) the digital equivalent of the album. The students is likely to be told this is not appropriate. How are the two actions different in the underlying action -both are  stealing media. But one is considered a lesser crime or action. Similarly how is cyberbullying less damaging than bullying face to face? Individual and community involvement. In developing and implementing our digital citizenship guidelines and processes we sought, valued and used feedback from staff, students and the community. We ask our parents to apply our guidelines at home. We had our students critique our guidelines and THEN WE MODIFIED THEM based on student voice, where appropriate. Getting buy in and understanding from all sides is critical. If the student is involved in designing, implementing and using the guidelines they develop ownership and it becomes their guidelines and their ethical and moral compass, a compass that is hopefully aligned to respecting and protecting themselves, other people and property by their actions, behaviours and in some cases inactions. So what have I missed?

I have updated the Senior students Digital citizenship agreement. I have added in two elements into: Protecting others - I will moderate unacceptable materials and conversations Respecting Intellectual property - I will acknowledge primary sources Digital Citizenship 1.2

I have long thought that there are parallels that can be drawn between Digital and Global Citizenship. In Digital citizenship the core aspects are respect and protecting oneself, others and property. I believe the same basic tenants can be applied to Global citizenship. So here is my first go at Global Citizenship Respect Yourself I will show respect for myself through my actions. I will consider how I present myself and how this reflects on me as a person. I will consider what personal information about my life, experiences, experimentation or relationships I share. I will not be obscene. I will act in a moral and ethical manner that is respectful to me as a person. Protect Yourself I will ensure that my actions,and associations will not put me at risk. I will not place myself in situations that place me at risk or vulnerable to abuse. I will cherish my body and treat it with respect through my diet, activities and actions. I will report any attacks or inappropriate behaviour directed at me. Respect OthersI will show respect to others. I will be aware of local and global issues and understand the basic tenants of human rights. I will not  bully, harass or stalk other people. I will treat all people equally making no bias for race, religious belief, gender or disability. I will show respect for other people in my choice of people and groups I associate with. I will not be degrading, pornographic, racist or inappropriate in my interactions with others. I will not abuse my rights of access and I will not enter other people’s private spaces or areas.  I will respect the laws and judicial system of the land. Protect OthersI will protect others by reporting abuse, bullying and inappropriate actions; I will moderate unacceptable conversations, and I will not tolerate the actions of others that are degrading, pornographic, racist or inappropriate. I will appropriately and safely protest against injustice in its various forms. I will respect and protect others rights to freedom of expression. I will participate in democratic process. Respect my EnvironmentI will through my actions and words show respect to my world. I will respect the laws of property ownership and access. I will request permission to use resources and access property and I will abide by the owners rights to refuse use or access. I will consider the wider impact of my actions and I will be respectful in my use of resources, where possible recycling and reusing. I will respect the right of all organisms to live and treat them with dignity and respect. Protect my Environment I will act with integrity. I will legitimately purchase all property. I will make such purchases on an ethical and moral basis, refraining from exploitation. I will respect and protect the environment through my actions and purchases. I will encourage others to be respectful in their actions. I will safely and appropriately act against actions that are inappropriate or unacceptable. I will be active in protecting my environment and world. It is worth comparing the Digital and Global Citizenships side by side. I don’t have room in a post to do this easily, so here is a draft version.global and digital citizenship Draft 1.01 Please comment and make suggestions. This is only a draft and the final product will be licensed under the creative commons share and share-alike license so I would ask that you don’t use this version rather comment and contribute.

I have been enjoying this summer break and having a little technology downtime. However the kids have been playing quite extensively on the iPads as the weather has not always been conducive to swimming and playing around outside. We have a wide selection of games on the iPad for the "kids" enjoyment and a couple leap to mine as useful tools that could be applied to learning. Why would I want to use games for learning, well they are engaging, self motivating, rewarding and have instant feedback. So here are a couple that I think have potential: Simple Physics. Here you are required to build structures for a specific task. In the image below its a bomb shelter. The task is to build a shelter that withstands three explosion and remain within budget. The lower the cost the more points. To build it you must consider angles and strength, direction and force. Its fun and engaging. But its more than a bomb shelter, you build dams cranes, tree houses, submarines and staircases. URL: http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/simplephysics/id408233979?mt=8 Here is a screengrab Tinkerbox - this is a similar physics game to Simple Physics. Here you use logic, force, motion and mechanics to solve a series of problems. The game is supported by a tutorials (see below) that assist you in developing your solution. They are not easy either, there is considerable challenge involved in this game. URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tinkerbox-hd/id415722219?mt=8 Rush Hour - this is a change of style and genre, but is an excellent learning and thinking game. This is a computer simulation of the real game of the same name. The objective is to move the cars in a sequence to allows you to release the red car from the grid lock it is in. The number of cars and the complexity of the sequence varies from easy to hard. Its a great game for developing logic and process. . URL: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rush-hour/id336542036?mt=8 W.E.L.D.E.R. This stands for Word Examination Laboratory for Dynamic Extraction and Reassessment. Yea its a triffle ostentatious, but behind this mouthful lies a great game for the english student. Simply rearrange the letters and add in a few to create words (they have over 15000 loaded in the dictionary) Spell the word correctly, score the points and the letters are removed. It is a very addictive game. URL: http://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/w.e.l.d.e.r./id471056941?mt=8 Its easy to overlook the potential of games for learning. Find a game that matches your learning objectives, that reinforces a concept, that provides a different mode of understanding and you can unlock a world of engagement and fun. WHAT GAMES HAVE YOU FOUND THAT COULD BE USE IN CLASS? I would love to hear about them.

The UK, like many countries is struggling with how to teach ICT. They have been teaching a skills based program in isolation from the context. They like many people have taught "excel" or "powerpoint" rather than integrating these skills sets into every aspect of teaching and learning. (I know this is a broad and sweeping generalization, but it is supported by the articles attached and this podcast also from the BBC) "Imagine the dramatic change which could be possible in just a few years, once we remove the roadblock of the existing ICT curriculum. "Instead of children bored out of their minds being taught how to use Word or Excel by bored teachers, we could have 11-year-olds able to write simple 2D computer animations," he said." Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16493929 What the royal society is proposing is changing ICT to computer science. teaching programming via robotics and web development from the early years of  school. The implication is that the teaching of basic ICT skills like: File management and standard operating procedures, principles of graphical design, principles of data processing, principles of presentations, Digital citizenship, are all part of the standard curriculum in each and every subject.  I like this, I have not taught a isolated skills session for over a decade, ICT skills MUST be taught in context, if they are to have relevance. Skills will retained if they are relevant. If it is relevant it will be inspirational and motivating. "If we cannot address the problem of how to educate our young people in inspirational and appropriate ways, we risk a future workforce that is totally unskilled and unsuited to tomorrow’s job market," he said. The aspiration, said Prof Furber, was to allow all children with an interest in computing to gain experience of programming and robotics, from basic computer languages in primary schools to web-based systems for those in senior school." Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16515275   Royal society offers ways to overhaul ICT program. Here is another related BBC article - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-16493929 School ICT to be replaced by computer science program. The podcast - http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9675000/9675420.stm - "a nation of digital illiterates"        

Source: BBC website - http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/57818000/jpg/_57818371_cubetoys.jpg Can you imagine how your classroom would be changed if the students could make the models and products they design there and then in the classroom? I am not just talking about a design or technology classroom. Consider the science classroom as the students are constructing models of molecules, protiens or strings of RNA or DNA. Or the art suite where digital sculpture becomes real, the biomechanics class in physical education. The humanities class where designing a game to show understanding of ancient civilizations takes a new dimension of representation. The potential is endless, but I unreachable. Well, that no longer seems to be true. CES 2012, the consumer electronics show has affordable 3D printers. In a BBC news article they have detailed affordable and easy to use 3D printers. Affordable? Under US$2000. This is not affordable as in every classroom has one, but it does make 3D printing something that its within the reach of most schools. And the benefits/learning outcomes are huge. Here are a list of the sites mentioned in the article: Base article 3D printer makers rival visions of the future - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16503443 TinkerCad - Online free 3D modeling tool - http://tinkercad.com/ Thingiverse - sharing digital designs - http://www.thingiverse.com/ Cubify - makers of the Cube - http://cubify.com/cube/index.aspx 3D Systems - makers of personal and professional 3D systems - http://www.3dsystems.com/personal-3d-printers Google Sketchup - 3D modeling software - http://sketchup.google.com/ FabLab Model Maker - paper based model maker - http://www.aspexsoftware.com/download_modelmaker.htm        

I have just updated my Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy quicksheets. These are resources I have created as a quick and easy summary of the six different taxonomic levels of Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy. They define the different taxonomic levels, provide the Digital Taxonomy Verbs with some possibilities for classroom use. Bloom’s quicksheets These are produced under the creative commons Attribution and Share-alike.  

Technology is increasing pervasive in all aspects of teaching and learning, whether it is the kindergarden student using the gesture based systems like the ipad to enhance their learning and to create objects and engage  or the senior student researching, collaborating, communicating and socialising. No matter what the opinion of the teacher as to the its worth, its positive or negative effect or its importance, information and communication technologies are increasingly ubiquitous. The futility of trying to avoid and ignore the potential for learning and teaching is being overcome by grassroots action by the students, example and modeling by the adopters and vision from school leadership. With the huge potential that Information and communication technology has to offer for teaching and learning also comes a matching potential for distraction, illicit and inappropriate activity and poor judgement.  Guidance is often missing in the home environment as the parents lack the depth of knowledge and understanding to provide sound subjective advice, effective monitoring and appropriate modeling. This is not through lack of interest, in most cases, but rather from their limited exposure and experience with this rapidly evolving and changing environment. The graduate of this enabled and connected world should be a Global Digital Citizen. They are respectful and protective of themselves and other people as well as intellectual property. They are pro active and intolerant of abuse, standing up for the rights of freedom of expression and communication, while condemning excesses and bullying. They communicate fluently in different mediums and operate in a world without borders or censors. They understand and celebrate the cultural differences and subtleties that flavour the diverse world they live. It is a world potentially without restrictions except for the moral and ethical values that underpin their immersion, shape their interactions and guide their decisions. The teacher holds a cornerstone role in the development of understanding, the appreciation of culture and diversity and the formation of the moral and ethical basis that, like the cornerstone of a building, provides a strong and stable foundation for life in both the real and virtual world they co-inhabit. The teacher is guide, role model, monitor and often mediator or arbitrator. The mentor. As the teacher stands at the front of the room directing and facilitating learning they model ethical practice. Through their actions or their inactions they shape the moral and ethical framework of their young charges. If they fail to acknowledge information sources, to respect copyright and intellectual property, or act inappropriately in their online interactions, they write on the ethical blackboard of their students that such behaviour is acceptable. The inverse is also patently true. The mentoring teacher who nurtures respect, who through their actions protects themselves and others helps to shape and form appropriately the moral fibre of the emerging adult. The mentoring teacher insists on behaviour that is appropriate. They value tolerance and considered deliberate action exemplifying both in their classroom practice. The monitor It is not enough to just model the behaviour that we wish to develop and expect that the students will adopted it. The time spent in educational institutions are formative, our young people are discovering themselves, challenging authority and pushing boundaries. It is a time of exploration, of risk taking and experimentation. So it is not enough to expect that just by our mentoring we will form the ethical basis of the global digital citizen. There must be a degree of monitoring and supervision and with this recognition of action, accountability for behaviour and consequences that match the crime but also the developmental age of the student. The most salient lessons are not learnt by avoidance but by facing you action, its impact and the consequences. While we as educators understand that exploration and experimentation are inherent in shaping and forming the person, this is not an excuse for actions or behaviours that are inappropriate. There needs to be recognition of action and its impacts, of the wider consequences of the behaviour and its significance. As teachers how we deal with these situations is critical, we can not be blinded by emotion   nor can we be divorced from our relationship with the youth. Rather we must be fair, even handed and understanding, seeking growth and understanding rather than vengeance, fairness and justice rather than prescriptive consequences laid out in a structured pattern of offenses and punishments. The mediator  Underpinning all aspects of global digital citizenship are relationships. As different personalities, cultures, expectations and beliefs collide their will be conflict, this is inevitable. Here the role of the teach is that of the mediator. They provide strategies, resolve conflict, arbitrate disputes but even more critically they model tolerance where appropriate and action when required. They support freedom of expression within the boundaries of the appropriate. The teacher shifts, over time, responsibility for mediation from themselves to their students. Their young people become the moderators of their environment, tolerant of difference but brave enough to stand up and defend their stance, their rights and the rights of others to be be free of persecution and bullying. They apply the mediation techniques and skills ably modeled by their teacher to their day to day interactions be they real or virtual. More than teaching a subject All teachers are teachers of citizenship. In the previous sections there was little mention of technology, because Global Digital Citizenship is applicable to more than the digital medium. Global Digital Citizenship pervades every aspect of education, its core virtues of respect and protect and themes of tolerance, understanding, accountability, responsibility, fairness, justice, action and consequence are critical to all we do as educators. It is therefore vital that all members of the teaching fraternity model, mentor, monitor and mediate espousing the same virtues. While it is perhaps a bold statement to make, if a teacher can not support these ideals through their actions, then perhaps they have chosen the wrong profession to be a member of. Teaching is no longer about the just subject and just imparting knowledge, it is developing the whole person, it is holistic, encompassing and immensely fulfilling. The skillful practitioner. The educator who engages and models global digital citizenship is a skillful practitioner able not only in their curriculum competencies but in the core competencies and virtues they uphold. They are:   tolerant and considerate   risk takers   accountable and responsible   visionary   experienced in a variety of mediums and adopters of technology   adaptive and creative   life long learners accepting the challenges presented to them   passionate, enthusiastic and optimistic   ethical and appropriate The teacher is no longer just the master of their subject. They are much much more. Their classroom is no longer defined by four walls and a blackboard, but stretches far beyond the physical boundaries of their school. We are global teachers, ethicists and moralist, masters of our subject and students of the world.    

On Thursday we Skyped with our friends in B4. It was the last day of the school year in New Zealand and we were so glad that Mrs. McKenzie and her class could squeeze in a Skype call. Mrs. McKenzie and B4 were a part of the Our World, Our Stories project. We also have connections with B4 going back to when we first started blogging. Last year the grade threes even wrote partner Storybirds with B4. Chatting today was like talking to good friends. During our call we had a chance to talk about Our World, Our Stories, sing our traditional songs for each other (and a Christmas carol or two), compare wildlife, and share how we spend Christmas. We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and holiday break! We can’t wait to blog with you again in the new year!