[Advisory] After #Naace2010- Ofsted
Mike Bostock
mike@new-media-learning.org
Sun, 21 Mar 2010 21:08:20 -0000
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Dear All,
I very much like Leon's suggestions about Ofsted inspection.
Like many, I am concerned that so many members of the teaching profession
have become disenchanted with Ofsted.
A lot has changed since the days when HMI visits were the vehicle for
monitoring the work of schools; the respect that they commanded, and the
great skill that they had of promoting change by asking perceptive
questions.
Some of this decline is to do with changes that have been made in recent
times, but not effectively communicated to schools. Ofsted has admitted
that it has raised its expectations. It has also altered the way that it
uses data. It hasn't really justified this so far beyond a couple of
articles in the press. I think there should be more of a debate on these
issues so that people don't think that the principles of school inspection
are being made up on the hoof.
But, as a fundamental consideration, inspection without any accompanying
development implies that the sole reason for inspection is accountability,
whereas I would argue that the main purpose should be improvement.
I like the suggestion that Ofsted should make their evidence base more
available as a resource for school development.
Ofsted do produce some very good publications. I rate one particularly
highly. It is 'Twelve outstanding secondary schools - Excelling against the
odds'
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by
/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/Twelve-outstanding-secondary-schools-Exc
elling-against-the-odds
There is so much here to set out the characteristics of schools in which you
will find our very best teachers and very best school leaders. Forget what
league tables say.
There is actually a huge need to provide an opportunity for a debate on how
Ofsted compares schools with very differing pupil profiles, say a selective
school in a nice area, with an inner city secondary with a high percentage
of disadvantaged pupils. If the inspection system always favours the former
then something is very wrong. John Dunford said of this that "A good school
serving a challenging area should have the same chance of a high grade as a
good school serving a less difficult area." I believe that this will be the
test of whether Ofsted is doing the job that is needed.
I think that more could be done to help schools understand the process of
evaluation. There are many such resources as the above that could do much to
support some regional or national one day events in this area.
I have tried to get my own thoughts together on issues to do with inspection
and the use of performance data in my first attempt at blogging. So a plug
is here for the interested - they will join the 1000+ visitors who have
already had a look at http://mikebostock.wordpress.com
Regards
Mike Bostock
From: advisory-admin@talk.naace.org [mailto:advisory-admin@talk.naace.org]
On Behalf Of Leon Cych
Sent: 20 March 2010 18:44
To: advisory@talk.naace.org
Subject: Fw: Re: [Advisory] After #Naace2010
Brian,
I would agree with some of these points but not others.
Certainly Ofsted's lack of direction came into high relief in relation to
the Twitter Wall. But somehow I felt it unfair to have a Twitter Wall
running when someone was unaware of the comments going on in the room.
With Ofsted the problem has always been bean counting - they need to shift
up a gear if they are not going to be marginalised in the future. Yes they
still have power to determine the parameters by which to judge a school but
I think they are beginning to woefully lose their way judged by the other
key note contributors to the conference have outlined the way things are
going.
What happens currently is that head teachers are given pages and pages of
questions they have to answer which are then summatively judged against
those frameworks.
What isn't there?
1) Any formative system of assessment that could offere positive management
solutions - having an inspection force who are merely observers is not good
enough - they need to be made to engage as part of a professional assessment
system - not just be number crunchers.
2) No aggregation of meaningful data that would prove useful to schools is
held in any way that could be useful on the Ofsted site. If you are going to
bean count then why not make it more transparent. Have a useful search
function that aggregated subjects, schools, data, outcomes, school meals
(:)) so it can be compared like for like - where's the data back engine to
do this - well overdue I would think or is it merely just to be hidden and
proprietorial so that dictats can be issued once in a while for the media.
There is no commutativity of data and sharing of data - no desire to engage
other than measure by fixed parameters which, as we see, are a retreat into
the dark ages.
Try and search the PDF database and find patterns of inspection - why is
this not made more transparent?
So now we are expected to take the communication out of ICT because "We do
that well" and concentrate on a curriculum inspection that is in retrograde
at the moment as far as I'm concerned.
So we go back to a set of parameters that appear to be a comfort zone and
schools will be judged against them. An immutable tail wagging a
particularly dozy dog. When the dog wakes up as it is doing in the teaching
force or the people observing activity around the teaching force, then
things begin to happen. People start to question the traditional models of
planning, assessment and examination.
I guess it is to be expected Ofsted and QCDA appear to not seem to be aware
of the possibilities of more recent social media or the disjunction between
what is now happening in the home and the school. This gulf will only grow
wider - the school population and parents become increasingly disaffected as
technology will become more ubiquitous and broadband more available.
If you want more girls to do ICT then change the exam - make it more
relevant and interesting - personalise it - make sure people engage not just
have to do these increasingly disaffecting exams - for that surely is what
they are if 50 per cent of the pupils are using walking away. It just isn't
working - saying people aren't engaging should tell you something...
Sometimes unintended consequences cause the education and insight you are
looking for. With programming it was the coming of the early personal
computers and the games written by amateurs at home off the back of that.
Some marvellous programmers emerged from that - al lot of them bypassed
exams and started their own companies...
That whole industry still isn't acknowledged by government in terms of tax
benefits even though they make more than the film industry in this country.
Most of those companies have gone to Canada ... yet another opportunity
lost.
If you want people to do stuff that aids the economy and uses imagination to
do it, then devise something more than just husks of proprietorial fence
jumping for individuals. Bring in collaborative exams where people can
explore and work to their talents - make peer assessment and personal
responsibility ways in which you can assess. Anyone tried thinking of that
one yet? How about a vibrant, imaginative, "fun" curriculum completley
contextualised and relevant to the ways we live our lives now. Guess not -
oh dear - yet another fail...and for the country as a whole as well...never
mind the banks are beginning to be back in profit not that any of them will
pay back in terms of social capital what they ruined as a knock on in terms
of culture and education although they are more than morally bound to do
so...in the meantime we'll be expected to pull in our belts and
intellectually too I would hazard a guess...
The one big topic I took away from the conference is that we need to think
very carefully about assessment and exams - in some cases they are getting
in the way of actually adding to the country's economic well being because
we lack vision in the way we can educate for the 21st century.
The system we have at secondary level is enabling people to teach more and
more efficiently about less and less relevant things when it comes to what
people need in jobs and creative endeavor in some cases. It's not fit for
purpose - people are retreating into 'curricular comfort zones' that are cul
de sacs when it comes to moving this country on.
Sometimes I feel if someone doesn't do something soon we are going to be
mired in confusion and failure to respond to the 21st Century and all its
challenges.
And I'll ask it again as I have done over the years:
Where is the vision and where is the courage to follow that vision when it
comes to Education?
The next few months will see cutbacks and all sorts of justifications for a
retreat into more cost-effective models of "delivery" - Education isn't
ring-fenced and that is a tragedy because it will enable all sorts of
justifications for paucity of vision - if people don't stand up and say
these things - well we have ourselves to blame in the long run...
Leon Cych
--- On Sat, 20/3/10, Brian Smith <brian@briansmithonline.com> wrote:
From: Brian Smith <brian@briansmithonline.com>
Subject: [Advisory] After #Naace2010
To: advisory@talk.naace.org
Date: Saturday, 20 March, 2010, 16:35
Following this year's conference, I'm struggling to find solutions.
Clearly Ofsted is still counting that which can be counted and nit-picking
over whether data-logging is being 'delivered' or not. In the meantime the
world's children are disengaging from education en masse. (If they need
datalogging they can pick it up in an hour - and probably most do when they
buy some technical Lego or a similar toy).
The pressure to break the mould and throw out the Victorian curriculum with
its deliver-and-test regime is building towards bursting point. Too many
bright people are saying it: Ken Robinson, Don Tapscott, David Puttnam;
their numbers are growing and their voices getting louder almost daily.
And finally, Lord Puttnam's film showed that increasing global problems mean
that if we don't create a 21st century curriculum - and quickly - there may
be no need for five A*- Cs because there'll be no world to live in.
See what he showed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRi8_fXz1D8
So what's the solution?
Needless to say I haven't a clue.
But I do find that Web 2.0 technologies open the ability to problem-solve
and debate.
Twitterfall at conference added a dimension and a global audience to our
sessions.
You do realise, don't you, that Chris Smith was participating in Thailand
and many comments were being retweeted to a global network of people by an
educator in Ecuador. That's just two examples.
TeachMeet was real chalk-face practitioners turning their back on Government
and Ofsted and getting together to share innovative ideas - and their
sessions were streamed on Ustream to a global audience.
This global dimension is almost totally lacking in the average classroom. In
its place we have locked-down systems which wouldn't allow my photos from
BETT to be viewed by Pete Rafferty (@raff31) an innovative Year 4 teacher on
Merseyside. No, he didn't have 8-year-olds accessing Twitter - this was his
own account on his own laptop which he was using to receive news from
professional educators attending the BETT Show. Nothing reached his children
without being filtered by him - yet even he, as a teacher, wasn't given this
freedom because Twitpic is blocked.
How can children become the "people we need" when even their teachers can't
show them the benefits technology can bring?
Unlock the Web
My instinct is to unlock the web and let teachers use Web 2.0 with their
classes but that ignores Internet safety issues.
The more I think about it the more I know that it depends on age. But the
starting point should be open access and then lock down only as much as
necessary.
Consider nursery and reception children for example. Open access would be so
wrong for them. Yet a primary teacher who can't put Twitterfall on the
whiteboard is surely damaging the children's prospects.
So how about this.
Consider the roads analogy.
We wouldn't let five year olds roam freely on the roads so we keep them shut
indoors or safe in the garden with the gate shut.
But we also go out onto the roads with them so they learn road safety.
We do it by constantly explaining and demonstrating.
Not incessantly, just every time a road needs to be crossed.
In between we are talking about everything else.
A suggestion:
On the net, then, I think we should direct young children to safe sites for
specific activities and have filters in place so they can't go ANYWHERE
else.
But not a county filter or even a school filter. It needs to be a class
filter because the seven year olds will need a bit more flexibility and the
11 years old a lot more.
AND, the class filter should be only on the children's access points. The
teacher should have unfettered access so if she wants to use Twitter or any
other social networking site - or MSN - or Skype - or Ustream - she can.
Because she won't let the children on that computer and she'll only ever
access these sites as part of a lesson. So she might have Twitterfall on the
big screen for a particular purpose during a particular lesson, perhaps with
a TA monitoring content in the seconds between receipt and display.
Thus the children are safe but they also learn to communicate and
collaborate as the teacher holds their hand.
Just like on the road.
As they grow older the filters come off but only with adequate internet
safety training.
And on that subject, see these two articles::
A school that's praised for less filtered access with good safety training:
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Use-online-tool-nets-school-E-Safety-ma
rk/article-1812042-detail/article.html
Managed rather than locked down:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8505914.stm
So those are my fairly random thoughts so far, two days after conference.
What do you think?
Brian Smith
---------------------------------------
Disclaimers about how this is intended for you and if you aren't you, let me
know.
Oh and by the way, the content *is* my opinion.
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Dear All,<br>
<br>
I very much like Leon’s suggestions about Ofsted inspection.<br>
<br>
Like many, I am concerned that so many members of the teaching =
profession have
become disenchanted with Ofsted.<br>
A lot has changed since the days when HMI visits were the vehicle for =
monitoring
the work of schools; the respect that they commanded, and the great =
skill that
they had of promoting change by asking perceptive questions.<br>
Some of this decline is to do with changes that have been made in recent =
times,
but not effectively communicated to schools. Ofsted has admitted =
that it
has raised its expectations. It has also altered the way that it uses =
data. It hasn’t
really justified this so far beyond a couple of articles in the press. =
I
think there should be more of a debate on these issues so that people =
don’t
think that the principles of school inspection are being made up on the =
hoof.<br>
<br>
But, as a fundamental consideration, inspection without any accompanying
development implies that the sole reason for inspection is =
accountability,
whereas I would argue that the main purpose should be improvement. <br>
<br>
I like the suggestion that Ofsted should make their evidence base more =
available
as a resource for school development. <br>
Ofsted do produce some very good publications. I rate one particularly =
highly.
It is ‘<i>Twelve outstanding secondary schools – Excelling =
against the
odds’ </i><a
href=3D"http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Br=
owse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/Twelve-outstanding-seconda=
ry-schools-Excelling-against-the-odds">http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-ho=
me/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Thematic-rep=
orts/Twelve-outstanding-secondary-schools-Excelling-against-the-odds</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>There is so much here to set out the characteristics of =
schools
in which you will find our very best teachers and very best school =
leaders. Forget
what league tables say.<br>
<br>
There is actually a huge need to provide an opportunity for a debate on =
how
Ofsted compares schools with very differing pupil profiles, say a =
selective
school in a nice area, with an inner city secondary with a high =
percentage of
disadvantaged pupils. If the inspection system always favours the former =
then something
is very wrong. John Dunford said of this that <i>“A good =
school
serving a challenging area should have the same chance of a high grade =
as a
good school serving a less difficult area.” </i> I believe =
that this
will be the test of whether Ofsted is doing the job that is needed.<br>
<br>
I think that more could be done to help schools understand the process =
of
evaluation. There are many such resources as the above that could do =
much to
support some regional or national one day events in this area. <br>
I have tried to get my own thoughts together on issues to do with =
inspection
and the use of performance data in my first attempt at blogging. So a =
plug is
here for the interested – they will join the 1000+ visitors who =
have
already had a look at <a =
href=3D"http://mikebostock.wordpress.com">http://mikebostock.wordpress.co=
m</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'>Regards<br>
<br>
Mike Bostock<br>
<br>
</span><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div style=3D'border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt =
0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b><span lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=3DEN-US =
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> advisory-admin@talk.naace.org
[mailto:advisory-admin@talk.naace.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Leon Cych<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 20 March 2010 18:44<br>
<b>To:</b> advisory@talk.naace.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Fw: Re: [Advisory] After =
#Naace2010<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<table class=3DMsoNormalTable border=3D0 cellspacing=3D0 =
cellpadding=3D0>
<tr>
<td valign=3Dtop style=3D'padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><br>
Brian,<br>
<br>
I would agree with some of these points but not others.<br>
<br>
Certainly Ofsted's lack of direction came into high relief in relation =
to the
Twitter Wall. But somehow I felt it unfair to have a Twitter Wall =
running
when someone was unaware of the comments going on in the room. <br>
<br>
With Ofsted the problem has always been bean counting - they need to =
shift up
a gear if they are not going to be marginalised in the future. Yes =
they still
have power to determine the parameters by which to judge a school but =
I think
they are beginning to woefully lose their way judged by the other key =
note
contributors to the conference have outlined the way things are =
going.<br>
<br>
What happens currently is that head teachers are given pages and pages =
of
questions they have to answer which are then summatively judged =
against those
frameworks.<br>
<br>
What isn't there?<br>
<br>
1) Any formative system of assessment that could offere positive =
management
solutions - having an inspection force who are merely observers is not =
good
enough - they need to be made to engage as part of a professional =
assessment
system - not just be number crunchers.<br>
<br>
2) No aggregation of meaningful data that would prove useful to =
schools is
held in any way that could be useful on the Ofsted site. If you are =
going to
bean count then why not make it more transparent. Have a useful search
function that aggregated subjects, schools, data, outcomes, school =
meals (:))
so it can be compared like for like - where's the data back engine to =
do this
- well overdue I would think or is it merely just to be hidden and
proprietorial so that dictats can be issued once in a while for the =
media.
There is no commutativity of data and sharing of data - no desire to =
engage
other than measure by fixed parameters which, as we see, are a retreat =
into
the dark ages.<br>
<br>
Try and search the PDF database and find patterns of inspection - why =
is this
not made more transparent?<br>
<br>
So now we are expected to take the communication out of ICT because =
"We
do that well" and concentrate on a curriculum inspection that is =
in
retrograde at the moment as far as I'm concerned.<br>
<br>
So we go back to a set of parameters that appear to be a comfort zone =
and
schools will be judged against them. An immutable tail wagging a =
particularly
dozy dog. When the dog wakes up as it is doing in the teaching force =
or the
people observing activity around the teaching force, then things begin =
to
happen. People start to question the traditional models of planning,
assessment and examination.<br>
<br>
I guess it is to be expected Ofsted and QCDA appear to not seem to be =
aware
of the possibilities of more recent social media or the disjunction =
between
what is now happening in the home and the school. This gulf will only =
grow
wider - the school population and parents become increasingly =
disaffected as
technology will become more ubiquitous and broadband more =
available.<br>
<br>
If you want more girls to do ICT then change the exam - make it more =
relevant
and interesting - personalise it - make sure people engage not just =
have to
do these increasingly disaffecting exams - for that surely is what =
they are
if 50 per cent of the pupils are using walking away. It just isn't =
working -
saying people aren't engaging should tell you something...<br>
<br>
Sometimes unintended consequences cause the education and insight you =
are
looking for. With programming it was the coming of the early personal
computers and the games written by amateurs at home off the back of =
that.
Some marvellous programmers emerged from that - al lot of them =
bypassed exams
and started their own companies...<br>
<br>
That whole industry still isn't acknowledged by government in terms of =
tax
benefits even though they make more than the film industry in this =
country.
Most of those companies have gone to Canada ... yet another =
opportunity lost.<br>
<br>
If you want people to do stuff that aids the economy and uses =
imagination to
do it, then devise something more than just husks of proprietorial =
fence
jumping for individuals. Bring in collaborative exams where people can
explore and work to their talents - make peer assessment and personal
responsibility ways in which you can assess. Anyone tried thinking of =
that
one yet? How about a vibrant, imaginative, "fun" curriculum
completley contextualised and relevant to the ways we live our lives =
now.
Guess not - oh dear - yet another fail...and for the country as a =
whole as
well...never mind the banks are beginning to be back in profit not =
that any
of them will pay back in terms of social capital what they ruined as a =
knock
on in terms of culture and education although they are more than =
morally
bound to do so...in the meantime we'll be expected to pull in our =
belts and
intellectually too I would hazard a guess...<br>
<br>
The one big topic I took away from the conference is that we need to =
think
very carefully about assessment and exams - in some cases they are =
getting in
the way of actually adding to the country's economic well being =
because we
lack vision in the way we can educate for the 21st century.<br>
<br>
The system we have at secondary level is enabling people to teach more =
and
more efficiently about less and less relevant things when it comes to =
what
people need in jobs and creative endeavor in some cases. It's not fit =
for
purpose - people are retreating into 'curricular comfort zones' that =
are cul
de sacs when it comes to moving this country on.<br>
<br>
Sometimes I feel if someone doesn't do something soon we are going to =
be
mired in confusion and failure to respond to the 21st Century and all =
its
challenges.<br>
<br>
And I'll ask it again as I have done over the years:<br>
<br>
Where is the vision and where is the courage to follow that vision =
when it
comes to Education?<br>
<br>
The next few months will see cutbacks and all sorts of justifications =
for a
retreat into more cost-effective models of "delivery" - =
Education
isn't ring-fenced and that is a tragedy because it will enable all =
sorts of
justifications for paucity of vision - if people don't stand up and =
say these
things - well we have ourselves to blame in the long run...<br>
<br>
Leon Cych<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<div id=3Dyiv2010869370>
<table class=3DMsoNormalTable border=3D0 cellspacing=3D0 =
cellpadding=3D0>
<tr>
<td valign=3Dtop style=3D'padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><br>
--- On <b>Sat, 20/3/10, Brian Smith =
<i><brian@briansmithonline.com></i></b>
wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-bottom:12.0pt'><br>
From: Brian Smith <brian@briansmithonline.com><br>
Subject: [Advisory] After #Naace2010<br>
To: advisory@talk.naace.org<br>
Date: Saturday, 20 March, 2010, 16:35<o:p></o:p></p>
<div id=3Dyiv693581447>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Following this year's conference, I'm =
struggling to find
solutions.<o:p></o:p></p>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Clearly Ofsted is still counting that which can =
be
counted and nit-picking over whether data-logging is being =
'delivered' or
not. In the meantime the world's children are disengaging from =
education en
masse. (If they need datalogging they can pick it up in an hour - =
and
probably most do when they buy some technical Lego or a similar =
toy).<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>The pressure to break the mould and throw out =
the
Victorian curriculum with its deliver-and-test regime is building =
towards
bursting point. Too many bright people are saying it: Ken Robinson, =
Don
Tapscott, David Puttnam; their numbers are growing and their voices =
getting
louder almost daily. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>And finally, Lord Puttnam's film showed that =
increasing
global problems mean that if we don't create a 21st century =
curriculum -
and quickly - there may be no need for five A*- Cs because there'll =
be no
world to live in.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>See what he showed at: <a
href=3D"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DVRi8_fXz1D8" =
target=3D"_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DVRi8_fXz1D8</a><o:p></=
o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b>So what's the solution?</b><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Needless to say I haven't a =
clue.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>But I do find that Web 2.0 technologies open =
the ability
to problem-solve and debate.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Twitterfall at conference added a dimension and =
a global
audience to our sessions.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>You do realise, don't you, that Chris Smith was
participating in Thailand and many comments were being retweeted to =
a
global network of people by an educator in Ecuador. That's just two
examples.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>TeachMeet was real chalk-face practitioners =
turning
their back on Government and Ofsted and getting together to share
innovative ideas - and their sessions were streamed on Ustream to a =
global
audience.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>This global dimension is almost totally lacking =
in the
average classroom. In its place we have locked-down systems which =
wouldn't
allow my photos from BETT to be viewed by Pete Rafferty (@raff31) an
innovative Year 4 teacher on Merseyside. No, he didn't have =
8-year-olds
accessing Twitter - this was his own account on his own laptop which =
he was
using to receive news from professional educators attending the BETT =
Show.
Nothing reached his children without being filtered by him - yet =
even he,
as a teacher, wasn't given this freedom because Twitpic is =
blocked.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>How can children become the "people we =
need"
when even their teachers can't show them the benefits technology can =
bring?<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><b>Unlock the Web</b><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>My instinct is to unlock the web and let =
teachers use
Web 2.0 with their classes but that ignores Internet safety =
issues.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>The more I think about it the more I know that =
it
depends on age. But the starting point should be open access =
and then
lock down only as much as necessary.<br>
<br>
Consider nursery and reception children for example. Open =
access would
be so wrong for them. Yet a primary teacher who can't put =
Twitterfall
on the whiteboard is surely damaging the children's =
prospects.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>So how about this. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Consider the roads analogy. <br>
We wouldn't let five year olds roam freely on the roads so we keep =
them
shut indoors or safe in the garden with the gate shut. <br>
But we also go out onto the roads with them so they learn road
safety. <br>
We do it by constantly explaining and =
demonstrating. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Not incessantly, just every time a road needs =
to be
crossed. <o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>In between we are talking about everything =
else.<br>
<br>
<b>A suggestion:</b><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>On the net, then, I think we should direct =
young
children to safe sites for specific activities and have filters in =
place so
they can't go ANYWHERE else.<br>
<br>
But not a county filter or even a school filter. It needs to be a =
class
filter because the seven year olds will need a bit more flexibility =
and the
11 years old a lot more.<br>
<br>
AND, the class filter should be only on the children's access =
points. The
teacher should have unfettered access so if she wants to use Twitter =
or any
other social networking site - or MSN - or Skype - or Ustream - she =
can.
Because she won't let the children on that computer and she'll only =
ever
access these sites as part of a lesson. So she might have =
Twitterfall on
the big screen for a particular purpose during a particular lesson, =
perhaps
with a TA monitoring content in the seconds between receipt and =
display.<br>
<br>
Thus the children are safe but they also learn to communicate and
collaborate as the teacher holds their hand.<br>
Just like on the road.<br>
<br>
As they grow older the filters come off but only with adequate =
internet
safety training.<br>
<br>
And on that subject, see these two articles::<br>
<br>
A school that's praised for less filtered access with good safety =
training:<br>
<a
=
href=3D"http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Use-online-tool-nets-school-=
E-Safety-mark/article-1812042-detail/article.html"
=
target=3D"_blank">http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/Use-online-tool-ne=
ts-school-E-Safety-mark/article-1812042-detail/article.html</a><br>
<br>
Managed rather than locked down:<br>
<a href=3D"http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8505914.stm" =
target=3D"_blank">http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8505914.stm</a><o:=
p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>So those are my fairly random thoughts so far, =
two days
after conference.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>What do you think?<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Brian Smith<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p =
class=3DMsoNormal>---------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Disclaimers about how this is intended for you =
and if
you aren't you, let me know.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=3DMsoNormal>Oh and by the way, the content *is* my =
opinion.<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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