Educating the Dragon

As I have been asked to talk to the staff at school on Learningatschools 07 I have taken some time to reflect on David Warlick and Jennifer Corriero’s message along with Owen Alexander’s thoughts on the trends of youth today. We need to tell a new story, the old one is just that. We need to give our kids the best possible start for if we don’t we’re in trouble, regardless of which way you cut it.

1. Let’s assume that all our kids are hot-wired like so many of the kids today are. They are having to ‘power-down’ as the cliché goes when they have to come to school. Their 1000 decisions a minute has turned into 3 per hour. Not good. Are we challenging their thinking? No Are we directing their learning to engage in the digital economy or simply to sit on the fringe, on the dole watch sky sports and playing Halo4. why can’t our kids be ones designing the game, creating that alternate universe? With our sit down, listen up, follow the rules attitude we setting them up to be fruit pickers Watties packers, mashers or mincers. What happened to shooting for the stars and landing on the moon? Lets take a long hard look at these kids futures. The jobs that many of them could potentially get have not even been created. The kids in my class will retire in 2065. Its gonna be whole different world out there then.
2. Ok take lets take a different tack. Let’s assume they are not wired. Some of these kids don’t get access to breakfast at home let alone internet. If they don’t know stuff about the possibilities we can view it in two different lights. Firstly we could say “Hey let’s give them a basic education cover the 3 R’s tick the boxes and move them out Boy’s /Girl’s High let them worry about the future. Or we could say, if these kids are going to get any step up, assistance, helping hand, its going to be from us, the school. We have a primary responsibility for preparing these kids for a their future. Its not a future that we can see right now, not like back in the day, when  I could look at my dad going to work and see my life.  Theirs is future of possibility and wonderment, if they are prepared for it.

So many kids want out. They see the rugby players and the netballers and the movie stars and they think that’s the route to a brighter future. They don’t see the couple of geeks having sold Youtube for $1.65 billion US.

I was born in 1975, graduated in 1993. Back then the world was full of boomers- The boom went from 1945 through to 1968. That’s children being born. By the time I graduated all the jobs were gone. Even the teaching profession had a glut of staff. I remember going for several interviews where they had 65 job applicants per place. I was a baby bust- Tail end of the boom. All the jobs are take.

Well let’s go on 30 years the Net-Generation peaked in 1991.  Since then the birth rate globally has fluctuated. Our kids today could well be looking for a job in the Net-Bust era. What’s going to be the impact on them? Few jobs. They are a going to have to work smarter AND harder to beat those Net Generation kids with years of experience under their belts.

Whichever is the scenario 1 or 2 for our kids we have to act. How we go about it will look very different depending on those children’s access to the Net. The Net is opening up a whole world of possibilities out their, gaming and chat rooms is only the beginning. What are we going to do about it?

These figures are correct to the best of my ability. If you know better please comment.

Well it actually worked, I can,t really believe it. And I wouldn’t if it were not for the fact I was stood right there when I said.

David was taking about the LEVEL BOSS at the end of video games and that the kids are having to beat the level boss…here’s what i did with my 7 year olds- xbox, playstation gurus all.

It was the beginning of my writing lesson this morning and they have been writing a proceedure about crossing the road. They’ve been working on it all week and they were up to the editting part where they have to underline possible spelling errors and write them in their ‘1st try/2nd’ book (dumb name i’ve always thought- but that’s what it is) Anyway…

A couple came to me and said- “Haven’t got any mistakes”- And they haven’t.

What’s gonig on here i think. So I stand up and address the class. I tell them that even I make mistakes in my writing(anyone regularly reading these posts can testify to how terrible it is at times-please don’t) and I say Writing is like a game. We’re at level one now and level two is where you are able to use some really big words like compelling or Fantastic or anticipate, the level boss needs to be defeated and the way you get to the end of the level is to attempt to use, in your writing some descriptive words, adjectives, adverbs that you are trying out and you haven’t used before. i said the level boss needs to be blasted and your only ammo are the words you are trying. it’s ok because you have the cheat book right in front of you. (waved   ’1st try/2nd try’ book in the air0 Isaid its fairly empty and the moment but i’ve got all the cheats, the right spelling in my head and i can put them in your cheat book after you’ve had a go yourself.

I am now the Games Master and they possess a cheat book. They lapped it up. now they all want to be on level 2 writing really cool stories to share with their Skyping buddies.

I am well chuffed.