[Yr7-10it] re : "education revolution" and other buzz words

Thu Nov 22 14:51:53 EST 2007

ohh yeah

I agree completely But this sort of buzz word talk is not only limited to
education policy making. Its all over private industry as well. Me being
someone that strives to understand what terms such as web 2.0 actually mean
by doing research and reading find it really difficult and confusing when
they are used in the incorrect context. Then when you are talking to some
one that uses them in completely in the wrong context i find it easier to
have some fun and make up some words and throw them in and see how they
respond.

Also im a big believer in the use of technology and its benefits in
education and normal every day life.... and i have small practical ways i
had implemented it in maths that work for me. I also strived to conduct
interesting ICT programs that would take use of new technologies...
However the latest announcements of a computer for every student is a joke..
with out good policy on how teachers should be using these new resources we
are just throwing money down the drain... ie... im an English teacher.. lets
take the class to do some research on google.. for a period..... end of
discussion.. what a waste of time...  this is not real use of technology ...
thats a lesson off for the teacher.. nothing achieved.. nothing learned..
teachers need training and an attitude shift about computers .. much harder
to solve than throwing a computer at every child....

anyways that is my rant.. I dont really have a voice though now.. as i got
out of the teaching industry 2 months ago because of the weak pay
advancements opportunity.....Im now a project manager/concept developer for
a web site company... its not my job to know what web 2.0 means.. :P

Take it easy..

On Nov 22, 2007 12:10 PM, Costello, Rob R <Costello.Rob.R at edumail.vic.gov.au>
wrote:

> You guys are too serious
>
> Whats wrong with a good buzz-word fest
>
> I'm web 2.0fying my post industrial students for the knowledge economy,
> as a guide on the side, in a world of rapid change, with higher order
> thinking - (HOTS actually -I'm HOTTING in an ICT enabled environment,
> when I'm not mo-blogging on facebook- now that's a cool one - moblog),
> taking in large doses of historical amnesia (HAMS), (not sure about the
> last one but it I heard someone say it and it sounds impressive?)
>
> Rob
>
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: yr7-10it-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:yr7-10it-
> > bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of yr7-10it-request at edulists.com.au
> > Sent: Thursday, 22 November 2007 12:00 PM
> > To: yr7-10it at edulists.com.au
> > Subject: Yr7-10it Digest, Vol 33, Issue 27
> >
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> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >    1. "education revolution" and other buzz words (Bill Kerr)
> >    2. Re: "education revolution" and other buzz words (Russell
> Edwards)
> >    3. Re: "education revolution" and other buzz words (Tony Forster)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2007 20:10:32 +1100
> > From: "Bill Kerr" <billkerr at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [Yr7-10it] "education revolution" and other buzz words
> > To: "Year 7 - 10 Information Technology Teachers' Mailing List"
> >       <yr7-10it at edulists.com.au>
> > Message-ID:
> >       <5d2dce520711210110k1ea7fdabpee978ab3b560fb4a at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> >
> > Rudd's "education revolution" was mentioned a few times at VITTA and
> VITTA
> > itself promoted its conference on the theme of
> > revolution<http://www.vitta.org.au/conference/2007/>
> >
> > This represents an artificial use of language, which has become all
> too
> > common - words like revolution, literacy and web2.0 are used in ways
> that
> > obscure meaning and understanding.
> >
> > The way language is used at educational ICT conferences, especially at
> > keynotes, makes me want to throw up, the list of buzz words is
> enormous,
> > eg.
> > "21st Century skills" are most definitely limited since they seem to
> > involve
> > forgetting about critical or historical analysis of the past 40 years
> of
> > computing not to mention 300 years or more if we go back to
> Enlightenment
> > thinking and the Greeks
> >
> > After some VITTA conversations I became more curious and searched for
> some
> > of the fine print of the Labour Party education policy. I found these
> > documents (pdfs):
> >
> > The Australian Economy needs and education
> >
> revolution<http://www.alp.org.au/download/now/education_revolution.pdf>(
> Ja
> > n
> > 2007)
> >
> > Do a search for "comput" -->> zero hits. Computer promises were not
> part
> > of
> > the original "vision"
> >
> > The vision is/was human capital investment, based on quite fuzzy
> analysis:
> > 19th C industrial revolution
> > 20th C technological revolution
> > 21st C human capital revolution
> >
> > The sections demonstrating how australia has fallen behind are quite
> good.
> > It's easy to critique Howard, more difficult to develop a new vision
> of
> > substance. Instead of a real vision we get "revolution" rhetoric. Why
> > can't
> > the Labour Party use language honestly and call it "evolution" or
> > "incremental reform" rather than use grandiouse rhetoric?
> >
> > Come election time and the populist digital / broadband / increased
> access
> > message emerges:
> > A School Computer for Every Student Years 9-12
> > <http://www.alp.org.au/media/1107/msloo140.php>
> > Labor's Digital Education
> >
> Revolution<http://www.alp.org.au/download/labors_digital_education_revol
> ut
> > ion_campaign_launch.pdf>
> >
> > Noticeable that there is no mention of programming in this revolution.
> > There
> > is some talk about new things that will become possible through
> broadband
> >
> > I still think better things were being done at 1990 at Methodist
> Ladies
> > College (logo on laptops) and that the OLPC which now offers a real
> take
> > home computer with 3 programming environments (squeak, logo, python)
> and
> > lots more represents a superior vision
> >
> > At any rate, these papers do flesh out the ALP policy substantially.
> >
> > Yes, I enjoyed VITTA a lot and add my thanks to the organisers and a
> very
> > helpful tech named Paul,
> >
> > ... but not the buzz words
> > --
> > Bill Kerr
> > http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/
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