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Ewan's Seminar @ SLF 2008

Ewan McIntosh

Channel 4

21st Century Professional Networking: 10.30 at SECC


Blogged as it happened by "the geek at the back who's the only one with a laptop open..." ;)

Any errors in the semantics of what Ewan said are entirely mine...

Referred to Richard Teese Keynote from yesterday: "If you're a teacher you need a personal and professional network."
Proving that it works is an issue: no data which actually supports the idea that it's "worth it"
If used, it changes practice for the better. The users "know" that it does.

Not too many tools mentioned.
3 tools included, and "6 weeks deadline" to do it or you'll never do it...
Trying to satisfy students with the same materials that had been used in the 1980's - need to move the curriculum / pedagogy on...
"Don't tell the dinosaurs the meteors are coming "

BECTa research on use of social media (interviewed hundreds of learners)
Co-ordinating activity (and firming up plans)
News Map: Worldmapper.... 90% of AV output from LA based media

School closure campaigns: Facebook

Networking
Showed connections relating to the media and the classroom....
Media literacy: can't edit the Internet: once up it stays up....
Teachers as gatekeepers can be negative: look at technology or new pedagogy
Writing a small aspect of the way that people communicate.
Gatekeepers can also OPEN the gate as well as CLOSE it.
Digital immigrants / natives nonsense - children didn't grow up with the internet as it exists now
Everyone STILL has to learn.
Number 1 factor is the teacher.
The quality of an education system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers.
S. Korea / USA - recruitment of graduates into the teaching profession: action research - teachers need to be involved in their profession and pedagogy.

The only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction.

Delivering for every child
Concern about the middle band: "only got 3 colours of paper..."

1. Ordinary tools, extraordinary effects
Tanya Byron mentioned that the technology itself is not transformative
Clay Shirky: technologically boring tools create change...
E-mail...
Filtering: also mentioned at Teachmeet: breaking up words, spelling errors...
"Small passionate communities" - online communities of practice
GLOW: small 'villages'

Digital media
Tagging: the new 'filing'... Media literacy: not safety

Small passionate groups creating themselves...
Geography: different new geographies...

For more, check out the SLIDECAST on SLIDESHARE...

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