FutureMakers Update
August 2020 |
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Tēnā koutou kātoaHere in New Zealand the return to partial lockdown has been a reminder that we cannot become complacent about the future. As schools in Auckland were closed for a further period, the importance of having established robust systems that address the needs of learners and teachers regardless of location has become a focus yet again. |
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The urge to 'return to normal' is strong, but the reality is that the future simply won't be 'normal' as we've known it. In this month's FutureMakers update you'll find a number of thoughts and resources that may be useful as you contemplate the changes required to build a resilient, future focused education system. |
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Lessons from LockdownIt seems this is the phrase on everyone's lips at the moment - and for good reason. The events of the past few months are likely to be remembered in the future as a time where we experienced a paradigm shift in education - and in our wider society. Issues such as equity, wellness and care of the environment have become the focus of many conversations and appear to be being taken much more seriously than they perhaps have done in the past. In the past few weeks I've had the privilege of being asked to speak in a number of forums, both nationally and internationally, about what the impact on education has been and could be into the future. There are so many things that I believe we must be taking notice of and responding to - my key message is that we simply cannot let this opportunity pass by and condemn our young people to a continuation of the aspects of our current system that are 'broken' and no longer 'fit for purpose'. This starts with deeply exploring the nature of the actions taken during the emergency remote learning response, understanding both the good and the bad, and from this imagining what a new future of learning might look like, and what the role of schools, parent/whānau, community and government will be in all of this. |
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I've summarised some of what I believe are key lessons in a recent blog post which contains at the end of it a list of links and references to reports and research that has already emerged - both national and international. I strongly urge educators (and others) to engage with this material and look for the trends and indicators that could form the basis of the change we're seeking to make. | | |
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As mentioned above, equity has emerged as one of the key themes of the COVID experience, and related to that are issues of racism, religious intolerance, social justice and inclusion. As the populations in our cities and countries becomes increasingly diverse the need to develop inter-cultural understandings, empathy and tolerance of others becomes an essential characteristic of those growing up in the 21st Century. DIVERSEcities is a film that was shot between Australia and China, and advocates global citizenship, celebrates diversity, explores intercultural understandings and looks at the steps young people are taking to build a better world. It's well worth the view (21 minutes) as it provides some essential thinking for any aspiring 'FutureMakers'. |
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Culture Day at Epsom Normal School |
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Continuing with diversity, this month I had the privilege of attending and speaking at the Culture Day at Epsom Normal School. Located in the heart of Auckland city, ENS has a significantly diverse student population, with over 60 ethnicities and languages represented. |
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Their annual Culture Day provides an opportunity to celebrate these different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds, turning the school into a place where students, teachers, parents and community mix for a day, in a festive mix of traditional clothing, food and music - demonstrating that in this school it is considered a strength and a valued part of the experience that each learner brings to her or his learning. The presence of so many parents/whānau and community leaders from some of the cultural groups demonstrated to me that this was far more than a 'token' acknowledgement, but an investment in the future of the students at this school, helping them remain proud of and comfortable with their own language, culture and identity in an increasingly diverse society. Well done ENS! |
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AsiaNZ resources If you're keen to find resources to support your own teaching about culture and diversity, check out the amazing resources available on the AsiaNZ website! | | |
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"Nostalgia" blog series...The anniversary of the birthday of my friend and colleague, Vince Ham, prompted a series of three blog posts this month, reflecting on some valuable research undertaken nearly 20 years ago, but still relevant today. With Digital Fluency announced as one of the PLD priorities, it is timely to review just what we have learned from this research and perhaps reflect on why, after 20 years, many educators are approaching the integration of digital technologies into what they do as 'something new'? |
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Where's the evidence?
This post provides background to the intensive, three-year research project across 23 clusters of NZ schools, and summarises the key findings. | | |
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What does ICT integration look like? This post introduces the 'liquorice strap' as a framework for evaluating the maturity of ICT use in classrooms. | | |
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The ICT Island of Experience
This post reflects on the development of a metaphor to help schools understand their development as a system in terms of the use of ICTs to support learning. | | |
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Here are some of the things I'll be involved with in the next couple of months - you may wish to join me for the ones with a link! |
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That's it for this month - thanks for subscribing to my site - I encourage you to pass the link to others in your network who you think may find it useful. Working online with your staff I have worked in the field of distance education for more than 25 years, and can provide a range of services to your school and staff online. If this is something that interests you please feel free to contact me at derek@futuremakers.nz. |
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