SUSTAINABILITY

Dendrobates auratus
(green and black poison dart frog)

What does it sound like?

Check this article on using ringtones to raise the consciousness of our technological savvy popluation on the plight of our endangered species.

In 2006, the same year Australia exported $24.5 billion worth of coal, we imported $25 billion in IT goods"

Follow this link to information about Australia's position in the world IT stakes-

KIDS NEED HUMAN CONTACT

article - "Young and Wired"

This article reflects the concerns I attempted to illustrate and describe in my first blog entitled EXAMBLOG where I questioned technology's role in the education and care of our youth.

High school sophomore Ben Englert gave up gaming and tries not to multitask as his "brain can't handle it." He is, however, trying to program Spark the robot (right), to walk. Chronicle photo by Mike Kepka

GAGNE THEORY=Conditions of Learning

Overview:

This theory stipulates that there are several different types or levels of learning. The significance of these classifications is that each different type requires different types of instruction. Gagne identifies five major categories of learning: verbal information, intellectual skills, cognitive strategies, motor skills and attitudes. Different internal and external conditions are necessary for each type of learning. For example, for cognitive strategies to be learned, there must be a chance to practice developing new solutions to problems; to learn attitudes, the learner must be exposed to a credible role model or persuasive arguments.

Gagne suggests that learning tasks for intellectual skills can be organized in a hierarchy according to complexity: stimulus recognition, response generation, procedure following, use of terminology, discriminations, concept formation, rule application, and problem solving. The primary significance of the hierarchy is to identify prerequisites that should be completed to facilitate learning at each level. Prerequisites are identified by doing a task analysis of a learning/training task. Learning hierarchies provide a basis for the sequencing of instruction.

In addition, the theory outlines nine instructional events and corresponding cognitive processes:

(1) gaining attention (reception)
(2) informing learners of the objective (expectancy)
(3) stimulating recall of prior learning (retrieval)
(4) presenting the stimulus (selective perception)
(5) providing learning guidance (semantic encoding)
(6) eliciting performance (responding)
(7) providing feedback (reinforcement)
(8) assessing performance (retrieval)
(9) enhancing retention and transfer (generalization).

These events should satisfy or provide the necessary conditions for learning and serve as the basis for designing instruction and selecting appropriate media (Gagne, Briggs & Wager, 1992).

"outside-the-box-thinkers"

At IDEO, we've developed 10 people-centric tools, talents, or personas for innovation. Although the list does not presume to be comprehensive, it does aspire to expand your repertoire. We've found that adopting one or more of these roles can help teams express a different point of view and create a broader range of innovative solutions."

The 10 faces are:

1. Anthropologist - observing human behavior
2. Experimenter - prototypes new ideas
3. Cross-Pollinator - explores other industries and cultures
4. Hurdler - overcomes/outsmarts roadblocks
5. Collaborator - brings eclectic groups together
6. Director - gathers a talented cast
7. Experience Architect - designs compelling experiences
8. Set Designer - creates the stage for innovation
9. Caregiver - anticipates needs and is ready to meet them
10. Storyteller - shares compelling narratives that communicate fundamental values or truths

How is this consistent/parallel with Gardner's work? How might these 10 faces be employed in our work in education?

the social/situational orientation to learning

It is not so much that learners acquire structures or models to understand the world, but they participate in frameworks that have structure. Learning involves participation in a community of practice. -written by Mark.K.Smith -link to article

ATLAS CURRICULUM MAPPING

Getting an overview of what student's are being taught.

"Our students need us to know their experiences over the course of time. They need us to know what’s really going on in their daily classes as they move among teachers and subjects. With that information, possibilities emerge."

SERIOUSLY COOL - McCRINDLE DEMOGRAPHICS

The Generations defined sociologically - McCrindle

Multiple Intelligences

Howard Gardner contends that the ability to synthesize information will be the most valued trait for leaders. (2006)

- another Gardner link

GEN Y = LIFE BALANCE

RATHER THAN BANK BALANCE - M McCrindle

"Improving Our Children's Outcomes"

ALP Policy

STEPHEN SMITH MP
Shadow Minister for Education and Training

LABOUR THE LESSER EVIL

National Curiculum

POLITICAL AGENDA or Priority for the children and the nation??

Judith Wheeldon former head of two Syd private schools) writes of her concerns about the proposed national curriculum by the Australian Labour Party and the issue of education in general.

I think that Wheeldon's positive overview of a K-12 curriculum is good because it encompasses all the stages of the young human's development - however this is not an article to explore the details of the how. Her concern for a lack in true scientific thinking prowess in our population and thus the populations' ability to make informed judgements on critical issues such as health and environment citing alternative medicine and the very real environmental problem of water scarcity are very astute - this concern supports one of the five major areas of curriculum priority = science. However it is our adult population who are voting and making choices - conscious or otherwise in relation to health and environmental living that address the 'inconvenient truths' - AL Gore.

How can a political agenda be truly supportive of the highest good of our children? Education is going to be a hot political topic because of the long term of the Liberal Government and its unashamed support of private schools in all its funding priorities - building, subsidies, equipment etc.

Parents of children going to State Public Schools have felt the lack of resources for some time and are very aware of the Liberal Government's biases. When Julie Bishop addresses education and advocates National Curriculum her long term intention is to only give funding to schools who implement the 'correct' guidelines and recommendations. It is like the one flag pole, wisping Australian Flag, fluttering in isolation. Necessity, otherwise we won't give you funding for this and this etc. Wheeldon highlights this possible use of force and foretells the possibility of National Curriculum becoming law. It would seem there is not a great difference between the two parties - I like the way Wheeldon implies the future outcomes of National Curriculum - a warning for both labour and liberal voters. Concisely summised in the title 'Labour the Lesser Evil'.

Parents are a large portion of the voting population. The competition in the job market is very real and the separation between the service class and the educated class is well addressed in Richard Florida's discussion about the creative economy (multiplicity posting - Mayoral Conference America) and the prejudice to a better education for the wealthy which encourages the loss of talent from poorer families migrants etc. who have no benefit of a 'good' education. Parents are concerned for their children's futures all over the globe.

Wheeldon points out that the Labour Government have omitted the Creative Arts in its Curriculum priorities, I think this an excellent observation, it seems the policy writers in both the ALP and Liberal Parties, have not an understanding of the wealth of applicable creative thinking and scientific integration the arts manifest .

I think her article addresses the whole agenda of politics by innuendo, refering to our lack of language teaching and thus the disadvantages we face as world competitors. - I believe the LOCAL to GLOBAL argument is not considered in politics. It is STATE or COUNTRY and discourse and discussion that addresses Global Community or Local Geographic Community are seriously lacking. Narrowing our vision to being a competitive player in the world, (OECD) does not address the bigger problems we face as a planet. The common language is not to be found in the teaching of language but in the intersection of technology and digital tribes.

Though Wheeldon's article is very insightful and clearly objective, the content is limited in itself by the priorities of our National Agenda and the focus of the "political" arena .

It seems our 'voting' population is uninformed and very susceptible to propaganda, largley influenced by popular media. eg babies overboard. Our overall lack of scientific thinking - as cited, and inability to "get" the global picture make us potential unempowered pawns in our own unconscious future.