With the Digital Education Revolution and the Laptops for Learning program putting laptops into the hands of every NSW public school Year 9 student next term, we ‘techies’ are finding ourselves very popular indeed.
There’s just not going to be enough support – tech support or curriculum/pedagogy support – for everyone to get it right straight away. The laptop program can work in spite of this…in fact, it may even work better because of this.
The L4L program seems to many in schools to be a radical and dramatic project. So radical and dramatic, in fact, that teachers seem to be happier than usual to admit they don’t know everything, and actually ask their colleagues for advice and help 🙂 Teachers in my faculty have started acting far more like a ‘community of learners’, rather than an ‘office of colleagues’ – people are motivating each other, praising each others achievements, and mentoring as much as they can. Power relations are being disrupted as principals and head teachers are being mentored by classroom teachers; parents are having to concede that teachers have a level of knowledge and professionalism that deserves more respect than is usually see; students are realising that access to ‘technology’ means higher expectations, not more ‘bludge’ lessons. Many are happy with this, and are rising to the challenge.
It is a Revolution indeed…one where it’s hip to be square!
Kelli McGraw 
#1 by Tony Searl on September 30, 2009 - 7:32 pm
Well said Kelli
I like your point about distributed expertise via new channels. So true that “experts” or even mentors will be found in the most unusual nooks. Cede control, ask for help, maybe even sound or look a tad helpless and this whole DER thing takes on a different perspective based on learning NOT teaching.
I’ve said elsewhere as long as people are moving, or even willing to move, then the DER will be successful.
Our initial focus of higher expectations and accountability for ALL learners has ruffled some, mainly of the traditional expert class, not the novice class.