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Suggested Methodologies & Frameworks to Investigate/Use

slister — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:42:04 CDT

Participatory Action Research

From "16 Tenets of Participatory Action Research" by Robin McTaggart (1989)
Participatory Action Research
1. is an approach to improving social practice by changing it
2. is contingent on authentic participation
3. is collaborative
4. establishes self-critical communities
5. is a systematic learning process
6. involves people in theorising about their practices
7. requires that people put their practices, ideas and assumptions about institutions to the test
8. involves keeping records
9. requires participants to objectify their own experiences
10. is a political process
11. involves making critical analyses
12. starts small
13. starts with small cycles
14. starts with small groups
15. allows and requires participants to build records
16. allows and requires participants to give a reasoned justification of their social (educational) work to others

From "A Short Note on Participatory Research" by Sirisena Tilakaratna (1990):
The key features of participatory research are:
* people are the subjects of research: the dichotomy between subject and object is broken
* people themselves collect the data, and then process and analyse the information using methods easily understood by them
* the knowledge generated is used to promote actions for change or to improve existing local actions
* the knowledge belongs to the people and they are the primary beneficiaries of the knowledge creation
* research and action are inseparable – they represent a unity
* research is a praxis rhythm of action-reflection where knowledge creation supports action
* people function as organic intellectuals
* there is an built-in mechanism to ensure authenticity and genuineness of the information that is generated because people themselves use the information for life improvement.

The promotion of participatory research is basically an exercise in stimulating the people to:
* collect information
* reflect and analyse it
* use the results as a knowledge base for life improvement, and
* whenever possible, to document the results for wider dissemination ie for the creation of a people’s literature.

The role of the outside professional is to promote the above processes. This can be done by:
* assisting people to collect data and then to process and analyse the information using simple methods which enables them to systematise their knowledge
* linking the local situation (which the people know best) to the larger external situation (about which the outside may know more)
* improving people’s access to new information and formal knowledge (eg technology)
* introducing local people to experiences from outside their environment
* throwing up relevant issues or problems for local people to reflect on and analyse and then assisting them in coming to their own conclusions.

Participatory Approach
Aims to involve participants in the design, conduct and evaluation of research.

Public Education Leadership Project (PELP) Coherence Framework

from: http://www.hbs.edu/pelp/images/graphic-framework-lg.gif

The PELP Coherence Framework is designed to help leaders identify the key elements that support a district-wide improvement strategy and to bring these elements into a coherent and integrated relationship. School district leaders leverage this framework to develop strategies that work towards improving student performance throughout the district.

The framework assists with achieving and sustaining coherence by:

* Connecting the instructional core with a district-wide strategy for improvement.
* Highlighting district elements that can support or hinder effective implementation.
* Identifying interdependencies among district elements.
* Recognizing forces in the environment that have an impact on the implementation of strategy.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) attempts to capture some of the essential qualities of knowledge required by teachers for technology integration in their teaching, while addressing the complex, multifaceted and situated nature of teacher knowledge. At the heart of the TPCK framework, is the complex interplay of three primary forms of knowledge: Content (CK), Pedagogy (PK), and Technology (TK).

See PDF by Mishra & Koehler

http://www.tpck.org/tpck/images/tpck/d/dc/TPCK_3_CIRCLE_WITH_LABELS.png

The TPCK approach goes beyond seeing these three knowledge bases in isoloation. On the other hand, it emphasizes the new kinds of knowledge that lie at the intersections between them. Considering P and C together we get Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Shulman’s idea of knowledge of pedagogy that is applicable to the teaching of specific content. Similarly, considering T and C taken together, we get Technological Content Knowledge (TCK), the knowledge of the relationship between technology and content. At the intersection of T and P, is Technological Pedagogical Knowledge (TPK), which emphasizes the existence, components and capabilities of various technologies as they are used in the settings of teaching and learning.

Finally, at the intersection of all three elements is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK). True technology integration is understanding and negotiating the relationships between these three components of knowledge. A teacher capable of negotiating these relationships represents a form of expertise different from, and greater than, the knowledge of a disciplinary expert (say a mathematician or a historian), a technology expert (a computer scientist) and a pedagogical expert (an experienced educator). Effective technology integration for pedagogy around specific subject matter requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, [transactional] relationship between all three components.

8 Essential Learning Functions

Engage – 6 Essential Conditions

Resources

slister — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 04:06:42 CDT

Although some of the Resources we will be using in our investigation will be added here, there is a Diigo group created for this purpose also. Feel free to join in here: http://groups.diigo.com/groups/unconnectedclassroom

We will collect resources in the following categories:

Teaching/learning methods and strategies that are either based on technology-oriented techniques or are those that we know work well with technology but are also effective without technology or connectivity.
Technologies that are best suited for limited technology/connectivity situations (mobile phone, XO computer, mp3 players, etc.)
Media sources that will provide a backdrop for our discussion (Video, Presentations, Podcasts, Blog Postings, Articles, Our Flickr Group, etc)
Primary source "Experience-Sharing Annecdotes" from discussion board postings, interviews (skype, email, chat, phone, etc)
References to lead us in effective Participatory Action Research

PDF's worth downloading:
21st Century Learning Initiative Policy Paper
iPod Education: Innovations in the Implementation of Mobile Learning
How to bring our schools out of the 20th Century
Teacher Professional Development, Technology, and Communities of Practice: Are We Putting the Cart before the Horse?
Technology Integration Matrix

Preview of WebPages that will aid in informing:

Readings to Aid in Informing....

Experts Highlight Challenges of E-learning in Africa
"Despite e-learning's potential to help meet Africa's educational and manpower needs, event speakers said that erratic power supplies, weak ICT infrastructure, poor educational funding and an absence of experts have combined to rob the continent of a vital chance at improving its stake in the digital economy."

Dvorak's Mind Share Shame: Junk Computers
"The main mind-share shame is that not enough of it is focused on building realistic and affordable Children's Machine XO pilot implementation plans, instead of proposing budget-busting implementation miracles."

Impact of New Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on Socio-economic and Educational Development of Africa and the Asia-Pacifice: Private
"However, the implementation of ICTs is occurring in a context where the cultural and institutional barriers are not well addressed. The assumption often made is that if one just purchases a few computers and modems, a post-industrial society can magically result. Africans and those in the Asia-Pacific are generally in the position of consumers and thus in a position where they cannot yet define the media in their terms. "

Is Google Making Us Stupid?
"The more they use the Web, the more they have to fight to stay focused on long pieces of writing."

Pedagogy First? Whatever.
Pedagogy should not even be a consideration during the planning stages of technology use. Harsh statement? Perhaps, but it's a reality. Few Utopian situations exist where our decisions on how to teach can be based exclusively on pedagogy. Resources, expertise, technology, needs (of learners, educators, society), and funds impact what we choose to do. In a world: context. The mix of multiple, mutually influencing factors determine what we types of technology we select.

The Unconnected Classroom Project - Main Page

slister — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:55:47 CDT

Can this be a 21st Century Classroom? ... IT IS!!

photo credit - http://www.flickr.com/photos/yewenyi/

The Connecting within the Unconnected Classroom Project (tag:cuc2) is a professional learning experience bringing together educators from around the world to investigate strategies and tools to leverage effective application of 21st Century Skills in classrooms with limited technology and connectivity.

Ideally, the team we would like to assemble will include educators from many diverse regions of the globe whom display three types of expertise (based on TPCK): (1) Pedagogy Knowledge regardless of technology skill (2) Technology Knowledge, regardless of teaching skill and (3) teachers with deep content knowledge.

Anyone interested in joining the team should go to the Classroom 2.0 Ning and sign on to the "Unconnected Classroom Group" by posting an introductory message. If you know of someone who fits the type ofeducator we would like to target for team members, please send along their email or other other contact info. to susanDOTlisterATnewmediaworkshopsDOTcom so that a personal invite can be sent.

Goals of the Project

This group is being set up to explore how technology-limited and poorly connected classrooms, schools and districts can focus on 21st Century Skills.
Along with investigating the issues surrounding 21st Century Skills pedogogy in technology-limited and poorly connected jurisdictions around the world, the team will work towards designing and applying interventions for classroom use. It is hoped that through this initiative, a group of educators will discover various ways to incorporate 21st Century Skills that do not necessarily rely on technology or connectivity.

This project can help limited technology and connectivity (LT/C) classrooms to address 21st Century Learning by investigating two ends of the technology in the classroom spectrum:

What are the indicators of a school system or classroom that is 'most ready' for technology integration? In this case, our task could be to devise a professional learning scheme for teachers and schools to work towards achieving the indicators.
What can a classroom with limited technology and connectivity do 'today' to help prepare students' 21st Century Skills? For this scenario, the team could identify a professional learning track and subsequent learning activities that teachers can apply in their classrooms, without the need of extra technology or connectivity.

Both items above do not have to exclusively applied, in fact, the greatest impact might result from solutions that can address both points.

One of our 'side' goals couldbe to present our findings at the K-12 Online Conference, October 20-31st, 2008 (free, online) however, depending on the interest of the group, many other spin-offs could occur including professional learning opportunities, an on-going community of learners, learning artifacts such as demonstrations, videos, presentations, etc. that will extend the life and impact of the project.

What Could Success look like?

Active participation in the storming/forming discussions
Thorough feedback on the proposal artifacts available on a variety of social websites and through email.
Proposal is sent into the K-12 Online Conference site showing:

Buy in and support from a number of participants across a wide spectrum of global educators.
A good tie in to the K-12 Online Conference themes
A willingness from global participants to get actively involved in the production of the final presentation.

Several initiatives, interventions, lessons, etc. are attempted in our target classrooms.
A permanent resource is produced to inform others in similar situations.
If the K-12 Online conference proposal is accepted, an actual presentation for the conference is produced that:

Meets the conference specifications including a length of 20 minutes.
Incorporates several collaborative activities to ensure the voice of unconnected and tech-limited educators are heard.

A wiki is produced to support the conference presentation to encourage participation in the topic, among a wider audience
If the proposal is not accepted, the group will find an alternative culminating activity for their explorations and still follow through on the proposed classroom initiatives.

What Type of Solutions are We Looking for?

The main idea is to work at solutions that are rooted in the following:

Based on sound academic principles
Cognizant of the financial and political agendas for education reform
Contextualized

(these principles are loosely connected to 3 of the "Lessons Learned" as posted by George Siemens).

Who Should Get Involved?

Interested in developing a short-term (for now) community of the following:

K-12 Educators teaching in classrooms like our sample classroom
Educators who are training teachers for environments similar to our sample classroom
Education Technologists who are interested in the challenge of assisting teachers who are operating in technology-limited and poorly connected classrooms, schools, districts. (Or those currently operating in such)
Technology-Savvy teachers who teach from connected and high-tech classrooms and want the challenge of helping teachers not in your situation.
Teachers who are in unconnected and low-tech classroom who apply 21st Century learning literacies.
Anyone who has experience or an interestin participatory action research

Why Might You Want to get Involved?

Everyone:

Work on a global 6 month project that focuses on attempting to find solutions for students in developing countries.
An opportunity to try out new ideas and teaching methods in the classroom.
Contribute to the professional culture of teaching at your school
Possibility of meaning and lasting change in your own practice, your students’ learning and your school.

If you are in a low-tech/low-connectivity situation:

Collaborate with teachers in similar situations but in different geographic locations
Engage in a professional learning experience with teachers from different backgrounds focussing on solutions for the low-tech/connectivity classroom.
Opportunity to increase your own technology and web 2.0 skills
If English is your second language, this project will provide authentic english usage opportunities

If you are an Educational Technologist or promoter of technology in the Classroom:

Embrace the challenge of reducing elearning to its essence – that of learning
Share your technology skills by applying them to situations of low-technology and connectivity

If you are a teacher applying 21st Century Learning Literacies in a low-tech/connectivity classroom:

Share your ideas and methodologies with a group of keenly interested teachers
Learn ways of adapting minimal technologies to your situation

Ways you can get involved…

Sign up for the Classroom 2.0 Ning Community - Unconnected Classroom Project Group (first link below...make sure to add your twitter/Skype/Email ID so that other group members can contact you). Next, add the special interest group called “Unconnected Classroom”. Once you’re a part of the Classroom 2.0 environment, get involved in the “Unconnected Classroom” discussions!

Classroom 2.0 Ning - The Unconnected Classroom Project Group
It is here where we will gather members, have our main discussions and post about realtime meetings.
Connecting within the Unconnected Classroom Main Project Site
This site is set up to be a "Visual Snapshot" of what's happening in the project. It is set up to accept RSS feeds from the many social areas of the project.
Diigo Group for Collecting and Discussing Bookmarks
This is where you will find an annotated collection of the resources for the team. There is also an opportunity to add to the annotations or start a discussion based on the topic.
Project Brainstorming Mindmap
A place to brainstorm issue exploration, project organization, etc.
Flickr CUC2 Group
This area has been set up for Collecting Photos of Classrooms in our target group as well as exemplar ways to use technologies and no-tech teaching methods.
CUC2 - Media Site -
Collection of Videos and Podcasts which will help inform our discussions and activities

Skype a group member, organize a skype conference, lead a skypecast. Send your Skype ID to sl_info (Susan Lister) and I will maintain a list of group members

If you are a Twitter member and tweet about the UnConnected Classroom use the hashtag #cuc2. You can search the group’s tweets by going here: http://hashtags.org/tag/cuc2/

Share your experiences within the project and when you do, add the tag “CUC2” to any postings, photos, slideshows, and documents.
Upload photos of classrooms and other learning spaces that are similar to our ‘sample classroom’ and reflect the learning possible in those situations. Conversely, post photos of classrooms that support high-tech/connectivity learning. Add these artifacts to our Flikr group

Host a virtual meeting and invite others from the community to join – post meeting times, agenda & URL on the wiki and within the Ning Group environment. Request feedback on your meeting before it happens and after.

Host a f2f meeting in your region. Post your agenda on the wiki & ning and request feedback prior to and immediately after meeting. If you hold a meeting where this initiative is discussed, post a copy of your minutes in our wiki.

Add to the Project’s MindMap

Why Am I Doing This?

My last collaborative global project was very fulfilling
After many international consulting gigs, I want to explore the issue of effective technology integration with a mix of technology-oriented and non-technical people from diverse backgrounds around the globe. I especially wanted a way to amplify the voices I have heard in the field and the situations I have come across that are so different from my North American experiences.
I like challenges:

trying to connect with the unconnected is particularly intriguing.
must take my technology-centric way of teaching and re-focus on the essence of learning.

I’m curious about the “participatory approach” to action research (see ???)
I worry about the shift towards online tools and social communities and want to play a part in limiting a greater digital divide occurring between the have’s and have-not’s by emphasizing 21st Century Soft-Skill development that does not focus on an internet connection nor high-tech.
I believe that the technology can provide a jumping board for change in the classroom but re-vitalizing the teaching profession through mentoring, recognition and knowledge-sharing can also be very effective.

FEARS

Initiative is looked as “anti-technology” rather than a focus on preparatory steps while awaiting tech-rich world inclusion
Relaxes the drive to get technology and connectivity to those needing it.
The actual tech-limited/connection poor education community is not heard and therefore discussion is only filtered through westerners like me. This could be a result of the impossibility of reaching the ‘unconnected’ due to connectivity problems or language (admittedly, without support, the conversation will be skewed toward english).

Proposed Process and Timeline

The K-12 Online Conference Proposal

Our goal is for our K12proposal to meet the following requirements :
Relevance -

Significance

Originality

High Quality

Clearly Written

Please help us reach our goal by providing feedback or insights for the proposal as it is developed within the wiki on this page: ??????

Possible Project Spin-Off’s

A Collaborative Participatory Action Research Paper is written
Other workshop and mentoring possibilities are created
An ongoing community of practice is created by those wishing to continue investigations, innovations and investigations to meet the needs of teachers and students in technology & connectivity limited classrooms or schools

The Issues

slister — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:37:13 CDT

It's NOT the TECHNOLOGY...
It’s the Learning!! - said over and over again… but the fact that technology purchases are emphasized rather than changing the classroom learning culture in many major projects around the world means that this message is not getting out (or big business has a much larger voice than ours).
Do we really believe it’s the learning and not the technology? Can there be strides into 21st Century skills without the technology?
In the end, whether it’s called 21st Century Learning, Education for the Knowledge Economy, Learning 2.0, etc, …Do the results come down to the learning and not the technology?
Take away the technology from such technology-advanced teachers as xx, xx, xx, xx, xx, etc., will the good learning stop? No! These people are good teachers first.

You’ve also heard – the technology should just fade into the background. Well in Limited Technology & Connectivity (LT/C) classrooms – IT has!! The technology is barely there at all!! So how can we have dynamic learning without the technology? And more importantly, how do we maintain the balance of driving towards a technology/connectivity rich classroom environment while emphasizing the educational gains which come from a pedagogically-strong teacher, who is aware of a student’s 21st Century Learning Needs?

What’s “in-between” the Digital Divide?

If the digital divide has good connectivity and ubiquitous technology on the one side and the opposite on the other… I prefer to think that the middle is made up of:
· An understanding of process
· Good policies to affect change
· Independent learners
· Habits of the Mind
· 21st Century Skills
All the above is needed to reach the otherside… oh ya, and some technology!

A Project about "Conversations as an Agent of Change"

Possible Solutions?

What powerful approaches can we suggest for technology limited and connection-poor school boards to leverage what is known about teacher training, 21st Century Skill Development, and Effective Technology Integration?
Teacher training ideas to support 21st Century learning in tech-limited/connection poor classrooms.
Work with the policy makers to change the national assessment strategies from focussing on lower level thinking skills such as fact memorization and ???? to focussing on assessments of abilities to apply higher order thinking. This means that process will be important and reviewed as part of ‘assessment for learning’.

The “UnWorkshop” for 21st Century Pedagogies
An Embedded Professional Learning Approach
Technology strategies:
One Laptop Per Teacher
Effective 21st Century Teaching Methodologies in the One-Computer Classroom.

One Place to Start?

Project Based Learning (PBL)
a strong contender for the best teaching methodology that has the power to provide the strongest leverage for 21st Century Learning in the classroom. Can you think of others?
Try doing PBL in a classroom that has limited connectivity and technology – E A S Y !!! But what pre-requisites are required of the teachers/administrators/school districts?
In classrooms and school boards/districts that focus assessment on lower-order thinking, PBL will forever be relegated to the ‘extra-curricular’ realm and never an integral part of the curriculum.

Not an In-Classroom Problem, only…

Do the assessments and education policies reflect 21st Century Skills?
Are teacher promotions and assessments tied to their ability to produce 21st Century learners?

Why Focus on ‘Soft-Skills’?
Why not more technology, more effectively?

I hope I am wrong but I fear it may take another 5-10 years to get technology more integrated deep into some of the school systems of the developing world.
In the mean time, there is much that can be done as preparatory steps!
Consider the following scenarios:

8 Essential Learning Functions

Engage – 6 Essential Conditions

High Performance Learning

Employability Skills

Some of the Discussion Topics for Virtual Meetings and Discussion Boards

How will acquiring 21st Century Skills affect the students attending LT/C schools? Are there more important things to focus on?
If assessments in much of the developing world are typically based on lower-order thinking such as knowledge and facts, how do teachers justify spending valuable classroom time on higher order and 21st Century skills.
If teachers in many parts of the developing world are assessed by their ability to complete the content in their supplied textbook, what incentive is there to be innovative in the classroom?
Employers ask for hard skills “Cisco Certification” – Are HR practices to blame for the focus on hard skills ……
“It’s not the technology, it’s the learning” Discuss the validity of this statement in your classroom
What types of professional learning would be best suited to preparing teachers for the inclusion of technologies and greater connectivity
What classroom activities would help students prepare for a future computer lab in their school?
What classroom situations or teacher skills are good prerequisites for successful adoption of future classroom technologies and internet access for educational purposes?s
Please add any additional topics that we should discuss in this project

Connecting Within Our Sample Classroom

slister — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:14:30 CDT

A Snapshot of Your School System (with an eye towards 'readiness' or essential conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning)

By bringing together many educators from around the globe and understanding that CONTEXT plays in important role in successful technology integration projects, it is incumbent upon team members to share a bit about their own school systems - either (or both) the ones they are teaching in or, if different, the one they were schooled in. The following questions are suggested as guides for this conversation.

How long is a typical school day for a student? Primary / Middle School / Secondary. Do the students ever come early or stay late for extra-curricular activities? If so, what types of activities would be involved? During the school day do the students have any scheduled snacks, meals, or recess breaks included – how long are these? Who supervises the students during these periods? How long is a typical school day for a teacher?
How do most of your students get to school? How do most of the teachers get to school?
What are the typical class sizes? Are there subject specific teachers throughout the school grades? How does your system deal with 'special' students?
What type of school work do students do outside of school? Do the parents have a role in school activities outside of regular school time? Do students congregate in public places, homes or use any electronic means to work jointly on projects or assigned homework?
Are the students engaged in projects that last longer than three class periods? How are these projects assessed? Are they individual projects or group projects? How many students are typically allowed to work in a group? How often are longer projects assigned as a learning activity in any given subject?
How many periods of art, music and phys-ed do students in primary and middle school get? Are students 'streamed' in high school and if so, how is this decided?
How often do students get access to computers or other technology? What is the typical student to computer ratio when they access a computer? What types of things do students use computers or other technologies for? When the student uses technology is it typically with a special technology teacher or the subject teacher? What other technologies are used besides computers?
What is a typical salary of a beginner teacher? seasoned teacher? Principal? How does a teacher's wage compare to a university or college professor in your system? To put things in perspective, how much does a restaurant worker make in your culture? What about a policeman or Nurse?
What qualifications does a typical teacher need to be hired by a school? Do teachers teach without these qualifications? How long does it take to get these qualifications? How many unqualified teachers would be teaching at a school, on average. How is a new teacher’s abilities assessed? Who does this assessment? How often? Are teachers part of a union? Do the teachers receive any professional development during the school year? Are their days set aside where there is no school but teachers have PD - how many? Can teachers attend professional development sessions and have a supply-teacher take their class? Is there a staff lounge in your school and do teachers use it as a professional learning environment? What is the general feeling about teacher PD in your system? Are teachers encouraged to complete action research, teacher inquiries, lesson-studies, learning circles or any other forms of meta-cognitive and reflective practice?
Where do teachers get their lessons from? What support mechanisms do they have to create good lessons in their subject? Are there any cross-curricular learning activities that occur in your school system? What about across-grade projects? Who are the skilled personnel in the system that teachers have access to? How is information and support disseminated by those individuals?
Is a textbook used in most courses? Does a publisher provide the text book or is it developed by the Ministry of Education? What % of an assigned text book is used for a subject? How is curriculum developed and how often is it reviewed and changed?
What is a typical assessment scheme for a course – identify the course and then the assessment scheme you want to share? In a test or quiz what types of questions are most common? Are there state-wide tests? IF so, at in what grade/subject do these occur? What is the purpose of these state-wide assessments? How are students assessed in your grades - do they receive a "Satisfactory/Needs Improvement" rating, A grade based on a % or letter grade? Can students fail a grade or skip a grade? What happens to students who can't make the 'grade' are they moved along anyway but given some kind of support?
How old are children when they start school? Is there a compulsory pre-school program? How old are they when they complete the final grade before going to a post-secondary institution?
What is the predominant belief about how a student learns in your system? Please give an example of the best way, for instance, a student would learn math or science or history in your system? How often are students involved in collaborative or cooperative activities - are they part of assessment for learning?
How are parents involved in the school? Do you have parent/teacher conferences - how often? Are students allowed to participate in these? How often do report cards go home? In what ways is the school is involved in the community and vice-versa?
Which of the following typical elementary classrooms comes closest to the average classrooms in your school?

(A) Photo by: S. Lister	(B) Photo by: Red Collander	(C) Photo by:Inx
(D) Photo by: Ian Koh	(E) Photo by: ACS Amman	(F) Photo by: ¡anna]
(G) Photo by: Ryan Greenburg	(H) photo by Patrick Q	(I) Photo by: Blackbodypie

Next steps:

We will use the above questions to gather a 'snap shot view' of the various school and learning cultures our team members come from. We will gather the information through a voice thread a as well as an email posting and a more formal survey.
Organize the above questions to fit under the headings of the following contexts:

The People in the System (students, teachers, principals, superintendents, Ministry officials, parents, community people)
Curriculum and Content of Learning including the media used
Assessment
Support (Technical, Learning supports for students & teachers)
Physical Space and Equipment (bricks, mortar, hardware/software)
Nature and space of learning (collaborative, teacher-directed, project-based, independent, system mandates, etc.)
Policies, Administration and Mandates (political arm of education)

Perhaps a simpler approach to insight into another's school system might be appropriate:
We could use the following questions provided from Design Share:

* Describe a typical classroom?
* What does it look like?
* What are the students doing?
* What are the teachers doing?

Or a more open-ended approach... we could just ask team members to talk about their school systems using the following graphic as a guide:

Image from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/listerspot/2627044819/

Our Sample Classroom

Since many of our discussions will revolve around devising 21st Century Skills learning activities but recognizing the team members will come from diverse backgrounds and teaching experiences,we will first define a "sample classroom" to focus our discussions. This sample classroom will be used as the starting point mindset for solutions - we will than branch out to specific and more contextualized solutions.

Our sample classroom has the following characteristics:

no computers available in the classroom, the only technology available is a calculator the teacher might use
there is an under-serviced computer lab in the school that is not connected to the internet. The children share the computers 2 students to 1 computer. The teacher must book the lab at the beginning of the week. The lab is usually only used for the computer science classes.
the school makes an overhead projector available, a television and ???? to any teacher who books it one day in advance.
the students are in single desks that are movable but usually in rows.
Most of the students time is spent listening to the teacher and doing worksheet-like activities.
Tests that use multiple choice and short answer are the most common assessments - there are relatively few assessments throughout the school year.

Investigating Teaching 21st Century Skills in LT/C Classrooms

What are the constraints teachers in LT/C Classrooms face when focusing on 21st Century Skills
How can these be overcome?
Ideas for applying 21st Century Skills in traditional subjects

Classroom 2.0 meets our Sample Classroom

Take any of the following activities that are common in a “classroom 2.0” setting and provide an alternative but equally as stimulating and learning-rich for our sample classroom situation.
Digital Storytelling
Podcasting
A Global Project such as ????, ????
A math lesson using a Interactive White Board
A geography class in a lab that starts off with a video from Teacher Tube, applies a few exercises using Google Earth and finishes off with an applied activity using powerpoint or word.
When tackling any of the above, please use the following template to guide your answer.

Classroom 2.0 meets LT/C Answer Guide

When providing your answer to the question about transforming Classroom 2.0 activities to suit our sample classroom please consider the following:
Provide a short description of how you would organize the activity in your HT/C classroom. Include the amount of class time you would take on such an activity, the types of work students might do out of class on the activity, the % of time the activity would take against the entire course.
List all the pedagogical reasons you might use such an activity or teaching methodologies.
Identify the assessment methods you would use for the activity. Include the specifics assessment areas for the activity as well as the weight this activity might carry for the entire course.
Provide a description of how the activity would look in our sample classroom.

A Typical Exercise for the Project Team

Here are 9 Reasons to Use Technology (as provided by Steve Haragon, here)

Expansion of Time and Place
Depth of Understanding
Learning vs. Teaching
New Media for Self-Expression
Collaboration
Going Global
Individual Pacing and Sequencing
Weight
Personal Productivity

(Digital) Storytelling in our Sample Classroom

Audio Projects for our Sample Classroom

What would your Information Literacy Curriculum look like in our Sample Classroom?

What would your Media Literacy Curriculum look like in our Sample Classroom?

Which 21st Century Skills Do Not Require Technology?

Here is a list of 21st Century Skills (from ????)

Add a number 1, 2, and 3 to the top 3 skills
ls you feel could be learned in a classroom with limited connectivity and technology?

What are the big goals that a government may have for supporting ICT in Education?

Innovation becomes a driving fourse in the economy
Lifelong learning prominent in society
ICT integrated throughout education curriculum to ensure Technology skill development among all students
Workers apply knowledge skills and lead industries and government
Increased access to information
Enhanced communication and collaboration skills

whereas a school board may be interested in:

better scores on state-wide, national and international tests

parents may desire:

leading edge technology accessed by their children to gain access to better jobs in the future
allow access to technologies a parent cannot afford at home

and teachers may be most interested in:

using technology to provide differential learning
improving students' motivation to learn
enhancing the learning environment and thereby increasing the skill, knowledge and attitudes of their students
improving their own technology skills for advancement or recognition purposes

Why Focus on ‘soft-skills’?
Why not more technology, more effectively?

In this article, there is much talk about ‘mind share’ being re-routed off the important focus of getting technology to developing countries.
Focusing on effective learning cultures in the classroom could be classified as another attempt of derailment.
It’s time that pedagogy be placed prominently alongside any discussion of classroom technologies and connectivity since it is well known that without the ‘mind share’ on pedagogy, the gains from technology is mostly in the pockets of those selling the equipment.
In this article, there is talk about how elearning can answer much of Africa’s educational access problems. Where will the online content come from? The best place is from within but how do content developers who have been taught very traditionally develop dynamic content to meet 21st workers needs?
Some developing countries are starting to realize that if in-class learning culture does not change to focus on soft-skills such as ??????, neither the learners nor content-developers will be ready when the technology/connectivity becomes available.

Reality Check #1

Reality Check #2
Let’s not paint the west too rosy….
These comments:
This video
We can all use a dose of “creating good learning environments”

Scenario #1

If a teacher believes in student-centred learning, incorporates a project-based teaching approach and encourages collaborative learning in their classroom – what will happen when this teacher is provided with a computer and Data projector for their room? What types of activities would this teacher have their students doing in a brand new school computer lab? The likelihood that the teacher employ teacher-directed powerpoint presentations as a mainstay should be reduced if they truly believe in a student-centred constructivist approach.

Will this teacher employ teacher-directed powerpoint lessons? Certainly not!
A focus on the soft skills required by the 21st Century worker will put a school/district in a position to truly leverage the technology once it comes.

What are the needs of teachers and students in our sample classroom?

A westerners view…I have met many keen teachers in limited connectivity and technology classrooms… I believe they need:
A voice
Support and a little direction (if they have come out of a traditional teacher-directed learning environment)
YES… TECHNOLOGY
But what do the teachers and students doing their lessons in our classrooms like our sample, say?

Presentations & Videos To Aid in Informing

slister — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:03:08 CDT

About the Team Members

slister — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:33:43 CDT

Susan Lister, from North Bay, Ontario Canada
Bio:
Email:
Twitter:
Blog:
Portfolio Site:
What do you want to get out of this project?

Project Management

slister — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:26:28 CDT

Project Timeline and Tasks

Brainstorming Project Organization and Issues (feel free to edit mindmap at Gliffy site)

Virtual Meeting & Networking Locations

slister — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:14:07 CDT

		Classroom 2.0 Ning - The Unconnected Classroom Project Group It is here where we will gather members, have our main discussions and post about realtime meetings.
		Connecting within the Unconnected Classroom Main Project Site Thissite is set up to be a "Visual Snapshot" of what's happening in the project. It is set up to accept RSS feeds from the many social areas of the project.
		Diigo Group for Collecting and Discussing Bookmarks This is where you will find an annotated collection of the resources for the team. There is also an opportunity to add to the annotations or start a discussion based on the topic.
		Project Brainstorming Mindmap A place to brainstorm issue exploration, project organization, etc.
		Flickr CUC2 Group This area has been set up for Collecting Photos of Classrooms in our target group as well as exemplar ways to use technologies and no-tech teaching methods.
		CUC2 - Media Site - Collection of Videos and Podcasts which will help inform our discussions and activities

Abbreviations, Terms & Tags

slister — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:22:59 CDT

Proposed tags:
21stCenturySkills, EmployabilitySkills, ParticipatoryActionResearch, CollaborativeInquiryApproach, LearningLiteracies, 21stCenturySoftSkills, EssentialLearningFunctions, Web2.0, 21stCenturyLearning, KnowledgeEconomySkills, CrossCurricularLearning, CUC2, PBL, ProjectBasedLearning, ProblemBasedLearning, HabitsoftheMind,

Key words:

21st Century Skills	Employability Skills	Participatory Action Research
Learning Literacies	21st Century Soft Skills	Essential Learning Functions
21st Century Learning	Knowledge Economy Skills	Learning Across the Curriculum
Web2.0	Habits of the Mind	Collaborative Inquiry Approach

Short forms and Abbreviations:
CUC2 Connecting with the Unconnected Classroom
ICT
LT/C
HT/C
K-12

CUC2	Connecting with the Unconnected Classroom
ICT
LT/C
HT/C
K-12

The Unconnected Classroom Project - Recently Updated Pages

Suggested Methodologies & Frameworks to Investigate/Use

8 Essential Learning Functions

Engage – 6 Essential Conditions

Resources

The Unconnected Classroom Project - Main Page

Goals of the Project

What Could Success look like?

What Type of Solutions are We Looking for?

Who Should Get Involved?

Why Might You Want to get Involved?

Ways you can get involved…

Add to the Project’s MindMap

Why Am I Doing This?

FEARS

Proposed Process and Timeline

The K-12 Online Conference Proposal

Possible Project Spin-Off’s

The Issues

What’s “in-between” the Digital Divide?

Possible Solutions?

One Place to Start?

Not an In-Classroom Problem, only…

Why Focus on ‘Soft-Skills’? Why not more technology, more effectively?

8 Essential Learning Functions

Engage – 6 Essential Conditions

High Performance Learning

Employability Skills

Some of the Discussion Topics for Virtual Meetings and Discussion Boards

Connecting Within Our Sample Classroom

A Snapshot of Your School System (with an eye towards 'readiness' or essential conditions to effectively leverage technology for learning)

Our Sample Classroom

Investigating Teaching 21st Century Skills in LT/C Classrooms

Classroom 2.0 meets our Sample Classroom

Classroom 2.0 meets LT/C Answer Guide

A Typical Exercise for the Project Team

(Digital) Storytelling in our Sample Classroom

Audio Projects for our Sample Classroom

What would your Information Literacy Curriculum look like in our Sample Classroom?

What would your Media Literacy Curriculum look like in our Sample Classroom?

Which 21st Century Skills Do Not Require Technology?

Why Focus on ‘soft-skills’? Why not more technology, more effectively?

Reality Check #1

Scenario #1

What are the needs of teachers and students in our sample classroom?

Presentations & Videos To Aid in Informing

About the Team Members

Project Management

Virtual Meeting & Networking Locations

Abbreviations, Terms & Tags

Why Focus on ‘Soft-Skills’?
Why not more technology, more effectively?

Why Focus on ‘soft-skills’?
Why not more technology, more effectively?