Inventing the future – Phil Neal’s Education Mouthpiece from Capita

[russdev]

This came through the wires couple of days ago and Phill has agreed I can post it up. As think quite a useful article to start some discussion over.

 

Russ

 

 

 

As we come to the end of another year I find myself naturally thinking back over the past 12 months, and also considering what the future holds. For education, the next two or three years are ones filled with dramatic change and development. As we consider Building Schools for the Future and the technological advances that promise to revolutionise teaching and learning, it is natural to consider how our schools will change.

 

 

 

Inventing the future

 

I recently took part in a conference, where the focus was on 2020. Christine Gilbert’s 2020 Vision has set out a far reaching and expansive view of how our pupils will learn and how our schools will look over the next few years.

 

 

 

But how do we get from here to there?

 

 

 

Predicting the exact future is impossible, especially when it comes to IT. A wise man once said: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” And he might just have a point. As technology advances we need not to rely on what we can already do, but what our technology could do in the future.

 

 

 

Technological advancement

 

We need to harness the ability of technology to help achieve numerous government targets, including those for personalised learning, online reporting, e-procurement, extended schools and the 14-19 agenda.

 

 

 

So what can we expect?

 

 

 

Personalised learning

 

For personalised learning it will become imperative that both the management information system (MIS) and the virtual learning environment (VLE) will work in tandem to drive and deliver learning. Data from the MIS about a pupil’s past achievements could be used to deliver learning materials automatically via the VLE which would address gaps in the pupil’s knowledge. And as technology evolves it is likely the VLE and MIS will become a single system.

 

 

 

Online communication

 

Online communicating with parents is something that will also become an online phenomenon, sooner rather than later. Not just in terms of reporting but for garnering views of parents on important topics, where previously the long working hours of some would have prevented them from having their say at PTA meetings.

 

 

 

Handhelds with touch screens

 

Handheld technology will become the norm, following the Apple iPod Touch and iPhone model, and teachers will want to access information about their learners from this technology as much as their pupils will want to use the devices for accessing learning materials.

 

 

 

Collaboration

 

Collaboration between schools and the local community is another key area for the future, as schools liaise to deliver the 14-19 diplomas and secondaries link up with feeder primaries to ensure consistency throughout their pupils’ education. Sharing data on students between schools will need to become ubiquitous for this to work effectively.

 

 

 

It’s exciting times ahead, and the scope for education is vast. Now is the time to really look to the future and harness the power that technology has to invent exciting and inspiring possibilities for our schools.

 

 

 

Phil Neal

 

Phil Neal is Managing Director of SIMS at Capita Children’s Services.

 

[beeswax]

This came through the wires...

 

Russ

 

Give that man an old stogie and a snap brim fedora. That's real grownup newsroom talk Russ.

[leco]

Delivering learning? What happened to discovering?

 

Delivering targets? What happened to exploring the possibilities?

 

Living online lives? What happened to actual experience?

 

If the future is what we invent how will our young people know what to invent? Will they have independent thought, imagination, co-operation, collaboration? Will they have a capacity or disposition to learn if all of life is delivered directly to them, via whatever electronic means the grown-ups deem to be applicable/appropriate?

 

Since the future cannot be known, it has always been invented. The question is, in the long run, how many people "invent" the same thing? Another question then arises, just because many people do invent the same thing does that mean it is so?

[russdev]

Give that man an old stogie and a snap brim fedora. That's real grownup newsroom talk Russ.

 

lol

 

Serves me right for hanging around with all these press people...

 

 

Russ

[contink]

Delivering learning? What happened to discovering?

 

Delivering targets? What happened to exploring the possibilities?

 

Living online lives? What happened to actual experience?

 

If the future is what we invent how will our young people know what to invent? Will they have independent thought, imagination, co-operation, collaboration? Will they have a capacity or disposition to learn if all of life is delivered directly to them, via whatever electronic means the grown-ups deem to be applicable/appropriate?

 

As someone who loves what I can do with computers but continually hitting the hard realisation that children simply don't have the freedom, opportunity or desire to get out there and "play in the mud" the whole approach now seems to be to replace the real world with virtual ones where it's "safe" I couldn't have put this better.

 

I've realised that when I have children I want to move into the country, have space, a community spirit and give those kids the opportunity to get dirty, hurt themselves, get up, dust themselves off and actually live a life that doesn't require cotton wool except to make a beard for santa on a ruddy Christmas card... Unfortunately I'll probably be sued for neglecting those same children.

 

When did I become a throwback.

[webman]

For personalised learning it will become imperative that both the management information system (MIS) and the virtual learning environment (VLE) will work in tandem to drive and deliver learning. Data from the MIS about a pupil’s past achievements could be used to deliver learning materials automatically via the VLE which would address gaps in the pupil’s knowledge. And as technology evolves it is likely the VLE and MIS will become a single system.

 

This is a bit hypocritical - an area where SIMS is renowned for not allowing easy interoperability with other VLEs and doing its own thing.

 

It's all very well predicting the future and telling us we will all be in a Star Trek-esque school environment in 10 years' time; but for schools who want to do things their own way and push the boundaries today; the restrictions, limitations and licensing in SIMS only serve to hold schools back.

[beeswax]

This is a bit hypocritical - an area where SIMS is renowned for not allowing easy interoperability with other VLEs and doing its own thing.

 

It's all very well predicting the future and telling us we will all be in a Star Trek-esque school environment in 10 years' time; but for schools who want to do things their own way and push the boundaries today; the restrictions, limitations and licensing in SIMS only serve to hold schools back.

 

Good point webman. Unfortunately Capita are a commercial organization, and whatever we may think, do invest a lot of money in Research and Development. Licensing is one way to continue the funding of R & D.

[beeswax]

We need to harness the ability of technology to help achieve numerous government targets, including those for personalised learning, online reporting, e-procurement, extended schools and the 14-19 agenda.

I feel the greatest impediment to these will probably be the teachers, though not for idealogical/political reasons. Take the example of IWB's. That "I" stands for Interactive; how many are simply used as substitutes for white board and marker? The education has to take in the teachers as well; schools have to become places where everybody learns.

By "schools" I mean the the wider community which makes up the school. Teachers, pupils, parents, governors, TA's and so on.

Edited December 24, 2008 by beeswax
30 watt light bulb finally came on.

[webman]

Good point webman. Unfortunately Capita are a commercial organization, and whatever we may think, do invest a lot of money in Research and Development. Licensing is one way to continue the funding of R & D.

 

Yeah I understand this. If only they understood open standards a bit better, it wouldn't be so bad.

[beeswax]

Online communication

 

Online communicating with parents is something that will also become an online phenomenon, sooner rather than later. Not just in terms of reporting but for garnering views of parents on important topics, where previously the long working hours of some would have prevented them from having their say at PTA meetings.

 

You're going to run into the same problems here as currently exist in school. The parents of the bright pupils are usually the ones who turn up for parents' evenings, whereas the teachers will tell you they aren't the ones they need to see. We've just conducted a survey of both parents and pupils, 54% of pupils responded, 16% of parents replied. This isn't about the technology; if throwing a stone at their bedroom window at 03:00am got them to take an interest in their child's education then I'd invest in stones.

For some parents school is nothing more than cheap child minding. How do you engage with these people?

As a former school governor and head of the PTA I've had first hand experience of trying to bring in new faces to these bodies, and most of the time without any luck. Some of these people I was trying to attract didn't have "long working hours", in fact, some of them didn't work at all (I apologize to those who are out of work and looking to get back into employment). They are not going to play the game of "getting involved" no matter that they've been given a laptop under the government's current scheme to enable them to do just that. You might just be better off with a pointy stick, but then that's making them do something under duress, which is the first step on a very rocky road.

Some people are simply not interested. They've been through the system and it's done very little, or nothing for them; why should they throw themselves willingly into this mix again? Their experience of the education system has left them unimpressed, so I suggest that instead of all this expensive technology we instead use the money to pay parents to come in to school and discuss their child's progress.

Edited December 25, 2008 by beeswax

[beeswax]

Technological advancement

 

We need to harness the ability of technology to help achieve numerous government targets, including those for personalised learning, online reporting, e-procurement, extended schools and the 14-19 agenda.

 

Just who are these technological advancements supposed to benefit? Government targets? Or the pupil?

I'll hold up my hand here and admit that a lot of these proposals excite me, to the extent that I'm putting myself through an online degree course in Education, Research and Technology. I'm not trying to promote myself here, but this self motivated learning is what the government is seeking. Learning to learn. How do you bring people to such a pitch that they spend half of Christmas Day thinking about such problems?

[beeswax]

Yeah I understand this. If only they understood open standards a bit better, it wouldn't be so bad.

 

Sorry webman, didn't mean to appear patronising.

[beeswax]

As someone who loves what I can do with computers but continually hitting the hard realisation that children simply don't have the freedom, opportunity or desire to get out there and "play in the mud" the whole approach now seems to be to replace the real world with virtual ones where it's "safe" I couldn't have put this better.

 

I've realised that when I have children I want to move into the country, have space, a community spirit and give those kids the opportunity to get dirty, hurt themselves, get up, dust themselves off and actually live a life that doesn't require cotton wool except to make a beard for santa on a ruddy Christmas card... Unfortunately I'll probably be sued for neglecting those same children.

 

When did I become a throwback.

 

I think you'll find that some "enlightened" councils are now reconsidering taking up the sort of rubber matting found in park playgrounds and putting tarmac down again for the very reason that children shouldn't be over protected and thus gain a false impression of how easy life is. As you say, children have to experience pain at some point in order to learn important lessons. It doesn't make you neglectful.

[beeswax]

I think this is the full document to which Phil Neal refers - http://publications.teachernet.gov.uk/eOrderingDownload/6856-DfES-Teaching%20and%20Learning.pdf

I think I'd better read it before commenting any further.

[kesomir]

Wowe beeswax, you weren't understating when you said it got you excited were you?

 

Either that or you got some awesome coffee today!

 

Hope the Online Degree works out for you - is it OU?

[torledo]

As someone who loves what I can do with computers but continually hitting the hard realisation that children simply don't have the freedom, opportunity or desire to get out there and "play in the mud" the whole approach now seems to be to replace the real world with virtual ones where it's "safe" I couldn't have put this better.

 

I've realised that when I have children I want to move into the country, have space, a community spirit and give those kids the opportunity to get dirty, hurt themselves, get up, dust themselves off and actually live a life that doesn't require cotton wool except to make a beard for santa on a ruddy Christmas card... Unfortunately I'll probably be sued for neglecting those same children.

 

When did I become a throwback.

 

We used to have that in urban ideas, it was actually possible to have an outdoorsy life as a child without having to up sticks to the middle of nowhere. Unfortunately the move to this cotton wool, isolationist existence has picked up steam since the nulabour movement got it's mandate.

 

It has also given the public services bodies the green light to go mad with the red tape and beuaracracy. There is certainly the sense that the policies and procedures designed to stop them from getting sued is a pretty major hindrance in so many areas

 

But by and large parents still have a say in our their kids grow up in spite of the nanny state.......it's just that most would rather go with current sentiment. Whenever i hear of people wanting a sense of 'community' and wanting to move to the country i just think of people who've given up on their OWN communities and ironically don't themselves want to get their hands dirty.....like the parents with sharp elbows who'd rather load themselves with debt to get their kids into private education rather than have try and do their best withint he state schools system like everyone else.

 

What i'd love for once is for someone to move to the country and actually become a farmer.....be a pig farmer, or run a poultry farm, or be a farm hand and do the hard yakka and survive on a meagre income rather than live the middle class idle of life in the country. I'd have much more respect for that individual than someone who went for a life of kayaking and country pubs.

[beeswax]

Wowe beeswax, you weren't understating when you said it got you excited were you?

 

Either that or you got some awesome coffee today!

 

Hope the Online Degree works out for you - is it OU?

 

I don't really drink much coffee these days, it's too much of a diuretic for me.

The degree is here BA (Hons) Learning, Technology and Research; An online degree offered through the Ultraversity scheme at Anglia Ruskin University, UK.

I get excited because I strongly believe that education and learning are important, and sadly for many education stops when they leave school.

If you take the Edugeek community as an example, some have their MCSE, some have computing degrees, some have simply learned through experience, but the one thing I feel the majority of us on here share is the willingness to learn, to improve, and to share that learning with everybody else. For the most part people here are self motivated to learn. That may be because the schools you work for don't offer any training, or won't fund it, don't see the need for it, but in order for "things" to work properly we put in the time and research ourselves. That is important. You want to learn, to enquire, to experiment and to apply that knowledge to raise, for example, a static school website into something dynamic (cue sysman_mk and apologies to those not mentioned in this roll of honour).

We're all the better for it.

[GrumbleDook]

This community has many members who have demonstrated what it means when we talk about independent learning,one of several reasons why it annoys me when techies are excluded from some of the educational discussions about online learning. Many of us understand what the barriers and opportunities are far quicker than *some* teachers and why others are happy to talk with us and keep us involved.

 

Whilst I am also annoyed at the slow pace of the creation of standards I can understand where issues are and all we can do right now is to pressure sifa to get all parties singing the same tune, remembering that some will have concerns about investments already made, some about security, some about the direction of govt agendas and some that the LA / regional model off SIF is not appropriate to a school focussed system that we have in the UK.

 

This is already a long running discussion and one that I will be picking up at BETT.

[leco]

beeswax - it is for those very reasons that I too am excited by the words being spoken and written. Learning to learn, discovering for ourselves, exploring the possibilities. The question I ask is, how have we in this community come to have such "attributes" (very lose term but I am loathe to use the word "skills")? Were we taught such things in our own school days? Were we all brought up in the kind of communities mentioned earlier? Or is it that we have found the practice of enquiry to be a practical solution?

 

That's the thing about learning it generates more questions than answers.

[beeswax]

beeswax - it is for those very reasons that I too am excited by the words being spoken and written. Learning to learn, discovering for ourselves, exploring the possibilities. The question I ask is, how have we in this community come to have such "attributes" (very lose term but I am loathe to use the word "skills")? Were we taught such things in our own school days? Were we all brought up in the kind of communities mentioned earlier? Or is it that we have found the practice of enquiry to be a practical solution?

 

That's the thing about learning it generates more questions than answers.

 

You could start by looking here - Communities of practice which neatly defines what we do.

As for the how have we come to this position, I feel part of it is down to human nature, enquiry and sharing what we have learned, and having built on that knowledge we learn again that by applying more than one mind to a problem we are more likely to reach a satisfactory solution. It would be difficult to pinpoint the exact time that an online forum became a community of learning, and how we as techies came to discover this for ourselves, but we weren't the first, and we won't be the last. I feel that humans are generally social creatures who appreciate dialogue.

 

What we are doing here is in part what educationalists are trying to move towards in primary and secondary education (I can't speak for higher education). When you look for an answer on the internet in general, or Edugeek in particular, do you feel that you're learning, extending your education, or simply solving a problem? It's when learning becomes something you feel you have to do that you move from problem solving to enriching not only yourself but your organization.

[russdev]

The key here is that as educators (I use term to mean anyone working in a school) we are not teaching skills for them to use the skill on their own. We are teaching the skills so they can be used in context to learn new information. So in effect we are giving pupils ability to learn new things. As learning things is what we do the most in adult life.

 

Russ

[Sylv3r]

The key here is that as educators (I use term to mean anyone working in a school) we are not teaching skills for them to use the skill on their own. We are teaching the skills so they can be used in context to learn new information. So in effect we are giving pupils ability to learn new things. As learning things is what we do the most in adult life.

 

Russ

 

I suppose with this we need to remember that we are teaching our students skills now, for jobs that are yet to be invented!

[webman]

The key here is that as educators (I use term to mean anyone working in a school) we are not teaching skills for them to use the skill on their own. We are teaching the skills so they can be used in context to learn new information. So in effect we are giving pupils ability to learn new things. As learning things is what we do the most in adult life.

 

Reading between the lines there Russ, are you saying we don't need teachers?

[leco]

Reading between the lines there Russ, are you saying we don't need teachers?

 

Teachers, in the broadest sense of the word. are still needed. When we share what we know we are to some degree "teaching". We are all guides and facilitators, for each other. What I feel is important here is to nurture a disposition to learn in young people and adults with whom we intereact.

[russdev]

Reading between the lines there Russ, are you saying we don't need teachers?

 

No we need teachers as leco says we all have some kind of morel duty. But we need teachers to teach science for example so that a student can use that skill in another context at later date to learn something new.

 

They need basic skill for example to understand science for them to digest and learn the skill as it builds upon that.

 

danah boyd puts it a lot better than I can.

 

Handheld Learning 2008 - danah boyd

 

Russ