Theme+3+Table+4+(Red)

=Theme 3 Table 4 (Red) = Implications of continuously emerging technologies for professional learning and educators

Facilitator: Andrew Williams Provocateur: **Caryl Oliver** Topic: Two dates in Education and the future role of teachers.

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Caryl's follow up question: Technology is no longer an option, so how do we create an environment where teachers are comfortable to embrace technology as it emerges?

Students now do not know a world without the internet. Many teachers are not so comfortable.


 * Comments from the Table to be added below**

Skills

Models of professional learning

Self directed

System directed

Other

Motivation for teachers to change is their students. Teachers also need to discover the potential of technology for themselves before they can enthuse their students. Caryl suspects that teachers are terrified of technology.

Literacy required to function in the (knowedge) economy has changed from that required for participation in the industrial economy. ICT skills are part of the new literacy required.

It is strange that teachers do not grasp the importance of technology when their own children are going through education.

For some reason teachers do not see the need to keep up with ICT skills, as opposed to the need to keep up with other teaching-related skills.

Teachers are told their job is to get their students into university. This does not give the motivation to innovate. The tail of assessment wags the dog of education. In addition, testing is in a format that does not support innovation.

"Jigsaw puzzle" model of curriculum. Order of completion does not matter, as long as students "complete the puzzle." Only technology can facilitate this.

What is the nature of "professionalism?" Is it only compliance? This stifles innovative teachers. For example, AQTF makes teachers very good at documentation. Many people have "pieces of paper" (qualifications), but this does not necessarily make them teachers.

Teachers need time and leadership support to make technology happpen in teaching and learning. The equipment is there. Time is required to develop the human infrastructure. But time is given at the expense of other teacher tasks.

The message to teachers is diluted. We have done it a disservice by talking about e-learning. The business of teaching is learning. Teachers need a clear vision and goal of the educational outcomes their students need. Learning is the key, not technology.

New teachers emerging from university have variable skills with IT. New teachers often don't get much IT at all. This comes back to the quality of the teacher education workforce.

Teachers feel the need to be in control of everything they produce. Mastery - some teachers are uncomfortable with the thought that they might learn from/with students. Teachers, as skilled professionals, should be able to facilitate learning even if they are not subject experts. This can have excellent results for students and teachers.

Technology can provide acccess to expertise world wide and bring it into the classroom.

70:20:10 model. 70% comes from trial and error, experience. 20% comes from interaction with others. Only 10% comes from formal workshops. Yet we place so much emphasis on formal learning because it provides boxes that can be ticked.