Rescu(e) myths: (e)learning as saviour and adventure on a glacier.

“e learning has the potential to transform the way we learn.  It’s about exploiting technologies and using ICT effectively across the curriculum to connect schools and communities and to support evidence based decision making and practices in schools.

For New Zealand, the development of a prosperous and confident knowledge society means the development of new skills and knowledge.  It will require a culture of continuous enquiry, innovation and improvement, risk taking, and entrepreneurship.  This can only come from the education system. 

This is a radical vision.  If it is to work it will take leadership.  Each of us has a role in achieving this vision for e- learning and its contribution to education.” Hon. Steve Maharey Minister of Education June 2006 Enabling the 21st Century Learner

I agree with Steve, this a radical vision, so radical a revelation that it borders on hallucination - it reminds me of Grandpa’s claims of escaping the secure facility for moments of reckless adventure with one of the dementia center nursing staff on the Franz Joseph glacier.  [I am always thankful that grandpa’s loosely attached dentures mean that the detail of his dementia glacial narrative escapes the ear jacking surveillance of center staff]. 

The “Enabling the 21st Century Learner” quote reminds me of grandpa’s incredulous tales because both claims make me feel the same paradoxical sense of malignant innocence and promiscuous sensuality.  I know intellectually that both qualify as madness and shameless self/ it industry promotion, but I cannot help being enticed into thinking that both sex on a glacier and e learning developing a culture of continuous enquiry, innovation and improvement, risk taking, and entrepreneurship would be uncomfortable but remarkable experiences.

Is why the focus of the Auckland Regional ict_pd cluster Meeting next week is significant. 

Whilst “Professor Buchanan wants to save the internet from just being "a new way of delivering crap". 

"I'm saying let's stop trying to invent linear story - there is experience and there is narrative - let's explore the experience where you can control the outcome (with) no guarantee you'll get there.”

the Auckland Regional ict_pd Cluster Meeting in contrast is interested in guaranteeing the outcome of the e learning change experience. 

Just a reminder that we will be meeting next Tuesday 10am for the Auckland Regional Development Meeting hosted by Kelvin Road School (Flier and map). This meeting is focused on the strategies and issues associated with facilitating adult learning. We will delve deeper into the concept of "change management" and the strategies for "asking the hard questions".

And just how do they intend to guarantee outcomes – by delving (deeper would be a contestable descriptor) into the antics of Sniff and Scurry and Hem and Haw and some non stationary cheese – an allegory teaching us to unquestioningly embrace change – or rather encouraging us to – “never question the motives of change”

I prefer Mark Brown's four waves analysis of claims for change [Teachers using ICT: Myths and Realities 2006 p11] to the non stationary cheese in the maze thing.

Kwok Wing Lai's article unpacks Mark Brown's (Brown, 2004) "myth of change" present in a 30 year ict use in teaching and learning - a 30 year "same old same old" cycle of

Expectations>rhetoric>policies>limited use, followed by Expectations>rhetoric>policies>limited use, followed by Expectations>rhetoric>policies>limited use, followed by Expectations>rhetoric>policies>limited use, followed by …

Brown unpacks four main waves in last three decades

1.    instructional wave (computer as tutor) 1975 to 85
2.    problem solving wave (students teaching the computer) 1980 to 1990
3.    mind tool wave (computer as a tool) 1985 to 95
4.    media wave (connected computers via internet)1995 to present

Brown's analysis means that I can predict that, despite the valorising rhetoric in "Enabling the 21st Century Learner", NZ will not be rescued by e learning before I am happily thinking and engaging in dementia  detained adventures on the glacier.
[Magnet: Next week then?]

Comments

[SC]

The Art of Cool:
http://mtalexandercluster.blogspot.com/

[Artichoke]

Hi SC,
Thanks for the link to the mtalexandercluster blog -

I am suspicious as to how you have detected my chess playing past, but I am emboldened by your linking of two posts that feature temperature themes to make a link between the philosophical thinking in the glacial content in this post and Josh Friedman's blog post about "Snakes on a plane"

In fact, during the two or three days that precedes my phone call with the studio, I become obsessed with the concept. Not as a movie. But as a sort of philosophy. Somnewhere in between "Cest la vie", "Whattya gonna do?" and "Shit happens" falls my new zen koan "Snakes on a Plane".

WIFE: "Honey you stepped in dog poop again. "
ME: "Snakes on a Plane..."
DOCTOR: "Your cholesterol is 290. Perhaps you want to mix in a walk once in a while."
ME: "Snakes on a Plane..."
WIFE: "Honey while you were on your cholesterol walk you stepped in dog poop again."

You get the picture.

[Bill Kerr]

hi arti,

comparing the noble, radical vision of education bureaucrats with sex on a glacier is the funniest comment I have read on educational reform for yonks

LOL, priceless!!! thank god for grandpa's loose dentures!!!

i'm gonna link to this but am so flat out right now ... thnks for the laugh