Has your class been CCALLed into the 21st Century?
The new New Zealand Curriculum landed in my cubby hole yesterday. I have been a diligent student of the National Curriculum (a geek if you ask my colleagues in school). But it is good to see that the language in the ‘Vision’ part of the document remains.
It sets high expectations of the future. It acknowledges the global community and the abilities that the next generation of New Zealanders are going to require if they are to thrive in this inter-connected world.
It will be interesting to see how schools around the nation interpret this revised focus:
What does confident really mean in the classroom/school? How do we ‘teach’ that? (infuse that?)
What does connected mean, outside the blogosphere? Should mean the same and what will the impact of that be on the schools and their operating budgets?
How are we going to contextualise our students learning in any meaningful, sustainable way? Social, cultural, economic and environmental are all great words which potentially have huge impacts on the way we ‘do’ school.
Life Long learning is something that many of us have been grappling with for sometime now and at the heart of the matter, I believe, is the emotional development of intrinsic motivation, how are schools moving towards this golden key to education in the 21st century?
So are our students CCALLed into the bright shining 21st century?
Confident
Connected
Actively involved
Lifelong…
Learners ….?
and if they are not yet what are we going to do about it? As I typed this question I realised that it is not a tick box answer, are they connected? Yes could they be more so? Yes. Are they Confident?Yes. Could they be…. and so it goes on.
Hey Simon, for some reason I thought you were an Ap that taught year 5-6 – wonder where I got that one from! I must have met too many people at Ulearn.
Just wondering how you are using skype in your class? Do you have any connection problems – my class skyped with Rachel’s earlier this year and it was so distorted that my class wondered if they actually spoke English on the Sth Island…
What kind of things do you skype about and who to? I would like to get more into it but was put off my the call drop outs and sound issues… do you have head sets or put the speakers on for the whole class?
My email is mthomas@meadowbank.school.nz if it is easier for you to respond that way…
Well done on the ERO visit by the way – they are always fun
Love the CCALLed into the 21st Century, I might borrow it for a workshop sometime
Great symbolism. It is such a shame that our shining hope has landed as you say, with a plop in our cubby holes. No banners, no celebration, just arrived. I wonder how many schools actually just place it on their shelves without a second glance? Not many I hope.
Tried to document our thoughts on CCALL over the last three years.
Proud of the way my Appleby kids answered the question- beyond just IT skills- into communicating, developing confidence and being connected.
http://voicethread.com/share/15642/
Good to hear other teachers adding to it as well.