Well, this is before the keynote and the main conference hall is certainly impressive and thankfully I cam prepared for the wonders of climate control. It’s a fridge inside and a sauna outside – so I think I’ll be in pants and shoes during the day at least. I’m also looking around and it’s really like an Apple orchard out there…
They keynote by Michelle Selinger was quote powerful as it didn’t talk about our own back yards, lamenting the funding policies in the US or other North Atlantic states, but talking about the developing world and how connecting them in some manner gives them a voice and power (very “Flat World” like). “Curriculum of the Dead” is still there that isn’t relevant and assessment that isn’t getting us anywhere. This certainly speaks well to game based learning as multi-modal instruction and possible assessment. They are in the 50 year inertia bind that disconnects the “homo zappians” from the teachers and admin. The people making the calls on schools have no idea how the kids actually work. They are truly digital natives, but schools treat them much the same as the old colonial residential schools treated their “charges” – hoping to civilize the people of the new century with the grace of king/queen and country.
She noted that kids are starting to think that email and even Web2.0 collaboration tools are too slow, they want it right now, two seconds ago – so they turn to SMS and chat to learn through peers. She also commented that up front teaching/PD is not as useful as continual support (ala Larry Cuban).
She also talked about lab vs laptops and how labs just DON’T WORK. The time is limited for the students and teachers in a removed context. This is why/how our labs completely rock the casbah!
A hanging idea that just caught me… Knowledge can no longer be transmitted – there is too much out there and now it must be assimilated. (unedited)
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