Promoting change in schools

In yesterday's blogpost I discussed the problems of change management in schools and suggested that the biggest barrier to the successful adoption of new technologies lies in the minds of teachers. The attitudes of  teachers toward new technologies for example, are shaped by their perceptions of the usefulness of these technologies in day to day practice. In 2005 I edited a book entitled 'Transforming Primary ICT' (Wheeler, 2005) in which I authored a chapter on change management. Here is an extract, much of which, I believe, still holds true today:

The arrival of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the primary classroom has produced some astounding outcomes. For many, teaching and learning has been transformed, with new methods and practices often emerging as a direct result of the use of computers. The internet has unleashed countless new resources and caused teachers to rethink what teaching and learning are all about. Electronic records and databases enable the classroom practitioner to access a wealth of useful information that was previously out of reach. Tedious and mundane jobs can be automated, liberating teachers to concentrate on the more creative aspects of their professional practice. ICT is quite simply transforming primary education, and it is doing so at many levels.

Teachers have met the rapid uptake of computers in schools with both positive and negative responses. From a positive perspective, ICT brings a number of clear advantages for the teacher and the learner, which encompass new resources, new ways of teaching and new ways of learning. The internet, for example, can provide children with access to a vast repository of information, learning resources and experiences. The use of interactive whiteboards can enhance lessons by providing teachers with a range of new delivery methods and teaching resources. Use of e-mail can cut down response time from days to minutes, with teachers connecting to each other, school governors, Local Education Authorities, suppliers, specialist teachers and advisors, and of course, pupils and their parents. In short, the introduction of ICT has the potential to radically alter the face of teaching and learning in schools.

Less positively, ICT has been instrumental in alienating many teaching staff, causing them to question their role as educators, and engendering a great seal of disquiet and anxiety for the future. With any change comes uncertainty and, in the case of the computer, this change has been all pervasive. It is no wonder that some teachers feel threatened by technology. (pp 7-8).

Seven years on from writing this piece, I am seeing schools adopting technologies and embedding them within the curriculum. Things are improving, but there are still many schools who lag behind, either due to lack of vision or leadership, lack of resources, or a fear of the implications of technology. The latter may be one of the most trenchant barriers to the adoption of new technology in schools. In my next post, I plan to explore 'technophobia' and how it impacts of the adoption of new technologies in education.

References
Wheeler, S. (Ed.) Transforming Primary ICT. Exeter: Learning Matters.

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Promoting change in schools by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Based on a work at steve-wheeler.blogspot.com.

Excuses, excuses...

A blog post from Chris Betcher (@betchaboy on Twitter) is currently doing the rounds. Entitled You don't have to like it, the post is a no-holds barred indictment of teachers who find ways to avoid the use of new technologies in the classroom. Here's an excerpt from Chris's post:

I just cannot accept excuses about technology being optional, whether it's from someone who is new to teaching or others who are close to retirement. There are children in those classrooms every day who deserve the best education we can offer them, and it is completely unfair if that education is less than it should be because someone wants to pick and choose which aspects of their job they feel are important. No child should have to put up with out of date learning experience just because their close-to-retirement teacher is "taxiing to the hangar".

One of the most important things Chris says in his post is that technology is not a new thing. I would add to this that opposition to new technology in the classroom is also not a new thing. I gave a keynote presentation in Christchurch last year in which I showed quotations from those who had opposed the introduction of slates, the pencil, the ink pen and a whole host of other 'new technologies'. In each case, the arguments were superficially about the perceived adverse effects of the technology - 'the kids won't be able to write properly', 'what if they break the slate - it's expensive to replace', and 'The costs of these new writing implements could have been spent more wisely elsewhere.' Sound familiar? The same excuses and opposition is still being trotted out today by those who are opposed to the use of mobile phones in classrooms. 'Txting is dumbing down literacy', or 'the expense of buying and upgrading computers cannot be justified.'

I'm with Chris on this one. Teachers who avoid the use of technology in classrooms because they feel uncomfortable or out of their depth should probably reconsider their careers. It's not about comfort zones - it's about children's education. No excuses. If we deprive children of the best possible conditions for learning, we betray their future.

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Excuses, excuses... by Steve Wheeler is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Interactive Learning Environments

The current special issue of the journal Interactive Learning Environments focuses on 'Social Networks Research', and here's a heads up for the next issue, due out in December, which has just gone to press. For those interested in Web 2.0 tools and technologies for learning, there will be a feast of articles in the special issue entitled 'Web 2.0 for Interactive e-Learning', which has been edited by Yueh-Min Huang, Stephen J.H. Yang and Chin-Chung Tsai. The table of contents is below, giving you a glimpse of what you can expect:

Culture, learning styles, and Web 2.0 by Bolanle A. Olaniran

The Social Semantic Web in Intelligent Learning Environments: state of the art and future challenges by Jelena Jovanovic, Dragan Gasevic, Carlo Torniai, Scott Bateman and Marek Hatala

An innovative approach for promoting information exchanges and sharing in a Web 2.0-based learning environment by Hui-Chun Chu, Gwo-Jen Hwang, Chin-Chung Tsai and Nian-Shing Chen

Using blogs as a professional development tool for teachers: analysis of interaction behavioral patterns by Huei-Tse Hou, Kuo-En Chang and Yao-Ting Sung

Self-arrangement of fleeting student pairs: a Web 2.0 approach for peer tutoring by Wim Westera, Gijs deBakker and Leo Wagemans

Finding trustworthy experts to help problem solving on the programming learning forum by Shian-Shyong Tseng and Jui-Feng Weng

Collaborative learning utilizing a domain-based shared data repository to enhance learning outcomes by David Lubliner, George Widmeyer and Fadi P. Deek

Location matters: leveraging knowledge building with mobile devices and Web 2.0 technology by Hyo-Jeong So, Peter Seow and Chee Kit Looi

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Finger Trouble

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. It's been 10 days since my last blog....

Been so busy it makes my head spin to think about it, but hey... here's something to amuse you. I saw this today and it made me laugh. It's so old it's got hairs all over it, so apologies if you have seen this before, but this goes under the heading of 'finger trouble' I believe.

Actual dialogue of a former WordPerfect Customer Support employee (now we know why they record these conversations!)
"Ridge Hall computer assistance; may I help you?"
"Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect."
"What sort of trouble?"
"Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away."
"Went away?"
"They disappeared."
"Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type."
"Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?"
"How do I tell?"
"Can you see the C: prompt on the screen?"
"What's a sea-prompt?"
"Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?"
"There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type."
"Does your monitor have a power indicator?"
"What's a monitor?"
"It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?"
"I don't know."
"Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?"
"Yes, I think so."
"Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall."
"Yes, it is."
"When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?"
"No."
"Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable."
"Okay, here it is."
"Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer."
"I can't reach."
"Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?"
"No."
"Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?"
"Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle - it's because it's dark."
"Dark?"
"Yes -the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window."
"Well, turn on the office light then."
"I can't."
"No? Why not?"
"Because there's a power failure."
"A power... A power failure? Aha, Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computercame in?"
"Well, yes, I keep them in the closet."
"Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from."
"Really? Is it that bad?"
"Yes, I'm afraid it is."
"Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?"
"Tell them you're too @#&!@! stupid to own a computer."

Are there still people around like that I wonder?

IFIP therefore I am

I've been roped in as co-editor of the proceedings for the Joint Open and Working IFIP Conference: ICT and Learning for Youths (LYICT 2008), which will be in Kuala Lumpur, hosted by the Open University of Malaysia, in July 2008. I'm really looking forward to the event, as firstly I have never been east of Ankara before, secondly, it looks like a jolly decent conference, and thirdly, I get a chance to meet up with a lot of old friends I haven't seen for yonks. Elizabeth Stacey (Deakin University, Australia) will be co-chairing the International Programme Committee, and also co-editing with me will be Doug Brown, whom I have met at previous IFIP conferences such as the TC3 World Computers in Education Conference held in Copenhagen in 2001.

Elizabeth and I have worked together on IFIP's Working Group 3.6 (distance education) since 1999. TC 3 Education is quite an influential group, so it's great to be working with them. Check out the conference website on the link above, and think about submitting a paper! Hope to see you there.