Learning in the Digital Age - An imperative for change
"An imperative for change" Yep. This message has been advocated for a fair time now. The Melbourne Declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians was published in 2008 (the same year I started teaching). We are still saying the same thing in 2015. Where are the actions out of this declaration? The content stated in the document was great, and the urgency of the need for change was also present. However, here we are still seven years later with nothing much to show.Professor Stephen Heppell spoke to us at the first face to face session for this course this week. I can link what he told us to the document above. He is sending the same message!! Yet still nothing systemic changes. WHY?
I have had the privilege to listen to some excellent speakers from the international education sector over the last four years, and the message is clear. There is an imperative for change. Stephen Heppell did not say anything new from my perspective. What is missing in all of this is how to accomplish this change. It is all fine to highlight the great work some pockets of people are doing around the world and say how this should be how education looks in this day and age. But very rarely are these messages given with details of how it was really achieved. Blood, sweat and tears no doubt. However, if governments, high profile education theorists and teachers all are saying we need to change, why does very little wide spread change still happen?
Change Leadership
I was pleased to get started on my Action Research Project this week (although a bit behind...) and have decided to focus on an aspect of change leadership. I am in a new role at school which requires skills in this area, and this project gives me the vehicle to develop them.The importance of me developing these skills was made clear this week during a professional interaction with a colleague. When discussing technology integration in this persons classroom I realised our views on educational philosophy where at polar opposites. Because our perspectives were so different, I found it difficult to help this person find a reason to change.
I think it is important to find a way to help people such as my colleague decide to join the change journey if we are to achieve systemic change.
